The 2024 Hoop Obsession G-League Report

Annually, we make time to concentrate on the NBA G-League. We like to do this right before we dive into our more serious college scouting that comes in late January and goes through early April. We do a complete statistical “audit” of the G-League only after watching a bunch of full games from the Winter Showcase. We have seen most of these players live in Summer League. Unlike past years, we did not venture to the Showcase. The budget to go from California to Florida on my own dime wasn’t in the cards. In past years, Las Vegas, Santa Cruz, and Reno were easier to get to for us from our Western base. I am also not a fan of the Governor of Florida and his book bans, so the motivation to spend my money in such a state was stifled. The televised Showcase games had to suffice.

After watching games and evaluating the numbers, we have chosen to highlight 15 players we call our 2023-24 All G-League Team to date.

Oscar Tshiebwe – Indiana.   6’8” 255 lbs. Tshiebwe is on a two-way contract with the Indiana Pacers who are loaded with good BIGs. The 24-year-old rookie is the greatest under-sized rebounder to come along in years. He has suction cups for hands and he is quicker to the ball than most. Tshiebwe had a 28 rebound game in December. He doesn’t shoot the three-ball and his decision-making on offense is a work in progress. But, damn, can he rebound! Overall, Oscar T. is the most efficient player per-minute on our Hoop Obsession Calculation (HOC) scale. He is shooting 61% FG, and 74% FT. He is a plus defender with a DEFRTG that is 4.3 points better than his team’s DEFRTG. We said before the 2023 NBA Draft we thought Tshiebwe was one of the unique players that is so good at his specialty, there could be a role for him on a team that is ripe with shooters. If anything, we believe that even more strongly now.

 

Greg Brown – Texas. 6’7” 206 lbs. The best athlete in the G-League would also likely be the best athlete in the NBA. Greg Brown III is freaky. Hyper-athletic! And yes, we’ve seen that archetype before. Being a great runner and jumper alone does not always work or translate to winning basketball.

What I saw from Greg Brown in the Winter Showcase, however, was a freak athlete that is also becoming a better basketball player. Defensively especially, Brown left his stamp on games by blocking shots in a variety of ways. On offense, the 22-year-old flew (literally) around the court, beating opponents in transition and then levitating for nasty dunks. He is shooting 57% FG on the season in the G. Now, let us reiterate that all the G-League players we hype are not likely future NBA stars. That is not what this is about. G-League call-ups to the NBA are likely to be role players at best. Brown certainly still has holes in his game. He is what we label a “low percentage shooter” (LPS) from beyond the three-point line. He’s making just 30% of his deep attempts. At the line, he’s at 71%. Brown is also turning it over almost twice as much as he assists it. Negatives aside, we believe there can be a place for Brown on any team that wants to run and has players surrounding Brown that have high basketball IQ’s. He is too gifted to not be in the NBA. Watching Brown reminded us of many years ago when it became OBVIOUS that Gerald Green was too good to be in the minors.

 

Jontay Porter – Raptors 905.  6’10”, 240 lbs. The older brother of Michael Porter Jr., Jontay is a nice example of a stretch-four that knows how to play. His 1.57-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio and 37% three-point shooting show proof. Porter has a DEFRTG that is 5.6 points per 100 possessions better than the team’s DEFRTG. The 24-year-old is on a two-way contract with Toronto. He was called up recently and he has seen an average of 17 minutes per game in the NBA in his last five contests.

Xavier Moon – Ontario. 6’0” 165 lbs. Continuing what we witnessed in Summer League, Xavier Moon is still playing at a high level. Certainly, he could be getting backup PG minutes in the NBA. He is a shifty guard that can get a piece of the paint as well as knock down deep shots. Moon is a bit of a different story than your average G-Leaguer. He is 29 years old. While some scouts just will not look the way of a small guard, we think Moon can hold his own on defense. This season in all G-League games, Moon has a +1.8 DEFRTG differential. His accurate shooting ability has him at 50.6% FG, 39.6% 3-pt., and 88.9% FT. He has a 2.6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Trevelin Queen – Osceola. 6’5” 190 lbs. Queen is now 26 years-old. He is on a two-way contract with Orlando and he has been playing with the NBA club for the last seven games. Queen appears lighter on his feet these days. He is a shooting guard that is more of a utility-player than a scorer. He’s shooting a passable 33.8% from beyond the arc in the G-League but he is excellent in transition. He shoots 51.6% FG, and 74% FT. Defensively, Queen is always engaged. He was All-Defense First Team in the G-League in 2022, the same season he was MVP of the G.

Jordan Bell – Indiana. 6’7”, 216 lbs. Bell is well-traveled. The 29-year-old forward is right on the border for being back in the NBA. While nobody will be too concerned with him as a deep shooter, Bell has shown that he CAN make a three-point attempt (9 of 22, 40.9% 3-Pt.), and he is willing to share. His 1.55-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is solid. His shot selection has improved and that is reflected in his 60.1 FG%. He is still a below average free throw shooter (69.7%).

Colin Castleton – South Bay. 6’10”, 250 lbs. Castleton is a rookie under a two-way contract with the Lakers. The 23-year-old is an old-school Center. He doesn’t shoot the three-ball. He is making 58% of his field goals and 75% of his foul shots. He’s a plus defender and a fundamentally sound teammate.

Darius Bazley – Delaware. 6’9” 216 lbs. Scoring is Bazley’s thing. That might make it hard for him to find a spot in the NBA. As previously stated, NBA teams have established scorers. Bazley is a low percentage three-point shooter (27.4% 3-pt.), and a below average foul shooter (63% FT).  He is 23-years-old, a true unrestricted free-agent that could join any NBA team.

Isaiah Mobley – Cleveland. 6’8”, 238 lbs. Another player that excelled in Summer League, Isaiah Mobley is still playing well in the Winter. He is averaging 22.4 points per G-League game. Mobley is 24 years-old on a two-way deal with the Cavs.

Jalen Pickett – Grand Rapids. 6’2”, 202 lbs. Pickett is on the Denver Nuggets roster but they are letting him develop in the G-League. He is shooting extraordinarily well. He’s made 31 of 68 three-point shots (45.6%). He has a spectacular 4.6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was the 32nd pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He always gives the old-school PG vibes.

Jahmi’us Ramsey – Oklahoma City. 6’3”, 190 lbs. The former second round pick of the Sacramento Kings is now 22 years-old, playing for his life as an unrestricted free agent. The main attraction with Ramsey is deep shooting. He’s netting 39.1% of his three-balls in the G-League. He’s shown improvement as a rebounding guard. He’s averaging 19 points and seven boards per game.

Patrick Baldwin Jr. – Capital City. 6’9”, 220 lbs. Baldwin Jr. is a mostly perimeter-oriented player despite his good size. He rarely gets to the foul line. He is on the Washington Wizards roster but he spends most of his time in the G-League. He can be effective defensively, blocking shots and he can stretch he floor on offense (35.6% 3-pt.)

Jay Huff – Grand Rapids. 7’1”, 240 lbs. A stretch-FIVE, Huff is now 26 years old. Defensively, he averages three blocked shots per game, but his DEFRTG is nothing special (probably due to lack of quickness). Huff has shown consistent ability to make threes in the 38-to-42 percent range.

Scotty Pippen Jr. – South Bay. 6’1”, 170 lbs. Pippen continues to be a TWO-guard in a Point Guard’s body. He is a 23-year-old unrestricted free agent. Pippen is averaging 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game for the Lakers G-League squad.

Jeremy Lamb – Stockton. 6’5”, 180 lbs. Lamb is now 31-year-old but he’s playing well in the G-League. He’s been a plus defender for the Stockton Kings, while making 36% of his deep shots.  He has a 1.92-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Lamb is an unrestricted free-agent.

Notes:

Louis Williams let it be known that he wants to be called “LOO-e” Williams, like Louis Armstrong. …Myron Gardner is another top-flight athlete I wasn’t hip to. Dude had a crazy putback dunk in the Showcase.

Last year, we highlighted Kris Dunn, Mark Williams, Jaden Hardy, and Jaylin Williams. Those four are now playing roles for NBA teams.

Among the young G-League Ignite players that will one day be drafted, I am leaning toward Tyler Smith as my favorite. At 6’11”, 224 lbs., the 19-year-old is really quick off his feet. He is getting better on offense but has proven to be a good defender as well. The lefty is making 38.8% of his three-point shots.

…Some honorable mentions to our All-G League Team above:

Adama Sonogo – Windy City
Usman Garuba – Santa Cruz
Chris Silva – College Park
Micah Potter – Salt Lake City
Jason Preston – Memphis.
Leonard Miller – Iowa.
Jordan Miller – Ontario
Warith Alatishe – Ontario
Collin Gillespie – Grand Rapids
Cam Whitmore – Rio Grande
Matthew Hurt – Memphis
Noah Clowney – Long Island
Jermaine Samuels – Rio Grande
Javon Freeman-Liberty – Raptors 905.
J.D. Davison – Maine.

 

Home