2021 G League and Summer League Thread

[Clav]

I've watched a handful of OKC Blue games in the start of the season.... they're mostly free to watch and as I'm working I put one on occasionally.


Positives:

DJ Wilson - he's an NBA level player - ceiling is bench big. Good at spacing and PnR, rebounding is strong at GLeague level. shot inconsistent from range, but willing to take and form is solid.

Lindy Water III - willing shooter and has improved defensively as a wing. Got a two-way contract and hopefully takes his chances to make shots.

Roby / Poku / Maledon - are above Gleague level talent

Sarr - has potential to be a good post presence as a backup and work to be more multi-faceted post presence. Slow on recover and weak finisher despite size

Hopson / Zaire Simpson / Jaworski - guard play is lacking for the Blue, all are inconsistent offensively but decent team defenders. Hopson is finally finding groove as a playmaker but he's not a great defender. All three could be the 12th man on a roster currently.

Rob Edwards provides the necessary range for this team.

Overall - OKC Blue are solid defensive team but lack Point of Attack presence and weak outside shooting.



Negatives :

Guard - Simpson undersized, not NBA level. Hopson too loose with handle, Jaworski too young and not quick enough, Edwards not diverse enough. Kreci is decent at spacing and passing, but has shown he's not quite NBA ready yet. Needs some seasoning.

Wing - Frazier bad defensively, Watson normally not impactful, Poku and Roby show flashes, Kalaitzakis is a bench player at both levels.

Sarr and Wilson are not the greatest defensively, but overall the Blue is a plus-defensive team in the Gleague.



I like seeing Roby, Maledon, Poku demonstrating that they are better than the Gleague.

[Clav]

Three weeks later, Watson and Frazier Jr. have been waived or traded. Sarr and Waters III are on two-way contracts with OKC Thunder, and Wilson is back on a 10-day contract with Toronto, leaving the Blue without great post presence.

Jah'mius Ramsey and Robert Woodard II (from Stockton Kings) are on the Blue now and have helped in their two games. Woodard II is what the team needed for a PF. There are not great Cs on the roster unless Sarr or Wilson Jr returns.

Hopson is an enigma, he is like the wing (and G-League) equivalent of KAT He's a great offensively minded player, he gets to the rim, can pass the ball, but his footwork is abysmal defensively even if he's athletic. (His ceiling is NOT Kat's potential, just an analogous thing I've noticed)

Overall, again, this team competes and tries hard every night. A never-give-up attitude helps them, and late game they have condensed down to running good offense.

It hasn't amounted to collecting tons of wins as the lineup has been a revolving door and the biggest issue is post-players are in and out of the roster every game.

I keep watching the free games when I'm working hahha basketball during the day!!

[Clav]

The OKC Blue roster this year has been up and down so far. I haven't commented ITT in nearly a year now...

The good ?

The nice parts of this season fall with C Olivier Sarr back in the lineup, I think he's got a chance to be on the Thunder because he's a 7 footer/stretch 5 from France. He seems to impact games with his length and he makes a variety of shots (mid-post, 3pt, post turn around, and easy dunks) so that gives me hope for his development for the future. He did play some OKC Thunder ball last year, so I think they will offer him a contract for the next season, perhaps as a two-way.

AND Andre Roberson has been playing professionally again for the Blue. It has been a good story to see him balling again, but as was the case with the last time we saw Roberson on the court, he really can't shoot, and his shot still looks awful. [okay, he's been out a long time, but you'd think he would have been putting tons of shots up.]

He airballed a few open looks and made me put my head in my hands in depression "NotLikeThis" even though he did look okay defending and cutting he got some okay looks at the rim. It's a nice story to see him out there, but there is very little hope for Roberson to make it back to the NBA I fear.

Other good parts.... players on my radar...and OKC Thunder assignees

Jah'mius Ramsey is a decent G prospect. He's got drive-to-the-lane potential, good hops, but has need to refine his go-to bag and change speeds better, but I can see him getting an NBA chance (again ? I think he played a bit with SAC a few years ago without checking stats) for a backup role.

Adam Mokoka is a solid wing prospect, too, he hustles and makes gritty plays but is pretty variable with his offensive game. I like his grit though. He's been in the NBA for spot duty so this guy is closer to 15th man than most in the Gleague.

Eugene Omoruyi eventually had his contract guaranteed by The Thunder, he's got NBA speed and good size to guard 1-3 // maybe 4 and can work his way up to a bench role I think, but I like his game overall. Good defender and has craft finishing, just isn't a real threat unless on the break or wide open.

Ousmane Dieng has played for the Blue this year also, and his shot and size make a difference at this level. Obviously he's going to be in the NBA overall.

JRE spent some time down there rehabbing from his injury to the ankle, he looked good as a lead PF.


the bad ?? probably shuffled around the league or max out as low-tier bench players in NBA, can be fine Gleague or Euro players etc...

Lindy Waters continues to get PT and provide spacing, but he's not an imposing defender and it's impressive he's found some footing as a professional. Good for Lindy, but I'm not sure he's going to be long for the NBA without defining a second useful skill to a franchise (currently shooting is his best attribute that sticks out).

Ryan Woolridge is very hot/cold, he needs time to improve, but dont' expect much. same with Jaden Shackleford, who is an undersized shooter and guard.

The Blue's other guards all are kind of versatile defenders, and kind of variable initiators, all seem to be more defensive guys. Offense kind of stagnates with Gaddy at PG and/or Ramsey trying to get shots. Tre Mann and Wiggins play some time for the Blue and it's clear they are a bit above the competition there vs the other guards I mentioned.

Post players are kind of up and down, for a while OKC Blue had hired Noah Starkey as a C, a slow-footed dude who now is on another team after a waive. DJ Wilson was also on the team but was traded mid-season. He's a former FRP of another team and has been in and out of the Blue lineup over the past 2 or 3 seasons. He was called up to TOR last year in spot duty, I always feel he's just a bit underperforming for his talent.

Sacha Killeya Jones is a PF on the roster this year, a Lakers Summer Leaguer, and he's struggled finding his impact in the games I've caught. poor defender.

Overall the roster for the Blue just doesn't have that killer instinct to win... even in the Gleague, and it doesn't have steady NBA rotation players or vets like some teams do. Thunder assignees are still young guys honestly, and JRE, the most experienced honestly, looked a world above than the Gleague competition, so that is good news for Thunder dev team.

Also I think the Gleague games are not as bad as I think some people make them out to be. I actually have a decent time watching them, if available, and you get to see some iso-heavy stuff, yeah, some guys aren't the best defenders laterally or are one-skill-set ballers, but there are good moments to be had.