The Rio Grande Valley Vipers, who are an affiliate organization of the Houston Rockets, selected 6-foot-3 guard Armoni Brooks and 6-foot-5 guard Jarron Cumberland with the No. 10 and No. 12 overall picks in Monday’s 2020-21 NBA G League draft.
Brooks played three college seasons at the University of Houston from 2016 through 2019, and he was with the G League’s College Park Skyhawks last season — an Atlanta Hawks affiliate. Known best for his shooting, Brooks made 40.1% of his 3-pointers in the G League last season on high volume, averaging 5.6 attempts in 21.0 minutes per game.
Meanwhile, Cumberland played four seasons at the University of Cincinnati from 2016 through 2020. In his 2019-20 senior campaign, he averaged 15.5 points and 4.9 assists in 32.4 minutes per game.
The NBA G League will begin its 2020-21 campaign in February at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, similar to the NBA’s “bubble” format utilized to complete the 2019-20 season. The Vipers are among 18 G League franchises who have committed to participate.
From Houston’s perspective, their relationship with the Vipers offers an opportunity to evaluate younger players and allow them to develop under the tutelage of a coaching staff selected by the Rockets.
Here’s a look at video highlights of the newest Vipers. Rio Grande Valley has yet to formally announce its roster for the 2020-21 season.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsvHh7_yI4I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD1YiBhLJ-4