Tag: G League Ignite

Explaining why Ron Holland may fall in the 2024 NBA Draft after his season with the G League Ignite

What is going on with Ron Holland right now?

Every year, there are players expected to hear his name called early in the draft but who fall lower than initially anticipated. One of the players in the 2024 NBA Draft who could deal with such a slide is Ron Holland.

While he was projected the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on HoopsHype’s Aggregate Mock Draft as recently as just a few months ago in January, a lot has changed since then. Now, the projections are far lower.

Holland was a McDonald’s All-American who helped lead Team USA to win gold medals at the FIBA U-17 World Cup and the FIBA U-16 Americas Championship. Some recruiting services had him as the top player in his class before he eventually chose to play for the G League Ignite.

While he was often the focal point of his offense, it was a bit of a disastrous season for the program. Eventually, in fact, the G League made the correct decision to pull the plug on the Ignite.

Holland suffered a ruptured tendon in his right thumb at the end of January and had season-ending surgery. But when it was all said and done, his year looked pretty good on paper.

He averaged 19.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.3 steals per game during his 29 appearances playing against pros. So why do many feel that his draft stock is sliding? Here are some of the latest reports.

Streaky shooting

Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo (via ESPN): His poor decision-making and streakiness as a shooter were concerns that were amplified by his outsized role last season, but the 18-year-old has plenty of room to continue to improve. His season was cut short by a ruptured tendon in his right thumb, which forced him to miss the Ignite’s final 19 games.

Pre-draft process

Sam Vecenie (via The Athletic): “His range is seen as quite wide right now. He hasn’t had a strong pre-draft process; he struggled to impress teams during visits and at his pro day, according to league sources. However, Holland isn’t the type of player who typically impresses in those situations, so teams would be wise not to over-index on that portion of the process.”

This is a more appropriate range

NBA scout, via Raphael Barlowe (via Andscape): “I think Ron is really in his normal range. I always had him around picks 15-25. I think he’ll go top 20, but it’s all in the eyes of the beholder. When he was promoted as a potential No. 1 pick or as a top-5 pick last summer and fall, a lot of people in the media followed suit. Now you’re seeing he’s dropping on these mock drafts even though he had good numbers, but I don’t think he’s falling. He [is] around where he should have always been.”

Lack of team success

Jonathan Wasserman (via Bleacher Report): “The losses, poor shooting and suspect decision-making have turned certain scouts off, but even without a reliable jump shot or high-level creation, he still put up big numbers using his speed, improved ball-handling, athleticism around the basket and streak shotmaking.”

After the Ignite failed to reach expectations this season, Holland could potentially face some of those consequences on draft night. But he still projects as one of the most intriguing players in this class.

At BetMGM, the draft position over/under for Holland was set at 9.5 and he was +120 to go in the top ten.


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G League Ignite’s Babacar Sane had predraft workout with Thunder

G League Ignite’s Babacar Sane had predraft workout with Thunder.

The calendar has flipped to June, which means NBA teams are intensifying their predraft process and hosting players for workouts and visits. The 2024 NBA draft will take place from June 26-27.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter this year’s class with a sole draft pick of the No. 12 selection. OKC was gifted the free lottery pick via the Houston Rockets.

The Thunder will host several meetings with draft prospects in the coming weeks. This includes players outside the lottery range as OKC will likely seek to add undrafted free agents or even buy back into the second round if it likes someone enough.

One possibility is G League Ignite forward Babacar Sane. He posted on social media he had a predraft workout with the Thunder.

The 20-year-old spent the last two seasons with the now-debunk Ignite program. He went to the NBA Academy Africa school before that.

In 31 games last season, Sane averaged 10.6 points on 44.5% shooting, 5.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists. He shot 26.3% from 3 on 1.8 attempts. At 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, he has solid size for a forward.

Sane is a potential undrafted free agent target. He has a shot to join the Thunder’s summer league squad and possibly be added to the G League’s OKC Blue for next season if he impresses enough.

A full list of 2024 NBA draft prospects that have worked out or visited the Thunder in the predraft process can be viewed here.

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Report: G League Ignite’s Ron Holland had predraft workout with Thunder

Report: G League Ignite’s Ron Holland had predraft workout with Thunder.

The calendar has flipped to June, which means NBA teams are intensifying their predraft process and hosting players for workouts and visits. The 2024 NBA draft will take place from June 26-27.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter this year’s class with a sole draft pick of the No. 12 selection. OKC was gifted the free lottery pick via the Houston Rockets.

The Thunder will host several meetings with draft prospects in the coming weeks. This includes players outside the lottery range as OKC will likely seek to add undrafted free agents or even buy back into the second round if it likes someone enough.

One possibility is G League Ignite forward Ron Holland. He had a predraft workout with the Thunder on Sunday, per Rookie Wire.

The 18-year-old bypassed the traditional college route and spent last year with the now-defunct Ignite program. He was a five-star recruit out of high school.

In 29 games last season, Holland averaged 19.5 points on 45.5% shooting, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He shot 23.7% from 3 on 3.3 attempts. At 6-foot-7 and 196 pounds, he has nice size for a wing.

Holland is a potential option at the No. 12 spot. He’d been viewed as a lottery selection. He’d be a swing for OKC who will bank off his elite athletic traits. He’d likely spend some time with the G League’s OKC Blue next season.

A full list of 2024 NBA draft prospects that have worked out or visited the Thunder in the predraft process can be viewed here.

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Report: G League Ignite’s Tyler Smith conducted predraft workout with Thunder

Report: G League Ignite’s Tyler Smith conducted predraft workout with Thunder.

The calendar has flipped to June, which means NBA teams are intensifying their predraft process and hosting players for workouts and visits. The 2024 NBA draft will take place from June 26-27.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter this year’s class with a sole draft pick of the No. 12 selection. OKC was gifted the free lottery pick via the Houston Rockets.

The Thunder will host several meetings with draft prospects in the coming weeks. This includes players outside the lottery range as OKC will likely seek to add undrafted free agents or even buy back into the second round if it likes someone enough.

One possibility is G League Ignite forward Tyler Smith. He reportedly had a predraft workout with the Thunder, per HoopsHype. The 19-year-old was part of the last Ignite squad before the program was discontinued this past season.

In 43 games, Smith averaged 13.7 points on 47.4% shooting, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He shot 36% from 3 on 3.7 attempts. At 6-foot-11, 224 pounds, he has the ideal size to be a wing and small center tweener.

If the Thunder like him enough, he’ll likely be available at the 12th spot. It’ll be a bit of a reach but that’s around the range Smith will go. He’s seen as a project with great tools. He also spent time with the Overtime Elite program before he joined the G League.

A full list of 2024 NBA draft prospects that have worked out or visited the Thunder in the predraft process can be viewed here.

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The NBA made the right call by shutting down its G League Ignite team

The NBA needs to shift its resources around to make a better future for the league

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Mike Sykes

Happy Friday, folks! Welcome back to Layup Lines. Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you’ve had an amazing week.

Let’s talk a bit about Thursday’s NBA G League Ignite news. Shortly after it broke, I popped a quick explainer about the league’s decision on the Ignite team and what caused it.

Essentially, Adam Silver and the company decided that the team didn’t have purpose anymore. With NIL deals in college sports and the Overtime Elite league being another option for young hoopers, the NBA decided it didn’t need a team just to pay the players anymore. That’s the rationale behind the closure.

I’d push back a bit on that, though. That was never really the point of the Ignite team. Paying players was part of the impetus, sure. But the NBA wanted to establish its own prep-to-pro pipeline that ensured more players were coming into the league ready to play NBA basketball.

This is still a problem in Adam Silver’s eyes — particularly with American-born players. Ironically enough, when he alluded to canning the G League Ignite squad a few months back, he expounded on that exact point. The next goal for the NBA seems to be improving that process.

“If you’re seeing now, what we’re seeing in terms of that close to 30 percent of the league, players born outside the United States, it’s clear that the development is very different in many of those programs,” Silver said. “More of a focus on practice, less of a focus on games, which seems to be the opposite of many of the youth programs in the United States.”

Silver continued, “I think there’s an opportunity for us to be part of the community that’s developing younger players, elite players.”

To me, this sounds a lot like a pivot. Instead of focusing its resources on players transitioning to pro, Silver seems to want to focus more on ensuring players are prepared for the NBA before they begin to think about that process. At least, that’s how I read that.

The NBA already has its Jr. NBA and WNBA programs. An NBA academy pipeline already exists and has plenty of success stories. But maybe Silver sees a way to improve it that we’re not privy to yet. I’m not totally sure, but I do like where his head seems to be.

As great as the Ignite program was, it didn’t seem to work. It didn’t attract the talent the NBA thought it would. This year’s team isn’t very good either – the team is 2-28 through 30 games. That isn’t very good.

Instead of wasting resources on a failing project, a pivot is more than welcome here.

The Pelicans might be in some trouble

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans was flying high in our latest NBA Power Rankings, climbing all the way to 5th after winning eight of its last 10 games.

But now, that climb is at risk of turning into a slow descent. The injury bug is back in New Orleans after Brandon Ingram hyperextended his knee in Thursday’s loss to the Magic.

READ MORE: The Celtics are still at the top of the NBA, but the Pelicans are soaring with the contenders now

Ingram will be out for at least the next couple of weeks, according to the latest from the team, and will be re-evaluated. There’s a possibility he could miss even more time.

The timing couldn’t be worse. There is only about a month left in the season before the playoffs start, and the Pelicans were just a game behind the Clippers for the No. 4 seed in the West. This drawback could drop them even further in the standings if the team struggles to win without its second-best player.

Maybe Zion Williamson’s play is enough to sustain all this. We’ll have to wait and see. But, regardless, this is a big blow.

Shootaround

— Nikola Jokic is ridiculous, man. This pass doesn’t make any sense. Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky with more.

— Prince Grimes has more on J.B. Bickerstaff’s problems with sports betting. This is becoming a common theme in the NBA these days.

— John Calipari and two of the best NBA prospects are out of March Madness. I wrote about that upset in TMW this morning. Check it out.

— On the women’s side, UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards has declared for the WNBA draft, leaving some fans in shambles. Here’s Meg Hall with more.

That’s all, folks! We’ll chat again next week. Until then! Peace. Have a fantastic weekend.

-Sykes

Recap: OKC Blue dominate G League Ignite in 116-96 win

Recap: OKC Blue dominates G League Ignite with 116-96 win.

The G League’s OKC Blue enjoyed a 116-96 blowout win over the G League Ignite on Monday. The road win improves the Blue to 7-9.

The Blue built a 24-18 lead after the first quarter. A 39-point second frame gave them an overwhelming 63-43 lead. The second half brought more of the same. OKC added to its lead with a 33-point third quarter and entered the fourth quarter leading by 26 points.

The Blue shot 57% from the field and went 12-of-31 (38.7%) from 3. They dished 28 assists on 47 baskets. Six players scored double-digit points, including a pair of 20-point outings.

Meanwhile, the Ignite shot 47% from the field and went 3-of-23 (13%) from 3. They had 28 assists on 44 baskets. A pair of 20-point scorers led the Ignite in the loss.

Some notable individual performances for both sides:

  • Ousmane Dieng: 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 10 rebounds, eight assists
  • Jahmi’us Ramsey: 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, 2-of-5 from 3, eight rebounds, three assists
  • Adam Flagler: 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting, 3-of-9 from 3, four rebounds
  • Noah Starkey: 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting, 12 rebounds
  • Ron Holland: 25 points on 11-of-25 shooting, six rebounds, two assists, two steals
  • John Jenkins: 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting, 2-of-6 from 3, three assists, three rebounds
  • Matas Buzelis: 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting, four assists, three steals
  • Ivan Almansa: two points on 1-of-2 shooting, two rebounds

The full highlights from the Blue’s 20-point win over the Ignite can be watched below:

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Recap: OKC Blue beat prospect-studded G League Ignite, 125-115

Recap: OKC Blue beats prospect-studded G League Ignite, 125-115.

The OKC Blue collected their first win of the second half of the G League season on Friday, 125-115 against the G League Ignite. The road win improves the Blue to 1-4.

The Blue started hot and held a 33-25 lead following the first quarter. OKC added to its lead in the second quarter and held a 66-56 halftime lead.

A 35-point third quarter by the Ignite cut the Blue’s lead to three points, 94-91. Less than four minutes into the fourth quarter, OKC rebuilt a double-digit lead.

From that point on, the Blue were in firm control against a team with several players advertised to be top draft picks in 2024.

The Blue shot 46% from the field and went 7-of-32 (21.9%) from 3. OKC went 22-of-26 from the free-throw line.

Meanwhile, the Ignite shot 40% from the field and went 14-of-34 (41.2%) from 3. They had 26 assists on their 36 baskets but turned it over 17 times.

Some notable individual performances for both sides:

  • Ousmane Dieng: 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting, 3-of-7 from 3, six rebounds
  • Keyontae Johnson: 25 points on 8-of-15 shooting, eight rebounds, two blocks
  • Jahmi’us Ramsey: 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 10 rebounds, five steals, three assists
  • Ivan Almansa: 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, 10 rebounds, two blocks
  • Ron Holland: 16 points on 3-of-10 shooting, 2-of-5 from 3, nine rebounds, six assists
  • Matas Buzelis: 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting, eight rebounds
  • Tyler Smith: 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 3-of-7 from 3, five rebounds, two blocks

The full highlights from the Blue’s 10-point win over the Ignite can be watched below:

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Leonard Miller plans to meet with the Thunder in a pre-draft visit

Leonard Miller plans to meet with the Thunder, per @BasketballGuruD

The 2023 NBA draft lottery is officially over, as it confirmed the Oklahoma City Thunder will pick No. 12 in the first round of the draft.

It’s also draft combine week, which means all of the top prospects are gathered in Chicago, Ill. This means that most players will likely be asked who they’ve worked out and met with so far.

One of the many players they plan on meeting with is G League Ignite forward Leonard Miller, who’s quickly risen among most draft boards. BSO’s Daniel Bell said he plans on meeting with the Thunder for a workout in the near future.

In 24 regular-season games with the G League Ignite, Miller averaged 18 points on 55.6% shooting, 11 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He also shot 32.7% from 3 on 2.2 attempts.

In 14 Showcase Cup games with the G League Ignite, Miller averaged 15.1 points on 50% shooting, 8.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He also shot 27.5% from 3 on 2.9 attempts.

With how quickly Miller’s stock is rising, the 19-year-old is a legit candidate for the Thunder to take at the No. 12 spot. At this point, there’s a legit shot he goes higher than that.

The 2023 NBA draft is scheduled to happen on Thursday, June 22. A full list of prospects who’ve met with the Thunder can be read here.

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Scoot Henderson says it’s ‘not acceptable’ for him to fall to No. 3 in the 2023 NBA Draft

Scoot Henderson had strong words about his potential draft position.

Scoot Henderson is one of the most exciting guard prospects we have evaluated in the past several NBA draft classes.

He thrived when he suited up as a pro for the G League Ignite. The spotlight was especially bright during two thrilling exhibition matchups against the top basketball prospect in the world, Victor Wembanyama.

Henderson may live in the shadow of Wembanyama, the heavy favorite to hear his name called at No. 1 overall. But even Wembanyama has said that Henderson would be the NBA’s top prospect in any other class.

We still have Henderson projected at No. 2 overall in our latest mock draft. However, despite a poor performance during March Madness, some analysts believe the Alabama freshman may be the second-best prospect in the class.

Henderson addressed these rumors to Joseph Bien-Kahn (via GQ Sports):

“When I ask what he thinks about a wave of NBA Draft experts dropping him to #3, behind Alabama star Brandon Miller, he stiffens up. ‘It is what it is. The NCAA Tournament is what’s going on right now. Obviously, I knew that was gonna happen. I knew people were gonna start talking a lot more about college,’ he says. He bounces the basketball he’s fiddling with against the court, shifting his weight from side to side as we speak. I ask if he’ll be okay with it if he does actually fall to #3 on draft night. ‘Nah,’ he says. ‘It’s not acceptable.'”

This was a fantastic feature from Bien-Kahn, who unearthed a lot of gems about what makes Henderson tick both on and off the court.

Frankly, this quote is anything but concerning. Henderson is speaking from a place of confidence.

Once the NBA draft lottery concludes and the order is decided, should the guard actually end up as the third pick in the draft, I’m more than willing to bet Henderson uses it as a chip on his shoulder to contribute at the highest levels for his new franchise.

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OKC Blue: Performances, highlights from 100-94 regular-season finale win vs. G League Ignite

Recapping the OKC Blue’s 100-94 win over the G League Ignite in their final game of the season.

In their regular-season finale, the OKC Blue finished their first season under head coach Kam Woods with a win against the G League Ignite, 100-94.

The win improved the Blue’s record to 13-19, which wasn’t good enough to qualify for the postseason. The Ignite were without projected top-two pick Scoot Henderson, who is preparing for the draft.

This game also marked Aleksej Pokusevski’s final game with the Blue. He was recalled by the Thunder on Friday ahead of his return from a tibial fracture.

Let’s take a look at some of the most notable individual performances in this six-point Blue win:

Aleksej Pokusevski: eight points on 4-of-16 shooting, 13 rebounds, four assists

Jahmi’us Ramsey: 26 points on 8-of-20 shooting

Jaden Shackelford: 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting, 3-of-7 shooting from 3

Sacha Killeya-Jones: 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting, 11 rebounds

Shareef O’Neal: 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, 10 rebounds

London Johnson: 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting, 3-of-6 shooting from 3

Cameron Young: 17 points on 5-of-15 shooting, 2-of-5 shooting from 3, six rebounds

Mojave King: 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 13 rebounds

Pooh Jeter: 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 5-of-6 shooting from 3

Here are the full highlights from the Blue’s regular-season finale win:

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