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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OKC Blue: Notable performances, highlights in 118-109 win over G League Ignite

A quick recap of the OKC Blue’s win over the G League Ignite on Thursday.

While the Oklahoma City Thunder were busy blowing out the Philadelphia 76ers, the OKC Blue continued their road trip in Las Vegas.

The OKC Blue pulled away from the G League Ignite in a 118-109 win.

The Blue are 3-5 following the win. Here are some of the more notable performances from the game:

  • Jaden Shackelford: 36 points on 10-of-16 shooting, 8-of-13 from 3
  • Noah Starkey: 21 points, 10 rebounds
  • Abdul Gaddy: eight points, 13 assists, four steals
  • Scotty Hopson: 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting
  • Scoot Henderson: 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting, four assists, three steals, five turnovers
  • John Jenkins: 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting, 6-of-13 from 3
  • Leonard Miller: 17 points, seven rebounds

Here are the full highlights from the Blue’s nine-point win:

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It would have been shocking if Scoot Henderson sat out until the NBA Draft, as some execs feared

“Several NBA executives in Las Vegas declared they would be surprised if Henderson played in another game this season.”

NBA draft prospect Scoot Henderson will return to the court for the G League Ignite after an 11-game absence.

Henderson is widely considered the best guard in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he played well during a pre-season exhibition game against projected No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama. Henderson, however, hadn’t played since Nov. 18 and missed time after suffering a nasal fracture.

According to Jonathan Givony, his absence has led some decision-makers around the NBA to wonder when and even if he would return to the court this season (via ESPN):

“G League officials said he is being held out due to an abundance of caution as the risk of soft tissue damage is exponentially higher after suffering a concussion and their performance staff wants “to protect his body for his long-term goals.”

Several NBA executives in Las Vegas declared they would be surprised if Henderson played in another game this season because he’s all but assured of being a top-3 pick.

That thinking was shot down emphatically by G League Ignite officials, who said Henderson is an elite competitor who refuses to entertain that type of discussion and will be back on the court soon.”

Even though such speculation was inaccurate, it wouldn’t have been an unreasonable decision by Henderson. The 18-year-old is a rising star who already has a sneaker deal with Puma and he has little left to prove to hear his name as one of the first picks in the 2023 NBA Draft.

There were questions about whether or not Wembanyama, too, would shut it down for the season after dominating against the G League Ignite. His agent, however, said that Wembanyama would have no interest in that because the prospect “wants to compete” and get better.

Last season, Shaedon Sharpe never played a minute for Kentucky but was still selected at No. 7 overall. Henderson’s former G League Ignite teammate Jaden Hardy, meanwhile, was projected as a top draft pick before the season but fell to the second round after a disappointing campaign.

Which side of the coin does Henderson more closely resemble? Based on reporting from Mirin Fader, from a conversation months before the injury, it seemed more likely the latter (via The Ringer):

He watches his idol, Kobe Bryant, too, inspired by why Kobe played so hard, even through injury. Kobe once said that there might be somebody who saved up their money to fly in from somewhere, and can only come to see him that one game. Scoot has embraced that sentiment, not wanting to disappoint that one person.

“When you come see me,” Scoot says, “you gonna see a show.”

Henderson admires Bryant’s willingness to play through injuries, so it would have been very surprising for him to shut down his season unless the injury required as much.

According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, meanwhile, those around Henderson raved about his “internal drive” during the G League Showcase in Las Vegas. He told Scotto that he has a “competitive spirit” and that he wants to be the No. 1 overall pick.

As one scout told Raphael Barlowe, some decision-makers feel that it is very important to show that type of competitive edge during the pre-draft process (via NBA Big Board):

“I wouldn’t want a player on my team who opted not to play because he was more concerned about the NBA draft than competing. I see both sides of it, but it’s selfish. Selfish on the player’s part and selfish of the agent to even suggest a kid to sit out with an injury that isn’t close to season-ending.”

Henderson’s injury was not one that would be considered season-ending, though, so fans should have always expected Henderson to return to the court sooner rather than later.

Henderson needed the recovery time to limit exacerbating his injury with soft tissue damage after not playing full contact. But now, he has had that time and it will help ensure that he is as prepared as possible for the next steps of what is likely going to be a long career in the NBA.

Especially for those as talented as he is, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Note: This story was updated at 4:15 PM EST on Dec. 27.

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OKC Blue: Notable performances, highlights in 110-95 loss to G League Ignite

A monster fourth quarter from Scoot Henderson helped lead the Ignite to the win over the OKC Blue.

The Oklahoma City Blue, the G League affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder, played a morning game against the G League Ignite on Wednesday.

The Ignite used a Scoot Henderson 16-point fourth quarter to escape with a 110-95 win.

Here are some of the notable performances from the game.

Scoot Henderson: 27 points on 12-of-20 shooting, five rebounds, five assists and four steals

D.J. Wilson: 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting

Ousmane Dieng: five points on 2-of-9 shooting, nine rebounds and three assists

Eugene Omoruyi: 17 points and six rebounds.

Jaden Shackelford: 24 points on 8-of-9 shooting and 6-of-7 three-point shooting

Full highlights from the game are below:

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OKC Blue: Notable performances, highlights in 104-88 win over G League Ignite

A quick recap of the OKC Blue’s win over Scoot Henderson and the G League Ignite.

The Oklahoma City Blue, the G League affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder, defeated the G League Ignite, 104-88, to improve to 3-1.

With the Blue playing their game simultaneously with the Thunder’s loss to the Boston Celtics, not many eyes were on them. That is a shame because Monday marked projected top-two 2023 pick Scoot Henderson playing in Paycom Center for the first of presumably several times.

Luckily though, both teams play each other once again on Wednesday morning in a rematch. Here are some of the notable performances and highlights from the Blue’s second consecutive win over the Ignite:

  • Ousmane Dieng: 17 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, three blocks on 7-of-17 shooting and 3-of-6 3-point shooting
  • Scoot Henderson: 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting
  • Jahmi’us Ramsey: 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting, 10 assists
  • Eugene Omoruyi: 14 points
  • Adam Mokoka: 18 points
  • D.J. Wilson: 10 points, six assists, seven rebounds

HIGHLIGHTS:

The Ignite-Blue rematch is set for 11 a.m. Central on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

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