Tag: Isaiah Todd

2021 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: Top prospects playing in March Madness

This includes some names to watch in the men’s tourney.

March Madness is set to begin, which means for college basketball fans, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. But it’s also one of the busiest times for scouts and executives around the NBA.

Last season, the men’s NCAA Tournament was canceled due to COVID-19, which makes the stakes even higher for those involved in this year’s event. It will be a fascinating few weeks of basketball, all unfolding in Indiana, and the games are sure to further illuminate who may be most worth targeting in the 2021 NBA Draft.

But in addition to the spotlight of college basketball fully underway, we have now also seen the entirety of the 2021 G League season. That included the inaugural campaign for the Ignite, a pathway to the NBA for top talents who sought an alternative to the NCAA. Their exciting playoff run taught us more about prospects including Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

So with those results in mind, and with the college basketball postseason on the horizon, we have ranked the Top 100 prospects most likely set to make the jump to the NBA next season.

Our methodology for the rankings includes conversations with folks around the league, learning the general consensus surrounding a player, as well as a deep dive into stats and game film.

To put everything in perspective, we have also included everyone’s previous ranks from our last update, published on Jan. 22. This helps show whether a player is trending up or trending down and also helps illuminate how much can change in just two months of action.

As the madness begins during the men’s NCAA Tournament, follow along to see how these players are performing, as many will make a case to move up or down once the nets are cut on Apr. 5, 2021.

Evaluating draft stock of Jalen Green, Jonathan Kumina and the G League Ignite

While many of the headlines went to Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga, deservedly so, we also learned a lot about Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix as well.

Now that the inaugural season for the G League Ignite is complete, we can finally evaluate the overall performances of the top prospects from the team.

The first run of this version of a high school-to-pros model was undoubtedly successful, earning a spot in the playoffs behind a winning record (8-7) in the bubble before getting eliminated in the quarterfinals.

Considering the competitiveness they showed under coach Brian Shaw, as well as the roughly $500,000 select contracts, it is easy to imagine that this will be a viable route for more prospects moving forward.

While many of the headlines went to Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga, deservedly so, we also learned a lot about Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix as well.

Here is what we saw from these players during their time playing in the G League’s bubble location in Florida.

‘He showed why he is that guy’: Jalen Green shines as Ignite fall in playoffs

Jalen Green produced his best game of the season, but the effort was not enough as the Ignite were eliminated from the playoffs by the 905.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Jalen Green set out on Monday looking to attack as the NBA G League Ignite faced a win-or-go-home in the first round of playoffs, and it resulted in the 19-year-old producing his best game of the season.

Unfortunately, the performance was not enough in the end.

Green scored a season-high 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds to lead the Ignite in the 127-102 loss to the Raptors 905. He finished the contest by shooting 11-of-20 from the field, including 3-of-10 from 3-point range, in 41 minutes of work.

He scored 20 points alone in the second half, playing all 24 minutes.

“I asked him a couple of times in the second half if he was tired, and he wanted to stay in,” Ignite head coach Brian Shaw said. “I think he really showed what he is all about. Not only did he lead us in scoring, but he also had his career-high in assists. He rebounded the ball and defended as well. He showed why he is that guy. Leaving him in there, we were down, but he never gave up. He just demonstrated why he is worthy of all the accolades and hype that he gets.”

The Ignite entered halftime trailing by 13 points, with the deficit eventually growing to 20 points in the third quarter. Behind the play of Green, the Ignite were able to cut the lead back down to 13 points after he drilled a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the quarter on a 7-0 run.

From there, the Ignite got to within 12 points but ran out of gas as the 905 pulled away down the stretch. Despite coming up short, Green wanted to give it everything he had in what became the final game of the season.

“Just attack. (I just wanted to) stay in attack mode,” Green said. “Just keep going. It was right there. We got it to within 13 points at the end of the third quarter. My mindset was just to keep it going and do whatever it takes.”

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With the loss, the Ignited finished their inaugural season with an 8-8 record.

The team entered the season with different expectations compared to other teams. Wins and losses weren’t necessarily as important, with the development of players like Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Isaiah Todd and Daishen Nix the top priority.

The objective of the Ignite is to provide an opportunity for high-profile prospects to develop and prepare for the next level. After all, the team was essentially revamped in order to keep those types of players in the United States versus playing professionally abroad.

When that is taken into account, the Ignite had a successful season.

“I thought it was a success from beginning to end, regardless of this last game,” Shaw said. “Nobody expected us to win a game, let alone make the playoffs. I thought (NBA G League president) Shareef (Abdur-Rahim) and (NBA G League manager) Rod (Strickland) did a great job of putting this team together and adding the right kind of veterans to go along with our young guys.”

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NBA G League: Ignite clinch playoff berth behind ‘complete’ performance

With their season on the line, the Ignite turned in a dominant performance to beat the Spurs and clinch a spot in the playoffs.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Behind a dominating win, and with some help in standings, the NBA G League Ignite on Saturday clinched a playoff berth and will play at least one more game in their inaugural season.

Amir Johnson produced a game-high 27 points, on a perfect 12-of-12 shooting from the field, Isaiah Todd scored a season-high 25 points and 11 rebounds and Jalen Green had 18 points during the 127-92 win over the Austin Spurs at AdventHealth Arena.

The 35-point margin of victory was the largest of the season for the Ignite.

The Ignite trailed 11-4 early to begin the contest but used a 17-0 run to pull ahead of the Spurs. The group, led by the play of Johnson, led comfortably throughout the rest of the game to finish the regular season with an 8-7 record and claim the final playoff spot.

“Everybody brought their best,” Ignite head coach Brian Shaw said. “We had 33 assists, 19 at halftime, and that energized us on the defensive end. This may be the most complete and the best game we’ve played in the bubble offensively and defensively. We did it when it counted against a team where we were the underdog.”

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The play of Johnson, who had just four games this season in double figures, came when the Ignite needed it most.

Johnson entered the season as one of the veterans on the roster and has often given the young prospects plenty of advice this season off the court. His performance proved he still has plenty to give on the court, which made his young teammates proud.

“Man, Amir is my guy,” Todd said. “His room is right next to mine. I pick his brain all of the time. For me to see that firsthand from Amir, I was just so happy for him. I’m probably going to throw some water on him later. It gave me butterflies when I saw him doing that.”

From the jump, the Ignite looked to be a team eager to win after dropping their last three games by an average of 18.6 points. They dominated several statistical categories, including rebounding, assists and points in the paint, and shot 55.7% from the field, a season-high.

Entering play on Saturday, the Ignite needed a win over the Spurs and a loss by the OKC Blue to advance to the playoffs. Prior to the Ignite tipping off, Jeremy Lin led the Santa Cruz Warriors to an overtime win over the Blue just steps away at HP Field House to help the Ignite stay alive.

The Ignite were locked into that contest prior to facing the Spurs.

“I wasn’t scoreboard-watching because I don’t even know how to pull up the game on my phone, to be honest with you,” Shaw said. “Everybody else on the bus did have the game on their phone so they were kind of calling out what the score was. By the time we got here to the arena, we knew the Warriors had won and then it was on us to win or go home.”

Now, the Ignite will prepare to begin the playoffs starting on Monday versus the Raptors 905, the top seed in the league. The Ignite previously beat the 905 on Feb. 13 but Shaw and the team know they are a different group from when they previously beat them.

“We all share a group chat and we always send each other motivating stuff,” Johnson said. “We usually text to see where everybody’s mindset is and everybody on the team is just hungry. Everybody on the team (wants) to win this whole championship. Everybody’s mindset is on winning and everybody is still hungry.”

The Ignite versus 905 will tip off at 3:45 p.m. EST on ESPN2.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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With playoff hopes fading, Ignite look to give ‘everything’ in finale

With the playoffs an uncertainty, the Ignite will be looking to finish out the regular season Saturday on a high note.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — With their playoff hopes fading fast, the NBA G League Ignite will look to empty the tank on Saturday and finish out the regular season on a high note.

The playoff hopes of the young development team, who could have clinched a berth with a win and a loss by the Westchester Knicks, took a massive hit on Thursday following a 130-107 loss to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

The final score may not be indicative of the actual result, with the Vipers leading by as many as 31 points in the contest.

Houston Rockets assignee Kevin Porter Jr. produced a game-high 28 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, finishing just short of his second triple-double of the season. The Vipers also received key contributions from Armoni Brooks and Josh Reaves, who combined for 46 points.

Jalen Green led the Ignite with 22 points for his eighth 20-point game of the season, while Isaiah Todd, who started in place of the injured Jonathan Kuminga, recorded 16 points and seven rebounds. Kuminga suffered a right knee injury on Wednesday when he landed awkwardly on a play.

Ignite head coach Brian Shaw doesn’t believe the injury is serious.

“When we got the news that J.K. wasn’t going to play today, that was kind of a gut punch to us a little bit,” Shaw said. “He has been managing tendonitis since we were back in Walnut Creek before we got here. I think it’s just inflamed but our trainer will get him checked out and just make sure that it’s nothing serious. From what I know at this point, it has been the same thing we’ve been managing the whole time. There is no need to make it any worse so (it was just) precautionary to sit him out.”

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Following the loss, the Ignite dropped to 7-7 on the season, on the outside looking in on the playoff picture. The top eight teams will qualify for the postseason as the Ignite will need a win on Saturday versus the Austin Spurs and some help to sneak in.

While the odds are stacked against them, the team is looking to finish the regular season strong.

“We got one more game, it doesn’t look like it’s in our favor to advance but we still have to be professionals and play the schedule out,” Shaw said. “I just want to see us compete. Win or lose, just go out and give it everything we have and we can live with the results. These are the situations that are tough to be in, especially if we find out before Saturday that mathematically we’re eliminated, to still keep that energy up to play a game that is meaningless.”

The inaugural season for the Ignite wasn’t necessarily about wins and losses, but, rather, the development of players like Green, Kuminga, Todd and Daishen Nix. The group has learned the ins and outs of the NBA game and that should help them moving forward.

While the playoffs appear to be unlikely at this point, getting those young prospects at least one more game of experience can only pay off in the long run.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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‘I think he is a special talent’: Jalen Green shows out late in Ignite loss

Jalen Green made several big plays late, but the effort was not enough as the Ignite lost to the Clippers on Wednesday.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Just two days after suffering a 28-point loss, the NBA G League Ignite returned on Wednesday with a better effort but were unable to hold on late against the Agua Caliente Clippers.

Brandon Ashley produced a season-high 26 and nine rebounds, and Jalen Green scored 13 of his 20 total points in the second half to lead the Ignite in the 116-111 loss to the Clippers, who snapped a six-game losing streak with the win.

Amir Johnson added 16 points, while Isaiah Todd had 14 points and Daishen Nix chipped in 10 points.

The Ignite fell behind by 13 points in the second quarter but used a strong second-half effort to get back into the contest. The group kicked off the third quarter on a 10-2 run before eventually regaining control of the game in the fourth quarter.

Ultimately, the Clippers made a few more plays late than the Ignite to win.

“The effort was better,” Ignite head coach Brian Shaw said. “I don’t know if the execution of things was better but I thought they tried. We couldn’t hit any shots from the outside. I know at least five point-blank layups were missed that we would normally finish.

“When we finally were able to get back into the game, we shot our own selves in the foot trying to make a home run pass (or some other) untimely turnovers. We had several of those in critical moments of the game that ultimately cost us.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYpPyWjKKQQ

Green scored eight points alone in the fourth period, and hit several tough shots to keep the Ignite in the game. He drilled two shots within the final four minutes to either tie the game or give the Ignite the advantage as the lead changed hands eight times in the period.

“I think Jalen is a very special talent,” Ashley said. “I think all of these young guys are extremely special. To be able to come out of high school and compete with professional basketball players at the level that they are, it’s rare. I’m very proud of all of these guys. I thought that the way Jalen stepped up the way that he did shows just how special he is right now and how special he will be at the next level.”

While Green finished with 20 points, the 19-year-old struggled to shoot in the first half. However, he managed to contribute in other areas of the game and helped the Ignite keep the contest close.

Green also added six rebounds, five assists and two steals in 32 minutes.

“He has improved a great deal,” Shaw said. “He is one guy that just finds a way to get stuff done when is out there on the floor. In the first half, he didn’t shoot the ball particularly well but I think he saw where his shots could come from. He figured it out in the second half. They were keying in on him defensively so I’m proud of the fact that he made the right plays.”

Following the loss, the Ignite dropped to eighth the standings at 7-6 with two games left to play in the regular season. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs as the Ignite will be among those in contention to close out the season.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Brian Shaw: Ignite must adjust ‘mentality’ over last three games

With just three games left, the NBA G League Ignite must make some adjustments to stay in the playoff picture.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Entering play on Monday, the NBA G League Ignite had an opportunity to improve their playoff positioning with just four games left in the season.

Instead, the Ignite suffered their fifth loss of the season, and third by at least 20 points.

The Ignite dropped to 7-5 after losing to the Delaware Blue Coats, who had seven players score in double figures. Rayjon Tucker led the Blue Coats with 21 points, while Michael Frazier II had 20 points and Braxton Key chipped in 19 points during the 120-92 win.

“I’ll take this one,” Ignite head coach Brian Shaw said. “I have to do a better job of preparing our team for what they are going to face. I kinda felt this one coming on from this morning when we had our film session and our shootaround.

“Our energy was really low. It was low even before the game today. Our care factor today seemed non-existent in terms of our body language out there on the floor. We didn’t take it personally enough when they were just putting their head down and driving to the basket.”

Delaware faced little resistance throughout the contest after scoring 69 points alone in the first half. They shot 48.6% from 3-point range (18-of-37) and led by as many as 34 points before the Ignite cut into the deficit in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach.

Jonathan Kuminga scored a team-high 19 points, 11 rebounds and four assists to lead the Ignite as veterans Brandon Ashley and Cody Demps each scored 14 points. Ignite prospects Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd each finished with eight points.

“We just weren’t really playing hard,” Kuminga said of the performance.

Following the loss, the Ignite slipped to seventh in the standings, just half of a game ahead of the Lakeland Magic. The top eight teams from the regular season will advance to a single-elimination playoff as each game will become more meaningful with the season winding down.

The stated objective of the Ignite this season was to provide a chance for the prospects to develop and get a taste of playing at the next level. While wins and losses were not necessarily important, the team is still aiming to make the playoffs.

“Obviously, we want to win every time we step onto the court,” Shaw said. “I’ve said it from the beginning that winning and losing isn’t really what it is about, but we want to be pros and we want to come out and do our jobs.

“It’s their first opportunity to face how it’s going to ramp up as we get down the stretch of the season. It’s not going to get any easier. It’s going to get tougher and tougher. We just have to adjust our mentality and get ready for that.”

The Ignite return to action on Wednesday vs. the Agua Caliente Clippers.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NBA G League: Ignite ‘flat’ in back-to-back, fall to Nets on Monday

On the second game of a back-to-back, Brian Shaw thought the Ignite were flat on Monday versus the Long Island Nets.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — On the second game of a back-to-back, NBA G League Ignite head coach Brian Shaw had a simple explanation for his team’s loss to the Long Island Nets.

“We were juiced,” Shaw said. “That’s basically what it came down to.”

The Ignite trailed for much of the contest on Monday and were unable to match the effort of the Nets in the 109-97 defeat. The group fell behind twice by double digits, and managed to get back within striking distance both times, but couldn’t pull close enough in the end.

“We played yesterday, and I don’t want to make excuses — all of these teams in the bubble have back-to-backs — but we have to find a way to generate our own energy on those second nights of back-to-backs,” Shaw said. “We gotta find our way. We were flat from the jump.”

Jalen Green scored a team-high 21 points to lead the Ignite, who made a season-low 35 field goals in the contest. Brandon Ashley scored 16 points while Donta Hall produced 15 points and 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season with the Ignite.

With the performance, Green notched his fourth 20-point game of the season, shooting an efficient 8-of-12 from the field with a career-high five 3-pointers in 36 minutes of work.

Over his last two games, Green is converting on 66.7% of his shots, including 72.3% from 3-point range.

“I think it’s just more confidence, being decisive on which shots I want to take,” Green said of his recent play. “A lot of times, I was out there just very indecisive and not knowing what I wanted to do. I started figuring it out, putting more things together and just becoming more confident.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh47br0Y_VU

With six prospects on the roster, the Ignite knew coming into the season that the youth of the team would show at times. The team is learning how to navigate through different situations with back-to-back games front and center this season.

The message to the players throughout the season has been to rest and go through the necessary treatment to prepare for the 15-game season. The group has been learning to adjust accordingly.

“You gotta make sure you take care of your body and you’re taking the time when you’re not playing to go through your treatment, ice baths,” Green said. “I’m pretty used to playing back-to-back games since AAU but I haven’t done it in a year so the reason I feel it so much is because my body and legs felt like I was running through mud.”

The Ignite will regroup with an off day on Tuesday and prepare to face the Memphis Hustle on Wednesday, when they will be looking to get back into the win column.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NBA G League: Ignite return to win column behind play of Todd, Kuminga

The Ignite snapped a two-game losing streak on Sunday behind a career performance by Isaiah Todd.

Prior to playing on Sunday, Isaiah Todd vowed to spend much of the NBA G League Ignite’s two-day break in action watching film in an attempt to snap the team’s two-game losing streak.

Todd did just that and responded by turning in his best game of the season.

On Sunday, the Ignite snapped its two-game losing streak behind a career-high 23 points from Todd in a 122-109 victory over the Greensboro Swarm. Todd led the Ignite in scoring for the first time this season, going 9-of-20 from the field while adding three rebounds off the bench.

With Todd leading the way, Ignite also received key contributions from Jonathan Kuminga and veteran Amir Johnson with both players producing 18 points. Ignite prospect Jalen Green scored 17 points, while Daishen Nix had three points, a career-high 13 assists and seven rebounds.

The Ignite turned in season-best totals in assists (34), field goals (49) and field goal shooting (52.7 percent).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKy5iNueSJs

The Ignite improved to 5-2 on the season with another matchup looming on Monday versus the Long Island Nets. The team is 1-1 in the second game of a back-to-back this season as the group will look to continue its strong play to begin their stay in the bubble.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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NBA G League: Ignite suffer blowout loss to experienced BayHawks

Facing an experienced Erie BayHawks team, the NBA G League Ignite suffered its first loss of the season on Wednesday.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Facing an experienced Erie BayHawks team, the NBA G League Ignite suffered its first loss of the season on Wednesday at AdventHealth Arena.

Naji Marshall scored a team-high 21 points to lead the BayHawks while Jarrod Uthoff and Jalen Adams each contributed 17 points during the 127-87 route. Erie quickly jumped out to a 22-8 advantage during the first quarter as the lead eventually ballooned to 43 points in the contest.

On the other side, Jonathan Kuminga led the Ignite with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Jalen Green and Daishen Nix each chipped in 13 points as the group dropped to 4-1 on the season. Aiding in the blowout loss, the Ignite committed 21 turnovers, which resulted in 36 points for Erie.

Additionally, the Ignite entered the contest as the second-best 3-point-shooting team in the league, but shot just 12.9% (4-of-31) from beyond the arc.

“The one good thing when you play professionally (and you) lose by 40, it just counts as one loss in the loss column,” Ignite head coach Brian Shaw said. “You flush it down the toilet. We got another game tomorrow. We just gotta get ready for the game tomorrow. What it came down to is they were hungrier to play against us than we were to play against them.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC_Gb15WUnM

The Ignite hadn’t faced much adversity this season, winning by 6.8 points per game prior to Wednesday. The opportunity to play an Erie team, which boasts multiple players with NBA experience, figured to provide a great challenge for the young prospects, but the group failed to execute throughout the contest.

After falling into an early 19-point deficit, Shaw wasn’t happy with the effort on the defensive end of the floor from that point forward and challenged his players the rest of the game.

“I think we responded the way that I thought we would, (and) it wasn’t necessarily a good thing,” Shaw said. “We got selfish on the offensive end and we just weren’t taking what the defense was giving us. We wanted to score and try to do it individually. In the timeouts, what I kept talking about is it wasn’t was happening on the offensive end, it was what was happening on the defensive end. We weren’t competing on that end. They were getting whatever they wanted. It felt like they had 5-on-0 practice with no defense out there at all.”

Following their first loss of the season, the Ignite will have plenty of film to watch to make adjustments. The team returns to play on Thursday versus the Westchester Knicks, and the game will provide a good chance to see how a young group of players can bounce back.

“We just gotta go back and review a couple of things that we didn’t do and just work on it,” Kuminga said. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to see this team in the playoffs so we just gotta go watch film and work on stuff we didn’t do good.”

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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