The two each played together for Iowa State during the 2018-19 season, leading the Cyclones to the Big 12 Championship.
Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton announced this week on social media that he will leave school early to sign with an agent and enter the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft.
Haliburton has emerged as a potential lottery pick in the NBA Draft after a strong sophomore season with the Cyclones in which he averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 22 games.
The 6-foot-5 guard has been touted as a strong 3-and-D threat given his 7-foot wingspan and ability to shoot from deep. He converted on 41.9% of his looks from 3-point range this season.
As Haliburton had a great season, his former Cyclones teammate, Marial Shayok, kept an eye on him and liked what he saw from Haliburton this season.
“It has been great. I’m just proud of him,” Shayok told Rookie Wire. “I knew coming into this year, he was expected to have a bigger role and that possibly he could make that jump to the NBA. Seeing that he could possibly be one of the top picks is great to see.”
The two each played together during the 2018-19 season before Shayok was selected with the 54th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2019 NBA Draft. They led the Cyclones to the Big 12 Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to No. 11 Ohio State in the first round.
76ers two-way rookie Marial Shayok reflected on his rookie year in the G League in an interview with Rookie Wire.
Marial Shayok recalled a conversation with his veteran teammates last summer that helped pave the way for a successful first season as a professional.
The Philadelphia 76ers rookie knew as a player signed to a two-way contract that he would spend much of the 2019-20 season in the NBA G League with the Delaware Blue Coats. Shayok also knew that he wanted to leave his mark and establish his name early in the year.
Shayok did just that, and more with the Blue Coats.
He finished third in scoring among all qualified players in the G League after posting 23 points per game. Shayok added 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 35 games played, while he shot 45.4% from the field, including 35.6% from 3-point range.
“I really wanted to come out and make a big, big impact,” Shayok told Rookie Wire. “I wanted to come out hot and be aggressive and put up some big numbers.
As the season went on, I started to get a lot more double teams and a lot more attention. It was kinda cool just learning how to play through that and still be effective as a player and help win games. I try to come out every game and dominate as much as possible and help the team win.
Shayok started that dominance as soon as the G League season began.
The former Iowa State forward scored 34 points in his debut game with the Blue Coats and followed that performance up by recording a season-high 42 points on Nov. 11. He was one of 14 players to reach that mark in a game this season.
Shayok scored in double figures each time he stepped onto the court and topped the 30-point mark four different times this season.
After his stellar season, Rookie Wire named Shayok the No. 1 player in the G League for the 2019-20 season. Shayok quickly became the top-scoring option for the Blue Coats and had them in the playoff race prior to the G League suspending play due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Sixers selected Shayok with the 54th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He proved at Iowa State that he could score at all three levels after averaging a career-high 18.7 points as a senior.
Shayok picked up where he left off with the 76ers in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging a team-high 14.5 points per game in his first action against NBA competition. He looked to be an early steal in the draft based on where he was selected.
With several players ahead of Shayok on the depth chart, Shayok projected to have a difficult time finding playing time in the NBA. While some players may see playing the G League as a demotion, Shayok embraced it and saw it as an opportunity to improve.
“Coming into the season, I wanted to go out there and show what I could do,” Shayok said. “I’d much rather prefer to have the opportunity to really showcase my whole game rather than just be [with the Sixers] and not really have an opportunity. I really used the whole G League season to my advantage and made the most of it.”
Prior to joining the Blue Coats, Shayok sought after some advice from the veteran players on the 76ers. He singled out Tobias Harris as a player that really stepped up and helped him and fellow rookie Matisse Thybulle in the early going.
(Photo by Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)
Harris has been highly regarded for his character on and off of the court over his nine seasons in the NBA. Along with Al Horford, Harris has been one of the veteran leaders in the Sixers’ locker room this season and his presence has been calming for Shayok.
“He kinda really took me under his wing when I first got here in the summer,” Shayok said. “I went [to the G League] at peace and just ready to work.
It slows everything down for you because you’re the rookie and he went through everything I went through, especially at this stage. It makes you feel a lot more confident hearing everything about what he went through and he probably went through the same exact thing. It slows everything down and kinda puts you at ease.
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Shayok, like most, is trying to stay busy during his time away from basketball. Practice facilities around the NBA are closed to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. As a result, players have had to resort to staying active on their own.
Fortunately, Shayok has a stationary bike with him in Philadelphia.
“I actually have a bike here. I have just been biking, got a few dumbbells and medicine balls,” Shayok said. “I’m just trying to get a routine going. I’ve been doing yoga, working out and trying to find stuff to keep me busy. It has been crazy.”
The NBA suspended the regular season until further notice on March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Since then, 13 other players and individuals in the NBA have tested positive for the coronavirus.
“It was crazy. I had a game that morning the day the Rudy Gobert news came out,” Shayok said. “It started to feel real then, you know what I mean? I was immediately just shocked and then I figured that the NBA was going to shut down.”
The growing belief around the NBA is the regular season will resume no sooner than June but commissioner Adam Silver says the league will look at all of the options on the table for returning to play.
In the meantime, Shayok will try to stay busy during his downtime and stay ready for his next opportunity, whenever that may with the NBA season in limbo.
Philadelphia 76ers rookie Marial Shayok praises Tobias Harris for his leadership this season.
The NBA is on hold right now with an uncertain future due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and nobody knows when the league can realistically begin to even think about resuming. So, with all of this uncertainty, now is the time to look back at the 2019-20 season.
Philadelphia 76ers rookie Marial Shayok had a solid rookie season where he was ranked as the best player in the G League while with the Delaware Blue Coats. It was one of the more impressive seasons for a guy who was the 54th pick in the 2019 draft.
There is one guy who has really helped Shayok, as well as fellow rookie Matisse Thybulle, make the adjustment to the NBA game and that is veteran Tobias Harris. The veteran out of Tennessee has received a lot of praise from Thybulle in the past, but now Shayok is stepping forward in his praise for Harris.
Cody Taylor, the leading man over at our sister site Rookie Wire, talked with Shayok on Thursday night and he had a lot of praise for Harris:
Shayok told Taylor:
The vets on the team were really good at just making sure me and Matisse were good mentally. Especially Tobias, he kinda really took me under his wing when I first got here in the summer. I went [to the G League] at peace and just ready to work.
Being one of the more established players on this team, Harris has been wanting to step up as a leader more in 2019-20. He has done a good job of giving an example to both of the rookies and on the court, he is averaging 19.4 points and 6.8 rebounds while morphing into the team’s closer as well.
This is Harris’ ninth season of his NBA career and he has seen it all. He has been traded multiple times, he has playoff experience under his belt, and he works his tail off every day. All of that has earned him the respect of Shayok as added with Taylor:
It slows everything down for you because you’re the rookie and he went through everything I went through, especially at this stage. It makes you feel a lot more confident hearing everything about what he went through and knowing he probably went through the same exact thing. It slows everything down and kinda puts you at ease.
Shayok’s G League season is most likely done due to coronavirus, but his success this season sets himself up nicely for the 2020-21 season and beyond. With the help of Harris, he will be prepared for the next level of his career. [lawrence-related id=28332,28321,28315]
Our sister site, Rookie Wire, has put their own rankings of the top 30 players of the G League season and the player taking the top spot is Philadelphia 76ers rookie Marial Shayok. The 54th pick of the 2019 draft spent the majority of his season with the Delaware Blue Coats and he earned high praise for his work.
Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor wrote:
Shayok took home the top spot after a remarkable rookie campaign in the G League. The 76ers two-way rookie averaged 23 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 35 games played. He shot 45.4% from the field and established himself as perhaps the top scorer in the league, finishing second in total points. He ultimately earned top honors after having a larger body of work over the likes of Johnson, Motley and Mason.
The players mentioned at the end are B.J. Johnson, Johnathon Motley, and Frank Mason. Either way, Shayok fashioned himself a terrific season for the Blue Coats even earning Player of the Week back in November.
Shayok did get two games of NBA experience under his belt scoring three points and shooting 1-for-3 from deep with the Sixers. [lawrence-related id=27907,27899,27891]
With the NBA G League season likely to be canceled soon, Rookie Wire took a look at the best players to suit up this year.
As the NBA braces for a lengthy hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the growing belief around the league is that the G League season will soon be canceled.
The G League regular season was set to conclude on March 28 and the decision to end play is likely an easy one to make given the financial burden it places on organizations. While the season will soon be canceled, all G League players will be paid through the end of the year.
The NBA itself is preparing for the possibility of returning to play in mid-to-late June as the best-case scenario after the CDC recommended on Sunday that all events with 50 or more people be canceled for two months to help slow the spread of the virus.
With the G League likely set to be canceled, Rookie Wire decided to take a look at the best players to suit up this season as there have been some spectacular performances from around the league.
Players must have appeared in at least 20 games to be considered. Stats were used from the NBA G League, Basketball-Reference and RealGM.
30. Donta Hall, Grand Rapids Drive
Hall, who finished second in double-doubles among all players with 22, emerged as a strong post player with the Drive this season. He was named to the 2019-20 Midseason All-NBA G League Team and was solid all season long in his first year as a professional.
29. Christ Koumadje, Delaware Blue Coats
The 7-foot-4 center led the G League in blocks with four per game and was seventh in rebounding. He recorded two triple-doubles this season with points, rebounds and blocks and tied the mark for most rebounds in a game by an individual player at 24.
Alexander quickly became one of the best big men in the league this season and his play resulted in a two-way contract from the Miami Heat. He finished fifth in blocks and 14th in rebounding with the Skyforce to cap a productive first year.
27. Eric Mika, Stockton Kings
The former BYU product placed 29th in scoring among all players and second in rebounding. Mika recorded 16 double-doubles and tied the G League season-high of 24 rebounds by an individual player. He eventually earned a 10-day contract from the Kings in February but was not signed to a second one.
26. Paul Watson, Raptors 905
Watson was named to the 2019-20 Midseason All-NBA G League Team and continued his strong play for the rest of the season. Watson scored in double figures in each of his 30 games played in the G League and eventually earned a two-way contract from the Toronto Raptors.
We take a look at the 10 Philadelphia 76ers who participated in March Madness.
With Selection Sunday right around the corner, everybody in the basketball world is getting ready for the phenomenon that is the NCAA Tournament also known as March Madness.
This time can be a time of reminiscing for a lot of NBA players. There are plenty of guys on the Philadelphia 76ers who have had their moments in the Tournament and we’re going to take a look back at all of them right now.
There are exactly 10 Sixers who competed in March Madness and we’ll start with a guy who is currently the team’s highest-paid player
Tobias Harris, Tennessee 2011
Harris played in only one game in the NCAA Tournament with the Tennessee Volunteers way back in 2011. His Vols faced off against the Michigan Wolverines and it did not go well at all. Harris played well scoring 19 points and getting to the foul line seven times, but he was the only player to score double-figures for Tennessee and it was a 75-45 loss in Round 1. Harris was then selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the draft.
Philadelphia 76ers rookie Marial Shayok should use Shake Milton as a model for his success.
When you’re selected in the second round of the NBA draft, your rise to being a rotational player in the league is a tough one. That is just the reality of the league.
For Philadelphia 76ers rookie Marial Shayok, he is up against it as he was selected 54th overall in the 2019 draft and he is behind established talents such as Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson, and Furkan Korkmaz at his position. That means, his first season in the NBA has been spent shuttling between playing for the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League and spending some time in Philadelphia on a two-way.
That’s a tough challenge, but there is one current Sixer who had a similar journey and that is Shake Milton. The second-year guard out of SMU was also the 54th pick in his draft in 2018 and he was also on a two-way deal his rookie season. Now he’s making history and turning heads while filling in for the injured Ben Simmons.
Shayok should use Milton as a model for success.
“For sure. I think a lot of people should,” said Blue Coats coach Connor Johnson. “The fact that he came down here, he had a very successful season where he got a lot better, he was stretched in ways defensively, he was stretched in ways offensively in what his role was and being a point guard, having to run a team, and he gets up there and it takes him a while to get a real opportunity where he can consistently play, and he plays well.”
Shayok has had a similar G League season to Milton’s. Milton averaged 24.9 points with the Blue Coats while Shayok is averaging 22.9 points through 34 games so far and is averaging 5.8 rebounds. It’s all about continuing to develop for him, just like Milton did.
“Recently, I’m starting to see a lot of different defenses,” said Shayok. “I’m just trying to get better and make the right reads and fight through.”
“Just to be a sponge,” he said. “I’m just a rookie on a veteran team so I just want to learn as much as possible and continue to get better and work on my game.”
He will also have conversations with Milton as they talk whenever they can.
“Whenever I see him,” he explained. “We obviously are going through four games this weekend, so it’s hard to communicate, but whenever I do see him, it’s always love and we’re always talking about staying ready. Once I met Shake, I knew he had that confidence and once he got his opportunity, he took advantage of it.”
Not just for Shayok, but for everybody on the Blue Coats, to see guys like Milton or even Norvel Pelle, it is always a good example for them to see guys succeed at the next level.
“Seeing that for all of our guys, even Norvel,” Johnson added. “Making the jump, having some success, being able to stick at that level is important.” [lawrence-related id=27363,27354,27348]
Young Philadelphia 76ers prospects Marial Shayok and Zhaire Smith have impressive offensive games.
The current version of the Philadelphia 76ers are going through one of the more up and down seasons in their recent history, but the future Sixers put on a show on Sunday.
Prospects Zhaire Smith and Marial Shayok led the Delaware Blue Coats into battle against the Lakeland Magic from the 76ers Fieldhouse in Delaware and they played well. Shayok scored 26 points with seven rebounds and seven assists and Smith had 24 points in a 129-116 loss to Lakeland.
Shayok drilled three triples as he continues to show off an advanced offensive game that should be able to translate at the NBA level. His shooting ability should eventually play into any future plans for the Sixers. He also has shown off an ability to make reads off the ball and make cuts to the basket.
Smith had an efficient game to score his points as he shot 10-for-12 and he also drilled two from deep. He continues to show off an improvement in his game that should help him in the long run.
Before the game, the Blue Coats did say that the plan is to send both players to Philadelphia once the G League season ends. Their continued development in Delaware plus the upcoming experience with the Sixers should help them when the 2020-21 season begins. [lawrence-related id=27339,27310,27300]
The Delaware Blue Coats say the plan is to have Zhaire Smith and Marial Shayok join the Philadelphia 76ers.
As the Philadelphia 76ers continue on with their season after a tough 1-3 California road trip, their younger guys could be on the way up soon.
Second-year man Zhaire Smith and rookie Marial Shayok are two of the better prospects in the team’s system and they have spent the majority of the season with the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. However, they are all set to join the Sixers once the G League season ends.
“They will both go up,” said Blue Coats coach Connor Johnson. “They will reintegrate with the team and I think that will be good.”
Shayok has averaged 22.8 points and 5.7 rebounds in 33 games in Delaware while Smith is averaging 13.2 points and 3.3 rebounds as he continues his rehab.
A lot of eyes are on Smith who was a first-round pick of the Sixers in the 2018 draft, but injuries and an allergic reaction have derailed him a bit. Now, with Delaware, he can get himself together and eventually rejoin the Sixers.
“Here, it’s all about getting all the experience you can about playing,” Johnson added. “He played something like 35 minutes last night, we’ve got a back-to-back here where they’ll play a ton again, and then it’s getting back with the team and understanding where he fits in there and what he’s got to work on and improve. For the postseason or really for next year as well.”
Blue Coats coach Connor Johnson says the plan is for Zhaire Smith and Marial Shayok to join Philly when the season ends #Sixers
The Blue Coats host the Lakeland Magic at 2:00 p.m. EST from the 76ers Fieldhouse in Wilmington. This is another opportunity for both players to prove themselves. [lawrence-related id=27310,27300,27291]
The 76ers two-way rookie came up clutch for the Blue Coats as time expired Monday night in the G League.
Philadelphia 76ers rookie Marial Shayok scored 19 points Monday night on assignment with the Delaware Blue Coats but perhaps none were bigger than the 3-pointer he hit as time expired.
The Blue Coats were forced to rely on the heroics of Shayok late after blowing a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Go-Go tied the game up at 112 apiece with just over a minute left to set the scene for Shayok.
With four seconds remaining, the Blue Coats inbounded the ball to Shayok. The former Iowa State guard caught the ball at the top of the arc, made a few dribble moves and pulled up to drain the shot at the end of regulation.
Shayok has had a great rookie campaign in the G League to this point of the season. The rookie is averaging 23.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 31 games played while he is shooting 36.3% from 3-point range. Shayok is third among qualified players in scoring.
The 76ers are hoping that Shayok can follow in the footsteps of Shake Milton, who has been on a tear in the NBA as of late. The second-year guard spent most of last season in the G League but has emerged as a key player recently with the Sixers dealing with several injuries.
Shayok could become the next in line after a strong 2019-20 season.
