Tag: Paul Watson

2021-22 Thunder player grades: Paul Watson

Handing out a final grade for Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul Watson’s 2021-22 regular season.

(Editor’s note: We are starting individual grades for all players from the 2021-22 Oklahoma City Thunder. To access other reviews as part of this ongoing series, click here.)

With the 2021-22 regular season now officially in the books, the Oklahoma City Thunder (24-58) finished their season with the fourth-best lottery odds. This means it is now time for individual player grades for all 26 players who suited up for the team this season during the 82 games. The grades will be determined by what the season expectations were for each player and how they lived up to them.

The nineteenth player in the installment is Paul Watson, who occupied one of the two two-way spots for nine games before being released.

Thunder waive Josh Hall, reportedly sign small forward Paul Watson

The Thunder announced that they waived Josh Hall and reports broke that they signed former Raptor Paul Watson to a two-way contract.

The Oklahoma City Thunder waived wing Josh Hall, the team announced on Sunday.

The 20-year-old was on a two-way contract. In releasing him, OKC was able to sign small forward Paul Watson to a two-way deal, according to a report from BasketballNews.com reporter Kelsea O’Brien.

Watson has been in the league since 2017, when he went undrafted and later joined the G League Westchester Knicks. He only appeared in G League games until the 2019-20 season, when he appeared in 10 total games between the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors.

But Watson broke out in the G League that season, averaging 19.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the Raptors’ affiliate. Over those 30 games, he attempted 7.2 3-pointers per game and hit them at a 42.3% clip.

The 6-foot-6 forward had 27 appearances for the Raptors last season.

Watson will have a chance to bounce between the OKC Thunder and Blue this year.

Out goes Hall, who averaged about 20 minutes in 14 appearances after the all-star break last season. He scored more than five points in only five of them, but broke out in a big way in the final game of the season when he posted 25 points and 10 rebounds to help the Thunder take down the likewise-tanking Los Angeles Clippers for a win to conclude the year.

A young, super athletic wing, Hall will look for a new NBA team.

This post originally appeared on OKCThunderWire. Follow us on Facebook!

5 available wings, forwards the Lakers could sign in free agency

The Los Angeles Lakers could use another veteran wing or forward. Here are five available names that make sense.

The Los Angeles Lakers seem to have their third point guard slot figured out with Rajon Rondo likely returning.

Rondo, who was traded by the L.A. Clippers to the Memphis Grizzlies in August, had his contract bought out by the franchise on Saturday, paving the way for his return to the Lakers.

Los Angeles had been in the market for weeks looking another point guard behind Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn. That hole should be filled soon.

Though the Lakers have players Mac McClung and Chaundee Brown on training camp deals, it’s unclear if either will make the final roster since L.A. wants to keep the last spot open.

It’s possible, according to a report, the Lakers could add another veteran wing or forward to the team to round out the roster. Let’s look at five possible options:

Fresno State Alumni Are Playing Big Roles in NBA Playoffs

The Fresno State Bulldogs have alumni Paul George, Tyler Johnson and Paul Watson competing in this year’s NBA Playoffs.

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Three Fresno State alumni are competing in the 2020 NBA Playoffs

Contact/Follow @cisabelg & @MWCwire

Three Fresno State alumni punched their ticket to the Orlando Bubble but none of them are just along for the ride.

Paul George, Tyler Johnson and Paul Watson’s teams have made it into the playoffs and each of them is expected to play an important role in their respective rosters.

Paul George (2008-10) – Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are the no. 2 seed in the West and are taking on the No. 7 seed Dallas Mavericks for the playoffs first round.

The six-time NBA All-Star played for the Bulldogs when the school was still in the Western Athletic Conference. In 63 games as a Bulldog George averaged 15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. The school retired his No. 24 college jersey in October 2019.

Fresno State had losing records during both seasons George was there, but even without a winning season for the Bulldogs he was the 10th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers and stayed there until 2017. He then went to the Oklahoma City Thunder for two years.
This is his first season with the Los Angeles Clippers.

George is the one half of the Clippers power duo. He was second in scoring for the Clippers, only behind Kawhi Leonard who interestingly enough is also a MW alumni as he played for San Diego State.

George averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists during the regular season. He scored 27 points in the first playoff game and talked about his relationship with Kawhi during the postgame press conference.

Both players knew chemistry between them would be important, so they met with each other a few times during the NBA break. That included going to the gym together but also having conversations to try to get to know each other better.

“We both pick each other up. We both help each other. Kawhi, there is a reason he’s been who he is in this league,” George said. “He is an unbelievable leader, he picked us up on multiple occasions…I don’t ever want to have him believe that the pressure is all on him. I want to be able to uplift him and help him and vice versa.”

Tyler Johnson (2010-14) – Brooklyn Nets

The Nets are the No. 7 seed in the East and are taking on the No. 2 Toronto Raptors for the first round.

Johnson is still new to the Nets, but he has already proven to be valuable.
He went undrafted in 2014, then joined the Miami Heat for the 2014 NBA Summer League. He made his NBA debut in January 2015 after signing a 10-day contract with the Heat.

He joined the Suns in 2019, but was waived on February 2020. The 6’4 guard signed with the Nets late June and brought along the experience he got through the 301 career games he played with the Phoenix Suns and the Miami heat combined.

Through 31 games with the Suns Johnson only averaged 5.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Those stats are looking better with the Nets as shown by the eight games during the regular season in which he averaged 12.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.

His best game so far was 21 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on Aug. 9 to help his team get a 129-120 win. During the press conference, Caris Levert praised his teammate’s basketball IQ. Head coach Jacque Vaughn had good things to say about him too.

“He gives us a secondary ball-handler so it’s tough to press us at times. And then also, he has the ability to create shots…. He has a savvy and Moxie to get things done especially down stretch,” the coach said.

During his time at Fresno State, Johnson showed his ability to grow. He went from 4.4 points per game during his freshman year to 15.9 points per game his senior year.

He got an All-Mountain West Honorable Mention in 2012-13 and made the All-Mountain West Second-Team in 2013-14. He played a total of 128 games, 87 as a starter.

Fresno State saw a 21-18 overall record, 9-9 in the conference, during the 2013-14 season. Not the best, but that roster had two players who are in the playoffs this year. Johnson was a senior, and Watson was a freshman.

Paul Watson (2013-17) – Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are the No. 2 seed in the East and are taking on the No. 7 Brooklyn Nets  for the first round.

Watson went from being undrafted in 2017 to now being in the playoffs with the defending NBA champions the Toronto Raptors. His future is looking good.

He played a total of 135 games as a Bulldog, 128 of those as a starter, with an average of 29.7 minutes.

He was valuable for the team right away, starting in 39 games during the 2013-14 season while averaging 10.0 points per game. Not surprisingly, he was a Kyle Macy Freshman All-American and the MW Freshman of the Year.

By his senior year he had improved to 11.4 points per game and was invited to the 2017 College Basketball Slam Dunk contest, which was live on ESPN at the Final Four in Phoenix.

Watson joined the Raptors for the 2017 Summer League and had a brief stint with a German basketball team before becoming the fifth overall pick of the 2017 NBA G League Draft by the Westchester Knicks. In 2019 he landed with the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G-League affiliate. He did well there, averaging 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in 13 games.

His NBA dream finally came true when the Atlanta Hawks gave him a 10-day contract early January. He was released and then signed a two-way deal with Toronto on Jan. 15.

He only made 10 appearances with the team during the regular season. His picture is not even on the team roster, but Toronto head coach Nick Nurse said he can see him as part of the Raptors’ future.

Watson took over during the season finale, scoring 22 points on the Denver Nuggets for a 117-109 victory.

“He’s pretty good, he can play,” Nurse said during the postgame press conference. “Talking about comprehending our defensive schemes, he’s done great; really good passer. We’ve worked really hard with him in Naples on some of the mechanics of his shooting, and he’s just eaten that all up and put in the extra work on that and it showed up here.”

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Mountain West Alumni in the 2020 NBA Playoffs

The NBA 2020 Playoffs are almost here. Eight Mountain West alumni will be playing, another one has a chance to earn a ticket this weekend.

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Eight Mountain West alumni have made it into the 2020 NBA Playoffs

Contact/Follow @cisabelg & @MWCwire

The two weeks since the NBA restart have flown by and the regular season has now ended. Here are the teams with Mountain West alumni that have officially made it into the 2020 NBA Playoffs, and a team that is still fighting for a spot.

Memphis Grizzlies – Brandon Clarke (SJSU 2015–2017)

No. 9 seed in the West
Overall Record: 34-39 Bubble: 2-6
Play-in Game 1: Saturday 2:30pm ET

The play-in, first in NBA history, has been activated and Memphis must battle it out with the Portland Blazers this weekend to secure the final playoff spot in the West. The first, and potentially only, game is on Saturday. If the Blazers win, the Grizzlies will be eliminated. If the Grizzlies win, there will be another game on Sunday.

Brandon Clarke is one of the promising young players for the Grizzlies. Clarke might be overshadowed by the Rookie of the Year finalist Ja Morant, but the former SJSU player’s efficiency and shooting percentage speak for themselves. Clarke finished the regular season at 61.8% from the field, which is slightly better than the NBA rookie shooting record by Steve Johnson at 61.34% through the 1981-81 season.

The last time the Grizzlies and the Blazers faced each other was on July 31 with Portland winning in overtime 140-135. Memphis’ leading scorer was Jaren Jackson Jr with 33 points. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies won’t count with him this time as he suffered a torn meniscus and was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Their task won’t get any easier as they have to get through Damian Lillard who has been averaging 37.6 points and 9.6 assists since the restart. He recorded a total of 154 points in the last three games.

If the Grizzlies pull off two victories, they will take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Aug. 18.

Los Angeles Lakers – JaVale McGee (Nevada 2006–08)

No. 1 seed in the West
Overall Record: 52-19 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 9pm ET vs Memphis/Portland

The Lakers clinched the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference on Aug. 4, the first time since the 2019-10 season.

The Lakers haven’t been at their best since the restart, but they’ll have to step it up if they’re serious about getting their 17th NBA championship. Anthony Davis and LeBron James lead the team with an average of 26.1 and 25.3 points per game, respectively. The superstar duo hasn’t been performing as expected, so the team has relied on other players like Kyle Kuzma to step up.

Javale McGee, a 7’0 center, is one of the Lakers who has seen the most games this season. He has made 68 appearances, all as a starter.

Head coach Frank Vogel announced that the team is bringing reinforcements. Rajon Rondo, who injured his thumb and had surgery in July, has entered the bubble and is doing the required quarantine.

Los Angeles Clippers – Paul George (Fresno State 2008-10), Kawhi Leonard (SDSU 2009-11)

No. 2 seed in the East
Overall Record: 49-23 Bubble: 5-3
Game 1: Aug. 17 9pm ET vs Mavericks

The Clippers will face the Dallas Mavericks in a playoff game for the first time in NBA history. 

The Mavericks count on the young, but talented, duo of Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porzingis. The Clippers top two players, who happen to be alumni of Mountain West schools, have a lot more experience. Kawhi Leonard is a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP. Paul George is a six-time NBA All-Star. Meanwhile, this will be Dončić’ and Porzingis’ playoff debuts.

Leonard and George are averaging 27.1 and 21.5 points respectively. The third highest scorer on the stat sheet is Montrezl Harrell, who was not in the bubble due to family matters and hasn’t played an NBA game since March 10. Harrell, a 6th man of the year finalist, has made it into the bubble and is expected to clear quarantine in time for the first playoff game.

Miami Heat – Derrick Jones (UNLV 2015–16)

No. 5 seed in the East
Overall Record: 44-29 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 6:30pm ET vs Indiana

The Heat Clinch No. 5 Seed in Eastern Conference after a loss to the Pacers on Friday. The Pacers locked in the No. 4 seed, and the two teams will face each other again for the first round of the playoffs.

Miami is led by Jimmy Butler who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game. The Heat have been have struck by injuries lately, which have given them mixed results in the bubble. Recent headlines were about Derrick Jones Jr.

Jones Jr. has been dealing with a knee injury but was cleared to play on Friday. He played against the Pacers but had to be carried off the court on a stretcher in the third quarter after a hard collision. It appeared serious but the team announced later that evening that he had suffered a neck strain and would be re-evaluated again over the weekend.

Toronto Raptors – Paul Watson (Fresno State 2013-17), Patrick McCaw UNLV (2014–16)

No. 2 seed in the East
Overall Record: 53-19 Bubble: 7-1
Game 1: Aug. 17 4pm ET vs Brooklyn

The Raptors are the defending NBA champions and this year’s No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The canadian team has talent. Six players are scoring in double digits, with Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet at the top of the stat sheet with 22.9ppg, 19.4ppg and 17.6ppg respectively. But there are also other members of the team who can contribute.

Paul Watson trained with player development coach Rico Hines, who has worked with Siakam, last offseason. Watson was a standout at Toronto’s G-League affiliate before signing a two-way deal with the Raptors in January. He showed his worth on Friday when Toronto defeated the Denver Nuggets 117-109 and he helped with 22 points. That performance earned Watson and Fresno a shoutout on ESPN. 

The team has another former Mountain West player, Patrick McCaw as a reserve forward, but he left the bubble earlier this month to receive treatment for a benign mass on the back of his left knee. 

Brooklyn Nets – Tyler Johnson (Fresno State 2010-14)

No. 7 seed in the East
Overall Record: 35-37 Bubble: 5-3
Game 1: Aug. 17 4pm ET vs Raptors

The Nets would be a more intimidating team if they weren’t missing big-name players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, as well as shot creator Spencer Dinwiddie. However, Caris LeVert has managed to carry the team with an average of 18.7 points and 4.2 rebounds.

Tyler Johnson, previously with the Phoenix Suns, signed with the team late June. He makes a good pair with Chris Chiozza and has already shown what he can give the Nets. He scored 21 points during a 129-120 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Aug. 9. After the game, LeVert had a lot of good things to say about his new teammate.

“Tyler’s been huge for us…His basketball IQ is very high,” LeVert said. “He’s huge for us, knocking down shots, being in the right spot defensively and just knowing what to do.”

Orlando Magic – Khem Birch (UNLV 2012-14)

No. 8 seed in the East
Overall Record: 33-40 Bubble: 3-5
Game 1: Aug. 18 1:30pm ET vs Milwaukee

Orlando’s depth has been stretched thin several times during this season, so even making it into the playoffs is an accomplishment.

Mo Bamba, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on June 11, left the NBA bubble for a “comprehensive post-Coronavirus evaluation,” the team announced Friday. Bamba had been splitting time with Khem Birch as backup center for Nikola Vucevic throughout the season. Birch was seeing more time during the restart. He has has appeared in 48 games this season, starting in 24 of those, while averaging 19.2 minutes per game. 

The Magic finished the regular season with a win against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans had already been eliminated and were resting all of their starters during that game, but the Magic still had a good performance. 

The team shot at 73% from beyond the arc during the first half, hitting 13 out of 18 attempts. Eight different players contributed to this. By the end of the game the team had finished 15-of-28 in three pointers. This stat was a big deal for Orlando since the team had been struggling in this category.

 

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Ranking the 30 best players of the 2019-20 NBA G League season

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.

28. Kyle Alexander, Sioux Falls Skyforce

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.

25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6 | 5-1

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Hawks sign Raptors 905 forward Paul Watson to 10-day contract

Watson averaged 18.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 13 games this season with the 905 in the G League.

The Atlanta Hawks have signed Raptors 905 forward Paul Watson to a 10-day contract, the team announced on Monday morning. Watson is the 10th player this season to earn a call-up from the NBA G League.

Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported the news on Saturday.

Watson averaged 18.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 13 games this season with the 905. The 6-foot-6 forward shot 53.3% from the field and 46.7% from 3-point range.

Watson went undrafted in 2017 after playing four seasons at Fresno State. Following his collegiate career, Watson briefly played overseas and spent two seasons with the Westchester Knicks prior to joining the 905.

The use of 10-day contracts became available to NBA teams on Sunday. Teams can only sign a player to two 10-day contracts and then must either waive them or sign them to a standard NBA deal. The deal will last the longer of either 10 days or three games.

After grinding his way through the G League, Watson has earned an opportunity to prove himself at the NBA level with the Hawks. Watson will have his first chance when the Hawks face the Denver Nuggets on Monday.

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