It is getting close to when NBA teams turn to the G-League for players who can help their franchises. The NBA just concluded its 20th annual G-League Sunday, with former NBA player T.J. Warren among the standouts.
The G-League Winter Showcase is the NBA’s minor league in-season scouting event. Each of the G-League league teams spends four days in one place, which allows NBA general managers and executives a convenient way of scouting.
2 NBA Prospects Who Improved Their Stock At Important G-League Winter Showcase
For the second consecutive season, the 2024 Winter Showcase took place in Orlando from December 19-22. The event is split into a tournament that features the top eight teams from the league’s Tip-Off Tournament, while the other teams are guaranteed two games.
The event is important because it is right before the start of when teams can sign players to 10-day contracts, which is January 5th. Besides the players who are two-way contracts or “sent outright” to a G-League franchise by the team’s parent team, everyone else was a free agent.
In the end, the Westchester Knicks emerged as champions of the Winter Cup with a 125-119 victory over the Sioux Falls SkyForce (Miami Heat). With the victory, the Westchester players get to split the $100,000 prize. It was Westchester’s second straight Winter Cup title.
Knicks’ 2024 second-round draft pick Tyler Kolek was named the MVP of the Winter Showcase. Kolek tallied 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting, including 3 of 7 from deep, five rebounds, and doled 11 assists in 32 minutes. The 23-year-old guard, who has appeared in 17 games for the Knicks, has now scored in double-figures in three of his four G-League appearances and produced two double-doubles.
NBA G-League All-Showcase Team
Kolek was not the only player on a two-way contract who shined during the four-day Orlando event. Josh Christopher (Heat) and Leonard Miller (Minnesota) were among the five players selected for the G-League All-Showcase Team.
Christopher, a 2021 first-round choice, has appeared in 138 NBA games. But the 23-year-old guard has spent the last two seasons in the G-League. He signed a two-way deal with Miami at the end of July but has yet to play with the big-league club. He seems intent on returning to the NBA this year, as evidenced by his outstanding play in the 17 G-League Showcase slate.
Miller also has not played in the NBA this season after appearing in 17 contests a year ago. A second-round pick of San Antonio a season ago, Miller has produced 13 double-doubles in 16 G-League contests this season.
Undrafted rookie Jahmir Young and former NBA players Jahlil Okafor and Warren joined Christopher, who received accolades for their performance over the weekend.
Jahmir Young
Young is a 6-2 point guard who spent five seasons in college, three with Charlotte and the final two at Maryland, before going undrafted in June. He was known as a quick lead guard who could score and be a pest on the defensive end.
Young played for Denver’s summer league team and impressed the Nuggets enough to an Exhibit 10 contract. After getting waived, the 24-year-old appeared in two games for the Nuggets during the preseason and was assigned to the Nuggets G-League team, Grand Rapids Gold.
Young has continued to show that he is a scoring point who can take over a game offensively with Grand Rapids. He, Andrew Funk and Trey Alexander gives the Gold a formidable backcourt and perhaps the Nuggets some intriguing options down the road. Funk has played five games in the NBA, while Alexander is currently on a two-way deal with the Nuggets.
Young is likely not quite ready for the NBA. But if he continues to score at his current rate and improves as a playmaker and defender, he could get a chance in a year or two. Turnovers and 3-point shooting are issues.
Young has stepped up his production and efficiency in the last five contests. Young produced 50 points on 18 of 42 shooting, 16 assists, 13 assists, and five steals in 75 minutes in Orlando. He has scored at least 20 points in eight straight games and doled out at least seven assists in six consecutive contests, including two double-doubles.
Jahlil Okafor
Okafor, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, famously flamed out after six seasons and 218 games. Known as an elite low-post scorer, his conditioning, lack of elite athleticism, and defensive ineptitude contributed to his demise.
Still, the 29-year-old center has continued to work hard to get back to the league. Okafor is in his second stint in the G-League, where he plays for the Indiana Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers affiliate). He averaged 20 points and eight boards for Mexico City in 2022-23 before heading back overseas last season — China, Puerto Rico, and Spain.
Okafor was highly efficient in his two Orlando games for the Mad Ants, who were not involved in the Winter Cup. He dominated the glass and showed off his passing skills. He finished with 44 points on 18 of 28 shooting, 18 rebounds (eight offensive), and eight assists in 66 minutes in Orlando.
Okafor has scored in double-figures in 14 of 15 G-League contests this season, including nine 20-point games and four double-doubles. He averages 18.6 points, 8.7 boards, and 3.4 assists while shooting 64.5% from the field in 29 minutes this season.
Okafor has proven he is too gifted for the G-League. He has also shown enough improvement in other areas to earn another NBA chance, and teams are always looking for size. Golden State, Miami, New Orleans, and Philadelphia immediately come to mind as possible options.
“I just wanted to put myself in position to get myself a shot to get back to the NBA,” Okafor said earlier this year after his first home game for the Mad Ants. “Just based on what I’ve seen, This is my 10th year playing professionally, I know the G League is one of the best routes back to the NBA.”
T.J. Warren
Warren signed an Exhibit 10 deal with New York in October in a last-ditch effort to save his NBA playing career. The 31-year-old has bounced around the league since producing a career year in 2019-20. Injuries and his struggles from the 3-point arc has kept Warren from being a rotational player recently.
Warren has always been able to score. The 6-8 forward, who averaged nearly six points in less than 10 minutes this preseason, has shown that he is finally completely healthy. He has also shown renewed interest in other areas, such as facilitating and defense.
Warren demonstrated his well-rounded game in Orlando, tallying at least 17 points, three rebounds, and three assists in every game. He has scored at least 20 points in 12 of his 15 appearances with Westchester this season, including five of 30 or more points, and averages 24.5 points and 2.4 treys while shooting 51.8/34.8/80.6. He also averages 6.8 rebounds (3.1 offensive), 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals in 36 minutes.
Like bigs, NBA teams continually look for scoring and 3-point shooting. 3-and-D type players are particularly valuable. Boston, Detroit, New York, and Phoenix immediately come to mind as possible options.
