G League’s Canceled Season Creates Difficult Decision For NBA Prospects

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrisgrenham/2020/05/29/g-leagues-canceled-season-creates-difficult-decision-for-nba-prospects/#62e448086760



G League’s Canceled Season Creates Difficult Decision For NBA Prospects




Chris Grenham




PORTLAND, ME - DECEMBER 31: Delaware Blue Coats Marial Shayok (35) fouls Red Claws Bryce Brown (00) ... [+] PORTLAND PRESS HERALD VIA GETTY IMAGES



As the NBA moves closer to solidifying its plan for a return to the court, uncertainty continues to loom around some of the G League’s top players.

Like its parent league, the NBA’s development system was suspended indefinitely on March 12 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The blunt ending was difficult to grasp for players and coaches alike, and it became increasingly difficult when it was reported just three days later that the season was likely headed for cancellation.

For successful teams like the Maine Red Claws, the unfortunate lack of closure is something that will remain throughout the offseason. The Boston Celtics G League affiliate was 28-14 with roughly two weeks remaining in the regular season, good for third in the Eastern Conference and the fourth-best record in the league. Of course, that impressive run came to a screeching halt.

“We thought we could win the championship,” head coach Darren Erman said. “We had a really good team, a close-knit group. We played Delaware that morning at 11 a.m. and then we were about to fly out that night when the (Rudy) Gobert thing broke in Oklahoma City. Then we were like, ‘Ok, this thing might not go on.’”

While the uncertainty surrounding the NBA’s situation was increasing by the second, the G League quietly waited for direction.

“We were in constant contact with our rep and also the front office of the Celtics. Just going back and forth with what we should do because we were supposed to practice,” Erman said. “We were talking and had everything set up like we were going to practice and they said to wait it out and push practice off a day. But yeah, it was just abruptly over just like that.”

In the grand scheme of things, the fate of the 2019-20 G League season isn’t very high on the NBA’s totem pole of importance during these uncertain times. When it comes to decision-making, canceling the season was a no-brainer. Between commercial airline travel and the already-present financial pressure G League teams have on NBA organizations, there was no way the season could continue. But that easy decision doesn’t eliminate further dilemmas facing G-Leaguers.


On a positive note, the players were quickly informed they’d received their full base salaries, according to ESPN. That’s good news, however, NBA hopefuls still face the reality of missing 10-day contract opportunities — the reason many elect to play in the G League instead of going overseas.

The G League regular season was set to end on March 28, with the postseason running through mid-April. NBA teams who are out of postseason contention often bring up G-Leaguers for a chance to prove themselves around this time of year with the possibility of getting on that team’s radar for the following season. Most of these players could go make more money overseas, but they stay stateside hoping for the opportunity to make that 10-day contract count. Top teams like the Red Claws have a handful of players pushing for NBA call-ups during that final quarter of the season.

“We had four or five guys that had an opportunity,” Erman said. “People might give 10-days to fill stop-gaps or fill in other holes earlier in the year when they first come out, but by the end of the season, people give 10-days, and I’ve never really studied this, but I felt like when I was in New Orleans, that’s when we were giving 10-days to guys who had potential. We could say, ‘Ok, we’ll give Christian Wood a 10-day, and then if he pans out we’ll give him a one-plus-one,’ or whatever it is. So I felt like that’s when guys like Bryce (Brown), Yante (Maten), Kaiser (Gates), Jaysean (Paige) or Justin (Bibbs) who was coming back from his injury — teams could say, ‘now let’s give these guys a 10-day and see if we want them for next year going forward.’ That was the time that I think our young guys had an opportunity.”

Unfortunately, that opportunity’s now gone. Red Claws assistant coach Alex Barlow noted how difficult that is for a lot of G-Leaguers and highlighted the difficult decisions they’re now facing.

“It’s tough because a lot of these guys probably could have made more money overseas had they gone over there, but they wanted to stay here with the shot of a 10-day,” Barlow said. “And then when you feel like you’re on the cusp of getting that call-up, you’re playing your best basketball and you’re suddenly done. I think it makes it tougher for next year. Now, what do you do? Do you try to come again next year and make another run at it?”

Red Claws guard Bryce Brown is the first player that comes to mind with this particular group. He was on the radar of multiple NBA teams, according to league sources, before the season came to a halt. The Auburn product was averaging 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists on 42.4 percent shooting from deep. He’s just 22-years-old, so I’d be shocked if he doesn’t get an NBA shot in the next few years.

But what about Justin Bibbs, for example? He signed two 10-day contracts with the Los Angeles Clippers last year, but injuries and the shortened season eliminated his NBA chances in 2020. Does he stay and give it another try next season? Or now that he’s one year older, will he be forced to go make his money overseas while he can? It’s a difficult decision facing plenty of G League players.

With new prospects coming in every year, G-Leaguers and NBA hopefuls have tight windows to make the most of their opportunities. They choose to stay stateside to chase an elusive dream, but unprecedented circumstances have now made that pursuit even more difficult.



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The pandemic has made most things more difficult for everyone in the US and all over the world