Tried and tested: Assessing the NBA G League Ignite prospects

The NBA G League Ignite averted disaster late into their developmental league debut season, and snuck into the knockout playoffs at the very last moment.

Shaky closeout stretch of games aside, Ignite’s young prospects lived up to the hype against grown, NBA-caliber players, and showed that most of them are just about ready to make the leap into the world’s best basketball league.

Here are the numbers after a grueling, compressed 15-game regular season schedule.

Jalen Green

Averages: 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 46% FG, 37% 3PT, 83% FT

Fil-Am sensation Jalen Green has been in the center of a national spotlight for years, and now, it is obvious why.

Straight out of high school, the 6-foot-6 dynamo made it a point that not only would he showcase his highlight-reel dunks for everyone to see, but that he would prove he can live a life outside the paint as well.

Connecting on 37% of his three-pointers on nearly 6 attempts per game, Green was a walking bomb on the court that detonated without prior notice. Soon enough, having 5 made triples attached to his name was old news.

On the other hand, the criticisms regarding his defense proved to still be somewhat valid. While he did well enough to average 1.5 swipes across 15 games, the body language on that end of the floor is definitely a work in progress.

All in all, the hype surrounding him and his lofty mock draft ranks are very much warranted. The kid is a natural, and the NBA is in for a treat next year.

Jonathan Kuminga

Averages: 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steal, 39% FG, 25% 3PT, 63% FT

Settling into Ignite’s system as a top 3 draft prospect, Congolese forward Jonathan Kuminga worked hard to please scouts night in and night out.

However, as proved by his shooting splits, the 6-foot-7 slasher was probably trying too hard at times on his own instead of letting the game come to him.

But while others may see those forced stretches as selfishness, others can view them as signs of a dependable workhorse from day one. Kuminga simply wants to win, and he will keep trying no matter how bad his numbers would look.

Even though he will sometimes shoot 5-of-15 or worse, that’s because he gives 101% effort on both ends of the court. The skills need some polishing, but the energy is definitely there.

Work ethic matters a lot to all NBA teams, and Kuminga has that on top of his raw talent. Early pickers on draft night will likely not be too keen to pass up on a potential superstar.

Daishen Nix

Averages: 8.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steal, 38% FG, 18% 3PT, 71% FT

Casting aside his 25-point eruption early into the season, Daishen Nix was for the most part unremarkable, in a good way, for the rest of Ignite’s playoff run.

Billed as a traditional playmaker in an age of shooters and dunkers, Nix was indeed a sobering pacesetter to reign in Green and Kuminga’s frenetic play styles.

While his shooting numbers were subpar as expected, Nix made up for it with all-around numbers, including a surprisingly high rebound rate with his above-average 6-foot-5 frame.

Nix won’t wow NBA franchises with blistering speed or anti-gravity hops, but what he has at an early age is a natural feel for the game, and that is always valuable in all levels.

Isaiah Todd

Averages: 12.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 0.7 blocks, 44% shooting, 36% 3PT, 82% FT

Well, the mystery man is a mystery no more.

After decommitting from the University of Michigan to gain more NBA experience with Ignite, Isaiah Todd certainly took advantage of the opportunities given to him, and then some.

Todd has everything a team needs from a modern-day big man: a silky jumper extending beyond the arc, great athleticism, defensive savvy, and more. He even has hints of a clutch gene after a crucial game-winner against Canton Charge.

Simply put, he can help practically any NBA team that needs a spark off the bench. Burning a mid to late-first round or early-second round pick on him can easily prove to be a worthy investment.

Princepal Singh

Averages: 2.3 points, 1.0 rebound, 6.2 minutes, 4 appearances

Right off the bat, Indian big man Princepal Singh certainly deserved more than 4 garbage time appearances for Ignite.

While he is indeed an obvious long-term project who may or may not pan out in the NBA, he certainly should have gotten more burn against big league big men so he could learn. Ignite is a development team in a developmental league after all.

But head coach Brian Shaw clearly had playoff aspirations in his debut run in the G League, and holding out Singh in favor of veterans’ playing time is perfectly understandable.

Now, the world will see if the late postseason push was worth it as Ignite attempts to oust the first-seeded Raptors 905 in the first round of the knockout playoffs on Monday, March 8 (Tueday, March 9, Manila time). – Rappler.com