Yante Maten, Heat / Skyforce: It’s Yante’s World and We’re Just Living In It
Maten graced this list last week, and two more massive double-doubles this time around made it a certainty that he’s here to stay. The holiday season clearly agrees with the big man, who is averaging 33.2 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks in his last six contests.
Angel Delgado, LA / Agua Caliente Clippers: This Angel Is More Of A Beast On The Boards
Delgado is really hitting his stride at this point in the season. He’s stood tall as one of the NBA G League’s elite rebounders, currently leading the circuit with 14.1 per game. The big man’s hunger to crash the glass has never wavered, and yet he’s continued to lay down the building blocks for a foundation as an offensive threat as well. 10 of his last 11 games have featured double-doubles and his scoring outings continue to rise. When the Clippers call his number, he’s someone who will have no problem doing the dirty work, but he’ll make himself even more valuable if he can cash in on second chance buckets along the way like he’s doing in the G League.
Jordan Loyd, Raptors / Raptors 905: Finding Versatile Ways To Stand Out
On the night that fellow Two-Way teammate Chris Boucher poured in a season league-high 47 points, Loyd wasn’t too far behind with 32 points of his own. Even more impressively, however, the guard also dished out 11 assists on Wednesday, setting his teammate up to perfection. With his talented friend leading the league in scoring average this season, Loyd has made it his purpose to stand out in every other way possible. There’s no doubt he too can score. The young gun has gone above and beyond, staying active on the boards and running the floor. In his last three contests, he’s averaged 21.7 points, 8 assists, and 7.7 rebounds.
Shareef Abdur-Rahim—former star forward for the Trail Blazers, Hawks, and Grizzlies—has been named the new G-League President. Abdur-Rahim will take over the developmental league from current president Malcolm Turner, who has taken a position at Vanderbilt University, according to a release on NBA.com.
The article quotes NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum on the new hire.
“Shareef’s unique experiences as a player, team executive and member of the NBA’s Basketball Operations department make him a fantastic fit to be the next President of the NBA G League.”
Abdur-Rahim has plenty of background for the position:
Abdur-Rahim, who turned 42 today, previously worked five years with the Sacramento Kings, serving as an assistant general manager and assistant coach as well as spending the 2013-14 season as general manager of the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns (now known as the Stockton Kings). Abdur-Rahim earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.
He will oversee basketball and business operations.
Abdur-Rahim played for the Blazers between 2003 and 2005, averaging 14.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Speaking before the matchup between the Orlando Magic and the Chicago Bulls in Mexico City, Adam Silver said the G League could add a team in Mexico by next season.
Silver stated that he wants to see more "state-of-the-art" arenas like Arena Ciudad de Mexico throughout Latin America to host NBA games. He also said that the league will play in Mexico "for many years to come", although there is no official agreement beyond this season.
According to a 2018 study, the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls are the two most popular NBA teams in Mexico.
DeMarcus Cousins has starting practicing with the Warriors‘ G League affiliate, which has prompted speculation regarding his return. However, Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle reveals that it may take until February for the big man to make his Warriors debut.
The Pacers re-assigned big man Ike Anigbogu to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced today. Anigbogu played a key role in Fort Wayne’s win over Stockton tonight, scoring 13 points and racking up a game-high 18 rebounds.
The Bucks recalled forward Christian Wood from the G League today, according to the club (via Twitter). While Wood continues to play a very limited role in Milwaukee, he’s averaging an impressive 27.7 PPG for the Wisconsin Herd, and will have his minimum salary contract guaranteed this week.
The Sixers are set to sign G League wing Haywood Highsmith to a two-way contract later today, sources tell Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Philadelphia has an open two-way contract slot after waiving Demetrius Jackson on Sunday.
Highsmith, a former Division II standout who played his college ball at Wheeling Jesuit, has been solid for the Delaware Blue Coats – Philadelphia’s G League affiliate – so far this season. In 21 games, he has posted 13.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 2.5 APG with a .450/.394/.680 shooting line.
Mike Schmitz of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) recently identified Highsmith as one of a handful of G League players to watch, noting that the 22-year-old offers “an intriguing blend of physical tools, shooting potential and defensive versatility.” Although Highsmith isn’t a great ball-handler or play-maker, he has a “sound feel” for the game, which should only improve with more reps, Schmitz wrote.
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