Basketball Intelligence for 2/29/24
LeBron James, The Hornets' new hire, the G League, and more! Happy Leap Day!
LEAGUEWIDE STORIES
The G League Isn’t Just for NBA Long Shots Anymore
Zach Kram, The Ringer
Johnson is far from alone with this sort of story; rather, he’s a member of a growing cohort of promising players who have cut their teeth in the NBA’s developmental league. At least half of the first-round picks in each of the last three drafts have spent time in the G League as rookies.
This season, 18 of last summer’s 30 first-round picks, including six of 14 lottery picks, have played in the G League. Both figures are records for the NBA’s minor league.
NBA Game Notes (Feb. 28, 2024)
Justin Kubatko, Statitudes
2024 NBA trade deadline in review: Did your team make the right move?
Chris Herring, ESPN+
But perhaps more meaningfully, the Hornets might have found something with this post-deadline group that clicks. Charlotte is second in defense since the trade deadline. That combined with the increased scoring from No. 2 pick Brandon Miller since injured star LaMelo Ball left the lineup in late January makes the Hornets worth watching. With Charlotte having recently pieced together five victories in a six-game stretch -- after having won just 10 games all season prior to that -- we might look back on this time as a turning point.
Who Is the NBA’s Most Underrated Player (And Is It Herb Jones)?
Neil Paine, Neil’s Substack
