The NBA G-League is the official minor league of the NBA. Each NBA G-League team is affiliated with a professional team in the NBA. The purpose of the G-League is to prepare players, coaches, officials, trainers and front office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. There are currently only 28 G-League teams with the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers currently without one. Also, some of these G-League athletes may have their chance to debut in NBA 2K22.
The G-League has a lot of talented players that are currently developing so that one day they can hopefully start their story in the NBA. Some of these players have really done a great job catching the eyes of many NBA scouts and in doing so will help all their hard work pay off when it is potentially their time to get drafted.
There is also something called the G-League Ignite. G-League Ignite is a team put together of all the NBA draft prospects put through a one-year program focused on NBA Draft readiness and growth of professional life skills. NBA and NBA G-League veterans help in the development of these players so that they can get the best aid from players who have already played the game before. It is just a better way to get advice from players and coaches who have already been through it all before.
This year’s 2021 NBA Draft is set it include some unique athletes from the NBA G-League Ignite and if drafted to an NBA team, they will have the chance to make their debut in NBA 2K22 when the game is finally released later on this year. Without further ado, here are the top 3 NBA G-League prospects that you might be seeing in the NBA 2K22 video game.
1. Jalen Green (G-League Ignite) (SG)
Jalen Green has been slowly developing his skills more in-depth in the NBA G-League. His shooting ability has gotten better and he is a very speedy man when it comes to transition. Jalen Green is an all-around great player. Whether it comes down to playing defense, making sure players are open for scoring opportunities or trying to come up clutch for a big shot, he can do it all. A lot of NBA teams will value those assets on their team.
During his NBA G-League Ignite campaign, Jalen Green has played in 15 games. In those 15 games played he is averaging 17.9 PPG, 2.8 ASTPG, 46.1% from the field, and 36.5% from 3 point range. Green is averaging the most points per game more than any other player in G-League Ignite. Those are some pretty impressive stats for a G-League player and certainly nothing to fret about. Any athlete can always do things to improve their own game and that will happen over time with Jalen Green.
I wouldn’t consider Green’s defense to be terrible, but it can be improved. That is something that will continue to grow over time in the G-League Ignite and even throughout his NBA career. In my opinion, Green is an all-around player that can still play any aspect of the game at a high level.
Jalen Green is definitely a top-five prospect to be taken in this year’s draft and depending on which team takes him, he will be a great asset to help his team win games and potentially make a push for the playoffs. Expect to see Jalen Green in NBA 2K22 and get to experience his skill in the video game yourself.
2. Jonathan Kuminga (G-League Ignite) (SF)
Jonathan Kuminga is another G-League athlete that is part of the G-League Ignite and someone else who can get drafted inside the top five this year. Depending on draft order, Kuminga is even a potential top 3 pick based on what that team is looking to add to their team.
Jonathan Kuminga brings a big body to the table. He likes to play a very physical game which is always good when it comes to sports. Drive the body to the hoop and that is going to be very hard to defend. Not many people want to stand in the way of Kuminga. If there are NBA teams that want to add a little bit more physicality to their team, Kuminga is the man to draft.
Taking a dive into Kuminga’s stats for his G-League Ignite campaign we see that he has been able to average 15.8 PPG in 13 games. Due to his large build, Kuminga has been able to average 7.2 RPG. At only 18 years of age, his shooting aspect of his game needs to be improved. He is only shooting 38.7% from the field and 24.6% from beyond the arc. Given current top NBA athletes shooting percentage, Kuminga should at least get his shooting percentage somewhere above 40% if he wants to be dangerous from all ranges on the floor.
One thing is for sure. If Jonathan Kuminga gets the ball in down low, he is definitely going to be able to power his way to the rim for the easy dunk or layup. Some teams are going to see a lot of value in his developmental game and that is why his unique talent will be of use for many NBA teams.
Expect to hear Jonathan Kuminga’s name announced at the 2021 NBA Draft. Then when Kuminga potentially makes his long-awaited NBA debut next season, he will be available to play within NBA 2K22.
3. Daishen Nix (G-League Ignite) (PG)
Daishen Nix is going to be a very interesting choice for teams in the NBA Draft. Some people think he will be drafted in the first round while others think he may be drafted early in the second round. No matter what round he is drafted in, Nix will definitely bring a lot of force to whichever team he is on.
Nix is another player who likes to get to the rim because he has that physical side to him. He is an athlete that is very comfortable when he gets the ball in his hands. One of the biggest things that you want for your players is for them to feel comfortable when they are playing and Nix is.
His shooting capabilities need to improve drastically and hopefully, they do a bit more while he is in the G-League Ignite. Shooting only 38.4% from the field and 17.6% from 3 point range is not going to cut it. However, even with his subpar shooting, he has still managed to average 8.8 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 15 games. That is due to his ability to get to the rim and make it look easy.
18 years of age is still very young for an athlete and just like wine Nix will get better with age. Continue with grinding, developing, dedication and Nix will have nothing to worry about for his career. Even if Nix is someone who you want to rely on to come off the bench and make an impact on the game, that is something that can make him dangerous. You may see Daishen Nix in NBA 2K22, you may not see him in NBA 2K22, but if he does make it into the game he will be a fun player to use.
Out of all the players in the G-League right now, these three players are the most likely to be drafted and to be seen in the NBA. Of course, things do not always pan out for some players and teams sometimes have different paths they want to go down in terms of their players, but these three G-League Ignite athletes are definitely worthy to be in the NBA and the NBA 2K22 video game.