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The NBA's annual G League Winter Showcase took place last week in Orlando, Florida, with a majority of the league's executives and scouts descending to evaluate players hoping to work their way onto NBA rosters. Also on the docket were a pair of G League Ignite games -- arguably the biggest platform of the season for the team and its eight draft prospects -- and a series of games involving the NBA academies.
ESPN NBA draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo attended and provide their major takeaways from the event, including on the state of the Ignite program and how the team's top draft prospects are developing.
What can we expect moving forward G League Ignite?
Entering the Showcase, it looked like the Ignite had started to figure some things out, having won four of their past six games after losing eight straight to begin the season. But based on what we saw in Orlando, that seems to be anything but the case. Ignite lost both games at the Showcase and didn't muster a ton of fight in either one, falling 100-88 to the short-handed Cleveland Charge and 113-90 against a Grand Rapids Gold team loaded with former college standouts. And while growing pains are certainly nothing new for the Ignite -- it usually takes time for teenage prospects to get comfortable at the G League level -- what scouts saw at the Showcase proved to be a concerning look for Ignite on the whole, now 4-12 on the season with a tough four-game road trip against Rio Grande Valley and Sioux Falls up next.
There was simply not a lot of team basketball being played, with copious turnovers, frequent defensive lapses, poor shot selection, and a lack of positive ball movement. In the face of adversity, there was little leadership on the floor from either the prospects or veterans. And while these are not unique struggles for a young team, the overall vibes were somewhat alarming. The Ignite primarily serve as a stage for player development -- it's a longer-view program designed to put players in a great evaluation setting, not to win every game -- but the team's collective struggles raised the question from onlookers as to how much of either we can expect moving forward.
By choosing to roster eight prospects during a down season for draft-eligible talent, Ignite has created a situation where there are too many mouths to feed. As a result, there are not enough minutes available for veterans to balance lineups around the younger players, who have to receive minutes to get better. The fact that this has turned out to be a down year for draft-eligible talent is a macro-level problem that's out of the Ignite's control, but the program could do a better job putting the players it does have in positions to succeed, and thus enhance their draft stock. Although team success helps earn players the benefit of the doubt from scouts, one of the perpetual challenges surrounding a team such as the Ignite, which doesn't disguise its role as an NBA feeder program, is always going to be convincing young, impressionable players to buy into winning basketball and to put their personal aspirations and agendas to the side.
It will be interesting to see if the results of this season's experiment eventually lead to changes in the Ignite's roster construction. The change to the NBA's collective bargaining agreement allowing young players to spend multiple years at the pro level before declaring for the draft (versus becoming auto-eligible immediately) enabled Ignite to carry eight prospects for the first time, with less pressure for every player to make an immediate jump into the draft. Based on what we're seeing, it's hard to argue that rostering that many prospects will ever make much sense again, whether the pieces fit or not. There has also been seemingly little benefit to Ignite handing out two-year developmental contracts, leading them to commit minutes ahead of time to project players such as London Johnson (ranked No. 99 in our Top 100) and Dink Pate (2025 draft eligible and essentially redshirting this season) rather than allow for maximum flexibility in putting together a roster year to year.
There's a reason no college team carries seven or eight teenagers and puts them all in the rotation at once: It's almost impossible to win that way at that level. It's hard to reasonably expect Ignite and its players to consistently succeed at a more difficult, fast-paced and physical level of basketball in the G League as constituted. High school rankings mean little when teenage players are thrown into the fire against older players with a wealth of experience and asked to perform. It will be on the Ignite and their staff to figure out the right balance of lineups, minutes and roles for its prospects moving forward, with a schedule ahead that look particularly daunting at the moment. -- Jeremy Woo
Draft outlook for the Ignite's prospects after the Showcase
Coming off ankle injuries that sidelined him for three months, Buzelis was playing some of his best basketball coming into the Showcase, being a catalyst in his team's revival in winning four of its previous six games. He was unable to build on that momentum in Orlando, shooting 8-for-22 from the field (1-for-3 from 3) in front of NBA decision-makers, struggling to make shots from the perimeter, being unable to generate high-percentage opportunities for himself or others, and showing his distinct lack of strength and physicality on both ends of the floor.
The 6-foot-10, 19-year-old wing has dropped plenty of flashes of intrigue throughout the season with his positional size, ability to push off the glass, dynamic shot-making, feel for the game as a passer and defensive playmaking instincts. Unfortunately, those moments weren't on display, leaving Buzelis with plenty of work ahead of him the next few months to show he's worthy of consideration as a top-five prospect like when he entered the season. Buzelis has added some mass to his frame and made subtle strides defensively, but scouts want to see a lot more from him, especially as a shooter (22% from 3 through eight games) and pick-and-roll ball handler, as he was struggling with his confidence in Orlando. -- Givony
Ron Holland
The projected 2024 NBA draft top-5 pick talks about mental health, draft rankings and more.
Holland didn't have the Showcase that performance scouts wanted to see, shooting just 7-for-21 from the field with some discouraging moments on both ends of the floor. Entering the season as the projected No. 1 pick, most NBA executives currently describe that scenario as an extremely remote possibility with the way Holland has played to this point, with the prevailing sentiment that even being a lock top-10 pick is no sure thing if he can't find another gear with his play over the next three months.
The question scouts are pondering mostly revolves around Holland's offensive identity at the NBA level. He's not blessed with great positional size or explosiveness. Holland can't be described as a shooter, creator, or connector currently, with criticism abound regarding his shot selection, decision-making and frequent defensive lapses. He plays a wild style that heavily revolves around his ability to get out in the open court and finish downhill drives aggressively, looking sped up when his first move is cut off and he's forced to improvise and make decisions on the fly.
With that said, it's important to remember that Holland is still only 18 years old and playing an outsized role on an overmatched team of teenagers facing stiff competition on a nightly basis. He shows some flashes of ability with his handle, and passing that could be harnessed into more consistent weapons down the line, and seeks out contact in the lane and finishes with power and creativity that bodes well as his career moves on. Holland's extreme struggles from beyond the arc (24% from 3 this season) are discouraging in the shooting-crazed NBA, but his improvement from the free throw line (75% across all competitions this season) provides at least a glimmer of hope that hopefully his shooting woes can improve with a better shot-diet.
Although inconsistent and mistake-prone defensively, Holland flies around and brings a level of energy and toughness that you rarely see from a player his age, while posting 6.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. The big test will be seeing how much Holland evolves this season, as you'd expect someone his age to gain experience, as there are still more than 30 games left. The early results haven't been promising despite his solid raw box score numbers (18.5 points per game), but in a wide-open draft, there's still much to be decided between now and June. -- Givony
Tyler Smith
Smith was the lone Ignite prospect who helped their standing at the Showcase, scoring 30 points on 22 shots in 40 minutes, and adding 12 rebounds and four steals. This has been a consistent theme throughout the year, as Smith has done a great job of coming off the bench and providing a steady scoring punch from the backup center position.
Smith plays a compact role for Ignite, mostly being asked to pick and pop or step into spot-up 3s, post-up switches, and dive hard to the rim as a cutter or roller. His ballhandling, passing, defensive awareness and all-around feel for the game still leave much to be desired, but he's made it easy for NBA teams to visualize his role at the next level with his excellent positional size (6-10), length and ability to put the ball in the basket from virtually anywhere on the floor.
It will be interesting to see if Smith continues to log minutes at center when the injured Eric Mika, a more traditional big man who started nearly every game for Ignite last season, returns in the coming weeks. Smith has found a great deal of success at the 5 but likely projects as more of a combo forward for the NBA, where some of his flaws might be more readily apparent. Regardless, he's helped his cause considerably this season, giving himself a case to hear his name as high as the late lottery on draft night. -- Givony
Izan Almansa
Almansa is being described by scouts as a difficult evaluation in the Ignite context, as he sports by far the lowest usage rate (13.7%) of any of the seven prospects on the team. He struggled to impact the game consistently on either end of the floor at the Showcase, at times looking tentative and appearing to lack confidence.
Billed as one of the premier pick-and-roll big men in this class, the Ignite's guards have consistently looked Almansa off as he rolls to the rim off ball screens, as almost no one on this roster can consistently read and manipulate defenses to make a pocket pass or throw a well-timed lob. His best pick and roll partner, Jeremy Pargo, has mostly been out of the rotation for the better part of the past month, as Ignite has favored combo guard Norris Cole, who has struggled while vying for his own NBA call-up.
Almansa hasn't helped his cause by missing too many good looks around the rim this season due to a lack of explosiveness, while not being physical or assertive enough to take advantage of opportunities. The fact that he's just 2-for-9 from 3 this season and 11-for-29 (38%) from the free throw line hasn't helped matters either.
Defensively is where NBA teams want to see growth from Almansa over the next three months. He has terrific timing and instincts on this end of the floor, with a strong intensity level and a nose for being around the ball. However, he was inconsistent in this area at the Showcase, struggling to protect the rim at a high level with his lack of length and high-end explosiveness, getting scored on in the post due to his lack of size and bulk, and not always having the quickness to contain opponents one-on-one or get back in plays when he takes bad angles in pick and roll.
Overall, the Ignite experience hasn't been great for Almansa's draft stock to this point. NBA executives who evaluated him in FIBA settings say they are struggling to convince their cohorts of his exact fit on their team's roster without developing a consistent jump shot. One of the youngest players in this draft, not turning 19 until July, Almansa will need to ramp up his play to improve his chances of being a top-20 pick. -- Givony
NBA Academy Africa shows its potential
One of the highlights of the G League Showcase since 2018 has been the addition of the three NBA Academies -- Africa (based in Senegal), Latin America (Mexico) and the Global Academy (Australia) playing morning games before G League teams. The 2019 G League Showcase in Las Vegas allowed Bennedict Mathurin, Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Tyrese Proctor to be seen by NBA teams for the first time, helping to springboard three of them into being top-10 picks in the following years.
While the NBA Academy Africa always had the most gifted players at these Showcases in terms of size, length, explosiveness and defensive intensity, their group typically lagged far behind with ballhandling, passing, shooting and feel for the game. That appears to be changing in a major way from what we saw in several games and a well-coached practice in Orlando, where it looks like the future of basketball will increasingly be starting to churn out skillful talent at every position hailing from Africa.
The headliner of the event was 7-2 South Sudanese big man Khaman Maluach, a potential top-five pick in the 2025 NBA draft, who recently elected to graduate high school a year early to potentially enroll in college this upcoming summer. Maluach was playing at this event for the third year in a row, despite just turning 17 in September, giving NBA executives a great opportunity to evaluate his development over a considerable amount of time, a huge luxury in the scouting world.
Known for his ability to switch onto guards with outstanding mobility and protect the rim at a high level with his 7-6 wingspan, Maluach wowed NBA observers by making six 3s in two wins at the Showcase, as well as pushing the ball off the defensive glass and hammering home dunks with impressive quickness in getting off his feet. Only playing basketball seriously since 2019, Maluach still has room to grow with his body, passing, decision-making and ability to play through contact on both ends of the floor, but looked every bit the part of a top prospect in the different settings we observed him. College appears to be an increasingly strong option, with Duke and Kansas said to be the two programs vying most aggressively at the moment.
Another player drawing considerable interest from the hundreds of NBA executives in attendance was 6-11 Cameroonian Ulrich Chomche, also a Showcase veteran in his third appearance at this event. Chomche has lottery-pick tools physically with outstanding mobility, quickness off his feet and rim-running prowess, as well as a 7-4 wingspan and huge hands. He is an absolute game-changer defensively with the way he covers ground, gets off the ground and alters shots with tremendous instincts, showing no issues switching onto smaller players on the perimeter. Chomche continues to make progress with his frame, passing and shooting every time we've seen him dating back to February 2020, and turns 18 next week despite having already graduated high school. His late December birthday makes him NBA draft-eligible in 2024, something he's reportedly keen to explore this upcoming spring, possibly after attending April's Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. Still learning how to play with a consistent motor, make good decisions and score efficiently, Chomche has considerable upside to grow into and could very well be someone an NBA team elects to draft and develop thanks to his outlier tools and budding two-way versatility. -- Givony