In this article, I review some of the top standouts from the G League Showcase, many of which were signed to two-way contracts, or will likely receive their shot by the end of the year. All the players under review were unaffiliated with an NBA squad prior to this event.

Jalen Lecque, Rio Grande Valley Vipers

As soon as Lecque came off the bench against the Iowa Wolves, his Rio Grande Valley Vipers squad was energized. Lecque did more than enough in his second performance to offset his lackluster shooting against the Windy City Bulls. Lecque was all over the floor against the Wolves, corralling 6 rebounds (two on the offensive glass), and showcasing his elite athleticism.

Lecque often turned some of these rebounds into transition opportunities, and he was aggressive finishing through contact at the basket. Additionally, he plays strong with the ball, sports a good handle, and is as quick as a hiccup. He is difficult to contain attacking the basket and utilizes his run-jump athleticism to score or create contact against the backline defense.

Lecque demonstrated just how far his floor game had come along, as he did a nice job of finding Josh Christopher and Louis King cutting to the rim.

He also utilized the threat of his drive to set up teammates out on the perimeter or dump it down to his big inside for an easy layup. While he still could stand to show more in the P&R game, Lecque was effective in setting up teammates and playing within himself, drawing considerable defensive attention. Most importantly, Lecque shot the ball well from 3-point range, connecting on all three of his attempts against the Wolves.

Lecque expended considerable energy retrieving loose balls, and played with a really high motor. Most impressive, Lecque possesses one of the quickest second jumps in the game of basketball today, and he utilized this to tip in his own miss and block a shot defensively.

On defense, he plays physically on the ball and has the strength to nudge his man off his spot. While he tended to grant bigger shooters too much space, enabling them to get their shots off easily, Lecque generally closed out well on the perimeter and did a nice job of recovering back to the ball.

Lecque’s athleticism enables him to play strong help D, blocking shots and playing physically. Overall, he is a player on a continued positive trajectory coming out of the Showcase. If he continues to shoot as well as he did against the Iowa Wolves, he will get his chance. 

Brandon Williams, College Park Skyhawks

Williams has quickly acclimated himself as a legitimate NBA call-up candidate. He does an excellent job of running the show for the College Park Skyhawks, though he only demonstrated a little bit of this promise at the Showcase, succumbing to a knee injury after landing on an opponent’s foot late in their first matchup with the Cleveland Charge.

Williams is a shifty guard with good acceleration, impressive handles, and craftiness in the lane. He is highly capable of finishing past his opponent with either hand. In particular, he is dynamic with his Euro step, which he uses to get to the rim out in transition or to kick the ball back out to the perimeter. While he did not gather many assists in his matchup with the Charge, Williams’ penetration drawing in the defense was an essential part of the Skyhawks’ attack.

Many of Williams’ passes often turned into hockey assists, as his team was prone to making the extra pass along the perimeter. He consistently made the extra pass to his teammates. In terms of his shooting, Williams was certainly capable of keeping defenses honest, hitting half of his four attempts and only needing a little bit of daylight to get his shot off. Furthermore, he was particularly effective in utilizing ball screens to free himself for open looks. 

Williams also moved well without the ball in this contest, cutting to the rim at times. On the defensive side of the ball, Williams hounded Sharife Cooper in their matchup, though he was late on a few closeouts. Williams demonstrated the lateral quickness to stay with shifty guards, as well as the quick hands to poke the ball away and the anticipation to get out in passing lanes. Additionally, he turned several defensive turnovers into transition plays on the other end.   

Jared Rhoden, Motor City Cruise

Rhoden unsurprisingly earned a call-up with the Detroit Pistons, after standing out at the Showcase. He flashed in college and at the Showcase, making him an intriguing prospect coming out of Seton Hall. Furthermore, he is a lengthy wing with exceptional defensive versatility and an intriguing floor game.

At the Showcase, he moved extremely well without the ball, making sharp basket cuts and finishing at the basket. While he occasionally was met with strong resistance from Isaiah Mobley at the rim, Rhoden was able to score on some circus plays in his matchup with the Charge. Additionally, Rhoden did a nice job of pushing the pace in transition, either finding teammates ahead of the defense or attacking the basket himself.

Rhoden possesses an intriguing, but developing handle, which should enable him to create his own shot at the NBA level. He also is very unselfish and regularly found his teammates on the perimeter. While he is not a primary ball handler and does not possess a blazing first step, he can create his own shot or set up his teammates after drawing defensive attention.

Due to Rhoden’s great length, he is able to rebound at a high level. On the defensive end, Rhoden shows the most promise, thanks to his exceptional versatility. This is underscored by the fact that he was matched up with Isaiah Mobley at times, and was able to stand his ground in the post and challenge with his length.

Rhoden does a nice job closing out on shooters, disrupting players’ rhythm, and forcing misses. He is a good vertical athlete and possesses the proper timing to block shots with some proficiency. Finally, his defensive versatility would be a welcomed addition to an NBA bench, and it was not surprising that the Pistons immediately gave him a two-way contract after the Showcase.

Emerging G League Prospects from the 2022 Showcase 1.0

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