The NBA Finals are often the big stage where the stars of the League meet. This year again, we will have some big names for hyper poster between Golden State and Boston, Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum in mind. But the final series of the 2021-22 season will also be made up of a lot of players who have gone through the box… G League. Yes yes !
They are 21. Yes, 21. When you look at the squads of the two finalists this year, there are a total of 21 players who have ever set foot in the development league. A pretty crazy number given the huge stakes that obviously accompany the NBA Finals, so crazy that the G League released a video on its Instagram account which quotes all the players concerned on both sides. Want the full list? It’s just below.
Warriors (10) : Jordan Poole, Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Damion Lee, James Wiseman, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Quinndary Weatherspoon, Chris Chiozza.
Celtics (11) : Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, Derrick White, Nik Stauskas, Sam Hauser, Matt Ryan, Luke Kornet, Aaron Nesmith, Juwan Morgan, Brodric Thomas, Malik Fitts.
So obviously, you will tell us that some of them will not see a minute of the NBA Finals knowing that they are not even on the match sheets for these Playoffs, while you are probably wondering who Malik Fitts or Juwan is Morgan. But still, there are guys in this list who have real roles in their respective teams. Jordan Poole, of course, went through the G League at the very start of his career and has since become one of Golden State’s great offensive weapons in his role as sixth man. An offensive weapon that could well be countered by reigning DPOY Marcus Smart or his buddy Derrick White, as well as pivot Robert Williams III. We also know the importance of pivot Kevon Looney for the Warriors, while rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody have shown for the moment that they are not afraid of big moments. Mention also to Gary Payton II, not only because he is Dad’s son but especially because he spent several years in the G League before making his little hole in Golden State, notably through his defense. A resilience that also symbolizes the role players of Golden State Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damion Lee.
This stat (21) is perhaps the greatest symbol of both teams’ ability to nurture and develop young players. We’ve already said it right here, these 2022 NBA Finals smell like homemade and you now understand why even better. No doubt, it’s nice to see guys who sometimes come out of nowhere manage to find themselves on the big stage, and the G League does not hesitate to point this out. Well yeah, we must not forget that the development league is also seeking to develop… and that necessarily involves standard bearers who give credibility to this second-class championship.
Incredible but true, the NBA Finals will have a real G League flavor this year. The proof that you can climb to the top even by starting almost all the way down. NBA, where amazing happens as they say !
Source texte : G League