Ranking the Top 10 NBA-Ready Players in the D-League
Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Many teams turn to the NBA Development League for a quick relief, whether it be in the form of specialized firepower or an injury replacement. With the help of 10-day contracts, they can address those needs while making a prospect’s big league dreams come true.
Of course, some players are more prepared than others to make an immediate impact. Khem Birch, for example, has the tools to be a rotational NBA player but is only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential. On the other hand, Glen Rice Jr., fresh off of two seasons with the Washington Wizards, is more tooled to contribute immediately.
With that in mind, four of us D-League bloggers have come together to rank the most NBA-ready prospects on a weekly basis with the hope of getting a better indication of who could make the jump to the big stage. We each submit our top 15 players in the D-League, and the average rank of each player dictates where they wind up in our scale.
Chris Reichert (@Chris_Reichert): Reichert recently took over as editor-in-chief of FanSided’s Road To The Association and has quickly established himself as an expert in the field. When he’s not interviewing players, he’s the first to D-League assignments and breaking down all the statistics you need to know on Twitter.
Adam Johnson (@SeaDubsCentral): Nobody covers the Santa Cruz Warriors better than Johnson. His website Sea Dubs Central provides quality content, ranging from breaking D-League news to game recaps for one of the most exciting teams the NBA’s minor league has to offer. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who knows the ins and outs of the D-League better.
Drew Corrigan (@Dcorrigan50): Corrigan’s work can be found in a number of places, but it’s FanSided’s Sixer Sense and SB Nation’s Ridiculous Upside where his heart is kept. He is well-versed in the D-League’s elite prospects and would be the first to vote Jerami Grant as President of the United States. His Vine-ing trigger is lightning quick.
This is the third instalment of our rankings. Click here for the first, here for the second.
This week, two All-Stars — Tim Fraizer and James Michael McAdoo — returned to the D-League after their 10-day contracts expired and just missed the deadline for our lists. The two will certainly make a return to the top 10 next week.
Without further ado, here are our 10 most NBA-ready prospects in the D-League.
1) Quincy Miller — Reno Bighorns
Season statistics: 25.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, 50.6% FG, 35.2% 3PT
2) Jordan Hamilton — Reno Bighorns
Season statistics: 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists 45.4% FG, 33.6% 3PT
3) Willie Reed — Grand Rapids Drive
Season statistics: 14.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 60.9% FG
4) Elliot Williams — Santa Cruz Warriors
Season statistics: 20.1 points, 7.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 45.8% FG, 36.3% 3PT
5) Seth Curry — Erie BayHawks
Season statistics: 23.9 points, 4.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 48.0% FG, 48.4% 3PT
6) Chris Johnson — Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Season statistics: 20.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 49.0% FG, 35.4% 3PT
7) Glen Rice Jr. — Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Season statistics: 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assist, 47.7% FG, 32.2% 3PT
8) Vander Blue — Los Angeles D-Fenders
Season statistics: 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 49% FG, 42.4% 3PT
9) Damien Wilkins — Iowa Energy
Season statistics: 20.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 44.6% FG, 35.5% 3PT
10) Chris Babb — Maine Red Claws
Season statistics: 16.1 points, 6.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 42.3% FG, 37.9% 3PT