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D-League Faces, Far Away Places: Catching up with Joe Alexander, Brady Heslip in Italy

By Chris Reichert

Jul 24, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Canada guard Brady Heslip (12) shoots the ball against United States forward Damien Wilkins (12) in the men
Jul 24, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Canada guard Brady Heslip (12) shoots the ball against United States forward Damien Wilkins (12) in the men /
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Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

About a month ago, we rolled out a primer for D-League Faces, Far Away Places, which aims to give fans a glimpse into how last year’s D-League alums are playing in their respective international leagues. This week, I took a virtual trip to Italy, which became home to 13 D-League alums during the offseason — more than any other country.

Rather than focusing on Italy at large, I’ve decided to split it into two of their top leagues: Serie A and Serie A2.

Without further ado, let’s check out the top performers thus far.

Alex Kirk — Canton Charge alum — Pistoia (5-1)

Statistics: 17.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks per game on 58.8/57.1/77.8 shooting

Kirk has been a revelation since making his move to Italy. Pistoia is out to a quick start, tied with EA7 for the best record in the league, and his production is a big reason for their success. While he struggled to space the floor consistently with the Charge, his new team is taking advantage of his shooting abilities as 6-10 forward. Through six games, Kirk has already made more 3-pointers (8) than he did in 41 games with the Charge last year (7).

Joe Alexander — Santa Cruz Warriors alum — Sassari (3-2)

Statistics: 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game on 62.2/00.0/90.9 shooting

Alexander started his comeback last season with the Warriors, lasting only 13 games before signing a deal with Euroleague powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv. His stats took a dip after the move (which is to be expected), but it put him back on the map and he parlayed that opportunity into a deal with Dinamo Sassari.

This season, Alexander’s getting up and down the floor and converting at a supremely efficient rate of 62.2 percent from the floor. It’s great to see him finally healthy after years of battling injuries. Coincidentally, one of Alexander’s teammates is another D-League alum, Jarvis Varnado from the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

Brady Heslip — Reno Bighorns alum — AV Cantu (1-5)

Statistics: 17.3 points and 1.5 assists per game on 44.7/39.3/75.0 shooting

Heslip was the talk of the D-League last season when he knocked down 113 3-pointers in just 20 games while running in the Bighorns’ vaunted system. While he had NBA call-up rumors abound, he ultimately took a deal in Bosnia during the second half of the 2014-15 season. He got another shot with the Timberwolves this summer, but was eventually waived.

Now, Heslip is the leading scorer for Cantu in Italy. The team is struggling at 1-5 but one thing is clear: Heslip can hit shots no matter what country he’s playing in. Through the team’s first six games, he has hit 22 3-pointers and ranks top 5 in the league for points per game.

Semaj Christon — Oklahoma City Blue alum — VL Pesaro (1-5)

Statistics: 16.8 points, 3.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 46.7/30.8/59.1 shooting

Christon is right up there with Heslip in terms of leading scorers in Serie A. Unfortunately, though, his team is also struggling at 1-5.

Christon seems to be settling for the outside jumper much more in the international game, which makes sense with teams wisely clogging the lane when he drives. He’s only attempting 3.7 free throws per game, as opposed to the 8.5 last season with the Blue. His outside shooting is not his strong suit and never has been, but if he can develop a more consistent outside game, he has a real chance to be a dangerous guard no matter what league he plays in.

Other Notables

Jarvis Varnado (Serie A – Dinamo Sassari): 13.8 minutes, 8.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game on 65.4 percent shooting.

Andre Dawkins (Serie A – Torino): 26.4 minutes and 8.0 points per game on 43.5 percent shooting from 3-point range.

Dominique Sutton (Serie A – Trento): 17.8 minutes, 5.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game on 43.5 percent shooting.

Mychel Thompson (Serie A – Varese): 24.6 minutes, 6.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 40.0 percent shooting.

Lenzelle Smith Jr. (Serie A2 – Barcellona): 35.0 minutes, 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game on 50.0 percent shooting.

Taylor Griffin (Serie A2 – Trupani): 24.0 minutes, 8.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on 40.0 percent shooting from 3-point range.

Shane Gibson (Serie A2 – Recanti): 27.3 minutes, 8.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.

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