Joel Wright is the D-League’s most underrated player
Joel Wright has the unique distinction of being drafted twice into the NBA D-League. He’s not the first player this has happened to, but it paints a picture of struggle.
D-League teams hold player rights for two years following an individual’s last season on the roster. Wright finished the 2014-15 season with the Delaware 87ers, but rather than bringing him back as a returning player, he found himself in the draft pool after they released his rights. Even though it wasn’t a great match from the start — the Sevens acquired him mid-season and only played him 17 minutes per contest in their remaining 11 games — that’s got to be a tough pill to swallow.
But here’s the surprising part about it: When Joel Wright receives playing time, he is one of the better players in the league. He played 48 games between the Idaho Stampede and the Delaware 87ers last season and excelled when he was given meaningful minutes, as you can see from the splits below.
I went deeper into the 2014-15 season stats and it was easy to see that Wright’s numbers (when he received 25 minutes or more) placed him with some of the league’s best. Wright, for example, was one of only 11 eligible players to average 16.5 point and 7.2 rebounds while shooting at least 51.7 percent from the field. Some of the others: James McAdoo, JaMychal Green, Quincy Miller, Joe Alexander and Ronald Roberts. Roberts and Wright are the only ones not playing in the NBA or a top international team right now.
Wright always seemed to just slip through the cracks when some of the better players were brought up, and it’s a shame. This season, he’s with his third team in three years after the Iowa Energy snagged him in the third round of the D-League draft. Playing time is still an issue because Perry Jones III and Cartier Martin are ahead of him on the depth chart, so he’s forced to bide his time and stay ready.
Through the first five games of the season, Wright averaged 22 minutes per night and put up 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting only 37.2 percent from the field. This past weekend, however, Wright got an opportunity to showcase his talent as both Jones III and Martin were sidelined for two games with the flu. He averaged 36.5 minutes and poured in 23.5 points and 10 rebounds at a 48.3 percent clip. He also got to the free throw line 20 times, making 19 of his attempts.
The Iowa Energy went 1-1 in those games and Wright looked like the best player on the court.
The problem with Wright is that he’s a scrawny 6-7 small forward who can’t space the floor. According to D-League.com, Wright is shooting 19.5 percent (8-41) on jump shots this season and he’s 0-4 from 3-point range. That’s an issue in today’s game that calls for players to be able to stretch the floor consistently for their team.
What he lacks in shooting, though, Wright makes up for in aggressive play. He is averaging 11.6 free throw attempts per 48 minutes, which is greater than the league’s best scorers in Erick Green, Elliot Williams and Rakeem Christmas. That number improved with his last two games, too, when he took 20 free throws combined. But the point remains — Wright has the innate ability to get to the free throw line.
Anyone can wildly drive to the basket in an attempt to draw fouls, but what makes Wright unique is he drives to score and can finish through contact even with his slight frame — he’s shooting 68.8 percent (22-32) in the restricted area this year. Take into account that he can help get opposing players in foul trouble and you have yourself an offensive threat.
On defense, Wright has the foot speed to guard opposing wings and while his slight frame makes him susceptible to post-ups, he matches up well with opposing wings. All in all, there’s no reason why he can’t succeed at the next level with those raw tools, whether that’s the NBA or a top international league.
Perry Jones III and Cartier Martin are proven entities in the professional basketball ranks. At 25-years-old, Joel Wright is still on the road to discovery and he’s missing the vital opportunity to take off in the pro ranks. Once the opportunity presents itself, Joel Wright will make the most of it because he is one of the top small forwards in the league.
Most people just don’t know him yet.