Thoughts on the G-League Ignite’s First Win of the 2021-22 Season

November 17^th, 2021

By Alan Lu

Tonight, I decided to watch the G-League Ignite play in a Showcase Cup game against the South Bay Lakers.  They played very well throughout the night, and they withstood some shaky shooting and ball-handling turnovers, and they were able to crank up the tempo to score and defend well in order to get their first win of the season.  All of the prospects played well in this game, and each of them were able to make positive contributions to help the G-League Ignite get the victory. Also, for those that are interested in the box score of this game, here is the link.

Dyson Daniels played very well in his team’s win over South Bay.  All season long, I’ve been trying to figure out his game for the NBA, and after watching this game, it’s seems clear to me that Daniels is a tall, pass-first point guard whose playmaking and defensive skills will be his strong suits for the next level.

He did a great job of passing and handling the basketball.  Daniels continually made smart, sound plays on offense, and he would probe the defenses to make nice drive and kick passes, and he also did a very good job of finding his teammates on the move to set up scores for them.  Daniels can throw very long, accurate outlet passes to rack up assists in transition, and he also will patiently pass off the dribble to set up other scores.  He usually showed very good patience and timing when running the point, and he constantly make smart reads when he was on the floor.  Daniels was a master at controlling tempo and making pinpoint passes in this game.  His lone turnover though was when he tried to split a double team off the dribble that led him to get the ball stolen away from him.

He didn’t look to score much, but he seemed to be at his most comfortable when looking to score around the basket.  Daniels was able to score on a tip-in off of an offensive rebound.  When posting up, he managed to score on a right-handed floater.  He struggled to consistently score off the dribble, and sometimes he would take tough, off-balanced shots that would lead to misses. Also, Daniels did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  He was quite active at crashing the glass, and he would often leap up to get defensive boards in this game.  He was able to get some tough boards when he was on the floor, and he also was able to tip a ball to a teammate to help his team get a defensive rebound another time.

He also played satisfactory defense in this game.  Daniels did a great job of blocking shots in this game.  He would often swat jumpers to his teammates, as he was able to block a couple of threes, as well as a mid-range jumper.  He also rotated to block a shot off of a put back due to possessing a good blend of athleticism, timing, and instincts.  He also ran in to tie up an opponent off of a defensive rebound to force a jump ball and get a steal.  On the downside, he would sometimes struggle to defend opponents off the dribble.  Sometimes he would have trouble guarding opponents on isolation plays or on screens, other times he would get caught on screens, which would put his team in compromised situations.

Overall, Dyson Daniels had a strong showing, and he played a very good team-oriented game to help the G-League Ignite get the win.  He was an assist-collecting machine, and he also did a great job of rebounding and blocking shots.  He still will need to be a more consistent shooter and on-ball defender in games, but he made smart decisions on offense, and he consistently gave good effort on the defensive end in this game.  This was one of his best games of the season, and he could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the mid to late first round range on draft day.

Michael Foster had a solid showing in his team’s win over South Bay.  He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he is a strong, physical big man that also excelled as a rebounder and shot blocker in this game. He showed a solid ability to score in the post.  Foster was able to get a great seal to catch a high entry pass to score early on.  He also dribbled in and managed to score on a strong, reverse layup off the glass using his off-hand.  Plus, he also used a spin move to score on a fade-away jumper.  He also was active in looking to score on hustle plays.  Foster managed to score on a powerful dunk off of a roll to the rim.  He also ran the floor to score on the break.  On the downside, he would sometimes miss on tough, contested shots on offense.  Plus, he also moved off the ball to get it, and Foster was able to make an open spot-up three off the catch to show off his shooting skills.  On the downside, he had trouble knocking down pull-up jumpers from the mid-range. 

Foster was also fairly turnover prone on offense.  For the positives, Foster is an unselfish player that will look to find the open man, and he also showed the ability to set screens and handle the ball a bit in the open floor.  When posting up once, he was able to pass out of a double team to set up a score for an open corner shooter.  He also managed to pass off the dribble to find a cutter to notch another assist.  Plus, he also would set effective, on-ball screens to help his teammates score on open jump shots and drives to the hoop.  On the downside, he had trouble handling the ball when facing heavy ball pressure, and he would get balls poked away from him to lose it to his opponents.  He also threw a lazy pass from the post that ended up getting intercepted.

Also, Foster did a great job of rebounding the basketball.  He especially did an outstanding job of crashing the glass to get defensive boards, and he would often come away with rebounds in this match. Plus, he played satisfactory defense in this game.  Foster did an excellent job of blocking shots in the paint, and he would sometimes direct those balls to his teammates due to possessing good athleticism, timing, and instincts.  He also showed a knack for contesting shots in the paint to force misses, and he also was able to contest a couple of jumpers to get stops for his team.  He also would poke balls away to nearly get steals other times.  However, he would tend to get beat off the dribble by quicker opponents, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.  Other times, he would be late to make his rotations, which would sometimes lead him to allow opponents to score on rolls around the basket.

Overall, Michael Foster played well, and he was able to haul in a double-double while blocking many shots in his team’s win over South Bay.  He also showed some range by making a spot-up three on offense.  He’s also shown versatility and he was able to make some high-motor plays in this game.  He had a solid showing overall, and he could be a good pick for an NBA team in the mid to late first round range on draft day.

MarJon Beauchamp also quietly played well in his team’s win over South Bay.  He was very efficient as a scorer on offense, and he played a good all-around game, as he excelled at attacking the hoop to score, and he also was very effective as a shot blocker to help his team get the victory.

Beauchamp showed a knack for scoring on hustle plays.  He was able to score on powerful dunks in transition as well as off of a tip-in, and he excelled at scoring on fast breaks, cuts, as well as off of put backs.  He also managed to use a spin move to score on a smooth drive to the hoop.  He also drove to his right and pulled up to score on a mid-range jumper another time.  On the other hand, he missed on a corner three off of a dribble handoff on his lone three-point attempt from beyond the arc.

He also showed off solid playmaking skills in this game.  Beauchamp showed a knack for throwing crisp, accurate interior passes to set up scores for his teammates on the move, and he also threw a swift drive and kick pass to set up a score another time.  On the downside, he can be careless on offense at times.  He threw an interior pass that got intercepted once.  He also ran the floor to get the ball, but then he lost the ball out of bounds, as it slipped out of his hands that time.

Also, Beauchamp was able to leap up to get boards on both sides of the ball to get his fair share of rebounds.  Defensively, he looked to be perhaps above average.  Beauchamp is a great athlete that really excelled at blocking shots off of drives to help his team protect the paint.  He also was able to poke a ball away to get a steal.  He also was able to contest a couple of jumpers to force misses.  On the downside, he would sometimes over-help in the paint and sag too far off of shooters, which would lead him to allow three-point baskets to them.  Other times, he would get beat off the dribble, which would put his team in compromised situations.  There were also a few times where he didn’t hustle back on defense, in which his team would allow scores on fast breaks.

Overall, MarJon Beauchamp played very well, and he made solid plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the win.  He’s been a consistently strong performer in the G-League this season, and he is a very athletic, skilled swingman that could be a good pick for an NBA team in the mid first round range of the 2022 draft.

Jaden Hardy had a solid showing in his team’s win over South Bay.  He struggled in the first quarter, as he struggled with his jump shot and decision-making, and he took some questionable shots early on.  He fought through adversity, and he was able to make some energetic hustle plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.  He especially played well in the three other quarters, and he thrived as a scorer in transition and off the dribble to help his team on offense.

Hardy especially thrived as a scorer on fast breaks.  He would run the floor hard to catch long passes, and it enabled him to score on a quick layup, as well as throw down a couple of thunderous dunks to score in transition.  Hardy is a high-flyer that has great speed and athleticism, and he was unstoppable when he would look to score in the open court.

He also did a decent job of knocking down threes in this game.  Hardy was able to make a smooth, step-back three, and he also showed that he can knock down outside shots from way out.  He struggled more to score in the half-court, but he was able to still score on some impressive, acrobatic shots down the stretch.  Hardy changes directions well, and he was able to score on a one-handed floater, as well as use a ball fake to score on a tough, fall-away layup another time. 

Plus, he can quickly run off ball screens, and he was able to make a couple of mid-range jumpers, as he can score both off the catch and dribble.  On the downside, his shot selection can be quite suspect, especially when he looks to score in the half-court. Sometimes, he would tend to rush and try to do too much on offense.  In this game, especially early on, he showed a penchant for trying to score on tough, off-balanced shots, and he would either tend to miss on quick, contested pull-up jumpers from the mid-range, or miss wildly on half-court drives when he wouldn’t get foul calls.

Hardy also displayed perhaps above average playmaking skills.  He was more effective as a facilitator in the second half, especially when he would play patiently and under control.  He looked to involve his teammates more down the stretch, and he would swing the ball to shooters to set up scores for them.  He also did a decent job of finding teammates on the move to get them the basketball.  On the downside, he would sometimes try to rush and force his passes into tight spaces, which would get intercepted.  He also would sometimes over-dribble into traffic and get balls stolen away from him.

Also, he did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  Hardy was active at crashing the glass to get boards on both ends of the floor, and sometimes he would look to push the ball up the floor afterwards.  Defensively, he looked to be perhaps above average in this game.  Hardy is an active help defender that did a good job of applying ball pressure and forcing turnovers.  He was able to intercept a pass to get a steal.  He also was able to poke a ball away to get a steal due to making a good hustle play later on.  He also would jump on loose balls that would get poked to him to help his team come up with other steals.  Sometimes though, he would struggle to fight through screens, and it would lead his team to give up scores to mid-range shooters off the dribble.  Other times, he would space out and be late on his rotations.  He also would sometimes struggle to defend opponents off the dribble, which would lead him to end up out of position.

Overall, Jaden Hardy started out slowly, but he ended up playing fairly well in his team’s win over South Bay.  He is a very athletic combo guard that has a great deal of potential, and he can score in binges when he is in rhythm.  However, his shot selection still isn’t great, as he tends to take a lot of contested and low-percentage shots, and his penchant for taking a lot of pull-up jumpers and off-balanced shots off the dribble rather than the open shot may be hurting his shooting percentages.  Still, he is a very talented scoring guard that kept playing hard and he played well, especially down the stretch, and he could be a player worth considering and taking in the lottery in the 2022 draft.

Scoot Henderson had a decent first game in the G-League Ignite’s first win of the season, which was over South Bay.  He especially had an impressive first quarter, as he thrived as a shot-maker and playmaker on offense.  His play was inconsistent and uneven after that, but it’s clear that he is a very talented player that may have a great deal of upside as a prospect for the 2023 draft.

Henderson showed a solid ability to knock down mid-range jumpers.  He showed a knack for scoring on smooth, pull-up jumpers from the mid-range.  He put forth his terrific ball-handling skills on display early on by driving quickly and stop on a dime while getting an opponent to fall to swiftly score in the first quarter.  Plus, he also ran off of a ball screen to get the basketball, and he drove hard to the hoop to draw free throws.  Henderson also managed to use a pump fake to score on a quick, left-handed drive off the glass.  On the downside, he struggled with his outside shot later on, as he also missed on all of his three-point shots, and he also had a shot blocked hard by an opponent despite using a Euro-step move on a drive in transition.

He also showed off solid playmaking skills in this game.  Henderson is a very skilled and savvy ball handler that was able to skillfully handle the ball to deftly create space between himself and his defenders quite often.  He would throw long, accurate outlet passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates on the break, and he also throw solid interior passes and passes off the dribble.  on the downside, he would sometimes commit careless fouls on offense.  He was called for pushing off to commit a foul while moving off the ball in the post.  He also pushed the ball up the court, but was called for a charging foul when taking it to the rim on the break.

Also, Henderson did a great job of rebounding the basketball.  He would often leap up to get defensive boards when he was on the floor, and he would tend to push the ball up the court afterwards.  Defensively, he looked to be fairly average.  Henderson was able to rotate to contest a drive to force a miss.  He also was quite active defensively.  Sometimes, he would be unfocused defensively, which would lead his team to allow scores.  On one play, he was able to rotate to an opponent, but he didn’t look to contest the shot and instead decided to get out of the way, which led his team to allow an opponent to score around the basket.  Another time, he was caught ball watching and was late to rotate back, which led him to give up a corner three to his man.  He also bit on a ball fake and was out of position, which led him to allow his man to score on a mid-range jumper.

Overall, Scoot Henderson had a solid first game, and he showed off a great deal of potential in his team’s win over South Bay.  He’ll still have to get used to the longer three-point line at the G-League level, and he’ll need to keep playing confident, aggressive basketball to showcase his skills.  This season will be a learning one for him, and even so, he is a very talented prospect that showed why he could end up going in the lottery of the 2023 draft.