NBA G League

Jim Eichenhofer

When basketball season tips off later this year, New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall won’t be part of the debut of Birmingham’s G League franchise, but Squadron players might benefit from having Marshall deliver an inspirational pregame speech via Zoom from 300-plus miles away. Undrafted in 2020, the Xavier (Ohio) product rapidly became a G League success story, going from rarely seeing the court for the Pelicans early last season, to starting 10 times in April and May, to leading an unbeaten summer league team in August.

“Just stay ready and show you’re ready to work,” Marshall said, when asked what advice he would give to Birmingham players. “Go out there and play hard, take advantage of every opportunity you get. Stay in the lab, be a great person, just the same things I did. Stick with it. It can be a frustrating process, but (embrace) every chance you get to show what you can do.”

Looking back at a whirlwind last nine months for him, Marshall recognizes that his G League experience was extremely valuable. The 6-foot-7, 220-pounder only appeared in three of New Orleans’ first 37 regular season games in 2020-21, but after returning to the Crescent City from a successful stint in the G League bubble, the 23-year-old played in each of the final 25 contests.

The G League’s 2020-21 campaign was an unusual one for all involved, consisting of a 15-game regular season and an abbreviated playoff format. Marshall averaged 15.5 points and 5.4 rebounds, helping Erie go 11-4, before being eliminated by eventual champion Lakeland.

In the span of less than a month, Marshall demonstrated what he’s capable of doing against professional competition, something that hadn’t been possible while he was on the Pelicans’ early-season roster.

“Obviously (the Pelicans) wanted to know if my game and my skill set transferred over (to the pro level from college),” Marshall said of the importance of his G League action. “So being able to show it, and being able to play the way I did, it got me prepared to come back to the Pelicans.”

Birmingham players will have a much different day-to-day G League experience in 2021-22. Instead of traveling to Orlando and being isolated for a portion of basketball season, the Squadron will benefit from the opportunity to play home games in refurbished Legacy Arena. They’ll be a five-hour drive from New Orleans throughout ’21-22, allowing them to shuttle back and forth between the Gulf South cities when needed, something that wasn’t possible last winter.

Although last season’s G League bubble may have been a less-than-ideal way to begin a pro career, Marshall focused on what he needed to do to put himself in the best position to seize on chances to contribute. His perspective also could serve as an ideal mentality for Squadron players, as they prepare to launch G League basketball in Birmingham this winter.

“I was just waiting for my moment, being ready for whatever that was,” Marshall said of the initial uncertainty surrounding his rookie season. “Whether it was the G League or the NBA, or summer league. Everything I’ve done throughout my life has prepared me for this moment, and every opportunity I get, I’m confident I can take advantage of it.”

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G League experience invaluable piece of Naji Marshall’s success with Pelicans

Pelicans.com

The New Orleans Pelicans today announced that the team has signed free agent guard Sindarius Thornwell as a substitute player for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Thornwell, 6-4, 215, most recently played for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League, appearing in 40 games (26 starts) while averaging 9.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 29.0 minutes per contest. Selected 48th overall out of the University of South Carolina by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2017 NBA Draft, Thornwell has appeared in 137 career regular season games with the Los Angeles Clippers, holding averages of 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10.7 minutes.

Thornwell will wear #12 for the Pelicans.

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Pelicans sign Sindarius Thornwell

The New Orleans Pelicans have assigned rookie guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League.

Selected 17th overall out of Virginia Tech in the 2019 NBA Draft, Alexander-Walker, 6-5, 205, has appeared in 41 games for New Orleans, posting averages of 5.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 12.2 minutes per contest.

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Pelicans assign Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Erie Bayhawks

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has transferred two-way player Trevon Bluiett from the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League.

Bluiett, 6-6, 198, who was originally transferred to Westchester on Oct. 22, has appeared in 17 games with the Knicks, averaging 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 22.4 minutes per contest. Undrafted out of Xavier (OH) in the 2018 draft, Bluiett appeared in three preseason games for New Orleans, averaging 2.7 points.

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Pelicans transfer Trevon Bluiett from Westchester Knicks

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Charles Cooke to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Cooke, 6-5, 196, was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves 2017 Summer League team after going undrafted in June. Over five games in Las Vegas, Cooke averaged 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per contest.

A product of the University of Dayton, Cooke led the Flyers in both scoring (15.8) and rebounding (5.1) during his senior season, while being named to the Second Team All-Atlantic 10 and the Atlantic 10 All-Defensive Team.

Beginning with the 2017-18 season, each NBA team is able to carry the standard 15 players on their roster, as well as up to two additional players on two-way contracts. Two-way players will spend the majority of the year in the NBA G League, but can be called up to their NBA team for a maximum of 45 days during the season.

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Pelicans sign Charles Cooke to two-way contract

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has signed free agent forward Jalen Jones to a two-way contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Jones, 6-7, 220, was a member of the Pelicans’ 2017 Summer League team, appearing in six contests and averaging 13.3 points and 6.2 rebounds in Las Vegas.

Undrafted in 2016 out of Texas A&M, Jones spent his first professional season with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League, where he averaged 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals while earning NBA G League All-Rookie First Team and All-NBA G League Third Team honors, as well as being named to the 2017 NBA G League All-Star Game in New Orleans.

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Pelicans sign Jalen Jones to two-way contract

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the organization has received six affirmative responses to the team’s Request for Proposals (RFP) for the NBA Development League, which were sent on March 30, 2017. The following communities have responded with interest in moving forward in the team’s process with its intention to launch its own NBA Development League team beginning play in the 2018-2019 season:  Baton Rouge, LA; Jackson, MS: Mobile, AL; Pensacola, FL; St. Tammany Parish, LA and Shreveport, LA.

The league will soon be known as the NBA Gatorade League (NBA G League). The team will be owned and operated by New Orleans Pelicans Owner Tom Benson and will be a direct, one-to-one affiliate of the Pelicans. The six locations will have until June 7, 2017 to submit a complete and comprehensive proposal to the Pelicans.

“We are excited to the see the excitement which this process has generated among the six locations,” said Benson. “All of them have stepped forward with legitimate and sincere interest and are going to make a case via their proposals for why they would like to be the home of our NBA G League team in 2018-2019.  The process is underway and we know that this will be a very significant addition for a city/parish near us as it will add global exposure and bring professional basketball to their town.”

The D-League is the NBA’s official minor league, which was founded in 2001. The NBA D-League currently features twenty-two (22) teams with direct affiliations to NBA teams. An additional three teams, affiliated with the Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks are set to join what will be known as the NBA G League for the 2017-2018 season.

The NBA D-League is made up of 50 regular season games plus a postseason and runs from November to April. The league fosters the connections to the communities that the teams serve and promotes health and wellness, supports local needs and interests and assists in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. As the research and development arm of the NBA, the NBA D-League seeks to advance the game of basketball.

A proven developer of NBA-caliber talent, almost 40 percent of current NBA players have NBA D-League experience as connectivity between the NBA and the NBA’s official minor league continues to grow. Recent changes to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement have reinforced that synergy, as NBA teams will be able to have up to two “two-way players” on their rosters beginning next season. These “two-way players” will gain experience in the NBA, but will primarily play in the NBA G League as part of their NBA journeys.

Currently the following teams play in the NBA D-League: Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs), Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers), Delaware 87ers (Philadelphia 76ers), Erie BayHawks (Orlando Magic), Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers), Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit Pistons), Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets), Iowa Energy (Memphis Grizzlies), Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets), Los Angeles D-Fenders (Los Angeles Lakers), Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics), Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix Suns), Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder), Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors), Reno Bighorns (Sacramento Kings), Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets), Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz), Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors), Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat), Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks), Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks) and Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls). Other municipalities interested can contact the New Orleans Pelicans.

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New Orleans Pelicans Announce Six Locations That Have Responded to RFP’s for NBA Development League Franchise

During Friday night's matchups between the Pelicans and Kings, general manager Dell Demps spoke with sideline reporter Jen Hale on New Orleans Pelicans’ intent to own and operate a D-League team beginning in 2018-19 season:

What are some of the benefits [of owning and operating your own D-League team]? Why are [the Pelicans] going after this?
“We are really excited about this opportunity. It’s a great way to develop not only players, but also coaches and staff – and what I mean by staff, I mean medical [personnel], and the business side as well. It’s just going to be great for our organization.”

Do you feel that your experience in a D-League front office helped you be more successful at the NBA level?
“Absolutely. I was a general manager in the D-League for three years and an assistant coach for two, so I have five years of D-League experience. It was great for me. It really helped me grow.”

Is it true that 40-percent of NBA players spend time in the D-League?
“Yes, 40-percent. You know, it has been a great place to develop players. The players are coming in so young now, so it’s a great way for them to learn and be coached. It’s also great for coaches - young coaches coming in [and beginning their careers] and ex-players transitioning into the coaching world.

On the next steps:
“Yes, we are going to look at possible locations in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana, and we are hoping to have a team in close proximity to New Orleans so we can expose professional basketball to fans close by. It will be great for the community, for the entire gulf south region, and we are really excited about it. Starting next season, the NBA is going to be implementing two-way contracts, and that will be very beneficial for the Pelicans and the development of younger players.”

Does this speak to the Benson’s commitment to the Pelicans and the commitment of New Orleans to creating a top tier NBA team?
“Absolutely. You couldn’t have said it better. The Bensons have been great. This is just another investment into the future of the Pelicans franchise and we are going to see the results out on the court, with the growth and development of players, and that’s what makes it so great.”

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Pelicans GM Dell Demps Discusses Plans for D-League Team

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