2019-20 Season Recap

Mentor Mondays - Senior Graphic Animator & Designer Kathy Schmid

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2019-20 Season Recap: Ray Spalding

Mentor Mondays - Swarm 365 Member Shuhurah Lee

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2019-20 Season Best Ray Spalding

Two-way player Ray Spalding made the most of his two months with the Charlotte Hornets organization, putting up well-rounded numbers as one of the Greensboro Swarm’s rotational power forwards in the latter half of the G League season.

Taken with the third-to-last pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Spalding began the 2019-20 campaign in the Houston Rockets organization, posting averages of 15.5 points on 63 percent shooting, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks in 20 appearances with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The Hornets eventually claimed him on Jan. 15 and inked him to a two-way contract.

The now 23-year-old made his debut for the Greensboro Swarm five days later, finishing with 15 points and five rebounds off the bench in a win over the Iowa Wolves. His best outing for the Swarm came on Feb. 13, when he recorded 25 points, a season-high-tying 16 rebounds, four assists and three steals in a loss to the league-leading Wisconsin Herd as the team’s starting power forward.

Spalding closed out the campaign with three straight double-doubles, bringing his Swarm averages to 12.0 points on 51.3 percent shooting, 8.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 block in 16 appearances, only six of which were starts. He underwent a successful arthroscopic procedure on his left knee on June 11, although the exact injury wasn’t disclosed at the time.

“I really appreciated the organization and how I was welcomed in,” Spalding said. “It was great. I really enjoyed myself down in Greensboro. They showed me a lot. It was actually my first year being in the G League full time. It was a cool experience, a great experience. Facilities were great, coaches were phenomenal. They were really big on individual work, and I really improved in areas I was looking to improve in. I can’t thank them enough.”

Spalding’s versatility and two-way playmaking ability stood out noticeably during his run with the Swarm. Counting his time with Rio Grande, he ranked 14th in the G League in offensive rebounding (3.1), 18th in total rebounding (8.4) and 15th in blocks (1.4).

“My game developed pretty well,” he added. “At the beginning, I was playing pretty well. Then, I started having a knee problem. I really enjoyed my time. I think I improved a lot with my shooting, my rebounding, just playing hard and then also just being able to sit down and communicate with coaches and watch film. Those guys really helped me a lot.”

Having spent time in the Dallas, Phoenix, Atlanta, Houston and now Charlotte organizations, Spalding has been forced to adapt a lot in his two-year professional career, although he is hopeful to soon settle down somewhere for the long run.

“I’m really just looking for that next step and to make a mark for myself,” he stated. “I’ve been bouncing around from my rookie year to my second year in the league. I’m really looking forward to this summer, getting better, training camp and actually staying in a place and being able to grow as an athlete.”

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Season Recap: Ray Spalding Stands Out in Short Stint with Greensboro

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2019-20 Season Recap: Kobi Simmons

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2019-20 Season Best Kobi Simmons

Two-way player Kobi Simmons took another step forward in his professional career, putting together a career year while serving as the Greensboro Swarm’s starting point guard throughout the 2019-20 G League campaign.

Simmons signed with the Hornets organization last September after appearing in 33 games at the NBA level with Memphis and Cleveland across his first two seasons. His contract was soon converted to a two-way deal in mid-October and he eventually kicked off his Greensboro Swarm career with three consecutive double-doubles to open up the schedule.

While Simmons was never summoned to the Hornets roster this season, he did post career-high averages in scoring (17.4 points), rebounding (4.3), assists (team-high 5.4), steals (1.3) and field-goal percentage (45.4 percent) in 37 starts with the Swarm. His best stretch of the year came in mid-February, when he tallied 30-point outings in three out of four games, while also dishing out an average of 6.5 assists per contest.

Standing 6-5, Simmons certainly has the size to play in an NBA backcourt and as evidenced by his time in Greensboro, is continuing to progress in multiple areas of his game. He was one of just three G League players to average at least 17 points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal and shoot 45 percent this season, joining Wisconsin’s Jaylen Adams (First-Team All-G League) and Fort Wayne’s Walter Lemon Jr.

“I worked on everything the Hornets wanted me to work on,” Simmons stated during his exit interview on June 10. “I learned how to lead a team and how to develop areas I needed to develop to get better as a player. I think it was great and the players and coaching staff we had down in Greensboro were great. I think I took my game to the next level, for sure.”

Having bounced around the NBA landscape a bit since going undrafted in 2017, Simmons was impressed with the revamped developmental program the Hornets have implemented organizationally over the last two years.

“What really stood out was how they let their players develop and the communication. [Player Development Coach] Nick [Friedman]’s impact was huge. He kept us level-headed throughout the whole season. Whether we had a good game or a bad game, our routine was always the same. He kept us in the right mindset and attitude every day.”

The University of Arizona product will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and while there’s still much uncertainty with how things will shake out over the summer, like many, Simmons is focusing on what he can control for the time being.

“I’m just working on my body and getting bigger every day. Since quarantine started, I want to say I’ve gained around 15 pounds. I want to continue working on that, getting stronger and continue to stick with Charlotte. I like Charlotte, I like the organization, the players, the coaches. I’m looking to have a future with those guys.”

2019‑20 Season Recap