2021–22 NBA G League season
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| 2021–22 NBA G League season | |
|---|---|
| League | NBA G League |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | November 5, 2021 – April 2, 2022 |
| Number of teams | 30 |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Shamorie Ponds |
| Picked by | Delaware Blue Coats |
| Regular season | |
The 2021–22 NBA G League season is the 21st season of the NBA G League, the official minor league basketball organization owned by the National Basketball Association (NBA). The prior season, the league played a shortened season with 18 teams and all games were held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Bay Lake, Florida, in similar to the 2020 NBA Bubble due to the ongoing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2] The 2021–22 season consists of the Showcase Cup from November 5 to December 22 with all 30 teams participating. Following the showcase, 28 of the league's teams began a traditional regular season with 36 games for each team that is played from January 5 to April 2 followed by playoffs.[3]
League changes[]
The NBA G League added one new team, had three teams relocate, and two teams rebrand for the 2021–22 season:
- The Capitanes de Ciudad de México were initially planned to start playing in the G League for the 2020–21 season, but pushed back their debut in the G League to the 2021–22 season due to the pandemic.[4] As the travel restrictions continued in the scheduling of the 2021–22 season, the Capitanes played during the Showcase Cup from November 5 to December 22 and did not be able to play any home games.
- The Canton Charge relocated to Cleveland to play at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center and were re-branded as the Cleveland Charge.[5]
- The Detroit Pistons purchased and relocated the Northern Arizona Suns franchise to become the Motor City Cruise with home games in Detroit at Wayne State Arena.
- The New Orleans Pelicans relocated their franchise, previously playing as the Erie BayHawks, to Birmingham, Alabama, as the Birmingham Squadron following the renovation of Legacy Arena.[6]
- The Boston Celtics rebranded their affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, as the Maine Celtics.[7]
- The Denver Nuggets affiliated with the Grand Rapids Drive, which had previously been affiliated with the Pistons, and the Drive rebranded as the Grand Rapids Gold.[8][9]
Additionally, the Westchester Knicks temporarily relocated their home games from White Plains, New York, to Bridgeport, Connecticut, as their home arena, the Westchester County Center, was still being used as a COVID-19 vaccination site.[10]
The league changed its season format to be played in two stages: a 14-game Showcase Cup and then a 36-game regular season with a playoff. All 30 teams played in the Showcase Cup that ended with the NBA G League Winter Showcase on the weekend of December 19 to 22. The regular season was then set to start on December 27, but was then pushed back to January 5.[11] The league standings reset for the start of the regular season for qualifying for the playoffs. The NBA G League Ignite and Capitanes de Ciudad de México will not participate in the regular season or playoffs, but will play a few exhibition games that do not count towards the other teams standings.[3]
Other changes[]
This season is the first for Wilson as the G League's official ball brand. On May 14, 2020, the NBA announced a multi-year partnership with Wilson as the manufacturer and supplier of G League game balls,[12] to succeed Spalding, which supplied the league since 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL).[13]
Winter Showcase[]
Standings[]
Central[]
| Pos | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x – Wisconsin Herd (MIL) | 9 | 3 | .750 | — |
| 2 | x – Motor City Cruise (DET) | 8 | 4 | .667 | 1 |
| 3 | x – Fort Wayne Mad Ants (IND) | 8 | 4 | .667 | 1 |
| 4 | Cleveland Charge (CLE) | 6 | 6 | .500 | 3 |
| 5 | Iowa Wolves (MIN) | 6 | 6 | .500 | 3 |
| 6 | Grand Rapids Gold (DEN) | 5 | 6 | .455 | 3.5 |
| 7 | Windy City Bulls (CHI) | 2 | 7 | .222 | 5.5 |
| 8 | Sioux Falls Skyforce (MIA) | 1 | 9 | .100 | 7 |
East[]
| Pos | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y – Delaware Blue Coats (PHI) | 11 | 1 | .917 | — |
| 2 | x – Maine Celtics (BOS) | 10 | 2 | .833 | 1 |
| 3 | Capital City Go-Go (WAS) | 6 | 6 | .500 | 5 |
| 4 | Westchester Knicks (NYK) | 4 | 8 | .333 | 7 |
| 5 | Long Island Nets (BKN) | 4 | 8 | .333 | 7 |
| 6 | Raptors 905 (TOR) | 4 | 8 | .333 | 7 |
| 7 | College Park Skyhawks (ATL) | 3 | 9 | .250 | 8 |
South[]
| Pos | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x – Rio Grande Valley Vipers (HOU) | 9 | 3 | .750 | — |
| 2 | Birmingham Squadron (NO) | 7 | 5 | .583 | 2 |
| 3 | Texas Legends (DAL) | 7 | 5 | .583 | 2 |
| 4 | Austin Spurs (SAS) | 7 | 5 | .583 | 2 |
| 5 | Memphis Hustle (MEM) | 6 | 6 | .500 | 3 |
| 6 | Lakeland Magic (ORL) | 5 | 7 | .417 | 4 |
| 7 | Capitanes de Ciudad de México | 4 | 8 | .333 | 5 |
| 8 | Greensboro Swarm (CHA) | 3 | 9 | .250 | 6 |
West[]
| Pos | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x – South Bay Lakers (LAL) | 9 | 3 | .750 | — |
| 2 | x – Oklahoma City Blue (OKC) | 8 | 4 | .667 | 1 |
| 3 | Agua Caliente Clippers (LAC) | 7 | 5 | .583 | 2 |
| 4 | NBA G League Ignite | 6 | 6 | .500 | 3 |
| 5 | Stockton Kings (SAC) | 6 | 6 | .500 | 3 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz Warriors (GSW) | 4 | 8 | .333 | 5 |
| 7 | Salt Lake City Stars (UTA) | 2 | 10 | .167 | 7 |
Showcase Cup[]
Final results.[14]
| Quarterfinals Dec. 19 | Semifinals Dec. 21 | Showcase Cup Championship Dec. 22 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Delaware Blue Coats | 126 | ||||||||||||
| 8 | Fort Wayne Mad Ants | 101 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Delaware Blue Coats | 122 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | South Bay Lakers | 108 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | South Bay Lakers | 119 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Wisconsin Herd | 112 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Delaware Blue Coats | 104 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Oklahoma City Blue | 96 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | 113 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Oklahoma City Blue | 119 (OT) | ||||||||||||
| 6 | Oklahoma City Blue | 99 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Motor City Cruise | 97 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Maine Celtics | 103 | ||||||||||||
| 7 | Motor City Cruise | 116 | ||||||||||||
Statistics[]
| Category | Player | Team(s) | Statistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points per game | Saben Lee | Motor City Cruise | 30.9 |
| Rebounds per game | Freddie Gillespie | Memphis Hustle | 12.5 |
| Assists per game | Ryan Arcidiacono | Maine Celtics | 7.8 |
| Steals per game | Shaquille Harrison | Delaware Blue Coats | 3.3 |
| Blocks per game | Freddie Gillespie | Memphis Hustle | 2.8 |
| Turnovers per game | Vernon Carey Jr. | Greensboro Swarm | 4.5 |
| Minutes per game | Tyler Hall | Westchester Knicks | 39.8 |
| Efficiency per game | Nathan Knight | Iowa Wolves | 36.6 |
| Double-doubles | Terry Taylor | Fort Wayne Mad Ants | 11 |
Regular season[]
As of March 4, 2022.
Eastern Conference[]
| Pos | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raptors 905 (TOR) | 17 | 6 | .739 | — |
| 2 | Motor City Cruise (DET) | 15 | 6 | .714 | 1 |
| 3 | Delaware Blue Coats (PHI) | 12 | 6 | .667 | 2.5 |
| 4 | Long Island Nets (BKN) | 15 | 8 | .652 | 2 |
| 5 | Capital City Go-Go (WAS) | 13 | 7 | .650 | 2.5 |
| 6 | Grand Rapids Gold (DEN) | 13 | 9 | .591 | 3.5 |
| 7 | Westchester Knicks (NYK) | 11 | 9 | .550 | 4.5 |
| 8 | Windy City Bulls (CHI) | 11 | 11 | .500 | 5.5 |
| 9 | Maine Celtics (BOS) | 8 | 12 | .400 | 7.5 |
| 10 | College Park Skyhawks (ATL) | 8 | 12 | .400 | 7.5 |
| 11 | Fort Wayne Mad Ants (IND) | 8 | 13 | .381 | 8 |
| 12 | Wisconsin Herd (MIL) | 8 | 13 | .381 | 8 |
| 13 | Lakeland Magic (ORL) | 6 | 13 | .316 | 9 |
| 14 | Greensboro Swarm (CHA) | 6 | 14 | .300 | 9.5 |
| 15 | Cleveland Charge (CLE) | 3 | 15 | .167 | 11.5 |
Source: GLeague.NBA.com
Western Conference[]
| Pos | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers (HOU) | 16 | 6 | .727 | — |
| 2 | Agua Caliente Clippers (LAC) | 14 | 6 | .700 | 1 |
| 3 | South Bay Lakers (LAL) | 13 | 7 | .650 | 2 |
| 4 | Iowa Wolves (MIN) | 10 | 9 | .526 | 4.5 |
| 5 | Birmingham Squadron (NO) | 10 | 10 | .500 | 5 |
| 6 | Austin Spurs (SAS) | 9 | 9 | .500 | 5 |
| 7 | Oklahoma City Blue (OKC) | 12 | 13 | .480 | 5.5 |
| 8 | Texas Legends (DAL) | 10 | 11 | .476 | 5.5 |
| 9 | Stockton Kings (SAC) | 10 | 11 | .476 | 5.5 |
| 10 | Santa Cruz Warriors (GSW) | 10 | 12 | .455 | 6 |
| 11 | Sioux Falls Skyforce (MIA) | 10 | 13 | .435 | 6.5 |
| 12 | Memphis Hustle (MEM) | 7 | 15 | .318 | 9 |
| 13 | Salt Lake City Stars (UTA) | 6 | 15 | .286 | 9.5 |
Source: GLeague.NBA.com
Awards[]
Player of the Week[]
| Date | Player[15] |
|---|---|
| November 9–16 | Saben Lee[16] |
| November 16–23 | Charlie Brown Jr. |
| November 23–30 | Tacko Fall |
| November 30–December 7 | Luka Šamanić |
| December 7–14 | Paul Reed |
| January 4–11 | Craig Randall II |
| January 11–18 | Carlik Jones |
| January 18–25 | Daishen Nix |
| January 25–February 1 | Justin Tillman |
| February 1–8 | Saben Lee |
| February 8–15 | Chris Clemons |
| February 22–March 1 | Isaiah Thomas |
Player of the Month[]
| Date | Player[15] |
|---|---|
| November | Saben Lee |
| January | Mason Jones |
| February | Craig Randall II |
Winter Showcase[]
Most Valuable Player[]
All-Showcase Team[]
- F, Paris Bass, South Bay Lakers[18]
- F, D.J. Wilson, Oklahoma City Blue[18]
- F/C, Cheick Diallo, Motor City Cruise[18]
- G, Jarron Cumberland, Delaware Blue Coats[18]
- G, Cat Barber, College Park Skyhawks[18]
Notable occurrences[]
- On December 26, 2021, Deividas Sirvydis of the Motor City Cruise received a call-up by the Detroit Pistons, making him the 64th player to be called up that season and breaking the record of 63 call-ups in the 2014–15 season.[19]
References[]
- ^ "NBA G League To Begin Play at Disney In February". NBA G League. January 8, 2021.
- ^ "Back to the Bubble: G League Season Will Be Played at Disney". SI.com. January 8, 2021.
- ^ a b "NBA G League Tips off 2021-22 Season on November 5 with Innovative New Format". OurSports Central. September 14, 2021.
- ^ "NBA G League Expands to Mexico City in Landmark Partnership with Capitanes". NBA.com. December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
- ^ "NBA G League's Canton Charge moving to downtown Cleveland, starting with upcoming season". CantonRep.com. June 9, 2021.
- ^ "Birmingham Squadron selected as team name for New Orleans Pelicans G League affiliate". New Orleans Pelicans. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ "Maine Red Claws Renamed Maine Celtics". OurSports Central. May 24, 2021.
- ^ "Grand Rapids Drive Announce New Name And Logo". NBAGrandRapids.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 7, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-07-08. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ^ "Grand Rapids Drive rebrands as Gold, now affiliated with Denver Nuggets". www.detroitnews.com. July 7, 2021.
- ^ "Westchester Knicks Announce Home Games to be Played at Webster Bank Arena". OurSports Central. October 9, 2021.
- ^ "NBA G League Regular Season To Begin January 5, 2022". NBA G League. December 24, 2021.
- ^ "Wilson to become official game ball of the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League". NBA.com (Press release). May 14, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
- ^ "National Basketball Development League Announces Inaugural". Bloomberg. Business Wire. November 15, 2001. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
The NBDL will use the Spalding NBA Infusion basketball, a new basketball that can be inflated with a Micro-Pump(TM) that is incorporated into the ball, as the league's official game ball, it was also announced today.
- ^ "AT&T Winter Showcase Schedule & Results". NBA G League. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ a b "G League Awards & Honors By Season - 2021–22". RealGM. Archived from the original on 2011-08-16. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
- ^ "Detroit Pistons guard Saben Lee earns G League Player of the Week". MLive. Archived from the original on 2021-11-16. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
- ^ "Jarron Cumberland Named MVP of G League Showcase Cup". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e "NBA G League on Instagram: "These five put on a show under the Vegas lights. Introducing the #ATTWinterShowcase All-Showcase Team!"". December 23, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ^ "NBA G League News & Notes: January 4". OurSportsCentral. Archived from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
External links[]
| Eastern Conference | |
|---|---|
| Western Conference | |
| Other teams | |
| |
Categories:
- 2021–22 NBA G League season