With the start of the NBA season on Tuesday, we will analyze each former Indiana basketball player currently in the NBA.
The NBA season is upon us and many former Indiana basketball players are set to take to the hardwood.
It’s been a long wait but it should all be worth it as many of the Hoosiers in the NBA look to play internal roles on their respective teams.
While Troy Williams and Juwan Morgan are in the G-League, we take a look at the rest of the IU players who are in the NBA at the start of the 2019-20 NBA season.
O.G Anunoby (Toronto Raptors)
Anunoby played 20 minutes per game being used off the bench as the Raptors were led by Kawhi Leonard. In 2018-19 he averaged 7.0 points per game at a rate of 45.3 percent from the floor. Look for Anunoby to be a presence on the floor, especially on the defensive end, with the loss of Kawhi Leonard for the Raptors.
Thomas Bryant (Washington Wizards)
Bryant inked a three-year, $25 million deal this offseason to stay with the Washington Wizards after having a breakout season in 2018. Starting 53 of the 72 games he played in, he averaged 10.5 points per game on 61.6% from the field. He played 20.8 minutes per game and his season was highlighted by his buzzer beating game winner against the Knicks in London. Look for an even bigger jump in production this year.
Yogi Ferrell (Sacramento Kings)
Yogi just had his $3.2 million dollar contract guaranteed by the Kings for this season. He appeared in 71 games last season for an average of 15 minutes per game. In those minutes, he averaged 5.9 points per game on 43.5 percent shooting. The backcourt in clogged up in Sacramento so minutes will be hard to come by.
Eric Gordon (Houston Rockets)
Gordon agreed to a four-year, $76 million dollar extension with the Rockets this offseason after a terrific season last year. He’s poised to make a breakthrough in the West after the Rockets acquired Russell Westbrook from the Thunder. He averaged 16.2 points per game on 41 percent shooting.
Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers)
Oladipo suffered a season ending injury in January with a ruptured quad tendon. At that time, he was averaging 18.8 points per game and was voted into the All Star game. He will likely be back in action in December, as his rehab is ahead of schedule. Without Oladipo, the Pacers struggled last year so look for the Pacers to thrive with Oladipo along with the newly signed Malcolm Brogdon.
Noah Vonleh (Minnesota Timberwolves)
After playing for the New York Knicks last season, Vonleh has signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves on one-year, $2 million fully guaranteed deal. With the Knicks, he appeared in 68 games starting 57 of those contests. He averaged 8.4 points per game and 7.8 rebounds in 25 minutes per game. Getting out of New York could be a fresh start for the big man.
Cody Zeller (Charlotte Hornets)
Zeller was hindered by injuries all last season but did start in 47 of 49 games he played in. He averaged 10.1 points per game fighting through a broken hand, so look for Zeller to come out and have a breakout season if healthy.
Romeo Langford (Boston Celtics)
After being drafted No. 14 by the Boston Celtics, Langford is looking to prove his worth in his rookie campaign. He’s currently fighting injuries and is out for the season opener but is expecting to make a significant contribution for the Celtics this season.
Notables:
Troy Williams played 21 games in the NBA for the Kings last season. He averaged 5.3 points in 14.9 minutes per game in this time. He was waived by the Suns G-League affiliate this week, however.
Juwan Morgan was on an exhibit 10 contract with the Utah Jazz. He unfortunately was waived Thursday and is expected to play for the Salt Lake City Stars which is the Jazz’s G-League affiliate.