Sean Kilpatrick is confident his time will come soon enough
The NBA D-League has been steadily growing into a known commodity since it’s inception in 2001. With the recent success of guys like Danny Green, Jeremy Lin and Hassan Whiteside, casual fans and NBA executives alike are finally giving the league the attention it warrants.
Sean Kilpatrick is not a household name among casual NBA fans, yet.
But Kilpatrick, a powerful 6’4″ shooting guard, has taken every opportunity to change that over the past season and a half. He had an illustrious college career at the University of Cincinnati but that was not enough to get his named called on draft day two summers ago. Now he’s setting fire to the NBA D-League for the Delaware 87ers and making a strong case for himself to get another NBA look. Heading into their game on Tuesday he was averaging 25.9 points while shooting 51 percent from the field and 47 percent on three-pointers.
Check the official NBA D-League stats page — he’s the only player since the 2007 season to post those figures. The only one. The season is four weeks in and he has taken home Performer of the Week honors twice already. The man is a blitzkrieg of scoring that cannot be stopped.
After going undrafted, Sean passed on the large payday of an international deal and opted to sign with the D-League so he could remain as close to the NBA as possible. He doesn’t mince words with his explanation either, “My dream isn’t to play overseas. My dream growing up as a young kid was to make the NBA and the dream remains the same today.”
Kilpatrick had the dream on the tip of his tongue last season as the Minnesota Timberwolves called him up on a 10-day contract, only to waive him once the time allotted expired. He appeared in four games, amassing 22 points and then just like that, the dream was out of reach yet again.
“Its going to work out. Its all in God’s favor. I have to stay patient and wait for my opportunity because its coming.” Timing is vital when it comes to earning call-ups from the D-League. Last season, Kilpatrick wasn’t at the top of many potential call-up rankings and yet he got a chance. It didn’t work out, but the experience was valuable and he took it with him as he moved into the offseason.
Kilpatrick played with the Milwaukee Bucks during summer league and performed so well that he earned a training camp deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. Another opportunity to prove he belongs in The Association.
Ultimately the Pelicans waived him at the conclusion of camp, but he took it in stride and earned himself a new friend and mentor in the process. “The situation with the Pelicans was great because I learned a lot from Anthony Davis. He’s my best friend now and he really just kept telling me ‘somebody is always watching’ and that really stuck with me. I look at him like a mentor.”
If you have been counting, that makes five NBA organizations that Kilpatrick has been apart of in less than two years. The life of a D-League player is tough. Players scratch and claw to get noticed and even when they do get that shot, it can be snatched away in an instant.
Sean returned to the Delaware 87ers of the D-League this season and his confidence is at an all-time high. Oh, you think its weird that a guy who has been waived by four separate NBA teams in a little over a year and a half has a boost in confidence? You clearly have not met Mr. Kilpatrick.
“Look man, I have a renewed confidence and its showing out there on the court. Everyone knows I can score, so now its on me to improve the other aspects of my game so I continue to get NBA looks.” That renewed confidence has led Sean to post some efficient scoring figures the likes of which the D-League has never seen before.
Even with all the early season accolades he knows there is work to be done, “I gotta work on my defense, of course. The NBA game today has stretch fours and that means I have to be able to stunt on a pick-and-roll and get back to my man. I’m working on the pick-and-roll offense, helping my teammates get better and just adding that polish to my game, you know.”
The Sevens would certainly do Kilpatrick some favors if he could get more chances with the ball in his hands, so that he could prove he can make teammates better. Right now the offense is run through Sean’s roommate Jordan McRae and the two make up one of the more deadly backcourt tandems in the entire league. Sean has one drop-dead NBA skill in his arsenal right now and it’s his ability to put the ball in the basket.
There are teams out there who need scoring, but most will require a little more out of a 6-4 guard for that player to stick in their rotation.
The good news for Kilpatrick is he will almost assuredly reach his dream again at some point this season when an NBA team comes calling, but its what he does with that opportunity that will define him moving forward.
Remember the name, NBA fans. Sean Kilpatrick is coming.