NBA D-League Preview: Reno ready to run
Over the next couple of weeks, The Step Back will examine each of the 22 NBA D-League teams and bring bringing you an in-depth look at their roster as well as any potential storylines to watch for. Teams can retain up to 12 players, while only 10 will be active for games. This is your first look at the prospects to watch out for all season.
Roster Breakdown
Affiliates: Lamar Patterson and Isaiah Cousins
Returners: Cameron Ayers, Chane Behanan, Kadeem Jack, Reggie Hearn, Mark Tyndale and Jamal Branch
Draftees: Will Davis II
Tryouts: Cam Griffin and Pe’Shon Howard
Potential NBA Assignees: Skal Labissiere, Malachi Richardson and Georgios Papagiannis
Lamar Patterson starts journey back to The Association
Patterson has endured a strange, albeit enriching pro journey to this point. After the Atlanta Hawks drafted him in the second round of the 2014 draft, he spent his rookie season in Turkey before joining the team last year. He played 35 games with the Hawks last season and 19 games on assignment in the D-League between Austin and Canton. Now at 25-years-old he’s a free agent playing for another shot in the NBA.
Patterson is a two-way, flexible wing who at 6-foot-5 does a bit of everything. Last season when on assignment he was at his best, and his worst, with the ball in his hands. He posted a stellar assist percentage for a wing at 21.94, but gave the ball up just as often with a turnover rate of 21.33 percent! That has to change. One of his strengths is having the ability to handle the ball on the perimeter, make plays out of the pick-and-roll and attack the basket, but carelessness with the ball will hinder any quality production. Passes like these need to be commonplace:
Patterson isn’t even an average outside shooter at this juncture, but still poses the threat due to his willingness to pull the trigger. This Reno squad basically has players on each end of the spectrum with some looking for an initial opportunity, while the others are fighting to regain their former stature. Patterson is in the latter group and will be a very important cog for the Bighorns.
Isaiah Cousins will shine as a marksman
Cousins — no relation to Boogie or Jaleel — is at the genesis of his pro career. After spending training camp and preseason with the Sacramento Kings, he was allocated to Reno as an affiliate player. While he didn’t get much playing time during camp, he has a great chance to lead this team in scoring due to his lethal outside jumper.
He finished his NCAA tenure as a 40.7 percent 3-point shooter on 432 attempts. Using his jump shot to launch the rest of his offensive repertoire will be important for Cousins. At 6-foot-5 he can shoot over most guards, but using a pump fake to bypass defenders will be an integral weapon in his overall arsenal. Attacking the basket and drawing fouls is a weak point in his game, so learning to finish through contact is an area to watch. Just watch this pure jump shot though:
Cousins’ value will be felt in multiple areas as a combo guard for this offense. He’s still learning the inner workings of the point guard position, but this is the perfect training ground to hone his skills. Once he tightens up his handle and uses his height to his advantage, he will be able to make plays a lot of guards in this league cannot.
Kadeem Jack is the x-factor
Jack is a second-year guy out of Rutgers University who is quite frankly a pogo stick of an athlete at 6-foot-9. Last season he split time between Fort Wayne and Reno, and really started to shine for the Bighorns. His major issue — foul trouble. Last season he only averaged 14.7 minutes a night but managed to tally 2.6 fouls per game in that limited time. That projects to six plus fouls per 36 minutes.
The upside? He averaged 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds on 61.5 percent shooting in those limited minutes as well, so if he can tone down some of his aggressiveness and stay on the court he will be the x-factor for Reno. He has the ability to stretch the floor a little bit and he should play most of his time at the 4 in the D-League, so having the 3-point capability is a definite plus. Jack also has tunnel vision when the ball hits his hands. He has to improve his ability to read the defense and make plays accordingly as he’s not a throw-it-to-me-in-the-post type of player.
Next: Fort Wayne is stockpiling athleticism and size
Jack finished last season on a high note averaging 13 points and 7.3 rebounds while making 14-of-15 FGAs in their opening round loss in the playoffs. The loss was bittersweet, but Jack is making his return in hopes that he’s developed enough awareness, instincts and scoring acumen to garner real NBA interest.