NBA D-League Preview: Will OKC Blue lack of point guard haunt them?

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

Draft Rights: Dakari Johnson and Daniel Hamilton
Affiliates: Alex Caruso, Chris Wright and Kaleb Tarczewski
Returners: Kammeron Woods, Jannero Pargo, Boubacar Moungoro, Reggie Williams and Xavier Henry (trade)
Draftees: Karrington Ward
Tryouts: Mycheal Henry
Potential NBA Assignees: Josh Huestis, Semaj Christon and Alex Abrines

Can Caruso and Pargo distribute well enough?

Alex Caruso played four years at Texas A&M manning the starting point guard role for the majority of that journey. He finished his career by taking home SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors to boot. The 6-foot-5 guard isn’t much of a scorer boasting a career average of 8.0 points per game, however his efficiency from all levels improved each and every season. He also comes into his rookie season with some passing chops as he posted an impressive career assist rate of 32.84 as an Aggie. Now, Caruso is thrust into an environment where he’s basically a freshman all over again and he’s surrounded by loads of veteran talent in Chris Wright, Xavier Henry and Reggie Williams. Keeping them happy while showcasing his abilities on offense will be a chore.

Jannero Pargo is back with the Blue after being claimed off waivers late last season. He’s an NBA journeyman who is looking to earn his way back to The Association. He’s not going to do that by coming in here and notching 10 assists a night. My guess is the gameplan is to prove he can be a viable scoring threat off the bench, since that would likely be his role if he did garner NBA interest. Pargo has always had a knack for scoring and the crafty 37-year-old should flourish at this level if given the green light.

Draft picks continue to develop and improve

The OKC Thunder have been on the forefront of the domestic draft-and-stash movement involving the D-League. Two years ago they did it with Semaj Christon and now he’s on their 15-man roster, so they have proven they will reward players if they improve enough.

This season the Blue’s roster includes two of these players. The first is Dakari Johnson, who played here last season as well. Johnson just turned 21-years-old this offseason and is a legit 7-foot prospect. In the college ranks he quite simply did not get a chance to showcase his full variety of skills and last season he improved on those greatly. His footwork is much better; in the post, on the perimeter and on defense, and he’s extending his range out to about 16 feet with consistency. Dakari needs to be more aggressive this season. This is a guard-heavy league so the 7-footer can be king if used properly. He’s got to demand the ball when he has position and go to work.

Daniel Hamilton was the 56th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft and will spend his rookie season honing his game with the Blue. The good news is Thunder brass are literally right across the street, so they are certainly watching Hamilton’s development. Hamilton was a do-it-all, 6-foot-7 forward for the UCONN Huskies in his two years there, now the challenges is translating that to the pros. He will also need to improve on his inefficient shooting numbers, as he shot 38.4 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from 3-point land. His free throw percentage (77.2) shows that his mechanics are okay, so the issue is likely shot selection, which is an easy fix all things considered. Hamilton has to be coachable and focus on what he can control and his rookie season can be wildly successful.

Dayton alum looks to fly onto NBA radars

Chris Wright is somehow 28-years-old already. I remember being excited when the Milwaukee Bucks signed him back in 2014 and where the hell has the time gone. Well, after spending the last two seasons in top flight leagues in Turkey and Israel, the 6-foot-8 Wright is back for another NBA look.

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Wright is a defensive stalwart, who can guard positions 2-4, especially at the D-League level. He’s strong, has extreme athleticism and has great lateral foot speed, so he’s built for defense. The challenge for Wright will be showing he can be relevant offensively without being a 3-point threat. In his two years overseas he attempted a whopping 44 3s and made 12. That alone, doesn’t mean he can’t be successful on offense however. Wright has a solid post game, can handle the ball in traffic and will finish over most defenders he will run into in the NBADL.

The Blue have a ton of size — Pargo is the only player under 6-foot-5!! — but perhaps none as versatile as this Flyer.

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