Intriguing prospects to watch in the NBA D-League Playoffs

The D-League regular season has concluded and now we embark on the short, exciting journey which is the playoffs. The setting in the NBADL playoffs is a bit quirky, but that’s what makes this league so endearing after all.

Only eight of the total 22 teams make the playoffs (two division winners in each conference and the two non-winners with the best record regardless of division), each series is best of three and the higher seed in each matchup starts the series on the road (one away, two home setup).

While it may seem late in the season for any potential NBA call ups, teams are always actively looking for players who can help them down the stretch, and into next season. Last year after this point there were four call ups to the NBA — Briante Weber, John Holland, Lorenzo Brown and Dahntay Jones — so other than the immediate goal of winning a D-League Championship, players are still auditioning for the NBA.

READ MORE: Middleton is the perfect compliment to Giannis

There are 80 active players in the playoffs so The Step Back compiled a group of the more intriguing prospects to watch. These are not necessarily the best players, but each brings their own sense of value and flair to the game and potential NBA clubs. Playoff games can be seen on ESPNU and/or Facebook Live.

Note — NBA draft rights players are not included in the call up rankings as their rights are held by their NBA club. This means only that team can call them up. (Examples – Dakari Johnson & Abdel Nader)

Chris Obekpa, PF, Santa Cruz Warriors
2016-17 Stats: 15.1 mins; 5.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks

Obekpa is a 23-year-old, 6-foot-9 rookie out of St. John’s where you might remember him due to his hiked up shorts. He also happens to be a premiere shot-blocker with a gargantuan 7-foot-5 wingspan and elite defensive instincts.

Coach Casey Hill did not play Obekpa a ton, likely due to how raw he is on offense, but his impact on games is undeniable. He boasts a block rate of 11.18 percent which is preposterous, so once he can have some kind of offensive affect on games he is going to be one to watch. The Warriors are coming into the playoffs on an 8-game win streak and Obekpa is a key player off the bench for them.

Reggie Williams, SG, Oklahoma City Blue
2016-17 Stats: 18.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists

Williams is an elite level shooter at 6-foot-6. He’s already 30-years-old, but he brings NBA experience (206 games) to any club who wants to know exactly what they’re getting in a call up. Some moves are made with potential in mind, but Williams is a finished product who could be a plug-and-play option off the bench for any club looking for increased spacing in their second unit.

Williams helps anchor the league’s second best defense and on the offensive end knocks down 41.3 percent (5.9 attempts) of his 3s in one of the slowest paced offenses. If Williams played for the RGV Vipers or L.A. D-Fenders he would easily be averaging 22-25 points a night.

J.P. Tokoto, SG/SF, RGV Vipers
2016-17 Stats: 13.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.4 steals

In his second year playing in the D-League Tokoto has worked really hard to become a legitimate 3-and-D option. He’s 6-foot-6 and due to his defensive prowess can guard positions 1-3 with success. He has great lateral foot speed, quick hands and endless athleticism. Last season he was more known for his highlight dunks, but this year he’s presented a much more well-rounded game.

His 3-point shooting is up to 33.7 percent (58-of-172) from just 25 percent last season and he boasts an impressive true shooting percentage of 57.9 as well. Of late Coach Matt Brase has moved Tokoto to the bench unit due to all the Vipers’ NBA assignees, but he’s been their best NBA prospect all season, so definitely look out for him in these playoffs.

Jabari Brown, SG, Santa Cruz Warriors
2016-17 Stats: 22.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists

Plain and simple, Brown is a bucket-getter. He spent most of this season in China where he averaged 33.9 points per game. He was a late addition for the Santa Cruz Warriors and the team went 8-1 in his nine games played down the stretch.

Coach Hill is bringing Brown off the bench (27.0 minutes) and he’s filled it up with extreme efficiency. It’s a small sample size with just nine games but he’s shooting 52.5 percent (13.1 attempts) from the floor and he’s been deadly from 3 at 54 percent (27-of-50). Brown’s Achilles heel has always been his defense, so if he can prove to be even average on that end, he’s an enticing player to watch. At 6-foot-4, he’s able to create shots for himself at any given moment and he’s liable to go off for 40 in one of these games.

Vander Blue, SG, Los Angeles D-Fenders
2016-17 Stats: 24.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists

Perhaps the most surprising piece of information readers will learn from this post is that Blue is somehow still just 24-years-old. It seems like he played at Marquette a decade before Dwyane Wade, but he’s just been plugging away in the D-League for the last three seasons. Blue has been one of the league’s top scorers every season he’s played and it’s largely in part to his ability to get to the charity stripe. He set a new single season record (breaking his own record set last season) for made free throws at 363 (7.7 makes per game) and lives on the free throw line.

He stands 6-foot-4 and has shown the ability to hit the 3 as well, shooting 37 percent with 248 made 3s over the last three years. Blue’s crutch has always been his lack of defensive ability and not just ability, but effort on occasions. Blue plays next to one of the league’s best point guards in Josh Magette and the pair can be electric to watch, and this postseason will be no different.

Jalen Jones, SF, Maine Red Claws
2016-17 Stats: 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists

Jalen Jones is Draymond Green lite, and frankly I don’t care if you think that’s overzealous. Jones is 6-foot-7 and one of the more versatile players in the entire league. He’s shown an ability to guard positions 1-4 (point guards in short spurts only) with success and he’s the engine running the team in Maine.

Jones improved his outside shooting as the season wore on and finished hitting 34.5 percent of his 3s for the Red Claws. He notched 21 double-doubles and finished with an impressive defensive rebounding rate of 19.98. His bug-a-boo is lack of vision, especially in the half court. He has a tendency to get tunnel vision and pass only out of necessity which resulted in a less than desirable turnover rate of 14.27 in 46 games this year. Having said that, I’m shocked he’s still available at this point in the season.

Axel Toupane, SF, Raptors 905
2016-17 Stats: 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals

Toupane is a versatile wing option at 24-years-old standing 6-foot-7. His 6-foot-11 wingspan allows him to pester opposing players on defense and he’s starting to show signs of morphing into a legitimate 3-and-D option at his size. He earned a deal last year with the Denver Nuggets, but was ultimately let go, then earned a 10-day deal with the Milwaukee Bucks this season but did not stick their either.

Clearly he’s an enticing prospect for NBA teams and one of his quality traits also comes at a price. Toupane can handle the ball, and run an offense, pretty well for a forward, but he tends to turn the ball over a lot (17.21 turnover rate) far too often. His 3-point shooting has improved to a respectable 34.6 percent and his scoring efficiency across the board has gone up as well. Coach Stackhouse has his guys fully bought in and if they win a Championship this year, Toupane will play a pivotal role.

Eric Moreland, PF, Canton Charge
2016-17 Stats: 12.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.7 blocks

Moreland earned a spot on the Sacramento Kings roster two years ago after going undrafted, but multiple shoulder injuries derailed any potential he had to stick there. Now, fully healthy, Moreland is the most versatile 4 in the D-League. He’s 6-foot-10 with the mobility of a forward and the strength of a post player. He’s the only player in the entire league averaging at least 12 points, 10 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.5 steals.

He’s a plug-and-play 4 off the bench for any team in the NBA right now. He rebounds extremely well — 10.67 offensive rebound rate and 30.27 defensive — and is a rim protector as well with a block rate of 6.74. Teams wanted to see if Moreland was going to stay healthy for an entire season and he’s shown that ability, now someone just needs to pull the trigger.

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Edy Tavares, C, Raptors 905
2016-17 Stats: 10.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks

There is no legitimate reason this man should be playing in this league right now. He’s been a dominant force in the paint for the 905 and there’s no way they notch a league-best record of 39-11 without him. Tavares is still just 25-years-old and is a massive human being at 7-foot-3. Shots he isn’t able to block are altered and he’s done a great job keeping blocked shots in play to ignite fastbreaks for the 905 as well.

Coach Stackhouse has the 905 playing at the league’s slowest pace and Tavares only plays around 24 minutes a night to boot. If he was playing 30 minutes a night, on an uptempo team his numbers might be more in line with Moreland’s. Having said that, the 905 are giving NBA teams a perfect glimpse into what Tavares can provide off the bench in 20-25 minutes and it should benefit him going forward. If he stays on the roster throughout the playoffs, the 905 are the team to beat.

*All stats in this piece are from stats.nbadleague.com