Tyrone Wallace is making the most of his two-way contract

It’s unclear if the P.A. announcer even noticed his mistake. While introducing the L.A. Clippers before a game in Sacramento, he called Tyrone Williams to the floor, who turned back to his teammates and delivered a sheepish chuckle. Such is life for Mr. Irrelevant.

Tyrone Wallace (his real name) was recently signed by the Clippers to a two-way contract, and was thrust into the starting lineup after an injury to Blake Griffin forced Doc Rivers to tinker with his lineups. He’s played well, averaging 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks in seven games and four starts. The night before playing the Kings, Wallace hung 22 points, six rebounds and four assists on the Golden State Warriors and, along with 50 points from Lou Williams, helped lead the Clippers to a win.

Wallace is a 23-year-old, 6-foot-5 swingman who was selected with the final pick of the 2016 draft out of California. He spent last season in Salt Lake City as part of the NBA’s Developmental League, and then the start of this season in Los Angeles for the Agua Caliente. He is getting his big NBA break thanks to the league implementing two-way contracts for the first time.

Against the Warriors, Wallace guarded Kevin Durant, a bit different than who he was used to guarding in the minor leagues.

“I think once you’re in the moment, it’s just basketball. Coaches give me that assignment, so I just go out there and do the best I could when I was defending him,” Wallace said. “At the time, no it’s not really a culture shock, but when you think back on it it’s like ‘Man I was really out there guarding Kevin Durant.’ It’s a little different just experiencing that.”

The Clippers signed Wallace on Jan. 5, and he played 31 minutes the next day. Despite his contract or draft status, Rivers expected him to contribute right away.

“I told him over and over again during the game yesterday ‘Be yourself, stop trying to fit in, I want you to play like you did in the G-League. Go attack people.’ And he did that, that’s who he is,” Rivers said before the game in Sacramento. “I think when players just stay who they are, they have a chance to be good players, and Ty is doing that.”

Against the Kings, Wallace again played well as a starter. He didn’t score as much – -this time only eight points on 3-of-7 shooting — but he was a plus-six in the box score because of plays like the one he made in the game’s final seconds.

The Clippers led most of the game, but Sacramento made a late push and was threatening to steal the win. With 15 seconds left, the Kings were within two points and needed a stop. Lou Williams  turned the ball over and Kosta Koufos got the steal. Koufos went to outlet to a ball handler but the hustling Wallace stole a bad pass, traversed the court and made the game-clinching dunk with 10 seconds left. Game over.

That time, the P.A. announcer got his name right.

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The first season of the two-way experiment in many cases has gone well. Jan. 15 was the last day for NBA teams to sign players to such deals.

In addition to the standard 15-man roster, teams are able to carry up to two two-way players who split time between the G-League and their parent NBA team. They are allowed to spend up to 45 days with their NBA teams during the season. To get the most out of their two-way players, teams will send them down to the G-League on off days and bring them back up for game days.

For a team like the Clippers, whose G-League affiliate is right down the road, that isn’t hard. But if a team is on an extended road trip or if, say, you’re the Miami Heat, whose affiliate is all the way in South Dakota, it can be more of a hassle. Players on the days when they are not with their NBA team cannot even be in the organization’s facility. When asked if they really send the player away, or just ask him to stay home, an official with the Clippers asserted that, yes, they follow the rules.

For the players, it results in splitting time between two different teams in a single season. It’s a situation unlike anything they’ve probably ever experienced. It results in quite a bit of back and forth, but it’s worth it for a chance to land a full-time gig on a 15-man roster.

Currently there are 60 players signed to two-way deals, according to the G-League’s website, but other players have been signed and let go. Two-way deals can also be converted to regular roster spots (the Detroit Pistons did this with point guard Dwight Buycks). Overall, the addition has been a positive one for teams, especially those, like the Clippers, suffering several injuries at a time and can use the extra help. That allows someone like Wallace to get his chance.

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Wallace’s grandfather, Charles Johnson, worked in oil fields and was in the military before eventually becoming a crossing guard when he got older. He was a major influence on Wallace growing up. He kept him focused on school and helped him with his homework.

“He was very smart. I’d just listen to his stories, and he’d always pass knowledge down to me,” Wallace said.

Wallace could have left Berkeley after his junior year, during which he averaged an impressive 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game for the Bears, but he made a promise to his late grandfather that he’d earn a degree. When he graduated from Cal, he became the first person in his family to do so.

His senior year didn’t go as planned. The team, featuring a freshman Jaylen Brown, made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed, but Wallace and teammate Jabari Bird (now on a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics) got hurt at the end of the season and the Bears limped into a first-round matchup against Hawaii. They lost 77-66.

“It was kind of a rough ending, and I thought that had an effect on my draft status,” Wallace said.

Wallace ended up going 60th overall to the Utah Jazz. He was officially Mr. Irrelevant — the title bestowed upon the last pick of the draft.

After delaying his NBA debut a year to fulfill a promise and earn his degree, his dream was delayed again. Wallace toiled in the D-League for a full season before the Jazz renounced his rights last summer. He was picked up by the Clippers for training camp but failed to make the final roster. They were impressed enough to give him a shot with one of their new two-way spots.

Wallace has made the most of his opportunity. Some of it is being in the right place at the right time, but most of it is just hard work and patience. After all, there are a lot of guys in the G-League who would love for a similar opportunity. Just like earning a degree, getting to the NBA is a long and rigorous path.

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“Last year I took it as an opportunity to learn and grow and get better. Learn the NBA rules, and the way the game is played, and I thought I had a solid first year,” Wallace said.

Now, Wallace says, he isn’t thinking about what’s next after his two-way contract expires. He’s just trying to help the team and, as Rivers tells him, be aggressive.

“It’s good to be up here now and show what I can do.”