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2017–18 NBA G League season

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2017–18 NBA G League season
LeagueNBA G League
SportBasketball
Draft
Top draft pickEric Stuteville
Picked byNorthern Arizona Suns
Regular season
Top seedAustin Spurs
Westchester Knicks
Season MVPLorenzo Brown (Raptors 905)
Finals
ChampionsAustin Spurs
  Runners-upRaptors 905
Finals MVPNick Johnson (Austin Spurs)
NBA G League seasons

The 2017–18 NBA G League season was the 17th season of the NBA G League (formerly the NBA D-League), the minor league for the National Basketball Association (NBA). It is the first season after the league rebranded to become the NBA G League as part of multi-year partnership with Gatorade.[1]

The Austin Spurs won the league title, sweeping Raptors 905 in the NBA G League Finals.

League changes

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The league expanded to a record 26 teams from 22 teams during the 2016–17 season. There was one relocation (Erie BayHawks to Lakeland, Florida to become the Lakeland Magic) and four expansion teams introduced this season (the Agua Caliente Clippers, a new Erie BayHawks, the Memphis Hustle, and the Wisconsin Herd), each owned and affiliated with an NBA team. The Iowa Energy were purchased by the Minnesota Timberwolves at the end of the previous season and rebranded as the Iowa Wolves. The Miami Heat purchased the controlling interest in the Sioux Falls Skyforce, their affiliate since 2013. The Los Angeles D-Fenders also relocated to a new facility within El Segundo and were rebranded as the South Bay Lakers. The purchases and expansion of these teams by individual NBA teams left just four NBA teams without a developmental affiliate, down from eight the previous season.[2] It also decreased the number of independently owned D-League/G League teams from seven to four. Meanwhile, the NBA also started using two-way contracts for their team rosters, allowing players to be more easily called up or sent down.

The league retained its Eastern and Western Conferences, but realigned each conference into three divisions each. Along with the league expansion, the league also expanded its playoff field from eight teams to twelve. Each of the division winners and three wild cards per conference qualify. The top two seeds in each conference earn a bye over the first round.[3]

The NBA announced a title sponsorship deal with Gatorade prior to the season, under which it has been renamed the NBA G League.[4] The G League also experimented with new broadcast arrangements, including airing 120 games on Eleven Sports,[5] and streaming games on the typically video game-oriented live streaming service Twitch, which included interactive stats, and commentary provided by prominent Twitch personalities.[6][7]

Regular season

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Finals standings.[8]

x – qualified for playoffs; y – Division champion; z – Conference champion

Eastern Conference

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Atlantic Division
Team (affiliate) W L PCT GB Home Road
z – Westchester Knicks (NYK) 32 18 .640 0 13–12 19–6
x – Raptors 905 (TOR) 31 19 .620 1 18–7 13–12
Long Island Nets (BKN) 27 23 .540 5 14–11 13–12
Maine Red Claws (BOS) 17 33 .340 15 14–11 3–22
Central Division
Team (affiliate) W L PCT GB Home Road
y – Fort Wayne Mad Ants (IND) 29 21 .580 0 19–6 10–15
x – Grand Rapids Drive (DET) 29 21 .580 0 16–9 13–12
Windy City Bulls (CHI) 24 26 .480 5 13–12 11–14
Canton Charge (CLE) 22 28 .440 7 9–16 13–12
Wisconsin Herd (MIL) 21 29 .420 8 8–17 13–12
Southeast Division
Team (affiliate) W L PCT GB Home Road
y – Erie BayHawks (ATL) 28 22 .560 0 15–10 13–12
x – Lakeland Magic (ORL) 28 22 .560 0 15–10 13–12
Greensboro Swarm (CHA) 16 34 .320 12 9–16 7–18
Delaware 87ers (PHI) 16 34 .320 12 6–19 10–15

Western Conference

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Midwest Division
Team (affiliate) W L PCT GB Home Road
y – Oklahoma City Blue (OKC) 28 22 .560 0 15–10 13–12
Sioux Falls Skyforce (MIA) 25 25 .500 3 13–12 12–13
Iowa Wolves (MIN) 24 26 .480 4 14–11 10–15
Memphis Hustle (MEM) 21 29 .420 7 10–15 11–14
Pacific Division
Team (affiliate) W L PCT GB Home Road
y – Reno Bighorns (SAC) 29 21 .580 0 14–11 15–10
x – South Bay Lakers (LAL) 28 22 .560 1 16–9 12–13
Santa Cruz Warriors (GSW) 23 27 .460 6 13–12 10–15
Northern Arizona Suns (PHX) 23 27 .460 6 13–12 10–15
Agua Caliente Clippers (LAC) 23 27 .460 6 14–11 9–16
Southwest Division
Team (affiliate) W L PCT GB Home Road
z – Austin Spurs (SAS) 32 18 .640 0 17–8 15–10
x – Rio Grande Valley Vipers (HOU) 29 21 .580 3 14–11 15–10
x – Texas Legends (DAL) 29 21 .580 3 16–9 13–12
Salt Lake City Stars (UTA) 16 34 .320 16 11–14 5–20

Playoffs

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For the fourth time ever and first time since the 2014 playoffs, a team went undefeated in postseason play to win the championship.[9] The Austin Spurs won the G League Finals over Raptors 905 by scores of 105-93 and 98–76 to win the title.[10][11]

First Round (March 30 & March 31) Conference Semifinal (April 2 & April 3) Conference Final (April 5 & April 6) Finals (April 8 & April 10)
Best-of-three
            
1 Westchester Knicks 80
4 Raptors 905 92
4 Raptors 905 92
5 Grand Rapids Drive 88
4 Raptors 905 118
Eastern Conference
3 Erie BayHawks 106
3 Erie BayHawks 96
6 Lakeland Magic 90
2 Fort Wayne Mad Ants 116
3 Erie BayHawks 119
E4 Raptors 905 0
W1 Austin Spurs 2
1 Austin Spurs 117
4 Rio Grande Valley Vipers 91
4 Rio Grande Valley Vipers 107
5 Texas Legends 100
1 Austin Spurs 104
Western Conference
6 South Bay Lakers 93
3 Oklahoma City Blue 105
6 South Bay Lakers 125
2 Reno Bighorns 109
6 South Bay Lakers 126

Finals boxscore

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April 8, 2018
7:00 p.m. ET
Raptors 905 93, Austin Spurs 105
Scoring by quarter: 23–30, 26–24, 27–27, 17–24
Pts: Lorenzo Brown 20
Rebs: Kennedy Meeks 9
Asts: Lorenzo Brown 10		 Pts: Derrick White 35
Rebs: Jaron Blossomgame 11
Asts: Darrun Hilliard 4
H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Cedar Park, Texas
Attendance: 4,321
Referees:
  • #24 Brandon Adair
  • #37 Matt Myers
  • #48 Vladimir Voyard-Tadal
April 10, 2018
8:00 p.m. ET
Austin Spurs 98, Raptors 905 76
Scoring by quarter: 28–18, 18–20, 27–24, 25–14
Pts: Nick Johnson 17
Rebs: Jaron Blossomgame 10
Asts: Olivier Hanlan 7		 Pts: Malcolm Miller, Kaza Kajami-Keane 12
Rebs: Alfonzo McKinnie, Kennedy Meeks 9
Asts: Lorenzo Brown 10
Austin wins series, 2–0
Hershey Centre, Mississauga, Ontario
Attendance: 3,262
Referees:
  • #11 Randy Richardson
  • #19 Phenizee Ransom
  • #35 John Butler

Statistics

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Individual statistic leaders

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Category Player Team Statistic
Points per game Antonio Blakeney Windy City Bulls 32.0
Rebounds per game Amile Jefferson Iowa Wolves 12.9
Assists per game Josh Magette Erie BayHawks 10.2
Steals per game Josh Gray Northern Arizona Suns 2.4
Blocks per game Amida Brimah Austin Spurs 2.6
Turnovers per game Daniel Hamilton Oklahoma City Blue 5.0
Fouls per game Isaiah Hicks Westchester Knicks 3.9
Minutes per game Ryan Arcidiacono Windy City Bulls 39.5
FG% Damian Jones Santa Cruz Warriors 67.8%
FT% Quinn Cook Santa Cruz Warriors 94.9%
3FG% Andre Ingram South Bay Lakers 46.7%
Double-doubles Amile Jefferson Iowa Wolves 35
Triple-doubles Daniel Hamilton Oklahoma City Blue 9

Individual game highs

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Category Player Team Statistic
Points Trey Davis Maine Red Claws 57
Rebounds Devin Williams Maine Red Claws 23
Assists Josh Magette Erie BayHawks 19
Steals Tra-Deon Hollins Fort Wayne Mad Ants 10
Blocks Jimmie Taylor Sioux Falls Skyforce 11
Three-pointers Milton Doyle Long Island Nets 11

Team statistic leaders

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Category Team Statistic
Points per game Rio Grande Valley Vipers 120.5
Rebounds per game South Bay Lakers 47.0
Assists per game Rio Grande Valley Vipers 26.3
Steals per game Rio Grande Valley Vipers 10.6
Blocks per game Austin Spurs 6.6
Turnovers per game Rio Grande Valley Vipers 18.5
FG% Santa Cruz Warriors 50.2%
FT% Austin Spurs 79.8%
3FG% Memphis Hustle 39.4%
+/− Raptors 905 +5.0

Player death

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On March 24, 2018, Grand Rapids Drive player Zeke Upshaw collapsed on-court during the final minute of the team's regular season finale. Two days later, Upshaw died at the age of 26. Autopsy reports indicated that Upshaw had died from a sudden cardiac arrest.[12][13] The start of the NBA G League playoffs were delayed out of respect for Upshaw's death, and the NBA's Detroit Pistons gave Upshaw an honorary call-up to their roster.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "NBA Development League to Become NBA Gatorade League" (Press release). NBA Development League. February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  2. ^ "NBA Development League Expansion". dleague.nba.com. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  3. ^ "G League to use 4 refs, expands playoffs to 12 teams". TSN.ca. Bell Media. October 4, 2017.
  4. ^ McCann, Michael (February 14, 2017). "The G League: 12 takeaways on NBA's new deal". Sports Illustrated. Time, Inc. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  5. ^ "NBA's G League announces broadcast partnership with Eleven Sports". USA Today. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  6. ^ "NBA to broadcast G League games on Twitch". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  7. ^ "Twitch will start streaming US minor league basketball games". The Verge. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  8. ^ "NBA G League Standings". NBA G League. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  9. ^ "NBA G League Playoffs 2018 Schedule".
  10. ^ "Spurs Defeat Raptors 905 in Game 1 of NBA G League Finals".
  11. ^ "Spurs Win NBA G League Championship, Defeat Raptors 905 in Game 2".
  12. ^ "Zeke Upshaw dies after collapsing during NBA G League game". CBSSports.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  13. ^ Hendrix, Leon (March 28, 2018). "ME: Drive player collapse was a 'sudden cardiac death'". WOOD-TV. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
  14. ^ "G League's Upshaw, 26, dies after collapsing". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
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