It is now Fall 2018 and I am blessed to enter my 2nd year on the job. Along this path I have witnessed both downfalls and merriment. Being a part of the Orlando Magic organization, I have been assigned to be the head of overall player development for our (@nbaGleague) affiliate “Lakeland Magic”. Located between Tampa and Orlando, Lakeland is a very ‘chill’ and low key kind of town. It’s also where all the high school state tournaments are held.

The NBA is a league where the best players in the world take heed on their talents and passionately put their skill set on display within the confines and values of an organization that they are employed by. From all the players in the NBA, there are still plenty that need more time for development due to their limited ‘On Court’ playing time. The “NBA Development League” now called “NBA G-league” was created to ensure the development and improvement of those players that organizations believed needed more playing time to polish up their game and/or need rehab from a pre-existing injury. What needs to be recognized is the involvement of the  Lakeland Magic with its parent team (Orlando Magic).

The NBA G-League is considered as the Minor League of the NBA where not only players, but staff and coaches work in a research based laboratory to further progress their parent NBA organization. The “NBA Development League” name was used from 2001-2016. That is almost 2 decades of minor league development. Last year in 2017, GATORADE has agreed to partner in a deal with the NBA Development League, that is why the letter “G” in G-League stands for Gatorade. This league started with just a handful of teams, to now currently growing into 27 teams under the NBA umbrella. In addition, Gatorade experiments with their products and lab hydration tests on almost all the players. Its a perfect combination because its a trial and error based partnership. Once or twice a month Gatorade also assigns each team a nutritionist to follow up on the diet and hydration needs of the players.

Here is a map to give you an idea of where the locations and branding really looks like for the NBA G-league:

*ALL the 27 NBA G-League teams along with their parent affiliation:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

Atlantic Division:

1. Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers)
2. Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets)
3. Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics)
4. Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors)
5. Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks)

Central Division:

1. Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers)
2. Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers)
3. Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit Pistons)
4. Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls)
5. Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks)

Southeast Division:

1. Capital City Go-Go’s (Washington Wizards)
2. Erie Bayhawks (Atlanta Hawks)
3. Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets)
4. Lakeland Magic (Orlando Magic)

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Midwest:

1. Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves)
2. Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies)
3. Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder)
4. Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat)

Pacific:

1. Agua Caliente Clippers (LA Clippers)
2. Northern Arizona Suns (Phoenix Suns)
3. Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors)
4. South Bay Lakers (LA Lakers)
5. Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings)

Southwest:

1. Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs)
2. Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets)
3. Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz)
4. Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks)

The traditional NBA G- League season has 50 games with a short rounded playoff format. It does not have all the luxury amenities of the NBA, but the structure and format is duplicated to provide an identical atmosphere for players and coaches.

*Misconception: a view or opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking or understanding.

Amongst my peers, there is a common misconception on the presence and VALUE of the NBA G-league. If you are wondering why some of the teams are based in random ‘non common’ cities it is because the goal is to provide a professional team to the small market cities. In a small market where professional teams are not common, teams can grow a true fan base with very reasonable ticket prices and support the players who were at one point big time in college, overseas, or assigned down from their parent NBA team.

With the start of 2018-2019 NBA season, history has been made with the NBA/NBA G-League, for the 1st time ever, 40% of the players on current NBA rosters had experience developing in the NBA Development/G-League. Players have been able to attribute to their roles more effectively and you can find gems like Johnathan Simmons, Robert Covington, Quinn Cook, Hassan Whiteside, Rudy Gobert etc..

The NBA G-League is a lot more televised every year due to the potency of talent flooding the league. This years “2 Way Contracts” have brought some good hype into the upcoming season. Each team is assigned two “2 way contract” players. ONLY the players on two-way contracts can spend up to 45 days in the NBA while spending the rest of the season in the G League.

Here are the specific details for the “2 two-way contract”:

• They will act as a 16th and 17th roster spot for NBA teams beginning of the season.
• After the 45 days, the rest of the player’s contract must be spent in the G-League, either for the team’s affiliate or another’s if the team he signs with doesn’t have a G-League affiliate yet.
• The player’s pay comes on a tiered salary system, which can last one or two seasons. While in the G-League, the player will make $75,000. It’s a significant increase from the current pay structure for G-Leaguer’s, who cannot make more than $26,000 with a one-way G-League deal.
• When in the NBA, a player with a two-way contract will accrue a day of service and make money consistent with an NBA rookie minimum, which is about $816,000 next season. If a player spends 45 days in the NBA, he could make around $204,000.
• In total, a two-way player who spends the maximum amount of time in the NBA would make $279,000.

The goal is to mandate a system that will properly develop and grow players. There are less flaws than before in the current NBA foundation, and the progression of talent and overall player growth is vastly changing in the right direction. This coming year of 2018-2019, you will see certain players who are not signed on 2 way contracts, get assigned to their G-League affiliate due to more necessary development time.

My staff and I have improved certain players that got called up last year during the season, and when they got the call up to play with their NBA team, they were able to display their improved skill set within the system of the coaching staff. Guys like Rodney Purvis received two 10 day contracts, and he was not even our 2 way contract player. He did so well and got All Rookie honors in the G-league, he deserved that opportunity to do well when he got called up. This was an example of how things can work out for you in the G-league if your play your role, work hard, understand what the coaches ask of you, even though you know the resources might be limited. Move forward with no excuse, build confidence and show humility.

The greatest gift given to us is “opportunity”. When you finally have an opportunity that you have been preparing for, your confidence and patience will flourish. In this G-League, there are a lot of players just looking for an opportunity, and once they get that chance, we only hope from all the training they put in, it will not only be worth it to be apart of our team but plenty of others. Players will always come and go, it’s all about how efficient you can be at your position while finding ways to win.

I will be honoring a second part to this post for updating any changes or story lines I feel like can be worth your viewing. I appreciate you taking your time to read this post, and that it enlightened you on what the NBA G-league is about. This is something small to introduce the concept and my personal experience. You are more than welcome to reach out to me and give me feedback and let me know what else you would like to know.

Thank You

God Bless,

Haseeb Fasihi