Justin Tillman (Atlanta Hawks): 26 y-o, 6-8 forward. Tillman was in the G-League first team last season averaging an incredible 23.5/11.6. He is an elite paint presence for that level, mainly playing bully ball and cleaning the class. I don't think he has a real chance at the NBA but Atlanta is lacking talent on their SL team (and I'm trying to not pick obvious guys) so just giving the shoutout to one of G-League's best players, let's see if he can impress in SL too.
Sam Hauser (Boston Celtics): 24 y-o, 6-8 forward. Elite stretch forward last year in the G-League that signed a deal this offseason so I'm sure Stevens and the boys are hoping he becomes a reliable bench piece, cause you can't get enough shooters on your roster. Hauser shot 43.3% on 9.0 3PA per game in the G-League. Celtics' NBA roster needs a little more depth from the end of their rotation, and Hauser might be an upcoming player for the next year.
Alondes Williams (Brooklyn Nets): 23 y-o, 6-5 guard. A rookie out of Wake Forest, your traditional combo guard. Alondes does a little of everything outside of being a bad 3-point shooter. Probably will play in the G-League to start things, but in a possible retooling scenario, he might find himself some NBA minutes after a good SL showing. The main question is how many touches he'll have in the Cam Thomas show (I expect Cam to have green lights and go off in Vegas) but anyway Alondes being an older rookie might find his way to contribute even in a lesser role than he had in the NCAA.
Jalen Crutcher (Charlotte Hornets): 22 y-o, 6-2 PG. Jalen was one of the decent players in a terrible G-League team last season. With the absence of Bouknight due to injury and a lack of ball-handlers, Crutcher will have the chance of showing his somewhat good playmaking skills with a lot of targets in the two-man game (Kai Jones, Mark Williams, and JT Thor). The Hornets also currently don't have a backup PG in the NBA roster so who knows what might happens with the young guy if he shows up during the pre-season.
Dalen Terry (Chicago Bulls): 19 y-o, 6-7 swiss army knife. I'm going with the obvious pick here, but just from the fact that it'll be really interesting to see how he does. This Bulls team might be worse than the Arizona team Terry played in last year, so it is intriguing to see first-hand if he'll show flashes of being a primary ball-handler now in a tougher situation (at least imo), also how he's shooting the ball.
Luke Travers (Cleveland Cavaliers): 20 y-o, 6-7 wing. Recently the 56th pick doesn't really have a lot of info on this guy. After 2 years in the NBL, Cavs picked him for an unknown reason so I'm genuinely curious to see if he shows any NBA skill at all. Also just as a spoiler, the best player on this team will be Isaiah Mobley.
Marcus Bingham Jr. (Dallas Mavericks): 21 y-o, 7-0 C. Interested to see how he looks defensively, as it is the main thing when Luka will find you on offense. Bingham seems he might have some upside as a rim protector so let's see if he shows it in SL and how he keeps up in the perimeter. Shouting Hardy out also cause he's going to be one of the players with the bigger green lights on the G-League so I expect some Dame Dolla stuff out of him.
Kellan Grady (Denver Nuggets): 24 y-o, 6-3 guard. Everyone always tries to find the rookie that got overshadowed by Kentucky's crowded rotation. This year, a lot of people are betting on TyTy, but Grady might've been the biggest victim of Kentucky. Simply an elite shooter, 5-year college player, Grady with some hopium might find himself a two-way and a spot in an NBA rotation if his shooting translates to the next level.
Isaiah Stewart (Detroit Pistons): 21 y-o, 6-8 big. One of NBA's biggest brick walls, I'm mainly interested in seeing the dynamic of Stewart playing alongside another big/paint presence. After drafting Duren, I can't wait to see if BeefStew will be able to convert into a flexible enough offensive player that he'll fit next to a guy like Duren, and that test starts in Vegas. Otherwise, he'll be bounded to being a backup/situational C for the rest of his NBA career.
Gui Santos (Golden State Warriors): 20 y-o, 6-8 forward. Gui won't be getting a lot of touches if GSW unleashes the whole band - Kuminga, Moody, Wiseman, and PBJ. But that can be a good thing, he'll be mainly used as a cutter and a glue/energy guy and hopefully be able to show his good decision-making and defense as more of a role player. It should be his last opportunity to show he's a two-way and G-League type of player before getting stashed.
Usman Garuba (Houston Rockets): 20 y-o, 6-8 big. Incredible rough season for Usman, which in all honesty, might be a more competitive prospect than Sengun. A Smith-Eason-Garuba frontcourt might be too athletic for SL standards so it'll be intriguing to see what happens when/if those guys share the court at the same time, mainly if they'll be functional together on offense. Let's see if Garuba shows anything on that side of the ball after a healthy off-season with NBA training.
Terry Taylor (Indiana Pacers): 22 y-o, 6-5 forward/center. Definitely a unique player, Taylor looks like a possible very good energy guy in the league. His ability to be pesky and rebound the ball for his size is comparable to Josh Hart's and that in and of itself should make him an NBA player. Let's see if he shows some development as a catch-and-shoot player, if he does he should be set for a stable NBA career.
Brandon Boston (LA Clippers): 20 y-o, 6-6 wing. Once an elite prospect, Boston is set to have a major role on this Clippers team after one year of development in the G-League. He has some potential as a shot creator and PnR playmaker so it should be interesting to follow his games after a year of improvement. LAC doesn't have a talented team, so Boston should be their option 1A/B alongside Preston.
Cole Swider (LA Lakers): 23 y-o, 6-9 forward. Rookie that signed his two-way during the Cali Classic. Swider has upside as a stretch forward with a polished mechanic and good enough NCAA sample size. In a team looking to go a little younger and that may lack rotation options, a good SL showing for Swider might be a path to forging some NBA minutes on year 1.
Ziaire Williams (Memphis Grizzlies): 20 y-o, 6-9 wing. On a stacked team, full of players that I like, Ziaire is the kind of an obvious choice. After being really impressed by Bane last SL, I expect Ziaire to have a similar role and freedom this year, to go out of his shell a little bit and be put into an uncomfortable situation (as a primary ball-handler on PnR actions) for him to get a bit more loose looking into the NBA season. He already had an 11-assist game in Utah, his role in Vegas should be the same.
Omer Yurtseven (Miami Heat): 24 y-o, 6-11 C. We can easily see the repeat of insane numbers from Yurt. But that's not what interests me here, he still hasn't found a consistent and clear role in the NBA, so it'll be fascinating to see if he shows a little more consistency in the dirty work needed from a bench center like not being a negative on defense, being a good PnR partner and making quick reads/passes.
Iverson Molinar (Milwaukee Bucks): 22 y-o, 6-3 guard. Intrigued to see how he's used, because most of Molinar's defenders as far as being a draftable player always said he was terribly used in college. In theory, he should be a capable scoring PG that's good at attacking the basket. In a team that might lack that scoring punch, Molinar might find success in the SL.
Josh Minott (Minnesota Timberwolves): 19 y-o, 6-8 forward. Always a question mark what role will those high-upside raw forwards play in the NBA. From Minott, he may find some NBA minutes in a team needing depth after the Gobert trade. From him, it'll be important to show he's able to play team defense and be active on both ends. He's not particularly good at creating or shooting, so it's expected for him to be a role player in the SL too.
John Butler (NO Pelicans): 19 y-o, 7-1 wing. One of the most unique players in the class, basically a 7-foot guard, it's really an enticing idea to have Butler on your team. The main question will be whether or not his defense translates to be useful in the perimeter and if he's not too sluggish. If Chet is light, this man is Chet lite, so he's definitely a long-term project if he ends up getting a 2-way. This Pelicans team also has a lot of intriguing players so should be one of the most funs SL teams this year.
Quentin Grimes (NY Knicks): 22 y-o, 6-5 wing. Grimes already showed he has a place in the NBA. In SL, I expect him to have a little more freedom to show his creation skill on ball-handling duty. In a Knicks team that lacks an SG, Grimes might find a way to end up starting for NYK during the regular season, and that can start with a good SL showing. Grimes is a candidate for the Desmond Bane Award for impressive SL foreshadowing what we can see from him in the upcoming season.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (OKC Thunder): 21 y-o, 6-9 big. I could easily have continued with the Jaylin Williams propaganda here, but I'm staying quiet while he gains his minutes during the reg season. I chose JRE because he'll probably start next to Chet and will be interesting to see how he's used on both ends because he'll have the chance to prove he can do the dirty work on opposing centers while Chet bulks up and is put more in a guy enabled to free lance on defense.
R.J. Hampton (Orlando Magic): 21 y-o, 6-6 wing. A guy that is in the same situation with Grimes as far as SL is concerned. He should have a glorified role compared to his NBA one which might help him improve his status in the Magic main rotation. With a crowded guard lineup, Hampton might be an option with length to cover up 1 to 3 in the league, and let's see if his shot looks improved this Summer.
Trevelin Queen (Phila 76ers): 25 y-o, 6-6 guard. After a G-League MVP season, Queen weirdly got waived by the Rockets. Now in a sixers roster lacking talent, Queen might have the green light to showcase his skill. Probably a player already peaking on the brink of the NBA, and with another shot of proving he is worth a contract. He might have found the perfect situation, with the main roster needing depth and an SL roster needing talent.
Vrenz Bleijenbergh (Phoenix Suns): 21 y-o, 6-10 forward. A somewhat hyped prospect pre-2021 draft, Vrenz is back in the US to try to show he's NBA-worthy. Another meh roster, that might have enough space for a player with NBA upside to show his talents. Vrenz is a big forward that in theory can stretch the floor and be a versatile defender. Let's see how that translates into the SL. The Suns might need depth (hello, Durantula), so Vrenz should have extra motivation.
Jabari Walker (Portland TrailBlazers): 19 y-o, 6-9 forward. Another typical raw forward with high upside. Jabari was a late second for some reason, but he deserved better. Within his peer, he might be the closest thing to an average to good 3-point shooter which can turn him into a borderline NBA guy from day 1. Alongside his interesting offensive tools, Jabari should be a versatile defender if his quickness and IQ are up to par with NBA guards, we might be able to see some flashes of that during the SL too.
Neemias Queta (Sacramento Kings): 22 y-o, 7-0 C. A paint beast, too imposing for SL level. Should be able to dominate on the interior like guys like Yurt and Reed were able to the last couple of years. Still, interesting will be the advanced stuff related to a possible NBA role, either being a drop big or being a more switchable one on the perimeter. Queta will have a chance to show he's worth a place in the league and might make the Kings more comfortable to make a deal involving Holmes.
Jeremy Sochan (SA Spurs): 19 y-o, 6-8 forward. The Spurs do have an interesting guard trio, who might be a thing to keep an eye on. With that in mind, I think those 3 guys will take turns and end up lacking consistent exposure, so my pick is Sochan, the sole quality frontcourt player on the roster. I can't wait to see if some of his offensive tools are shown and his defensive versatility is tested. They have 4 talented 19 y-o on the team so they might be one of the more hit-or-miss teams in the SL.
Dalano Banton (Toronto Raptors): 22 y-o, 6-7 guard. A hyped project for the Raptors that showed some flashes last season, Banton will be the featured playmaker on this team. His main issue is fitting in the NBA lineup where there are too many ball handlers though, so let's see if he shows some kind of versatility as far as playing off-ball or scoring outside the paint (might be a stretch, but still a fun player).
Jared Butler (Utah Jazz): 21 y-o, 6-3 guard. Without Juzang, the only NBA prospect on the team or even flat-out interesting player (unless you still think Tacko is a fun meme, idk if Kessler will play for them or not). Jared has the upside as a two-way guard and he'll have the chance to show he should get more NBA minutes starting from the SL. No matter if the Jazz decides to rebuild or not, an improving Butler might be the best fit next to Mitchell in a possible competing scenario or a future reliable guard if he develops nicely.
Vernon Carey Jr. (Washington Wizards): 21 y-o, 6-9 big. Finally, he'll have an SL with clear minutes for him to showcase his talents. VCJ is an interesting skilled big, able to score on isos. Let's see what he shows outside of that, as I have been consistently saying in this write-up, a big needs to show his ability to be effective in the little things. For VCJ, the defense should be the main concern, wheater or not he'll be able to be anywhere near neutral to not a big negative should be an encouraging sign.