Alex Poythress Shuts It Down Against Long Island

Alex Poythress posted a game and career high 32 points and 11 rebounds in the Fort Wayne Mad Ants’ loss to the Long Island Nets. He had 15 points in the third quarter and brought them back from a 73-65 deficit in the third quarter, but ultimately fell short to Yogi Ferrell and company. However, after being waived by the Indiana Pacers, Poythress is showing teams what they might be missing.

After suffering an ACL tear in 2014 in his days at Kentucky, Poythress came back the next year dominating and has not stopped since. He along with McKinney Jones combined for 46 points in their 120-109 win over the 87ers in the game prior. Poythress is also currently averaging 18 PPG, a team best and he is showing that he belongs in the pros.

Poythress’ ability to run the floor is one of the main reasons the Mad Ants are one of the best in the D-League right now. Although not used to playing his usual forward position, Poythress seems to have adjusted to his role as a center, which fills the need for size that the Mad Ants are lacking.

Poythress thrived in the paint against Long Island, getting a lot of above the rim action in the game. In the clip below, Poythress shows his center-like ability, throwing it down over Gary Forbes. His quick thinking to dunk it in off of the missed layup by Julyan Stone shows his versatility that the Mad Ants thrive on and possibly what the Pacers need in the future. They might want to keep an eye on him.

Poythress has been a big reason why Fort Wayne has a 9-3 record. A once former Kentucky standout set back by injury can use this as an opportunity to improve his game and hope to continue the success in Fort Wayne. The Mad Ants face the 5-9 Greenboro Swarm December 20th. If he stays consistent and team as a whole can close games, this team should be a problem for the rest of the season.