How Big Of A Role Will Tyler Haws Have With Delaware? Ridiculous Upside Q&A 7.0

Like the NBA, all 26 G League squads have a certain date and time where they need to set their opening day rosters. That deadline will be on November 2nd at 5 PM Eastern Time, which falls just one day before the start of the actual G League season.

At first glance, its definitely not a good look for the reigning NBAGL champ to lose a game to a squad that plays in what most regard to be an inferior league. However, the 905’s defeat becomes more understandable when you note they only have one returning player, Edy Tavares, from last year that actually played more 20 minutes.

Aside from him and role player Negus Webster-Chan, the 905 are a completely different team from last year. On the other hand, the NBL’s London Lightning entered the matchup with Royce White, Ryan Anderson and Garrett Williamson who were key members when they won the title last year.

Even though the 905 may have better overall talent, the Lightning entered the game with more chemistry as an overall unit. That learned rapport that the Lightning have was enough to put them over a 905 squad that are still trying to get familiar with each other.

To be honest, I don’t think its likely that either Aaron Craft or Jimmer Fredette make their way to the G League this year. First off, both players are currently playing for overseas squads that honestly pay a lot more than G League teams.

This summer, he signed a one-year/$1.8 million deal with the Shanghai Sharks. To put that in perspective, his deal would be enough to pay for the salaries of five NBA G League teams that contain both two-way prospects and eight players that earn the regular G League max of $26,000 per year. So unless Fredette is committed to returning to the NBA and wants to use the G League as a stepping stool after the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) season ends in February, I don’t see it happening.

While Aaron Craft might not make as much as money as Fredette with AS Monaco, its unlikely that he’ll be returning due to his league’s season ending in mid-May, which is well after the end of the G League playoffs.

At least at the start of the season, I think Haws will begin the season as the 87ers sixth man with James Blackmon and Jacob Pullen as their starting backcourt. Both Blackmon and Pullen are phenomenal offensive players that can just put up points in bunches while also being able to work as facilitators. Alongside that, they have more experience within the 76ers system due to them being with the big league club during the training camp.

For a player that put up 20+ points per game during three of his four years at BYU, I think Haws could be a great scoring threat for Delaware’s 2nd unit.

There are several players that I could see becoming sleepers in the G League this year. Currently, the one name that stands out is former Omaha guard Tra-Deon Hollins who will be with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. During his college career, he was just a dominating defensive guard that averaged an NCAA-best 3.3 steals per game during his senior season. I think he could definitely be the kind of role player that would be key to the Mad Ants potentially reaching the next level in the G League. Some other potential sleepers to keep an eye on include: Windy City’s Derick Newton, Reno’s Will Davis, Greensboro’s Cole Huff, Maine’s Daniel Dixon and Lakeland’s T.J. Price.

This question is tough to answer because some G League coaching call-ups occur in response to what’s going on with the big league club. For example, Northern Arizona Suns head coach Ty Ellis and assistant coaches Bret Burchard and Brandon Rosenthal just called up to Phoenix after that organization fired Earl Watson. So in those cases, its just hard to predict because of how things can quickly change in the NBA.

But when it comes to G League coaches that deserve an opportunity in the NBA, there are definitely some candidates. Of course, you have Raptors 905 head coach Jerry Stackhouse who pushed that young team to a G League title during his first year with the team just due to an incredibly strong defensive philosophy. AC Clippers’ Casey Hill is a strong call-up candidate due to how he pushed Santa Cruz to three postseason appearances which included winning a G League title in 2015.