Five One-and-Done Players Who Could Spend Some Time In The G-League

When ESPN comes out with their “ESPN 100” prospects list, it is sometimes certain who is going to be a one and done in their college careers. However, some people surprise everyone, like Maryland’s Melo Trimble and Michigan State’s Miles Bridges in their returns after a top 5 season their freshmen year.

The hard truth that some of the most highly touted prospects have to face is that not everyone who is a top prospect will get drafted. Some prospects might go overseas, and some prospects might end up spending their rookie season in the G-League.

The G-League is not necessarily a bad thing, but the pay that overseas and the NBA gives is significantly better, which turns some players away, but the opportunities the G-League provides offers a better chance at a call up than overseas, because of the affiliate parent teams attached.

The reasons why I chose these players is because of either how they fared in their freshman campaign or health issues. This is a projected list only, as any of these players can come out of nowhere and surprise in their rookie season.

Here are the five one-and-done players who might spend their rookie season in the G-League in no particular order:

Duke PG - Frank Jackson

Standing among Top-100 NBA Draft Prospects

DraftExpress: #33 CBS Sports: #47

Frank Jackson didn’t really have the best time during his freshman season as he had a limited role at Duke. In only 26 minutes per game, Jackson put up 10.9 points on 47% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc on 3.5 perimeter attempts per game. While those were definitely solid numbers, his lack of production has pushed Jackson to currently stand as an early 2nd round pick according to DraftExpress.

On the other end, Jackson foot injury has kept him off of the floor during the draft, which could come to haunt him in the near future. He had a good showing in the drafting process, but overall he lacks in defense, and confident playmaking skills. Good thing for the G-League, he can work on that. He kept his name in for the draft, but he should have stayed an extra year at Duke.

Duke PF - Harry Giles

Standing among Top-100 NBA Draft Prospects

DraftExpress: #26 CBS Sports: #16

Harry Giles was possibly one of the biggest if not the biggest names coming out of high school. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 class and was figured to rip through his first season in college. However, injury has plagued him and that can lead to conversations of him being a huge risk if drafted. With surgeries on his knees, Giles has the injury you don't want to have when you are an NBA player. Not to mention as a big man he doesn’t have much shooting ability.

At Duke, Giles only averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, which as a big man, rebounds are your bread and butter. If he's not fully healthy, the G-League would be good for him to nurse his knees. The G-League only has 50 games, so he won't have to travel as much, helping him become more NBA ready in the future.

Arizona PG - Kobi Simmons

Standing among Top-100 NBA Draft Prospects

DraftExpress: #76 CBS Sports: #56

Kobi Simmons averaged 8.7 points and 1.6 rebounds in his freshman campaign. In his final games at Arizona, Simmons averaged only 1.8 points. His role vanished when teammate Allonzo Trier came back into Arizona’s lineup. He just does not have much tape to go off of and with what he does have, it's just not enough. He could have stayed another year at Arizona, but this class is just as good if not better than last year’s team. It would have been rough for Simmons either way.

North Carolina C - Tony Bradley

Standing among Top-100 NBA Draft Prospects

DraftExpress: #40 CBS Sports: #44

Tony Bradley’s name wasn't mentioned too much during his short time at North Carolina despite him entering the school as a McDonald’s All-American. That was probably due to him only averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game. His small role was due to him basically being overshadowed by the likes of Joel Berry, Justin Jackson and Kennedy Meeks. He was a McDonald’s All-American, but with that lineup that eventually led to their NCAA title, it was going to be hard for him to get significant minutes. If he would have returned back to UNC, he could have gotten a lot more playing time, but if he’s not drafted, he would see significant minutes in the G-League and continue to develop his game there.

North Carolina State PF - Ted Kapita

Standing among Top-100 NBA Draft Prospects

DraftExpress: N/A CBS Sports: N/A

Ted Kapita was not one of the draftees invited to the NBA draft combine and it is with good reasoning. In his lone season at NC State, he averaged only 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds. NC State’s season was not a good one, which resulted in Mark Gottfried’s firing. That could have been a reason why he didn’t have as good of a season. However, returning to NC State with a new head coach and system could have given Kapita another chance at possibly getting more looks and an invite to next year’s NBA draft combine. He could fare well in the G-League, but he needs more work as a big man so he can dominate when his name is called.

All of the guys mentioned can very well be sought at as a player drafted in one of the 60 slots for the NBA, but various things can end up being the reason why some will end up spending their roookie season in the G-League. Again, being in the G-League is not a bad thing, and all of them can provide great roles there. Who knows, some of them can end up being the man there and make some teams wonder what they missed out on.