Five Veterans That Would Be A Good Fit On The G League Select Team

As the world continues to deal with the ongoing threat of the coronavirus and the effects that it’s brought to millions of Americans, sports fans have been searching for things to help them get their minds off the horrifying present. They’ve received that gift during the month of April as five-star high school prospects Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd, and Daishen Nix have all announced that they’ll be going to skipping college to join the G League. Those elite players, who are all in the top-15 on 247sports, will be playing with a new G League select that will be based in Los Angeles.

While the national media is dedicating their attention on the elite prospects giving a stiff arm to the NCAA, there’s another interesting conversation that we should be having over the next few weeks and months. This deals with which veteran players are going to be joining the tremendous trio in Southern California.

At this point, the only information regarding what type of players the league will be pursuing is from an ESPN+ article. Within that piece, Mike Schmitz stated that they’ll be looking at pros that no longer have pro hoops aspirations to prevent any time of dysfunction. With that information in mind, here’s a group of veterans with G League experience who somewhat fit that criteria that would be good fits for the Select team.

Brandon Fields

Although Fields hasn’t played a second of NBA basketball since turning pro in 2010, he’d still be a good fit for this team from both an on and off-court perspective. Along with having more than a decade of pro experience, the veteran guard did a great job of leading the Texas Legends’ offense and putting young prospects like Moses Brown in the best position to showcase his athleticism and offensive upside.

Although the presence of Daishen Nix will place him on the team’s second unit. the veteran guard would still be a good option that can come in and help put Jalen Green or Isaiah Todd in the right position to show their upside and tools as a player. That combined with the knowledge that he’s picked definitely picked up over the course of his decade as a pro player would allow him to be a solid veteran on that team.

Daniel Ochefu

Despite the fact that he’ll only be turning 27 in December, the veteran big would still be an interesting part of the team. From an on-court perspective, he’s a player that can set screens for Daishen Nix and Jalen Green while also snatching rebounds to create second chance opportunities for the young prospects.

More importantly, the veteran big has knowledge of being on an NBA team as he was part of the Washington Wizards during his rookie year. Although he didn’t get much time on the team, he was the team’s representative on the NBPA, which would allow him to give the players insight on how the league’s union works. Along with hose qualifiers, the 6’11 big is extremely interested in joining the team and helping with the young prospects, according to a source.

Jarrett Jack

While every player on this list has different reasons to good fits, Jarrett Jack is probably the best fit of the guys that are listed. As a veteran guard that spent a decade in the NBA, he has the type of insight on the trials and tribulations of being in the league that you can’t really find anywhere else in the G League. In addition to that experience and gained knowledge, Jack has spent the last few years talking about his willingness to be a mentor to young players. On a team with high school standouts with tremendous upside, he’d be an amazing asset for that squad to have.

Reggie Hearn

On a similar vein to the aforementioned Brandon Fields, Hearn has spent the better part of a decade playing pro basketball in the NBA G League. Although he’s only played a total of seven minutes at the NBA level, he’s been the epitome of efficiency over the last few years as someone that can you can count on to shot 40% or better from beyond the arc every single year. This is seen whether you’re talking about his time with the Stockton Kings or with Team USA.

In addition to being a reliable perimeter threat that Daishen Nix or Jalen Green can work the ball to, I’ve only heard rave reviews about his work as a locker room presence. On a team that will have a couple of 18-year-old players fresh off playing high school ball, having a veteran presence like Hearn could only be beneficial.

Jeremy Pargo

After a great run with Santa Cruz and a brief but solid stint with Golden State, it’s safe to say that Jeremy Pargo had an excellent 2019-20 season. That shouldn’t be a shock to people that have been following his career as the 6’2 point guard spent the previous few years filling up his passport by playing in China, Italy, Russia, and Israel. That level of experience as a world-traveled baller that has been solid at every level is one of the reasons why he’d be a solid fit as a veteran for this team.

In addition to his experience as a player, Jeremy Pargo has publicly stated his interest in being a mentor to young talent and eventually becoming a coach when his playing career is over. Being on this team will be a tremendous chance for him as he could take Daishen Nix and/or Jalen Green under his wing.