One of the great parts of cheering for a team like Florida is that following the careers of players doesn’t have to stop once their time in Gainesville finishes, with many Gators going on to play the sport at the highest level.
In a previous article I spotlighted where different Gators are playing around the world, but for this article we’re going to focus on the guys still in America–players competing in the NBA and the G League.
To start, let’s look at the guys waiting to get their shot at the NBA–the guys currently in the G League.
Zyon Pullin actually got his chance in the NBA with 3 games for the Grizzlies, and that was due to his incredible season in the G League that saw him average 20.9 points and 6.1 assists per game. The pace, physicality, and spacing of the G League has worked brilliantly for Pullin’s style of play and he has instantly had a huge impact. He’ll now hope to turn those 3 NBA games into a lot more the upcoming season.
Keyontae Johnson also had a monster season in the G League averaging 17.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Greensboro Swarm.
Tyrese Samuel played for the Valley Suns, putting up 10.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Osayi Osifo carved out a nice role with the Austin Spurs averaging 7.3 rebounds and 7.5 rebounds per game. Alex Fudge got into 9 games with the South Bay Lakers, while Chris Walker appeared in 18 games with the Osceola Magic where he didn’t see much action.
In terms of NBA action, discussion should probably start with Andrew Nembhard who played a pivotal role with the Indiana Pacers knocking down shots and playing elite defense on MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the NBA Finals. There was even discussion at one point that if the Pacers won the Championship that Nembhard could be Finals MVP, though it was the Thunder that were ultimately victorious.
Leading the way in NBA scoring for former Gators was Bradley Beal who averaged 17 a game for the Phoenix Suns. It was a disappointing year for the Suns who will have some difficult decisions to make in the offseason, but Beal is definitely still able to put the ball in the hoop.
A sad story this season was the injury to Tre Mann who had his season ended after just 13 games due to a back injury. After being traded to Charlotte from Oklahoma City, Mann was able to have a much bigger role as a scorer as he averaged 14.1 points per game before the injury. Recently Charlotte chose not to give Mann a qualifying offer–making him an interesting free agent.
The ageless wonder Al Horford is not only still playing a lot of minutes for a winning team in the Boston Celtics, but he’s looking good doing so. His 9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game might not jump off the page, but his mobility on the defensive end is still magnificent and a wonder to behold.
Dorian Finney-Smith, who was undrafted, has now played in 591 career NBA games and has carved out a fantastic role for multiple franchises as a reliable 3-and-D wing. He averaged 8.7 points per game between the Lakers and Nets.
Colin Castleton ended up playing 26 games in the NBA after dominating the G League with his length and defensive ability, particularly in the pick and roll. After appearing for Philadelphia and Memphis, Castleton ultimately ended up on the Toronto Raptors who really liked his game–enough to offer him a multi-year contract. Look for him to get some regular minutes this upcoming season.
With three Gators picked in the NBA Draft, look for there to be even more Florida NBA action this upcoming season. Multiple of these players will also be competing in the NBA Summer League in the next two weeks, so look for updates from there.