Another NBA G-League season is about to begin and as in previous years, the talent on team rosters is quite high.
The league's season opener will be played at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio, where the Cavaliers' affiliated team, the Charge, will receive a visit from the Motor City Cruise.
After a tough 2021/22 season, the Charge will be looking to make some noise in the G-League with a different roster. Despite losing NBA veterans like Justin James, Tacko Fall and Norvel Pelle, Cleveland's front office did a great job recruiting players this season.
New roster for Cleveland
Among some of the new members of the Ohio organization are the Brazilian Didi Louzada as well as the young talent Sharife Cooper. Also of note will the appearance of Cavaliers starlet Evan Mobley's brother, Isaiah Mobley.
Louzada was a second-round pick in the 2019 draft and has appeared in a total of 12 NBA games since then, averaging 3.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest.
The 21-year-old Cooper was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in last year's draft but couldn't consistently prove himself in the NBA. Now, he hopes to be able to return to the association after showcasing his talent in the G-League.
Eyeing the Cruise
An affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, the Cruise will be looking for more success after they finished with the fourth-best record in the league last season.
The player to watch this season for the Motor City will be undrafted guard Keifer Sykes, who made a lot of noise after putting in big performances for the NBA's Indiana Pacers last year.
Sykes, who graduated from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, averaged 5.6 points in the 32 games he played with the Pacers. The 28-year-old posted his best NBA performance last February, when he scored 22 points in the Pacers' loss to the New York Knicks.
History
This year, a record 234 players, making up a record 47% of opening night NBA rosters, had G-League experience. Also, all 30 NBA teams feature at least four players who have played in the development league.
This speaks to the importance of the league as well as the great talent out there waiting for an opportunity at the next level.
