Not So Fast, Bol Bol Will Be In Good Hands In G League

Denver rookie will still find development in G League

On the surface it would appear the hits keep coming for Bol Bol. After being projected as a near-top lottery pick coming out of college, the University of Oregon alum saw his draft stock tumble. He was ultimately selected 44th overall by the Miami Heat as part of a trade deal that sent him to the Nuggets.

Now, it appears Bol Bol will sign a two-way contract with Denver, despite the team not having its own G League affiliate. According to Jeff Siegel of Early Bird Rights, it’s a two-year deal (the max allowed) which left some fans scratching their heads.

And while no decision has been made as to where he will be headed during the G League season on flex assignment, many fans are lamenting the idea that whomever picks him up will not be as invested in his development as they would other players.

That may be perhaps true on the surface level, but as you dig deeper and peel back the layers, you find that’s simply not the case.

One example many people point to is Bruno Caboclo. With the Raptors still without their own G League team then, Caboclo was shipped off to Fort Wayne, who was the last remaining non-affiliated G League franchise remaining (out of 18 teams).

Caboclo would appear in just seven games during his assignment, averaging just over eight minutes per contest in that span. Worthwhile development? Hardly. But that team did not have interest in developing Caboclo because they were not directly affiliated with the organization. Also, Caboclo was an extremely raw talent according to many reports and did not warrant the playing time.

It’s a double-edge sword in that instance. When a team is looking to be competitive and win, and has nothing to gain by developing a player since they aren’t affiliated with an NBA team, then yes obviously that argument holds merit. But the G League is a far cry from what it was back during the 2014–15 season.

The 2019–20 season will tip-off with a record 28 teams, all of which are affiliated with a single NBA club. And yes, Denver is still one of two teams (‘sup Portland?) without their own G League franchise. But despite that, they’ve found a way to find success when developing players in the G League via two-way flex assignment.

The Nuggets have utilized a number of teams for their two-way players including Rio Grande Valley (Houston), Sioux Falls (Miami), Capital City (Washington), and the Blue Coats (Philadelphia). They are not afraid to send players across the league. But there may be a misconception among fans as far as the process goes.

It’s not a coincidence Monte Morris was assigned to the Vipers back during the 2017 season. In an interview with the media, Morris said the Nuggets wanted him to play with RGV specifically to work on his three-point shot.

In 37 games with the Vipers, Morris averaged 18 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 34.4% from long distance on 4.9 attempts per game.

It was enough for Morris to have his two-way converted into a standard contract for the following season. But there is more to this story than simply assigning a player to a given team.

The question becomes, is another NBA team invested in the success of developing a player for another team? It’s complicated.

When it comes to flex assignment, NBA teams (Portland and Denver) offer their two-way players up to the league. Those G League teams can put their franchise name as a party interested in taking on the assignment, at which point those previous NBA teams can choose where that player goes.

But those conversations begin before the player is even sent to the G League. Communication is key when it comes to relationships, and that is no exception for two-way players from Denver.

While those decisions are made by NBA front offices, the G League staff will still need to act professional when it comes to developing a player. As many people will tell you in the NBA, networking is key when it comes to success. So an opportunity for the Rio Grande Valley staff to work alongside Denver’s front office offers an immeasurable opportunity for those in the G League.

It’s not just players looking for call-ups. Coaches, assistants, general managers, and trainers are all looking for opportunities of their own, and there’s no reason to close the door when one like this comes knocking.

That is to say nothing is given when it comes to those two-way flex assignments, they still need to earn their minutes and opportunity. For Morris, that came when he was assigned during training camp with the Vipers. That allowed him to develop chemistry with the rest of the team, and also buy into the coaching staff as well.

The chemistry grew with the team so much that Morris was texting his Vipers teammates while he was with Denver during the season. That early buy-in was crucial for Morris’ success and we’ll likely see a similar situation with Bol as well, staying with one team for a majority of the season. If Bol begins to bounce around the G League with multiple franchises that may be a cause for concern. Fans should not be sounding the alarms just yet.

The Nuggets would even send personnel with the Vipers during the season to check on the development of Morris as well as Tyler Lydon throughout the season. There is this misconception for some reason that phones stop working and teams don’t communicate with one another once a player is assigned. The open lines of communication between both teams is what allowed Morris to flourish.

Is it preferred for a team to have their own G League affiliate? Sure, but the Nuggets have been up to the task when it comes to flex assignment and fans should not be concerned about Bol’s development for the upcoming season.

As far as where he will go? I am going to couch this by explicitly stating that it is pure speculation at this point, but a team that comes to the top of my list is the Santa Cruz Warriors.

The Sea Dubs just spent a full season developing Alen Smailagic, the 39th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. They had a vested interest in his development and it showed this past season. Santa Cruz has had a knack for developing bigs including Damion Jones. There is also an existing relationship there with Nuggets head coach Mike Malone serving as an assistant from 2011–13.

Other teams that come to mind are the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, whom also have a track record of developing larger talent including Montrezl Harrell, Isaiah Hartenstein, Clint Capela, and Chinanu Onuaku. I am not positive Bol is a perfect fit within the run-and-gun system the Vipers tout but the proof is in the pudding with their power forward and center development.

It’s certainly not ideal for Bol Bol’s career trajectory to plummet so quickly and sharply, but let’s pump the brakes and suggest this is the death knell for his career. Denver has enough equity built up from their previous two-way contracts that they appear to know exactly what they are doing.

Bottom line, if coaches and staff are invested in their own careers, they are by proxy invested in Bol Bol’s development as well.