The NBA G-League Showcase Begins!
The 14th annual NBA G-League showcase began on January 10th and will run through January 13th in Mississauga, Ontario–home of the Raptors 905–for the second year in a row. The league’s yearly scouting event will feature 26 games over the course of four days.
The Showcase will be split between two courts: Hershey Centre, the home court of Raptors 905, and Mississauga SportZone complex. There will be seven games on each of the first three days and five games on the last day.
The Showcase is a premier event for many G-League players, because it gives them a chance to shine in front of NBA scouts and General Managers. In fact, it was specifically designed to make it easier for NBA scouts to see the best players that the entire league has to offer in a short span of time. Also, the event is conveniently placed in a position during the season where NBA teams are allowed to sign free agents to 10-day contracts. A handful of players are usually signed during or immediately after the 26-game Showcase. Over 50 G-League players have been called-up to the NBA over the past 13 seasons from this event.
The popularity of this event has grown since its induction, due to so many potential stars rising from the ranks to full-time NBA contributors. Players like Nets guard Jeremy Lin, Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Heat center Hassan Whiteside, and newly acquired Rockets swingman Gerald Green are among the veterans of this Showcase.
By Joshua Hamer