2021–22 NBA G League Season

The 2021–22 NBA G League season is the 21st season of the NBA G League, the official minor league basketball organization owned by the National Basketball Association (NBA). The prior season, the league played a shortened season with 18 teams and all games were held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Bay Lake, Florida, in similar to the 2020 NBA Bubble due to the ongoing restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021–22 season consists of the Showcase Cup from November 5 to December 22 with all 30 teams participating. Following the showcase, 28 of the league's teams began a traditional regular season from January 5 to April 2 followed by playoffs.

League changes

The NBA G League added one new team, had three teams relocate, and two teams rebrand for the 2021–22 season:
*The Capitanes de Ciudad de México were initially planned to start playing in the G League for the 2020–21 season, but pushed back their debut in the G League to the 2021–22 season due to the pandemic. As the travel restrictions continued in the scheduling of the 2021–22 season, the Capitanes will only play during the Showcase Cup from November 5 to December 22 and will not be able to play any home games.
*The Canton Charge relocated to Cleveland to play at Cleveland State University's Wolstein Center and were re-branded as the Cleveland Charge.
*The Detroit Pistons purchased and relocated the Northern Arizona Suns franchise to become the Motor City Cruise with home games in Detroit at Wayne State Arena.
*The New Orleans Pelicans relocated their franchise, previously playing as the Erie BayHawks, to Birmingham, Alabama, as the Birmingham Squadron following the renovation of Legacy Arena.
*The Boston Celtics rebranded their affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, as the Maine Celtics.
*The Denver Nuggets affiliated with the Grand Rapids Drive, which had previously been affiliated with the Pistons, and the Drive rebranded as the Grand Rapids Gold.

Additionally, the Westchester Knicks temporarily relocated their home games from White Plains, New York, to Bridgeport, Connecticut, as their home arena, the Westchester County Center, was still being used as a COVID-19 vaccination site.

The league changed its season format to be played in two stages: a 14-game Showcase Cup and then a 36-game regular season with a playoff. All 30 teams played in the Showcase Cup that ended with the NBA G League Winter Showcase on the weekend of December 19 to 22. The regular season was then set to start on December 27, but was then pushed back to January 5. The league standings reset for the start of the regular season for qualifying for the playoffs. The NBA G League Ignite and Capitanes de Ciudad de México will not participate in the regular season or playoffs, but will play a few exhibition games that do not count towards the other teams standings.

Other changes

This season is the first for Wilson as the G League's official ball brand. On May 14, 2020, the NBA announced a multi-year partnership with Wilson as the manufacturer and supplier of G League game balls, to succeed Spalding, which supplied the league since 2001 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL).

Winter Showcase

Standings

Central

East

South

West

Showcase Cup

Final results.

Statistics

Regular season

As of January 17, 2022.

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Awards

Player of the Week

Player of the Month

Winter Showcase

Most Valuable Player

* Jarron Cumberland, Delaware Blue Coats

All-Showcase Team

* F, Paris Bass, South Bay Lakers
* F, D.J. Wilson, Oklahoma City Blue
* F/C, Cheick Diallo, Motor City Cruise
* G, Jarron Cumberland, Delaware Blue Coats
* G, Cat Barber, College Park Skyhawks

Notable occurrences

* On December 26, 2021, Deividas Sirvydis of the Motor City Cruise received a call-up by the Detroit Pistons, making him the 64th player to be called up that season and breaking the record of 63 call-ups in the 2014–15 season.

References

External links

Official website

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