The 2021–22 NBA G League season was the 21st season of the
NBA G League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the Minor league#Basketball, developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of ...
, the official
minor league basketball organization owned by the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(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
Bay Lake is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 29 at the 2020 census. It is named after a lake that lies east of Magic Kingdom. All four of the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, and one of Walt Disney Worl ...
, in similar to the
2020 NBA Bubble due to the ongoing restrictions during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The 2021–22 season consisted of two phases: a Showcase Cup from November 5 to December 22, with all 30 teams participating before 28 of the league teams underwent a traditional regular season intended to span 36 games for each team from January 5 to April 2 before postseason. Untimely postponements, however, would lead to a varying level of games played before the end of the season, which meant roughly 31-35 games were played by each team.
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 played during the Showcase Cup from November 5 to December 22 and were not able to play any home games in
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
.
*The Canton Charge relocated to
Cleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
to play at
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in oper ...
's
Wolstein Center and were re-branded as the
Cleveland Charge.
*The
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
purchased and relocated the
Northern Arizona Suns
The Motor City Cruise are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Detroit, and are affiliated with the Detroit Pistons. The Cruise play their home games at Wayne State Fieldhouse. The franchise began play as the Long ...
franchise to become the
Motor City Cruise with home games in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
at
Wayne State Fieldhouse.
*The
New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
relocated their franchise, previously playing as the Erie BayHawks, to
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Jefferson County, Alabama, Jefferson County. The population was 200,733 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List ...
, as the
Birmingham Squadron following the renovation of
Legacy Arena.
*The
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
rebranded their affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, as the
Maine Celtics.
*The
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
affiliated with the Grand Rapids Drive, which had previously been affiliated with the Pistons, and the Drive rebranded as the
Grand Rapids Gold.
*Divisions were abolished in place of having the top six teams of each conference make the postseason (the last season with divisions was the
2019–20 NBA G League season, as the 2020–21 season had the top eight of the eighteen teams make the playoffs).
Additionally, the
Westchester Knicks
The Westchester Knicks are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in White Plains, New York, and are affiliated with the New York Knicks. The Knicks play their home games at Westchester County Center in White Plains, N ...
temporarily relocated their home games from
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city in and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is an inner suburb of New York City, and a commercial hub of Westchester County, a densely populated suburban county that is home to about one milli ...
, to
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the List of cities in New England by population, fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Loc ...
, as their home arena, the
Westchester County Center, was still being used as a COVID-19 vaccination site. The Capitanes de Ciudad de México also set up their season in
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
as a temporary home for this season in order to play in the G League this season without circumventing border restrictions at the time.
The league changed its season format to be played in two stages: a 14-game Showcase Cup and then an intended 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 April 2, 2022.''
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Playoffs
* Quarterfinals: April 5 (one game)
* Semifinals: April 7/8 (one game)
* Conference Finals: April 9 & 10 (one game)
* Finals: April 12 & April 14 (best-of-three)
For the fifth time in the best-of-three series era and for the first time since
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
, a team went undefeated in postseason play, as the Rio Grande Valley Vipers went 4–0 to win their fourth league title, defeating the
Delaware Blue Coats in two games. The Vipers set a couple of records during the G League Finals, most notably in Game 1 when they scored 145 points in a 145–128 victory, which was the most points scored by a team in G League Finals history.
Trevelin Queen scored 44 points, the second most scored in a Final; two
triple-doubles were recorded by the Vipers:
Daishen Nix scored 31 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists and
Anthony Lamb scored 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. This was the first time a triple-double had been recorded in the League since 2013 and it was the first Finals game to feature two triple-doubles in the same game.
Mfiondu Kabengele recorded eight blocks, a Finals record. The Blue Coats became the first team since the
Santa Cruz Warriors (2013, 2014) to lose back-to-back G League Finals.
Finals boxscore
Statistics
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
The Oklahoma City Blue are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City and are affiliated with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Blue compete in the NBA G League as members of the Western Conference. The Blue play their home games ...
* 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
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
, 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
{{DEFAULTSORT:NBA G