New York Knicks’ rookie Ignas Brazdeikis has left his mark on the NBA’s G-League. It’s been hard for the New York Knicks to find bright spots in yet another frustrating season, but Brazdeikis has been one of them. Let’s look at how Iggy has been able to put up big numbers at just 21 years old.
Brazdeikis is a dynamic scorer.
Iggy is averaging 20.9 points per game for the Westchester Knicks. He is currently the 14th highest scorer in the entire G League. Of the top 15 scorers, he is just one of two players under the age of 22. So how has he been able to generate so much offense?
He’s great at creating space.
Brazdeikis’ scouting report from nbadraft.net says,
“A natural scorer, very aggressive in finding ways to get points … Has elite touch on his drives … Has the NBA-coveted ability to create his own shot … Makes the most of his natural athletic gifts.â€
All of those abilities have translated to the G League. Brazdeikis has been able to take guys off of the dribble and generate instant offense like a seasoned pro.
He’s also taken great strides as a playmaker. Brazdeikis was averaging 1.6 assists per game from November-December. In January-February, he bumped that number up to 4.1 assists per game.
Using his combination of high basketball IQ and lengthy wingspan, Brazdeikis has become a multi-threat weapon on offense. Even more importantly, he’s been effective as both an isolation scorer and a spot-up shooter. He thrives with and without the ball.
Iggy still has a long way to go on defense, but there’s hope. He’s been an incredibly willing learner, and his 6’9 wingspan can help him become a disruptive defender in the future.
Despite being drafted by a team with no playoff hopes and a logjam of playing time, Iggy has benefited from being able to play 33.5 minutes per game in the G League. Perhaps this is a lesson for the Knicks: Letting young players play through their mistakes and learn is actually good for their development.
Hopefully, Iggy gets a chance to shine with Knicks soon.