G League Bubble Update: Westchester Knicks start off hot

The Westchester Knicks open their season with a win and potential draft target Jonathan Kuminga shows flashes in his G League debut.

The Knicks did not play on Wednesday night, but the Knicks did. OK, let’s be more specific. The New York Knicks did not play, but their G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, opened up their stay in the bubble with a win over the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Three Westchester players recorded double-doubles and four players put up 16 or more points. Jared Harper led the way with 13 assists and 31 points, two of which came on this monstrous dunk.

RELAX, HARP ?#WatchUsRise pic.twitter.com/Txcx9Qz8iA

— Westchester Knicks (@wcknicks) February 10, 2021

But Harper wasn’t the only one who turned in a big game. Ignas Brazdeikis put up 28 points and 15 rebounds. The second-year player out of Michigan has yet to see much time at the NBA level, but he’s been a stud in the G League and summer league since being drafted by the Knicks. If he can ever translate his confidence, physicality, and shooting to the NBA, he can be a legitimate rotation player.

James Young also hit 20 points and Seton Hall graduate Myles Powell added 16 points off the bench. The Knicks run it back on Thursday at 3 p.m. against the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate.

Westchester is set to play 15 games in less than a month. Following the 15-game schedule, the top eight teams will advance to a single-elimination tournament to crown a G League bubble champion.

Around The G League

With the condensed schedule in the bubble, this G League season is going to happen in the blink of an eye. Obviously, Knicks fans are fixed on Westchester’s season, but the G League’s Ignite team is one to keep an eye on as well.

The Ignite is a roster with a nice mix of NBA veterans and draft-eligible players. Jonathan Kuminga is a projected top-five pick in next year’s draft and he showed why on Wednesday afternoon. The Patrick School product led his team to a victory over the Santa Cruz Warriors with 19 points and four assists.

In the @nbagleague Ignite teams' first game at the bubble in #Orlando 6-foot-8 Jonathan Kuminga proved to be too big, strong or quick for anyone on @GLeagueWarriors to matchup with. The versatile forward showed his upside as a creator all game long, according to @DraftExpress pic.twitter.com/RAPRD40CTE

— DraftExpressContent (@DXContent) February 10, 2021

Depending on where the Knicks end up in the draft, Kuminga is an intriguing option as a forward who can create for himself and his teammates.

Oh, and former Knick Jarrett Jack went for 23 points on 9-for-10 shooting. Say what you want about Jack, but the guy just loves the game of basketball. It’s safe to assume we will see Jack on the sidelines as a coach at some point in the future, but for now, he’s still out there hooping.

In other news, the Long Island Nets edged out the Iowa Wolves. Long Island were led by B.J. Johnson, who scored 24 points, but it was a team effort in the win. The Nets had seven different players score in double figures.