Skyforce in the NBA: Check-In on Alumni, Playoff Edition
April 15, 2022 - NBA G League (G League)
Sioux Falls Skyforce News Release
As the 2022 NBA Playoffs start this weekend, we take a look at 19 Skyforce alumni on their search for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. There are currently 12 former players and seven coaches in eight different organizations throughout the NBA Playoffs with Skyforce ties. Of the 19 alumni, 10 are currently with the first-seed Miami HEAT. First, we dive in with the former players.
KHEM BIRCH | SKYFORCE FORWARD (2014-15)
Birch was a walking double double for the Skyforce in 2014-15. He averaged 11.2 points on 63.5 percent shooting and 9.5 rebounds that season. He had 16 double doubles in 49 (33 starts) games for Sioux Falls. Birch went on a tear down the stretch, where he had 10-plus rebounds in 13-of-15 games.
After the stint with the Skyforce and a year overseas, Birch signed with the Orlando Magic ahead of the 2017-18 season, as he appeared in a combined 62 games between the Orlando and Lakeland Magic that season. Birch spent until the end of the 2020-21 season with the Magic, and then signed with the Toronto Raptors in April 2021. He saw an NBA career-high 11.9 points and 7.6 rebounds for the Raptors, which led to a multi-year deal with the club.
In a reserve role this season with the Raptors, Birch posted 4.5 points on 48.5 percent shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists per 18.0 minutes. He scored in double figures five times this season, with 14 points on 6-8 FGA on Nov. 18 against Utah being his season high.
Toronto is one of the hottest teams in the NBA coming into the playoffs, as they have won eight of its last 10 games. They sit in the fifth seed in the East at 48-34. The highly anticipated matchup against James Harden, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers (51-31) starts on Saturday, with tip-off slated for 5:00 PM on ESPN.
MALIK BEASLEY | SKYFORCE GUARD (2016-17)
Skyforce fans still remember Beasley scoring at a high clip in 2016-17 on Heritage Court, as he delivered 18.9 points on 45.8-percent shooting and added 7.6 rebounds per game. He appeared in 22 games for the Denver Nuggets that season and spent the next two and-a-half seasons with them before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He then signed a four-year, $60 million dollar contract with the Timberwolves ahead of the 2020-21 season.
With his steady shooting off the bench, Beasley is a contributing force that helped Minnesota reach the playoffs for just the second time since 2004. Coming off a career year last season in scoring, Beasley has found his footing yet again this season.
He averaged 12.1 points on 39.1 percent shooting, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 25 minutes per game (18 starts). Beasley shattered the Timberwolves franchise record for most three pointers made in a season (240). He also broke a single game franchise record in three pointers made in a game (11-17 3PA and 33 points) on March 9 against the OKC Thunder. It was also an NBA record for most points in a game scored just on three pointers.
Beasley scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds, while playing a crucial 28 minutes on Tuesday night's NBA Play-In game victory against the Los Angeles Clippers. Beasley and the seventh seeded Wolves travel to face the second seeded Memphis Grizzlies in one of the more intriguing first round matchups. Tip-off is slated for 2:30 PM on ESPN.
JUANCHO HERNANGOMEZ | SKYFORCE FORWARD (2016-17)
Hernangomez played in just one game on assignment from the Denver Nuggets in 2016-17, where he posted 17 points on 6-14 FGA, 11 rebounds and one assist in 25.9 minutes for the Skyforce. He played in 62 games for the Nuggets that season, where he averaged 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 13.6 minutes.
He then went to spend the next two-and-a-half seasons with Denver, before being traded to Minnesota in 2019-20. Hernangomez played with the Wolves until the end of the 2020-21 season.
In 2021-22, Hernangomez played for three teams either in the playoffs or NBA Play-In teams (Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz). He averaged 3.3 points on 41.5 percent shooting, 2.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists per 11.1 minutes (40 appearances) between the teams. Hernangomez had his best game of the season on Sunday for Utah, as he scored 22 points on 8-14 FGA and eight rebounds in a starting role against Portland.
Fifth seeded Utah (49-33) and Hernangomez will face fourth seeded Dallas Mavericks (52-30) on Saturday at noon on ESPN.
TORREY CRAIG | SKYFORCE FORWARD (2017-18)
In 15 games (12 starts) with the Skyforce during the 2017-18 season, Torrey Craig went on a tear. However, Craig's numbers did the talking for him. He averaged 22.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest while donning a Skyforce uniform.
Since then, Craig carved out a successful reserve role for competitive Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns teams over the last few seasons prior to joining the Indiana Pacers ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Craig was then traded back to the Suns at the deadline and averaged 5.9 points on 45 percent shooting, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per 20.8 minutes a game in 27 appearances for Phoenix. In mid-March, Craig went on a four-game stretch of scoring in double figures, as he scored 21 points on 8-8 FGA and grabbed 14 rebounds on Mar. 16 against the Houston Rockets.
Coming into the playoffs, the Suns (64-18), who have the best record in the NBA, have been highly touted as favorites to exit the Western Conference for the NBA Finals. Phoenix and Craig will face the winner of the final Western Conference Play-In game (either New Orleans or the LA Clippers). Tip-off for the first and eighth seeded game is TBD.
Torrey Craig tonight:
21 PTS
14 REB
8-8 FG
3-3 3P
DERRICK JONES, JR. | SKYFORCE FORWARD (2017-18)
Jones Jr. appeared in 13 games for the Skyforce (11 starts) under his two-way contract with the Miami HEAT during the 2017-18 season. His time in Sioux Falls featured significant boosts in his offensive numbers across the board as he averaged career-highs with 19.2 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting over 35 percent form beyond the arc.
After spending 2018-20 with the HEAT, Jones Jr. left for the Portland Trailblazers in free agency, where he averaged 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls on August 28 and has appeared in 51 games (eight starts) for the Bulls this season, averaging 5.6 points on 53.8 percent shooting, 3.3 rebounds and 0.6 assists per 17.6 minutes a game. In mid-November, he posted back-to-back games with 13-plus points scored off the bench for Chicago, while grabbing a combined 11 rebounds.
Despite his short tenure in Sioux Falls, Jones Jr. still stands as a fan favorite to many after providing some of the most prolific highlights in recent history. The 2020 NBA Slam Dunk contestant has continued to impress no matter what uniform he's wore since then, known league-wide as one of the best in-game dunkers.
Jones, Jr. has been a defensive anchor for the Bulls (46-36) this season and has helped with the team reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017. Chicago, who is the sixth-seed, travels to face defending NBA Champion and third seeded Milwaukee Bucks (51-31) on Sunday, with tip-off slated for 5:30 PM on TNT.
DUNCAN ROBINSON | SKYFORCE GUARD (2018-19)
The most prolific and widely known Skyforce alumni continued his improbable journey during the offseason, as he signed a five-year, $90 million deal with the HEAT in August. The deal was the largest commitment to an undrafted player in NBA history. Rightfully so, as Robinson provides so much beyond shooting the deep ball for Miami.
Skyforce fans shouldn't be surprised by that contract, as Robinson lit up the G League and set a franchise record with 152-made three-pointers during the 2018-19 season in just 33 games played, shooting over 48 percent from three-point range in the process.
Robinson took off where he left in Sioux Falls, as his play in 2019-20 helped the HEAT make a run at the NBA Finals. He continued his efficient play in 2020-21, where he posted back-to-back seasons of 13-plus points and 40-plus-percent shooting from beyond the arc.
He posted 10.9 points on 39.9 percent shooting (37.3 percent from deep), 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per 25.9 minutes in 79 games (68 starts) for Miami. Robinson secured 13 games of 20-plus points scored, with his season-high being a 27-point (8-16 3PA) and four-rebound performance against the Suns on Jan. 8.
Miami will look for Robinson's steady hand to make a deep playoff run, with the eyes at a second NBA Finals appearance in the last three seasons. The first seeded HEAT face the winner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks (Friday at 6:30 PM on ESPN). Miami will play at FTX Arena on Sunday, with tip-off TBD.
GABE VINCENT | SKYFORCE GUARD (2019-20)
Gabe Vincent has made the most of a crazy 2021-22 season. The former two-way player for the Miami HEAT has solidified himself as the back-up point guard this season and played crucial minutes in crunch time for the team while they deal with injuries and the league's health and safety protocols.
During the 2019-20 season, Vincent appeared in 11 games with the Skyforce, averaging 16.4 points per game and guiding the Force to a 9-2 record in that span. Vincent was later awarded NBA G League Most Improved Player honors (first ever recipient in Skyforce history) for his efforts that season.
He spent the 2020-21 season on a two-way contract again, doubling down on his selfless play, appearing in 50 games while averaging 4.8 points, 1.3 assists and 1.1 rebounds per contest.
This season Vincent averaged a career-high 8.7 points on 41.7 percent shooting, 1.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 23.4 minutes per game in 68 games (27 starts).
In back-to-back games for Miami in December (27 points on 10-20 FGA on Dec. 17 and 26 points on 7-12 FGA on Dec. 15), Vincent secured his top-two highest scoring outpours.
Vincent will play a vital role for the HEAT on the reserve unit in the playoffs, where his services are used more as a point guard then off-ball, like he was used in Sioux Falls.
Gabe Vincent progress from last year to now
13.1 MPG > 23.4 MPG
4.8 PPG > 8.7 PPG
1.1 RPG > 1.9 RPG
1.3 APG > 3.1 APG
0.4 SPG > 0.9 SPG
0.0 BPG > 0.2 BPG
37.8% FG > 41.7% FG
30.9% 3FG > 36.8% 3FG
2020-21 season he had 2 20+ point games
DAVON REED | SKYFORCE FORWARD (2019-20)
Reed started all 40 games for previous Skyforce Head Coach Eric Glass, where he posted 12.7 points on 38.4 percent shooting, 6.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per 33.5 minutes a game. His play helped put the Force within the G League playoffs before COVID-19 ended the season early.
He started out the 2021-22 season with the Grand Rapids Gold and Reed averaged 15.1 points on 46.5 percent shooting, 8.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists per 35.8 minutes in eight games. His play earned him an NBA Call-Up to the Denver Nuggets on three consecutive hardship 10-day contracts.
The steady hand earned him a two-way contract, where he spent the rest of the regular season with Denver. Reed appeared in 48 games (five starts) for the Nuggets, averaging 4.4 points on 50.3 percent shooting, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per 13.9 minutes. He posted seven games of scoring in double figures, with a 17-point performance on 6-8 FGA on Mar. 7 against Golden State being his season-high.
Though he won't see playing time as a two-way player, Reed will get valuable experience with the sixth seeded Nuggets (48-34). Denver matches up well against third seeded Golden State (53-29) and will face the Warriors in game-one on Saturday at 7:30 PM on ABC.
MAX STRUS | HEAT-TWO WAY GUARD (2020-21)
Despite not playing a game for the Skyforce, Strus has made himself a household name among Miami HEAT fans. The 2020-21 two-way player would have been rostered with the Skyforce if the team played in the 2021 NBA G League Bubble and is an honorable mention for Skyforce alumni in the NBA Playoffs.
He appeared in 39 games as a two-way player, averaging 6.1 points on 45.5 percent shooting, 1.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists per 13.0 minutes a game. His steady play earned him a multi-year deal with Miami in the offseason.
Strus' efficient offensive and defensive tenacity has earned him a spot in the HEAT's starting lineup later in the 2021-22 regular season. The outbreak year has Strus posting 10.6 points on 44.1 percent shooting (41 percent from deep), 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per 23.3 minutes in 68 games (16 starts). He has eight games of 20-plus points scored and on Dec. 17 he posted a career-high 32 points on 8-11 3PA, while grabbing seven rebounds in a victory over Orlando.
Max plays into Miami's playoff success, as he's able to do a little bit of everything at the guard position and his career-high three point shooting this season opens the floor for the rest of the starting unit.
CALEB MARTIN | SKYFORCE FORWARD (2021-22)
Martin, despite being rostered for the Skyforce for the first half of the 2021-22 G League season, didn't step foot in Sioux Falls this season. That's because of high quality impact with the HEAT.
He averaged 9.2 points on 50.7 percent shooing, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per 22.9 minutes in 60 games (12 starts) for Miami this season. Two of his three games scoring 20-plus points came as a two-way player, with a career-high 28 points on 9-12 FGA, eight rebounds and three assists in a victory over the Bucks on Dec. 8. Martin's contract was converted to a standard NBA deal on Feb. 15.
Like Robinson, Vincent and Strus, Martin will play a key role for Miami in the playoffs. Martin is able to guard multiple positions and can hit the three ball.
MYCHAL MULDER | SKYFORCE GUARD (2019-20, 2021-22)
He came, he saw, he conquered. Twice that is. In two different stints with Sioux Falls, Mulder earned NBA Call-Ups.
Skyforce fans will remember Mulder as the one who took the torch from Duncan Robinson in terms of shooting the deep ball. He was on pace to snap Robinson's year-old record for three-pointers made in a single season (152) before a call-up to the Golden State Warriors. Mulder ultimately ended the season with 151 three-pointers made, good enough for second place on the all-time single-season list, in just 39 games played (34 starts).
Mulder spent the 2020-21 season with the Warriors and started this season as a two-way player with the Orlando Magic.
He returned to the Skyforce on March 3 and never looked back. Mulder averaged 16.5 points on 48.5 percent shooting (42.1 percent from deep), 4.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 13 games (12 starts) for the Force this season. He posted three games of 27-plus points and scored a career-high 39 points on 11-17 3PA and added five assists against Rio Grande Valley on March 17. His hot play in March earned him a two-way contract with the HEAT.
Mulder appeared in two games with the HEAT this season, where he posted 11 points, two rebounds and two assists in 42:09 minutes of work in his lone start with the team on Sunday.
Miami will get an extensive look at Mulder over the playoffs and offseason in terms of his future, as he's not eligible to play as a two-way player in the postseason.
JAVONTE SMART | SKYFORCE GUARD (2021-22)
Smart reeled off one of the hottest months in the G League this year and led the Skyforce in multiple offensive categories in 2021-22.
After returning to Sioux Falls after a two-way stint with the Milwaukee Bucks, Javonte Smart averaged 27.7 points (second in the G League with a minimum of four games played) on 48.5 percent shooting (45.7 percent from deep), 4.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists in nine games in February.
His furious February earned him a two-way contract with the Miami HEAT. In total, Smart averaged 21.1 points on 41.7 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per 36.8 minutes in 25 games in the regular season.
Smart posted three-straight games in February of 30-plus points, with 40 points on 8-13 3PA against Rio Grande Valley on Feb. 17.
On Sunday, Smart secured an NBA career-high 20 points on four 3PM, five rebounds and an assist in a loss to the Magic for the HEAT.
At just 22 years old, Smart is still very young in terms of NBA years, and will continue to develop. Being around the team during the playoffs will only speed up his development.
COACHES:
DAVE JOERGER | SKYFORCE HEAD COACH (2004-05)
After a glorious run throughout the 1990s, the Skyforce organization, as well as the CBA, found itself slipping during the early 2000s for several reasons. That changed for Sioux Falls when Dave Joerger stepped in as Head Coach prior to the 2004-05 season. In two seasons at the helm with the Force, Joerger led the franchise to a 61-35 regular season record and a 12-4 record in the CBA playoffs, including a CBA Championship in 2005.
Joerger was on to bigger and better things not long after his tenure with the Force ended in 2006. After a brief stint with the Dakota Wizards, Joerger joined the Memphis Grizzlies as an assistant coach in 2007 where he later earned his first opportunity to head coach in the NBA from 2013-16. After a Grizzlies fall-out in 2016, Joerger was named head coach of the Sacramento Kings from 2016-19.
Currently, Joerger serves as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 2021-22 season marks the second for Joerger in Philadelphia, as he has helped the team secure back-t0-back playoff berths.
OCTAVIO DE LA GRANA | SKYFORCE ASSISTANT COACH (2013-16)
Octavio De La Grana, or "Coach O", as many in the organization call him, has long been regarded as one of the best player developers within the Miami HEAT system. He was tasked with serving as an assistant coach in Sioux Falls during the early stages of the HEAT's single-affiliation partnership with the Force between 2013-16.
Coach O served as the common link between Miami and Sioux Falls development programs, ensuring the same "HEAT Culture" was instilled early in the Skyforce system as well. His mission was successful, culminating in a 2016 NBA G League Championship alongside then-Head Coach Dan Craig before both returned to the Miami HEAT coaching staff on a full-time basis. Coach O has remained in his Player Development role with the HEAT ever since.
CHRIS QUINN | SKYFORCE ASSISTANT COACH (2014-15)
Chris Quinn served as an assistant coach for the Sioux Falls Skyforce under then-Head Coach Phil Weber during the 2014-15 season, a team and staff that finished with a 29-21 record on the year.
It only took Quinn, a former HEAT player turned coach, one season in Sioux Falls to display his talent for developing players. Miami quickly moved him down to South Beach, where he's been since the start of the 2015-16 season under Head Coach Erik Spoelstra.
Now in his seventh season as a member of the HEAT coaching staff, Quinn has worked his way up to one of the lead assistant coaching positions and has become an asset to the coaching group.
Quinn filled in for Spoelstra at the end of the season, while he was in the league's health and safety protocols, and helped guide the team to a 3-0 record during the stretch.
DAN CRAIG | SKYFORCE HEAD COACH (2015-16)
Dan Craig put together not just the greatest season in Skyforce franchise history, but one of the greatest single seasons in NBA G League history, as well, when he led his team to a 40-10 regular season record before nearly sweeping his way to an NBA G League Title during the 2015-16 season.
Craig rightfully won NBA G League Coach of the Year honors for his efforts that season and was a big reason why then-Skyforce GM Adam Simon was awarded G League Executive of the Year, along with players DeAndre Liggins and Jarnell Stokes winning G League Defensive Player of the Year and G League MVP respectively. His team not only nearly ran the table in overall record and playoff victories...it nearly ran the table with the G League awards as well.
Craig was quickly pulled back to the NBA coaching ranks where he served as an Assistant Coach under Erik Spoelstra with the Miami HEAT until the summer of 2020, when another opportunity called. Craig took a leap and joined the Los Angeles Clippers as Associate Head Coach to Head Coach Tyronn Lue.
There's no shortage of championship pedigree amongst the coaches that the organization brought in to lead its star-studded roster. Despite missing Kawhai Leonard for the whole regular season and Paul George until the last couple weeks, the Clippers were able to sneak into the NBA Play-In Tournament and held a double-digit lead over the Timberwolves in the fourth, but fell, and play New Orleans at 9:00 PM tonight on TNT for a spot to face the Suns in the first round.
ANTHONY CARTER | FORMER SKYFORCE ASSISTANT COACH (2016-18)
After two seasons as an assistant coach for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Anthony Carter jumped at an opportunity to become a Player Development Coach for the Miami HEAT prior to the 2018-19 season and has been with the NBA club since.
It didn't take Carter long to establish himself as one of the best player development coaches around during his time with the Skyforce, and the HEAT wasted no time in snatching him up (as they so often do with young coaches who show promise). Carter's 13-year playing career boosts his credibility with any young player coming into the league, and he's become a staple on the HEAT bench now in his fourth season since making the leap.
ERIC GLASS | SKYFORCE HEAD COACH (2019-20)
Miami HEAT assistant coach Eric Glass marks the most recent departure among former Skyforce coaches, having served as Skyforce Head Coach during the 2019-20 season prior to the league's early shut-down due to COVID-19. Glass and his Force roster had hit their stride at just the right time, representing one of the league's best teams in 2020 before the season was cut short.
Glass had Sioux Falls in position to make the playoffs for the first time since winning the 2016 NBA G League Championship. That would have been a breath of fresh air for players, staff and fans who have become used to "championship basketball" over the last three decades in Sioux Falls.
Now, Glass serves as a player development coach within the HEAT system, becoming the next of many great Skyforce coaches to re-join the HEAT bench following a strong stint in the NBA G League. The 2021-22 season marks his second in his role.
JARRETT JACK | SKYFORCE GUARD (2018-20)
There was no shock within the basketball community when Jarrett Jack joined Monty Williams staff for the Phoenix Suns ahead of the 2021-22 season. Jack, who is in his first-year coaching, played 13 years in the NBA and three in the NBA G League before turning his attention to the sideline.
In his two seasons with the Skyforce, Jack was the ultimate pro, and a coach on the court. Jack played in one game in 2018-19 for Sioux Falls, scoring 21 points on 52.9 percent shooting and added seven assists before getting injured and had to miss the remainder of the season. He came back with vengeance in 2019-20, averaging 15.6 points on 51.7 percent shooting, five assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. He scored 20-plus points in seven-of-his-last-nine games in a Skyforce uniform, helping put the Skyforce in position for a playoff run and himself for a potential NBA Call-Up. He played for the inaugural G League Ignite team in the 2020-21 G League Bubble in Atlanta, Georgia as the team's veteran presence and quarterback on the floor.
Being a player and person of his caliber, Jack has glided in his role with the Suns, as he and former Force guard Torrey Craig await the final of the last Western Conference Play-In Game.
NBA G League Stories from April 15, 2022
- Vipers Crowned 2022 NBA G League Champions - Rio Grande Valley Vipers
- Skyforce in the NBA: Check-In on Alumni, Playoff Edition - Sioux Falls Skyforce
- Blue Coats Fall to Vipers in Game 2 - Delaware Blue Coats
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
