Three Salt Lake City Stars Players Receive All-NBA G League Honors
April 19, 2024 - NBA G League (G League)
Salt Lake City Stars News Release
SALT LAKE CITY - The NBA G League announced Thursday that Utah Jazz assignment players Kenneth Lofton Jr. and Darius Bazley, along with Jazz Two-Way guard Jason Preston, have received All-NBA G League honors.
Lofton Jr. and Preston were selected to the 2024 All-NBA G League First Team, while Bazley received NBA G League All-Defensive Team and All-NBA G League Second Team honors. This marks the first time since the 2019-20 season that a Salt Lake City Stars player has received All-G League First Team honors, while marking the first time in team history that a player has been selected to the G League's All-Defensive Team.
Lofton Jr. finished second in the league in scoring, averaging 25.1 points on 58.3 percent from the field and 32.0 percent from behind the arc. The Port Arthur, Texas, native averaged 23.4 points and grabbed 10.3 rebounds, with 4.8 assists over his eight appearances (all starts) while on assignment with the Stars during the regular season.
During the regular season, Preston appeared in 26 games for the Stars (all starts), averaging 16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per contest. The Jazz two-way guard was named the NBA G League Player of the Month for March after securing five triple-doubles in the month, and averaging a triple-double with 19.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 11.8 assists. He was also selected as the league's Player of the Week for March 4-10. The G League's regular season leader in assists (9.7) as well as both double-doubles (22) and triple-doubles (9) helped guide the Stars to an 11-game winning streak and a playoff berth.
Bazley was a defensive force in the G League, finishing tied for fourth on the league leaderboard for blocks (2.1) to go with 19 points and nine rebounds per game on the season. During his seven games on assignment with Salt Lake City, the Boston native totaled 10 blocked shots, while averaging 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, as the Stars went 6-1. The All-Defensive Team honoree then led the Stars with 30 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two blocks in their playoff game at Santa Cruz on April 2.
Lofton Jr. and Preston become the fourth and fifth players since 2014-15 (when the Jazz entered single-affiliation with the Stars) to earn All-NBA G League First Team honors, while Bazley is the team's first All-Second Team recipient as well as the first All-Defensive Team selection.
The Stars finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 20-14 record after closing the season as winners of 11 of their final 12 games (including 11 straight) to earn a spot in the G League Playoffs for the second straight season.
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NBA G League Stories from April 19, 2024
- Three Salt Lake City Stars Players Receive All-NBA G League Honors - Salt Lake City Stars
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