Six Hoosiers on 2024 NBA Playoff Rosters; Kopp in G-League Finals
The play-in tournament begins Tuesday, and six former Indiana Hoosiers are on rosters that will compete in the 2024 NBA playoffs: OG Anunoby (New York Knicks), Thomas Bryant (Miami Heat), Eric Gordon (Phoenix Suns), Jalen Hood-Schifino (Los Angeles Lakers), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Golden State Warriors) and Cody Zeller (New Orleans Pelicans).
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana currently has six former players in the NBA, and all six are on teams that made the 2024 playoffs.
That list includes OG Anunoby (New York Knicks), Thomas Bryant (Miami Heat), Eric Gordon (Phoenix Suns), Jalen Hood-Schifino (Los Angeles Lakers), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Golden State Warriors) and Cody Zeller (New Orleans Pelicans).
The play-in tournament begins Tuesday, and the playoffs begin Saturday. Here's a look at the full playoff bracket.
Indiana had a seventh player in the NBA this year, Victor Oladipo, but he was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies in February as he recovers from a knee injury that kept him out indefinitely all season. He last played for the Miami Heat on April 22, 2023, when he injured his knee during the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Two former Hoosiers play in the NBA G-League: Romeo Langford and Miller Kopp. Langford plays for the Salt Lake City Stars, and he averaged 11.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 37.9% from 3-point range in 17 regular season games this season.
Kopp plays for the Oklahoma City Blue, which is currently competing in the G-League Finals against the Maine Celtics. The series is tied 1-1, and game three is scheduled for Monday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU. Kopp is averaging 8.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 34.9% from 3-point range in 41 total games.
Here's an update on the six Hoosiers in the NBA.
OG Anunoby, New York Knicks
The Knicks earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and will play on Saturday against the winner of the Miami Heat versus Philadelphia 76ers play-in tournament game.
Anunoby leads the six Hoosiers in points per game at 14.7, along with averaging 4.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals. He's developed into a strong 3-point shooter in the NBA, making 38.2% of his attempts in 2023-24, which is the fourth-highest mark in any season of his seven-year career. Anunoby made the NBA All-Defensive second team last season and finished seventh in Defensive Player of the Year voting, as he led the NBA with 128 steals.
Anunoby started all seven seasons of his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors after being selected 23rd overall in 2017, but he was included in a blockbuster trade to the New York Knicks in December. The Raptors sent Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the Knicks in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 second-round pick.
Jan 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8).
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Thomas Bryant, Miami Heat
The Heat are the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, meaning they'll play the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in tournament on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In his seventh NBA season, Bryant is averaging 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 57.7% from the field. He has started four games and played in 38 for the Heat. Last year, he was on the Denver Nuggets team that won the 2023 NBA Finals. Bryant averaged a career-high 14.3 points for the Washington Wizards in 2020-21, and he was the 42nd overall pick by the Utah Jazz in 2017.
Mar 18, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Heat center Thomas Bryant (31).
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Eric Gordon, Phoenix Suns
The Suns are the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference and will face the No. 3 seed Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday in the first round, time and TV to be announced.
Gordon is the longest-tenured Hoosier in the NBA, now in his 16th season. In 24 starts and 68 total games for the Suns in 2023-24, Gordon is averaging 11 points and shooting 37.8% from 3-point range. He was named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2016-17 with the Houston Rockets and finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2008-09. He scored a career-high 22.3 points per game with the Clippers in 2010-11. Gordon ranks 16th in NBA history with 2,208 regular season 3-pointers made, which ranks ninth among active players. He was the seventh overall pick by the Clippers in 2008.
Jan 26, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Gordon (23).
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jalen Hood-Schifino, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers earned the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, so they'll face No. 7 seed New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in tournament on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
Hood-Schifino is out for the season after undergoing back surgery. ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported on March 21 that Hood-Schifino's procedure involved a bulging disk in his back being shaved, and that the Lakers expect him to make a full recovery in the offseason. When healthy, the rookie played in 21 games off the bench and scored 34 total points. He also played 15 games in the G-League for the South Bay Lakers, and averaged 22 points per game while shooting 43.2% from 3-point range. Hood-Schifino was the 17th overall pick by the Lakers in 2023.
Jan 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (0).
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors
The Warriors snuck in the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed, so they'll face the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on TNT.
NBA.com recently projected that Jackson-Davis would make the NBA All-Rookie second team, despite being drafted 57th overall. Jackson-Davis has started 16 games and played in 68 for the Warriors this season, and he's averaging 7.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. Jackson-Davis' 70.2% field goal percentage ranks fourth in the NBA among players with at least 175 attempts, and No. 1 all-time among Hoosiers with at least 300 field goal attempts in a single season.
Feb 23, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Cody Zeller, New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans are the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, and they'll face the Lakers in the play-in tournament on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
In his 11th NBA season, Zeller has played a career-low 7.4 minutes per game in 43 appearances off the bench. He's averaging 1.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 41.9% from the field. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Zeller spent his first eight seasons with Charlotte, then one with Portland, one with Miami and this season with the Pelicans. He averaged a career-high 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds with the Hornets in 2019-20.
Jan 7, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Cody Zeller (40).
Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
