Ignite Update: One Last Look at the Prospects From Program's Final Season
The G League Ignite concept has officially come to an end, but there's still plenty of premier talents that will emerge from the 2-32 team that struggled this season.
While the G League Ignite concept was a fantastic idea at the time of inception, the landscape of the sport for young prospects has completely changed over the past few years. With the introduction of NIL and other alternate routes to the NBA in which financial compensation is in surplus, the NBA recently announced that Ignite is shutting down.
This season's roster featured upwards of eight players with the talent to be selected in the next two drafts, but the team itself was not competitive against G League competition. In fact, Ignite's 2-23 record was the worst in the league by a wide margin.
Even then, it was an exciting season as it related to the individual prospects on the team. There was plenty of inconsistency throughout the 2023-24 campaign, but the future NBA talents throughout the roster were able to showcase their upside in a variety of ways.
Let's take a look at how each of the top prospects from G League Ignite's final season performed.
Ron Holland
29 GP | 19.5 PPG | 6.7 RPG | 2.3 SPG | 46.0% FG
His season was shut down early due to injury, but Holland was without a doubt Ignite's best player all season. Although he struggled with turnovers this season and wasn't always the most efficient, Holland's motor and defensive upside make him well worth a top-three selection in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Matas Buzelis
34 GP | 14.1 PPG | 6.6 RPG | 1.9 APG | 45.5% FG
It took him some time to adjust to the NBA 3-point line, but Buzelis made it clear that his shooting will translate at the next level. He has remarkable positional size on the wing and will be a lottery pick in June's draft.
Tyler Smith
43 GP | 13.7 PPG | 5.1 RPG | 1.3 APG | 48.0 % FG
Smith had a phenomenal season in the G League, showing off his unique blend of power, physicality and modern tools. A lefty shooter with a knack for being in the right place at the right time, he is a solidified first-round talent at this point.
Izan Almansa
48 GP | 10.5 PPG | 7.1 RPG | 1.4 APG | 54.9% FG
Although he's been a remarkable talent in FIBA play for years and even OTE competition last season, the G League campaign wasn't necessarily Almansa's best showing. He still has tremendous upside, but will need to have a productive pre-draft process to go as high as scouts once believed he could.
Babacar Sane
31 GP | 10.5 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 0.5 SPG | 44.1% FG
Sane does a lot of the little things well and projects to be a role player at the next level. He's extremely stong and has a unique skillset, but it will take being brought into the right NBA system for him to thrive.
London Johnson
36 GP | 10.6 PPG | 5.1 APG | 2.3 RPG | 41.1% FG
In his second year with Ignite, Johnson really took a leap in the right direction. He is more of a backup-caliber point guard at this point, but could certainly develop into an NBA starter one day with his passing upside,
Thierry Darlan
45 GP | 5.4 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 0.6 SPG | 37.2% FG
Darlan has lottery talent, but is still extremely raw and at least another year away from being a real contributor at the NBA level. With Ignite shutting down, it will be interesting to see what his next step is. He ultimately has one of the highest ceilings on this Ignite roster, but needs more time to develop.
Dink Pate
31GP | 8.0 PPG | 3.6 APG | 2.9 RPG | 34.8% FG
Another player with an unclear future is Pate, who joined Ignite on a two-year deal at 17 years old and isn't eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft due to his age. He was set to play another season in the G League before entering the 2025 NBA Draft, but he'll have several options moving forward as another stepping stone before being a potential first rounder in the summer of 2025.
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