While assignment players and two-ways typically generate whatever intrigue there is in the G League, there’s often a lot more than that going on down on the NBA’s farm. Just below those players are those who might be described as diamonds-in-the-rough development projects, fallen angels looking for a better fit, late bloomers hoping to get noticed or just hoopers looking for steady work.
Speaking to NetsDaily at Long Island’s Media Day, first-year head coach Shawn Swords amplified the team’s goal
of developing every player on the roster whether they’re Brooklyn players on assignment, two-ways, Exhibit 10s or local tryouts … no matter how old or how young.
“I think I try to take the age out of it,” he said. “Just the younger players, they have more years to try and get better. But for each player, each staff member, to be honest, we’re trying to make them a little bit better. We’re not a finished product.”
Bottom line: whatever opportunity is out there for players, the Nets G League staff wants to develop them. Some of that strategy is about finding gems, some of it is about developing good will in the larger basketball community.
This season is no exception. There’s players like Isaiah Wong, a 25-year-old guard with more than 20 games of NBA experience and a successful season in the Spanish League as well as 23-year-olds like Wooga Poplar, a 6’5” shooting guard who was a four-star recruit out of high school and Jonathan Pierre, a 6’9” wing with development upside but still looking to put it all together in the G.
With that in mind, here are four players to watch throughout Long Island’s season, which kicks off on November 6, with their home opener on November 13.
Jonathan Pierre
Pierre has one of the more intriguing basketball backgrounds among players on Long Island’s roster. A late bloomer who started high school at 5’10” before growing into 6’7” by college and is now 6’9”, where he was a D-II Champion at Nova Southeastern before transferring to Memphis and then Belmont.
While his growth spurt has turned him into a wing, many of the tendencies that come with being a guard have stuck with him.
“Definitely my cerebral vision,” Pierre told ND when asked what carried over from his time as a guard at the high school level.
During his final collegiate stop, at Belmont, he flashed fascinating upside. Pierre ranked in the 87th percentile in scoring efficiency as a pick-and-roll ball handler while making 37.8% of his catch-and-shoot threes on 156 attempts. He was also 46.2% on three-point attempts as a screener, though on a 13-attempt sample.
No Ceilings NBA even dubbed him a “definite” top-60 prospect for his draft class in 2025. He didn’t get drafted but still has fans.
Pierre’s first year in the G wasn’t very inspiring, averaging just 5.8 points and 2.9 rebounds throughout 14.9 minutes in 34 games for the Washington Wizards affiliate.. However, the development intrigue and room for growth are palpable, which makes him an interesting player.
Watch how he fits into Long Island’s lineup. His contributions off the ball will be key, as he won’t always have the opportunity to be utilized as the ball handler in pick-and-roll situations. If he can make an impact early on without the ball in his hands, particularly with his size and length on defense while doing the dirty work, opportunities should start to open up for the 23-year-old.
D.J. Rodman
D.J. Rodman, the son of NBA Hall-of-Famer Dennis Rodman, knows exactly the kind of player he wants to become, quite different from his father’s game.
“I would just say a guy that’s easy to play with,” he told ND. “A guy that can really play with any lineup. A guy that is really unselfish.”
Although he’s played in just 16 G League games over two seasons, the 6’6” 25-year-old has knocked down 55.9% of his attempts from 3-point range. That alone is worth a look, and seeing if consistency in that ballpark can be upheld over a larger sample size.
However, he also takes pride in more than just shooting and doing the little things, especially on defense.
“I’m gonna work my butt off, I’m gonna play defense, I’m gonna grab some rebounds,” said Rodman. “Might not get the rebounds, but I’m gonna make sure my guy doesn’t get it.”
It’s clear he’s looking to complement his shooting with a more complete profile, especially on the defensive end of the floor with more consistent defense and rebounding.
Of course, he’s still adjusting to Long Island’s defensive schemes and admitted that balancing consistency on both ends while maintaining defensive intensity has been challenging.
Nevertheless, his goal for the season is pretty straightforward.
“The one thing I want is to just be that guy who is annoying to play against,” he told us.
Ben Humrichous
Humrichous’ appeal is obvious: his shooting. Not only does he offer positional size at 6’9”, but he’s also proven to consistently hit from deep.
During his final season at Illinois, over 85% of his field goal attempts came from beyond the arc, and he connected on 36.1% of them. That’s an astronomically high volume of attempts, but as Humrichous explained, it largely reflected his role in the system.
“We had a lot of great playmakers, and a lot of it was understanding your role,” Humrichous told ND. “My role was to go in there and shoot the three-ball and to play defense.”
Humrichous spent Summer League with the Nets, along with training camp and the preseason with Brooklyn, before heading to Long Island. He is on an Exhibit 10 contract, meaning that as long as he remains with Long Island for 60 days, he will get a $91,000 signing bonus.
During the California Classic portion of Summer League, the Illinois product logged 15 points, eight rebounds, and five three-pointers in an 89-69 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
For a player his size, the ability to stretch the floor is valuable. Questions remain about his ability to defend at the professional level and how efficient he is when his jumper isn’t flailing. This season will put it all to the test.
Still, his shooting ability and size make him fascinating. The Nets also clearly see something in him, as shown by their invitation to NBA training camp. Their emphasis on positional size has become known, too.
Dain Dainja
Unlike Rodman, Pierre, and Humrichous, who are largely viewed as wings, Dainja brings a different element to Long Island’s roster.
Standing 6’9” and 255 pounds with a 7’7” wingspan (not a typo), his physical tools and ability to make an impact around the basket are what draw the most attention in his game.
“Just being able to be a disrupter on defense, block shots, help the guards out, ball screen coverage, things like that,” said Dainja. “Rebounding too, so I definitely feel like that’s a big part of my game.”
Also, having spent time with the Nets in Summer League, where Swords was an assistant on Brooklyn’s staff, and in training camp, he has the benefit of being more familiar with the organization than players on standard G League contracts, who were added more recently.
“I feel like the coaches, they know how I play, they know where I want the ball, they’re kind of familiar with my game,” he added.
Just like Humrichous, he is on an Exhibit 10 contract. Now, he’s gearing up to start the season on Long Island.
Dainja also has a taste of G League basketball, spending last year with the Sioux Skyforce, the Miami Heat’s affiliate. In 36 outings with the Skyforce, he tallied eight double-doubles. In Brooklyn’s Summer League, he was a mainstay in the rotation despite being an invitee. Indeed, he was at the time the only rotation player without some sort of contract.
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Overall, talent is important for what Long Island wants to build. More than anything, though, the team is looking for high-character individuals who “exemplify” who they are.
“We are trying to find guys who exemplify who we are, who we want to be about as Nets,” Long Island’s GM Matt MacDonald told us. “There are intriguing qualities, obviously from a talent standpoint, from who they are as players, but also the intangible competitiveness, the work ethic.”
Ultimately, none of these guys are finished products. However, that’s what makes the G League interesting. Will they wind up in Brooklyn at some point? The Nets have a history of moving players from Nassau Coliseum to Barclays Center when roster openings occur due to trades or waivers. Grant Nelson wound up with a 10-day deal last year and might have gone further if he hadn’t been injured. In the past, others, like Jalen Wilson, were signed to standard, if non-guaranteed deals. In a rebuild, opportunities await.
As Swords told ND, the G League is all about developing everyone, including as he noted, coaches.
“I’m not a finished product,” said the 52-year-old Swords. “I have to improve as a coach, whether that’s as a head coach now in the G League, just with me, with setting up players and all that stuff. I’m not a finished product. So, we don’t expect these young guys to be finished, or a 27-year-old to be finished.”
Long Island will tip off its 50-game regular season on November 6, with its home opener on Friday, November 13, at the Nassau Coliseum.
