NBA Draft 2022: Takeaways and notes from G-League Elite Camp

The NBA Draft G-League Elite Camp took place in Chicago last week with two days of measurements, athletic testing, and four scrimmages (two per each team). While the top 70 or so prospects in NBA teams’ eyes were invited to the NBA Combine, the G-League Elite Camp is a great way to find undervalued prospects who can stick in the league.

Last year’s camp featured Jose Alvarado, Aaron Wiggins, and Duane Washington Jr., who all found their way to NBA minutes last season. Let’s dive into the biggest takeaways from this year’s combine.

Marcus Sasser makes his return

One of the pleasant surprised leading up to the camp was that Houston’s Marcus Sasser would participate after a left foot injury caused him to miss the second half of the college season. Sasser looked more than healthy, lighting up the first scrimmage for 23 points and looking like the point guard that was one of the best in the country. He’s got undeniable burst with the ball, using his handle and footspeed to beat defenders off the bounce.

Sasser also showed off his jumper, hitting catch-and-shoot threes, and some pull-up jumpers. Sasser finished the two games, 10-19 from the field and 5-12 from the field. Not being overly big limits the passing windows Sasser has, but if he can generate real pressure on the defense, more reads will become available.

It’s always an uphill battle for undersized guards to stick in the NBA, but Sasser showed some skills to make me think he could be a backup point guard. His stay-or-go draft decision might be one of the most important in the landscape of college basketball next season. If he goes back to Houston, the Cougars have a legitimate case to be the preseason No. 1 team. But after Sasser’s strong G-League camp and a good enough NBA Combine (he was invited after the G-League camp), his stock might not be higher than now. Sasser has likely worked himself into a second-round pick.