Scoot Henderson, Sharife Cooper, Luka Garza headline NBA G League Next Up Game
Iowa Wolves forward Luka Garza and NBA G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson have been named team captains for the NBA G League Next Up Game, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. ET and air live on NBA TV from the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City as part of NBA All-Star 2023.
Each captain will select a 12-man roster from the 24-player field during the NBA G League Next Up Game Draft, which will be broadcast on Feb. 14 on NBAGLeague.com at 2 p.m. ET and then on the NBA App at 3 p.m. ET. The 24-player field includes players selected by a fan vote and the NBA G League. Head coaches Scott Morrison (Salt Lake City Stars) and Paul Hewitt (Ontario Clippers) will lead Team Scoot and Team Luka, respectively.
Full roster for the @nbagleague Next Up Game pic.twitter.com/AMerhx2l4t
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) February 7, 2023
In addition to Henderson, the guard group features the Cleveland Charge’s Sharife Cooper, who ranks second in the NBA G League in scoring (26.2 ppg); the Fort Wayne Mad Ants’ Gabe York, the first three-time NBA G League Player of the Week since 2014-15; and 2021-22 Kia NBA G League Rookie of the Year Mac McClung of the Delaware Blue Coats. Joining Garza in the frontcourt are San Antonio Spurs Two-Way player Charles Bassey, Memphis Grizzlies Two-Way player Kenneth Lofton Jr. and Cleveland Cavaliers Two-Way player Isaiah Mobley.
Six of the NBA G League’s top 10 scorers will compete in the game: the Windy City Bulls’ Carlik Jones (26.8 ppg), Cooper (26.2), the South Bay Lakers’ Scotty Pippen Jr. (24.3), York (24.1), the Salt Lake City Stars’ Frank Jackson (23.0) and Mobley (23.0). Three of the league’s top five leaders in field goal percentage will also play in the game: Bassey (68.7), Ignite’s Eric Mika (68.3) and the Stockton Kings’ Neemias Queta (67.9).
Garza finished as the top vote-getter in fan voting, which ran from Jan. 13 – Feb. 3. The Cleveland Charge’s Didi Louzada ranked among the top 10 in fan voting, but he is unable to participate. All NBA G League contract players currently on rosters and NBA Two-Way players who have played in at least four NBA G League games through Jan. 29 were eligible to be selected by fans.
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