When NBA teams invite players to training camp, the harsh reality is the majority of them don’t really have a chance at making the team’s final roster. But with the continued growth and expansion of the G League, it’s given NBA teams the option to keep some of those players under their umbrella and monitor their development with their G League affiliate. RJ Davis, who was in training camp with the Los Angeles Lakers, is one of those players who is now in the G League with South Bay.
Although RJ Davis did have some solid moments during training camp with the Lakers, he was one of the team’s final roster cuts, and he he’s now found himself beginning his professional career playing in the G League with South Bay.
South Bay has started off the season at 2-0 with back-to-back home wins over the weekend, and Davis played a pivotal role in both of those games. He’s been the starting point guard for South Bay, and has displayed a nice balance between playmaking and creating for his teammates and scoring when necessary. Following South Bay’s first win of the season, Davis spoke about how being in training camp with the Lakers helped him hone those skills.
“I took the open shots when it was needed, I was aggressive. I found my teammates whether it was in transition or within the set of the play. So I felt like I did a good job of doing that,” Davis said. “Just letting it carry over. I had a really good summer from open runs to training camp in the preseason, and learning from the vets. It allowed me to go out there and showcase who I am and who my game is. I feel like that was an underrated aspect of my game.”
In South Bay’s opening-night win against the Valley Suns, Davis finished with 31 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. He followed that up with 24 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one blocked shot the following night.
For South Bay head coach Zach Guthrie, it’s all about being able to find the right balance. To identify when to be a facilitator, and when to take the game over offensively.
“It’s about being able to not only get the ball over the court and get your team organized, but understanding who’s on the floor with you. How to get them shots, how to maximize the other four players on the court with you. And then when the situation calls for, ‘hey, I got to get a bucket right here and stop a run,’” Guthrie said after South Bay’s opening-night win.
During the preseason, Davis appeared in five games with the Lakers at a little over 16 minutes per game. He averaged 8.6 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field, 50 percent from the three-point line and 92.9 percent from the free-throw line. He was at only 0.2 assists though.
In college at North Carolina, Davis averaged a little over three assists per game through five seasons. While he always been known as a scorer, with South Bay he’s shown the ability to be a strong playmaker as well. That will be crucial towards him solidifying himself as a legitimate NBA player.
