With the NBA at the midpoint of its season, let’s check in on how Syracuse alumni are doing:
Buddy Boeheim. Boeheim is still sitting at one career NBA minute in one career NBA game. Meanwhile, he has logged 17 games this season for the Motor City Cruise, the G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons. He is averaging 9.6 points in 23.6 minutes per game, shooting 36 percent on 6.5 3-point attempts per contest. Back on the home front, Detroit currently owns the third worst record in the league. Despite going through the rebuild, the Pistons have not been able to find any consistent court time for Boeheim.
Oshae Brissett. The Indiana Pacers are still hanging out in the playoff picture, currently at 23-22 and in 8th place in the Eastern Conference standings. And, Brissett’s minutes have steadily increased with each month, from 6.8 in October to 16.8 in November to 17.1 in December and now 19.9 so far in January. He has scored in double figures nine times this season and recorded his first double-double of the season on January 13 against Atlanta. For the season, he’s averaging 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Jerami Grant. After starting the season 9-3, the Portland Trail Blazers have dropped below .500 at 20-24. They have their star, Damian Lillard, back in the fold now, which has pushed Grant to more of a complementary role. But, what a good complement he has been, averaging 24.9 points a game in November, 21.6 in December and 20.7 so far in the new year. His 21.7-point scoring average and 24 games of 20 points or more have garnered him some All-Star attention. But, it looks like it may not be enough to get him in uniform during All-Star weekend.
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Cole Swider. There have been some Cole Swider sightings lately for the Lakers! After not seeing any action since the Los Angeles Lakers’ opening game of the season, where he played just two minutes. But, in January, he has appeared in three games after recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot. He logged one minute and made his only shot attempt (a 3-pointer) against the Atlanta Hawks on January 6. On January 9, he tallied six points, five rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes against the Denver Nuggets before being held scoreless in three minutes versus the Dallas Mavericks on January 12. The Lakers have played better of late, having won seven of their last 11 games. But, they are still on the outside of the Western Conference playoff race. Shooting has been an area of need all season for Los Angeles. Maybe Swider can provide some help in that regard if they continue to let him see the floor.
Oh, and Carmelo Anthony is still inexplicably not on an NBA roster…
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