The Los Angeles Lakers have done an excellent job of utilizing their G League counterpart, the South Bay Lakers, to develop talent. Whether it’s two-way players, draft picks or undrafted players looking to find a spot in the NBA, there has been a lot of talented players to suit up for South Bay and one of the better ones this year has been Shaquille Harrison.
An undrafted guard out of Tulsa back in 2017, Harrison has spent the past seven seasons bouncing back and forth between the NBA and G League. Harrison had a three-game early this season with the Memphis Grizzlies, but has spent all year with the South Bay Lakers, appearing in all 34 games.
And Harrison made a major impact, namely on the defensive side of the ball. Harrison led the G League in steals and for his efforts, was named the Kia NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year, via NBA PR:
South Bay Lakers guard Shaquille Harrison has been named the 2023-24 Kia NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year. He earned the honor in a vote by the league’s 31 head coaches and general managers.
Harrison led the G League in steals per game (2.9) and total steals (99) while… pic.twitter.com/56EqpvP6fD
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 4, 2024
This is the second time in three seasons that Harrison has won this award, proving he isn’t just a flash in the pan. He did a little bit of everything in his second season with the South Bay Lakers, averaging 15.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists to go along with the G League best 2.9 steals per game.
Of course the ultimate goal for Harrison is to find himself a regular spot in the NBA, which he has been working towards. Earlier in his career Harrison had carved out a role with the Chicago Bulls, appearing in 116 games in 2019 and 2020. But since then he hasn’t quite been able to stick.
But his defensive abilities should at least give teams a reason to give him a long look as he has been excellent with the South Bay Lakers over the past two years and is well deserving of this award.
Darvin Ham to talk to young Lakers after ending against Wizards
A couple of players who have made plenty of appearances alongside Harrison with the South Bay Lakers were on the court for the Los Angeles Lakers at the end of their contest against the Washington Wizards. But the likes of Maxwell Lewis and Colin Castleton allowed Washington to go on a late run, forcing head coach Darvin Ham to re-insert the starters to seal the victory.
While Ham was happy the Lakers got the win to cap their road trip, he noted that he will sit a couple of the young Lakers down and speak with them after the contest. Ham noted that young players are trying to establish themselves and should always give 100% regardless of when they get put in the game, adding that they should all have the mindset of everything being earned.
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