The NBA season is slightly past the halfway point, edging near the All-Star break and the trade deadline, with teams aiming to lock down their rosters for playoff pushes or prepare themselves for the lottery once more. Let’s take a look at how some former NC State players are faring in the NBA and other leagues.
T.J. Warren, Forward, Indiana Pacers
Warren started the first handful of games on a rough note for the Pacers, but has completely turned the page. Warren is now averaging 18.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game and is shooting an impressive 51/38/82 line. Warren’s 38% shooting from deep on 3.1 attempts is a good sign that he has turned the corner as a 3-point shooter, as it is a consistent figure from his shooting from last season, and shows that his shooting mark last season was not a fluke.
Warren has started all 47 games he has played for the Pacers, who are sitting at 30-17 in the East. The Pacers are now slated to get superstar Victor Oladipo back, which will only help further propel them into the playoffs. The fact that the Pacers are only three games out of the second seed without their focal point player is a testament to how well Warren, Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis and others have played this season.
Dennis Smith Jr., Guard, New York Knicks
Smith began his time as a Knick a year ago, with the potential to be a star for the team. Despite the team striking out in free agency, the Knicks still accrued enough young talent that figured to be competitive this season. Unfortunately, the Knicks are 13-35, good for 13th in the Eastern Conference.
Also unfortunate for the Knicks, Smith has been injured for a good chunk of this season and has not looked like his former self. Smith is averaging five points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game on an awful 33/29/50 shooting line. This is down from 14.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists with the Knicks last season, and has landed Smith on the trade block once again.
Cody and Caleb Martin, Guard/Forward, Charlotte Hornets
Cody Martin has seen limited minutes but is averaging 3.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.4 minutes per game for the Hornets. Cody has only spent five games on assignment for the Greensboro Swarm, the G-League affiliate of the Hornets, and averaged 18.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, five assists and 1.8 steals in such games. Cody and Caleb started together in all five games.
Caleb, on the other hand, has been assigned to the Swarm for most of the season and is averaging 20.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game for the Swarm, starting in all 24 games he has appeared in. The forward also shoots 35% from deep on 6.1 attempts per game, but struggles from the charity stripe, shooting 62% from that spot.
Cat Barber, Guard, College Park Skyhawks (G-League)
Barber is currently helping to push the Skyhawks to the playoffs, averaging 16.3 points, 6.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, having started nine games for the club in 27 total games played. The 25-year-old is still struggling from deep, shooting 24% from that area, but the Skyhawks are 16-15 and just 1.5 games out of the playoff picture, with Barber leading the way in the team’s first season under its new moniker.
C.J. Williams, Guard, Long Island Nets (G-League)
The Long Island Nets have struggled this season, similarly to their NBA counterpart, the Brooklyn Nets, and sit at 10-18 on the year. Williams has had a relatively average season, scoring 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per game on 39% shooting, but his 37% shooting mark has been impressive, seeing as he takes nearly seven of his 10 shots per game from that range.
Trevor Lacey, Guard, Wisconsin Herd (G-League)
Lacey, who played with the Wolfpack in the 2014-15 season, was picked up by the Herd, the G-League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks, in the offseason. Lacey is currently averaging 3.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15.3 minutes per game for the Herd. The Herd is currently the best team in the Eastern Conference, mirroring the team’s parent club, and Lacey’s 43% shooting mark from deep is helping to keep the team afloat.
Wyatt Walker, Forward, Salt Lake City Stars (G-League)
Walker was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NBA G-League Draft by the Oklahoma City Blue, but the draft has little stock in the case of the G-League, as Walker was cut prior to appearing in any games for the club. Walker was then picked up by the Stars, the G-League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, but only played in two games before subsequently being cut. The young center went unclaimed on waivers.
Allerik Freeman, Guard, Shenzhen (Chinese CBA)
Freeman continues to dominate in his post-NC State playing career, averaging 20.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists for Shenzhen on a roster that has included a plethora of former NBA players this season. Among these players are Dwight Buycks, Pierre Jackson, Jarell Martin and Shabazz Muhammad. The fact that Freeman is among the top scorers for the club is impressive considering Martin played in the NBA just last season, and Muhammad was the 14th overall draft choice in 2013.
Ted Kapita, Forward, HKK Zrinjski (Bosnian BiH Liga)
Kapita left the Wolfpack after the 2016-17 season to enter the NBA Draft, but was not selected by any team. Kapita spent training camp with the Bayhawks of the G-League in 2017-18 and the St. John’s Edge in 2018-19, where former NC State guard Dez Lee played, but did not crack either team.
Now, Kapita is on his first professional team since leaving NC State and is averaging a solid 11.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in Bosnia.
