With the 2023-24 NBA in full swing, a few former Alabama men’s basketball stars are making waves around the league.
Every week, TideIllustrated will recap the performances of former Crimson Tide players from the past week of NBA games, and give key updates on those in the NBA G League. Here were some of the top performances by former Alabama players last week:
Collin Sexton: Utah Jazz
Sexton started the New Year with a pair of 20-plus point games for Utah. He logged 25 points, shot a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line and added two rebounds, five assists and a steal in Utah’s overtime win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. In the Jazz’s most recent game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, Sexton had a double-double with 22 points and 10 assists, along with three rebounds.
Sexton scored 13 points and added one rebound, three assists and three steals against the Boston Celtics on Friday and logged eight points, three rebounds and six assists against the Dallas Mavericks last Monday.
Brandon Miller: Charlotte Hornets
Miller appeared in two of Charlotte’s three games last week. He scored 15 points and added five rebounds and an assist in the Hornets' loss to the Denver Nuggets last Monday.
Miller missed Charlotte’s clash against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday due to a hip contusion but returned for the Hornets' matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Friday and logged nine points, three rebounds, one assist and a steal.
Herb Jones: New Orleans Pelicans
Jones also started 2024 strong with two double-digit performances for New Orleans. He logged 14 points, four rebounds, one assist, one block and a pair of steals against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. Jones scored 16 points, along with three rebounds two assists, a block and a steal against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday.
Jones finished the week with a pair of nine-point games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings. He added two assists, a block and a steal against the Clippers and three rebounds, two assists and a block against the Kings.
Keon Ellis: Sacramento Kings
Ellis appeared in the Kings' most recent game against the Pelicans on Sunday and made his presence felt. He scored 13 points and added two rebounds, one assist and a steal in just 12 minutes of action.
Ellis spent the rest of last week with Kings G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings. He was available for both of Stockton’s games against the Windy City Bulls but did not appear.
Kira Lewis Jr: New Orleans Pelicans
Lewis made his first NBA appearance since Dec. 13 when he played five minutes for New Orleans against the Nets. Lewis logged two points and a rebound.
Lewis has been featuring heavily for the Pelicans G League side, the Birmingham Squadron. He spent the latter part of last week with the Squadron and scored 27 points, along with two rebounds, eight assists and a steal against the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Friday.
G League
Former Crimson Tide forward Alex Reese continued his strong run of form after notching a career high 18 points and five blocks for the Rip City Remix on Dec. 31. He logged with three double-digit scoring performances for the Remix last week, while Jaden Shackelford finished in double figures in four games for the Oklahoma City Blue.
Josh Primo faced off against Shackleford and Oklahoma City twice last week and starred with 33 points in the two teams’ second meeting Tuesday.
After scoring 14 points in just his second NBA appearance for the Nets in late December, Noah Clowney returned to Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets and put in a solid performance in Long Island's lone game last week.
Former Alabama center Charles Bediako was waived by the San Antonio Spurs after he suffered a torn left meniscus which will keep him sidelined for six to eight weeks.
Here’s how all former Alabama players performed in the G League last week:
Alex Reese: Rip City Remix
Jan. 4: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks vs. the Salt Lat City Stars.
Jan. 6: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 blocks vs. the Mexico City Capitanes.
Jan. 7: 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 blocks vs. Mexico City.
Jaden Shackelford: Oklahoma City Blue
Jan. 2: 10 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block vs. the South Bay Lakers.
Jan. 3: 26 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal vs. South Bay.
Jan. 5: 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal vs. the G League Ignite.
Jan. 7: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals vs. the Ontario Clippers.
JD Davison: Maine Celtics
Jan. 5: 27 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists vs. the Capital City Go-Go.
Josh Primo: Ontario Clippers
Jan. 2: 20 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 blocks vs. the Austin Spurs.
Jan. 4: 33 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block vs. Oklahoma City.
Jan. 7: 19 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal vs. Oklahoma City.
Kira Lewis Jr: Birmingham Squadron
Jan. 5: 27 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists vs. Sioux Falls.
Noah Clowney: Long Island Nets
Jan. 3: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks vs. the Westchester Knicks.