Asa Newell is in a spot Jalen Johnson knows all too well.
Johnson was the 13th-ranked player in high school and was the top player in Wisconsin. He then committed to Duke, where he was instantly handed the keys to the team by legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski. While his draft stock tanked, this was due to alleged character concerns after the freshman forward decided to forgo the back half of his season – specifically, not due to his basketball ability. Johnson had always been the star, which is what made his G League stint so devastating.
Johnson credits his time in the G League for his superstar development
In an interview with Mirin Fader of The Athletic, Johnson gave a look inside his mind that he scarcely has in his young NBA career. He recalled a scene after his G League debut where he looked blankly across the now-empty court. His joy for the game had been replaced by his pride. Johnson was “way better” than this.
This insult was exactly what Johnson needed, later describing his G League tenure as “probably the best thing that has ever happened to me.”
Asa Newell is in the same boat. Newell was the 19th-ranked player in the country and attended the prestigious Monteverde Academy, where he played alongside fellow future NBA talents Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen, and Liam McNeeley. Listed as an Athens, GA resident by Monteverde, Newell became a hometown hero as a freshman in college. He dragged UGA – traditionally a football program – into March Madness while leading the team in points, rebounds, and minutes per game.
Unlike Johnson, Newell has looked quite impressive as a rookie. Even if the box score numbers appear weak, he’s shown serious offensive potential with his combination of sharpshooting, verticality, and burst off the bounce. With some NBA experience to aid his poor defense (and perhaps some added muscle to his frame, if he chooses to embrace playing with physicality at the center position), Newell has shown reason to believe in him
Unfortunately for Newell, there is just no place for him in the healthy rotation this season. He has been demoted to the College Park Skyhawks for a few one-off games this season, but in late January, he was shipped off on the team’s West Coast road trip. This is a five-game, 14-day stretch where Newell is the focal point of his team.
In his last two games in the G, Newell has averaged 27.5 points, 9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 3 blocks a night on 41.1% from three and 65% from two. Not too shabby.
While he can be recalled to the big league team at any moment, Newell is likely to finish the G League season – which ends on Saturday – with the Skyhawks. He has two more games in a Skyhawks uniform; expect him to continue to become more comfortable in a way that will propel his NBA career forward.