ORLANDO, Florida — The 2021 NBA G League schedule tipped off in Orlando on Feb. 10, with 17 G League teams joining the G League Ignite program — launched to offer players who are not yet eligible for the NBA draft a domestic path to the league — for a 135-game regular season followed by a single-elimination playoff tournament that will begin March 8. In addition to taking a closer look at the four Ignite players that are part of the G League’s Pathway program and are eligible for the 2021 NBA draft, ESPN also evaluated the play of some notable former first-rounders featured in Orlando, as well as a lesser-known group making a bid for NBA call-ups down the stretch.
Here’s the latest on the 2019 and 2020 first-rounders whose NBA futures are in some peril based on their play in Orlando, as well as those making a case to become the next Duncan Robinson — players with G League pedigree who could develop into impact players as the 2021 NBA season comes down the stretch.