Weekly Zags in the Pros Update

Another week has passed, and former Zags continue to ball on all corners of the globe. Let’s hope that energy translates to the current teams this weekend against Alabama and BYU.

Domantas Sabonis posted his sixth straight double-double with 21 points, 20 rebounds, and seven assists in a win over Toronto last night. It was his second 20/20 game of the season and 19th double-double, which leads the NBA. He’s also fourth in the league with 11.6 rebounds per game. Light the Beam!

Andrew Nembhard put up 18 points, five rebounds, and two assists for the Pacers on Monday, his second highest scoring output in his rookie season. Andy has been playing his best basketball in December, averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 assists for the month, shooting 50% from the field and 40.5% from three.

It’s also been a good month for Brandon Clarke, who has scored in double figures in every game in December. He set a season high with 17 points in back-to-back games last week, and is averaging 13.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in the final month of the year.

Corey Kispert shot his way to his fourth 15+ point game of the season with 16 on 4-6 shooting from three last night for Washington. He’s shooting 42.3% from beyond the arc in his second NBA season. Rui Hachimura hasn’t had the same good fortune, as he is still sidelined with ankle issues and does not have a timetable for his return.

Speaking of ankle issues, Zach Collins again finds himself on the sideline for the Spurs. He has missed just one game to this point and is day-to-day. He was playing well before the injury, tying a season high with 16 points and eight boards in last week’s win over Miami.

Again with the ankles. Jalen Suggs practiced with Orlando for the first time since hurting his ankle on November 25. There is still some time before he sees the court, though.

David Stockton has scored in double figures in three straight games for Fort Wayne, including a season high 17 with eight assists and six boards on Friday. He’s currently eighth in the G-League averaging 7.5 assists per game.

In the season of the Polar Express, The Ayayi Express has been all the rage in Lakeland. Joel put up 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists on Saturday, shooting 7-9 from the field and 4-5 from three. He’s scored at least 18 points three times since Thanksgiving, thanks in part to a 40% mark from three in December. #A11Aboard

Ryan Woolridge is averaging 4.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists this month for the OKC Blue. He had one of his best all-around games of the year on Sunday, finishing with six points, three boards, two assists, and a steal.

Kyle Wiltjer continues to light it up in China, tying his season high with 28 points (11-15 FG, 4-8 3p) last Wednesday. He added ten rebounds, five assists and three steals in the game, good for his second consecutive double-double. He’s currently eighth in the CBA in three-point percentage, shooting 38.2%.

The duo of Johnathan Williams III and Jeremy Jones led Nagoya to a pair of wins over the weekend. Williams was named Japanese B1 Player of the Week after posting double-doubles in both games, including a 21-point, ten-rebound, two-assist effort on Sunday. Jones led the way on Saturday, tying his season high with 24 points.

Admon Gilder ranks third in the Israeli National League with 20.9 points per game, and has scored at least 20 in all but two contests this season. He most recently put up 21 with seven boards and three steals to lead Maccabi Haifa to a win on Friday.

Gilder is now the lone Zag in Israel, as Josh Perkins left to sign with Polish club Stal. He was averaging 12.9 points and 4.1 assists before the move. This is Perkins’ second stint in Poland; he played 19 games there in the 2020-21 season.

Cierra Walker was the top former Zag on the women’s side this week, scoring 23 points and dishing six assists in yesterday’s win for Honka. She shot 9-16 from the field, including 5-10 from three, en route to her sixth 20-point game of the season. She is also the team’s leading scorer at 17.2 points per game.