Alabama Men's Basketball Pro Spotlight: Edition VI
4/13/2022 11:08:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Former Crimson Tide starters Herbert Jones and Joshua Primo are both starting and set to square off in play-in tournament
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The 2021-22 NBA regular season is winding down and the playoff picture is becoming more and more clear as former Alabama players help their respective teams reach the postseason.
Three former Crimson Tide standouts have already clinched a playoff birth, led by JaMychal Green with the Denver Nuggets who are trying to secure the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, a pair of starters from the Crimson Tide's 2020-21 SEC Championship team also secured a spot and will square in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament as Herbert Jones (New Orleans Pelicans) and Joshua Primo (San Antonio Spurs) will meet in the one-game showdown.
Also in this edition, we spotlight our European stars Donta Hall, Levi Randolph, Retin Obasohan and Shannon Hale. New features include Arthur Edwards and Justin Knox.
Below is a look at a few former Crimson Tide players highlights from both the NBA and overseas:
Herbert Jones, New Orleans Pelicans
- Jones is among the elite rookies of last year's draft class with some using advanced stats to suggest he is a viable candidate for the NBA Rookie of the Year
- Jones is helping lead the Pelicans' push for a playoff spot scoring in double digits three times in their last four games, while piling up 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 12 steals, and 4 blocks over that span
- The Pelicans have won six of their last nine games and to clinch a Western Conference play-in berth
- Jones, who was a finalist for the 2021 Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year award, has made a name for himself by standing out on the defensive end of the floor, helping create the social media hashtag trend "#NotOnHerb"
JaMychal Green, Denver Nuggets
- Green has averaged 6.9 points along with 5.1 rebounds in 19 minutes per game since the All-Star break in late-February, and continues to play a key role off the bench for the No. 5 seed Nuggets into the playoffs
- In his third game since the All-Star break, Green earned his first double-double of the year, scoring a season-high 20 points with 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block
- He has also returned to form that allowed him to play in nearly 500 NBA games, as Green has been among the starting lineup and throwing down highlight-reel dunks
Joshua Primo, San Antonio Spurs
- Primo has become an everyday starter for the Spurs' and helped the team clinch a spot in the Western Conference play-in game against Herbert Jones and the New Orleans Pelicans
- Since the All-Star break, Primo has taken advantage of being up with the big club and is averaging 6.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists off 24 minutes per game while continuing to make big plays on defense
- He continually talks about trusting the process and plan the Spurs have made for him, and it has certainly been paying dividends
John Petty Jr., New Orleans Pelicans/Birmingham Squadron
- Petty and the Birmingham Squadron reached the NBA G-League playoffs in the franchise's inaugural campaign by claiming victories in each their last five games to finish the year at 18-14
- Petty ended his season with an exclamation point scoring a career-high 19 points to go along with 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, including 14 points in the first half
European Crimson Tide Pros
- Donta Hall continues to make a name for himself among fans in France with his ferocious highlight-reel dunks and solid all-around play, as he has helped AS Monaco atop the France ELITE ProA League current standings
- Through 39 games this season, Hall is averaging 8.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks over 18.5 minutes.
- Levi Randolph and Filou Oostende suffered their first loss after 18 straight victories in BNXT league play. The UA product is leading the team with 15.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals
- He continues to shine all season with simply incredible stat lines and highlights, some of which can be found by clicking here, including an career-best 35-point performance in a victory over Unicaja Malaga
- Unfortunately, Oosende's run came to an end after a loss to Cluj Napoca in the Top 16
- Retin Obasohan and Hapoel Jerusalem have won five of their last seven regular season games and are looking to enter the Israel -Winner League Playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed with the season winding down.
- Obasohan leads the team in points (14.7), assists (5.3), steals (1.4) and minutes (32.2) and continues to make his traditional highlight reel with his athletic dunks
- After setting an Alabama record for three-point percentage in a SEC Tournament in 2016 (9-of-15, 60.0 percent), Arthur Edwards started his professional career joining the Celtics affiliate, Maine Red Claws
- After stints with two G-League teams, Edwards spent time in Bulgaria and Switzerland.
- The Tide product now returns to the United States to compete in The Tournament for Team Defeat Diabetes, a $1M winner-take-all invitational played across seven cities
- After signing with Barreirense of the Proliga, Shannon Hale has helped the team push into fifth place, averaging 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across his first 11 games
- Hale has already scored in double digits twice since his 31-point outburst and the team has won its last two games heading into April
- Tuscaloosa native Justin Knox has been well traveled since his departure from Alabama in 2010. After finishing his collegiate career, Knox has spent time in Belarus, Manisa, Netherlends, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Turkey, Italy, Bulgaria, Korea, and now finally plays in Japan.
- Knox averages 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists for the Japanese club San-en NeoPhoenix and led the team to a victory with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists in his last game out.
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