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Knights in the G-League

Updates on UCF alumni in the NBA G-League

Canton Charge v Maine Red Claws
Bryce Brown (#00) and Tacko Fall (#99) of the Maine Red Claws relax on the bench during a rout of the Canton Charge on Thursday, February 6, 2020 at the Portland Expo in Portland, Maine.
Photo by Rich Obrey/NBAE via Getty Images

In the doornail-dead absence of sports at this time, we now have a chance to update you on a bunch of things at once. So let’s start with former UCF players in the NBA G-League, whose season is now over.

Aubrey Dawkins

Erie Bayhawks (New Orleans Pelicans affiliate)

9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists (44.6% FG/35.7% 3FG/92.9% FT) in 22 minutes/game (37 games)

After landing with the Pelicans in the NBA Summer League, Aubrey Dawkins played himself onto their G-League affiliate in Erie, and made a good account of himself in his first season.

Mostly coming off the bench, Aubrey showed his scoring abilities in spurts, including two 20-point efforts. On December 28th, he scored 20 on 8/9 from the field, including 4/5 from three-point range, seven rebounds rebounds and two steals:

A month later, he recorded his best game of the season: 22 points (7/9 FG, 6/7 3FG), five rebounds and four assists in just 21 minutes:

Aub’s pro profile is clear: a quick-release three-and-D guy who can go off if left unaccounted for. Whether that’s enough to get him to the next level is something we will find out hopefully next season.

Chad Brown

Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks affiliate)

5.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 0.9 blocks (51.3% FG) in 18.3 minutes per game (42 games)

Chad Brown’s pro career got off to a good start. Despite being relatively undersized for a power forward at 6-9, he recorded four double-doubles and ten games with 9+ rebounds.

His best outing came on January 29th, when he dropped 14 points (7/11 FG), 10 rebounds and three assists against the Memphis Hustle:

Chad’s rebounding has been his strength, and if he can further develop an outside game to go with his offensive rebounding, he could be an asset for the Mavs in the future.

B.J. Taylor

Agua Caliente Clippers (L.A. Clippers affiliate)

B.J. Taylor signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Clippers just prior to the start of the season and was sent to their affiliate in Ontario, California, east of L.A.

But he suffered a broken rib and was placed on injured reserve, and never saw any action in any games during the season. It’s still way too early to tell if B.J. will be back with the Clippers next year.

For all his success at UCF, as a 6-1 drive-and-score point guard, he faces a lot of competition. He’ll have to further diversify his game to get more run.

Tacko Fall

Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics affiliate)

12.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, 70.7% FG in 23.3 minutes per game (29 games, 11 starts)

Saving the best story for last, Tacko Fall has become a national phenomenon in his first year as a pro.

While most of us saw his limited action with the Celtics (6 games, 19 points on 9/12 FG, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks in 24 total minutes), Fall has emerged as a dominant big in the G-League, averaging a double-double and finishing sixth in the league in boards, third in blocks, and second in field goal percentage.

He has also reinvigorated the Red Claws as a draw. The team that drew just over 44,000 fans all of last season regularly drew sellouts in Portland.

His best game was back on December 29th against the College Park Skyhawks (the Atlanta Hawks’ affiliate), when he dropped 21 points and 18 boards:

The curiosity factor aside, Tacko has shown himself to be highly coachable in his first year as a pro, as you can see above. He’s worked hard on expanding his game, particularly with regard to his footwork, and should he continue to develop, we should see more of him at the highest level in the coming years.


This article has been updated to include information on B.J. Taylor’s injury. Thanks to Dan Forcella for the heads-up.