Auburn in the NBA: November rundown

Auburn in the NBA: November rundownAuburn in the NBA: November rundown

Auburn basketball made history again in June when Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler became the first set of Auburn teammates to go in the first round of the NBA Draft. Five months later, the All-SEC duo is already making their mark at the next level. 

Smith, in particular, has lived up to the hype early in the season as he ranks fourth among all rookies with 11.7 points per game through the first month and a half. 

See how Smith, Kessler and the other notable former Tigers are doing in this edition of Auburn in the NBA, a monthly series highlighting those in the NBA, G-League and overseas. 

NBA

Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
Traded twice before playing his first NBA game, Kessler has found a home in Utah where he's thriving as a rookie. He posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in his first NBA game and became the first player in NBA history to record a double-double and shoot 100 percent from the floor in their rookie debut. Through the first 21 games, Kessler is third on the team with 102 rebounds, and he's also carried over his elite shot blocking to the next level with 34 blocks in that span – tops among all rookies. 


Chuma Okeke, Orlando Magic
After a slow start to the season, Okeke exploded for 16 points and nine rebounds in a 130-129 win over the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors on Nov. 3. It was one of four games in double figures for Okeke who moved into the starting lineup shortly after and started seven games before missing the final week of November with a knee injury. Prior to the injury, the third-year player was averaging 5.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.


Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers
Okoro has continued to be a solid contributor for a Cavs team that is currently third in the East. The former fifth overall pick is averaging 4.3 points per game through the first month and a half and finished November strong, scoring 10 or more points three times in the final seven games. He was +60 while on the court in the month of November. His best outing came Nov. 20 when he finished with 13 points, four rebounds and was +26. 


Jabari Smith, Houston Rockets
As expected, Smith has made the transition to the NBA look easy. The No. 3 overall pick averaged 11.7 points and seven rebounds per game in his first 20 games. He posted a double-double in just his third pro game, becoming the 16th player 19 or younger in NBA history to have a double-double within his first three games played. He's made two or more 3-pointers in each of the last eight games in November and knocked down a career high five 3s in a win over Atlanta on Nov. 25 where he finished with 21 points and nine rebounds.


JT Thor, Charlotte Hornets
Thor started out the season in the NBA, playing in 14 games for Charlotte. He played a season high 26 minutes on Nov. 4 and finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists. It was a career high for the second-year player. Thor closed out the month with Charlotte's G-League team, the Greensboro Swarm, and posted 30 points and nine rebounds in his first game. He followed that with a 22-point, 9-rebound effort the very next night. 

G-LEAGUE

Sharife Cooper, Cleveland Charge
Signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers in September, Cooper joined the G-League's Charge after not making the NBA roster out of training camp. All he's done in the G-League is average 26.1 points and 6.6 assists per game in November. He ranks in the top five in scoring. Cooper had back-to-back nights with 40 or more points in November, including a 42-point, 12-assist performance against the Grand Rapids Gold on Nov. 16. 


INTERNATIONAL
Bryce Brown, King Szczecin (Polish EBL)
T.J. Dunans, KFUM Fryshuset Basket (Swedish Basketligan)
Kenny Gabriel, Gemani Brescia (Italian Lega Basket Serie A)
Jared Harper, Valencia (Spanish ACB)
Danjel Purifoy, FC Porto (Portuguese LPB)
Quantez Robertson, Fraport Skyliners (German BBL)
Horace Spencer, Cagdas Bodrum Spor (Turkish TBL)
Tay Waller, BC Igokea (Bosnian BiH Liga)
Austin Wiley, Neptunas (Lithuanian LKL)