Indiana Basketball 2023-24 NBA Alumni Season Recap

While the 2023-24 NBA season is not yet over, no Indiana basketball players are still alive in the playoffs.

While the number of former Hoosiers in the league has dropped to six, a few were able to make big impacts for their respective teams this season.

Let’s take a look at how each Indiana basketball alumni fared in the 2023-24 season.

OG Anunoby – New York Knicks

50 G | 34.0 MP | 14.7 PTS | 4.2 REB | 2.1 AST | 1.4 STL | 0.7 BLK | 1.6 TOV | 48.9 FG% | 38.2 3FG% | 75.3 FT%

In a contract year, OG Anunoby had an interesting season. It started with a massive trade from the Toronto Raptors to the New York Knicks.

Once on the Knicks, he looked like the perfect fit alongside Jalen Brunson and the rest of their core. They were on fire, but then an elbow injury sidelined him for a month and a half.

Anunoby wound up missing 30 games in total but returned just in time for the playoffs. He played a big role in their 4-2 series win against the 76ers, averaging 15.0 points in the series.

Then continuing his strong play against the Pacers, he helped the Knicks gain a 2-0 series lead before suffering another injury. He missed games three through six and tried to return for game seven, but was only able to play five minutes in the Knicks’ season-ending loss.

Anunoby enters free agency with a lot of questions surrounding his durability but will be one of the hottest commodities available as the Knicks try to resign the player they traded so much for.

Thomas Bryant – Miami Heat

38 G | 11.6 MP | 5.7 PTS | 3.7 REB | 0.6 AST 0.3 STL | 0.4 BLK | 0.6 TOV | 57.7 FG% | 18.2 3FG% | 87.2 FT%

After winning a championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, Thomas Bryant signed a 2-year, $5.4 million contract with the Miami Heat last offseason.

The idea going in was that he would be a solid backup center behind all-star Bam Adebayo. That was not the case.

After playing decent minutes to start the season, Bryant saw his role get cut down significantly.  A suspension for his role in an altercation against the Pelicans could have had something to do with that.

Either way, by the end of the season Bryant was a consistent DNP on the roster and wound up only playing 18 total minutes in the Heat’s 4-1 series loss to the Boston Celtics.

The 26-year-old big has a player option for his contract worth $2.8 million that he can opt into and return to Miami or he can test the market in free agency and look for a bigger role elsewhere.

Eric Gordon – Phoenix Suns

68 G | 27.8 MP | 11.0 PTS | 1.8 REB | 2.0 AST | 1.0 STL | 0.4 BLK | 1.1 TOV | 44.3 FG% | 37.8 3FG% | 79.7 FT%

Eric Gordon signed a 2-year $6.5 million contract with the Phoenix Suns last offseason and played a big role for them off the bench.

With three elite scorers on the roster, Gordon found himself leading the bench unit. He may have averaged a career-low 11 points, but the 35-year-old showed he can still play and impact the game at a high level.

The season was a disappointing one for the Suns who had high expectations coming in. Their season ended with a first-round sweep.

The longtime NBA scorer heads into his 17th season with some questions as he has a $3.3 million player option he can opt into with the Suns or head into the offseason as a free agent.

Jalen Hood-Schifino – Los Angeles Lakers

21 G | 5.2 MP | 1.6 PTS | 0.6 REB | 0.4 AST | 0.1 STL | 0.1 BLK | 0.4 TOV | 22.2 FG% | 13.3 3FG% | 60.0 FT%

Jalen Hood-Schifino’s rookie season with the Lakers was a bit disappointing, but not entirely surprising.

Those who scouted Hood-Schifino recognized that he was a player with a high ceiling, but had areas of his game that he needed to work on to be successful in the NBA. One of those areas is his jump shot.

Being on a team that was focused on winning now meant they were not going to prioritize the development of their young players so it made sense that he spent a decent part of the season in G-League.

Hood-Schifino played 15 games for the South Bay Lakers and averaged 22.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. The most exciting part of his performance for Lakers fans was his shooting splits. He shot 47.3% from the field and 43.2% from beyond the arc, both improvements from his percentages with Indiana basketball.

Heading into his second season, Hood-Schifino should see an increase in playing time with the Lakers and could find his way into the regular rotation depending on what their offseason looks like.

Trayce Jackson-Davis – Golden State Warriors

68 G | 16.5 MP | 7.9 PTS | 5.0 REB | 1.2 AST | 0.4 STL | 1.1 BLK | 0.7 TOV | 70.2 FG% | 0.00 3FG% | 56.1 FT%

On draft night the former Indiana basketball legend bet on himself and declined to join a team offering him a two-way roster spot and it worked out. Jackson-Davis found his way to the Warriors and turned out to be the perfect fit for him.

It took a few months for Jackson-Davis to find his role, but once he did, he remained a consistent part of Golden State’s rotation.

He provided great defense, above-the-rim finishing, and proved to be a great screener for the Warriors’ offense. With so many shooters around him, Jackson-Davis excelled in their system.

He finished second among all rookies in field goal percentage after shooting 70.2% from the field.

While the season may have been disappointing for Golden State’s standards, Jackson-Davis proved to be a bright spot and will likely be a key rotation piece for the Warriors moving forward.

Cody Zeller – New Orleans Pelicans

43 G | 7.4 MP | 1.8 PTS | 2.6 REB | 0.9 AST | 0.2 STL | 0.1 BLK | 0.4 TOV | 41.9 FG% | 33.3 3FG% | 60.5 FT%

After spending the 2022-23 season with the Miami Heat, Zeller signed a $2 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans last offseason.

Zeller found himself as a nonfactor with the Pelicans and played sparingly throughout the season.

He was a consistent DNP during the season and averaged career lows in both points and rebounds during the season.

Zeller heads into his 12th season with many questions as an unrestricted free agent. Will he continue his NBA career? If he does, where will Zeller play next?

SEE ALSO: Indiana basketball center Kel’el Ware a ‘riser’ as NBA Draft approaches: ‘Ware has done a good job of addressing some of the red flags in his profile.’

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