Wisconsin Herd Roundtable: Catching up near the midway point of the season

Does anybody else stand out from the Herd?

JT: I think of the bunch, James Young likely has the best opportunity to get a 10-day deal, etc. (though, it should be noted he’s no longer eligible for a two-way contract after having four years of NBA service).

We talked about Sterling Brown, D.J. Wilson and Christian Wood being the best parts of the Herd season so far, but Young holds that crown out of Herd rostered players. We’ve obviously grown familiar with Young’s game by now as he was the lone player that returned from last year’s team and he’s largely kept up his scoring production, only this time coming on greater efficiency from three (42.1 percent on 7.1 three-point attempts per game). He’s done that while playing some solid defense at times, and given his size and physicality, it could pave the way for him acting as a solid stretch-four in limited bursts if he does get that call up again.

As for the others, it’s certainly an adventure every time Michael Qualls enters the game as he fills that all-energy, defensive firecracker-like role for the Herd and he holds the distinction of having the only positive net rating (+3) of any Herd player. Trice is a very solid G League point guard and his step-back jumper is an incredibly move that he often unleashes from his quiver. Blue hasn’t quite gotten his legs under him yet after his long layoff between stints, but that could very well come with time and we know of his past production in the G League.

McCoy has been an interesting prospect to watch and he definitely has NBA tools, physically. But the combination of his adjustment to the G League, raw skills and Wood’s increasing assignments have led to him taking a far more limited role in recent weeks. Same goes for Jordan Barnett with Wilson returning to action after his hamstring injury to start the year, but Barnett has reeled off an occasional flash here and there throughout the year.

Much like the Herd in general so far this season, there have been a number of moments, highlight plays, etc. from the supporting cast that have made me raise an eyebrow or wowed me, but the final product is very much a work in progress.

TW: Yeah, I’m not sure that any of these guys are going to get an opportunity with the Bucks, unless Jaylen Morris’ two-way contract exhausts fairly quickly, and the Herd decide to pick an in-house candidate (seems doubtful here, although that was the case with Xavier Munford last season), but I would definitely concur that James Young is the most likely to be given another shot, somewhere in the NBA, and be stolen away from Oshkosh (again!). Elsewhere, I think Vander Blue and Travis Trice are high-quality G League players, but would ultimately be better off returning overseas to Europe, or Australia (wink).

[This piece was written over a few days, and missed Donte DiVincenzo’s G League debut with the Wisconsin Herd, for Jordan Treske’s thoughts on those games at the Winter Showcase, please click here and here.]

The Herd will return to action after Christmas on December 28, when the Long Island Nets visit Oshkosh for a 7pm CT tip.