Early season notes on Scoot Henderson and G League Ignite prospects

Scoot Henderson stays in the top two, but other Ignite prospects are worth keeping an eye on.

Good morning and welcome to The Morning Column presented by The Sporting Tribune. Please subscribe if you haven’t done so already. It’s free and will be delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. OK, let’s get to it!

1. Early season notes on Scoot Henderson and G League Ignite prospects

The arrival of college basketball usually starts the countdown to the next NBA Draft, but this year’s draft cycle started earlier than usual thanks in part to the G League Ignite. The Sporting Tribune’s Wilko Martínez-Cachero has the latest on Scott Henderson and the G League Ignite prospects.

Projected top two picks Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson’s showdown kicked off the festivities in Henderson, Nevada last month and did something that can feel impossible in draft discussions — live up to the hype. Now, Ignite is settling into its first ever regular season. Unlike before, the team is eligible for the G League Championship, although the 50-game schedule seems more geared towards providing the Ignite prospects with something even closer to the professional grind. This Ignite generation is led by projected number two pick Scoot Henderson and features a record seven draft-eligible prospects.

---

2. Dodgers decline Justin Turner’s 2023 option

The Dodgers declined Justin Turner’s 2023 $16 million option and will give him a $2 million buyout. The Sporting Tribune’s Blake Harris has the latest on the Dodgers offseason moves.

Well, we have our decision on Justin Turner’s 2023 option. As expected, (by me, at least) the Dodgers declined Turner’s 2023 $16 million option and will give him a $2 million buyout. While I think Turner returns to LA, he’s a free agent now and there’s a realistic possibility that he’s played his final game for the Dodgers. Like I mentioned, I was expecting this to be the outcome. Though Turner was productive in the second half for the Dodgers, I didn’t think LA would want to bring him back for $16 million.

---

3. Which prospects should the Dodgers protect from the Rule 5 draft this winter?

The deadline to add players to the 40-man roster is November 15 at 6 p.m. ET and The Sporting Tribune’s Bruce Kuntz has his predictions on what the Dodgers will do.

The Rule 5 draft is a yearly event in which teams can steal prospects from other organizations. Minor league players become eligible for the Rule 5 draft after four or five years in their organization, depending on age factors. Clubs must add all Rule 5 eligible players to their 40-man roster to protect them from being drafted by other teams. There are three obvious choices for the Dodgers. Click here to find out who they are.

---

4. Chargers CB Michael Davis sliding back into starting position

It hasn’t been an easy sixth season for Chargers cornerback Michael Davis and The Sporting Tribune’s Fernando Ramirez has a must-read feature on the former BYU defensive back.

The Chargers decided to bring in the number one rated free agent cornerback J.C. Jackson from the New England Patriots. That meant Davis’s starting position was now Jackson’s. He struggled in 2021 in Brandon Staley’s defensive system. During training camp, Davis pointed to the fact that he was going through personal issues, which was a reason for his struggles. The former BYU cornerback struggled to stay with receivers, missed tackles, and had some head-scratching plays. Davis had to earn his way back because the rest of the defensive starting spots were filled.

---

5. TST’s Fantasy Football PPR Rankings Week 10

After another outstanding performance, can anyone top Tyreek Hill as the WR1 for the rest of the season? After disappointing performances from Christian Kirk and Drake London can they bounce back and become fantasy relevant again? The Sporting Tribune’s Brandon Deutsch has you covered in his weekly Fantasy Football PPR Rankings.

Tyreek Hill is going to finish as the WR1 this year by a mile. Cooper Kupp would be close if anyone else on his team could take pressure off of him, but Jaylen Waddle’s ascension into a superstar only helps Hill’s case as the fantasy WR1.

---

6. LeBron James day-to-day; doubtful for Kings

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was diagnosed with a strained left adductor, coach Darvin Ham told reporters on Thursday, and is doubtful to play in Friday’s home game against the Sacramento Kings. More from The Sporting Tribune:

James sustained the groin injury midway through the final quarter of Wednesday’s 114-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Ham was encouraged that the MRI exam didn’t detect a more serious injury. “It’s not torn, that’s the biggest thing, that he didn’t tear anything,” Ham said. “So it was good news. You know, I’m sure it’s painful. Doubtful, day-to-day, whatever — I’m just happy there wasn’t anything torn.”.

---

7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports

Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:

---

8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick  

Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:

Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers – $37

---

9. On the Air presented by Pirnia Law

Here are the game times and television channels for professional teams in the region:

7:30 p.m. – Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles Lakers – Spectrum SportsNet

---

10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune 

On Thursday’s show, the crew talked about the Lakers’ season being effectively over after another loss to Clippers and asked The Sporting Tribune’s Chloe Clark and Nick Hamilton what needs to change.

Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Fan in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.

Thank you for reading. Please click below to subscribe to The Morning Column presented by The Sporting Tribune. It’s totally free and will be delivered to your inbox every morning.

That’s it for today. Talk to you all tomorrow!