2025-26 Nov Updates for NBA Gamers from Colleges in West

Scorching This Month

Onyeka Okongwu (Atlanta Hawks, USC)

It’s all coming collectively for Onyeka Okongwu. For years, I’ve been an enormous believer in Okongwu, as he has steadily improved yearly since coming into the league because the sixth-overall decide in 2020.

When Clint Capela was traded again to the Houston Rockets within the large commerce that noticed Kevin Durant and Jalen Inexperienced swap locations, Okongwu’s inventory reached an all-time excessive.

Nevertheless, the Hawks traded for Kristaps Porziņģis simply sooner or later later, and Okongwu was again at sq. one. However there was some mild on the finish of the tunnel.

Porziņģis is likely one of the most injury-prone large males the league has ever seen, as regardless of his stable profession, recurring accidents have prevented him from reaching his legendary potential.

The Hawks began the yr with Porziņģis because the workforce’s beginning middle, but it surely took only one sport for Okongwu to take his place within the beginning lineup.

The Latvian has missed seven video games this yr resulting from an sickness and a knee damage, and Okongwu has made essentially the most out of those alternatives.

In these seven video games, the previous Ball-era Chino Hills famous person has averaged 20.0 factors, 6.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and three.3 shares (steals + blocks) per sport, serving to his squad to a 5-2 file.

He’s nonetheless efficient even when coming off the bench, as he has put up 14.2 factors and seven.4 rebounds an evening with Porziņģis because the starter.

Probably the most spectacular a part of Okongwu’s season has been his capturing, as he was a profession 32.2% three-point shooter previous to this yr, however that hasn’t stopped him from making it rain from deep in 2025-2026.

He has drained 36 threes in 18 video games, which ranks second within the NBA amongst facilities (tied with Nikola Jokić and Naz Reid).

He’s capturing 41.4% from deep this yr, which is larger than Reid (36.4%) and different sharpshooting bigs comparable to Nikola Vučević (40.7%), Myles Turner (40.5%), and Karl-Anthony Cities (32.6%).

Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Warmth, UCLA)

Many followers anticipated the Warmth to wrestle initially of the season after Tyler Herro underwent ankle surgical procedure in September.

As an alternative, they’re at the moment 13-6 with one of the crucial explosive offenses within the league, averaging 122.9 factors per sport, the second-highest within the NBA.

Miami’s bench can be contributing to their nice offense, as they’ve the third-highest scoring bench (44.9 PPG) within the NBA.

Their sixth man, Jaime Jaquez Jr., has been the catalyst behind these stats, as he’s taken an enormous leap ahead following a sophomore stoop final season.

The UCLA product didn’t step up following the Jimmy Butler commerce, however he’s lastly coming good and fulfilling the immense potential that he confirmed as a rookie.

Regardless of struggling together with his three-point capturing (7/32), he’s at the moment placing up 16.2 factors, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists an evening. The Warmth are a considerably higher workforce every time he’s on the court docket, as evidenced by his +12.9 Plus/Minus web per 100 possessions.

He’s at the moment the favourite to win the Sixth Man of the 12 months award, and regardless of dealing with taller defenders this season, head coach Erik Spoelstra is encouraging him to remain aggressive.

“Jaime is admittedly rising,” Spoelstra stated. “He’s so poised now with an aggressiveness. He’s making simply sufficient performs to maintain the protection sincere.”

Rookie Report

Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies, Washington State)

Cedric Coward is a type of guys you’ll be able to by no means depend out. Just some years in the past, he was taking part in Division III basketball at Willamette College, and now he’s a beginning participant for the Memphis Grizzlies.

In my 2025 SuperWest rookie profiles, I talked about how Coward might begin alongside fellow Washington State alum and my 2024-25 SuperWest Rookie of the 12 months, Jaylen Wells, and that’s precisely what has occurred.

In his final six video games (all begins), Coward has shot 12 for 32 from deep with averages of 12.3 factors and 6.2 rebounds an evening.

Since Ja Morant’s damage, the Grizzlies have used a lineup that includes Coward, Wells, Vince Williams Jr., Zach Edey, and Jaren Jackson Jr., which has yielded super outcomes.

This lineup averages +28.9 web factors per 100 possessions, and they’re making an attempt their greatest to assist the Grizzlies keep afloat.

“I feel it’s a blessing that me and Jaylen [Wells], the Grizzlies’ second-year guard, can play and make an affect on the workforce,” Coward stated in a Q&A with NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner. “Being from the identical college, I suppose that’s a coincidence.”

Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets, BYU)

It’s not straightforward once you’re anticipated to be the savior of a franchise. Egor Dёmin’s NBA profession didn’t get off to an awesome begin, and lots of followers have been fast to label him a bust.

Nevertheless, issues have improved drastically since he grew to become a starter following an damage to Cam Thomas.

Dёmin has drained a three-pointer in every of his first 9 video games as a starter, whereas additionally having seven video games with not less than 8 factors and 6 video games with not less than 4 assists.

After a 1-11 begin, the Nets have received two of their final 5 and are displaying some indicators of life.

“Understanding that the teaching workers is believing in me and believing in all of us, I feel that is the place we are able to get much more energy and much more vitality to play as arduous as we are able to,” Dёmin stated following a powerful win towards the Boston Celtics.

The Alternative

Brandon Williams (Dallas Mavericks, Arizona)

Back in 2019, many thought that Brandon Williams, a four-star recruit who simply had a powerful freshman season at Arizona, might turn out to be a future NBA famous person.

Nevertheless, he suffered a knee damage, which triggered him to overlook his complete sophomore season. He then declared for the draft, however went undrafted, and his NBA desires have been shattered.

Regardless of scoring 20+ factors in six out of 24 video games for the Path Blazers within the 2021-22 season, Williams was waived earlier than the beginning of the next marketing campaign.

After spending a yr with the Faculty Park Skyhawks after which getting waived by the Orlando Magic, Williams signed with the Dallas Mavericks on a two-way deal.

He led the G-League Tip-Off Event in scoring in 2024-25, and the Mavericks rewarded him with a contract till the top of the 2025-26 season.

Now, Williams is taking advantage of this chance, as he’s keen to do something to earn one other extension to remain within the league.

Regardless of being arrested on a cost of marijuana possession at Dallas-Fort Price Airport in late October, Williams is changing into a brilliant spot for an in any other case doomed Mavericks workforce.

He’s averaging 12.4 factors an evening in his final 15 video games whereas contributing to the defensive finish with 1.6 steals per contest.

“I labored quite a bit this offseason on studying coverages,” Williams stated. “I do know I can get by my man, but it surely’s about studying that subsequent line of protection.”

Prime Veterans

James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers, Arizona State)

James Harden is 36 years previous, however he’s doing every thing in his energy each evening to stop the “cursed” Clippers from being on the backside of the West’s standings.

Harden has averaged 33.1 factors, 6.7 rebounds, and seven.8 assists over his final 9 video games whereas capturing 45.5% from the sector and 37.3% from three, however his Herculean efforts have resulted in simply two wins throughout that span.

Kawhi Leonard’s return is ready to enhance the state of affairs, however Bradley Beal’s season-ending damage signifies that time is rapidly working out for the Clippers to make one thing of this season.

Norman Powell (Miami Warmth, UCLA)

The Clippers might actually use somebody like Norman Powell proper now. They traded Powell to the Warmth to accumulate Jazz ahead John Collins in the summertime, and whereas Collins hasn’t been horrible, it is a transfer that they’re beginning to remorse.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. isn’t the one UCLA product who’s having a wonderful yr for Miami, as Norman Powell has scored 19+ factors in 13 of his 15 video games with 49.4/44.1/88.4 capturing splits thus far this season.

The 32-year-old was an All-Star snub final yr, however now that he’s within the Jap Convention, he has a straightforward path to comprehend his childhood dream of changing into an NBA All-Star if he continues to play like this.