Player Recap: Alondes Williams

The NBA G League is where you go to prove you belong. It's a make-or-break league. A risk for a reward every professional basketball player wants - an NBA contract.

ManMan Williams did just with the Skyforce, between the awards, an NBA Call-up to the Miami HEAT, and helping the team reach the semifinals of the Western Conference playoffs. He put together one of the best seasons in Sioux Falls history, an organization that just celebrated its 35th year of existence.

“It feels great to be in a family that has produced such great talents throughout the years, whether that was in the beginning days or recently,” Williams said after shattering the franchise record for points scored in a game. “The support here is awesome. The Skyforce has given me a lot of opportunities so far to showcase my game, be great, and be myself. What else can you ask for as a player?”

He got the party started in the Showcase Cup, averaging 18.0 points on 45.8 FG%, 5.0 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.5 steals per 36.2 minutes in 16 appearances.

After scoring over 20+ points just once in the first six games of the season, ManMan found his rhythm. He went on to score 20+ points in four-straight games, with a 42-point performance (at the time his career-high) on 15-25 FGA, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in a 145-127 victory over the Motor City Cruise on Nov. 28 that saw just seven Skyforce players active.

“He can get to any spot on the floor that he wants,” Skyforce head coach Kasib Powell said of Williams. “He does a great job of making the right passes and plays. He makes us go as a unit and he’s truly a monster out there. He is extremely competitive on the defensive side, too, and just really brings a spark.”

That stretch of play was the turning point for ManMan, as he finished the Showcase Cup with seven games of 20+ points scored in the final 10 games.

The uptick in play would continue, and so would the rewards. In 27 regular season games, ManMan averaged 21.7 points on 52.2 FG% (37.9 3P%), 5.4 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.2 steals per 38.1 minutes a game.

On Jan. 7, he broke Scotty Hopson's franchise record for points scored in a game, with 55 on 21-30 FGA. Not to mention, he added eight rebounds and eight assists, as well. He also led Sioux Falls from a 0-17 start and as much as a 26-point deficit in the first half.

“I don’t feel like anything really changed for me out there from the first half to the second,” Williams said. “It all started with getting stops on the defensive side of the ball and I liked the matchups I had. We had a good gameplan of how to attack them, so it just happened to flow a little more different as we were able to get a feel for them and the game.”

It was the beginning of a seven-game streak of 23+ points scored, with back-to-back NBA G League Player of the Week Awards. It also helped the Skyforce jump out to 9-0 in the regular season, the best start in the G League era.

As January rolled to February, it was announced that ManMan was the NBA G League Player of the Month. He averaged 25.7 points on 56.1 FG% (46.2 3P%), 5.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists in the month of January. His play put the Miami HEAT on notice, as he earned an NBA Call-Up as a two-way with the organization on Feb. 9.

"I always told my agent from the start that I feel like the HEAT Culture is a good fit for me because they’re a hard-nosed team and I feel like I’m a hard-nosed player," ManMan said after earning his NBA Call-Up. "It feels great to be on that next level again and playing against high level players.”

He also became the first player in Skyforce history to play in the Rising Stars game, as the G League team defeated NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama to earn a spot in the championship, where they fell just short. Not to mention, he joined fellow two-way player Cole Swider in the NBA G League All-Star game, as well.

Williams strung together five double doubles in 10 games through March. He added another 40+ point game on Mar. 24 against Cleveland, with 45 points on 16-23 FGA (6-11 3PA), six rebounds and nine assists.

Ahead of the team's playoff run, ManMan was named as the NBA G League's Most Improved Player, joining Gabe Vincent as the only two to ever earn the award. He was also named to the All-NBA G League First Team, the first player since Keith Benson in 2016-17.

“He’s stepped up a lot this year and we have asked a lot of him, whether that’s a role with the ball in his hands, off the bench, a feature guy, or playmaker,” Powell said of his two-way player. “He’s done it all in stride and was a leader for us. ManMan is someone I want on my side, and I know he’s always out there trying to get the win, no matter what it takes.”