Daishen Nix
Daishen Nix is putting it all together on the court, and that could very well add up to an NBA promotion very soon.
The Anchorage 19-year-old has thrived in his second season in the NBA G League, leading the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to a league-best 6-0 start while putting up career numbers.
His scoring is soaring, his rebounding average is on the rise and his assist average is stronger than ever. Maybe more importantly, though, Nix is making his 3-point shots. In fact, he’s drained as many 3s in the last two games (7) as he did in his previous 19 games combined.
The stroke has always been there, so it was just a matter of time before he got going. Still, it had to be done to be believed. And he’s making a lot of believers out there.
Nix has turned up the heat and cooked back-to-back opponents for 20-point-plus performances, buoyed by his long-range bombs.
He scored 23 points and went 3-for-5 from 3-point land in a 115-113 victory over Mexico City. He also had seven assists and showcased a lavish layup package that helped propel this prep-to-pro playmaker to McDonald’s All-American status last season.
Daishen Nix was a wizard last night! 🧙♂️
The @RGVVipers floor general posted a season-high 23 points and 7 assists to help RGV improve to 5-0. @djfromveg pic.twitter.com/eEl8RRWPtI
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) November 23, 2021
Two days later, Nix pumped in 24 points in 28 minutes and was 4-of-7 from downtown in a 134-99 blowout of the Austin Spurs.
This was the first time he scored 20 points or more in consecutive G League games, both times flirting with his career-high of 25.
The 6-foot-5 point guard has spearheaded the G League’s only 6-0 team by averaging 13.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Another perk has been his plus/minus rating, skyrocketing from a -19 as a rookie to +41 this year.
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are affiliated with the Houston Rockets, who signed Nix to a two-way deal after the NBA Summer League. Houston has a 2-15 record and sits in last place in the Western Conference. With the Rockets in rebuild mode, it’s safe to assume they will call on Nix for a test run at some point this season.