Daishen Nix
We knew about his world-class court vision, lavish layup package and big-guard post play, but Anchorage’s Daishen Nix’s desire might be his best attribute because his bounce-back skills are second to none.
The prolific 20-year-old point guard scripted the ultimate rags-to-riches story this season as he showcased remarkable resolve in rebounding from draft-day disappointment and getting cut after the NBA Summer League to getting a second chance courtesy of the Houston Rockets and ending the season as a G League champion.
Nix recorded 20 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists as the Rio Grande Valley Vipers earned a 131-114 victory in Game 2 of the G League Finals to complete the sweep of the Delaware Blue Coats in the best-of-3 championship series.
He bagged a 31-12-11 triple-double in Game 1 and flirted with a triple-double in Game 2. He didn’t win Finals MVP, but he was close. Had to be.
Nix was driven to win on so many levels. He has seemed to play with a chip on his shoulder after going from a McDonald’s All-American to undrafted free agent, rewarding the Rockets for believing in him and then seeing Houston rewarded Nix by signing him to a 4-year extension.
The 6-foot-5 playmaker appeared in 24 games with the Rockets, making him the fifth Alaskan to play in the NBA and the second this season, joining JT Thor, a second-round draft pick by the Charlotte Hornets.
Nix carved out a place on the Rockets by averaging 10.9 minutes on a crowded roster and producing 3.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He went back and forth between the NBA and G League this season but finished the final six weeks in the NBA.
And even though he made it to the big time, he remained hungry and jumped at the chance to return to the G League for the playoffs with the NBA regular-season concluded.
Playoff D: Daishen Nix averaged 24.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists in the G League playoffs.
The same day the Rockets returned to Houston from a road trip to Toronto, Nix drove 5.5 hours one way to arrive in Rio Grande in time for that evening’s G League Western Conference title game.
He racked up a 22-6-7 stat line to help the Valley Vipers earn a 125-114 victory over the Agua Caliente Clippers and clinch a spot in the Finals.
Nix might have had extra motivation to win that game and get Rio Grande to the Finals to face the Delaware Blue Coats, the affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, who signed Nix after he went undrafted but then cut him after the summer league.
Nix had the last laugh.
He picked up where he left off after a dynamite Game 1 performance, scoring 10 points in the first quarter as Rio Grande built a 41-28 advantage.
In the third quarter, the Blue Coats pulled within 69-59 before Nix scored or assisted on nine points during his team’s 12-4 run that put Rio Grande in control for good.
He assisted on a 3-pointer, had a dunk, assisted on an alley-oop and hit a driving layup that made it 81-63. A few moments later he spiked a layup attempt with an emphatic block.
Patrick McCaw, BLOCKED BY DAISHEN NIX OMG pic.twitter.com/3l1zO79fgO
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) April 15, 2022
Nix became the second Alaskan to win a G League championship, joining Anchorage’s Ramon Harris, who won a ring in 2015.
Nix averaged 24.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists in a LeBron-like playoffs performance.
Don’t forget he was the only player in the G League in the regular season to average 20 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals per game and Rio Grande went 17-4 with Nix on the court, including 3-0 in the postseason.