Angel Delgado, LA Clippers two-way center and player for the Agua Caliente Clippers, was named G League Rookie of the Year on Saturday.
On Saturday, the G League announced that LA Clippers two-way center Angel Delgado was named Rookie of the Year, beating out fellow rookies Theo Pinson and Yante Maten.
Delgado played magnificent basketball for the Agua Caliente Clippers this season, posting averages of 18.5 points and 14.8 rebounds in 44 games in the G-League.
One of Delgado’s best games of the season came in early January, when he set the G-League record for rebounds in a single game. He went for 22 points and 31 rebounds in a 112-94 victory over the Oklahoma City Blue, surpassing the previous single-game record of 29.
Delgado also went for 40 points and 20 rebounds earlier this month in a win over the Northern Arizona Suns, the Phoenix Suns’ G League affiliate. According to the team, it was one of six 20-20 games he posted all season.
With the award, Delgado became the first player in franchise history to be named G League Rookie of the Year. However, he isn’t the first major award winner, as former two-way player C.J. Williams won the G League’s Sportsmanship Award last season.
Delgado never saw major time with the LA Clippers this season, appearing in just two games to date. He scored his first points against the Indiana Pacers on February 7.
But despite that, it’s clear Delgado could have a bright future ahead of him in the NBA. Considering his 6-10 frame, Delgado has the size to compete with some of the strongest and tallest bigs in the league. And at just 24 years, he’s got plenty of time to develop and carve out a more significant role — especially for a team in need of rebounding.
The Agua Caliente Clippers just barely missed out on the G League Playoffs this season, going 26-24 and finishing one game out of a postseason spot. That being said, their record was a three-game improvement over their previous, so it seems as though the young franchise is heading in the right direction.
As the LA Clippers season comes to an end, expect to see players like Delgado, Johnathan Motley and Jerome Robinson spend some more time with the team. And if the Clippers end up locked into a certain playoff seed, the young crew could receive some meaningful minutes as the team prepares for a potential playoff run.