Without anyone realizing it, the Los Angeles Lakers released a rising star before the season even started: Eric Dixon. The 6-foot-6 wing has been on a hot streak in the G League, as he is now with the Memphis Hustle, the G League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies. LA had him on its roster on an Exhibit 10 contract over the summer (from July to September), but they ended up releasing him.
Dixon has been playing great basketball in the G League lately. In his latest game with the Hustle, Dixon put up an insane 48 points, seven rebounds, and two assists while shooting 12-of-21 from the field, 6-of-12 from deep range, and 12-of-12 from the free-throw line.
He could have easily been a Laker, but now, he’s not.
Eric Dixon has been dominating the G League
Though it seems a bit silly to get hung up on a random training camp player, it’s still unfortunate that the Lakers had him and let him go. They could have had one of the most intriguing players in the G League in their system.
He began the year with Greensboro Swarm, but the Charlotte Hornets also released him, just like the Lakers did. Now, he’s on the Hustle, and he’s playing better than ever.
Dixon got off to a relatively slow start in the G League (while with the Swarm), though he still sprinkled in a few solid games. But lately, his numbers have been getting better and better.
The Grizzlies have a very intriguing young player on their hands, even though Dixon is already 25 years old. He’s already becoming a star at the G League level in his first year.
So far this season, Dixon has appeared in 13 G League games with the Hustle, playing a whopping 35.8 minutes per contest, which is more than anyone else on the team.
In those 13 games, Dixon has averaged 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 45.5% from the field and 32.9% from the floor on 6.5 three-point attempts per contest.
Those numbers alone are impressive, especially considering he only averaged 11.2 points in 27 games for the Swarm. He’s taken a massive leap in the second half of the year, and his latest performance is the most impressive of them all.
Dixon could have been helping lead the South Bay Lakers to success right now, giving Lakers fans something to be excited about. But instead, he’s in Memphis.