Detroit — One day after his NBA debut, Jared Rhoden took to social media for a moment of reflection. He captioned his post, consisting of four pictures from his first game in a Pistons uniform, with a short phrase: “Only if you knew what it took to get here.”
The two-way guard had just competed in a G League game the night before in Detroit, leading the Motor City Cruise in scoring despite a loss to the Lakeland Magic. Almost 24 hours later, he was in Philadelphia, just moments away from a dream come true.
The Pistons trailed by 32 and were well on their way to another defeat when Rhoden entered the game to begin the fourth quarter. His role was simple: Guard the man in front of him.
His primary assignment was 76ers guard Shake Milton, who was aggressively pressured by Rhoden. After a few minutes of playing defense, Rhoden was granted an opportunity to show what he could do on the offensive side of the ball. The moment he waited his entire life for came with roughly seven minutes on the clock as he found himself in an isolation situation against 76ers guard Furkan Kormaz.
After a series of size-up dribbles, Rhoden’s scoring instincts kicked in and he shot from about 14 feet over the outstretched arm of Kormaz. It was his go-to shot. Once the ball went in, Rhoden was officially in the NBA scoring books.
With the moment fresh on his mind the next morning, Rhoden, a 6-foot-6 rookie out of Seton Hall, thought about his journey from growing up in Baldwin, New York, to signing a two-way contract with the Pistons. He says it was more of a self-evaluation than anything else.
“A big reflection of my past and all the sacrifices of the people around me,” Rhoden recently told The Detroit News. “It’s not just about me. It’s bigger than me. There have been so many coaches, so many family members, so many influences that I’ve had in my life. People that sacrificed their time, their energy, their money invested into me and to look back at it and have the opportunity to play and be on the floor was just amazing. I just look back on it as a time to evaluate and kind of take it all in.”
The Pistons already had the maximum number of two-way contracts with Braxton Key and Buddy Boeheim signed to the roster, but the decision was made to release Key to make room for Rhoden, who signed his contract with the Cruise/Pistons on Dec. 26 — one day after Christmas. It was a fitting gift for his work with the College Park Skyhawks, the G League affiliate for the Atlanta Hawks, where he averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and a scorching 51.4% from 3-point range.
Rhoden was home in New York for a couple of days visiting his family when he found out the Cruise were interested in his talents.
The team’s front office, including general manager Ben Carloni and assistant general manager Stacey Lovelace, scouted Rhoden from afar before they ultimately saw him live in Las Vegas at the G League Winter Showcase. They were impressed by his defensive tenacity from first glance. His 3-point shooting filled a need for the team. More importantly, Rhoden had an intangible skill of outworking his opponents that stood out in a league full of players searching for an opportunity to play at the next level.
The call-up to the NBA is what every G League player yearns for. With 60 two-way spots available throughout the league, the opportunity to make the leap has become even more competitive.
Cruise coach D.J. Bakker lauds Rhoden’s competitiveness and communication on the court.
“He’s been absolutely terrific,” Bakker told The News. “Before the basketball part, because we were watching him in Las Vegas, it’s how hard he plays, how competitive he is and how great of a talker he is. That’s like a coach’s dream — the energy, passion and competitiveness that he plays with. He has tremendous length and defensive versatility, so he’s good at switching. The rebounding and defensive versatility, along with his spirit and DNA of who he is as a player. Offensively, he can make 3s, he’s a good jump shooter, he can finish at the rim, he’s pretty athletic. Organizationally, they did a great job of identifying and bringing him here. It’s a pleasure to coach him.”
Since joining the Cruise, Rhoden has provided a jolt of energy to the team despite its 5-13 record. He’s averaging 16 points and 7.7 rebounds. He’s had a 30-point game and five games with at least 10 rebounds. His 3-point shooting has regressed to a 34% clip through 12 games, but Bakker said he’s thriving in his NBA role.
“I think the message is to understand why you have a two-way (contract),” Bakker said. “He plays his NBA role great. He might have a game here or there where he scores a bunch, but he dominates his NBA role. What we have him do here is going to translate to the Pistons, and it might not always be flashy. I’m not going to run 30 pick-and-rolls for him. In the NBA, he’s gotta be a versatile defender. He’s gotta be great in one-on-one defense. He’s gotta be a great rebounder. Offensively, he’s going to play out of the corners. It’s a very simple formula for how he’s going to get to the pros and be a full-time NBA player, so that’s my message to him: ‘Remember why you got the two-way and remember what you have to continue to do to trend upward.'”
For most G League players, the path to the NBA is nonlinear and requires the right combination of dedication, sacrifice and a bit of luck.
The former Seton Hall star went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft despite totaling 15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 33 games as a senior, which earned him All-Big East First Team honors. He left the program as one of only 12 players to record 1,200 points and 600 rebounds in school history.
Rhoden received an opportunity to play with the Sacramento Kings in Summer League and averaged 11.8 points, 5.4 rebounds. 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals while leading all players in plus/minus at plus-85. He inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Portland Trail Blazers on Aug. 1, but was released shortly before training camp.
As a result, the Hawks claimed him off waivers on Oct. 14, but waived him one day later to finalize their roster. With one more chance to make his professional basketball dreams come true, Rhoden was selected with the fourth pick in the NBA G League Draft by the Skyhawks.
It was a rollercoaster of a summer, but Rhoden found success with the Skyhawks before he found a new home in the Motor City. He reflected on the foundation of resilience instilled in him as a child when probed about how he dealt with his non-traditional path to the NBA.
“I think it’s the characteristics that my family embedded in me as a young child,” Rhoden said. “Just always be a warrior. Always be strong. Always just be resilient in anything in my life. When adversity hits or when dark times come, you just gotta keep pushing, weather the storm and move forward. That’s something that I learned as a young boy, just watching my family struggle. Growing up trying to help people, trying to be the best person I can. I think a lot of my life has been good karma. I think life is coming back full circle.”
Those good intentions also translate to the floor. During the Cruise’s 120-102 rout of the Milwaukee Herd, Rhoden was on the bench toward the end of the first quarter. Seven-foot Cruise center Jaime Echenique soared for a block as the buzzer expired, and Rhoden bounced off the bench and rushed towards Echenique to celebrate the extra effort and intensity on the defensive end.
“He didn’t come here to be about himself and with (the Skyhawks), he wasn’t about himself,” Bakker said. “He’s very team-oriented. You see him when he’s on the bench, he’s always up and cheering. Whether he’s in the game or out of the game, his energy is infectious. Everybody kind of can be drawn towards him because of his good spirit, but he’s a great teammate. He doesn’t care how many shots he gets. If somebody subs in for him, he daps them up. He’s a true professional.”
Rhoden’s time with the Cruise has also included a couple of practices with the Pistons, which can occur anytime the franchise needs an extra body during practices or games. Detroit was ailing at the wing position on Jan. 25 during Isaiah Livers’ 20-game absence due to a shoulder injury.
When Rhoden received the call to join the team in Philadelphia, he was watching television with his older sister.
“It was dope. It was just like a dream come true, finally getting that opportunity,” Rhoden said. “I didn’t know if I was going to play. I didn’t know what was going on. I just went into it with a clear heart and it ended up being one of the best moments of my life.”
Rhoden played all 12 minutes off the bench in the fourth quarter, scored two points and grabbed a rebound while shooting 1-of-3 from the field. He was the only Pistons player with a plus-rating. Pistons coach Dwane Casey gave him an approval rating, simply because he stuck to the fundamentals.
“He was a defender. He knew how to play his role,” Casey said. “He wasn’t out there lost. He didn’t get in the way. He read situations and spent time all day yesterday with our coaches, going over some offensive plays — not all of them — but the ones he should be in. I thought his compete level was high. His energy level, it was an opportunity to play in an NBA game, but I like the way he approached the game, the challenge he took in guarding people. It was a positive.”
Rhoden has only played in one NBA game, but he’s hungry for more. He knows what it took to get here. He wants the masses to know, too.
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2