The 2021-2022 season has seen plenty of unforeseen talent emerge from the league’s developing youth. As the G-League proving to be a legit pipeline for players to get on a NBA roster, many older NBA free-agents are joining in hopes of finding their way back in. With that being said here are five NBA veterans keeping who are proving they still have a lots of basketball left in them.
Gerald Green
It has been nearly three years since Green has played in NBA after breaking a bone in his left foot. After retiring from the league in 2021 he joined the Houston Rockets as player development coach until a surge in G-League call-ups inspired him to come out of retirement. Upon joining the Houston Rockets-affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers he has put up an impressive 18 points per game along with 4.3 rebounds.
Mario Chalmers
Many NBA fans remember Mario Chalmers for being a reliable point guard for the Miami Heat during their Lebron James era. Unfortunately upon leaving the Heat and having a brief stint with the Memphis Grizzlies, he has not been in the NBA since 2018. Now 35 years-old playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce his stat line of 11.3/3.5/4.7 shows he still has a lot left in the tank.
Kenneth Faried
In the 2010’s, Faried aka “the Manimal” was a consistent double-double threat with dominating post play. As the league moved to become are more three-point oriented and bigs needed to be able to score from anywhere, Faried’s style of basketball was seen as a way of the past. After losing his starting role for the Denver Nuggets and then a stint with the Houston Rockets, he has found himself on wreaking havoc for the Grand Rapid Gold. His 11.6 points per game with 8.6 rebounds shows that he still can have in impact on the game.
Brandon Knight
When the former 8th overall pick of the 2011 NBA draft gets hot, he can be one of most dangerous offensive weapons on the court. Unfortunately for Knight, untimely injuries have derailed him from establishing himself in the league this past decade. Though at just 30 years-old his twilight years are still a ways away proven by his 17.8 points per game for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Joe Young
While the casual NBA fan may have never heard of this 29 year-old guard, he played three years for the Indiana Pacers between the 2015-2018 seasons.In high school he was awarded “Mr. Texas Basketball” in 2010 and during his time for the Oregon Ducks he received the Pac-12 player of the year title his senior year. Though mainly playing in garbage time in the NBA, Young’s resume has proven he can hoop when given the opportunity. The Birmingham Squadron did just that and it has proven dividends as he is averaging over 22 points per game.
The Beat @APU 