The awards keep coming for the Salt Lake City Stars.
On Friday, it was announced that Jarrell Brantley, a two-way forward for the Utah Jazz and the Stars, had been named to the All-G League First Team, as well as to the developmental league’s Rookie Team.
Brantley appeared in 33 games for the Stars this season, averaging a team-high 18.8 points to go along with 7.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.4 steals. He shot 51.2% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range. He finished second in G League Rookie of the Year voting.
His honors come just two days after the Stars’ Martin Schiller and Bart Taylor were named the G League’s Coach and Executive of the Year, respectively.
The College of Charleston product is the first Stars player ever to get All-Rookie honors. He is also the first Stars player since current Jazz forward Georges Niang to be named to the All-G League First Team. Salt Lake City posted a 24-9 record (.727 winning percentage) in games that Brantley played.
Brantley, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound forward with a unique on-court toolbox, was selected No. 50 overall by the Jazz in the 2019 NBA Draft. As a two-way player, he spent the season alternating between the Stars and Jazz, and acknowledged the difficulty of his path to making it to an NBA role (he got mop-up minutes in five appearances with the Jazz this season).
“I would say, for any kids who have aspirations of getting this far, getting drafted or being a part of the team is the easiest part of it,” Brantley told The Salt Lake Tribune back in February. “Every day gets harder. You got to really be focused, you got to really be a pro. But if you attack it, you can come out really successful. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
Now, though, Brantley is slated to accompany the Jazz to Orlando when it departs on July 7 to begin training for the season restart, which will take place beginning July 30 at the Disney World complex.
