Auburn Tigers in the NBA: Nov. 17 edition

With Auburn now having several former basketball players playing professionally, it’s time to launch a weekly look at the Tigers in the NBA. Here’s a quick overview of how they’re doing this season.

WALKER KESSLER, UTAH

SEASON: Rookie

UP-TO-DATE KEY STATS: 5.6 pts., 5.4 rebs., 1.6 blks. (Nov. 4 update: 5.3 pts., 4.3 rebs., 1.4 blks.)

GAMES/STARTS: 13/0

MINUTES PER GAME: 14.9

FIELD GOAL %: 69.6

BEST GAME: 10-19 vs. Denver (W): 12 pts., 10 rebs., 1 ast.

WORST GAME: 10-24 vs. Houston (L): 0 pts., on 0-for-1 shooting, 4 fouls in eight minutes.

HIGH POINT TOTAL: 12

HIGH REBOUND TOTAL: 10

HIGH BLOCK TOTAL: 4

HIGH ASSIST TOTAL: 2

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “Kessler has played only 12 games with the Utah Jazz, but the 22nd pick is already establishing himself as a force on the defensive end. His coaches and teammates have taken notice, too. Kessler is averaging 5.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots in 14.7 minutes off the bench. Those numbers may not jump off the page, but his per 36 minutes stats sure do: 13.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.1 blocks and 1.6 assists. “I think his ability to defend has popped out more than anything,” Jazz veteran Mike Conley said. “He has been a guy that we rely on and trust in all facets of the game defensively and offensively. His hands and his ability to catch and finish. He is a very skilled big and kind of mature for his age.” — Rookie Wire

” — The Athletic

CHUMA OKEKE, ORLANDO

SEASON: Third

UP-TO-DATE KEY STATS: 6.0 pts., 4.4 rebs., 1.5 asts. (Nov. 4 update: 5.6 pts., 4.3 rebs., 1.7 asts.)

GAMES/STARTS: 15/4

MINUTES PER GAME: 21.7

FIELD GOAL %: 39.5

BEST GAME: 11-3 vs. Golden State (W): 16 pts., 9 rebs., 3 ast.

WORST GAME: 10-24 vs. New York (L): 0 pts., on 0-for-5 shooting, 1 turnover.

HIGH POINT TOTAL: 16

HIGH REBOUND TOTAL: 9

HIGH BLOCK TOTAL: 2

HIGH ASSIST TOTAL: 3

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “Chuma Okeke was off to a slow start for the Orlando Magic, but that all changed against the Golden State Warriors (on Nov. 3). Okeke had 16 points on 4-6 shooting from the field. He also had a team-leading nine rebounds, three assists, and a block. The best stat from Okeke’s big game was his +/-. In the win over the defending champion Warriors, Okeke had a +/- of +13, which was the highest on the team. The Magic were doing well when Okeke was on the court.” — Sports Illustrated.

ISAAC OKORO, CLEVELAND

SEASON: Third

UP-TO-DATE KEY STATS: 2.7 pts., 1.4 rebs., 0.1 blks., 0.4 asts. (Nov. 4 update: 2.4 pts., 1.5 rebs., 0.3 blks., 0.8 asts.)

GAMES/STARTS: 14/3

MINUTES PER GAME: 16.4

FIELD GOAL %: 35.9

BEST GAME: 11-4 vs. Detroit (W): 9 pts., 4 rebs.

WORST GAME: 10-19 vs. Toronto (L): 0 pts., 4 fouls

HIGH POINT TOTAL: 9

HIGH REBOUND TOTAL: 4

HIGH BLOCK TOTAL: 1

HIGH ASSIST TOTAL: 2

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “Through 13 games that Okoro has played, he’s shot just 33% from the floor and a miserable .07 percent from three-point. He’s only averaging 2.6 points per game, a career-low, and is playing just 15.8 minutes per game, nearly half of the minutes he was averaging prior to this season. Okoro isn’t all bad, he’s a great wing defender and if you get him the ball in transition, he can power his way through any defenders and score inside. He does have that ability but the Cavs aren’t really a fast-break team. They’re the team that always looks for the extra pass, so even when they do outrun other teams, usually whoever gets to the paint kicks it out. So Okoro isn’t even able to capitalize on his only area of efficient offense.” — Fan Sided

JABARI SMITH JR., HOUSTON

SEASON: Rookie

UP-TO-DATE KEY STATS: 10.1 pts., 6.9 rebs., 1.1 blks., 0.8 asts. (Nov. 4 update: 10.8 pts., 6.1 rebs., 1.2 blks., 0.8 asts.)

GAMES/STARTS: 14/14

MINUTES PER GAME: 29.6

FIELD GOAL %: 31.5

BEST GAME: 10-24 vs. Utah (W): 21 pts., 9 rebs., 3 blks., 2 asts.

WORST GAME: 11-2 vs. LA Clippers (L): 2 pts., on 1-for-10 shooting, 2 turnovers.

HIGH POINT TOTAL: 21

HIGH REBOUND TOTAL: 15

HIGH BLOCK TOTAL: 3

HIGH ASSIST TOTAL: 2

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “Jabari Smith Jr. has been in a slump over the past several games, but the Houston Rockets could do a better job getting their rookie prospect more involved on the offensive end.” — Sports Illustrated

JT THOR, CHARLOTTE

SEASON: Second

UP-TO-DATE KEY STATS: 2.5 pts., 2.1 rebs., 0.4 blks. (Nov. 4 update: 3.1 pts., 2.5 rebs., 0.6 blks.)

GAMES/STARTS: 14/0

MINUTES PER GAME: 10.4

FIELD GOAL %: 31.6

BEST GAME: 11-4 vs. Memphis (L): 11 pts., 5 rebs., 2 asts., 1 blk.

WORST GAME: 10-28 vs. Orlando (L): 0 pts., 1 turnover

HIGH POINT TOTAL: 11

HIGH REBOUND TOTAL: 6

HIGH BLOCK TOTAL: 1

HIGH ASSIST TOTAL: 2

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “ JT Thor has played in 9 of the 10 games this season for the Hornets and truly hasn’t shown much. Thor could really benefit from another year in Greensboro as he’s just 20 years old and has potential to be a really good future piece for Charlotte. ” — Sports Illustrated