NBA G League roundup: Cleveland Charge through January

Forgive the pun in the headline, but after a dominant month of January, the Cleveland Charge deserve their flowers. January is one of the most difficult months for G League teams, as rosters are often in flux with call-ups and 10-day contracts beginning.

Not so for the Charge, the G League affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Charge played 10 games in the month of January and won nine of them, their lone loss by five points to the College Park Skyhawks that they avenged the next day.

The “regular season” portion of the G League season kicked off after the G League showcase, and the Charge are a cool 9-2 in that stretch, tied for the best record in the entire league. Even more impressive, they amassed that record by going 6-0 on the road, by far the best road record in the league.

Top performers from the Cleveland Charge in the G League this month

Sharife Cooper led the way with 27.4 points per game in January, top-5 in the G League. The former Auburn point guard didn’t make the Cavs’ final roster out of training camp but has been balling out in the G League this season and is a candidate to get called up by some team down the stretch.

Isaiah Mobley has played seven games this month for the Charge and averaged 23.6 points and 9.3 rebounds, dominating the game as one of the G League’s best big men. On a two-way contract with the Cavaliers, the older brother of Evan Mobley looks like he has a lot to offer the Cavs down the road.

Sam Merrill is the Charge’s sharpshooter, and he played in all 10 games in January, scoring 18.3 points per game and hitting 43 percent of his 3-pointers. Jamorko Pickett (16.9 points in eight games) and Nate Hinton (12.5 points, 40 percent from 3-point range) are other key contributors.

Any of Cooper, Merrill or Pickett could be options for the Cavaliers to sign to a 10-day contract if they don’t fill their 15th roster spot by the NBA Trade Deadline.

What’s next on the G League schedule?

After playing 10 games in January, the Charge will suit up 12 times in the month of February. That includes two games against the Delaware Blue Coats, who sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, and on the final day of February they will play the Stockton Kings, one of the best teams in the West.

How can you watch the Cleveland Charge play in the G League?

That slate will kick off on Thursday night as the Charge play the Raptors 905 in Mississauga, Ontario. That game will be streaming on ESPN+, as will tw other games next month. Other games will be available on NBA TV, Bally Sports Ohio or on NBAGLeague.com. You can check out the full schedule here.

Prediction: The Cleveland Charge have a deep team, and if they aren’t broken up by call-ups they should continue to do very well. The prediction here is for an 8-4 month that keeps them right at the top of the East standings.