The New York Knicks had a former draft pick make headlines this week for a mix of unusual reasons. Trevor Keels, the team's second-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, set a G-League single-game record in the last week. His 46-point performance on Friday was so impressive that it got him some praise from Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, who compared him to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Keels' record night bodes well for his NBA future
The former Duke Blue Devil hasn't been part of the Knicks organization in several years. He had a stint with the Iowa Wolves before landing with the Miami Heat and, eventually, their G-League affiliate. Playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Keels caught fire on Friday night against the Rip City Remix.
Keels scored 46 points, making 14 of his 16 shots overall. The historic part of his night, though, was his 12-of-12 shooting from behind the 3-point line. That was the most consecutive 3-pointers made without a miss in a single G-League game, ever.
15 of Keels' points came in the fourth quarter, great timing for Sioux Falls. The Skyforce trailed the Remix at halftime but came out on top, in great part due to Keels' performance. The guard is still only 22 years old, making his historic night even more impressive. Keels' NBA story is far from over, with his Friday night display proving that he has an NBA-level skill in his shooting.
Erik Spoelstra drops Fernando Mendoza praise for Keels' historic game
On Saturday, Spoelstra was asked about Keels' record-setting outburst from downtown. The Heat coach responded in a manner that may not have been thrilling for any Heat fans that went to the University of Oregon, comparing Keels' deadeye accuracy to Mendoza's five touchdown night against the Ducks.
"It’s kind of like Mendoza in terms of the completion rate,” Spoelstra said of Keels making all 12 of his 3-point attempts against the Remix.
Between the historic performance and the comparison of a G-Leaguer to a Heisman-winning quarterback, it was a special game from Keels. It's not often that a performance for Sioux Falls gets you that kind of praise and press. Things seemed like they were never meant to work out between Keels and the Knicks, who parted ways almost three years ago.
The Knicks traded Keels to make room for Dylan Windler, a former first-round pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They needed depth in the 2023-24 season and weren't willing to sign Keels to another two-way contract, despite having the guard on one the season before. That trade landed him in Iowa and ended his brief Knicks tenure. It's nice to see he's finding success in his own way now, though.