Training camp is where careers start and dreams get sorted. This year, three undrafted players are turning heads in a big way: Ian Schieffelin with the Miami Heat, and the duo of Andrew Holifield and Robert McCray V fighting for spots in Oklahoma City. Their stories couldn’t be more different, but they share the same goal.
Schieffelin: from football to Miami
Ian Schieffelin was catching passes as a tight end at Clemson last season. Now he’s in a Heat uniform, learning how to set screens and run pick-and-roll actions with NBA guards. The transition sounds wild, but his athleticism is genuine. At 6 feet 8, he moves like someone who has been playing basketball his whole life, which he essentially has, since he played hoops through college before switching to football.
Miami’s coaching staff has been impressed with how quickly he’s absorbing the defensive system. His length causes real problems in practice. Whether that translates to actual game minutes is another question, but the Heat don’t usually keep players around camp without a reason.
Holifield and McCray making noise in OKC
Andrew Holifield came out of Lamar University with numbers that most scouts didn’t take seriously because of the competition level. But at 6 feet 10 with a 7-foot-plus wingspan, he averaged 11.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 38.1 percent from three. That combination of size and shooting range is exactly what modern NBA teams covet.
Robert McCray V is a different kind of player. The 6-foot-4 guard went from Florida State to Jackson State and built a reputation as a scorer who can also run an offense. He averaged 16.3 points and 6.1 assists last season while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three. He had a solid showing in the Lakers Summer League, which got him the OKC look he needed.
The Thunder, who are notoriously rigorous in their player evaluation process, have given both players real reps in camp. That’s not nothing for a franchise that picks its roster spots carefully.
Others to watch: Barnstable and Miller
Two other undrafted players landed Exhibit 10 deals that put them in front of NBA staff this fall. Sam Barnstable signed with the San Antonio Spurs and will likely spend time with the Austin Spurs in the G League. Jordan Miller is with the Denver Nuggets on a similar deal. Neither is a lock to stick on an active roster, but both now have a direct path to proving themselves within an NBA organization.
The undrafted route has produced real NBA contributors year after year. Every training camp, a few names you didn’t know in June become names you hear about all season. Watch this group carefully.
