The second NBA in-season tournament — rebranded as the Emirates NBA Cup this year— is in full force and so are the six ‘Dores in the NBA. If Nov. 19’s Celtics-Cavaliers matchup is a sign of a larger trend, this year’s NBA Cup could be even more intense than last year’s inaugural tournament. After Tuesday’s action, teams are now halfway through group play, and now is as good a time as any to see just how Vanderbilt’s alumni are faring at this point in the season.

Darius Garland (2018-2019 guard): Cleveland Cavaliers

Darius Garland is having the best season of his career, leading the Cavaliers through one of their best starts ever to an NBA season. After winning their first 15 games, the Cleveland Cavaliers lead the league in almost every major statistic: points per game, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, offensive rating, plus/minus, clutch wins and more. Darius Garland has been an essential piece — if not the most important — on this unprecedentedly good team. Garland adjusted his play in one key way this season: shooting far more corner threes than in the past. This adjustment has been key in spreading Cleveland’s offense out and has led to better performances from not just Garland but everyone.

Statistically, Garland is nearly matching his career highs all while sharing primary offensive responsibilities with Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers’ three-point loss to the Boston Celtics on Nov. 19 almost certainly would have been a win had Garland shot any better than 3-of-21 from the field, his worst performance of the season. Garland had one of his worst games ever, and his team paid for it with their first loss of the season. Despite that loss, Garland is still the second option on the best team in the NBA right now and is certainly the most impressive Commodore in the NBA.

Aaron Nesmith (2018-2020 forward): Indiana Pacers

Aaron Nesmith hit the ground running to kick off the NBA season but has unfortunately missed the Pacers’ last eight games due to injury. Through six games, Nesmith is shooting career-high percentages across the board: field goal (52.8%), three-point (54.5%) and free throw (84.6%). Albeit a small sample size, these numbers are extremely impressive for any NBA player seeing the court for less than 23 minutes per game. 

His impact is even more dramatic on the defensive side of the ball, highlighted by holding opposing players to nearly 9% below their average field goal percentage within 6 feet of the basket. The fifth-year wing also ranks in the 60th percentile or higher in deflections per 36 minutes, defensive turnovers forced, block percentage and defensive versatility. Despite being known as an on-ball stopper, Nesmith can guard nearly any position on the floor thanks to his 6’10” wingspan and defensive grit. After a deep playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, the Pacers have gotten off to a rough start in 2024 with just a 6-8 record through the first month of the season. They hope to get Nesmith back sometime in December, as announced by head coach Rick Carlisle, but until then, they seem to be just staying afloat.

Scotty Pippen Jr. (2019-2022 guard): Memphis Grizzlies

Scotty Pippen Jr. has grinded his way to get where he is presently. After spending two years on the Lakers’ G League team, Pippen Jr. signed with the Memphis Grizzlies’ G League team on a two-way contract in the middle of last season. Thanks to the 2022-23 Grizzlies being the most injured team in NBA history (injured players missed a combined 592 games and the Grizzlies used over 50 starting lineups consisting of 33 different players), Pippen Jr. managed to make their lineup, playing 21 games and starting in 16. He’s been a consistent part of their rotation this season, even as the Grizzlies have gotten healthier, and has been starting in place of the injured Ja Morant for the last several games. 

Pippen Jr. is leading the Grizzlies in assists per game (5.9) while putting up a respectable 11.5 pts per game. On top of that, Pippen Jr. also recorded his first triple-double on Nov. 8 against the Wizards with an 11-point, 11 assists and 10-rebound performance. The Grizzlies sit at 8-7, and while Scotty Pippen Jr. might not be their star player, he’s an essential one in their rotation.

Luke Kornet (2013-2017 center): Boston Celtics

Going into the 2022-23 NBA season — his sixth in the league — Luke Kornet had struggled to find a permanent franchise where he’d be a contributing rotational player. Playing for five teams in five years, Kornet started his career in New York, then bounced around to Chicago, Boston, Cleveland and Milwaukee before ending up back with the Celtics. While he may not fill up the stat sheet, for the past three seasons, the 7’1” big man has seemingly found his home with the C’s.

Averaging over 16 minutes per game, Kornet leads Boston’s bench unit as a defensive hub, ranking in the 89th percentile in both defensive rebounding ability and rim defense, where he holds opposing players to 7.6% less than their usual shooting averages. Kornet also blocks about 5% of opponents’ shots, which puts him in the 95th percentile in the association. His ability spans both sides of the floor, though, as he is a plus-playmaker compared to other players of his size and position; he ranks in the 84th percentile for his quality of passing, and s he’s averaging over 4 assists per 40 minutes per game— an impressive statistic as a center. Kornet is an indispensable part of the Celtics’ bench unit, which has helped them grab the second seed out East with a 12-3 record so far this season.

Liam Robbins (2021-2023 center): Milwaukee Bucks

Liam Robbins went undrafted after winning 2022-2023 SEC Defensive Player of the Year in his second season at Vanderbilt, largely due to his extensive injury history. The New Orleans Pelicans signed Robbins as an undrafted free agent in 2023, but they waived him before the season and he signed with their G League team, the Birmingham Squadron. Robbins never suited up for the Squadron, as he suffered yet another season-ending injury. Robbins signed a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks and their G League affiliate in the 2024 offseason. Robbins has still yet to play in the G League, as Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has kept Robbins on his bench up in the NBA, even if he only enters games during “garbage time.” Robbins recorded his first NBA minutes and points in an Oct. 31 bout against Scotty Pippen Jr.’s Grizzlies, where the two former Commodores shared a court for the first time since the spring of 2022. Robbins has played two games since then, putting up a total of 5 points and 3 rebounds.

Matt Ryan (2018-2019 forward): New York Knicks

After transferring to Vanderbilt from Notre Dame entering his junior year, Matt Ryan made a name for himself with the men’s basketball team. He did enough to get noticed by teams, and — despite going undrafted in 2020 — earned himself a two-way NBA contract with the Boston Celtics in the 2021-2022 season. Through a total of 39 games played in the G League, Ryan averaged 18.8 points per game on shooting splits of 44.0% from the field, 39.9% from 3-point range and 87.7% from the stripe.

These impressive numbers led to the Knicks signing him in unrestricted free agency, bringing the sharpshooting wing in on a 1 year, $1,988,603 deal. Ryan has carved out a steady role toward the bottom of the rotation since signing on, playing a total of 23 minutes in four games so far. He has only attempted six shots in his tenure, with four coming from 3-point land (one made). As a career 41% shooter from beyond the arc, Ryan can only hope that his playing time increases, and with it his impact on the team.