Today we are going to have a look at the Cleveland Charge. For those of you not in the know, the Charge is a professional basketball team in the NBA’s G League. You are not alone if you’ve never heard of the G League. That said, most avid NBA fans are aware of the league as it is the official minor league for National Basketball Association.
But why should we care about the Cleveland Charge?
Because former Great Falls CMR great, Josh Huestis, plays for them.
Small Town, Big Dreams
Josh Huestis went to Great Falls C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls, Montana. The school is one of just two public high schools in the city. But even though Great Falls is a small town, the dedication to athletic excellence is not small at all.
According to ESPN, Josh Huestis was a three-star recruit coming out of high school. Listed as the No. 48 power forward in the nation, the University of Stanford recruited him to help with their efforts in the Pac-12 in 2010.
He played all four years for the Cardinal, racking up 135 games played, with 75 of those as the starting forward. Throughout his college career, he averaged 25 minutes per game, but that factors in the minimal time on the court during his freshman season. His junior and senior seasons were more notable when he averaged 32.1 and 35.2 minutes per game, respectively.
With a 2013-2014 average of 11.2 points per game, 1.9 blocks, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per affair, the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted the Montana native 29th overall. He hopped directly into the 2014 summer league and that same year transitioned to the OKC Blue, the Thunder’s associate team in the NBA Development League—now the G League.
He played well in his first pro game, putting up 10 points, dishing two assists, and snagging nine rebounds. Although he didn’t get to play for the Thunder at all during the 2014-2015 season, he played 46 with the OKC Blue and averaged 10.2 points with 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.1 assists per game.
In short, he played well enough to get a shot with the OKC Thunder in 2015.
A stint with the Thunder
From 2015 to 2018, he played in OKC with the Thunder. Although he started slow, just coming off the bench a few times during the 2015-2016 and 2016-17 seasons, he made significant contributions during the 2017-2018 season, playing in 69 games and starting in 10. Throughout the 2017 regular season, he averaged a solid 14.2 minutes per game, scored 2.3 points on average and grabbed 2.3 rebounds.
But it wasn’t just during the regular season that Josh set feet on the hardwood. He got some playoff time in 2016 and 2018. in 2016 he played two post-season games for an average of 5.1 minutes per game and scored just 1.5 points per game, but in 2018, he got four playoff games under his belt, averaging 4.8 minutes off the bench.
However, 2018 was the last time he would play in the NBA. He was sent to Austin to play for the Spurs, San Antonio’s developmental squad, for one season. He finally did what most developmental players do, heading to Europe following a string of injuries.
Over to Cleveland
After a season in Bayern Munich, he returned to the U.S. to play for the Cleveland Charge. Although you are not likely to find championship odds at Montana or Ohio sportsbooks here are a few Ohio sportsbook promo codes the odds wouldn’t be short. Cleveland finished last in their division and last in the G League with six wins and 26 losses during the 2021-2022 season.
However, he has maintained a role as a veteran contributor in Cleveland, playing in 30 out of the season’s 32 games, averaging 6.8 points, six rebounds, and one block per game as their power forward.
At 30 years of age, Huestis is a veteran player but still has some years left to play. Perhaps we’ll see him back on the hardwood for Cleveland Cavaliers in the near future. The Cavs are on the road to improvement. The Cavs finished 9th in the east last season, clinching a playoff berth, and currently, sit at +700 to win their division and +3000 to win the Eastern Conference.
But with all the offseason moves in Cleveland for the Cavaliers, will there be room for Josh Huestis on the bench in the near future? We hope so. But the Cleveland Charge may be the team that needs him more. After finishing dead last in 2021-2022, they need a consistent player with Josh’s experience to help bring up the next generation of NBA stars.
So, no matter where Huestis lands, we wish him success and contentment. This comes from one small-town person with big dreams to another.