The 2018 NBA draft class so far looks to be a solid group of players. Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton, and Trae Young all look like possible future all-stars. Marvin Bagley III and Jaren Jackson Jr. are pieces their respective teams are building around as well.
Now that it’s their sophomore seasons, some players who may have gone unnoticed will have the chance to make a name for themselves in Year 2. Thus, here are 10 players to keep an eye on for this season. No members of the 2018-19 All-Rookie First-Team will be on this list.
Note: This isn’t necessarily a ranking of talent, but rather a list o players who should improve in Year 2.
10. Zhaire Smith, Philadelphia 76ers
Zhaire Smith only played in six games after getting hit with the 76ers’ rookie curse. A broken foot and sesame allergy cost him almost all the 2018-19 season. However, with Philly locked into the third seed in the East for basically the last two weeks of the season, Brett Brown saw the opportunity to give the rookie some minutes. Smith is a freakishly good athlete — seriously, watch this dunk he put down at Texas Tech:
Smith isn’t a lock to see consistent minutes early in the season in a crowded group of backup guards. However, he looked terrific in the summer league and is a candidate for improvement in his age 20 season.
9. Grayson Allen, Memphis Grizzlies
A polarizing figure at Duke, Grayson Allen’s first season in the NBA was a complete dud, especially with guys like Landry Shamet and Rodions Kurucs taken just after him. With the notable exception of a 40-point game on the last matchup of the season with the Jazz (who were then locked into the sixth seed), Allen showed almost nothing of what he can bring to the table.
However, the Grizzlies had to have seen something in him to acquire him as a central piece of the Mike Conley trade. While he may not be a huge contributor, the Grizzlies are rebuilding and should want to see what Allen can do. He was terrible in his rookie season — there’s no arguing that. However, now in a new place, it will be interesting to see if Grayson Allen can become an improved shot-creator like he was supposed to be.
8. Harry Giles, Sacramento Kings
By Ben Simmons rookie rules, Harry Giles does count as a second-year player. Finding his way amongst a crowded group of centers last season, Giles had some flashes of NBA-starter potential as a scorer and passer.
Sacramento signed Dewayne Dedmon to replace Willie Cauley-Stein in the starting lineup. However, Giles will see an increase in minutes and may even contend to earn that starting role.
7. Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks
While receiving little to no national media attention last season, Jalen Brunson quietly had an excellent rookie year. Following the Kristaps Porzingis trade, Brunson was promoted into the starting lineup. His 3.2 to 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio was very good for a rookie ball-handler, and he is improving as a shot creator as well.
Newly signed free agent, Delon Wright, has been named the starting point guard due to his defensive upside, but Brunson is right there behind him. With Porzingis back and Luka Doncic another year developed, the Mavericks should receive some more attention. If the underrated Brunson can make improvements as a scorer and perimeter defender, teams will regret letting him fall to 34th in the 2018 draft.
6. Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets
During an underwhelming season for the Charlotte Hornets, one highlight had to be Miles Bridges’ explosiveness and put-back dunks. Check out how crazy Hornets announcer Chris Kroeger goes on this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA8HQR9aQLo
The Hornets are due to be awful this season. However, if you’re looking for a reason to watch the Hornets, Bridges is the player to key yourself in on. He is super athletic, has room to improve as a scorer, and is a good defender. Also, given that the Hornets are in a rebuild, they should allow him to take more shots and he should see a significant increase in minutes.
5. Mohamed Bamba, Orlando Magic
Another common theme in my basketball opinions I have is that I’m usually very high on big men from Texas. Jaxson Hayes is the best example of that, but that’s for another article. Bamba was my pick last year to win Rookie of the Year and boy, did that turn out just great for me. So while that was far from what happened as Bamba struggled through much of his rookie season and the Magic were significantly better with Bamba off the court, looking back on it now, the reason I had Bamba winning Rookie of the Year was that I projected his potential to bloom into NBA talent too soon. Give this guy at least three more seasons, please. He can definitely be an All-NBA Defensive team player and even a perennial All-Star.
With an unearthly 7-foot-10 wingspan and 7-foot-1 frame, Bamba will undoubtedly continue to develop as a rim-protector while still working on his scoring ability. The Magic gave Nikola Vucevic a big extension, but Bamba should see at least a minor increase in minutes. So no, I don’t think he’ll be even close this year to what he could be, but Mo should at least show some significant improvement.
*Noteworthy: Having a popular song in your name also does not help you when you play poorly.*
4.Landry Shamet, Los Angeles Clippers
The big piece acquired by the Clippers in the Tobias Harris trade, Shamet is the only guy on this list who should have a significant role on a championship contender. (Zhaire Smith is likely not at the point yet where he will receive playoff minutes.) Essentially a new-and-improved J.J. Redick, Shamet can shoot threes from any angle and has the potential to be a solid defender if he can bulk up a bit.
At this point, it’s unclear if Doc Rivers will choose to keep Montrezl Harrell on the bench. Using him off the bench would open a spot in the starting rotation for Shamet ( assuming Lou Williams remains as the sixth man). Either way, the Clippers will need to rely on his shooting, especially late in games. Shamet’s best moment from last season was draining this three to complete the Clippers’ 31-point comeback against the Warriors in Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs last season. The Clippers will be fun to watch, and Shamet is a big part of that roster.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Of everyone on this list, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander might have the highest ceiling for this season alone, even though his role for this season is unclear. A key piece in the Paul George trade, Gilgeous-Alexander will likely play besides Chris Paul in the shadows of Russell Westbrook this season.
Gilgeous-Alexander was arguably third in the Rookie of the Year race last season until he hit a wall in January and Trae Young leveled up. A 6-foot-6 point guard, Gilgeous-Alexander is very athletic, superb around the rim, and improving as a shooter. His decision-making has been shaky at times, but it should help that he gets to learn from Paul.
The Thunder are not going to be very good this season, and between injuries and lack of team success, Gilgeous-Alexander will crack the starting lineup a lot. If given the opportunity to be the focus on Billy Donovan’s offense, he could put up numbers close to 18 points, five assists, four rebounds, and one-and-a-half steals a game. He will definitely be the bright spot on what will be an otherwise bad team.
2. Wendell Carter, Jr., Chicago Bulls
Of all the top ten picks last season, Wendell Carter, Jr. easily got the least national attention despite playing very well in 44 games. Carter is someone who is, simply put, good at everything, but not elite at anything. He’s someone who is valuable to have on your team and does his job without attracting lots of attention. I like to call this Al Horford syndrome.
Carter, Lauri Markkanen, and Zach Lavine only played 15 games together last season. However, the Bulls showed some encouraging signs for the future, playing their best team basketball in March. Heck, the East is wide open, and the Bulls may even squeak in and get a lower seed in the playoffs. Carter is someone who may forever go underappreciated but is a very consistent player. He also has room to improve as a shooter, as he was just 18.8% from deep last season. Expect both the Bulls and Carter to make drastic improvements this season.
1. Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks
Finally, the top second-year player to pay attention to this season is Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks. Playing just 20.6 minutes per game last season, Robinson already established himself as an elite rim-protector, finishing second in the NBA with 2.4 blocks per game. Robinson blocked an average of one out of every 10 opposing shots while he was on the court, not to mention he was exceptional around the rim with his shooting percentage just below 70%. How did this guy fall to the 36th pick?
Given how bad the Knicks were last season, Robinson’s play went relatively unnoticed for someone putting up those kinds of numbers. After the Knicks struck out in free agency and instead opted for a bunch of role players, Robinson could become second to R.J. Barrett on that team in terms of the face of the franchise. It’s almost Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. Alright, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself here but Robinson, if healthy, is going to be very good.
Honorable Mention: Michael Porter, Jr., Denver Nuggets
Technically Porter shouldn’t even be here because he isn’t a sophomore. That’s why I am giving him an honorable mention. Porter missed his entire rookie season, recovering from a back injury he suffered after finishing at Missouri. A highly-touted prospect coming out of high school, Porter could be a very good NBA player if he can stay on the court.
One Response
Good job man, well done!