Feb 25, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson (6) dribbles the ball as Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) defends during the first quarter at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
As the 2015-16 NBA season approaches, here are five sophomores to keep an eye on as potential breakout stars
The NBA is loaded with young talent. And because each player is different, the way they develop as players is unique, too. Certain things like injuries, minutes played or team atmosphere could hinder a player’s development process.
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In the past, some players have had great rookie seasons only to fail to reach expectations in year 2, while other players have ridden the bench in their first year and broke out during their sophomore campaign.
The NBA is all about opportunity and there’s a good chance that a lot of the 2014 draftees will get more minutes and an extended role in year 2 of their NBA Journey.
Every young player is hungry and they want to prove to the coaches and the GMs that they were worth drafting. Working in the gym and playing in the Summer League are two ways young players looking for more minutes can improve.
Here’s a list of the five guys that might breakout in year 2.
Next: Rodney Hood
Feb 25, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood (5) reacts during the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Rodney Hood — Shooting Guard, Utah Jazz
Rodney hood had an exceptional season for a player that was a mere afterthought in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Rightfully so, Hood didn’t get a lot of the pre-draft buzz last year because teams were focused on his teammate — Jabari Parker. But with Utah’s starting SG Alec Burks going down with a shoulder injury early in the year, Hood got has chance to shine, and he didn’t disappoint.
His starting numbers were very solid for a late first-round draft pick, at 12.7 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from three-point range on 27.3 minutes per game in the 21 games he started last year.
Burks is healed from his shoulder injury and that does pose as a problem for the Jazz. Right now, it’s not even certain if he’ll be starting next year. That’s how good Hood has been for the Jazz.
If Burks does in fact start, Hood will be a key part of the Jazz bench that might find their way in the postseason this year. But if Hood happens to start, we might be talking about an even better breakout year for the former Duke guard.
Next: Noah Vonleh
Apr 15, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Charlotte Hornets forward Noah Vonleh (11) holds the ball as Toronto Raptors guard Greivis Vasquez (21) and Raptors forward Patrick Patterson (54) defend at the Air Canada Centre. The Hornets won 92-87. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Noah Vonleh — Power Forward, Portland Trail Blazers
The Hornets expected Noah Vonleh to be a project player when they drafted him, but they didn’t expect him to miss nearly his whole first season.
I don’t know why Charlotte gave up on him so early, trading him to the Portland Trail Blazers in the offseason — but maybe his injury had something to do with it.
Maybe getting traded was a good thing for Vonleh. Like every young player, a great team environment and minutes are needed to devlop. The Hornets aren’t known for developing their players and Vonleh only played 10 minutes per game in Charlotte.
The Blazers are rebuilding now and Vonleh will probably get a fair shake this season. With LaMarcus Aldridge leaving Portland, the Blazers need a PF for the future. Noah Vonleh was drafted 9th overall for a reason. Maybe he’s that guy.
Next: Marcus Smart
Apr 10, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov (20) and forward LeBron James (23) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Marcus Smart — Point Guard, Boston Celtics
There really wasn’t any middle ground when talking about Marcus Smart during the 2014 NBA Draft process. Some people thought he’d really be good, while others thought he’d be really terrible.
After his first year, Smart has shown flashes of being great — but a breakout second year could make more people believers. The Celtics drafted another guard in Terry Rozier in this year’s draft, which means Smart needs to make a big impact this season or his minutes might slip later.
He’s already a great defensive player, but I think there’s a good chance his offensive game could develop more in year two.
Next: Aaron Gordon
Jan 25, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon (00) drives to the basket against the Indiana Pacers during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Gordon — Power Forward, Orlando Magic
Due to a foot injury, Aaron Gordon was never a real part of the Magic’s rotation last year. He ended his rookie season with averages of 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in just 17 minutes a night.
Before he got drafted, there were questions about Gordon’s ability to play against power forwards in the NBA. The Magic moved him over at shooting forward sometimes and as expected, he struggled. Orlando was one of the worst teams in the league at shooting the 3-ball and Gordon didn’t help them there either — shooting 27 percent from 3.
Overall, his rookie year was terrible. But like most players, Improvement does come. He’s been working with the Magic shooting coach, Dave Love.
"“Dave Love’s a great dude,” Aaron Gordon said, via Ken Hornack. “He helped my shot significantly, just the mechanics of it, so now it’s more fluid. … He gave me a few tweaks that made it effortless. And it’s easy to build on that.”"
While I don’t buy too much into summer league games, if Gordon’s Jumper looks similar to this next year — we might be talking about a big breakout year.
Next: Dante Exum
Apr 11, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) speaks with Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder during the first quarter of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Dante Exum — Point Guard, Utah Jazz
No. Dante Exum wasn’t good last year. But seriously, did you expect one of the youngest players in the league, that didn’t play college ball, to have an impactful rookie season?
I didn’t. Nonetheless, Exum did show some flashes of good play. The plays that show why he was drafted 5th overall.
His defensive potential is off the charts.
Post All-Star, @UtahJazz's NetRtg (+/- per 100 Possessions) is 18.5 PTS better w/ @daanteee ON the floor than when OFF (team-best diff.)
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) March 17, 2015
His offense is a work in progress, but he’s getting stronger during the offseason and that’ll help him average more than the 4.8 Points per game he put up this past season.
It’s unfair to write Exum off as a player yet. The Jazz are the youngest team in the league and with guys like Trey Burke and Alec Burks, Exum has some stiff competition at the guard spots.
Only time will tell if he’ll develop into the superstar that draft experts thought he’d be. Either way, I think he’ll surprise some people this year and have a great second year.
Next: Dallas Mavericks: Picking up the mess that DeAndre Jordan left