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NBA: 5 most under-the-radar storylines of 2017-18

By Jonathan Macri

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 24: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first half against the New York Knicks at TD Garden on October 24, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 24: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first half against the New York Knicks at TD Garden on October 24, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 16: Justise Winslow #20 of the Miami Heat drives around Wesley Johnson #33 of the LA Clippers during a game at American Airlines Arena on December 16, 2016 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 16: Justise Winslow #20 of the Miami Heat drives around Wesley Johnson #33 of the LA Clippers during a game at American Airlines Arena on December 16, 2016 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

What the hell is up with the 2015 NBA Draft class?

Usually by the time we get to a guy’s third season, we have a pretty good idea of what he is. Or isn’t, in many cases.

This is certainly true for some members of the class of 2015. Picking nits at Karl Anthony-Towns’ defense has become a cottage industry, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s a transformational talent. Ditto for Kristaps Porzingis. Devin Booker is going to score a lot of points every night for a very long time. People are still sleeping on Myles Turner, but there’s an All-Star ceiling in there somewhere.

After those four, there’s very few guys we can be sure of one way or another.

D’Angelo Russell looked to be on his way to fulfilling some of the promise that got him drafted second overall before going down with an injury a few weeks ago. You could tell me he’s going to be signing his second max contract in six years or that he’ll be a bit rotation player and I’d believe either.

The max contract window on draft darling Justise Winslow seems to have closed, but really, would it completely shock you if that guy put it all together at some point? Same goes for Stanley Johnson, who’s the nominal fifth starter for the surprising Pistons but it feels like he’s their eighth most important player.

Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Lyles have both had disappointing careers thus far, but no one is willing to call either a bust just yet (watch out for Lyles in particular if Jokic is out for a while). The same goes for Willy Cauley-Stein, who it would be fascinating to see play anywhere besides Sacramento.

Several guys feel like they’re just now scratching the surface of what they could become.

Kelly Oubre could wind up signing the Josh Richardson special (another guy from this class) or some team could blow him away with a mammoth RFA offer in two summers. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has looked frisky in Brooklyn this year and might be the poor man’s Oubre – if he can learn to shoot threes. Terry Rozier has been good for some laughs on NBA Twitter (wait, you didn’t know that Ainge could have also gotten LeBron in the Kyrie trade if he threw Rozier in the deal?), but all joking aside, he’s done nothing but run with the chance he’s been given.

And we haven’t even mentioned the two players who joined a notoriously exclusive club not too long ago.

Jahlil Okafor and Mario Hezonia, two former top-five picks, have fallen so far out of favor on their current teams that neither had his option picked up for next season. Yet would you bet against at least one of these dudes figuring it out with his next club (as in, becoming a useful rotation cog)?

Okafor and Hezonia aside, we’re still 20 months away from this class’s rookie deals coming to an end. A few will sign extensions between now and then, but the smart money says that the summer of 2019 will double as the most exciting restricted free agency period the league has ever seen.

(Oh, and before we move on, let’s please pour one out for poor Cam Payne. At least Jahlil and Mario get slapped with the “unfulfilled promise” label. Payne is just bad.)

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