NBA PM: 8 Players Poised for a Bigger Role

8 Young Players Poised for a Bigger Role

It’s August and that means NBA teams are for the most part finished making major offseason moves. By now, each team has a good idea of what their roster will look like this year.

One thing that’s becoming clear is that a number of relatively young players seem poised to take on an increased role in the upcoming season. Today, we take a look at eight young players (age 25 or younger) who will be asked to do significantly more for their respective team in the 2015-16 campaign.

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers – Yes, Lillard has been a huge contributor for the Blazers since entering the NBA in 2012. He has improved in each of his first three seasons and received accolades every year of his career – from Rookie of the Year to an All-NBA selection to two All-Star appearances.

However, this season he’ll be asked to take on many more responsibilities (on and off the court) since veterans like LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, Robin Lopez and Arron Afflalo are no longer in Portland. After all of the changes to the Blazers’ roster this summer, it’s clear that Lillard will be the top option on offense as well as the leader of this young team.

“We went full board with guys on the same career arc as Damian Lillard,” Blazers general manager Neil Olshey told Basketball Insiders during the Las Vegas Summer League. “Damian is our best player right now. He’s a two-time All-Star and we are going to bring in players that complement [his] skill set.”

This summer, Portland added a number of young players who fit that description. They acquired Mason Plumlee, Noah Vonleh, Al-Farouq Aminu, Ed Davis, Gerald Henderson and Maurice Harkless among others because they believe those players can grow alongside Lillard going forward.

All eyes will be on Lillard to see how he responds to shouldering a bigger load and adjusting to the new supporting cast. There’s no question that he’s the Blazers’ centerpiece and his play will in large part determine what happens next for the franchise.

Fortunately for Portland, their 25-year-old floor general has a terrific work ethic and maturity well beyond his years, not to mention the tremendous skills that allowed him to become one of the NBA’s best point guards in recent years. If Lillard’s 2014-15 averages (21 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals) are any indication, he’s ready for this increased role and may deliver a monster 2015-16 campaign.

Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons – Around this time last year, all signs pointed to Drummond having a breakout 2014-15 season. New head coach Stan Van Gundy wanted to make him a focal point and surround him with shooters (similar to how he used Dwight Howard when they were in Orlando). Also, Drummond was coming off of a sophomore campaign in which he averaged 13.5 points (on 62.3 percent shooting from the field), 13.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals. In the final month of his second season, he averaged 18.4 points (on 64.2 shooting percent from the field) and 17.4 rebounds.

Pistons fans were understandably excited and expected Drummond to be one of the best centers in the NBA in his third season. However, the big man didn’t show as much progress as they hoped. While his numbers were still very solid – 13.8 points (on 51.4 percent from the field), 13.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks – they weren’t the jaw-dropping stats some anticipated.

However, it’s important to note that Drummond is still just 21 years old so he still has a ton of potential and room for growth. And with Greg Monroe and Josh Smith no longer in Detroit’s frontcourt, Drummond should take on a bigger load and get more touches. That already started this past season, as he attempted a career-high 11.7 shots per game (and 13.3 attempts per game after the All-Star break).

Van Gundy has also added a number of players who complement Drummond well. The biggest addition is stretch-four Ersan Ilyasova, who Detroit acquired from Milwaukee in exchange for Caron Butler and Shawne Williams. The 28-year-old power forward has shot 37 percent from three-point range for his career and he should create additional space for Drummond (similar to how Van Gundy used Ryan Anderson alongside Howard in Orlando). In addition to Ilyasova, Detroit also acquired shooters like Reggie Bullock, Marcus Morris and Steve Blake this summer.

Once again, Drummond seems poised to take that next step in his development. Adjusting to a new coach and system can be difficult and take some time, especially for a young player, which may explain why he didn’t have a breakout campaign last year. Now, with some internal growth and Van Gundy putting him in position to succeed in a big way, this could be the year Drummond takes a step toward becoming one of the NBA’s top big men.

Greg Monroe, Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks made one of the biggest additions of the summer when they signed Monroe to a three-year, $50 million deal. Monroe was a highly coveted free agent who spurned a number of big-market teams to join Milwaukee – a move that was initially shocking, but one that makes a lot of sense from a basketball standpoint when you consider Monroe’s game and the Bucks’ roster.

Milwaukee has assembled a team of long, versatile, defensive-minded players. They had the second-best defense in the NBA last season, behind only the Golden State Warriors, as they allowed just 99.3 points per 100 possessions.

But while they’re excellent on defense, they struggle on the other end of the floor. The Bucks finished last season ranked 25th in the NBA in offense (scoring just 100.5 points per 100 possessions) and they really lacked a player who could create their own shot, especially once Jabari Parker tore his ACL. Monroe is a perfect fit for Milwaukee because he’s a skilled big man who can score the ball. They are bringing back all of their terrific young defenders and adding a 25-year-old big man who has averaged at least 15 points in each of the last four seasons. By the way, Monroe’s 15 points per game would’ve led the Bucks last year since Michael Carter-Williams was their top scorer at 14.1 PPG. Consider how well Milwaukee fared last year with Zaza Pachulia (a decent veteran) as their starting center; now, throw in Monroe at the five (where he prefers to play) and you can expect them to make a significant jump in the Eastern Conference standings.

Had the Bucks not made any notable offseason moves, they still likely would’ve shown improvement since they will get Parker back from the torn ACL that caused him to miss all but 25 games last year and they expect internal growth from their young core of Carter-Williams, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and John Henson among others. But rather than stand pat, the Bucks added a franchise-changing big man in Monroe as well as veterans like Greivis Vasquez and Chris Copeland along with their first-round pick Rashad Vaughn.

Monroe leaves behind a Pistons team where he wasn’t a great fit alongside Andre Drummond (and previously Josh Smith) for a Bucks supporting cast that is perfect for him. Expect Monroe to have a career-year and be one of Milwaukee’s top options on the offensive end. It’s also very possible that Monroe will make his postseason debut this season since it’s hard to imagine the Bucks dropping out of the East’s top eight.

Otto Porter, Washington Wizards – In recent years, Porter hasn’t had to take on a big role with the Washington Wizards since they had very talented veteran small forwards like Trevor Ariza and Paul Pierce on the roster. However, Pierce bolted to the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason, which opens up the starting job for the 22-year-old Porter.

The Wizards have taken things very slowly since drafting Porter with the third overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. They eased him into a significant role, playing him just 8.6 minutes per game as a rookie and then 19.4 minutes a night as a sophomore.

Now, entering his third season, he has an opportunity to be a real difference-maker for Washington. Last year, Porter averaged six points, three rebounds and .6 steals in his limited minutes while shooting 45 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from three-point range.

However, he did show glimpses of brilliance on both ends of the floor throughout the campaign. In his eight games as the Wizards’ starting small forward last year, he averaged 12.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three-point range. Also, Porter really elevated his game in the postseason, averaging 10 points, eight rebounds and 1.2 steals in the 10 playoff games he appeared in.

Washington did add some veteran wings this summer in Jared Dudley, Gary Neal and Alan Anderson, but Porter will likely start and have a much more significant role. Learning from Ariza and Pierce seems to have really helped him and his strong play in the postseason was good for his confidence. Now, after two years of limited action compared to the other top picks in his class, it’s time for the Wizards to unleash Porter and see what he can do.

Brandon Knight, Phoenix Suns – The Suns clearly value Knight a lot, as evidenced by the fact that they dealt Tyler Ennis, Miles Plumlee and the Los Angeles Lakers’ protected 2015 first-round pick for him at last year’s trade deadline. That Lakers’ top-five protected pick was a huge asset, yet the Suns decided to go all in on Knight after parting ways with Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas. This summer, Phoenix locked Knight up on a five-year deal worth $70 million, which is the exact same deal that Eric Bledsoe signed with the Suns last offseason. As is the case with Bledsoe, Knight now must live up to that deal and continue to expand his game.

Not only does he have a big contract, he has a key role as the point guard in head coach Jeff Hornacek’s system. He’s an extremely important part of this team’s attack and Phoenix needs him to play at a high level in order for them to reach their full potential.

Last year, Knight only appeared in 11 games (nine starts) for the Suns due to an ankle injury. Prior to the trade, he was playing the best basketball of his career with the Bucks. In the first half of last season, Knight averaged 17.8 points (on 43.5 percent from the field), 5.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Phoenix is betting on the 23-year-old and hoping that he can produce at that same level, or better, in their backcourt alongside Bledsoe.

One area where Knight must improve is his shooting; he shot just 35.7 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from three-point range in his 11 games with Phoenix – both of which were career-lows. He is a career 41.7 percent shooter – a number he could certainly stand to improve, especially now that he has other weapons around him and isn’t forcing shots like he sometimes had to do earlier in his career.

Knight has never been to the playoffs and this is really the first time he has entered a season with realistic postseason aspirations. The Suns are hoping to climb into the Western Conference’s top eight and they made a number of win-now moves this summer such as adding veterans like Tyson Chandler (32 years old), Sonny Weems (29), Mirza Teletovic (29) and Ronnie Price (32). Phoenix will need Knight to step up and form a powerful one-two punch with Bledsoe if they want to achieve that goal. Knight, who played for three teams in his first four NBA seasons, has found a home and will have every opportunity to succeed in Phoenix’s guard-oriented attack.

Tobias Harris, Orlando Magic – A number of Magic players could’ve made this list. It could have been Victor Oladipo, who played very well toward the end of last season (averaging 20.3 points, 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals after the All-Star break). It could have been Nikola Vucevic, who led Orlando in points (19.3) and rebounds (10.9) last year while finishing fifth in the NBA in double-doubles (45).

However, Oladipo and Vucevic already played a huge role for the Magic last season and will be asked to do much of the same this year. The player who seems poised to take on a significantly bigger role is Harris. After inking a four-year deal worth $64 million, the 24-year-old is now the highest-paid player on the Magic roster (by a lot), and he does exactly what Orlando desperately needs: puts up points and creates his own shot.

Orlando lacks shooters in their starting lineup. Their backcourt of Oladipo and Elfrid Payton is outstanding on defense and insanely athletic, but both players have a jump-shot that is very much a work in progress. The same can be said for fellow lottery pick Aaron Gordon, who will likely get more playing time in his sophomore season.

This is why Harris may be asked to do more this season. The Magic need someone who can knock down shots; they ranked 27th in the NBA in points per 100 possessions last year. Sure, they dump the ball down to Vucevic in the paint quite a bit, but having a perimeter scorer who can create their own shot is important. In Harris’ 63 games as a starter last season, he averaged 17.6 points while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three-point range.

Orlando would love to see Harris take smarter shots, be a bit more unselfish and improve on the defensive end, but he’s still developing. It’s easy to forget that Harris just turned 23 years old in July. New head coach Scott Skiles will stress those things and try to help Harris reach his full potential (and, for the record, both men insist they’re on good terms even though Harris barely played under Skiles in Milwaukee). There’s a belief that a number of Magic players weren’t used 100 percent correctly under former head coach Jacque Vaughn (and then interim coach James Borrego), so it’ll be very interesting to see how the team’s core performs this year. Harris is entering his fifth season in the NBA and, if everything goes right, this could be a breakout campaign for the forward.

Paul George, Indiana Pacers – At 25 years old, George’s résumé already includes two All-Star appearances, two All-NBA selections and an All-Defensive First Team nod. He has emerged as one of the game’s best two-way perimeter players, filling up the stat sheet on a nightly basis, so it may seem strange to see him on this list.

However, this season, the Pacers will be asking George to carry the team more than ever before. He is their best player on both ends of the floor, and it’s not particularly close. Whether he’s playing small forward or some power forward (as Larry Bird and Frank Vogel have said), Indiana will only go as far as George takes them.

Indiana has reconstructed their team this summer. After keeping the same core intact in recent years, the Pacers enter the 2015-16 season without key starters Roy Hibbert and David West. George Hill is Indiana’s only other returning starter (aside from George). Replacing Hibbert and West’s on-court production will be tough enough, but George will also have to step up off the court. West, in particular, was considered the heart and soul of the Pacers and he was a terrific leader and locker room presence. Now, as the team’s superstar, George will have to fill those shoes.

Last year, George’s ascent to superstardom came to a brief halt due to the gruesome right leg fracture that caused him to miss 76 games (and the Pacers missed the playoffs, showing just how important he is to the team). Fellow players have said that George has looked outstanding in his offseason workouts out in Los Angeles, which is a great sign. He’s expected to be back to 100 percent by the start of the season.

Without Hibbert, West and Scola in the frontcourt, it’s understandable why Bird and Vogel want to experiment with some small-ball lineups. The Pacers did make some additions, including Monta Ellis, Myles Turner, Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger. But George is clearly the key to Indiana returning to contention and he’ll be doing more heavy lifting than in the past.

Enes Kanter, Oklahoma City Thunder – Kanter’s max deal with the Thunder was one of the more surprising contracts of the summer. Portland extended the four-year, $70 million deal to the 23-year-old big man and Oklahoma City matched. As has been discussed quite a bit, the Thunder felt they had to re-sign Kanter since they’re going all in on this season and must send the right message to Kevin Durant before he hits free agency next summer. They may have overpaid the big man because their hand was forced, but now it’s on Kanter to play up to his max deal and prove the Thunder made the right decision. He’s going to be a very important piece for this team and his play could be a huge factor in determining just how far Oklahoma City goes this season.

Oklahoma City acquired Kanter from Utah at last year’s trade deadline and he posted impressive numbers in his 26 games with the Thunder. He started every game and averaged career-highs in points (18.7), field goal percentage (56.6 percent), rebounds (11), blocks (.5) and steals (.5).

At first glance, it may seem like a no-brainer to give a big contract to a 23-year-old center with those stats and offensive skills. However, Kanter’s issues have always been on the other end of the floor. Last year, Kanter was ranked 469th out of 474 NBA players in Defensive Real Plus-Minus (-3.87). He finished the season as the worst defensive center in the NBA (including reserves) based on DRPM. Utah became the best defensive team in the NBA after parting ways with Kanter. Starting Rudy Gobert (who I considered for this list but ultimately left off since he took on a huge role last year) obviously affected those numbers, but there’s no question Kanter had been a liability on that end.

Kanter admitted to not giving maximum effort at times with the Jazz (which likely affected his defensive production) and there were red flags about his attitude too. These kind of things are concerning to hear about a player, especially one who just got a max deal. Now that he got paid, will he continue to work as hard and produce like he did in the second half of last season?

Oklahoma City is hoping that Kanter will be more focused than ever now that he’s on a contender rather than a perennial lottery team. They’re also betting on Kanter’s offensive talent making up for his defensive struggles, and that putting Serge Ibaka alongside him in the frontcourt can help hide his deficiencies a bit. It remains to be seen how this will all work out, but there’s no question that Kanter will have an increased role (on a much bigger stage) than in previous years since he’s now one of the highest-paid players on one of the league’s best teams.

New Episode of the Basketball Insiders Podcast

If you missed it, a new episode of the Basketball Insiders podcast dropped last night. Alex Kennedy and Jesse Blancarte discuss which NBA teams enter next season with the highest sense of urgency, the state of the Los Angeles Clippers, and answer your #InsidersPodcast questions.