Clayton -
Alright Jeff, the NBA season is nearly over and for many teams, and seeds just got wrapped up. It was exciting with some teams beating the odds and making the playoffs, while the juggernauts have started to rest guys for some time.
What I want to talk about are players on teams that should be getting good steady looks at to see what they have to give, or guys we are just curious as to why they are not playing more.
Some of these guys are first round picks, while some are second rounders or even an international player.
There will likely be a theme to my guys, athletic, long and raw, but loaded with potential. I clearly have a type, but the downside with some of these guys is that they are high risk-high reward type guys in terms of if they actually develop. Some could become starters or out of the league in two years.
Let’s say a list of four to six each.
Perry Jones III - SF - Oklahoma City
Jones has been a favorite of mine ever since he was at Baylor.
At the beginning of the season when Kevin Durant was injured, Jones showed some things and put on a good show before he himself got hurt. Since the All-Star break, Durant has had two more foot surgeries and is now out 4-6 months.
It seemed until Durant got back and Jones got healthy himself, he was going to finally get a chance to showcase his abilities. That has not happened.
To boost their bench, the Thunder made a flurry of trades to help out in the playoffs. Sadly, the injury to Durant and now Serge Ibaka, some of those guys are getting too many minutes. At the 3 (small forward), Detroit import Kyle Singler has been getting the nod or Andre Roberson has been stepping in.
While both players are valuable bench players, Perry Jones is far more talented and athletic than either of those two and I find it astounding he has not been able to get more minutes.
Admittedly, Jones has been hampered by ankle injuries this season, but this goes back to last year. He clearly should never take minutes away from Durant, but even before the injury, Durant could not play every minute.
Jones has had some bad games, but he should be much further along in his development, thus allowing the Thunder to use him more often.
This to me comes down to the coaches. Scott Brooks has been receiving more and more flack the past two seasons, and now we should start questioning his abilities. His in game tactics are already poor, but is his inability to develop players hurting the Thunder?
Recently, Brooks was rated as the 20th coach in the league. Obviously not every team can have the best coach or even a top 5 coach, but this is starting to become a hinderance.
Yes Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka have developed, but that could come down to their own doings plus their crazy talent levels. Some coaches have held back teams, just look at Randy Wittman and the Washington Wizards.
To me, Perry Jones is an incredibly special talent and is still only 23. He is a 6’11” small forward who is an incredible athlete and just begging to be developed. He can post up, has a developing jumper and can drive the lane.
Jones does have some weaknesses such as defense, and his own injuries.
Yet Brooks and the Thunder’s inability to develop players such as Jones has lead them to trade for Andre Roberson in 2013 and draft Josh Huestis (his signing a D-League deal is a whole different mess brought on).
If you do not have the room for all these assets, or belief in your own players, cut bait, trade some of them away… or diversify your picks. The Huestis pick was asinine in the first place. He was more of a mid-second round pick and the Thunder took him in the first round… what?
The Thunder already seemed resigned that Reggie Jackson was going to be shipped out at some point after he declined their extension, so why not trade him earlier or draft a 1 (point guard) in Huestis’ place to serve as a backup or project. Spencer Dinwiddie comes to mind or even Jordan Clarkson (Los Angeles thanks you Washington!). Both guys could have been late first round picks.
In the end, Jones may be a change of scenery guy or just a bench player, but with the wing positions nowadays being so decrepit, you have to at least try to develop freaks like this.
If he were to pan out he could be a solid average starter that averaged double figures in scoring and seven or eight rebounds a game.
Moe Harkless - SF - Orlando Magic
I do not know if the Magic have a clue of what they are doing at times.
They signed Channing Frye to a big deal, 4 years and $32 million, and apparently have no clue of how to use him.
Signing Ben Gordon to a contract? What?
Willie Green? Yeah sure...
Trading up for Elfrid Payton, surrendering the draft right to Dario Saric and their 2017 first round draft pick? Payton has played the 1 very well, but still has no clue how to shoot the ball.
Draft Aaron Gordon as a possible replacement for Tobias Harris, who is likely to cash in on free agency this summer (and the GM saying they will match any offer), despite having the player of discussion here in, Moe Harkless.
But then they have done things that were smart.
Signing Nikola Vucevic to an extension.
Firing Jacques Vaughn as their head coach.
This all leads to a confusing situation that has Moe Harkless playing less and less. The previous two years, Harkless played 78 and 80 games. How many games has Harkless played this season with 7 games left? 40 games.
Harkless is still only 21 and though he may have stagnated a bit this year, that could be blamed on Vaughn. This year, his numbers are down, as can be expected with his much reduced role
Harkless is 6’9” small forward who last year was developing a reliable 3 point shot (38% in 2013/14), but struggled at the charity strip (59.4%).
Is he still a project in his third year in the league? Yes. That can be attributed to Vaughn’s lack of ability in player development and added talent at his position.
With Harris likely leaving this summer (don't tell the GM that), Harkless could see his role increased as the guy behind Aaron Gordon, but with the rumors of the Magic trying to trade him, he may need a change of scenery. His length and athleticism could make him very intriguing to a team this summer.
With is 3 point shooting, length and athleticism, Harkless could turn into a Trevor Ariza type player. He may be a tick below that, but at 21, he still has loads of time to develop if given the chance.
Archie Goodwin - PG/SG -Phoenix Suns
Goodwin is a 6’5” combo guard who can handle the ball well. He is not an awful shooter, but needs to to bring up his percentages. Even though he has already been in the league two years, he is only 20 years old and was the youngest American drafted in 2013. He is still quite raw, but he is still younger than some of the incoming guys of the 2015 NBA Draft.
When Goodwin was originally drafted by the Thunder in 2013, it was an interesting pick to put behind Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson. Goodwin would have been stuck a bit, but he could develop and either become trade bait or wait for Jackson to be traded like he eventually was.
Then almost immediately he was sent to the Suns. With Goran Dragic, it seemed like a good fit for a team that was assumed to be looking at a lottery pick. Then the Suns traded Jared Dudley and got otherworldly PG Eric Bledsoe, eventually extending him. Goodwin was definitely blocked now, but at least he had two very good guys in front of him again and could come off the bench… oh wait.
Also on the team was Kendall Marshall (eventually let go in 2013) and in 2014, the Suns drafted Tyler Ennis.
But wait! There’s more! The Suns made a crazy signing of Isaiah Thomas this past summer. that is five 1’s on one roster. that is some poor roster construction.
Things were starting to look up when Dragic said he would not re-sign and was shipped out to Miami. Then the Suns bailed on Thomas and traded him to Boston. Yet another PG was traded when the Suns traded Ennis in a deal bringing in combo guard Brandon Knight (I was actually a fan of this deal, but hated the giving up of the Lakers protected pick for them. As a Lakers fan, it was of no consequence since we still would not have it outside the Top 5).
At one point, Goodwin’s agent started making some noise about Goodwin wanting a trade to get more time. It never brought about anything, but if it was requested, you could understand why.
Now the Suns have Bledsoe, Knight, Goodwin,and not before mentioned P.J. Tucker, Gerald Green, Reggie Bullock and A.J. Price all to play 2 spots. That meant Goodwin played a lot in the D-League, up until mid-February when he got pulled up for good it seems (after the trade deadline).
It still does not make much sense.
Goodwin has started to get more playing time after the deadline, but it is still sporadic at best. He had a stretch of mid to high teens or even in the twenties in terms of minutes played and putting up decent numbers, to playing three minutes against Oklahoma City.
Though there was heavy turnover, the Suns still need better roster construction. This summer they need to deal a few of these guards for another big or two. Goodwin is still extremely young and deserves more time to develop, as he has a good ceiling of at least a solid backup guard.
James Young - SF - Boston Celtics
As a Lakers fan I have no clue what I am doing here. I should hate Celtics players, but crazily enough there are quite a few that I think have good potential. Young tops that list for me.
Marcus Smart may have the bigger name and even the bigger ceiling, but there is much to like about Young. Young is still only 19, 6’7” with a 7’ wingspan. Young was considered at worst a 3 and D guy, but I think there is more to him other than range and defense, though they are both promising.
During the draft, ESPN’s Bill Simmons was ecstatic to get Young, while I was pissed they were able to snag him. Young at Kentucky averaged 17/5/2 on a team featuring Julius Randle, Willie Cauley-Stein, Alex Poythress and the perennially loved but actually dreadful Harrison twins. There was not a lot of room to be able to put up good numbers and Young did just that. He was more of an outside threat, but with the above mentioned players, there was not much room to slash and drive. This kid was actually underutilized.
Sadly, there was talk of a Kentucky coach or employee saying some stuff about Young’s character, but to this point, he seems pretty clean.
Young is struggling when he is up on the Celtics (being shuttled back and forth between Boston and the D League), but that can be attributed to his lack of playing time. Generally I would say that is on the coach, but actually Brad Stevens is a magician. Stevens actually has the Celtics as the 7th seed, with a team currently filled with just really good role players.
Young on the big squad is shooting only a line of 34/26/56, but down in the D League, Young is shooting 46/44/76. Yes the competition is not as strong but with Young’s youth, he can start to click next year as the C’s starting 3.
Look for Young to get a big increase in minutes next year.
Glen Rice Jr. - SG - Free Agent
Glenn Robinson III - SF- Philadelphia 76ers
I have these two grouped together because I just really like the pair. Plus their names are Glen(n). What’s not to like?
Both were sought after recruits and sadly disappointed, especially Rice Jr. who was dismissed from Georgia Tech. Robinson was destined to be a huge player at Michigan, but was consistently inconsistent and was lost in the shuffle of talented recruits of the same position at Michigan.
Both guys are long, can shoot and are pretty athletic. They are cheap, and both were only second round picks, Rice at 35 and Robinson at 40.
Rice Jr. is 6’5” with a 6’9” wingspan. Rice seems to be losing his stock in the league since he is already a free agent again, not to mention he is already 24. That is not old, but not exactly young for a guy that doesn’t have a team with some kind of stock in him.
Rice is the son of one of my personal favorites, Glen Rice, but has not developed the killer 3 that his dad had. Rice may find his future playing internationally, but some bad team such as the Knicks, 76ers, Lakers, Magic, Kings or his dads former team the Hornets.
Robinson III is currently on the 76ers roster and can’t seem to get the minutes they should be giving him. Robert Covington is somehow starting at the 2, when is natural spot is the 3. Justifiable though considering blossoming 2nd round pick Jerami Grant if starting at the 3.
Behind Covington is Jason Richardson (love the old guy, but come on) and Hollis Thompson. Thompson is way behind Robinson III in my opinion in terms of talent and ceiling.
Robinson is 6’7” with a 6’10” wingspan but is not producing due to only getting into 23 games and playing only 6.2 minutes a game. He still needs to dramatically improve his 3 point shot, but it is not Carter Williams or Rondo level, as Robinson is shooting roughly 30% from deep.
Robinson is the better and younger of the two players, as well as possibly more raw. On his side though, is a solid ceiling of possibly a good sixth man. Philly will likely suck again next year, so Robinson could possibly get more run to improve.
I have no true reasons for liking this pair so much, maybe it is the greatness of their fathers and bloodlines intrigue me, but I feel these two should get a decent chance on at least a bad team. Robinson still has some time, but Rice may be destined to play in China, the Philippines or somewhere in Europe.
Jeff -
Thomas Robinson- PF- Philadelphia 76ers
Robinson is one of those guys that got drafted high. However, his case is a weird one. Halfway through his rookie season he got traded from Sacramento to Houston. I personally think he was a bad fit in Sacramento and that contributed to his slow start.
He was only in Houston for 19 games and had similar stats to his first 50 in Sacramento which were a little over 4 points and 4 rebounds per game. In the offseason he was once again traded, this time to Portland (another bad fit with Aldridge already in place)
While in Portland he again couldn't get over the 4 and 4 average and failed to average more than 12.5 minutes per game in a season and a half.
Now in the 2014-2015 season he was traded from Portland to Denver for Arron Afflalo. Denver sent him out on waivers where the tanking 76ers grabbed him up despite a deal set up with the Nets.
So far he has proven that if he gets the chance he can produce. He is putting up an astounding 8.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in only 17 minutes per game. If he were averaging 20-25 per game he would be a walking double-double.
Some of his weaknesses that most likely contributed to his lack of opportunity thus far are his lack of great size, at a generous 6’9” he doesn’t have an imposing figure in the post. Also, he isn’t a great defender nor does have the defensive ability to alter shots. I also feel the continuous changing of teams has hindered his progression.
Even with these issues I think he has just enough to get the job done given the right amount of minutes. He is explosive and athletic, with a will to compete.
If he can improve his free throw shooting and really perfect his mid range jumper he can be an easy 15 & 10 guy with a 24 minute per game role.
Jeff Withey - C - New Orleans Pelicans
I might be biased here because I played against him in high school but I really think Withey is deserving of more action.
I understand with Asik in the starting role, he is limited to reserve minutes, however, I don’t agree with Ajinca getting them over Withey. Yes, Ajinca has been productive in his role, but I think Withey would give similar production given the minutes and it would help his growth for the future.
Now don’t get me wrong Withey is not some offensive juggernaut that is just being wasted on the bench. He does have his limits but let’s go back to his college days and look at what he can do.
In his senior year at Kansas he averaged over 13 points per game while shooting 58% from the field. That is a pretty good performance for a guy that isn’t known for his offensive game. He also pulled down 8.5 rebounds per game, which in college is a very respectable number. His strength however, is his shot blocking ability. In his final year at Kansas he averaged 4 blocks per game.
With Anthony Davis doing what he does best, the Pelicans don’t need a prolific offensive Center, which is why Asik fits them nicely. If Withey was the main relief for Asik that would be a steady stream of shot blocking and rebounding that was just a continuous surge against opposing big men.
The fact that Jeff Withey gets the 2nd least amount of minutes of any player on the Pelicans is a big mistake in my opinion. I think Withey has the potential to be much better than Asik if given the proper role and the right amount of minutes and coaching.
He is only in his 2nd year so it is not too late, but if he doesn’t see an increase in his role soon it could derail his career before it even gets going.
CJ McCollum - SG - Portland Trail Blazers
Coming out of college he drew comparisons to potential MVP Steph Curry… Let that sink in for a second….
He is a great shooter who can score in many ways. He can take you off the dribble with a deadly first step, and he is an efficient scorer coming off of screens as well.
Now he did have a recent stretch where he saw a significant increase in playing time and during that stretch he averaged 14 points per game and 42% from 3. If that isn’t a reason to give him minutes I don’t know what is.
Now I understand Afflalo getting the bulk of the minutes because he has proven himself as a valuable piece to a franchise when he was in Denver. However, since being traded to Portland his production is way down and he is averaging only 10 points in 30 minutes per game.
If you were to compare each players per 36 minute stats it is clear that McCollum is more productive with his 15.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists compared to Afflalo’s 12.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per 36 minutes.
I can say the two distinct advantages Afflalo has over McCollum are free throw ability and defense. If McCollum could improve his free throw shooting and defense, he would command more minutes per game.
Luigi Datome - SF - Boston Celtics
I have to be honest, before his trade to my C’s I had never heard of this guy. So I looked him up and thought to myself, any guy who can’t get more than 7 minutes per game on the Pistons has to be horrible.
Upon his arrival in Boston I was pleasantly surprised by what he brought to the table. While Stevens gave him a very limited role he capitalized on it and made an impression.
Getting only 9 minutes per game, he has averaged 4.5 points per game and is shooting 48% from three.
What was clear about Luigi from day 1 is that he is a natural scorer who can also put his back to the basket and make some guys look foolish. (note by Clayton: Datome was the MVP of his Italy league before signing with the Pistons.)
Now I understand Boston has a lot of options at the SF position and there a guys who have earned their minutes, but Brad Stevens has got to find a way to incorporate Luigi in somewhere (note by Clayton: Datome is also a free agent after the season so it will be interesting if he stays in boston or returns to Italy).
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