I am going to go on a slightly different tangent than my predecessors as this week I am going to focus on three players who may not breakout and be stars, but they will have an increased role and whose improvement may catch people off guard. The likelihood I strike 3/3 is pretty much nonexistent, but hopefully my crystal ball will be somewhat accurate.
John Henson – Milwaukee Bucks C/PF (6’11″/220 lb)
John Henson’s first season as a pro was similar to many rookies, full of ups and downs. He showed glimpses of promise with a 28-point outburst against one of the West’s best teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and a 25-rebound performance against the Orlando Magic. He also recorded a career high 7 blocks in that same game against Orlando. This should give Milwaukee fans hope that if next season Henson can stay healthy and find some consistency, he could be a solid contributor. Henson’s criticism has been the same from high school, through college and now in the NBA: he simply does not have an NBA body. The fact that he has known yet seems to not have had any success in the gym does pose question marks if he will ever fill out his frame. Either way, these glimpses of talent have gone down well with the fans and apparently the front office as well. They were happy to move Tobias Harris on to make playing time available for Henson’s development and to get JJ Redick. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, Harris showed real potential in Orlando towards the end of the year, and various sources suggest that JJ Redick will not return to the Bucks. Irrelevant to that, if Henson has a strong, injury free off-season, then Bucks fans can look forward to seeing him being a very good back up big man next year.
Josh McRoberts – Free Agent PF (6’10″/240 lb)
I know McRoberts doesn’t have a team right now and is just coming off a contract year so this may seem like an odd choice, but bear with me. McRoberts will most likely sign a multi-year deal somewhere this off-season (this might just fund his stamp collection), however I believe that he has a chip on his shoulder after being passed on by the Lakers and not given a chance to play in Orlando. Since joining the Bobcats at the trade deadline, McRoberts shined as their best big man. I know that isn’t saying much with competition from DeSagana Diop and Brendan Haywood, but anyone who watched him play could see that McRoberts clearly has more to offer. One aspect of his game which is underrated is his passing; McRoberts made the entire Charlotte team’s ball movement flow thanks to his court vision. Depending on where he lands will define what role he has, but I certainly think he should be able to get 15-25 MPG on most rosters in the league.
Derrick Williams – Minnesota Timberwolves (For Now) PF/SF (6’8″/241 lb)
When was the last time you heard someone say something good about Derrick Williams? It probably wasn’t since he was playing in the NCAA tournament for Arizona a few years back. Williams has been a constant disappointment in the league; he is the definition of a tweener and struggles to defend and score at an efficient rate. For me, Minnesota and Williams were never going to work from day one. How is he supposed to make a successful career for himself playing in the shadow of Kevin Love? They obviously don’t think he can play small forward with the signing of Andre Kirilenko and trading for Chase Budinger. So why is he on this list you may ask? I think by the time the NBA Draft comes about, he won’t be a member of the Timberwolves anymore. I am hoping for Derrick’s sake that he gets moved somewhere where he has an opportunity to discover himself as a player (how’s that for some philosophical nonsense?).
By James Plowright
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