Which NBA rookies on lottery teams will make an impact early in the season?
There are 14 lottery picks in the NBA Draft, but a far greater number of rookies make their way onto lottery-bound teams.
Just because a player is drafted by a lottery team, it does not necessarily mean the player will get instant playing time. A year ago, Dante Exum had to wait until midseason to get consistent minutes. Other players dealt with injuries. Nik Stauskas fell into a poor fit, and wound up being traded after his rookie season.
Similar storylines will be seen in the 2015 class – which rookies will make the most of their early opportunity?
Karl-Anthony Towns | C | Minnesota Timberwolves
It makes sense that the No. 1 pick will get a chance to shine early. Towns will slide into the Timberwolves’ starting unit right away, starting over incumbent centers Gorgui Dieng and Nikola Pekovic. A shot-blocking menace that can create his own shot from the low post, expect to see Rubio/Towns pick and rolls and pick and pops in addition to the numerous isolation sequences that will be present for Andrew Wiggins. His numbers could be gaudy for the Wolves.
Jahlil Okafor | C | Philadelphia 76ers
More than any other rookie in the 2015 class, Okafor slides into a position where he will be free to make mistakes – and maybe encouraged to. Philadelphia is a step closer to competing, but a backcourt devoid of replacement-level players will keep the Sixers in the East’s cellar. The former Duke Blue Devil will be force-fed touches inside and given a chance to go to work from day one. He could be a double-double player over the first few months, even if it isn’t pretty.
Stanley Johnson | SF | Detroit Pistons
Looking for a dark-horse candidate to win Rookie of the Year? Stanley Johnson is your man. The Pistons desperately needed to add a scorer on the wing to pair with their two-headed point guard unit of Brandon Jennings and Reggie Jackson, and Johnson fits the bill. He will be asked to defend the opposing team’s most talented shooting guard or small forward, and may even be able to play a stretch-4 in limited quantities. It will be tough for Stan Van Gundy to leave him off the floor.
Joseph Young | PG | Indiana Pacers
Amongst second round picks, Joseph Young is in the best position to make an early impact. Supplementing a Monta Ellis-George Hill backcourt, Young’s 3-point shooting will help him stand out from the other Pacers reserves and earn early minutes. Similar to how CJ Watson played when he was with Indiana, Young could see as many as 20 minutes a game to start the season, and he could eventually challenge incumbent starter George Hill for minutes late in games.
TJ McConnell | PG | Philadelphia 76ers
Undrafted players often carve out small roles in year one, but McConnell could have an opportunity to grab major minutes right away. In looking at the 76ers point guard depth, the team has two players coming off ACL tears (Marshall, Wroten), and a pair of undersized and inefficient gunners (Canaan, Jackson) as its other options. McConnell is by no means a flashy player, but he is a good decision maker with the ability to shoot from the perimeter. My 55th-ranked player in the 2015 NBA Draft, Brett Brown may have no choice but to utilize the former Arizona floor general early.
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