What young gun on your favorite 'Chise is being slept on?

[enigmatics]

For the 'ston 'kets I 'nk it's 'aiah 'tenstein aka the G 'eague 'nals 'VP.

I was hoping I'd find responses like this and this thread delivered.

[JonFromVA]

I was thinking about chiming in with Collin. He finished last season strong, and might make a big jump as early as this season, but I'm thinking it's premature to call it at this point ... there's just a lot of areas he needs to improve.

[Richfield]

I was thinking about chiming in with Collin. He finished last season strong, and might make a big jump as early as this season, but I'm thinking it's premature to call it at this point ... there's just a lot of areas he needs to improve.

See what I mean?

[Forte IV]

I feel like Trez has a lot of room to show out some more. Plus Zu has been working on his 3 ball all year trying to be the next Brook Lopez.

[RodyTur10]

Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams.

Robert Williams is never mentioned as one of the more promising young centers, while he's close to Mitchell Robinson and Jarrett Allen in talent.

Jalen Brown did get recognition during the 2018 Playoffs, but after a poor start of last year's season everybody seems to have forgotten about him. There's not a single player below the age of 24 that has shown more during the post-season than Brown.

On the other hand I think Tatum got too much praise as I have doubts he will become that superstar what so many fans expect (I would have traded him and pieces for Davis), another guy I thought was heavily overrated was Rozier. Really don't mind he's gone.

[Pelon chingon]

Wenyen Gabriel 6'9 F for the Kings. He went undrafted out of Kentucky and signed a 2 year 2 way contract last season playing in the g league. He had good games there last year and this summer looks much sharper on the court. I really like his game hes going to make the team this season imo.

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G LEAGUE

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[Spintown]

Andrew Wiggins

'Drew 'Iggins

No W

[Pelon chingon]

Andrew Wiggins

'Drew 'Iggins

No W

We dont have to go down that rabbit hole.

[boomershadow]

I think Aaron Holiday has a future as a starter in this league. Jrue level? IDK, but I'm pretty sure he has definite starter level game.

[BNM]

I think Zach Collins will prove to be a PF version of Myles Turner starting this season. Not quite the defender in the paint that Myles is, but that elusive 3/D big. I anticipate 12-13ppg, 6-7rpg, 1.5-1.8bpg and really good advanced metrics.

Collins had a bit of a coming out party during the DEN series. Putting Collins on Millsap and limiting Aminu's minutes in Games 5 and 6 completely turned that series in Portland's favor, from down 3-2 to winning 4-3. Anyone who watched that series saw how much Millsap was sonning Aminu and Harkless and how as soon as Stotts put Collins on him, Millsap couldn't make a shot to save his life. Collins' length and aggressiveness gave Millsap fits. So, yes he is going to have a bigger role this year, but not sure he is being slept on.

Another is Simons, who is just born to score the ball. I dont think he is going to be a upper tier 6th man just yet. But off the bench I can see him posting 8+ppg in 15-18mpg. I think his 3rd season he will really come out and prove himself as a top 5-10 6th man. He plays like the love child of Lou Williams and Jeremy Lamb.

I was going to say Vinnie Johnson and Lou Williams, but I guess that would make The Microwave a bit of a cradle robber. Simons is so buttery smooth and the game already seems to have slowed down for him. I think his floor is as a premiere 6th man, but if he works on the other aspects of his game, he has the potential to be much more.

I'd love to see something, anything, from Skal Labissiere this year. With Nurk out and Collins battling foul trouble, Labissiere could see some significant PT during the first half of the season. We haven't really seen much of this guy in a Blazers uniform, but he was highly rated as a recruit. He didn't get much PT in his one season at Kentucky and probably should have stayed in college another year, or two. The ONE game we saw Skal get PT, it was easy to see why he was such a highly rated recruit. Even more than the numbers (29 points on 12-17 including 2-2 from 3, 15 rebounds, 2 stl and a blk) was how smooth and confident he looked. Granted, it was a throw away game, but he was going head-to-head with Marvin Bagley for most of that game and got the better of him. That's not saying a whole lot as Labissiere was a third year player and Bagley a rookie. Still, this guy has some skills, he just needs to put it all together. Maybe after being forgotten, this will be the year he makes a jump. If not, no big deal. POR basically got him for free anyway. So, it was worth a shot.

[LofJ]

The Mavericks aren't my team, but Porzingis is definitely being slept on. I wouldn't be that surprised if he's All-NBA next season.

[HomoSapien]

Zach LaVine. He's quietly putting up some really amazing stats. Everyone, including me before last season, assumes he's an inefficient chucker but he gets his 24 points a game on 47% shooting from the field and hits 37% of his threes. He also gets to the line 6 times a game and gives you about 5 rebounds and 5 assists to round things out. If he can take another step forward he'll be an all-star and borderline franchise player.

[HomoSapien]

Zach LaVine. He's quietly putting up some really amazing stats. Everyone, including me before last season, assumes he's an inefficient chucker but he gets his 24 points a game on 47% shooting from the field and hits 37% of his threes. He also gets to the line 6 times a game and gives you about 5 rebounds and 5 assists to round things out. If he can take another step forward he'll be an all-star and borderline franchise player.

[LofJ]

Zach LaVine. He's quietly putting up some really amazing stats. Everyone, including me before last season, assumes he's an inefficient chucker but he gets his 24 points a game on 47% shooting from the field and hits 37% of his threes. He also gets to the line 6 times a game and gives you about 5 rebounds and 5 assists to round things out. If he can take another step forward he'll be an all-star and borderline franchise player.

538 metrics list Lavine as a bottom 5 defender in the entire NBA. He may continue to put up stats, but unless he massively improves on defense he will never lead a team to deep playoff success.

[HomoSapien]

Zach LaVine. He's quietly putting up some really amazing stats. Everyone, including me before last season, assumes he's an inefficient chucker but he gets his 24 points a game on 47% shooting from the field and hits 37% of his threes. He also gets to the line 6 times a game and gives you about 5 rebounds and 5 assists to round things out. If he can take another step forward he'll be an all-star and borderline franchise player.

538 metrics list Lavine as a bottom 5 defender in the entire NBA. He may continue to put up stats, but unless he massively improves on defense he will never lead a team to deep playoff success.

He definitely needs to improve on defense but the good news is that he's aware of that:

https://www.nba.com/bulls/features/zach-lavine-looks-continue-unlock-his-potential-next-season

"In Minnesota we were rebuilding like we are here, but now I feel we are getting to the stage where we have to push and start to be able to win and solidify ourselves in the league," LaVine said. "I'm getting my body ready. Working on the explosive things, getting my legs and body ready for the whole 82. I haven't played a whole 82 since my second year in the NBA and I'm aiming for that.

"Plus, I'm working on different facets of my game," LaVine said. "I think I did a really good job of getting to the free throw line, but I can improve that."


---------------------------------

"I feel I eliminated a lot of long twos," LaVine said. "I feel we are going to play at a lot faster pace this year, too, so getting up threes, building on what I did last year. But I know I have to be a complete player, two-way player. I feel I showed flashes last year (on defense), especially on the ball. But I can be better off the ball. I've been saying for a lot of years I will play better defense. So now is the time. I'm one of the most athletic guys out there. So there's no reason why I shouldn't also be a lock down defender."

He also seems pretty sincere about trying to improve and working during the offseason:

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