NBA: 5 Rookies Who Need To Start In 2015-16

As the NCAA progresses further and further into the one-and-done era, the trepidation over starting rookies at the NBA level has grown. Unless the team in question is tanking, or unless we’re talking about a once-in-a-generation kind of talent, everyone is usually content with letting promising young rookies hone their craft off the bench at first.

Since rookies these days are usually so young, there’s no sense of urgency in developing their skills. Some rookies take one, two, three, or even more years to fully mature into contributors at the NBA level, let alone superstars. But in a few cases, especially this year, the case for starting a certain rookies is unusually strong.

In the NBA, you’re either a contender, a fringe playoff team or a bottom-feeder. With so many bad teams trying to strike gold in the draft, it’s become imperative for non-playoff teams to give as many minutes as possible to the younger players in need of development. If you’re not competing for anything, the fans want to see the future of their franchise on the floor.

There are the obvious cases that we already know about where rookies will automatically start for rebuilding teams out of necessity. Karl Anthony-Towns, the No. 1 overall pick, will be the starter from Day 1 for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The same goes for Jahlil Okafor with the Philadelphia 76ers, while Emmanuel Mudiay will start as Ty Lawson‘s replacement for the Denver Nuggets.

But aside from those obvious starters, there are a few situations where teams are teetering between starting rookies bursting with potential and more established veterans. For the good of those teams, here’s a look at five rookies that should be starting in 2015-16.

Next: No. 5