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NBA Draft 2016: Unheralded Prospects with Pro Potential

By Maxwell Ogden

Dec 22, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Oakland Golden Grizzlies guard Kahlil Felder (20) is announced before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Oakland Golden Grizzlies guard Kahlil Felder (20) is announced before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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Not every NBA player begins their career as the talk of the town. The question is, which unheralded prospects have the best chance of carving out a career in the Association?

Dec 22, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Oakland Golden Grizzlies guard Kahlil Felder (20) is announced before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Oakland Golden Grizzlies guard Kahlil Felder (20) is announced before the game against the Michigan State Spartans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2016 NBA Draft will reshape the future of the Association as we know it. There are standout performers in every draft class, but this coming annual selection process features a prospect, Ben Simmons, whom many regard as a superstar in the making.

After Simmons and the group of known names at the top of the draft is a group of players who are waiting anxiously for their chance to break out.

Players may benefit financially from going early in the NBA Draft, but it doesn’t guarantee success on the court. Regardless of when or where a player is selected, they must prove themselves once they reach the Association.

Cliche as it may be, it doesn’t matter when you’re drafted; it matters what you do once you get there.

The list of contemporary players who were drafted in the second round includes Manu Ginobili, Paul Millsap, Tony Parker, Chandler Parsons, and Isaiah Thomas. Wesley Matthews went undrafted in 2009 and Jimmy Butler wasn’t selected until pick No. 30 of the 2011 NBA Draft.

The question is, which players might follow in the footsteps of their overlooked predecessors?

Next: Small-Ball 5?

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