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NBA: 20 Players Turning Their Seasons Around

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 3, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons (25) drives to the basket past Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons (25) drives to the basket past Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a bumpy start to the 2015-16 season, here’s a look at 20 NBA players who have turned their seasons around with improved play.

NBA
Feb 3, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons (25) drives to the basket past Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

With so many players suiting up for 30 different NBA teams, it’s hard for most casual basketball fans to keep up with it all. Unless you’re playing FanDuel or Draft Kings on a daily basis, chances are that you’re not paying very close attention to the players that turn their seasons around after a bumpy start.

Unless the player in question is a superstar, it’s easy to write off their entire season as a bust if they get off to a slow start, and even some superstars receive that same kind of treatment. (Just ask James Harden). For most people, it’s just too much work to check in frequently enough to get the facts and realize that those kinds of early season trends can change just as quickly as they’re formed.

For most of the basketball community, the realization and acceptance of trends don’t come until weeks after everyone should have noticed in the first place. We’ve seen it happen dozens of times with old narratives refusing to die, but which players have been the biggest victims in 2015-16?

In an effort to call attention to talents on the rise that don’t quite crack the “superstar” tier, it’s time to take a look at 20 NBA players who were either under the radar, dealing with injury, failing to meet expectations or simply not playing well/enough at the beginning of the year, and how they’ve still managed to overcome those obstacles and earn back the praise of those diligently watching.

Since rookies often experience their ups and downs and have nowhere to go but up moving forward with their NBA careers, we’ll be ignoring them on this list in favor of players who already know what it takes to earn minutes and recognition in this league. These are the players you’ve been writing off, but should probably start paying attention to again. Let’s get started.

Next: No. 20