Every year there are NBA players that fly under the radar. Finding these players can be the difference between winning and losing. The Houston Rockets saw something in Omer Asik and offered him a hefty contract. While many people questioned the Rockets’ rationale, Asik ended up breaking out and turning into one of the better centers in the NBA. This move, along with the trade for James Harden, helped the Rockets develop into a playoff team. Who will be the Asik of this year? Time will tell, but here is my 2013-14 All-NBA Sleeper team.
Point Guard: Kemba Walker
Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
The starting point guard for my All-NBA Sleeper team is former NCAA champion Kemba Walker. There are no ifs, ands or buts about it; Kemba’s rookie year was horrible. To much surprise, the undersized point guard had a surprisingly successful sophomore campaign. In year two Kemba became more efficient, raising his true shooting percentage from 46.4 percent to 51.7 percent. Additionally, I think Kemba was a casualty of the NBA lockout in 2011-12. Missing training camp really stunted his growth and he was asked to do too much too early for the Bobcats. Also, let’s be frank. The Bobcats had zero talent on that roster. Now with the addition of Al Jefferson, Cody Zeller and the further development of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kemba has the pieces around him to take his game to the next level. Last year Kemba averaged 17.7 points and 5.7 assists per game. I expect Al Jefferson to be the focal point of the Bobcats offense, so I think Kemba will be asked to be a distributor. Taking the scoring burden of the 24-year-old will allow him to become more efficient and continue his development as a NBA point guard. I believe that Kemba will average 17 points and 7.5 assists per game this season.
Shooting Guard: DeMar DeRozan
The former USC Trojan and first-round pick gets the starting nod on my All-NBA Sleeper Team. Over the course of his four-year NBA career, DeRozan has slowly but surely developed himself as one of the better scoring threats in the NBA. A first look at DeRozan’s career numbers might suggest that he has reached his ceiling. DeRozan has averaged 17.8, 17.2, and 17.7 points per 36 minutes over the last three seasons. While he has been consistent, the former ninth-overall pick has yet to fulfill the Raptors’ expectations. Why should 2013-14 be any different? Easy: Rudy Gay. At first transitioning to a Rudy Gay-focused offense proved to be a little difficult for DeRozan as his numbers dipped. After getting comfortable with his new teammate, DeRozan started showing the potential the Raptors once envisioned when drafting him in 2009. In the last month of the season, DeRozan scored 22.9 points per game while shooting a marvelous 54 percent from the field. Do I expect DeRozan to keep that up for the course of a whole season? No, of course not. What should be expecting from the 24-year-old in 2013-14? If healthy, he should average 20 points per game off of 47 percent shooting.
Small Forward: Ersan Ilyasova
Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com
I believe Ersan Ilyasova is going to be the Omer Asik of this upcoming season–and I am not saying that because they’re both Turkish. Ilyasova has always been an excellent rebounder, but his offensive game has vastly improved since his NBA debut in 2006. The departure of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings will force Milwaukee to put the 26-year-old on the court more. This past year Ilyasova saw an increase in playing time after the All-Star break and he didn’t disappoint. In 24 games after the break, Ilyasova averaged 17 and nine on 48.7 percent shooting. This includes a monster March where he averaged 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest. Why did Ilyasova break out in the second half? Well, playing seven more minutes per game definitely didn’t hurt his cause. What should we expect from Ilyasova this winter? The Bucks revamped their roster, but I still do expect Ilyasova to average 30-plus minutes a game and be more of a focal point on offense. I’m looking for Ilyasova to average near a double-double per game. I’ll predict a 17 and nine year for the Turkish small forward.
Power Forward: Derrick Williams
Derrick Williams could be a key contributor, if the Wolves are lucky. (Photo Credit to AP, Creative Commons License)
At power forward I have the former Arizona Wildcat Derrick Williams. Just like Kemba, I believe Williams was a rookie casualty of the NBA lockout. Williams averaged 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per 36 minutes his rookie year. Additionally, he shot an abysmal 41.2 percent and 26.8 percent from 3. In year two, Williams started showing glimpses of his potential. He averaged 17.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per 36 minutes of play. More importantly he became more efficient. He shot 43.0 percent from the field, including 33.2 percent from 3. A key for Williams will be his development on his 3-point shot. Keep an eye on that throughout the season. Ricky Rubio also played a big role in Williams’ success. Derrick averaged 9.9 and five rebounds per game before the All-Star break. After the All-Star break, Rubio started getting healthy and fit. Playing along Rubio helped Williams, as he averaged 15.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in the second half. The one concern I have about Williams is his playing time. A healthy Kevin Love can cut deep into Williams’s minutes. I do think he will be a trade candidate this year. The Timberwolves can potentially get good value from him if he continues to improve. If Williams does get good minutes this year, expect him to produce.
Center: Jonas Valanciunas
Closing out my All-NBA Sleeper team is the 21-year-old center from Lithuania, Jonas Valanciunas. Just like fellow Raptor DeMar DeRozan, I am expecting a breakout year for the second-year big man. This pick is more of a “gut feeling.” I believe the NBA is slowly going to develop back into a big man’s game. Andre Drummond is deemed to be a superstar in the making and I believe Jonas Valanciunas isn’t far behind. The Raptors traded away former first-overall pick Andrea Bargnani to give Valanciunas some more room to develop. As a rookie, Valanciunas averaged 13 and nine per 36 minutes. Even more importantly, Valanciunas was able to adjust well to NBA competition. After the All-Star break, Valanciunas averaged 11.1 points and 6.9 rebounds on 58.8 percent shooting in 27 minutes per contest. With Bargnani now gone, expect Valanciunas’ playing time and production to increase. I am predicting a 13 and 10 year for the foreigner.