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NBA: Second-Year Players Showing Signs of Progress

By Maxwell Ogden

Dec 5, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) dribbles up the court during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) dribbles up the court during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 15, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; (Editor
Nov 15, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; (Editor /

Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings

Drafted: Round 1, No. 7

Position: Shooting Guard

Age: 21

2014-15 Slash Line: .467/.388/.852

2014-15 Season Averages: 9.86 PER, 32.6 MPG, 11.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.6 3PM

Entering the 2013 NBA draft, a large population of fans and analysts believed Ben McLemore would be a candidate to go No. 1 overall. Rather than coming off the board at No. 1, however, McLemore fell to No. 7.

In his second season, the Sacramento Kings’ gamble is beginning to pay off.

McLemore is currently averaging 11.2 points per game on a slash line of .467/.388/.852. He’s converting on 1.6 3-point field goals per game and is filling his role as a floor-spacing sharpshooter in Sacramento.

There’s no question that he’s still raw in other phases of the game, but his shooting ability is the key. It’s coming along rapidly.

After shooting 32.0 percent from distance as a rookie, McLemore has bumped his shooting mark up by 6.8 percent. More significantly, he’s gone from 37.6 percent shooting from the field in his first season to 46.7 percent early in 2014-15.

He’s been trusted with a high number of minutes, and while his Player Efficiency Rating may say otherwise, he’s played well. He’s far from the star-caliber performer that some pegged him to be, but he’s becoming a reliable role player.

Advanced metrics that attempt to encompass a player’s full impact—a virtual impossibility—can say all they want. McLemore’s role is to space the floor, and thus far, he’s thrived in it.

The rest will come in time.

Next: Becoming A Great Scorer