Hoops Habit
Fansided

NBA: 15 Young Players In Need Of A Breakout Season In 2016-17

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 20, 2015; Madison, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) drives to he basket against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) in the first quarter at Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 20, 2015; Madison, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) drives to he basket against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) in the first quarter at Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 16
Next
NBA
Jan 23, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Archie Goodwin (20) celebrates after making the game winning three point basket against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns won 98-95. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /

13. Archie Goodwin

As the youngest player on this list, Archie Goodwin‘s inclusion might seem a bit preemptive since he’s still only 22 years old. But for someone who’s been in the league for three years now, the pressure is on this former Kentucky product to prove himself in a backcourt crowded with other Kentucky products.

Coming off the best season of his career, Goodwin averaged 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.5 minutes per game — ALL career-highs — while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 23.2 percent from three-point range.

However, Goodwin’s surge in playing time was due to one of the most tumultuous seasons in Phoenix Suns franchise history. Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Ronnie Price all dealt with significant injuries and head coach Jeff Hornacek was fired just before the trade deadline.

Hornacek and interim head coach Earl Watson were forced to look deep into the bench just to fill the point guard position at times, which saw Goodwin playing out of position as a shooting guard.

There were good moments (24 points on 7-of-11 shooting against the New Orleans Pelicans, a 26-6-6 against Philly, his game-winner against the Atlanta Hawks) and bad ones (3-of-15 shooting, four turnovers in a blowout loss to the New York Knicks).

For the first two years of his career, Goodwin’s failure to emerge was due to Phoenix’s log-jammed backcourt, his defensive flaws and his inability to spread the floor with a perimeter shot.

Entering his fourth NBA season, those issues haven’t been alleviated, and with Bledsoe, Knight, Devin Booker, Leandro Barbosa and Tyler Ulis all in the backcourt, Goodwin has his work cut out for him to prove he still has a long-term future with the Suns.

Next: No. 12