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NBA: 10 Relative Unknowns Entering Defining Seasons In 2016-17

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 25, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) drives past Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) during the first quarter of a basketball game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) drives past Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) during the first quarter of a basketball game at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 2, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Solomon Hill (44) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Indiana won 104-99. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

10. E’Twaun Moore/Solomon Hill

Let’s just call this one “the New Orleans Pelicans‘ summer additions,” since both E’Twaun Moore and Solomon Hill fit the bill as relative unknowns who will be looking to prove their worth in 2016-17.

Moore is a 27-year-old point guard/shooting guard hybrid entering his sixth season in the league and his first with the Pellies after they signed him to a four-year, $34 million contract. The annual salary isn’t terrible considering the NBA’s skyrocketing cap, but it’s still a hefty investment considering all that’s at stake.

In a summer where New Orleans needed to start putting elite talent around Anthony Davis to build a contender, the best they could do was rookie Buddy Hield, E’Twaun Moore and Solomon Hill? Without even getting rid of Omer Asik or Tyreke Evans to move into the next era?

Moore has the length to be a plus-defender at his position, but his 45.2 percent three-point shooting from last season hardly seems sustainable — even for a career 36.9 percent shooter from distance.

Moore is coming off the best season of his career, averaging 12.0 points, 3.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game on .485/.462/.688 shooting splits in his 22 starts for the Chicago Bulls. But that’s an awfully small sample size to trust in, especially when committing four years to a player who is already 27 and probably doesn’t raise this team’s ceiling much.

The same could be said of Hill, who was signed to a whopping four-year, $52 million deal this summer. That’s quite a ballsy investment in a player who didn’t come alive until the last two weeks of the season.

Hill’s ability to log minutes as a small-ball 4, the way he came to life in the Indiana Pacers’ first round playoff series and his 11-of-19 shooting from three-point range in the postseason were all encouraging signs for the Pelicans, but outside of that, Hill is something of an unknown.

Even with all those positives, the 25-year-old Hill averaged only 7.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for that “breakout” seven-game series. In 2014-15, when he started in 78 of 82 games for Indiana, Hill gave some indication of what to expect from him as a starter, posting a career-high 8.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on .396/.327/.824 shooting splits.

Can he spread the floor for New Orleans? Can he be their answer on the wing as a two-way player? Or was this just another bad long-term investment in a summer that should’ve been spent clearing the books for a true superstar companion for AD? Both Hill and Moore got nice paydays this summer; now it’s just a matter of trying to live up to them.

Next: No. 9