NBA: 5 under-the-radar rookies that can earn a regular rotation spot
By Max Holm
While many of the top picks of the 2017 NBA Draft figure to play plenty in their rookie years, they’re not the only ones who could earn serious minutes.
Markelle Fultz. Lonzo Ball. Dennis Smith Jr. These names highlight the rookie talent coming into the NBA who figure to get a lot of attention this season. These leaders for the Rookie of the Year race are expected to not only break their team’s rotations but to take on heavy playing time.
Breaking into a franchise’s rotation is no easy feat for first-year players. It’s usually preoccupied by top rookies, but there are exceptions too. Jordan Bell of the Golden State Warriors figures to get a chance to play a lot, similarly to the team’s rookie from last year, Patrick McCaw. Unlike McCaw though, Bell is much less under-the-radar.
Still, players that fall outside the bright focus of the spotlight can make rotation spots their own as well. T.J. McConnell of the Philadelphia 76ers is a perfect example. He wasn’t even drafted by them. Competition in the NBA for roster spots is incredibly high, but it can be broken into.
Some who will test those bounds were taken in the second round of this year’s draft. Others went late in the first round. They may not get the attention or benefit of lottery picks, but they shouldn’t be slept on. The following players have a chance to surprise a lot of people this year and eventually earn a regular rotation spot with their teams.