NBA: 10 candidates for bounce-back seasons in 2017-18

After down years in 2016-17, here are 10 NBA players who will be looking to regroup with bounce-back seasons in 2017-18.

The best part about watching the NBA is the star players. Nearly every team has at least one face of the franchise, and even if they don’t have an established superstar yet, examining who will be the next superstar on the rise can be just as fun.

Unfortunately, not every NBA player’s career can exist on that kind of exciting trajectory, and sometimes, the decaying skills aren’t limited to aging veterans who have lost a step. Sometimes, for whatever reason, young players or even guys in their prime take a sudden step backward.

Whether it’s due to injury, a new team, a new role, competition for minutes or simply just a down year, certain players fail to meet expectations from their team, fanbase or contract every year. Heading into 2017-18, there are several prominent names who fit this description and will be looking to bounce-back.

From off shooting years to injury-ravaged seasons, here’s a look at 10 players who will be looking to regroup from disappointing campaigns in 2016-17 with bounce-back performances in 2017-18.

Honorable Mentions

Emmanuel Mudiay — Mudiay lost his starting job with the Denver Nuggets to a 34-year-old Jameer Nelson and rookie Jamal Murray last year. Unfortunately, there have to be actual indications of progress to make the list of bounce-back candidates.

More from NBA

• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• Constructing the NBA’s perfect all-under-25 starting five
• Grading every NBA team’s highest draft pick in the last five years

Michael Carter-Williams — Perhaps a change of scenery to the Charlotte Hornets will do MCW some good, but considering this will be his fourth change of scenery in five NBA seasons, don’t hold your breath on this one.

Dwight Howard — Steve Clifford should know how to put Dwight Howard to good use on the defensive end given their history together, but it’s hard to say a 31-year-old who averaged 13.5 points and 12.7 rebounds per game last year needs to bounce back from anything other than being a locker room distraction.

Chandler Parsons — Parsons averaged 6.2 points in 19.9 minutes per game while shooting 33.8 percent from the floor and 26.9 percent from 3-point range in his 34 appearances for the Memphis Grizzlies. He can’t get much worse. Unfortunately, there also have to be signs he can actually stay healthy before anyone considers him on a list like this.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist — MKG finally stayed healthy last year, playing in 81 games. Unfortunately, the signs of a revamped jumper he showed in his seven-game stint the year before were gone, with his numbers plummeting to 9.2 points per game. Still, even without a 3-point shot, Kidd-Gilchrist averaged 7.0 rebounds per game and remains one of the game’s elite wing defenders, keeping him off the list — for now.