NBA: Zion Williamson leads the 2020-21 All-Sophomore Teams

2020-21 NBA All-Sophomore: First Team

RJ Barrett, SG, New York Knicks

RJ Barrett felt like the consolation prize in the 2019 NBA Draft, the third guy in a two-player draft, the leftovers for the team hoping to get Zion Williamson, and instead getting his inefficient Duke teammate. A wildly up-and-down rookie season made the future questionable. Then 2020-21 begun, and Barrett turned it into a three-person draft.

Offensively Barrett increased significantly as a scorer, taking more shots and making them more often, including 40.1 percent from 3-point range. He became a better passer, decreased his turnovers (by a lot: from 2.6 to 2.0 per 36 minutes), and proved himself a perfect fit in new head coach Tom Thibodeau’s defensive scheme.

Darius Garland, PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers

An injury-shortened college career rolled into a rough rookie year for Darius Garland, but he took a step forward in his second season. While he did improve his shooting efficiency in a major way, the most encouraging improvement was as a passer. Garland’s assist percentage increased from 18.5 percent as a rookie to 30.9 percent this season, which was inside of the top-20 league-wide.

Ja Morant, PG, Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant’s rookie season was so good that he basically came back as the same general level of player this year and was an easy first-team selection. He averaged 19.1 points per game and 7.4 assists, running the Memphis Grizzlies’ offense and serving as their primary shot creator for himself and others. His 3-point shot sloughed off, falling to 30.3 percent this year; he will need that to tick up to be an All-NBA level point guard in the years to come.

Michael Porter Jr., F, Denver Nuggets

Michael Porter Jr. was in the mix for the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft before injuries derailed his college career and pushed him down the draft board, to where the Denver Nuggets took him 14th overall. After a redshirt season, he started to fill a role last year, one that grew larger and larger until he was a key supporting piece in the playoffs.

He is now this team’s unquestioned second option and might continue to be even when Jamal Murray returns from injury. He has the size (6’10”) to score from anywhere without truly caring who is guarding him. He increased his scoring average by around 10 points per game, shot a blistering 44.5 percent from deep on 6.3 attempts per game, and even showed himself to be more than a sieve on defense. The Nuggets have a true rising star on their hands.

Zion Williamson, PF, New Orleans Pelicans

The current sophomore class of NBA players is an impressive one, with multiple players in key roles on good teams, and multiple stars in the making. Zion Williamson blows them all away, scoring inside at a volume and efficiency not seen since Shaquille O’Neal while handling the ball like he’s Jason Kidd. Improving his outside shot (like Kidd) and growing as a defender are the next steps, but he is already a top-10 offensive player in the league.

Missed the cut: Lugentz Dort, OKC Thunder; Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards; Cam Johnson, Phoenix Suns; Kevin Porter Jr., Houston Rockets