The Golden State Warriors are challenging for the best record in NBA history this season with 20 more wins than any other team in their division. However, the Warriors weren’t always this good and it took some hard years to add and develop the incredibly talented core they now have in place. The Los Angeles Clippers are in the playoff conversation as well but the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers are all on the outside looking in and hoping their young talent can help them turn things around in the coming years. Here is a look at the most promising prospect for each team from the NBA’s Pacific division.
Kevon Looney, Golden State Warriors
The Warriors’ loaded core means that Looney is buried on their depth chart right now. It doesn’t help that he was forced to have hip surgery that delayed his NBA debut but the reality is that it was smart for the team to address the injury now when they clearly don’t need to rely on his presence in the lineup. The 30th-overall pick from the 2015 NBA Draft will take his time to get healthy and develop his game in order to earn a spot coming off the bench for Golden State in time.
Austin Rivers, Los Angeles Clippers
There aren’t many young players on the Clippers roster at this point so Rivers has to be considered the top prospect by default. The 23-year-old has matured under the guidance of his father and head coach Doc Rivers and he has gradually earned a bigger role for LA. The 10th-overall pick from the 2012 NBA Draft has averaged 8.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.7 minutes per game this season and he has still not yet fully reached his potential at the NBA level.
Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is in the unenviable position of being loaded with highly paid veteran players that have failed to prove they can carry the team in to a playoff position. The Kings currently sit 11th in the Western Conference standings, which is too low to make the playoffs and too high to land a top pick. Something will have to give eventually and Sacramento will be happy that they have Cauley-Stein in the mix. The sixth-overall pick from the 2015 NBA Draft has all of the tools to become a star eventually but it will take some time for him to reach his potential. The Kings have buried him on their bench for most of his rookie season but it is only a matter of time before the seven-foot big center takes on a bigger role with DeMarcus Cousins’ uncertain future factoring in to that equation as well.
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Booker’s statistical explosion over the past month is an indictment on the Suns management and coaching staff for not giving him a bigger role sooner. The 13th-overall pick from the 2015 NBA Draft has averaged 22.7 points, 5.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 37.7 minutes per game over the last 30 days and he is only beginning to tap in to his immense potential. Phoenix has a lot of work to do to sort out the cast around him but it’s clear the 19-year-old Booker will be a big part of their future and key prospect to build around.
D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers surprised a lot of experts when they didn’t hand the reigns to Russell from the outset. However, the second-overall pick from the 2015 NBA Draft has forced LA to give him more minutes of late and he has responded with some solid production. Russell has averaged 15.9 points, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 28.3 minutes per game over the last month of action and he has shown noticeable improvements in terms of awareness and poise. Russell’s maturity and pure talent has really been a bright spot in an otherwise miserable year for the Lakers and there is no doubt he has the potential to become an All-Star at the NBA level in time.
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