If you’ve been following the NBA in any capacity this season, you’re probably very familiar by now with the likes of players such as Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, Nerlens Noel, etc. All great players who have lived up to expectations in their rookie seasons — and all players who were taken in the first round of the NBA draft.
While they have definitely proven themselves worthy of the attention and accolades received, there are a handful of players who were drafted much later and without much fanfare, who have turned out to be significant contributors to their respective teams this season as well.
Here are three of them.
Jordan Clarkson – PG/SG – 2nd round, 46th pick overall – Los Angeles Lakers (7.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.7 APG) – Clarkson began his college career in Tulsa, spending his first two seasons at the Oklahoma school before opting to transfer to Missouri for his junior year, where he averaged 17.5 points per game while playing both guard positions. He declared for the draft last March, forgoing his final year of eligibility. He was initially drafted by the Wizards with the 46th pick before being dealt to L.A. later in the evening.
Clarkson has more or less been thrown into the fire with the Lakers this season, as they’ve dealt with injuries to Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, and fellow rookie guard Julius Randle, not to mention the slightly disappointing play of Jeremy Lin. He was used sparingly earlier this season in between D-League stints, but that all changed on Jan. 16 when Lakers coach Byron Scott decided to give him a major upgrade in minutes. Since that day, Clarkson has played at least 17 minutes in every game he’s appeared in, and has shown a ton of upside in between inconsistent performances. He has scored in double figured in seven out of his last 12 games, and is beginning to show some defensive ability after being forced to go up against such guards as Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, John Wall, and Tony Parker. In his 12 games since seeing increased playing time, Clarkson has averaged 12.1 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.8 rebounds on decent 37 percent shooting from the field.
He is still showing his inexperience in a variety of ways as he adjusts to the pace, but Clarkson redeems himself constantly on a Lakers team that has nothing to play for in a tough, guard-dominated Western Conference. Still, his play has been a pleasant surprise to a franchise that is sorely lacking in any good news this season. Steve Nash has taken a liking to him recently, and has even been working out with him one-on-one in an attempt to pass down some of his abundant knowledge at the point guard position, which is certainly a good thing in the long run.
Jerami Grant – SF – 2nd round, 39th pick overall – Philadelphia 76ers (5.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.1 BPG) – Grant is yet another in the long line of Grants who have played in the NBA, or are yet to. He is the son of former Oklahoma and Clemson great Harvey Grant, who played 11 seasons in the NBA. His uncle is Horace Grant, who won NBA titles as a member of both the Bulls and Lakers, and his brother is Notre Dame guard and current Naismith candidate Jerian Grant. Jerami’s older brother Jerai plays professional ball in Lithuania after a successful college career at Clemson. If there was ever such a thing as a basketball gene, the Grants have it.
Grant spent his college years at Syracuse, where he averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore before deciding to enter the draft.
He played for a whopping three minutes total in the month of November after missing 15 games due to a sprained ankle, but effective Dec. 1, he’s averaged 19.0 minutes per game, responding in turn on a 76ers team loaded with young talent. Grant’s freakish athletic ability allows for him to make plays all over the floor, and he’s suddenly decided to add a three-point shot to his skillset, which is very odd when you consider the fact that as a power forward last season at Syracuse, Grant attempted just five threes…and hit zero. Yet here he is now, averaging 39.2 percent, good for the best average on the Philadelphia team, and fifth-best among all non-guards in the league. Prior to Jan. 1, he had hit just 3-of-14.
So what’s the difference? Apparently a Jedi man named Eugene Burroughs, the 76ers’ shooting coach, whom has helped Grant with his stance and shot mechanics. The improvement is astounding, and has elevated Grant’s game to another level. He’s averaging 7.1 points per game since his January turnaround.
Aside from his sudden three-point ability, Grant excels as an on-the-ball defender, and has proven himself to be an effective shot-blocker, even at 6-foot-8 and on the perimeter. Grant actually blocked a ridiculous eight shots on Jan. 21 against the Knicks, the most for a 76ers player in a single game since 2007.
Philadelphia’s season has been utilized mostly as a way to decide which players to rebuild around, and Grant has definitely proven himself worthy, if even just as a key bench for now.
K.J. McDaniels – SG – 2nd round, 32nd pick – Philadelphia 76ers (9.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.8 APG) – McDaniels was a standout player for three seasons at Clemson, where he earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors in his final college year while averaging 17.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
The 76ers have obviously struck gold with their late-round picks last summer. McDaniels is probably the most well-known of all the 2014 second round picks, joining Jerami Grant on a Philadelphia team comprised mostly of players who are still in their first contracts. His play this season has earned him plenty of attention, and he has been a familiar face in the top-five throughout the season in our weekly rookie rankings.
McDaniels has been a major part of the Philadelphia rotation all year, having earned his spot with solid summer league and preseason play. His defensive ability has carried over well to the NBA, and he is currently averaging 1.3 blocks per game as a 6-foot-6 wing player, which is almost unheard of. His blocks average actually ranks first among all guards in the league.
While his shooting has taken a step back in recent weeks, McDaniels has proven himself to be a capable scorer that can take over stretches of games when he’s hitting shots. He has hit double-figures 24 times this season, and had his first breakout game back on Nov. 29 against the Dallas Mavericks, when he scored 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting while grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking two shots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajKkDyT3QvQ
Prior to the season, McDaniels pulled what can only be referred to as a somewhat bold and badass move when he requested a one-year, non-guaranteed, league-minimum contract worth $507,000, forgoing the usual multi-year contract with team options that nearly every single rookie ever opts to sign when they join their first team. This is a second round pick who basically told his team “hey, thanks for drafting me and all, but I’m better than a 32nd pick, and I’m going to prove it, and then you’re going to pay me.” His confidence in himself has indeed paid off. He began his rookie season already in a contract year, and has played himself into a significant pay raise going into next season. The 76ers can only hope that he re-signs with them, keeping their impressive core nucleus of young players together for the future.
