The 2015 NBA Draft has graced the National Basketball Association with some extremely promising young players. From a center by the name of Karl-Anthony Towns with guard like skills, to a flashy point guard with potential to be a superstar in D’Angelo Russell, there are numerous players in this draft that will be max contract level players. Mixed in with the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Jahlil Okafor, and many more are a group of small forwards. These rookie forwards have gone underappreciated throughout the entire NBA season, even while they play major roles on their teams as they attempt to make the NBA Playoffs. From the 2015 NBA Draft, there is a crop of small forwards who have had successful seasons, and could be all-stars down the line in their NBA careers.
Mario Hezonja – Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic already had a group of small forwards when they decided to select Mario Hezonja with the 5th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. With now Detroit Piston, Tobias Harris, and current starting small forward Evan Fournier already on the roster, the Orlando Magic could not pass up the international talent. Hezonja was the first small forward off the board in the draft, and he never even played in the NCAA, he played overseas for FC Barcelona. There were many questions about Hezonja. I myself was worried how his game would translate to the NBA. He was a scorer overseas, labeled as sharpshooter, shooting 38%. He also was a horrific defender. He was lazy, and was often found out of place on defense. He was a ball stopper, and did not like to pass the ball.
Fast forward to the end of March, and Hezonja is a completely different player. The stats do not agree though. With scarce playing time early in the season, Hezonja is only recently starting to receive good minutes with the Magic. He is averaging 5.6 points 2.1 rebounds per game this season. He is doing that while shooting just over 33% from the three-point line. He recently set his career high in points in a game, as he recorded 21 against the Chicago Bulls on March 2nd in a 102-89 win, in which he played 37 minutes. He has averaged 6.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in March.
There is still plenty of room for improvement with Mario Hezonja, but what he has been able to recently do for the Orlando Magic is encouraging for not only himself, but the Orlando Magic, who are obviously invested in him for the long-term.
Justise Winslow- Miami Heat
Everyone was surprised when Duke standout Justise Winslow fell into Pat Riley and the Miami Heat’s lap in the 2015 NBA Draft. Slipping all the way to pick number 10 after being considered a dark horse top-4 pick, Winslow has found himself in a great situation with the Heat, despite outside teams Draft Day escapades in attempts to make him a member of a different squad. Miami was looking for a wing that could defend and they needed someone who could help make up for the defensive liabilities that come with an aging Dwayne Wade and offensive minded facilitator in Goran Dragic. Winslow was the perfect fit, he came into the league as a more than capable defender. With a shorter 6’6 and slimmer 225 frame, he has the lateral quickness to move with smaller shooting guards, and toughness to out-hustle small forwards and even some shorter power forwards. The biggest problem with Winslow’s game coming into the NBA was his offense.
Unfortunately for Winslow, his offensive game still needs major improvement. He averages 6.4 and 5.2 rebounds per game in 28.7 minutes per game. His scoring ability is not very impressive, and even when he is scoring, he is not doing it efficiently either. He is shooting 25% from the three-point line and only 50.2% from the field. While his field goal shooting percentage is not bad, he only averages about four shots per game. While the Heat have plenty of other scoring options, they would clearly like to see Winslow contribute more offensively.
Winslow is still a rookie and will continue to improve, but he is already showing his potential to be a good small forward down the line.
Stanley Johnson- Detroit Pistons
“You know what they say, Detroit versus everybody.” After being selected by Detroit with the 8th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Johnson said this on live television moments after shaking NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s hand, a putting on a Detroit Pistons’ hat. Johnson wanted to be a Detroit Piston, and the Pistons wanted Stanley Johnson to be a Piston, so after Johnson slipped past both the Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings, the Pistons knew they would get who they always wanted. Johnson embodies the type of wing that Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy wants. He came out of college as an 18-year-old with the body of a five-year NBA veteran. He entered at the prototypical height of 6’7 with a chiseled 245 pound frame. Much like Justise Winslow, Johnson came into the league as a capable defender with the necessity to work on his offensive game. In college, he was an inconsistent shooter, and he struggled to finish at the basket.
Johnson’s shooting numbers do not show how much he has improved from the beginning of the season to where he is, at the end of March. He has averaged 8.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and his shooting still shows inconsistency, shooting 31.1% from the three-point line, and 42.4% from the field. Many of Johnson’s shots come in the mid-range, an area of his game where he must improve. Johnson’s PER 36 numbers are what gets people excited for what he can become. Per 36 minutes, he averages 13.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.7 steals per game and those per 36 averages are better than both Hezonja and Winslow. Johnson was playing very good basketball in both January and February before coming down with a shoulder injury. Once he returned in mid March, it took him a few games to work off some rust from his absence.
Johnson is the type of two-way talent every team needs to be a competitive team, and Johnson will be crucial for the Pistons’ success in the future.
All three of these forwards have potential to be all-star level players in the future. They have the skill sets and ability to grow to transform into top-tier level talent. Each has their own special characteristic as well. Can Mario Hezonja develop into a better defender? Will Justise Winslow work on his three-point shooting so that he is not a liability on offense? Can Stanley Johnson become a better finisher at the rim? Each player has areas in their game in which they will need to develop, but assuming they do, they can have quite a successful career in the NBA.
Of course, there are a few guys missed but it’s unclear what their futures will hold. For guys like Anthony Brown, Justin Anderson or Kelly Oubre Jr, their playing time has been sporadic and very dependent on the health of their team or how their team has played lately. On the flipside, Sam Dekker and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson both showed early sparks in their careers but they both have battled the injury bug this season but they do have a ton of promise in the future.
