Which 2018 NBA Rising Stars Challenge Participants Profile as Future Superstars?
Average Wings
Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings
| Comparable Seasons | Match % |
|---|---|
| Lamond Murray, 2000-01 | 91.87% |
| MarShon Brooks, 2011-12 | 90.29% |
| Langston Galloway, 2014-15 | 89.95% |
| Thaddeus Young, 2009-10 | 89.79% |
| Gerald Henderson, 2011-12 | 89.52% |
Coming out of Oklahoma, Hield was expected to be the next great shooter in the NBA. He won the Wooden Award prior to entering the draft, and was then drafted 6th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans. He's since been traded to the Kings, where he's fought to get minutes, mostly off the bench. He has hit over 40% from three with 11.3 points per game through one-and-a-half seasons. However, his long-term prospects aren't that great, given the limited ceilings of the players posting similar seasons to his.
Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies
| Comparable Seasons | Match % |
|---|---|
| Bill Walker, 2014-15 | 91.90% |
| Danny Granger, 2014-15 | 91.14% |
| Tyler Johnson, 2014-15 | 91.12% |
| Greg Buckner, 2003-04 | 90.35% |
| Matt Carroll, 2010-11 | 89.54% |
Like Hield, Brooks was a standout in college. But on the other hand, he wasn't as highly-touted. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the second-round and flipped to the Memphis Grizzlies. He's started 48 of his 56 games and has scored a respectable nine points in 28.1 minutes a game. His -4.6 nERD isn't very promising, though. And the fact that this season compares to the very last of Danny Granger's injury-riddled career doesn't exactly scream "rising star."
