5 Active NBA players who have failed to reach their potential
The NBA is filled with some of the most talented basketball players in the world. It takes a tremendous amount of hard work for them to get to the very highest level.
It isn't always smooth sailing once a player makes it to the league, though. A lot of players end up succumbing to the pressure of turning pro, which leads to their failures on the court.
Another reason why a plethora of players aren't able to scale their maximum potential is unexpected injuries. These aspects derail a player's career even though he initially seemed to be living up to the hype after entering the NBA.
On that note, let's take a look at the top five active players who have failed to reach their potential in the NBA due to various reasons.
#5 Otto Porter Jr.
Otto Porter Jr. is a prime example of a player being held back from reaching his potential because of injuries. The 3-and-D wing started his NBA career with the Washington Wizards, who picked him #3 overall in the 2013 NBA draft. But he featured in only 37 games in his rookie season as he endured a hip injury at the start of that campaign itself.
Porter was able to play consistently between the 2014-15 and 2017-18 seasons when he improved his performances at a steady rate. He averaged roughly 13 points and six rebounds per game during that stretch. Porter, however, has endured an injury-riddled career since then.
Porter has played only 98 games since the start of the 2018-19 season, suffering various kinds of injuries during that stretch. With the way he played before that, he could have gone on to become one of the best 3-and-D players in the league today if injuries didn't hinder his growth.
The 28-year-old recently signed a minimum contract with the Golden State Warriors and will be playing for them during the 2021-22 campaign. The franchise will hope to see their summer acquisition at his best during the season.
Despite his injury struggles, Porter continues to be a highly efficient performer. He has shot 40.2% from the three-point line in his career, averaging 10.9 points and 5 rebounds per contest.
#4 Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins came into the NBA with a lot of expectations after being drafted as the #1 overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers (he was later traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves). He showed up in his first season, averaging 16.9 points per game. Wiggins also won the Rookie of the Year award.
Wiggins followed his rookie campaign with two stellar seasons. He averaged well over 20 points per game in both those campaigns. However, his numbers quite unexpectedly took a hit since his fourth campaign. To date, Wiggins' third season, where he averaged 23.6 points per game, remains his best year in the NBA.
The 26-year-old showed several glimpses of how great he can become in his first three seasons in the NBA. Wiggins could have gone onto become an All-Star by now, but that hasn't been the case. The Canadian has averaged 20 points per game in a season just thrice in his seven-year career.
Last season was the first time since his third campaign that Wiggins has displayed some promise. He averaged 18.6 points on a career-high 47.7% shooting from the field. The Golden State Warriors will be hoping for Wiggins to build on the positive year he had last season when he lines up for them during the 2021-22 campaign.