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5 sophomores to watch out for in the 2021-22 NBA Season

LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets drives to the basket.
LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets drives to the basket.

The 2020-21 NBA season was a good one for several sophomores who were looking to establish themselves after promising rookie campaigns in the NBA.

Entering the 2020-21 NBA season, Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was the then reigning Rookie of the Year. Alongside Morant, the New Orleans Pelicans' unbelievably dominant scorer Zion Williamson was expected to have a great year as well with health on his side ahead of his sophomore campaign.

Both Morant and Williamson enjoyed great seasons as sophomores. Morant in particular proved his worth and put Memphis in the NBA Playoffs with solid performances in the Play-In tournament.


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Williamson seemed to switch up to another gear as the year advanced, and along with his first All-Star appearance, he put up outstanding numbers.

Now, heading into the 2021-22 NBA season, there are some really promising talents coming from the 2020 NBA Draft class. A special focus will be dedicated to those who were in the Top 3 in the Rookie of the Year voting.

In this article, we will rank the Top 5 sophomores entering the 2021-22 NBA campaign after some impressive rookie performances in the past NBA campaign.


#5 James Wiseman | Golden State Warriors

James Wiseman #33 high-fives Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors.
James Wiseman #33 high-fives Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors.

Tipped by many to be arguably the player with the most potential out of the 2020 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors' James Wiseman still has a good future ahead of him.

Injuries hindered his rookie year, but the small sample size he was able to provide looked quite good. Though he seemed a little tentative on the court from time to time, Wiseman is a solid center who has good physical abilities and moves well without the ball.

He is also a nice rim-protector and his touch on offense could help him develop into a big scoring threat. Wiseman put up 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in the 2020-21 NBA season. He played 39 games (27 starts) and averaged around 21 minutes in each of those matches.


#4 Saddiq Bey | Detroit Pistons

Saddiq Bey #41 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket.
Saddiq Bey #41 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket.

Saddiq Bey put up a good rookie campaign, although it came with the struggling Detroit Pistons, who were the worst team in the Eastern Conference last year.

Still, the forward out of Villanova had a good season, appearing in 70 games for Detroit (53 starts) and averaging 12.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He also shot well from the three-point line, making 38% of his 460 attempts from beyond the arc.

Bey also made 84% of his free throws, but his overall efficiency from the field must improve as he converted just 40% of his field goals last season.

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