30 NBA teams, and one guy from each with something to prove
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Even the best are not exempt
There is no shortage of people with something to prove in the 2017-18 NBA season, including last season's top MVP candidates. Some players are entering contract years, others are looking to quell criticism. Here are 30 prove-it guys, one from each team, including a couple of non-players.
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Atlanta Hawks: Dennis Schröder
This will be Schröder's second year as a starting point guard, and the first one was a mixed bag. He's a better scorer than floor general, but he's not as efficient as you'd like and he's not a reliable shooter from distance. The Hawks have him under contract until 2021, and he needs to show development when it comes to leading the team and limiting defensive mistakes.
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Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart
His presence had to be a factor in Boston's decision to trade Avery Bradley, and his contract status makes next season extremely important. Assuming he doesn't sign an extension, Smart will be a restricted free agent next summer. If he improves his shooting, he could drastically increase his value.
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Brooklyn Nets: D'Angelo Russell
Russell still hasn't shaken his reputation as immature, and he'll surely want to show the Lakers that they shouldn't have traded him. Brooklyn will give him an opportunity to do so, but he will need to coexist with Jeremy Lin, who is also most comfortable with the ball in his hands.
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Charlotte Hornets: Dwight Howard
After an up-and-down season with the Hawks, Howard essentially had no trade value. The deal sending him to Charlotte was sort of a salary dump, except for the fact Atlanta didn't save any money. No longer considered one of the best centers in the game, Howard may want more touches to prove he should again be an All-Star. The Hornets simply will want him to fit into the team concept and help them win.
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Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine
When he returns from his torn ACL, he will immediately be the Bulls' No. 1 option. He also will be in a contract year. It's always a challenge to come back from a serious injury, but there's extra pressure because of the trade (that sent Jimmy Butler to Minnesota), the timing and criticism he has taken for his poor defense.
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Cleveland Cavaliers: Dan Gilbert
What is going on in Cleveland? LeBron James is reportedly not thrilled with the way the summer has gone, and the team still doesn't have a general manager in place. Ownership has to right this ship or risk losing James in free agency.
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Dallas Mavericks: Wesley Matthews
At this point, few expect Matthews to regain his pre-injury form. But if he gets closer, it would be a huge help to his team and his value around the league. Matthews has a player option worth $18.6 million in 2018-19, but if he plays well enough, he could potentially decline it and look for a long-term deal.
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Denver Nuggets: Emmanuel Mudiay
It feels wrong to say a 21-year-old is approaching a make-or-break season, but that seems to be the case for Mudiay in Denver. He was one of the worst finishers in the league last year, and he still needs to improve his decision-making, cut down on his turnovers and work out the kinks in his jump shot. Jamal Murray is expected to be the starting point guard -- the first step toward Mudiay getting his job back will be establishing himself as a solid backup.
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Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond
Last season's Pistons were disappointing, and Drummond bears some responsibility. He looks like he should be a dominant defender, but he just hasn't been. Perhaps a matter of focus, perhaps a matter of effort, it just hasn't clicked on that end of the court. He already has received his enormous contract extension, but that deal will look like an overpay if he doesn't show progress with his rim protection and free throw shooting.
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Golden State Warriors: Nick Young
This kind of feels like a stretch, but few Warriors have much left to prove. Young has only been to the playoffs twice in his 10-year career, though, so he never has been associated with winning. Simply shooting well and playing competent defense will do wonders for the way he is perceived.
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Houston Rockets: James Harden
Carmelo Anthony would have been the pick iif the front office had figured out a way to get him to Houston by now, but alas. Harden is the choice because of the way he wore down in the playoffs. Regardless of how well he plays in the regular season, there will be pressure on him to raise his game after that.
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Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner
Paul George is gone, and everybody expects this 21-year-old to take the reins. He had an excellent second season, but is he ready to anchor the Pacers' defense and be a featured part of their offense? They are hoping he is.
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Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin
Along with his new, long-term ($175M) contract, Griffin will have a completely new role with the Clippers. No one knows exactly how this experiment will go. Given that DeAndre Jordan can be a free agent next summer, there is a lot at stake.
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Los Angeles Lakers: Jordan Clarkson
Newcomer Kentavious Caldwell-Pope plays his position, and he has sort of become the forgotten man when it comes to the Lakers' young core. At 25 Clarkson is a bit older than the rest, and has yet to show he can be even an average NBA defender.
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Memphis Grizzlies: Chandler Parsons
This is an obvious one. Not exactly the most popular guy in Memphis, Parsons' first season with the franchise was a disaster. He has to get healthy and remind people why the front office was willing to give him a maximum contract last summer.
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Miami Heat: Dion Waiters
It always feels like he has something to prove, but this season is different because he just signed a four-year, $52 million deal. His efficiency remains questionable, and there are doubts about whether he and the Heat can pick up where they left off after their midseason turnaround.
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Milwaukee Bucks: John Henson
What happened to this guy? Almost completely absent from the rotation in the playoffs, he needs a bounce-back season as much as anyone in the league. He also probably needs to cut down on his jump shots, unless he has made real progress in that area this offseason.
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Minnesota Timberwolves: Andrew Wiggins
Fair or not, his inattentiveness away the ball on defense has been discussed ad nauseam since the season ended. He has the tools to be a terrific all-around defender, but he has to be much more disciplined. On the other end, his inefficiency is a problem, as is his poor passing. Still has star potential, but there's a long way to go. Oh, and he reportedly is closing in on a five-year, $148M extension.
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New Orleans Pelicans: Rajon Rondo
Did those two games against the Celtics in the playoffs mean anything? Can he share the floor with Jrue Holiday? What will the Pelicans' locker room be like with him in it? Those are only three of the many quesitons.
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New York Knicks: Tim Hardaway Jr.
It's not Hardaway's fault, but that four-year, $71 million contract immediately became a symbol for everything that's wrong with this organization. At the very least, he must improve his shot selection to avoid becoming a scapegoat for New York's inevitable struggles.
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OKC Thunder: Russell Westbrook:
It's a little crazy to say the reigning MVP has something to prove, but this situation is unique. Along with the accolades, he and the Thunder took criticism last season for their all-Westbrook-all-the-time approach. If they're going to sell Paul George on staying long-term, they're going to have to function more like a normal team. This will be an adjustment for Westbrook.
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Orlando Magic: Frank Vogel
Execs who hired him are gone and he's still dealing with a strange collection of players who are mostly young and without winning experience. Can Vogel and his staff develop these guys, establish roles and get them to play together? Tough task.
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Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons
There were always going to be high expectations the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, but they've been raised even higher now that the Sixers look like a legitimate team. He has yet to play a single game, and he's going to have to adjust to the NBA while defenders dare him to shoot. Fortunately, Philadelphia has surrounded him with the sort of players who should give him space to operate and make his transition smoother.
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Phoenix Suns: Ryan McDonough
Is McDonough's front office still hoping to acquire a star in a trade? Does he plan to keep the veterans around? Phoenix has an interesting and young roster, but it's unclear where the team is going and when exactly it is supposed to start winning. You never know when ownership is going to get impatient.
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Portland Trail Blazers: Jusuf Nurkic
Who didn't catch Nurkic Fever? As soon as he arrived in Portland, the big man energized the team, improved it on both ends and made the Nuggets look silly for sending him away and including a first-round pick in the deal. He could wind up being a max player, but he'll have to prove that those 20 games of brilliance were not an aberration.
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Sacramento Kings: Buddy Hield
He alleviated some of the pressure that came along with being the main piece in the DeMarcus Cousins trade by putting up solid numbers last season. Now he'll be expected not only to keep that kind of production up, but also to build upon it.
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San Antonio Spurs: Rudy Gay
It sometimes takes players time to adjust to the way things work in San Antonio, and it sometimes takes players more than a full season to recover from a ruptured Achilles. Gay was the Spurs' only big acquisition, though, so fans might not be as patient as they should be.
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Toronto Raptors: Jonas Valanciunas
The whole league knows he was in trade talks, and while his game hasn't changed much the past few season, the perception has. Is it too late for him to improve his passing and his defensive reaction time? He's still only 25, but he has been in the league for five years now and his numbers have stagnated.
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Utah Jazz: Ricky Rubio
Finally out of Minnesota, he no longer has to hear his name in trade rumors. The hope is that he will be as aggressive as he was late last season and create more easy buckets for the Jazz in transition. The fear is that he'll cramp their spacing. Has an opportunity to make the Wolves regret replacing him with Jeff Teague.
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Washington Wizards: Otto Porter
He shot only 34.1 percent from 3-point range after the All-Star break, and that number dropped to 28.2 percent in the playoffs. If he doesn't once again become one of the league's best marksmen, like he was for most of last season, the backlash will be swift and loud. Maximum contracts tend to raise expectations, and he just got one worth $104M.
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