NBA: All-Sophomore team for 2014-2015
By Brad Rowland
Second Team
- Guard – Trey Burke, Utah Jazz – The former Michigan guard struggled a bit at the start of his rookie season (46.2% true shooting before the All-Star break), but Burke looked more comfortable down the stretch and the talent is real. It will be interesting to see how he pairs with incoming rookie Dante Exum in the backcourt, but Burke quietly averaged 12.8 points and 5.7 assists per game as a rookie, and his efficiency should make a leap in year two.
- Guard – Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings – At one point during his one collegiate season, it looked as if McLemore could be the top overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, but scouts cooled on him and McLemore was underwhelming (37.6% FG, 8.8 points per game) as a rookie. Still, the former Kansas swingman is super athletic and he possesses a jump shot that will almost certainly play better as he develops. He’s a high upside player.
- Guard – Tim Hardaway Jr., New York Knicks – We’re cheating a bit and going with three guards on the second team, simply because there is a dearth of forwards. However, Hardaway is deserving of a spot on the squad, simply due to his shot-making capabilities. Shooting is about the only thing that he does well at this stage, but he averaged more than 10 points per game off the bench in New York, and there is little doubt that his numbers will increase with more playing time.
- Forward – Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets – Mason Plumlee shot 65.9% from the field last season. Read that sentence again. That number will almost undoubtedly drop a bit as a sophomore, but his offensive game could expand under the new regime of Lionel Hollins, and Plumlee uses his athleticism effectively on the defensive end.
- Center – Steven Adams, Oklahoma City Thunder – Oklahoma City’s selection of Adams in the lottery was widely panned, but he was tremendous as a rookie. Offensively, he was a non-factor (3.3 points per game), but Adams seems to understand what he can and cannot do at this point, and on defense, he is a quality rim protector (1.7 blocks per 36 minutes) who uses length and strength to roam the pain. Oh, and he may just foul you so hard that you never return to the floor.