The most surprising player from each NBA team this season
By Connor Learn
We are now a little over halfway into the NBA season. As more and more time has passed, we have a better idea of which trends are real and which have been mirages.
NBA teams and their fans have expectations for certain players coming into a season. Stars are expected to be stars, veterans fill roles capably, and young players show signs of progression. We are at the point in the season where enough time has passed for teams to confidently step back and analyze their rosters over the coming All-Star break.
Who has played as well as expected? Who has been a pleasant surprise?
Atlanta Hawks: Malcolm Delaney
Despite a solid college career where he was All-ACC three times at Virginia Tech, the NBA passed on Malcolm Delaney. Thought to be a tweener as a 6-foot-3 scorer, Delaney was never terribly efficient in college and lacked point guard skills. He went undrafted in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Left with few other options, Delaney chose to go overseas and began playing professionally in France during the 2011-2012 season. From there, he bounced around Europe and played in Ukraine, Munich, and Krasnodar. Along the way, Delaney collected a Ukranian League MVP, German League MVP, French, German, and Ukranian League titles, and 2016 All-Euroleague honors.
After five seasons in Europe, Malcolm Delaney was finally given another shot in the NBA. He was given a tryout with the Atlanta Hawks and earned the Hawks backup point guard spot in camp. And though at the time it was seen as a risk, Delaney has provided steady veteran play in his rookie season. He has shared reserve ball-handling duties with Tim Hardaway Jr. and played solidly. Though he has tailed off since a hot start to his season, Atlanta appears to have unearthed an NBA player many had forgotten about.