#50 Gordon Hayward – SF/PF – Charlotte Hornets
2020-21 Stats: 19.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.2 STL, 47.3 FG%, 41.5 3P%, 84.3 FT%
Gordon Hayward missed the final 24 games of the regular season with a foot injury, but before getting injured, Hayward had the Charlotte Hornets in line to make their first playoff appearance since 2016. Charlotte came up short in the play-in tournament, but this young team has a lot of potential to grow into something special.
The former All-Star is their best all-around talent still, even with the likes of Terry Rozier, LaMelo Ball, and others emerging, but he is going to have to stay healthy for this team to have a chance at earning a playoff spot. Hayward has only played in 96 games the last two seasons and he is going to be the key to success for this young Hornets squad as they continue to grow.
#49 Fred VanVleet – PG/SG – Toronto Raptors
2020-21 Stats: 19.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.7 STL, 0.7 BLK, 38.9 FG%, 36.6 3P%
Finishing 27-45 last season was less than ideal for the Raptors and they missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season, but Fred VanVleet was fantastic last year. Not only did he continue to improve as a perimeter shooting threat, but VanVleet has also proven to be a very underrated defender in this league.
Learning from Kyle Lowry all those years has prepared him not only to take over this backcourt but continue being one of the more effective point guards in the entire league. He is an All-Defense caliber player and while there are question marks about how far he and Siakam can take this team, Fred VanVleet is preparing to take on a much bigger role in Toronto. Look for VanVleet to possibly make a case for the All-Star game this year, especially with Pascal Siakam out to begin the year.
#48 Clint Capela – C – Atlanta Hawks
2020-21 Stats: 15.2 PPG, 14.3 RPG, 0.7 STL, 2.0 BLK, 59.4 FG%, 57.3 FT%
Trae Young was the MVP of the Atlanta Hawks last season, taking them to the Eastern Conference Finals, but Clint Capela was their MIP or Most Important Player. Not only did he lead the league in rebounds per game, but Capela was an absolute menace on both ends of the court for Atlanta.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: NBA Top 75 Player Rankings For 2021-22 Season: From 75 to 51
Offensively, he was virtually impossible to stop in pick-and-roll situations due to Young lobbing him the ball for easy alley-oops, and defensively, he proved to be one of the best shot-blockers in the league.
Last season was his first full year in a Hawks uniform and due to his career year, the young center earned himself a two-year, $46M extension to keep him in Atlanta through the 2024-25 season. It is not crazy to believe that if he has another season like the one he just had, Clint Capela could gain a lot of traction for being one of the best big men in the entire league.
#47 DeMar DeRozan – SF/PF – Chicago Bulls
2020-21 Stats: 21.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, 0.9 STL, 49.5 FG%, 25.7 3P%, 88.0 FT%
After three seasons in San Antonio, DeMar DeRozan decided to join the Chicago Bulls in the offseason, but his fit is definitely going to be a question that we will need an answer to early on in the season. Next to Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, what kind of role will DeRozan hold on this team?
He has always been “the guy” throughout the course of his career with the Raptors and the Spurs, but now, he is likely going to take a step back and have to be more of a facilitator for higher-level scorers like LaVine and Vucevic.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: NBA Top 75 Player Rankings For 2021-22 Season: From 75 to 51
He is not much of a factor shooting from the perimeter, but if you give DeRozan space in the mid-range area, he will punish you. Still being an effective scorer on the wing, DeMar DeRozan will definitely be the key to success for the Bulls.
#46 Deandre Ayton – C – Phoenix Suns
2020-21 Stats: 14.4 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 0.6 STL, 1.2 BLK, 62.6 FG%, 76.9 FT%
The arrival of Chris Paul and Jae Crowder caused Ayton’s stats from 2019-20 to drop during the 2020-21 season, but the former No. 1 overall pick has averaged a double-double each of the first three seasons he has been in the league and established himself as one of the premier centers in the NBA during the postseason last season.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: NBA Top 75 Player Rankings For 2021-22 Season: From 75 to 51
For the first time since 1993, the Phoenix Suns made it to the NBA Finals, only to come up short in six games against the Milwaukee Bucks. In the postseason, Ayton averaged 15.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and shot 65.8% from the floor in about 36 minutes per game.
Being a “bruiser-like” center in the paint who moves extremely well for a near 7-footer, Ayton checks off all the boxes in terms of being a frontcourt player any team can build around for the foreseeable future. The questions for the Suns are when will they extend Deandre Ayton’s contract and how much will they spend on him?
