I don't have anything overly poetic or dramatic to say about this group of guys, largely because I don't know very much about them, largely because nobody knows much about them, largely because there's not yet been (and maybe still isn't) any reason to know about them. If you're already familiar with these players, I have to assume it's either because you're related to them, or you picked them up on your fantasy team last season after they strung together two or three good games, then dropped them after one bad game. The best case scenario for most of these players is that they become the fifth option in a starting lineup. Who cares, you might ask. Well, I would argue that the quality of the fifth man in a starting lineup is often the difference between a good team and a great team. Then again, maybe not.
FROM OBSCURITY
Jimmy Butler
In a preseason game against the Timberwolves, Jimmy Butler played all 48 minutes and only took four shots. I'm not of the contingent who say stats don't always tell the whole story. I'm of the contingent that says stats never tell the whole story, and Jimmy Butler is our poster boy. Even in preseason—or especially in preseason—it's an accomplishment for a player to stay on the floor for the whole game. To put up only four shots is a remarkable—if not accidental—feat of indeterminable value. Did that game help Butler's career? I doubt it. But the fact is, unless the Bulls trade for another combo guard-forward, Jimmy Butler is going to have to play, because the Bulls don't have depth at either of those positions. For now, Marco Belinelli, a skinny guard-forward who does nothing but shoot, is ahead of Butler on the depth chart. Belinelli's success has always been the short-run sort of thing that deteriorates rapidly and leaves you looking for the exact inverse of him. Coincidentally, Jimmy Butler is a strong 6'7" guard-forward who does everything but shoot. I've seen him play a little, and I would say he has the potential to be the athletic version of Bruce Bowen. Perhaps, a lock-down defender to the stars. Or perhaps, the second-coming of Ruben Patterson. Both C.J. Watson and Ronnie Brewer departed from Chicago in the offseason. Losing bench players rarely seems like a big deal, but Brewer and Watson are quintessential bench players, who prevented a lot of forest fires in Chi-town last year. That's a hole that needs to be plugged, maybe even more than the gaping sinkhole created by Derrick Rose's torn ACL. Either way, Jimmy needs a jumpshot.
Tobias Harris
Tobias Harris is another funky portioning of Scottie Pippen. If Tayshaun Prince is the skinny version of Pippen, Tobias Harris is the HGH version of Pippen. Long arms, versatile, quick, high basketball IQ. He can shoot, pass, slash, post up, and send some into the stands. The job of the Bucks' frontcourt this year, is going to be picking up after Brandon Jennings and Monte Ellis. Which means, rebounding their high volume of bricks and being able to knock down shots when they kick it out, only after dribbling into a dead end. Harris is probably more capable of playing off another player than he is an instigator—also Pippenesque. This is Harris's sophomore season in the NBA, and he appears to be Milwaukee's starting small forward. The performance of Jennings and Ellis will be similar to their performance in years' past, and will also have little bearing on whether the Bucks win or lose games. So if the Bucks make the playoffs this year, it'll be because of the bottom-half of the lineup, not the top.
Tristan Thompson
You can pencil Uncle Drew into the Cavs' lineup, but that's about it. The rest of the roster is a question mark. Sure, Varejao is a proven force, but what's the plan when he goes down a month into the season, which is as inevitable as Dan Gilbert's denial. Once Varejao goes down, who will be the number two in this project? Tristan Thompson has been overshadowed by 2012 Rookie of the Year, Kyrie Irving, though he was only drafted three spots behind Irving. Thompson showed promise and ability last year, and has probably more raw talent then anybody else on the Cavs' roster. And let's not forget he's a high-flying big man. I know the NBA is slowly becoming a small man's game, but size is still the trump card. Thompson reminds me of early Tyrus Thomas. Let's just hope the comparison ends there.
Ivan Johnson
You could call this next pick nepotism. Ivan Johnson is the only NBA player to come from my alma mater, Cal State San Berdoo. He's yet to do anything extraordinary, aside from come from San Bernardino, but he is a laissez faire beast. If Terry Crews played basketball, it would look like Ivan Johnson. If you've even seen his size and rebounding ability, and wondered why you never heard of Ivan Johnson, it's because he has Delonte West's attitude, which is, and has been, his main obstacle. Atlanta has a lack of size, so there's a need for an Ivan Johnson in Atlanta. Atlanta, though, has a lot of guards in their rotation and will probably like to play small. To start the season, Ivan Johnson's minutes will be few. To get more minutes, Ivan Johnson will need to manufacture a need for Ivan Johnson. Tear some rims down, Ivan.
