NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
By Raphielle Johnson
“The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.”
Those were the words of the late, great Al McGuire. While his comment pertained to college basketball, that can also be said for the NBA. While we’ve seen rookies enter the league and take it by storm with little to no delay, most are better equipped to compete (and provide fantasy value) with a season under their belt. Of the players who entered last season with one year of NBA experience, only one, Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams, provided top-50 per-game value in 9-cat formats. Some players could claim top 100 status, including Jalen Duren (Detroit), Walker Kessler (Utah), Keegan Murray (Sacramento), and Jabari Smith Jr., while Orlando’s Paolo Banchero was more valuable in roto formats.
With that in mind, we look to the 2024-25 “sophomores,” a group led by Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. Below is a team-by-team look at each group of second-year players and what fantasy managers can expect from them regarding value.
Atlanta: Kobe Bufkin, Mouhamed Gueye, Seth Lundy
The 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Bufkin only appeared in 17 NBA games as a rookie. In those appearances, the Hawks guard averaged 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.5 3-pointers in 11.5 minutes, shooting 37.0% from the field and 50.0% from the foul line. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, Bufkin’s G League production has likely sparked optimism in Atlanta. In 14 games with College Park, he accounted for 23.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.6 3-pointers, shooting 44.6% from the field and 82.9% from the foul line. With Dejounte Murray’s exit, there are point guard minutes to fill behind Trae Young. Can Bufkin be that guy? He should have the opportunity to earn additional minutes, but Bufkin’s a better option for dynasty leagues than redrafts this season.
As for Gueye and Lundy, they’re unlikely to land on the fantasy radar. The former had a big day in Atlanta’s regular-season finale, going for 19 points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots, but that was also Gueye’s most extensive NBA action of the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-basketball-2024-25-sophomore-160000403.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-09-26 16:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
