With the All-Star Break come and gone, the NBA is entering the stretch run for playoff positioning and the play-in race. For the bottom third of the league, consisting of teams with playoff fates all but decided, they’re entering the final push to the bottom for NBA Draft Lottery positioning.
As Portland Trail Blazers fans know all too well from the past two seasons, this stretch generally comes with extended development for young prospects who spent most of the season waving towels on the bench.
Fans of these struggling teams may be partial to tune out during this period, but in a recent piece (subscription required), The Athletic’s John Hollinger gave each fanbase a reason to stay invested by picking an intriguing young player from each team who could benefit from the newfound opportunity.