1) Andre Drummond, C, Detroit Pistons
Since being selected ninth overall in this past year's draft, Drummond has flown under the radar, mainly because Lawrence Frank has only allowed him twenty minutes of floor time a night. With that time, he's averaging 7.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, and 1.6 bpg. He's shooting 61% from the field, leading to an astronomical 22.78 PER, which is higher than that of Dwight Howard and about the same as Dwyane Wade's. So what, or who, is holding Drummond off of the court? Greg Monroe, the Pistons' starting center, is establishing himself as one of the best big men in the league. Playing him along with Drummond doesn't work very well, as both are true centers. Until they are no longer on the same team, Drummond will be limited.
2) MarShon Brooks, SG, Brooklyn Nets
I haven't watched a ton of Nets games this year so maybe some of their fans would disagree with me that he's worthy of some more time. While there's a lot to be desired from Brooks as a defender, at times he could flat out score as a rookie. He showed potential to be able to develop into a key player, though of course Joe Johnson's acquisition would take some of his playing time. But I still thought he'd see more than the 11.6 minutes he's getting. The real surprise is he's losing them to not just Johnson, but Jerry Stackhouse's corpse (14.4 mpg) and Keith Bogans (17.8 mpg).
3) Marcus Thornton, SG, Sacramento Kings
It's a difficult situation in Sacramento, where Thornton is backing up Tyreke Evans at shooting guard. To get starter's minutes, Thornton would need to switch to forward; he is 6'4". But being undersized may well be worth it for a struggling Kings team; John Salmons is no longer worthy of being an NBA starter, and as it stands the team is 17-32. Thornton is a guy who two years ago averaged 21.3 ppg with starter's minutes. The Kings, soon to be Sonics, could use that boost.
4) Eric Bledsoe, PG, Los Angeles Clippers
Obviously he's not going to play much because he's behind Chris Paul, but this 23-year-old out of Kentucky is ready to start in the NBA. His stats aren't quite there yet due to just twenty minutes a night, but he has an impressive 18.29 PER. He's averaging 1.6 spg in the limited time. With Paul injured, as week speak he has twenty and ten assists against the Celtics on eight of twelve shooting. Perhaps staying at Kentucky another year could have helped him arrive with more of a bang, but now he's ready.
