One fascinating subplot entering the 2024-25 NBA season is the continued growth of the promising 2023 rookie class, a group of players led by the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (who was drafted in 2022 but missed all of his rookie season because of injury).
It's a young corps that sparks intrigue as they improve and advance into their sophomore seasons in the league. Who will inevitably take steps forward, and who might hit the sophomore slump? These are questions hanging over many of the league's rebuilding teams in particular.
With NBA training camps approaching in a month, let's take a look at 10 second-year players positioned to make an impact.
There are no hard criteria for this ranking other than building a scale of who's the most "interesting," which is admittedly arbitrary. We leaned into players who should spark viewing curiosity, and who have much to gain with a successful sophomore season. So, qualified candidates such as Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat), Dereck Lively II (Dallas Mavericks) and Brandin Podziemski (Golden State Warriors) -- who established themselves as important players on winning teams last season -- were omitted from this list, primarily because we already know what to expect from them.
Let's get started:
10. GG Jackson II, F, Memphis Grizzlies
Age: 19 | 2023 draft: No. 45
Rookie season superlative: Once a top-ranked high school recruit, the 6-foot-8 forward fell to Memphis with the No. 45 pick, after a polarizing season at South Carolina and an underwhelming pre-draft process. After playing well in the G League, he turned in some promising games late last season, including 44 points and 12 rebounds in the Grizzlies' regular-season finale.
Why he's ranked here: Jackson carried the momentum from last season into a productive summer league in Las Vegas.