The start of the 2018-19 NBA season is still months away, but as fans know, the league is a twelve-month sport nowadays. With most of the major free agency moves out of the way, attention has shifted to summer league. Not only will rookies like Oregon’s one-and-done freshman, Troy Brown, have their first opportunities to impress, but many second-year players attempt to show what they have learned over the past year.

Some of those players involved include members of Oregon’s 2017 Final Four team. Three members of the historic squad were drafted in 2017 and received meaningful minutes with their respective team. What can fans expect to see from each of them as they venture into their second seasons as pros?

Jordan Bell

Oregon’s shot-blocking king began his NBA career in perhaps the most favorable situation possible. A draft day trade landed him on the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Because the Warriors have done a fantastic job at identifying talented players over the past few years, many wondered whether they had just found another diamond in the rough.

It appears that Golden State did just that. Bell’s athleticism and defensive skills make him the perfect center for the Warriors’ system. He was able to provide a spark off the bench for the eventual champions.

Golden State lit the basketball world on fire when it signed all star center DeMarcus Cousins to a one-year contract last week. It could also possibly affect Bell’s 2019 season later on. When Cousins returns from his achilles injury, it will without a doubt cut into Bell’s playing time. Bell would most certainly lose a potential starting role in favor of the all star. Even though a lot of next season will depend on the availability of Cousins, expect Bell’s role to increase and have further impact on a team that will likely win the championship again in 2019.

Tyler Dorsey

Despite landing on one of the worst teams in the NBA, Mr. March had difficulty making an immediate impact. Dorsey didn’t work his way into the regular rotation until about mid-season, but his role increased as the season went on. Once his playing time increased, he routinely scored in double figures for the Hawks.

Dorsey has had a solid summer league so far, and with the rebuilding Hawks continuing to get younger, he could flirt with an occasional starting role, which he did five times in 2018. Although, one thing that could be worrying to someone like Dorsey is the presence of incoming rookie Trae Young.

Dorsey shot fairly inconsistently in 2018, something similar to Young. It may not be in the best interest of the Hawks to give consistent minutes to two players who are streaky shooters, so Dorsey could be phased out by the number five pick. Dorsey shot his best from beyond the arc, so if he were to shift his game into more of a spot-up shooting role, it could preserve his place in the lineup.

Dillon Brooks

The former PAC-12 Player of the Year may have been the last Duck drafted, but he had the most impactful season of the former Oregon stars. Brooks quickly became a regular starter for the Memphis Grizzlies, and became a high point of what was mostly a lowly season for the franchise. Brooks became an important enough player for the Grizzlies that he’s been mostly kept out of the summer league.

His surprise breakout rookie year has made Brooks an integral part of the Grizzlies future. He’ll likely retain his role as a starter in 2019, but he will have to share the spotlight with another young player. Jaren Jackson Jr. will likely be thrust into the starting lineup as well. Jackson Jr. will likely receive the majority of the focus given his status as the number three overall pick. This is similar to Dorsey’s situation in Atlanta, but Brooks and Jackson Jr. are more likely to play off each other better than Dorsey and Young. If Brooks builds off of his successful rookie season, it could be the start of a great forward combo for the future in Memphis.