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20. Kevin Huerter, Atlanta Hawks

Age at Start of 2019-20: 21

Kevin Huerter's case is similar to Shamet's in some ways. Both are renowned for their shooting, and both are capable of so much more. The difference is Huerter will have more leeway to broaden his offensive horizons.

Atlanta started the process last season. Nearly one-quarter of Huerter's possessions came as the pick-and-roll ball-handler. He wasn't particularly effective in these situations but appeared more under control over time and got in the habit of flinging slick passes on the move to orbiting shooters.

Evan Turner is slated as the Hawks' backup point guard, so Huerter will have no trouble sponging up reps as a secondary creator. If he gets more comfortable with tossing inside passes against NBA length, he'll have the offensive peak of a bona fide playmaking wing.

19. Wendell Carter Jr., Chicago Bulls

Age at Start of 2019-20: 20

This is what stepping out on a limb looks like.

Wendell Carter Jr. has the talent—specifically IQ—to obliterate this finish, but he didn't play like it during his rookie season. And though it was a left thumb injury that limited Carter to 44 appearances, Jim Boylen's December elevation to head coach served as more of a turning point for his game. As The Athletic's Stephen Noh said on the Hardwood Knocks podcast (26:25 mark):

"The idea of him was that he's this big man who could spread the floor. He shot 41 percent on threes at Duke, and he shot 40 percent [on threes] in summer league. And then he comes to the Bulls, and he only hits 19 percent of his threes as a rookie, so that's a big part of his game that was just gone. It seemed like Boylen had some sort of instruction to not let him shoot. He only shot eight three-pointers in 19 games after Boylen took over.

"And what you saw teams doing was sagging way off him. They were sagging like 10 feet off of him, and he just wouldn't shoot the ball. He would do these dribble hand-offs and stuff. He was a player where Boylen would just instruct his point guards to throw it into him in the post and isolate him there. He's [an] undersized center. He would be going up against much bigger guys. That's not really his game either. And he did not really do well in that role."

Coby White's arrival should help the 6'10", 255-pound Carter. The Bulls are looking to play faster after drafting White in June, and Carter has said he'll be more aggressive at the offensive end, per The Scoop B Radio podcast (via Heavy.com). For where he already is on defense—stout on the inside, sneakily switchable on the outside—a little more variety would go a long way. Here's to him shooting more threes or, at the very least, starting to look at the basket when he catches the ball.

18. RJ Barrett, New York Knicks

Age at Start of 2019-20: 19

RJ Barrett's inclusion will receive pushback from anyone who watched him labor through summer league. Let's move past it. He settled down toward the end of the schedule, and a crummy exhibition showing doesn't negate a skill set that has drawn comparisons to everyone from James Harden and DeMar DeRozan to Lamar Odom and Jalen Rose.

Questionable handles and a shaky jumper mess with his ceiling. Is he actually a star prospect or just a bigger Tim Hardaway Jr. who might wingspan (6'10") his way into better defense?

Catering to the 6'7", 202-pound Barrett's upside is a must for now. First-option scorers who can double as primary playmakers are franchise cornerstones. If we're operating under the assumption a handful of rookies belong in this group, he deserves a nod.

17. Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls

Age at Start of 2019-20: 22

Lauri Markkanen is coming off a weird sophomore season. Don't call it a down year.

A sprained right elbow kept him out of the lineup until December. After struggling upon return, he found his groove for weeks at a time. Over a 31-game span that started just before Christmas, he averaged 21.2 points and 9.9 rebounds while slashing 46.2/38.4/88.9.

But then came Chicago's four-overtime extravaganza against the Atlanta Hawks at the beginning of March in which Markkanen logged nearly 54 minutes. He lost a few beats after that and was shut down for the season with fatigue before April.

Better point guard play should help him more than anyone. In the absence of a true floor general, Boylen loved dumping the ball off to the post. Too many of Markkanen's possessions were spent toiling in bad spots with little time left on the shot clock. That he played as well as he did for stretches is a minor miracle.

The additions of White and Tomas Satoransky should help restore Markkanen's offensive role to normal. He is at his best launching on the catch and cooking slower defenders off the dribble. Some shot creation for others would be nice but is no longer essential.

16. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

Age at Start of 2019-20: 20

Ja Morant pretty much defaults his way into a borderline top-15 spot before ever playing an NBA game. The Grizzlies need someone to run the offense, to leverage jumpers off the dribble and to just flat-out score. Who else on the roster other than Morant fits that bill? That would be no one.

Kyle Anderson and Tyus Jones can pitch in on the playmaking front, but Jonas Valanciunas or Jaren Jackson Jr. is probably their best scoring option aside from Morant. That's less than ideal. Neither of them is catching bodies off explosive dribbles.

Morant will have to round out his game if he's to enter the future-superstar discussion. He needs to be more plug-and-play off the ball and doesn't begin his career with a sterling defensive reputation. Expect his shot selection to be rough too.

The Grizzlies will let him go through the motions because he's worth it. And because they don't have a viable alternative for what he can do. But mostly because he's worth it. Potential offensive lifelines always are.