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15. Nikola Mirotic, New Orleans Pelicans

Age: 27

2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 15.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.7 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 18.7 player efficiency rating (PER), 19.28 total points added (TPA), 3.15 real plus-minus (RPM)

Everything might depend on Nikola Mirotic's facial hair. He'd been growing out his beard for quite some time (at least throughout his Chicago Bulls tenure), but that changed when he was spotted at practice with a baby face April 4.

Prior to getting out the razor, he'd suited up in 25 games for the New Orleans Pelicans, averaging 12.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks while shooting 38.6 percent from the field, 29.9 percent from downtown and 76.6 percent at the stripe. After removing the follicular forest, he caught fire for a five-contest stretch: 25.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while slashing 56.3/46.5/100.

Those numbers aren't sustainable, but they did show the quality of his fit alongside Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis. Plus, he kept scorching scoreboards during the Pelicans' two-round playoff run.

14. OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors

Age: 21

2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 5.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.2 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 10.0 PER, 18.03 TPA, 0.59 RPM



OG Anunoby's placement is a volatile one, though not necessarily because of his on-court skills. We already know he's an elite defender capable of bodying up against physical behemoths and sliding his feet to stay in front of quicker guards. The Toronto Raptors were 1.8 points per 100 possessions stingier with him on the floor as a rookie, and his DRPM was distinctly positive.

No, opportunity could be the issue. He only played 20 minutes per game during his inaugural campaign (still miraculous, considering his expedited ACL recovery), and that might be around the ceiling in 2018-19. With Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green aboard, as well as Serge Ibaka to roam the frontcourt as an incumbent 4, Anunoby may not have enough chances to play major minutes and increase his national profile, per-minute excellence be damned.

13. Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls

Age: 21

2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.6 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 15.6 PER, minus-78.6 TPA, minus-1.58 RPM



As you might expect from any player after an up-and-down rookie season, Lauri Markkanen has distinct areas of needed improvement. He's a limited passer who can be baited into poor decisions on the block, and his defensive warts often hinder the Chicago Bulls on the preventing end. Until he adds more muscle, he'll continue to get pushed around, ceding both deep positioning and second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass.

But Markkanen is ahead of schedule on the scoring side, even if he could stand to play with a bit more urgency on some possessions. Few players this young have shot the ball so well, as he's now the only 7-footer (not just looking at rookies) to hit 36 percent of his triples while taking at least five per game. And based on his sterling efforts at the stripe (84.3 percent), that's by no means fluky.

12. Julius Randle, New Orleans Pelicans

Age: 23

2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.5 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 19.9 PER, 45.76 TPA, 0.58 RPM

Just imagine what might happen if Julius Randle demonstrated a consistent ability to knock down shots from the perimeter. Defenders already know he wants to attack the basket off the bounce, but he's still so quick and physical that he's able to get past them and convert looks around the hoop—something he's now doing with his right hand more frequently than ever before.

But if he could force them to play even tighter...

Randle made strides in many areas during his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers, and the vast majority should carry over to his Pelicans days. He's a competent defender, a gifted frontcourt passer and a constant threat to probe the interior of the opposition. Now, he just needs to do better than shooting 35.1 percent from 10 to 16 feet, 25.6 percent on even longer twos and 22.2 percent from beyond the arc, which is by no means an unreasonable ask for a man who hasn't yet celebrated his 24th birthday.

11. Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic

Age: 23

2017-18 Per-Game Stats: 17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.8 blocks

Advanced Metrics: 16.5 PER, 0.0 TPA, 0.72 RPM

As Mohamed Bamba—and, to a lesser extent, Timofey Mozgov—join the capable bodies who already populate the Orlando Magic frontcourt (Nikola Vucevic and Jonathan Isaac), Aaron Gordon may once again be pushed into an uncomfortable role. Try as the Magic might, he's not a natural small forward and struggles offensively when asked to fill such a role on a regular basis.

Unfortunately, that could mean we see the less-than-ideal version of Gordon once again, as we did following a brief hot stretch at the beginning of the 2017-18 campaign. Lest we forget (and we're not, hence his earlier-than-expected appearance in these rankings), he averaged 16.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.7 blocks after calendars flipped to 2018, slashing a miserable 38.4/27.3/63.8.

He's certainly better than those numbers indicate. But will the Magic let the 23-year-old maximize his many talents or continue trying to make him something he's not?