Niching Down: Role Players' Biggest Improvement Needs For 2024-25

Players you probably weren't thinking about but definitely are now

One of my favorite parts about writing this newsletter is the sheer level of obscurity I get to dive into, especially when it comes to talking about players that you probably haven’t thought about all year long. Unless you’re a Cavs fan, you’re probably not thinking about the undrafted yet very solid Craig Porter Jr.; the same goes for Spurs’ low-minute hero Blake Wesley, who has some of the best passing chops in the Lone Star State. In other words, I get to go full NBA junkie whenever I want. Today is one of those times.

While the players below may be known to you if you’re a fan of any of their teams, you generally aren’t getting an Inside The NBA segment on them if you get what I’m saying. For 2024-25, though, I think there’s quite a few high-upside guys who need to fix just one or two weaknesses to really carve out a full-time role for their squads. First up, one of my favorite young players in the league and his antipathy to isolation efficiency…