Small Forwards
Kent Bazemore has long been viewed as just a quality role player. In the right environment however, he can excel. The Portland Trail Blazers offer just that by allowing Bazemore to focus his efforts on stout defense instead of creating shots for bad teams.
His career 35.2 percent 3-point shooting is nothing to write home about but in a Blazers offense next to Lillard and McCollum, Bazemore will have the spacing and ability to take uncontested corner threes like never before. Don’t expect 2K to be ready to immediately sing his praises, but his play on the court will do the talking.
Projected Rating: 76
Just as Lillard will likely enjoy a bump due to public perception, Mario Hezonja will likely take a hit here. Hezonja signed a minimum contract with the Portland Trail Blazers while there was still a lot of money left on the table and free agency was in full swing.
That’s no fault of his own. He knew where he wanted to be. After years of suffering in toxic environments and playing with franchises known for being poor at player development, Hezonja has a real golden opportunity in Portland. His 2K rating could easily be one of the highest risers if he gets the chance to showcase why he was a former No. 5 overall pick in the first place.
Projected Rating: 72 (-1)
Nassir Little is a multi-faceted player who’s working on refining his game before hitting the big show. It’s entirely reasonable to expect Little to miss most of the year working on refining his game for the betterment of the team, akin to Simons and Trent Jr. of last year. However, 2K will likely take his draft day slip and lazy comparisons to Stanley Johnson (who received a 73 overall rating), slap a sticker on it and call it a day.