Usman Garuba, Houston Rockets PF
The continuation of players to target in Dynasty. Garuba was one of the best defenders in the Euroleague last season. Ever since he was 14 (he won the MVP award in the 2016 FIBA Euroleague championship when he was 14 years old, you read that right), he has been getting better and better in regards to his skills. His offense is raw, but his defense is as insane as anyone can imagine. His defensive IQ, motor and lateral quickness are all very skilled and is a reason he dominated when he was on the court in this year’s Summer League. He’s not going to put up the best offensive numbers, but he’s going to be playing a decent amount this year due to the direction of the Rockets and because of his game-changing defense. Expect to see him in Houston’s rotation more often than not.
Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies SG
Bane had a nice rookie season last year for a late first-round pick. He averaged 9.2 points, 3.1 boards, 1.7 dimes, 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocks a game. He had some stellar efficiency, shooting a scorching 47% from the field, 43% from three and 82% from the line. Bane is looking like a lock for a bigger role next season as he could win the sixth man spot in the rotation. In the event that Anderson gets traded away, Bane could be looking at starting. Just a cool fact: Bane is the highest three-point % holder in franchise history and he’s barely going into his second season.
Saben Lee, Detroit Pistons PG
Lee had a nice stretch of games his rookie season when Hayes was out with an injury. When healthy, however, Hayes put up some of the worst games people had seen in a while. He finished with very mediocre averages of 6.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steals and a bad 3.2 TO’s a game on 35% shooting, 28% from three and 82% from the line. Side note: Hayes averaged 6.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 0.7 steals a game on 32% from the field, 18% from three and 50% from the line in this year’s Summer League. Lee averaged 15.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 2.6 TO’s on 43% from the field, 40% from three and 73% from the line. Lee could see much more playing time this year if Hayes suffers injuries or underwhelms.
Luka Garza, Detroit Pistons C
Although seen as a defensive liability and a mediocre athlete, Garza performed very well in Summer League. He averaged 15 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and one block a game. He shot 52% from the field, 40% from three and 79% from the line. Garza was selected in the second round of this year’s draft despite being one of the best players in college. His slow movement, lack of defensive awareness and typical post-center offense drove teams away. However, in the Summer League, he averaged 1.6 made threes a game on a very efficient 40%. He likely won’t garner a ton of minutes with Stewart and Olynyk on the roster. However, with Olynyk will more than likely be a trade candidate this season, he could end up finding a path to minutes. Expect him to play in the G-League for the time being.