The 2011 NBA draft, at the time considered one of the weaker drafts in recent memory, has produced a great number of solid, if not star-level players. With only two weeks until the 2013 season tips off, these players have spent the offseason preparing for their third professional season.
A player's third season is often a key indicator for his star potential in the league. Derrick Rose won league MVP in his third season in 2010-11. James Harden was the Sixth Man of the Year in 2011-12. Last season saw Paul George and John Wall rise to All-Star-caliber play, and they were handsomely rewarded with max-level contracts over the past few months.
With such great accolades and large contract extensions looming for the 2011 draft class, it's time to take a look at the 10 best third-year players in the league.
Honorable mentions: Enes Kanter, Tobias Harris, Derrick Williams, Iman Shumpert, and Isaiah Thomas.
Image above courtesy of She.Got.Game and all statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com, unless otherwise sourced.
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Article written by Aaron Bruder
Ranking the 10 Best 3rd-Year Players in the NBA
October 15th, 2013 by Aaron Bruder Leave a reply »
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