National Basketball Association

NBA: 10 Bounce-Back Candidates For 2016-17 Season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 3:21 p.m. ET

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After lackluster 2015-16 NBA seasons, here are 10 high profile players that should be candidates for bounce-back years in 2016-17.

May 11, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Miami Heat point guard Goran Dragic (7) goes to the basket past Toronto Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll (5) in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is a constant sea of change. Because of injuries, age, trades, new acquisitions or a myriad of other reasons, players are constantly rising and falling in this league. For every breakout season from a budding star, there’s another former great declining in health or performance.

But sometimes, there’s plenty of room for more variation than a straight line up or down. In some cases, a player’s performance can rise or fall within the span of one season, and then do the exact opposite the next year.

It’s the very reason free agency and the trade deadline are such hectic times of the NBA calendar; teams are constantly scrambling to hedge their bets on who can thrive with a change of scenery, even if that player is in the midst of a down year.

Heading into 2016-17, there are plenty of high profile NBA players looking to bounce back from lackluster 2015-16 campaigns. Not all of them are playing for new teams, and not all of them are looking to return from injury-riddled seasons, but here are the top 10 candidates (plus a few honorable mentions) for bounce-back years in 2016-17.

Mar 25, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Memphis Grizzlies small forward Lance Stephenson (1) drives to the basket as San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21) and David West (30) defend during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Honorable Mentions

David West — David West might actually just be washed up at age 36, as his 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per game indicated last year. But on his latest quest for a title, perhaps the world-beating Golden State Warriors can coax bigger numbers out of him from the bench.

Ty Lawson — With Rajon Rondo gone and Darren Collison facing domestic violence charges, there might be an opening for Ty Lawson with the Sacramento Kings. But given his off-court demons and the general dysfunction of the franchise, this union could — and likely will — go south just as easily.

Terrence Jones — Terrence Jones was a young stretch-4 on the rise only two or three years ago, averaging 12.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in just his second season. But even though injuries hampered his last two seasons, perhaps this 24-year-old can get his career back on track with the New Orleans Pelicans while playing alongside from Kentucky teammate Anthony Davis.

Lance Stephenson — The Pellies added E’Twaun Moore and Solomon Hill to address needs at the 2 and the 3, but with Tyreke Evans injured for the time being, perhaps Lance Stephenson can fill in as a playmaking shooting guard. Now is the time for Born Ready to build upon the momentum he built at the end of the season with the Memphis Grizzlies, because he might not get too many more chances.

Jan 4, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov (20) during the second quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

10. Timofezy Mozgov

Roy Hibbert‘s big trip to Hollywood didn’t go according to plan last year, but perhaps Timofey Mozgov will have better luck as the new starting center of the Los Angeles Lakers. After scoring a four-year, $64 million contract this season, Mozgov having a bounce-back year is the least he can do.

At the moment, the Lakers are undergoing a full-scale rebuild centered around their young core of D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle, which means Mozgov will hardly be expected to anchor a playoff-caliber defense.

Yi Jianlian has been putting up great numbers in China over the last few years, and rookie Ivica Zubac looked good enough in NBA Summer League to be a potential threat to Mozgov’s minutes down the road.

For now though, all Mozzy has to do to keep his starting job is beat out a 19-year-old and a guy who hasn’t been in the NBA for four years. Coming off a season in which he averaged a meager 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds in 17.4 minutes per game, anything Mozgov gives the Lakers in a starting role will look like a drastic improvement.

Hibbert was unable to salvage the league’s worst defense, so no one should expect Mozgov to either. The difference is that Mozzy and the young Lakers will benefit from tempered expectations and head coach Luke Walton‘s instruction. He’ll be among the league’s most overpaid players next year, but maybe Mozgov can still have a bounce-back year as well.

Nov 22, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) gestures after a basket in the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won, 122-116. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

9. Eric Bledsoe

When healthy, Eric Bledsoe is a borderline All-Star — even in a Western Conference that’s packed to the brim with star talent.

Though he’s hardly viewed as the face of the Phoenix Suns franchise, Bledsoe was having an All-Star caliber season last year before his season-ending meniscus tear, averaging 20.4 points, 6.1 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game on .453/.372/.802 shooting splits.

It should’ve been Bledsoe’s coming out party to establish himself as one of the league’s most dynamic two-way guards, but the injury limited him to 31 games and the Suns’ quickly went south from there.

Bledsoe has never made the playoffs and in two of his three seasons in Phoenix, he’s missed 51 and 39 games. But there’s no question that when healthy, Bledsoe has come painfully close to tapping his fullest potential in each of the last three seasons. If he can just stay healthy in 2016-17, perhaps his bounce-back season will also be a breakout one.

May 10, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Danny Green (14) shoots the ball over Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (35) in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

8. Danny Green

Meet the Harrison Barnes of the San Antonio Spurs. By that, we mean a highly underrated defender whose versatility helped a historically good basketball team click on both ends of the floor…but one whose struggles were magnified playing for such a great team and whose individual numbers made you ponder how the team found so much success in the first place.

Thanks to San Antonio’s historically stingy defense, the Spurs won a franchise-record 67 games last year. But with Danny Green shooting a measly 37.6 percent from the floor and only 33.2 percent from three-point range, it’s hard not to wonder how scary Gregg Popovich’s squad might have been if their designated three-point sniper had been more efficient.

In the playoffs, Green looked more like his usual self, bumping up his scoring from 7.2 points per game in the regular season to 8.6 per game. He also improved his shooting splits to .462/.500/.667.

But even with his terrific perimeter defense and elevated playoff numbers, Green was really only good for one or two outbursts during the playoffs, which contributed to San Antonio’s Western Conference semifinals collapse against the Thunder.

More than likely, however Green’s sudden and drastic decline was nothing more than a one-year blip he’ll leave behind this season. With Pau Gasol and David Lee‘s passing joining an already elite offense, Green’s open looks should start going down again this year.

May 1, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll (5) dribbles past Indiana Pacers forward Solomon Hill (44) during the fourth quarter of a 89-84 win in game seven of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

7. DeMarre Carroll

If it weren’t for DeMarre Carroll‘s poor injury luck, we might have seen the Toronto Raptors embrace a few small-ball lineups last season. In 2016-17, with Carroll back healthy and Norman Powell ready for a breakout season, hopefully we’ll get that chance.

Coming off a career year in Atlanta, Carroll was going to be Toronto’s answer on the wing that elevated them into the conversation with the Cleveland Cavaliers out East. Unfortunately, he was limited to just 26 games due to a knee bruise and subsequent surgery.

Even without him, Toronto managed to win a franchise-record 57 games and Carroll returned just in time for the postseason. Unfortunately, he averaged just 8.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in the playoffs, shooting 39 percent from the floor and 32.9 percent from three-point territory.

With a whole summer to get healthy and prepare for the upcoming season, Carroll should be able to remind everyone why he was such a valuable 3-and-D wing on a Hawks team that won 60 games. The Raptors have their core back for next season, so now would be the time for Carroll to help them take yet another step forward.

Mar 23, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Roy Hibbert (17) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Lakers 119-107. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

6. Roy Hibbert

At this point, most people have given up on Roy Hibbert. The seven-footer, whose trademark skills were rim protection and verticality, was downright impotent in his attempts to mend the Lakers’ defense. In his lone season in Los Angeles, their defense actually regressed, surrendering 109.3 points per 100 possessions as the NBA’s worst defense.

However, Hibbert was placed into a system of pure turmoil under Byron Scott, and Kobe Bryant‘s farewell tour took precedence over any sort of internal progress or chemistry. Now, playing for a defensive-minded coach like Steve Clifford on a playoff-caliber team like the Charlotte Hornets, Hibbert gets a realistic shot at restoring his reputation.

Last season, Hibbert averaged just 5.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 23.2 minutes per game, shooting a dreadful 44.3 percent from the floor. He might not even be able to steal Cody Zeller‘s starting job, but in a defensive system that emphasizes packing the paint, Hibbert won’t be chasing ball-handlers coming off screens on the perimeter anymore.

By staying closer to home, Hibbert can focus on what he does best — protecting the rim with all that length — and hopefully shore up on the biggest flaw of his game, underwhelming rebounding. On a one-year, $5 million flier, the Hornets may be able to make use of him in a backup role, and that’s the worst-case scenario.

Apr 8, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Washington Wizards forward Markieff Morris (5) adjusts his finger during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 112-99. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

5. Markieff Morris

To say it was a turbulent year for Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns would be an understatement.

He and his brother Marcus Morris faced felony aggravated assault charges, his twin was traded away, he publicly demanded a trade, he threw a towel at head coach Jeff Hornacek, he got into an altercation with teammate Archie Goodwin, he was benched for Jon Leuer as his numbers dipped and then, after Hornacek was already fired, he was mercifully dealt to the Washington Wizards.

There, he was expected to be the extra boost that pushed Washington into the playoffs, but he put up a pedestrian 12.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in his 27 games. The Wizards missed the playoffs and Keef hardly looked like the guy who put up career-best numbers of 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game the year prior.

Washington missed out on Kevin Durant over the summer, but with a little more stability, Bradley Beal locked in for the long-term and the Wizards addressing their bench, Keef should get his chance to prove his dip in production was just a product of an uncomfortable situation in Phoenix.

May 15, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) drives to the basket during the second quarter in game seven of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Toronto Raptors won 116-89. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

4. Goran Dragic

Goran Dragic was one of the most entertaining stars in the NBA in 2013-14, and awards season backed that up, with the Dragon earning Third Team All-NBA honors and the league’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award. He averaged 20.3 points and 5.9 assists per game on stellar .505/.408/.760 shooting splits and was a one-man fast break for a surprising 48-win Suns squad.

Everything changed once Phoenix brought one too many point guards into the equation. Dragic forced his way out the following season with a trade to the Miami Heat, where he played second — or third, or fourth — fiddle to Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and even Hassan Whiteside.

But with Wade gone, Bosh still not medically cleared and Whiteside not being an offensively dominant player, the ball will be back in Dragic’s hand for the first time since his breakout 2013-14 season. The time for pushing the tempo and giving Dragic a larger role has finally come.

Last year in his first full season with the Heat, Dragic put up a modest 14.1 points and 5.8 assists per game, notably struggling from three-point range (31.2 percent). There’s a chance this 30-year-old lefty has already reached his peak, but as Miami’s primary facilitator and playmaker, the Heat will be relying on him to re-enter the Dragon in an exciting bounce-back year.

Nov 18, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) watches the game against the Phoenix Suns from the bench at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Bulls won 103-97. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

3. Joakim Noah

The New York Knicks‘ roster is littered with players trying to complete bounce-back seasons in 2016-17. Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings, even Carmelo Anthony qualify for this group to a certain degree. But since Melo led the team in damn near every statistical category last year, Joakim Noah seems to be the most likely redemption story here.

At this point, most people have accepted that Rose is too injury-prone to ever recapture MVP form again. But Noah’s career-worst season last year, in which he averaged 4.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game while being demoted to bench duty, was a real eye-opener.

Noah’s rapid decline over the last two years was largely fueled by injury problems, with the former Chicago Bulls stalwart missing 15 and then 53 games. But assuming Noah can just stay healthy in New York, the Knicks can expect their new starting center to look a little more like his former self in this fresh start.

Though he probably won’t live up to that massive four-year, $72 million contract, Noah was a Defensive Player of the Year and top-five MVP candidate only three years ago. He probably won’t ever put up a 12-11-5-1-1 stat line again, but as long as he can anchor an adequate defense and provide some of the passing, intensity and rebounding this team needs, that’ll be enough.

Apr 24, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts while playing against the Golden State Warriors in the second half in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Golden State Warriors won 121 to 94. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

2. James Harden

Technically speaking, it’s hard to “bounce back” from season averages of 29.0 points, 7.5 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. But in just one year, James Harden went from bonafide MVP candidate putting up Kobe Bryant-in-his-prime numbers for a Western contender to an overrated stat sheet stuffer on a bottom-feeder playoff team.

All the defensive effort we saw in 2014-15 disappeared, the Houston Rockets won 15 fewer games than the year before, and they were ousted in the first round rather than the conference finals. Harden may have put up elite numbers, but his defense was so bad he became the league’s most criticizable superstar overnight.

Fair or not, Harden’s elite talent and value to a lackluster Houston team became very easy to overlook.

In 2016-17, there’s very little chance of Harden locking down on the defensive end. Their anchor Dwight Howard is gone, the offensively inclined Mike D’Antoni is in at head coach and the Rockets spent their summer adding one-sided free agents to bolster the offense.

But D’Antoni’s Suns teams revolutionized the course of the NBA with their early pace-and-space principles, and now that he has the best pick-and-roll playmaker he’s had since Steve Nash, the Pringles Man might actually be a good fit for the Rockets.

Houston is going all in on an elite offense next season. It won’t lead to a championship, but the Beard should be empowered like never before with superior shooters on the wings and an offense meant to optimize his greatest strengths. This could very well be a disaster, but dare we say that Harden and the Rockets might actually be fun again in 2016-17?

Apr 25, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) reacts in the closing minutes in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

1. Blake Griffin

No superstar in the NBA stands to benefit more from a bounce-back season than Blake Griffin, and no superstar is more likely to pull it off. After a season mired by injuries, dumb decisions and trade rumors, the Flyin’ Lion should be ready to soar once again in 2016-17.

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Last season, the face of the Los Angeles Clippers played in only 35 games due to a quadriceps issue and then an embarrassing hand injury/suspension after he punched a team equipment manager.

Griffin’s aggravated quad injury in the playoffs all but sunk the Clippers’ hopes of advancing to the second round, and Lob City once again fell short of its championship aspirations. With Kevin Durant joining the Warriors, the Clippers have one less Western powerhouse to worry about.

Golden State’s title quest is all but manifest destiny thanks to KD’s arrival, but Griffin and the Clippers have something to prove with both he and Chris Paul likely to opt for free agency next summer. Anything less than a conference finals appearance would be enough to split up this contender, and even THAT might not be enough to prevent it from happening.

Despite all the injury problems, Griffin still averaged 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game last year. Don’t forget, this is the same top-10 superstar who put up 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game in the playoffs the year before as some sort of LeBron James–Magic Johnson–Kevin Garnett hybrid.

At age 27, Griffin is in his prime. The Clippers are all-in for the upcoming season, and with Blake healthy again, there is very little room for error. After a disappointing 2015-16 campaign, Griffin is poised to remind everyone how unbelievably great he really is.

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