Mario Hezonja, 23, SF/SG
2017-2018 statistics: 9.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 51.5 eFG%
Mario Hezonja has had a rough beginning to his NBA career. Heralded as Europe’s best shooter since Drazen Petrovic, Hezonja came into the league with a lofty ceiling.
Needless to say, that ceiling has shrunk quite a bit.
The former fifth overall pick hasn’t done anything remarkably well in his three seasons with the Orlando Magic. He’s a career 33.2% shooter from deep, has poor shot selection, and he’s far from a stud on the defensive end.
However, Hezonja has improved since his NBA debut three years ago, and he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent at the age of 23. Also, the Magic are very much a dysfunctional franchise.
Hezonja played in 75 games this past season, tied for second-most on the team. He was also able to start in 30 of those games, one of which he scored a career-high 28 points in. Basically, he has a lot of experience under his belt considering his age. And at 6’8″, Hezonja creates a mismatch against most shooting guards.
With plenty of untapped potential and a low asking price, Hezonja could flourish with proper development and become a lethal shooter.