NBA 2020-21: Top 5 sophomores in the league right now

#3 Michael Porter Jr. (Denver Nuggets)

Michael Porter Jr. #1 of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Harrison Barnes #40 of the Sacramento Kings.

Even though he was the 14th pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Michael Porter Jr. made his NBA debut in the 2019-20 season after a back injury kept him on the sidelines for the entire 2018-19 campaign.

The coach of the Denver Nuggets, Michael Malone, eased Porter into the rotation of the team, starting him only in 8 games during the regular season. In the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Porter became a valuble asset to the Denver Nuggets as they made their way to the Western Conference Finals. In the 2019-20 post-season, he averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds per game.

He is an athletic 6' 10'' forward who has good skills on offense. Even though he has missed a few games this season due to the health and safety protocol, he is averaging 20 points and 7 rebounds per game in 4 appearances. Moreover, even though the sample size is small, his shooting splits currently stand at 57/42/88.

#2 Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)

Ja Morant won the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year award, and it won't be a stretch to say that he has been the most successful player from his class. Which is why he comes in at the 2nd spot on our list.

Morant had a tremendous rookie season. He averaged 18 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds on his way to the winning ROY award. Morant started the 2020-21 campaign in red-hot form, but then an ankle injury sidelined him for Grizzlies next 8 games.

Still, in four games this season, Morant is averaging 24 points, 6 assists, and 2 rebounds per game.

#1 Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)

Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans runs up court against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Zion Williamson was the most hyped athlete in the 2019 NBA Draft class and is rightly Number 1 on our list. The 20-year-old struggled with a knee injury in his first season in the NBA and played just 24 games. Still, in that small sample size, Zion was extremely dominant on the floor, having no trouble over powering some of the veterans in the league.

As a rookie, Williamson averaged 23 points per game in 24 appearances with great efficiency (58% from the field). This year, the New Orleans Pelicans have had a dissapointing run so far with Zion Williamson's performance being the lone bright spot.

Even though he was just a dominant scorer last season, Williamson has evolved and is averaging 23 points and 8 rebounds per game in the 11 appearances he has made so far. Moreover, he continues to be an efficient scorer, making an astonishing 57% of his field goals.

Also read: 5 Legends who did not win the NBA MVP award in their careers