Julius Randle, Doug McDermott and other sophomores looking for redemption

The NBA Draft can be just as much about fit as it can be about talent. Being selected in a positive situation — as opposed to one that doesn’t suit the player — can be the difference between a player getting a second contract or flaming out in their first few years.

It isn’t safe to bet against players if they struggle their first year in the league, either. Players are bound to improve in the younger parts of their careers as they get accustomed to the speed of the game and begin to hone their skills. Guys like Alex Len and Nerlens Noel, who missed the majority of their rookie seasons because of injuries, are examples of players who had solid bounce-back years as sophomores.

Their numbers in their rookie seasons may not have been great, but let’s take a look at some players from the 2014 NBA Draft who are prime breakout candidates this season.

DOUG McDERMOTT

Chicago Bulls

McDermott was one of the greatest scorers in the history of college basketball, proving his ability to get buckets in a number of ways. His rookie season, however, didn’t translate as many expected. McDermott fought through an injury and fell back behind Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy, Tony Snell and Nikola Mirotic in the wing rotation. Combined with the fact that Tom Thibodeau is notorious for not playing rookies, and McDermott had his back against the wall from the start.

All in all, Dougie McBuckets appeared in 36 games and played 8.9 minutes per contest as a rookie.

There are several reasons to believe that McDermott will get a shot to show his skills this season, particularly his 3-point shooting. Mirotic is likely to play exclusively at power forward, his best position and the place he spent the majority of his time while playing for Spain in Eurobasket. The Bulls were at their best when Niko was at the four, and I’m sure Hoiberg will take that information into consideration. Mike Dunleavy will be out the next 8-10 weeks after having back surgery, too, opening even more minutes on the wing for McDermott and Tony Snell.

It doesn’t hurt that McDermott grew up in the same town as his new head coach, either.

JABARI PARKER, AARON GORDON, JULIUS RANDLE

Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers

Parker is an easy breakout candidate after missing the majority of his rookie campaign due to a torn ACL. Before the injury, he started all 25 games he appeared in, averaging 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds on 49.0 percent shooting in 29.5 minutes per game. While he only shot 25.0 percent from 3, one would think that he is going to improve in that department after being a knock down shooter his one year at Duke. Parker is a huge part of this Bucks rebuilding plan, and he will be a constant figure moving forward.

Gordon is in a similar boat as Parker, only playing in 47 games and averaging 17 minutes per contest. With the team re-signing Tobias Harris this offseason, it isn’t clear whether there will be more minutes for Gordon as another combo forward-type player. If Gordon can prove his improved shooting stroke in Summer League wasn’t a fluke, he’s an interesting player for them at the power forward spot alongside Harris and Vucevic. They don’t have another player on their roster with that type of athleticism and defensive potential, and with new head coach Scott Skiles’ tendency to be a defensive first coach, Gordon’s minutes definitely could go up.

Another player who suffered a big injury and just so happened to miss all but one game of the regular season was Julius Randle. After breaking his leg in the first game of the 2014-15 season, Randle will be getting his first extended run as an NBA player. He figures to be starting at power forward for the Lakers and with the collective of youth talent that the team has, you would hope the coaching staff will give him big minutes to develop.

NIK STAUSKAS

Philadelphia 76ers

Stauskas was the eighth overall pick in the 2014 draft to Sacramento, a place that has turned into a bad landing spot for recent draft picks. He was drafted a year after the team selected another shooting guard, Ben McLemore, in the top ten and averaged 4.4 points per game on 36.5 percent shooting from the floor. This offseason, the Kings saw him as dead weight and cut ties with him in order to create space in a trade with Philadelphia.

It probably isn’t a good idea to pick a Philly player to have a breakout season, but if anybody can do it, it’s Stauskas. He is the only player on the team other than Robert Covington that projects to be an above average 3-point shooter. Also working in his favor: He is on a team that will encourage him to launch it whenever he touches the ball.

The last two months of the 2014-15 season were more encouraging for Stauskas — he averaged over six points per game and shot above 40 percent from 3. Just getting out of Sacramento might be the ticket for Stauskas sticking in the league.

NOAH VONLEH

Portland Trailblazers

Vonleh’s rookie season couldn’t have gone much worse. After being drafted ninth overall to the Charlotte Hornets, he missed the majority of his first season with an injury, putting him in and out of the lineup. The Hornets also had a few players already at his position in Cody Zeller and Marvin Williams. Charlotte had a bad year, too, meaning Vonleh most wasn’t playing in positions where he was going to be successful. He never could get into a rhythm until late in the season, averaging six points and six rebounds per game in April.

Vonleh was included in a trade that landed the Hornets Nic Batum and sent Noah to Portland. The Blazers are in a new rebuild of their own, after losing four of their starting five from last season, including LaMarcus Aldridge. Now healthy and on a team wide open for minutes, Vonleh will have his fair share of chances to show why the Hornets selected him so high in 2014. He figures to be more successful in an up and down system such as Portland’s, where he can use his long frame and athleticism. Terry Stotts is one of the best coaches in the league, and he will certainly put Vonleh in situations where he can be successful.

KYLE ANDERSON

San Antonio Spurs

Anderson was the very last pick of the 2014 draft and became a rookie stowaway on the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Anderson wasn’t expected to get big minutes his rookie year, only appearing in 33 games and averaging 10.7 minutes in those contests. Not many rookies play for the Spurs, and most of them end up getting stashed overseas before they make the roster.

Anderson is going to have a bigger role on this year’s team with all of the turnover they had this offseason. They may have brought in the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge and David West, but they also lost Tiago Splitter, Marco Bellinelli and Aron Baynes, key contributors to their rotation. Anderson figures to be their backup small forward, and with Manu Ginobili and Patty Mills being best suited off the ball at this stage in their careers, Anderson could possibly be the primary offense initiator in the second unit.

This is where Anderson could be at his best, which will make things interesting to see whether or not he can crack and stay in the rotation of a team with major aspirations for this season.