One Bright Spot on Each of These 10 Struggling Teams
The Philadelphia 76ers might be struggling to start the 2016-17 NBA season, but at least rookie center Joel Embiid is living up to the hype (18.8 points in 22.2 minutes per game).
Losing is never fun in sports, but it is a rare occasion that there is not at least one player to be excited about. (Even the Cleveland Browns have Terrelle Pryor Sr.)
The following 10 athletes are bright spots on struggling teams. They are performing well on the field, demonstrating leadership or providing much-needed sparks.
Keep in mind that "struggling" could mean a team is downright awful (see: the Browns) or that it is underperforming (e.g. a highly ranked preseason team that has faltered to a .500 record).
But each team has at least one bright spot. In fact, most have more than one. And in some cases, the season is young. Don't lose hope, embattled fans. There is always a silver lining.
Chicago Bears: Leonard Floyd
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The Chicago Bears are 2-7 through Week 10, and the negative opinions about Jay Cutler just keep coming.
Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune wrote, "The failure of this organization starts and ends with the quarterback position. The player has failed, the coaching has failed, the GM has failed. It's wrong. It's expensive. It looks hopeless."
In terms of bright spots, the city of Chicago has the Cubs. And the Bears? Well, the Bears have rookie linebacker Leonard Floyd.
The team traded up to get the former Georgia Bulldog at ninth overall in the 2016 NFL draft. Since then, he has slowly emerged as a rising defensive star. He recorded 4.5 sacks over a three-game stretch and scored the Bears' first defensive touchdown in over two years against the Green Bay Packers in October.
Jon Dove of With the First Pick pointed out that Floyd has a lot of developing to do, but he also wrote, "Floyd is quickly becoming a difference-maker who has a knack for making game-changing plays. His development as a pass-rusher is what the Bears envisioned when they made that draft-day trade."
New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis
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Despite their team's 1-9 start to the 2016-17 season, New Orleans Pelicans fans should at least feel good about big man Anthony Davis, right?
Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com wrote, "If there has been a silver lining to the Pelicans' ignominious start, it's been Davis' emergence as a bona fide leader of men in his fifth NBA season."
Indeed, Davis has averaged 31.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and a league-leading 3.0 blocks per game in his team's first 10 contests. He is easily one of the NBA's best players.
And yet, one star does not a title contender make. The Washington Post's Neil Greenberg wrote, "And so far, Davis has been everything New Orleans has expected him to be, but the team has yet to hold up its end of the bargain and improve enough to make the most of his talent."
On another bright note for New Orleans fans, point guard Jrue Holiday—who has yet to play this season—could return soon.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Jean Segura
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The Arizona Diamondbacks finished the 2016 season 69-93 due, in part, to disappointing pitching performances—notably from offseason acquisition Shelby Miller (6.15 ERA in 20 starts).
The offense, however, did provide a glimmer of hope. Second baseman Jean Segura had a career year at the plate, batting .319/.368/.499 and racking up 203 hits in 153 games.
Fox Sports Arizona pointed out that the 26-year-old's season made him "one of 12 offensive players in history to amass 200-plus hits, 20-plus home runs, 30-plus stolen bases and a .300-plus batting average—a feat that ranks him among the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Vladimir Guerrero, Henry Aaron and Willie Mays."
Impressive.
Team adviser and former chief baseball officer Tony La Russa said of Segura, per Adam Green of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, "And his skills are way above average. He's not just a hitter, he can play defense, also he can steal bases."
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USMNT: Christian Pulisic
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It has been a long time since a young American soccer star was as hyped as Christian Pulisic. This is Freddy Adu-level hype.
The 18-year-old midfielder plays his club ball for Bundesliga's Borussia Dortmund, but he is also a member of the U.S. men's national team.
It's not as if the U.S. team is dismal—it is ranked No. 24 in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking table as of Oct. 20—but generally speaking, the team is not quite at the level of international juggernauts like Brazil and Argentina. And after a 2-1 loss to Mexico in a 2018 World Cup qualifying match, the U.S. will face a crucial test against Costa Rica.
As for Pulisic, ESPN FC's David Hirshey wrote:
"Christian Pulisic showed he belonged on the U.S. national team Friday night against Mexico in Columbus. He drove forward with Bundesliga bravura. He worked neat combinations with Jozy Altidore and Bobby Wood in the final third. He refused to be physically intimidated, holding his ground against body slams, double marking and late tackles.
"
Jacksonville Jaguars: Marqise Lee
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Despite high preseason expectations, the Jacksonville Jaguars are 2-7 through Week 10. Kevin Patra of NFL.com called it a "nightmare season" when writing about a comically bad pick-six by quarterback Blake Bortles in Week 10.
The offense isn't a complete joke, though. Third-year wide receiver Marqise Lee has emerged as a reliable contributor alongside fellow receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns.
Lee's playing time was limited in his first two NFL seasons due to injuries, but he has broken out in his third year. He is the team's second-leading receiver in yards with 492 (behind Robinson's 549), and he is averaging 12.9 yards per catch through the first nine games.
Bortles said, per Hays Carlyon of the Florida Times-Union (via the Orlando Sentinel), "With his speed, he's so dangerous over the top. That allows us to do some things with him. Him being healthy has been huge for us."
Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com called him the team's "best and most consistent offensive player through the first half of the season."
Dallas Mavericks: Harrison Barnes
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The Dallas Mavericks signed former Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes to a four-year, $95 million max deal after the 2015-16 NBA season.
And so far, Barnes has been a bright spot for a Mavs team that is off to a disappointing 2-6 start. That 2-6 record started out at 0-5, and veteran forward Dirk Nowitzki has missed several games with an Achilles injury.
But Eddie Sefko of SportsDay suggested Nowitzki's absence has given Barnes room to shine. He wrote, "The Mavericks are thrilled with the way Barnes has aggressively stepped into the role of go-to guy. Nowitzki has been impressed, and he's looking forward to joining in on the fun at some point."
Barnes has averaged 22.6 points per game in the first eight contests.
Nowitzki's injury isn't serious, so there is plenty of hope for the Mavs, especially since Barnes has "been worth every penny the Mavericks gave him—so far," per Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post.
Ole Miss Football: Shea Patterson
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Ole Miss hasn't had the worst season in college football—not by a long shot. Still, the Rebels were ranked No. 11 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll, so their 5-5 record through mid-November is somewhat of a disappointment.
But the Rebels' victory over Texas A&M may have marked the start of a new, hopeful era for the team. Freshman quarterback Shea Patterson got the start after senior Chad Kelly went down with a season-ending injury.
The 19-year-old Patterson threw for 338 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on 25-of-42 passing in a 29-28 victory over the No. 8 Aggies. Ben Kercheval of CBS Sports said, "Most importantly, though, he got better, more comfortable and confident as the game went along. That's a sign of maturity beyond his years."
It's early, but Sam Khan Jr. of ESPN.com wrote, "The Shea Patterson era has begun. Buckle your seat belt, it looks like it could be a fun ride."
Minnesota Twins: Brian Dozier
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The Minnesota Twins lost 103 games in 2016—an MLB-worst. In fact, the Twins haven't finished a season over .500 since 2010, when they went 94-68 and got swept by the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series.
Still, amid the calamity that was 2016, Brian Dozier managed to have a monster season at the plate. The 29-year-old second baseman followed up a 2015 All-Star campaign by hitting .268/.340/.546 in 2016 and recording 99 RBI in 155 games. His 42 home runs are also a new record for AL second basemen.
In October, Twins manager Paul Molitor said, "It's been a remarkable year for him. His ability to hang in there through what wasn't a pleasant start for him or his team and find a way to put together his best year overall, it's been tremendous," per Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press.
Dozier's production has inspired a few trade rumors, per Dayn Perry of CBS Sports, but for now, he is signed with the Twins through 2018.
Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid
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Despite all the hype the Philadelphia 76ers got ahead of the 2016-17 NBA season, they're still the 76ers—at least for now.
Prized No. 1 draft pick Ben Simmons is out several months with a foot injury, and the team is 1-8 through Nov. 13.
Still, rookie center Joel Embiid was also part of that preseason hype. The 76ers drafted Embiid in 2014, but injuries prevented him from playing until the 2016-17 season.
Through the team's first nine games, Embiid is averaging 18.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He scored 25 points in the Sixers' only win of the season, a 109-105 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers.
Alec Brzezinski of Sporting News wrote, "76ers fans hoped first-overall pick Ben Simmons would lead this team out of the cellar this season. Unfortunately, he has yet to make his NBA debut due to injury, but Embiid has been a pleasant surprise while picking up the slack."
Cleveland Browns: Terrelle Pryor Sr.
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The Cleveland Browns are winless through Week 10. The last quarterback to win a game for them was Johnny Manziel. Some of their faithful are actually planning a parade to cap off a potential 0-16 season. The Browns are arguably the worst team in sports right now.
But there is one glimmer of a bright spot (aside from the high draft pick the team will almost certainly get), and that's wide receiver Terrelle Pryor Sr.
Pryor, a former QB, took on a new position when he joined the Browns in 2015. In 2016, he is the team's leading receiver with 51 receptions, 627 yards and four receiving touchdowns through Week 10.
Ahead of Week 10, Bill Livingston of the Plain Dealer wrote, "Over 16 games, Pryor's stats project to 82 catches for 1,029 yards. That's sensational for his first year at the position with a revolving cast of quarterbacks."
Livingston added, "He is not just a great athlete playing wideout now. He runs crisp routes, has good hands, and is explosive going after the ball."
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