5 NBA Players Who Have to Prove Themselves in the 2018-2019 Season

1. Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony had a rough 2017-2018 season, having career lows in almost every statistical category this season. Over the years many people have considered Anthony an all-time great player, but he has not won the awards to show it. People have also called Anthony a bad team player and that he only cares about the money. Some examples come from when Anthony said he was not coming off the bench this past season with the Thunder, or when he turned down a chance to join the Chicago Bulls in 2014 and instead stayed with the Knicks even though the Knicks missed the playoffs. This season on the Rockets is really up to Anthony. He needs to show that he wants to do more for a team instead of just score and to accept whatever role the team gives him.

2. Markelle Futz

Going into the season as the number one pick Markelle Fultz had a lot of expectations to live up to, but he it did not go the way everybody expected. Hhe only played 14 games this year due to an injury in his shoulder and "forgetting how to shoot." Many spectators are already calling Fultz a bust, and if he comes out this year and has a bad season this will hurt his case in the long run. Fultz needs to prove not just himself, but also the 76ers and the city of Philadelphia that Sixers management did not make a mistake by drafting him first overall a year ago.

3. Isaiah Thomas

When Isaiah Thomas was on the Celtics many people were thinking that he would be heading towards a max contract. Thomas had an incredible 2016-2017 season. He played one day after his sister passed away and scored 53 points on her birthday while leading the Celtics to the number one seed in the East, and assisted them all the way to the Eastern Conference finals, as well as finishing 5th in MVP voting that season.

Thomas then got injured in the playoffs that year and that totally changed everything for him. He was then traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving, and the trade was almost reversed because of how bad the injury was. Thomas came back late in the season, but he did not look like the old self—having one of his most difficult seasons to date. In the span of one season, Thomas went from being considered a top five point guard in the league, to being barely average. Thomas has to prove this season with the Nuggets that he can still contribute to a team and to be like how he was in Boston to potentially secure a huge contract next season.

4. Hassan Whiteside

Whiteside had a tedious journey to get to where he is today. He was drafted by the Kings in 2010 and bounced around from the G-League to overseas until he secured a spot in Miami. In 2016 Whiteside, re-signed with the Heat on a four-year, $98 million deal. This looked excellent, but when you go deeper you can some flaws one major flaw is that he can't defend centers around the perimeter.

This is a significant reason why he barely got any playing time in the 2018 playoffs against the 76ers, only playing 15 minutes a game. And on offense, he has a very inconsistent mid-range shot which can limit what he can do. Whiteside has got to prove he is not a liability on defense and that he can do more on offense.

5. LeBron James

This may come as a shocker to many but skill-wise James has nothing to prove. It's the other things. The first thing is that James is going to the Western conference, something he has not done in his 15-year career. And with many stacked teams in the West, the challenge to get back to the finals will be extremely tough for James.

James will also be playing with a Lakers team that is very young—most of the players on this Laker team are in their early twenties.

James has already cemented his legacy as an all-time great, so whatever happens this season won't really tarnish his legacy going forward, but this upcoming season is his season how good he is by seeing how far he can take a team in the Western Conference and to see what he can do with a bunch of young players.