Jeff Withey

Withey enters his second season with hopes of carving out a bigger role for himself than he had as a rookie. The Kansas product appeared in just 58 games for New Orleans, despite the team's considerable injury problems. In 12 minutes per contest, Withey averaged 3.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 71 percent from the line. Where Withey really thrives is on the defensive end. One of college basketball's premiere shot blockers before being drafted in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft, Withey rejected 2.6 shots per 36 minutes last season. The potential is there for Withey, who turned heads in the four games he started late last season. The seven-footer scored 7.8 points and collected a modest 5.3 rebounds per game in his starts but blocked 2.8 shots, the same league-leading number Anthony Davis posted last season. Davis, Omer Asik, and Ryan Anderson should monopolize most of the frontcourt minutes, and Withey will also face competition from Alexis Ajinca and rookie Patric Young, but if given a shot at consistent minutes, Withey could become one of the better shot blockers in the league.

A rookie out of Kansas acquired as part of the Evans three-team sign-and-trade, Withey's playing time in 2013 should be sparse. The shot-blocking specialist could eventually see time on the court if Smith's injury problems persist or Stiemsma is outplayed defensively.