2018-19 NBA Season: 5 injury-prone youngsters with the most to prove

#1 Zach LaVine

Verizon Slam Dunk Contest 2016

The 13th pick in the 2014 NBA draft, former Timberwolves player Zach LaVine's major claims to fame are his back-to-back wins at the Slam Dunk Challenge in 2015 and 2016. He is one of the most athletic players in the league ever, with a vertical leap of 46 inches.

Before going down with a torn ACL on his left knee in February last year, LaVine was averaging a career-best 18.9 points per game. His potential led to him becoming a makeweight on an offseason trade which sent him and Kris Dunn to the Chicago Bulls and Jimmy Butler to Minnesota.

LaVine missed over half of last season's campaign with the Bulls and ended the season with a field goal percentage below 40%. The Bulls have, however, tied him down to a 4-year, $78 million contract over this summer as a free agent.

Just like Jabari, there is no reason why a fully fit LaVine wouldn't be able to fulfil the expectations that his paycheck brings. LaVine shot over 38% in his final two Timberwolves seasons from downtown, and like Parker, he needs to work on his defensive awareness, positioning and has to sustain the effort through entire games.