There have been numerous NBA players who were known for one skill when they entered the league and became known for another skill later in their careers.
Some of them revived their career with a new skill; others developed their game in a new area, and that became their strength.
Here are some of the most notable players who have adapted since their NBA skillset since their draft report was released:
Lonzo Ball
Coming out of UCLA, Lonzo Ball was hyped up as an excellent passer who would facilitate an offense to play at a fast pace. What people didn’t think he could be is a knockdown, spot-up shooter, because of his funky jumper.
In his third season in the league, Ball changed his unorthodox shooting form to a more conventional form.
He has remained a good connective passer on the fastbreak, but Ball’s new NBA skillset has turned him into a 3-and-D guard.
He’s primarily a catch-and-shoot player on offense. On the defensive side, he’s a pesky defender that can slide his feet and beat scorers to their spots.
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Malik Monk
Malik Monk was a bona fide scorer at Kentucky, averaging nearly 20 points per game on 45/39/82 shooting splits.
He was expected to be a primary scorer in the starting lineup when Charlotte drafted him in the lottery.
Yet in his four seasons as a Hornet, he started only one game.
When Monk ended up in Sacramento a few years later, he blossomed, turning into a volume bench scorer.
In his playoff debut, he dropped 32 points off the bench to help Sacramento take Game 1 over Golden State.
Monk revived his career in Sacramento thanks to a bench role. Last season, after the departure of De’Aaron Fox, the Kings started Monk in 45 games, meaning his NBA skillset may have to change yet again.
Aaron Nesmith
In his sophomore year at Vanderbilt, in a limited sample size of 14 games, Aaron Nesmith shot 52 percent from deep on just over eight attempts per game.
As a lottery pick, things didn’t work out with his initial team, the Boston Celtics.
Nesmith started just four games over two seasons as a Celtic. He became lost in a loaded Celtics team that made the Finals in his second season.
Following the Finals appearance, Nesmith was traded to the Indiana Pacers. He started in 60 games in the 2022-2023 season and became a key piece to the Pacers making deep runs in the following two seasons.
He made his reputation as a strong perimeter defender in Indiana.
Down 0-2 to the New York Knicks in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, Indiana made the adjustment to put Nesmith on Jalen Brunson as the primary defender.
In the next two games, Brunson shot 16-43 (37 percent) and Indiana tied the series, eventually winning in seven.
Nesmith’s college strength (shooting) is still a valuable part of his game.
He shot a ridiculous 49 percent from downtown on over five attempts per game in the 2025 playoffs — making him the most accurate shooter (minimum 100 attempts) ever in the postseason.
Once again, Nesmith torched the Knicks, this time on the offensive end. In game one of the East Finals, Nesmith knocked down six triples in the final frame to help Indiana force overtime and steal Game 1.
Michael Porter Jr.
Michael Porter Jr. was regarded as the top recruit coming out of the 2017 high school class. He played just three games in college due to a back injury.
Once projected as the top pick in the 2018 draft, Porter Jr.’s back injuries gave teams concerns and he ended up as the final lottery pick.
Porter received comparisons to Kevin Durant for his high release point at 6-foot-10. He was projected to be a three-level scorer when he entered the league.
Playing off of the three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Porter Jr. was primarily a catch-and-shoot player during his six years of playing in Denver. Last year, Porter Jr. shot 41 percent on catch-and-shoot three-pointers.
He became a knockdown shooter to the point that his nickname is “Michael ‘the possession ends here’ Porter Jr.
Porter Jr. was known for being the weakest link on Denver’s defense, but with a mix of perimeter defenders in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and interior defenders in Aaron Gordon, it didn’t hinder Denver as much.
Jalen Suggs
While he was at Gonzaga, Suggs was the team’s main scoring guard with raw athleticism. A majority of his shots came around the rim or in the midrange.
His main NBA skillset now features his perimeter defense. Suggs developed into one of the top defenders that can fight over screens. He’s an excellent point-of-attack defender.
Suggs made his first All-Defensive team in the 2023-24 season.
He’s also turned himself into a terrific shooter. In 2023-2024, Suggs shot 40 percent on nearly four catch-and-shoot attempts per game.
He played just 35 games last year before going down with a cartilage fragment in his left knee.
While some players may pan out into what their initial draft report says, these five players showed that NBA skillsets can develop and players can become great in other facets of the game.
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