Jason Thompson, Sacramento: Thompson has been competing outside the spotlight since the Kings drafted him 12th in 2008. But that's nothing new for someone who played college ball at Rider University in the MAAC. Thompson developed into one of the best rookies few seemed to know about last year, and is in a position to have a big sophomore season. He cracked the Kings' starting lineup midway through last season and averaged 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in those games while shooting 51 percent from the field. More impressive, rather than see his production peter out at the end of the season from hitting the so-called rookie wall, Thompson's performances got stronger. His numbers in April (14.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks in 34 minutes) marked his best monthly averages of the season. He may have gone largely unnoticed in small-market Sacramento while doing that, but that may not last long.