You’ve heard all of the clichés before.

“You can’t teach height.” “Big men take more time to develop.”

So as ESPN.com’s #NBArank continues to roll out names today, I look for big men who have not yet fully developed but already have shown some good production despite their youth. These are players who still have bright futures and to the Denver Nuggets’ Kosta Koufos (#NBArank No. 274), I’m talking about you.

If I told you only one NBA center finished among the top five in offensive rebound rate and in True Shooting percentage, would you have guessed it was Koufos?

Koufos also finished in the top 15 in defensive rebound rate and ranked sixth in total rebound rate, all at just 23 years old. These numbers epitomize a player who is ready for more minutes and is on his way to a breakout year.

Of course, the Nuggets are on everyone’s radar thanks to their acquisition of Andre Iguodala and re-signing the much-improved JaVale McGee. But it’s their back-up center who appears to be the next big man ready to go from being a “sometimes-in-the-rotation” big to a starting role, just as the Marcin Gortat did for Phoenix Suns and Omer Asik for the Chicago Bulls last season.

via David Thorpe of ESPN.com