USA TODAY International Edition
25 NBA players not to forget
In a personality- driven league flush with talent like the NBA, you don’t have to be the biggest star or the mosthyped prospect to get noticed. You also don’t have to be one of those players to make an impact on the court.
That’s the foundation of this attempt to identify the most interesting NBA players for the upcoming season. We all know stars like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Steph Curry and James Harden will make a huge impact for their teams ( and many are definitely interesting dudes off the floor). That’s obvious and it’s obvious why we love watching them. This list is an attempt to zero in on the players who aren’t so obvious right now and who will impact the season in not- so- obvious ways.
There are big names on this list; any discussion of interesting players will inevitably have to include some big names. However, their effects will be seen and felt in subtler ways on the court and in the locker room — and perhaps not until the playoffs roll around in the spring.
There are promising young players on the list, too, none with a boatload of hype but all with high expectations of progress. There are players at all points in between, but they all have the type of game, style or personality that makes the NBA so much fun to follow over a long season.
Stars ( and near- stars) who could swing the title
Ben Simmons, Sixers: Can he develop a jump shot? Does he need to develop a jump shot, at least right now? Sim
mons’ jumper is the most glaring hole in his game, but the Sixers look to be so good defensively that they’ll be able to continue masking that offensive shortcoming. Fine- tuning his shot could really open up the Sixers’ offense and remove Philadelphia’s ceiling altogether.
Draymond Green, Warriors: Golden State’s personnel losses this offseason are well known. Green’s play will be a big factor in determining if the Warriors can offset those losses. He says he’s back on his playoff diet for the whole season. If he really is and plays like the two- way terror he was for much of last postseason, it could be the difference between the Warriors fighting for a playoff spot and fighting for a top four seed.
Chris Paul, Thunder, and Kevin Love, Cavaliers: Veterans with big contracts who don’t seem long for their current teams. Oklahoma City is already sitting on a mountain of draft picks and could add more with a Paul trade. Cleveland doesn’t have an existing trove of picks, but dealing Love could net some to build around young guards Collin Sexton and Darius Garland.
Paul and Love are healthy. If they can show they still have it, the Thunder and Cavaliers would presumably look to trade them for picks and/ or young talent to continue their respective rebuilds. Some contenders will be interested, particularly Miami in Paul, but who has the assets ( and the stomach) to take on either contract?
Jamal Murray, Nuggets, and Donovan Mitchell, Jazz: Rising stars who, with another leap, could make their teams legitimate championship contenders. Murray, 22, has become a great running mate for All- NBA big man Nikola Jokic. Developing into a more consistent, reliable play- maker and passer will go a long way to raising the Nuggets’ championship ceiling. Denver is hoping Murray is motivated after getting a $ 170 million max extension this summer.
Utah was a big winner after revamping a solid roster around Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. With newly acquired Mike Conley taking on primary ball- handling duties, Mitchell, 23, should be free to flourish off the ball with far less pressure. If he can take advantage and improve his efficiency as a scorer and as a passer, Mitchell will start to truly live up to the Dwyane Wade comparisons.
Making a leap
De’Aaron Fox, Kings, and Lauri Markkanen, Bulls, and Trae Young,
Hawks: A trio of up- and- comers who could make their respective teams playoff contenders. Fox and Sacramento were in contention last season before falling off late. They’ll have an even tougher go of it this season in the loaded Western Conference. The Kings have a new coach in Luke Walton, but his uptempo offense is tailor- made for Fox’s strengths in the open floor and as a slasher. Another season of growth with the talented young roster around him, and Fox, 21, could end the league’s longest playoff drought.
It seems as if Chicago and Atlanta would still be a year ( or more) away from the playoffs, but the bottom of the Eastern Conference is pretty weak. Markkanen, 22, has the game to be a go- to scorer, but improving as a play- maker and defender will be key. Young, 21, already passes and creates for others as well as almost anyone. He’ll need to boost his shooting efficiency to start taking his game to the next level.
Pascal Siakam, Raptors: He proved that he’s good. Now it’s up to last season’s Most Improved Player to show just how good. With the departure of Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry aging, Siakam, 25, will get every chance to become the new face of the Raptors. His potential as a franchise centerpiece gives Toronto a new path forward, especially if president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri wants to start rebuilding by trading some of the team’s veterans with favorable contracts.
Brandon Ingram, Pelicans: After coming over in the Anthony Davis trade, the Pelicans are hoping Ingram, 22, is in line for the breakout he was supposed to have last season in Los Angeles. He has the skill set to thrive in the frontcourt next to Zion Williamson, especially if he can improve his erratic 3- point shooting. The Pelicans have one of the most promising young rosters in the league, and they want Ingram to be a big part of it. He needs to prove he can, especially with Williams expected to miss the start of the season with a knee injury.
Kyle Kuzma, Lakers: He played well alongside LeBron James last season, but with Anthony Davis joining the fold, there are questions about how he fits next to those two stars. Can the Lakers play all three in the frontcourt together? Kuzma, 24, believes he can be the third star behind James and Davis. However, his impact is likely muted early by a foot injury that could keep him out to start the season.
Mitchell Robinson, Knicks: Does New York have a future Defensive Player of the Year? A building block for the future? A prime candidate to flame out? It seems like Robinson’s potential outcomes run the gamut. He showed a ton of promise as an elite- level defender during his rookie season. He also struggled to stay on the floor. To fully realize that promise on defense, Robinson, 21, will need to be much more disciplined.
Welcome back
Victor Oladipo, Pacers, and Jusuf Nurkic, Trail Blazers, and Kristaps Porzingis, Mavericks: Impact players returning from injury who will look to raise their respective teams’ ceilings. It’s still uncertain when Oladipo will return from a ruptured quad tendon in his right knee. Ditto for Nurkic, who broke his left leg. But if the Pacers and the Blazers can stay in the playoff mix while they’re out, their returns could push Indiana and Portland back into the top half of their respective conferences.
Porzingis’ torn anterior cruciate ligament is healed, and he’s expected to be ready for the opener of his first season in Dallas. He was a budding star in New York before the injury, but 18 months is a long time to be away. How long will it take to get back to top form, and what does his new top form even look like? On paper, Porzingis’ skill set as a versatile big man who can stretch the floor out to the 3- point line should pair perfectly next to Luka Doncic and give the Mavs one of the most promising young duos in the NBA.
Next young star to want out?
Bradley Beal, Wizards, and KarlAnthony Towns, Timberwolves: In the era of player empowerment, could either of these young stars be the next to force a trade? Beal would seem to be staying put after agreeing to a two- year max extension. Building around the 26year- old All- Star makes sense. But the Wizards project as one of the worst teams in the league this season. Just how much losing will Beal be able to stand? And if contenders come calling with enticing offers, how long would Washington be able to turn them down?
Towns, 23, doesn’t have a ton of leverage to force his way out of Minnesota – he’s just starting the first season of the five- year extension he signed last September. But if the T’wolves fall out of playoff contention early ( certainly possible in the stacked West) while Towns averages 25 and 13 and shoots 50- 40- 80 again, we could begin to hear rumblings of unhappiness.
Wild cards and enigmas
Kyrie Irving, Nets: He could have landed in the star category above, but Irving likely won’t swing the title one way or the other. Brooklyn seems solidly entrenched as a second- tier playoff team in the East behind Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Irving’s placement here is mainly for the general weirdness he brings and the potential question of how that goes over in the locker room of another team full of promising young players.
Jimmy Butler, Heat: He also won’t swing the title, but like Irving, Butler belongs on a list of interesting players. After tumultuous stops in Chicago, Minnesota and Philadelphia ended with rumors ( and outright evidence) of discord, Butler begins his newest chapter in a destination of his choosing. Miami hopes that makes for a content Butler. On the court, the Heat are a confusing team that could finish third in the East or miss the playoffs entirely.
Michael Porter Jr., Nuggets: The 2018 first- round draft pick appears to be back to full strength after missing last season after back surgery. If preseason returns are any indication, Porter is primed to quickly break out as the draft steal he was widely considered. He has turned heads on both ends of the floor and could be huge for Denver as a scorer off the bench. But can he stay healthy? How rusty will he be after so long away from competitive basketball?
Markelle Fultz, Magic: After appearing in just 33 games over two years, the top pick in the 2017 draft looks ready to reboot his career in Orlando. Fultz looked solid during the preseason, but just what are the Magic getting from him? He has the size, versatility and play- making potential to raise Orlando’s ceiling in the East.
Enes Kanter, Celtics: His infamous defense will always be an issue, especially since he’s a prime candidate to fill the minutes left by departed Al Horford, who was a linchpin of good Boston defenses. But Kanter crashes the boards like a madman and plays with energy and excitement. The league will just be more fun with him playing regularly.
Eric Bledsoe, Bucks: He’s been a disaster the last two postseasons. Milwaukee enters the year with the reigning MVP and genuine championship aspirations. If the Bucks feel like they can’t trust Bledsoe, they could look to move him, despite the contract extension he signed last year. If they hold on to him, will he limit their ceiling?
Andre Iguodala, Grizzlies: Memphis never had any intention of Iguodala suiting up. His acquisition was solely for the first- round pick that came with him. The Grizzlies are looking to trade him, with a possible buyout as a last resort. Any contender would love to have him, especially the Los Angeles teams, though they each have limited resources to make a trade. Count on Iguodala landing with a top team and likely making an impact at some point in the playoffs.