Category: Uncategorized

Dejounte Murray is maybe the only positive thing about the 2021 Spurs, and yikes. The dynasty is long in the rear view, the Spurs are top pick contenders again. Murray, now in his fourth season, is a solid on-ball defender who can hassle and harass with the best of them. He’s a good pull-up shooter who can break up the opposing offense then run it back for a quick two. Unfortunately, DeMar DeRozan is on the wrong side of 30, and the supporting cast is lackluster at best. Murray can be bottled up and thrown out without much worry toward who else can cause damage. Still, if you happen to be watching a Spurs game, Dejounte Murray is explosive and exciting. Maybe he’ll have a top pick to play off of next season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on the Thunder at this exact moment. Given what Sam Presti has done over the last few months, I have no idea who will and who won’t be on the team come opening night, much less the end of the season. Still, SGA had a breakout season last year while under the tutelage of Chris Paul. Going into this season, he’s pretty much going to have to be the guy in OKC. Whether or not he can do that depends on what percentage of his teammates have the ability to draw defenders away. Hamidou Diallo can jump out the gym, and that’s cool, but is it enough to give SGA a little breathing room on offense? His first season in OKC saw a jump in production in every category, as he also played just under 35 minutes per night. Woof. Whatever the Thunder are doing is for the extreme long term, and SGA burnout might be an effect of the Presti Plan. Still, on a nightly basis, the kid can be spectacular.

Tyler Herro was formally introduced to the world in the bubble. It’s tough finding a hidden guy on a team that bashed and thrashed its way to the Finals, but Herro is an interesting guy this season. In his rookie campaign, he shot just under 40% from three on 298 attempts. That in itself is impressive, but its when he made his threes that was so shocking. Herro was often trusted in high-leverage situations near the end of games, something not often gifted to rookies. He seemed to shrug off misses like they’re known commodities and not let his confidence falter into the next shot opportunity. Yes, how Jimmy Butler goes, so go the Heat, and Bam Adebayo is being groomed into a star. Tyler Herro has baby Ray Allen potential, and we all know how valuable guys like that can be. I’m very interested to see what the Heat do when it’s crunch time and they need three points. There are other options, but Tyler Herro could become an elite shooter if given the proper number of looks.

Mohammed Bamba was really growing into his game last year. Then the season was abruptly suspended, stunting his development for the time being. He will continue to come off the bench, given that the Magic have a locked-in starting center in Nikola Vucevic. In yet another strange season, it’s probable that Bamba will get minutes to test his productive limits just based on Vucevic needing time to breathe. If Orlando is going to compete for another chance to lose to Milwaukee in the first round, bench guys like Mo will have to step up. The floor is rising in the East, and teams like Orlando can get swallowed up if they get stagnant. Bamba’s Per-36 numbers project out to a pretty valuable big man, and if by increasing his usage means even a fraction of that potential is tapped, the Magic could benefit greatly. He’s a fun player who could probably use some meat on his bones to better contend with other centers, but he has a wingspan that could rival a pterodactyl.

Nazreon Reid was undrafted last year and in the shadows of playing in Minnesota, had a pretty decent rookie year. Yeah, I had to dig pretty deep to find a bright light on the Wolves. Reid played under 500 minutes last season, but was rather effective, averaging 19 points and 9 rebounds per 36 minutes played. That production would most definitely fall off if he were to play true starter minutes, but it’s evident that Reid is a good basketball player who should be given rotation chances this year. Minnesota will be a lottery team again. Russell, Towns, and now Edwards are all good players with high ceilings, but its as if there’s some sort of void in Minneapolis where success just can’t be achieved. Maybe this team should just move to Seattle. I’d be sad to see the Timberwolves go, but thirty years in the desert feels like reason enough to believe you’ll never reach the promised land.

Mitchell Robinson is a Knick, and that’s just a shame. Even if the once-storied franchise is almost off the floor, it’s still just sad that they exist at all. There are bright spots, though, and Robinson is one… when he stays out of foul trouble… which is rare. Having to bear the mark of “the next great Knicks big” is a lot of pressure, but this time it might just be correct. He snared 3 offensive rebounds per game, and the subsequent putbacks helped him finish with the league leading shooting percentage of .742. He needs to improve from the charity stripe in order to become a true threat and help the Knicks out of the lottery, but really, he can only do so much. The future for New York might be brighter than the past or present, and developing Robinson is going to be key to the number of lumens they’re going to see at the end of this generation-long tunnel. I loved the Obi Toppin pick in this year’s draft, and I’m genuinely excited to see what Mitchell and Obi can do if they’re on the floor together.

Bojan Bogdanovic is way too good to be overlooked, but here we are. The Utah Jazz are a genuine title threat, and their starting five is a group of guys with very defined roles. For Bogdanovic, its being a defensive goon while also having a deadly long-range shot. He finished 10th in the league in threes made and is 16th on the active list for true shooting percentage. If he was playing for one of the glamour franchises, he’d be heralded for his skill and his dad bod. The reason Bojan has to be on this list is because he plays for the Jazz, so he’s overlooked. Utah is already a fun team to watch, but in between the smooth passing of Mike Conley, the board crashing tenacity of Rudy Gobery, and Mr. Everything Donovan Mitchell, be aware of just how damn great Bojan Bogdanovic is night in, night out. In a just society, he’d be an all-star, but here we are adrift in the sorrows of the real world. Appreciate the dad bod god. He’s brilliant.

Gary Trent, Jr. had a good time in the bubble. He’s only 21 years old, but is an up and coming 3-and-D guy who should see his minutes increased in the new season after a solid showing in Orlando. He will insert himself into the fray below the basket then creep out to the corner for a quick three, whether he’s followed or not. He projects more as a regular 2 guard but can hang with bigger guys when the situation arises. His shooting, particularly from beyond the arc, is a major transition threat. As a leader on the second unit, he’s the de facto 6th man for Portland, and will often be on the court at the same time as Damian Lillard, causing a spacing headache for opposing defenses. The Blazers are a darling spoiler for the first round, and despite the series result really gave it to the Lakers in the playoffs. If Trent can continue his bubble progress, another playoff season is on tap and maybe a 6th Man of the Year award is in his future.