Fancy Boys Club

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.

Troy Brown, Jr. is criminally underutilized on a Washington team that is lost in the wilderness. While he crept just over 25 minutes per game in his sophomore season, he was used in fewer than 18% of plays. When given opportunities, he has pretty good production. The problem is that now his team is centered around Russell Westbrook, who has no time for backup SG/SF young guns looking for a chance. I mean, are you going to actively seek out Wizards games in 2021? Westbrook is a viscerally exciting player to watch, but is he enough to get you to watch? If by some chance you do, and Brown gets a chance to prove his worth, pay attention. When he is freed to a team that will actually play him correctly, Brown has sub-all-star potential that can really help a team in the playoffs.

Ogugua Anunoby is here to make you mad. Last season he ascended to a starting role with the defending champs and ran with it, improving in nearly every area of his game. He has potential to be one of the best on-ball defenders in the game while he drastically grows his offensive production. He finished the weird 2020 campaign 7th in the league in defensive win shares. He has a court intellect that surprises teams at the worst times, intercepting and deflecting passes and then burning them in transition. A player like Anunoby can cause the kind of mental disruption that quenches an opposing rally. The common misconception after Kawhi left for the Clippers was that the Raptors would take a massive step back, but it allowed for OG’s development. It’s a mistake to overlook what’s going on with the Raptors, who have a core that can compete with anyone. As OG continues to develop, he has a ceiling that could resemble vintage Paul George- a two-way, MVP-caliber player. The “buy low” ship sailed last season on OG, but if you take heed of my advice now, you can watch a potential great player blossom.

Kira Lewis, Jr. is a rookie and probably going to start on the bench, but I think there will be plenty of lineups on the floor where he works alongside Lonzo Ball. Of course, because the Pellies have Zion Williamson, they’re going to be on TV all the time. It will be interesting to see what they’re able to do in situations where Zion cannot be on the floor, be it for minutes limitations or (hopefully not) injury. Lewis is a slasher to the basket, and I’m looking for him to be a pick and roll threat with Steven Adams whenever they’re on the court together. I hope he gets plenty of opportunities to grow his game because he’s a solid prospect. He’s a liability on defense and his size might not allow him to drive as effectively against grown men, but he’s quick enough that he might be a pest that draws defenders close enough to create a disruption. He might be the only rookie I pick, and it all stems from what I see in his potential as a player with a lot of room to grow.