Fancy Boys Club

Jaren Jackson, Jr. needed Ja Morant. Ja Morant needs Jackson. They are already one of the most exciting tandems in the game, and now a year older are each ready to take the next step. You hopefully already know Morant, so its time to know Jackson. He suffered from a torn meniscus and might have been the difference maker in the play-in tournament if he had been there. The Grizzlies are a very young team and may suffer from inexperience as they try to ascend in the West, and Jackson’s health will be a crucial element to that success. He’s a 6-11 monster who can shoot the ball from all over the court. His size and skill allow him to create his own shot, and his meteoric point guard is there to trade off open looks. His shooting form is strange. He almost looks like he levitates laterally even from a catch and shoot opportunity, but man he can knock down shots from well beyond the arc. Jackson is one of those prototype new bigs who can cut like a guard, shoot like a guard, and still punish their positional equals under the basket. He also has a big problem with fouling. If he can fix that and stay on the floor more in early game situations, the Grizzlies won’t be just a spoiler.

Luke Kennard has been a “guy to watch” for a few years. Last season, he succumbed to bilateral knee tendonitis, which is a major concern for a 24 year old expected to take more than ten shots a game. Moving to LA’s second unit will help keep his minutes down and try to maximize his production. If healthy, Kennard has that 50/40/90 potential. On a team that was snuffed out due to complete incompetence in the most dire of situations, maybe having a consistent knock-down shooter will give the Clippers’ stars a breather. It’s really hard justifying anything this dumb franchise does, but when you have never even made the Western Conference Finals, you have to look at any shred of positivity as a sign that something might change. Kennard can ball, when healthy. Kawhi will probably rest a bunch, Paul George too, so he might get more minutes than expected in those situations. I’d love to see him have a chance here, but my god this team is depressing to think about.

Furkan Korkmaz is fun to say, and fun to watch. With the overhauled Sixers attack, someone like Korkmaz will be looked at as a quick catch-and-shoot option in transition. There are plenty of glamor names on the Sixers, and adding Danny Green takes away Furkan’s specialized gift. Still, Doc Rivers will find opportunities for the kid. He has improved considerably from year to year, and as a defined role player off the bench, he’s going to open the floor for a second unit anchored by the annually rejuvenated Dwight Howard. You’re going to see a LOT of Sixers basketball this season, probably late into the summer, so get used to an unsung name that might shoot his way into the collective consciousness.

Mikal Bridges is an elite defender. You won’t see him leading the scoring for Phoenix unless he’s the only one playing, but man is he fun to watch. He’s constantly aware of the ball to the point that it seems he may have some sort of radar for the thing. He’s skinny, borderline scrawny, but can somehow hang and bang with anyone in the game. For a particularly delicious highlight, go to the 1:10 mark of the video below. Bridges is tenacious and will insert himself under the rim against guys 5-6 inches taller. He simply does not care, Bridges wants the ball. On a team that features Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker, and now Chris Paul, there’s reason to believe Bridges will be tasked with being a walking headache to opposing offenses, then be on the lookout to swipe rebounds from unsuspecting bigs. Phoenix’s second unit is bleak, so it’s likely Bridges and the rest of the young Suns will be hounded to keep the team afloat.

Christian Wood is playing for his SIXTH team in five seasons. He had a bit of a mini-breakout last year for Detroit, and graduated to likely being the starting center for the Rockets. Houston has a LOT of problems, and most of them are random achilles injuries throughout the roster. The main one is James Harden. If Harden plays a full season for Houston (he may be traded by the time this is posted) then the Rockets MIGHT make the playoffs. Wood will be crucial to their success if he doesn’t. No pressure, kid, but if John Wall can’t play 72 games, its you and… uh… Daniel House? Wood can switch and cover both the power forward and center positions. With his size and athleticism, he’s capable of being both a defensive monster AND a bruiser in the paint. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE- he’s actually not a bad shooter for his size, dropping nearly 40% from three. Wood is a rags to riches story, floundering in the G-League and switching teams often, but 20-21 might be the year he finally finds a home.

De’Aaron Fox is on the cusp of national recognition. The problem is, well, he plays for the Kings, California’s forgotten franchise. Fox is an incendiary guard who elevated his game last season. He will slash to the basket like vintage John Wall, but cleaner. He’s going to need plenty of help if the Kings are going to be any kind of a threat to make the play-in tournament, but that doesn’t mean the Kings are unwatchable trash. Fox is worthy of your time in his own right. It’s like watching a tiger cub grow into his claws. He has the potential to be one of the game’s top guards, and I think this is his year to push through and make an All-Star team. You probably won’t watch a Kings game unless they’re playing a bigger team, so when that happens watch as the man they call “Swipa” slices and dices through even the best of coverage.

Bryn Forbes is. Look, you’re watching this team for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Maybe Khris Middleton too, if you’re smart. Adding Jrue Holiday is a big deal for their defense and might help shake the playoff woes for the presumptive 1 seed. But I wanted to find someone for Milwaukee who you can keep an eye on when his number is called. Forbes spent the last four seasons in San Antonio as a solid shooter for the post-dynastic Spurs. My guess is that he is another asset culled from the minor leagues in order to produce in the playoffs. That said, he will need to hone his shot throughout the season. He won’t get starter minutes (I have DiVincenzo as the starter), but Forbes will be on the floor plenty. His shooting is good enough that he may just draw one defender a half step too far, which will open the floodgates for Milwaukee’s big dogs. Signing Forbes is a smaller move, but it could pay off big.

Dennis Schröeder has spent his career being overlooked because of the role he was cast to play. Toward the end of his Atlanta tenure, he was made the starting point guard. The Hawks relied on him to be their main offensive target, and well, they won 24 games. In OKC, he was put behind Russell Westbrook one year, Chris Paul the next. What this year will show is how much he learned from one or the other (I’d gather LeBron hopes the latter). Now, he’s surrounded by two of the top 5 players in the game. Some reports have him as the backup, but I don’t see how someone of his maturity and skill will be denied the opportunity to, at least in name, be the Lakers’ starting PG. Los Angeles gave up Danny Green and a pick to get Schröeder. While he isn’t as deadly beyond the arc as Green, he can create plenty of his own looks as well as give the Lakers a young-but-experienced weapon alongside their behemoths.

Justin Holiday played in every game for the second straight season, and 3 of the last 4 years. The reason he gets the nod over bubble breakout guy T.J. Warren is due to the latter’s plantar fasciitis, which will keep him out in the short term. The elder of the two Pacer Holidays should get starts at small forward in the meantime. Will Warren return and be the guy we saw light up the Sixers for 53 points? Speaking as a pessimistic realist, he will likely struggle when he’s back to full speed and could share the load with Holiday until Nate Bjorkgren thinks its time to push him. On his own, Holiday is a smooth 3 and D player who averages over a steal per game despite reserve minutes. He’s a true pest that often has to take on the biggest assignments.