These players are worth keeping a close eye on in the most unorthodox season in recent memory.
After months of speculation, we finally have a return date set for the resumption of the 2019-20 season. And the season’s restart will mark the return of the league’s most interesting players.
Of course LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard will generate plenty of headlines, but only focusing on the league’s All-NBA talents obscures what a fascinating postseason we have ahead. Young players can emerge as franchise cornerstones, and veterans can seal their legacies with one strong series.
So which players are we most excited to see when play returns on July 31? The Crossover highlighted five players worth keeping a close eye on in the most unorthodox season in recent memory.
Kristaps Porzingis, Mavericks
It’s been a tumultuous couple of years for Kristaps Porzingis, with trade drama and a slate of injuries detracting attention away from his immense talent. The former Knicks center isn’t the most reliable big man in the game, but when he’s right, there are few—if any—players who can match his size and skill. Many assume we’ll have to wait until 2020–21 to see the Mavericks truly take off with Porzingis and Luka Doncic. But if Porzingis is healthy and ready to go, the Western Conference should be on upset alert.
Doncic and Porzingis’s respective injury woes have made them ships in the night for stretches this season, and some of Porzingis’s best basketball has come with Doncic sidelined. The Latvian unicorn averaged 28.8 points and 10 rebounds per game in a two-week stretch to kick off February, shooting 48.8% from the field and 39.5% from three as Doncic nursed an ankle injury. The offensive freedom (and added spacing) that came with being the leading man allowed Porzingis to thrive, though it’s rash to assume these two are necessarily better apart.
Dallas’s duo began to hit its stride before the coronavirus suspension, and its success stemmed from more than simple my-turn-your-turn demurring. Doncic and Porzingis posted an outrageous plus-20.5 net rating in February—albeit in limited minutes—and their pick-and-roll dance began to truly hum in March. Both of Dallas’s young stars are wise beyond their years. After another extended training camp, Doncic and Porzingis could emerge as one of the league’s top duos in the postseason. We’ve already seen Doncic spread his wings in Year 2. The 2020 postseason could be Porzingis’s coming out party as a true superstar.
Jaylen Brown, Celtics
Boston’s swingman has logged plenty of playoff minutes despite being just 23-years-old, with 2020 marking Brown’s fourth appearance in the postseason. And following a regression in 2018-19, the Cal product has a golden opportunity to stake his claim as the East’s premier 3-and-D wing in the 2020 playoffs.
Brown’s profile has always been harder to parse than his counterpart Jayson Tatum. With Tatum, the outline of a superstar was evident since his rookie year, capped by an Eastern Conference finals duel with LeBron James. As for Brown, the Cal product projected to be a consistent defensive force, and a player who could space the floor. But he’s taken a true leap as a playmaker in 2019–20, displaying increased comfort and confidence as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. Brown is decisive off the catch. He’s in control barreling to the lane, and he’s an expert at contorting his body around the rim. In minutes when Tatum sits, Brown can be a legitimate leading man. Brown is unlikely to ever reach the heights of his fellow No. 3 pick, but don’t discount his impact to the Celtics. To reach the Finals, Boston needs the best out of both of its young wings.
Deandre Ayton, Suns
Deandre Ayton’s talent has never been questioned, but his rookie year provided a slate of question marks regarding his standing as a franchise cornerstone. Ayton loafed on the defensive end and failed to truly assert himself offensively, often settling for mid-range jumpers and lazy screens. Not only did Ayton look lightyears behind Luka Doncic, it was a question whether he was one of the top five players in his draft class.
It will be a shock if Ayton ever catches Doncic, though that’s an unfair bar for the Arizona product. But it’s not out of the question for him to leap over Jaren Jackson Jr., Marvin Bagley and perhaps Trae Young in the coming years. Ayton has absolutely feasted in 2019–20 since his season began on Dec. 30, averaging 19.1 points and 12 rebounds per game on 55% shooting. The young center has been more physically imposing in his second season, screen-and-rolling with a fervor unseen in his rookie year. Phoenix is a serious longshot to reach the postseason with just eight regular-season games remaining. But if Ayton is at his best, the Suns will be no pushover in Orlando.
Russell Westbrook, Rockets
Forgive me for diving into the superstars basket, but Russell Westbrook’s 2019–20 has been downright fascinating. The 2016-17 MVP spent his first two months in Houston struggling to find his fit within the Rockets’ offense, spending most possessions with his hands on his hips as James Harden danced in isolation. Save for a smattering of late-game heroics, Westbrook’s impact was largely muted. The dynamic didn’t bode well for a title run in the summer.
We saw a complete 180 from Westbrook once the calendar turned to 2020. The former Thunder point guard is averaging 31.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game since Jan. 1, shooting 52.7% from the field in the process. Westbrook has punished teams for doubling Harden, and he’s all-but-excised his broken three-pointer from his arsenal. Westbrook is bullying smaller guards and torching bigs on the perimeter. An efficient Westbrook could guide the Rockets to the Finals. If he reverts to his previous ways, a painful first-round exit could await.
Fred VanVleet, Raptors
Kawhi Leonard took home his second Finals MVP last season, though Fred VanVleet was arguably the Raptors' most important player in the Game 6 clincher vs. Golden State. And the diminutive point guard has kept the momentum rolling with a terrific 2019–20.
VanVleet is averaging 17.6 points and 6.6 assists per game this season, and he’s shooting 38.8% from three. The Wichita State product’s impact extends past the box score. He’s a defensive pest and a legitimate floor general, serving as an extension of Nick Nurse on the floor. VanVleet projects to be an impact player in the 2020 postseason—one who will need to hold his own against oversized ball handlers in Philadelphia and Milwaukee—though the rest of the season will impact far more than just Toronto’s record. VanVleet will enter free agency in the offseason, and he could land a nine-figure deal if the market breaks right. He could seriously cash in with another strong playoffs, either with Toronto or another team (perhaps New York?) in need of point guard help.
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