The first half of the NBA season saw players like Julius Randle and Christian Wood breakout and cement themselves as some of the NBA’s elite. This was after a shortened offseason due to COVID, so we will now probably just see players get into their rhythm.
There are a number of players who will show off their game in the second half of the season, but I will be covering players on teams that could contend for a playoff spot or be true title contenders. Some honorable mentions who play for teams that will most likely miss the playoffs are Josh Jackson of the Pistons, Darius Bazely of the Thunder, and Jae’Sean Tate of Houston.
The Milwaukee Bucks have been a great regular season team the past few years, but go stagnant when it gets to crunch time. To combat this, the Bucks essentially swapped Eric Bledsoe (and picks) for Jrue Holiday. He has been solid this year averaging 15, 4, and 5. But those numbers are lower because he has been on a minutes restriction in the past few days after returning from a tough bout with COVID.
Bledsoe would disappear for the Bucks when the moment was biggest, and that is where Holiday has always excelled. In the Bucks’s last game before the All-Star break against the Grizzlies, Holiday had a clutch steal and then hit a game-winner off the dribble. This will be a sign for what is to come, and Holiday’s steadiness will not go unnoticed as the Bucks play in bigger and bigger games.
My second player to look out for is another player coming off of an injury like Jrue Holiday. Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Grizzlies has not played a game this entire season and that has led people to forget just how good he is at basketball. He is a unique 6’11 stretch four or five who has an improving offense arsenal and an ability to guard almost every position on the court on defense.
The Grizzlies have been able to stay above water this year despite not having their second-best player compete in a single game. They sit at 17-16 and ready to make a run at the 8th seed, and when Jackson Jr. returns to the court, expect to see the Grizzlies make some noise in the west and also some incredible highlights involving Jackson and Ja Morant.
Last year after the league got shut down by COVID many players took advantage of the situation in the Bubble. Guys like TJ Warren, Michael Porter Jr, and Caris LaVert made names for themselves. But one that is carrying that success over into this year is Garry Trent Jr, who I have not so creatively nicknamed “Bubble Gary.”
After CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic got injured for the Blazers earlier in the season, Terry Stotts needed to ask more from players who may not have been used as much if it weren’t for the injuries. Gary Trent has stepped up this year, averaging 15 points on 40% shooting from three. He can get hot at any time from three and provides a spark when teams are bringing double or triple teams at Damian Lillard.
