The NBA Bubble has been a success so far. 3 weeks of no COVID-19 positive tests have been encouraging for the league’s plan of playing until early October; players look as though they aren’t worried about the Coronavirus thanks to the numerous safety protocols and it has made them more comfortable and focused on simply competing. We’ve already seen guys get into their flow like James Harden, Damian Lillard, and Luka Doncic and it seems as though this awkward postseason will be one for the books.
Now that it appears the NBA Bubble is safe and a non-issue (fingers crossed), it’s time to address some questions the NBA’s most interesting teams will have on their minds in the weeks to come.
Philadelphia 76ers
Who’s going to step up in the absence of Ben Simmons?
The Sixers have one of the most talented lineups in the league, when healthy. Unfortunately, Philadelphia has had both of their main stars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons miss a rather significant time with their respective injuries during this peculiar season.
Embiid, who’s already missed years of his career to injury, has suffered 8 different injury report-worthy injuries throughout this season alone (pre-bubble). He has even suffered ankle and hand injuries in the bubble that don’t appear to be too serious but could hinder his game as the playoffs approach.
The fate of Ben Simmons’ season is likely already sealed though, as he recently suffered a “subluxation of the left knee cap” according to Adrian Wojnarowski. This essentially means Simmons will need season-ending surgery to get rid of any “loose bodies” within the knee. This will be a tough pill for the Sixers to swallow as it may effectively decimate Philly’s offense since he is the primary playmaker for them. Now locked into a matchup with the Boston Celtics in the first round, the 76ers will be scrambling to replace Simmons.
This begs other questions that could determine their future, like whether Tobias Harris can step up and become a superstar for Philly, thus filling the scoring void left by the injury. The toughest part about losing Ben Simmons is the Sixers lack a playmaker like him. They have 2 point guards who will try to replace him: Shake Milton brings perimeter scoring more than he does playmaking and Raul Neto has not played nearly enough minutes this season to warrant making him their starting point guard for a playoff run.
Now that Embiid is also dealing with injuries, the Sixers’ chances of making a run are looking as slim as ever.
No matter how you slice it, the Sixers are in dire need of someone outside of Joel Embiid to fill in for Ben Simmons until he returns. Whether their roster is deep enough to field such a problem is where the concern lies, and it may be their downfall.
Los Angeles Lakers
Can this offense run without Lebron on the floor?
The Lakers failed to put up 100 on the Rockets in the bubble. Without their offense’s facilitator in Lebron James, who missed the outing due to soreness, this offense looked stagnant against a Rockets team who usually sticks to outscoring opponents more than playing defense. Too often would possessions revert to guys like Dion Waiters isolating and then improvising pass off the dribble when that is simply not feasible for a whole game.
The Lakers hinge on elite passing, whether it comes from Lebron James or Rajon Rondo who is dealing with an injury that will have him out until September.
With all this in mind though, Lebron James plays around 35 MPG when healthy, so it’s really about those 13 leftover minutes that will determine whether the Lakers have a good game. How can they address those crucial moments? I’ll give you a hint, he costs $28 million in cap and has a noticeable facial feature above his nose. Star forward Anthony Davis is a generational talent who has shown an impressive repertoire of offensive and defensive skill at his near 7-foot size, and he is the key to keeping this team afloat.
He needs to dominate games when Lebron is resting if the Lakers want to get past squads like the daunting Clippers. He has the skill to have his way against solid centers like Ivica Zubac and especially against the small-ball Rockets, so it was surprising to see him put up 17 points on Houston and lose that game. Even though they locked the 1st seed down and there isn’t anything to play for, you’d still like to see Anthony Davis instill confidence in Lebron so he can rest in big games. That confidence in his fellow superstar could be the difference between a ring and disappointment for the Lake Show.
As Charles Barkley said on Inside the NBA: “I don’t know if [Anthony Davis] has that dog in him… You need to have a guy that says, hey, I’m just going to kill y’all, ain’t nothing y’all can do about it”.
Anthony Davis has shown in the past that he can take over games and carry squads like those helpless New Orleans teams to victories; he’ll need to find that drive again in the playoffs, especially when Lebron is on the sideline.
Toronto Raptors
Can Spicy P step his game up in the playoffs?
Pascal Siakam has been that guy for the Raptors this season. So many questions were asked about Toronto’s ability to even be competitive in the east this season and whether Siakam could become a leader for the defending champs.
All these questions were answered with a resounding yes, as the Raptors have locked up the 2nd seed in the east with Pascal Siakam leading them there. He earned his 1st All-Star nod and was a starter at that. Averaging about 24 on the season (bubble play included), Siakam has become one of the better scorers in the league. Every year he improves, and he has created a well-rounded arsenal of offensive moves. He has shown an ability to be a great spot-up 3-point shooter, as well as a shot-creator off the dribble, shooting 36% from range and 45.6% from the field.
He can finish off the dribble and is currently hitting from the free-throw line at the best rate in his career; Spicy P is simply everything you want in a primary scorer. In his bubble action so far, he is averaging just about 18 PPG but the rust is understandable following a 5-month hiatus. Not to mention his savvy defensive senses and his ability to defend at the perimeter against other forwards as well as lock down the paint when necessary.
My concern for the Raptors though is how they match up against other Eastern Conference rivals. I have no doubt they’ll advance in the first round against Brooklyn, but facing a team like Boston in the second round could give them real issues.
The two Eastern Conference powerhouses met just a few days ago and Boston won devastatingly. They took the contest by 22 points and led by as much as 40. The most noteworthy part of that blowout was Pascal Siakam failing to score much at all, finishing with 11. He followed it up with a 26-point outing against Memphis, but it was concerning to see him struggle against a team the Raptors will likely face with their season on the line.
Siakam has more help than people give Toronto credit for, with an elite backcourt and some amazing defenders in Serge Ibaka and OG Anunoby. Spicy P will be the player whose leadership determines just how high the Raptors can set their ceiling this season though. 11 points will not going to get it done for Toronto but expect Siakam to turn it on in the postseason as he did in last year’s Finals run.
Portland Trail Blazers
Who’s going to step up in the playoffs outside of Dame?
Portland is the only team on this list whose playoffs spot isn’t clinched already. Currently holding onto the 8th seed with a play-in tournament vs. either Memphis or Phoenix on the horizon, the Blazers have been fighting for a chance to extend their season for as long as they’ve been in the bubble.
They’ve gone 5–2 in Orlando thanks to an amazing run by star point guard Damian Lillard. He’s been the go-to guy for Portland his whole career and yet again their fate will hinge on his play. He’s delivered in situations like this so many times before so his performance shouldn’t be an issue. The concern lies in who will help him out on offense.
Tuesday’s thriller between the Mavericks and Blazers saw Lillard put up 61 and get a solid 26 point game from Carmelo Anthony, but only 8 from usual 2nd option CJ McCollum. McCollum hasn’t been bad in the bubble by any means, putting up around 19 points per contest. But in that same stretch, the Blazers are -21 with him on the court. I don’t doubt his effort in these games at all, but it may be time to tweak how the Blazers want to utilize him in their offense; although they’ve won some games where he has shot terribly, the playoffs won’t be as forgiving. It’s also worth noting that McCollum has been playing through a fractured back recently, so the status of that injury will be key to not just the Blazers’ playoffs chances, but possibly his career.
Veteran Carmelo Anthony has played about as good as he can, averaging around 17 points per game. He’s continued to play valuable minutes as this team’s 3rd option and has recently hit a couple of huge shots in the bubble to give the Blazers the boost they’ve been looking for. He’s also been consistent on the boards, and the intensity of every game from here on out will only increase Melo’s resolve and hustle.
Down low, the Blazers have been fortunate to get Jusuf Nurkic back at center in the bubble. After going down with a gruesome injury in 2019, the 7-foot Bosnian center has come back and played some good minutes for Portland. He’s already averaging a double-double and has been a defensive nightmare in the paint. But the best aspect of his return is how it affects the Blazers’ depth at center. While Nurkic healed, the Blazers traded for Heat star Hassan Whiteside who came in and led the league in blocks. Now coming off the bench, the Blazers have 2 elite centers to rotate and that flexibility could get them ground against the Lakers if they make the playoffs.
The Blazers have the talent to give Lebron and AD trouble in the first round. They have 4–5 players who can consistently get 20 per night, with Damian Lillard more likely to get 35+. This Blazers team is sure to make some noise in the playoffs, but they need to get there first.
Denver Nuggets
Can Michael Porter Jr. be a star right now?
2nd-year forward Michael Porter Jr. has been a key piece for Denver in the bubble. He’s gotten far more playing time than he did in the regular season and is looking good for a player who missed all the 2018–2019 campaign with a lingering back injury. On the season he is averaging 9 points but has put up a surprising 24 points per game in Orlando.
Porter’s draft stock in 2018 was dropped terribly due to a herniated disc that he suffered in his only season at Missouri. Compared to Kevin Durant and projected to go top 5, the injury made Porter fall to 14. But when he returned in limited minutes, he showed glimpses of All-Star potential. This materialized in the great run he is having in the bubble right now, but can he be that one piece the Nuggets have needed to make them a real contender, and can he elevate his game right now?
To answer that question, it’s important to acknowledge what he does well. His skill set is virtually unlimited. He handles the ball very well for a 6’10” forward, has an extremely fast release in catch and shoot scenarios, and has the vertical to go up and finish against a tough defense. On defense, he can protect the rim well, and he constantly hustles for rebounds on both ends of the floor. The KD comparisons are prevalent in the way he can shot-create at times, although not at the same rate as Kevin Durant.
The Nuggets have relied on the solid play of their bench as well as other starters like Will Barton and Paul Millsap to complement their stars in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the last few years. But they seem to always come up short in the playoffs because Murray and Jokic simply isn’t enough star power to compete with the superteams that litter the NBA playoffs. If MPJ can continue his unforeseen run as a star for Denver, they may have a fighting chance against some of the West’s top foes.
