Tuesday 14 July 2020 12:46, UK
Who are the key players poised to make an emphatic impact when the NBA season restarts? Sekou Smith lists his top players ready to make some noise come July 30 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort.
Who shows up in game-shape and ready to go from the start? How will basketball's biggest stars respond in this unprecedented environment? And which group has the energy and stamina to survive basketball's greatest reality show?
All 22 teams involved have to find the answers quickly, each playing just eight seeding games to finish off the regular season before the postseason begins.
In an effort to refresh the order for the restart, these are the 22 best players primed to compete in Orlando.
In an earlier piece, we counted down from 22 to 12. Now discover the players ranked 11-1.
Don't confuse Lillard's reservations about the format and campus environment as a sign that he'll be anything but his ruthless, competitive best when the action begins in Orlando. The Trail Blazers will need it to be 'Dame Time' all the time if they are going to fight their way into the playoffs.
Like so many of the other stars on the list, the pandemic afforded Lillard the time his body needed to heal, even if it came at the expense of the rust that no doubt was accrued during the shutdown. No one doubts he will be ready, though. He is built for the biggest moments.
Number to know: Lillard ranks second with 13.5 pick-and-roll ball-handler possessions per game. The 1.14 points per possession he has scored on ball-handler possessions is the best mark among 49 players who have averaged at least five per game.
With all of his responsibilities as head of the National Basketball Players Association, it's easy to overlook the fact that Paul has been the catalyst for one of the league's biggest surprise teams this season.
The Thunder roll into the restart with a huge opportunity to move up in the standings if they can play well in the seeding games. Given the setting, having the league's leader in clutch points (144), the man with the best fourth quarter plus/minus rating (+169), could be crucial to the Thunder's chances of making an extended playoff run.
Number to know: Paul leads the league in clutch games (42) and minutes (160) played, as well as clutch points (144), field goals (46) and steals (10). He has shot 43-for-46 (93 per cent) on clutch free throws, the best mark among 32 players who have attempted at least 25.
A healthy George is the key ingredient for the championship dreams Clippers fans have been holding onto since last summer. A one-two superstar punch of Kawhi Leonard and George is as good as it gets on both ends, what with each of them being capable of the best offensive and defensive player on the floor at any given moment.
Whatever issues the Clippers dealt with when they came together this time a year are in the past. The chemistry is tight, roles are defined and Doc Rivers knows exactly what he'll get from his biggest stars.
Number to know: George has shot 32-for-57 (56.1 per cent) on corner three-pointers, the best mark among 108 players with at least 50 corner-three attempts.
Jokic's positive coronavirus test complicates what had the makings of a stunning body makeover for the All-Star big man. He is reportedly dealing with some travel-related issues trying to make his way to Orlando from his native Serbia.
But make no mistake, Jokic in tip-top shape as the centrepiece of the Nuggets' attack gives coach Mike Malone's crew a fighting chance to play deep into the playoffs. If Jokic's conditioning matches his elite skill-set, the other teams in Orlando better beware.
Number to know: Jokic has shot 60.5 per cent on non-restricted-area paint shots, the best mark among 95 players who have attempted at least 100.
The shutdown couldn't have come at a better time for Embiid, who as coming back from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury when coronavirus disrupted everything. The time off to get both healthy and in better shape allowed Embiid to show up in Orlando refreshed and focused on living up to his hype as the best big man in the game.
If he plays to his potential, Embiid won't have a physical match on the Walt Disney World grounds. But it's always 'if' where Embiid is concerned.
Number to know: According to Second Spectrum tracking, Embiid has averaged a league-high 9.7 post-ups per game. According to Synergy play-type tracking, his 1.12 points per possession on post-ups is the best mark among 21 players who have averaged at least 2.5 post-up possessions per game.
The season hiatus interrupted what was a transcendent, MVP-calibre season for Doncic. The league's leader in triple-doubles (14), Doncic also ranks in the top six in scoring and top four in assists. Perhaps even more impressive, Doncic the best rebounding guard in the league.
Orlando is yet another opportunity for him to show that he belongs in that conversation about the best overall players in the game in just his second NBA season.
Number to know: Doncic is the only player who has averaged at least 20 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game and leads the league with 14 triple-doubles.
Harden is the catalyst for the highest-scoring duo in the league and you better believe he and Westbrook will hit the campus on a mission to upend the plans of the Los Angeles teams as they eyeball a Western Conference finals.
Harden did some serious work on his body during the shutdown, the pictures of his tightened up physique sending shockwaves on social media. Harden's history of wearing down in the postseason shouldn't be an issue this time around.
Number to know: Harden has 19 40-point games, eight more than any other player. The Rockets are 17-2 in those games.
Davis is one only two players in the league this season that could make a legitimate claim to own the titles of both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year (Giannis Antetokounmpo is the other).
The Lakers' championship hopes rest on the shoulders of its two biggest stars. Davis and LeBron James know exactly what is at stake in Orlando. The reason so many pundits believe the Lakers are the favourites is because no other team boasts a duo as dominant or dynamic. Davis has yet to author a true breakout postseason performance, so this could be the time.
Number to know: Opponents have shot 38.5 per cent on shots that Davis has defended. The difference between that and their expected field goal percentage on those shots (46.7 per cent) is the second biggest among 271 players who have defended at least 300 field goal attempts total.
Kawhi is one more Finals MVP run from overtaking Giannis and LeBron for the title of best player in the game. And some would argue that he already has. Whatever precautions the Clippers took with his maintenance program before the season hiatus should not be an issue in Orlando.
With Leonard and George operating at the highest level on both ends, the Clippers talent and depth should pave the way for a clear path to that conference finals showdown the basketball world has been clamouring for since free agency last summer.
Number to know: Leonard has recorded assists on 16.4 per cent of his possessions, the highest rate of his career by a wide margin.
Championship or bust. At this stage of the game that's the only way to define what awaits the league's most high-profile and influential player in Orlando. When you perform at a MVP level in your 17th season and are chasing the legacy LeBron is by trying to lead his third different team to a title, the ramifications of this unprecedented scenario are epic.
The league's assist leader is grinding as hard as ever, so you should expect to nothing short of his best when the action kicks off in Orlando.
Number to know: James leads the league with a career-high 10.6 assists per game. According to Second Spectrum tracking, he also leads the league with 26.5 assist points created per game, 4.6 'pass-ahead' passes per game and 1.5 skip passes per game.
The reigning MVP was in the midst of a brilliant encore campaign when the season went on hiatus back on March 11. If Giannis wasn't at the top of your MVP ballot, he was no lower than second.
Leading the Bucks to the best record in the league with one dominant performance after another was proof that the 'Greek Freak' is still in the ascension phase of his development. He has still got plenty of room to grow his game. Orlando is yet another platform for Giannis to run wild on the competition.
Number to know: Antetokounmpo leads the league with 8.2 fouls drawn per game. He's the only player who has played at least 500 minutes and accounted for more than half the fouls his team has drawn while he has been on the floor.]
Sekou Smith is a veteran NBA reporter and NBA TV analyst. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
