It’s telling that Gordon has been fairly effective even in those circumstances. A champion and two-time MVP flew out to the Hamptons to tell Kevin Durant in person that he wanted to play together. Yet most high-usage wings are more productive, more efficient, or at least more comfortable moving the ball—three qualities crucial to maintaining a healthy defense. Irving tried something else with the Celtics last season. What makes Embiid such a challenge is that he knows when he’s got you, and will bait out the contact he knows is coming. In his age-25 season, Siakam projects as an all-star whose numbers should get another sizable boost with Kawhi Leonard gone. Most players are comfortable defending in some spaces and out of their depth in others. The first is whether the player would help a team become good—to win 45 games or so, perhaps even a first-round series. Tobias Harris is perhaps at his best when initiating the pick-and-roll, a format that Philadelphia utilizes less frequently than any team in the league. The entire sport shifted from under Lopez’s feet, threatening to marginalize him as it had so many other centers. Still, Wigginsâs developmental track in Minnesota hasnât been ideal. Invited by Coach Gregg Popovich to play for USA Basketball at the FIBA World Cup, White didn't quite have enough juice to step forward or take over in critical moments. With the three-point shot now firmly in his command and years of playmaking for teammates under his belt, Griffin can attract attention and punish defenses from virtually anywhere in the half court. If his team needed an intermediary, Middleton could help connect the dots of the offense from the middle of the floor.
While Jackson is unlikely to garner another major payday once his five-year, $80 million contract finally runs out this summer, another season of good health could help him reclaim some of his standing.
A sensible plan, devoid of vanity—that’s about as Horford as it gets.After a loss to Draymond Green and the Warriors in what would become a four-game sweep, Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard stood in awe. For starters, he would be able to score but not insistent upon it, striking the delicate balance that holds the attention of an opposing defense. There’s not a fear factor with Beverley so much as an awareness of all the trouble he’ll cause. It could be the way he chooses to snake through a pick-and-roll rather than attempt a straight-line drive, extending his stay in the areas of the floor most sensitive to a team defense. Allen lives in a more rigid box, in part because the Nets needed an interior balance for all their perimeter shooters.
Those new things just come at a cost when a center without much playmaking experience decides to channel his inner Nikola Jokić. Coaches sing his praises. Capacity is its own kind of skill. A tireless and versatile big man who is known mainly for his thunderous dunks, Harrell gradually expanded his comfort zone on offense during his first four full seasons. What’s more credible is the way he scores from the seams. He stands as proof of the power in unflappability. Even in doomed playoff series, George was often the best thing the Thunder had going—just as he had been with the Pacers. Trying new things is healthy. Rubio shoots a passable percentage from mid-range when opponents leave him wide open and finished better around the rim last season than he ever had previously.