A month after the start of the NBA’s Disney Bubble Jolgorio, the game lived up to expectations.
Despite the absence of fans, the action of the game is simply extraordinary. We expect this from some of the most notable stars and teams in the NBA, but some unlikely candidates have emerged.
In some cases, a young athlete has exceeded expectations. In others, one team has taken the next step since the suspension of the season.
Here are six of the unlikely stories that broke into the qualifying tournament.
Between January 18 and February 9, Duke’s 2018 second-round pick averaged 14.6 problems consistent with the game in 11 games. The escape was precisely what the suffering Portland Trail Blazers were looking for, and followed them through the qualifying tournament.
Trent the Blazers is the fourth-leading scorer with 18.0 combat-consistent problems in six games. He sizzled deep, firing a remarkable 56.9% in 8.5 deep attempts consistent with the game.
He did not back out of the moment or his competition, and the cameras even beat the Blazers’ enemy with beards, Paul George.
The road is open for the Blazers given the drifts of the Memphis Grizzlies. If Trent can continue his impressive game, it’s quite possible they’ll face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.
The merit was still there for Michael Porter Jr., the Missouri product and the 2017 McDonald’s All-American MVP. With 6’10” with a comfortable glide, effortless care and a silky sweater, the Denver Nuggets prankster can move the needle for Nikola Jokic.
In the more than 4 games, this merit has been fully demonstrated in opposition to an intimidating series of war parts in Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz. Down with Gary Harris, Will Barton and Jamal Murray (in 4 of the five games), Porter nevertheless emerged in the Nuggets’ lineup.
With a higher workload and 39.8 minutes consistent with the game in his last four games, he led Denver with a 29.3-problem average and 12.5 rebounds while firing 46.7% of three. At 22, Porter has mold compatibility for a shooter capable of betting 3 and 4, features that seem tailor-made to have consistent compatibility with Jokic.
In five games since the NBA restarted the 2019–2020 season in Florida, Porter is ranked 11th in the score and the player has fired above 40% versus 3 while collecting 25 issues and 10 rebounds consistent with the fight.
It’s time to put him in lineup forever. Ask Barton.
There’s been a lot of communication about T.J.’s escape. Warren, the most sensible bubble scorer the Phoenix Suns has moved in the past for monetary reasons.
What NBA enthusiasts don’t do is the series of moves that made those Suns the escape team we’re watching now. At 5-0, they are the only flawless team left in the bubble, impressively beating the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat.
Devin Booker simply sensational, averaging 29.4 problems in 50.0% of field shots, adding a winner of the opposite ring game to Paul George.
Deandre Ayton, the 2018 NBA draft No. 1 pick, was another positive with 18.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.2 game-consistent blocks while shooting 56.2% in the area and 42.9% in three. However, the most striking was his advanced game on the defensive side. Over five games, he showed fluency in his movement in the consistent perimeter and the popularity needed for painting while denying penetration into the pick-out-and-roll.
The Suns were considered visitors of honor when the game resumed. They will now have to be considered as valid candidates for the entry tournament.
It’s been 22 seasons since head coach Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs sat at home in the playoffs, and this season has promised to break the streak.
On June 8, the team announced that seven-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge would miss the rest of the crusade after undergoing shoulder surgery on April 24, which would likely jeopardize their chances of keeping the streak alive.
However, the chronically overtaken franchise has not quietly collapsed, winning four of the six so far performances by Derrick White and Keldon Johnson.
Known for his prowess as a backcourt stopper, White has flourished on the offensive end in Florida. Trailing only DeMar DeRozan for the team’s scoring lead (20.8 points per game), he has also added 4.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds per contest while shooting 43.8 percent from three.
Even more unexpected was Johnson, the rookie who now shoots 63.6% of 3 after being inactive most frequently until February. The 29th pick in the 2019 draft has an ideal length (6’5″, 211 pounds), a higher basketball IQ and a relentless engine that discovers it by swallowing deviations and tormenting opponents.
The Spurs are stagnant in the race for eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. But with the advanced gameplay of their young pieces, as well as the unconventional nature of their top lists of five widely used players, they can keep the series alive.
Kyle Lowry and his Toronto Raptors were part of the NBA welfare after last year’s FINAL MVP, Kawhi Leonard, left.
With lowry’s normal game, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka, along with the ancestry of Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Terence Davis, the Raptors were more than a Cinderella story. They have the fourth highest net score in the NBA, a Los Angeles Lakers forward, and the second highest defensive score, the Milwaukee Bucks.
In the bubble, they were dominant, beating the Lakers by 15 on the opening night and then with victories over the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic. His task, which came into the hands of the Boston Celtics, came at an evening where VanVleet spent more than 30 minutes in the area (31).
They’re stacked defensively on all levels. Lowry and VanVleet are relentless, if they’re too small. They are supported by an infinite diversity of limbs and muscles in Anunothrough, Norman Powell and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. If they cross this barrier, they are found through Siakam, Gasol and Ibaka in the front area.
Worse, the wide variety of areas and defenders of head coach Nick Nurse, capable of matching 1 to five, makes the assignments problematic for rival offenses.
It remains to be seen whether they can score enough to maintain speed with other Larry O’Brien Trophy contenders. Still, the Raptors’ functionality will have to earn them a spot in the conversation.
Indiana Pacers T.J. Garenne.
The scoring wing was ejected from the Phoenix Suns in an unexpected off-season deal that only yielded considerations of money. He made them regret this move so far with their performances at Disney. With 4 30-point outings, adding his 53-point demonstration to the Philadelphia 76ers on August 1, Warren is “on another planet right now,” as teammate Victor Oladipo said, according to ESPN’s Royce Young.
Warren’s workload has increased in part due to the absences of All-Star Domantas Sabonis and Jeremy Lamb, who averaged a combined 24.1 shots per game throughout the regular season. In their absence, Warren is taking 8.6 more shots per game and converting at the ridiculous rate of 60.5 percent from the field and 55.6 from three on 7.2 deep attempts per game.
His 34.8 points per contest lead the NBA in the bubble.
These aren’t empty calories, if that’s what you think. In the final 90 seconds of the Pacers’ victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on August 8, Warren faced Anthony Davis and LeBron James, scoring seven of the Pacers’ last nine points.
Pacers would probably not be the favorites to challenge at the Eastern Conference, however, Warren’s unforeseen rise can also replace that if he continues.
Statistics through NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Cleaning the Glass, BBall Index and ESPN, unless otherwise noted.
Preston Ellis covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @PrestonEllis.