Which NBA Players Will Have The Best 2nd Half?
With the All-Star break officially in the rear view, the NBA season is about to really heat up as teams either push for the playoffs or sag off in hopes of earning the number one pick in the draft. It's been quite the season so far, but after the All-Star break is when things start to get really dicey. Here are a few of the guys that I think will have the best second half.
Joel Embiid - C - Philadelphia 76ers
You didn't think that I would be able to write an article about the NBA without mentioning the most interesting man in the league did you? Well I can't help but talk about Embiid as he showed in the All-Star game that he is here to stay and is one of the most talented big-men. Embiid is currently averaging 23.7 PPG and 11.1 RPG and has Philadelphia firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Embiid has shown that he has the ability to play inside out and has improved tremendously in his recognition of when to exploit mismatches and in what way. When teams have thrown big bruisers at him, Embiid has taken them off the dribble with his quickness or been able to face them up and score over the top. When teams have tried to stop him with speedier guys, Embiid has made his presence on the block known with a variety of post moves that hearken back to Hakeem.
While Embiid needs to improve his three-point shooting (he's currently shooting just 29.7% from deep), he's been able to force defenders to play him out to the three-point line, which has opened up the floor for Philadelphia's offense. At some point, Embiid will need to break through the inability to play back-to-back games, but once the playoffs roll around, those back-to-back scheduled games will disappear and Embiid will be able to do his thing on a nightly basis. Look for Embiid to up his game in the second half of the season, both on the court and on social media.
Nikola Jokic - C - Denver Nuggets
Jokic ended the first half of the season on quite the high note, recording the fastest triple-double in league history in the Nuggets' final game before the All-Star Break. Jokic has quietly led the Nuggets to the 6th seed in the Western Conference with an offense that ranks eight in the league in points per game. While Jokic still has a ways to go as a defensive stopper, the return of Paul Milsap from injury in the next few weeks should help Jokic and the Nuggets defense tremendously. Jokic currently leads the team in rebounds and assists per game with 10.6 and 5.9 respectively, and is just .6 points per game behind Gary Harris for the team lead.
Denver seems to have finally figured out how to run the offense through Jokic and it is truly a beautiful medley when players are cutting around him and he is finding the open man. Few teams have a player as important to their team's offensive success as the Nuggets, which puts pressure on Jokic to perform on a nightly basis. I think this is the time that Jokic embraces his role as the team's offensive focal point and shows what he is truly made of. With an easier schedule on the horizon for Denver, I expect big things from Jokic in the second half of the season.
Bogdan Bogdanovic - G - Sacramento Kings
Bogdanovic made his presence felt over the weekend by winning MVP honors of the Rising Stars game during the All-Star Break. The Kings are in full on tank-mode and that means more minutes for the young players and fewer for aging veterans like Vince Carter and Zach Randolph. Bogdanovic has turned things on as of late and is shooting a blistering 40% from three as well as just over 40% from two. In the Rising Stars game, Bogdanovic had a string of three-pointers that would have made even the likes of Steph Curry blush and I expect more of the same from Bogdan throughout the second half of the season. In his last ten games, Bogdanovic is averaging three more minutes per game and I expect that number to rise as Sacramento sees the potential this guy has. He's pretty much everything the team wanted from Nik Stauskas and Ben McLemore.
Brandon Ingram - F - LA Lakers
I had to throw one more under-the-radar guy onto the list and Ingram has been on fire as of late. With Lonzo Ball missing extended time for the Lakers due to injury, much of the play making has fallen on the shoulders of Ingram and he has delivered. Over his last ten games prior to the All-Star break, Ingram is averaging 18.9 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, and a whopping 5.3 assists per game. Ingram has shown that he can be the primary ball-handler for an offense in spurts and the team plays better when he carries the load offensively, but he still needs to work on his shooting. He's shooting 38% from deep, which is respectable for a player of his size and age, but is shooting just 68% from the free throw line. Ingram also has a mere 0.1 value above replacement and a 110 defensive rating. He will have to get better on the defensive side of the ball for this team to truly shine.
With all of that being said, I think the Lakers will do their best to put Ingram in a position to succeed. It's easy to see that he and Kyle Kuzma are the future of the Lakers and that Lonzo Ball will likely take a back seat to those two in the years to come. Ingram, I believe, will be able to carry the momentum he has built going into the All-Star Break with him into the latter half of the season, especially as the Lakers are far removed from the playoff race. Plus, his name is Brandon and that's always helpful.
Those are just a few of the guys I expect to have big performances in the second half. The LeBron's and KD's of the league are of course going to be their usual selves, but these guys may not be on your radar (outside of Embiid). I really hope you enjoyed the piece and if you did, please consider following 