NBA BUBBLE: 5 Players Ready for Stardom?

by Connor Kirst

With the NBA just days away from the official restart, it's time to look at a few players with great opportunities to prove they can handle a much bigger role. Under normal circumstances, some of these guys have flown under-the-radar, here are 5 players that I could definitely see shaking things up in the Bubble. Just so we are clear: guys like Jayson Tatum, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson are the obvious picks here but they are already stars. Were looking at guys just on the brink of really making an impact.

Caris Levert - Wing - Brooklyn Nets

Caris Levert may not be a household name, but he has been on the brink of being a top option on the Nets for a few years now. Just last season, Levert looked like the best player over D'Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie in the Nets 5 game series vs Philadelphia, averaging 21 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.0 APG and a TrueShooting Percentage of 61.2 (well over his career average) in just 28 MPG. 

While 5 games is a small sample size, some thought the Nets would stick with a young core of Levert, Russell, and Dinwiddie. The Nets made a huge splash in the offseason by signing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, leaving Levert as the 3rd or 4th banana. Even still Levert has had a solid season. With Irving missing all of February and March, Levert really stepped up as the lead option - averaging 21.2 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 4.7 APG in February - and - 27.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 6.0 APG in March. You would think efficiency would dip based on a higher volume of shots, but Levert shot over 40% from 3 in both months and shot nearly 50% from the field in March (52.3 % TrueShooting in Feb., 60.8 TS% in Mar.)

So why hasn't Caris Levert fully broken out yet? A lot of it has to do with injuries, as Levert has never played more than 71 games in a season. As long as Levert can stay healthy in the Bubble, he has the best opportunity to prove that he can be a number 1 option on a playoff team. While he may not be completely suited to that role, the Nets really have no other legit option. Levert is the most versatile player currently suiting up for the Nets, he can create for himself and others, get to the basket and is a solid shooter. The Nets are in dire need of someone to step up so they can hang on to their playoff spot, don't be surprised if Caris Levert is that player.

Want more about the Nets? Check here for part 6 of my bubble predictions.

Dejounte Murray - Guard - San Antonio Spurs

Dejounte Murray was looking like the next great Spurs draft steal after earning 2nd team All-Defense in 2017-18, his 2nd season in the league. However, Murray tore his ACL going into the 2018-19 season and ended up missing the full year. Murray came back and has still been very solid. He is still one of the better backcourt defenders in the league and has both quick hands (1.7 SPG in 24.9 MPG) and quick feet on defense.

While Murray has come along very quickly on the defensive end, he hasn't quite found his footing on offense. While he is a good athlete and is solid at attacking the basket, Murray's jump shot hasn't always been there. The 1st two months of the season Murray shot under 20% from 3. That is not a great way to start, but since then he has improved in limited attempts. Murray is currently only a catch-and-shoot 3pt shooter.  In the 40 games since December 1st, he has been effective -  shooting 48.3% in catch-and-shoot  3PT scenarios. He's also shot well off the dribble, shooting 47.8% on midrange pull-ups. 

Murray has made some strides shooting the ball, the Spurs really need him to continue this progress. Without LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs are desperate for someone else to step up next to veteran DeMar DeRozan. Murray has a great chance to be that guy. While Murray isn't a traditional playmaking PG and isn't an elite scorer just yet, he has shown just enough this year to think that he will be stepping in that direction soon. If he does, Murray is suddenly a very dangerous player with the ability to dominate both ends of the court.

Can the Spurs continue their playoff streak? Find out here.

Shake Milton - Guard - Philadelphia 76ers

Shake Milton was a relative unknown until the start of 2020. A 2nd round pick in 2018, Milton worked his way up from the G-League before notching his 1st start in late January this year. Since then he has found himself as a valuable part of the Sixers rotation. 

Coach Brett Brown clearly likes Milton's potential with this team as the Sixers have recently announced their plan to start Milton at PG and move Ben Simmons to the 4, a position he may be better suited to in the half-court offense. Milton won't take over all playmaking responsibilities, but it's a very smart move for floor spacing by moving Simmons to the frontcourt and Al Horford to the bench. 

Milton has the look of a potentially elite shooter. He actually tied the NBA record for most consecutive 3s in a 3 game span with 13. Obviously, that's kind of an obscure record, but Milton was legitimately on fire before the league was forced to stop play. During the 10 game stretch after the All-Star break to the league stoppage, Milton shot 59.2% on 3 at just under 5 attempts per game (55.6% on catch-and-shoot 3s, 69.2% on pull-up 3s). It would be completely ridiculous for Milton to keep up with that pace, but it at least makes you think he will be a great fit for an offense with Joel Embiid and Simmons.

With a new starting line-up of Milton, Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, Simmons, and Embiid, Philadelphia suddenly has more floor-spacing then they've had in a while. While I still think they should've kept Jimmy Butler for his playmaking ability, if Milton steps up and Ben Simmons actually shoots a little, I feel a lot better about their chances as a fringe title contender.

Bogdan Bogdanovic - Wing - Sacramento Kings

While it's very unlikely for the Kings to make a whole lot of noise as a team this year, there are a few players I could see making an impact. De'Aaron Fox is already a star player in my book, and Buddy Hield has shown that type of ability in the past. Bogdan Bogdanovic has the look of a player ready to take the next leap. 

While Hield is more well-known by fans around the league, Bogdanovic is really building up a case that he could potentially be the better player. Bogdanovic took over the SG position from Hield in January and thus far it has seemed to benefit both players and the Kings as a team (10-6 in January and February). Hield takes over as the primary scorer off the bench, and Bogdanovic adds secondary playmaking and length on defense. While Hield has the reputation as an excellent shooter, he was in a bit of a slump before being switched over to the bench. Since the move, Hield has shot over 40% from 3. Bogdanovic has shot similarly to Hield this year and both have been more volume shooters for the Kings this season. Bogdanovic had a rough month in February but was very good off the bench in November (17.4 PPG, 5.3 APG, 44.6/42.1 shooting), and as a starter in March (17.0 PPG, 3.8 APG, 52.6/41.0 shooting).

The Kings may need to rely more on Bogdanovic as a playmaker, as De'Aaron Fox is currently dealing with a sprained ankle. With more opportunity and the motivation as he is due to enter free agency this offseason, Bogdanovic should be in a position to succeed even while battling Hield, and veterans Harrison Barnes and Kent Bazemore for minutes. I believe Bogdanovic could have a couple big moments even if the Kings fall short in their playoff push.

Bol Bol - Big - Denver Nuggets

Now, this pick is way more of a dart throw as we have no idea if Bol Bol will actually be in the Denver Nuggets rotation. Through 2 scrimmage games, Bol Bol has been someone to talk about. 

Bol surprisingly fell into the 44th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, due to major injury concerns and lack of playing time at Oregon. He has yet to suit up for an actual NBA game for the Nuggets this season. That being said, Bol was very impressive in the scrimmage games so far. In his first action since Oregon, Bol had 16 points, 10 boards, and 6 blocks. That's pretty damn good for a guy not a lot of people saw doing much this early in his career. 

It remains to be seen if Bol showed enough for the Nuggets to install him in the rotation, but he's certainly making a case. The Nuggets seem very willing to experiment with their lineup by starting Nikola Jokic (7'0), Jerami Grant (6'9"), Bol Bol (7'2"), Paul Millsap (6'7") and Mason Plumlee (6'11"). Jokic, Bol,  and Michael Porter Jr. are all players with size and skill and give Denver a ton of versatility. Bol Bol may not quite be ready to fully shine, but he's going to make this Denver team a hell of a lot more intriguing if he can make any sort of impact in the bubble maybe, just maybe, be a little more than a dark horse contender.

Honorable mentions: Alex Caruso, Donte DiVincenzo, Rui Hachimura

There we have it, the 5 players I can see coming out of "nowhere" to make an impact. As always stay tuned for more NBA content coming soon, and feel free to check out any of my NBA Bubble predictions to see what I have to say about all 22 teams in the Bubble.