Image via Getty/Ezra Shaw
We’re now deep into the first round of the NBA playoffs and there’s no shortage of storylines for a league exploding with talent –but some of that star power is coming from unexpected places. LeBron James may be missing the festivities, and Kevin Durant seems to be on his way out, but there’s a strong group of new players making a name for themselves and taking their game to the next level as the intensity increases.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, last year’s NBA Finals teams, find themselves dealing with serious injuries to star players, leaving things wide open. For now, we seem to be in a post-superteam NBA. The uncertainty of who is up for a title run adds to the drama, of course, but also gives a platform for unsung stars and up-and-comers to seize the day. Here’s a look at some of the breakout stars that are doing just that.
Jayson Tatum
Okay, okay. I promise the next picks will be true breakout stars. Tatum is a five-year pro that is no stranger to deep playoff runs, and no one has questioned his ability to score. But Tatum thoroughly outplaying the Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant through three games puts him on a new levell. Quietly, Tatum has been diversifying his game and increasing his assist numbers over the last two seasons. Court vision is notoriously difficult to improve, but he’s doing just that. In Game 2, Tatum struggled to get going scoring wise, but he handed out 10 assists to just three turnovers. The great players can help you win on the biggest stage even without their jump shot going – Tatum is establishing himself as that type of player.
Tatum is also proving that he can be a defensive force – his length, size, and feel for the game have always made him a good bet to get to this level, and it couldn’t be coming at a better time. By upping his distribution and defense, Tatum is arguably getting closer to the top five or six guys in the league that make an impact in every phase of the game.
Jalen Brunson
Alright, there’s no way this guy can keep this up, right? Jalen Brunson is averaging 30 points, 5.3 rebounds, and nearly 5 assists over 38 plus minutes a night through four games with the Dallas Mavericks, even maintaining impressive numbers with Luka Doncic back in the fold for Game 4. His season numbers, let alone his career numbers, don’t come close to this kind of output, but that wouldn’t make me feel better if I were a Jazz fan. It’s happening, and it has Utah fighting for their lives.
Regardless of where it goes, the story of Brunson is a good one. He came to the league a bit older, and generally speaking guys who stay in college longer are less likely to break out as stars.. Each year he’s gotten a bit better and is now making the most of a very big opportunity in Doncic’s absence. Just a few months ago people were starting to question the Mavericks plan around Luka Doncic – they’re now in position to potentially advance in the playoffs even with him missing time.
Brandon Ingram
Speaking of organizations that faced serious questions in recent history, we have Brandon Ingram’s New Orleans Pelicans. Ingram has taken full advantage of an infusion of talent that came in at the trade deadline. Long a tantalizing prospect and potential do-everything wing, it’s been hard to get a real gauge on how good he really is since he’s been surrounded by uneven or just bad rosters. With Devin Booker now injured, though, Ingram finds himself with a chance to lead his team to a playoff series win.
In a Game 2 win that evened the series, Ingram scored 37 points and notched 11 rebounds and nine assists while adding a steal and a block. C.J. McCollum has been a big help for him on the perimeter, adding another creator and three point shooter. Larry Nance, Jr. has always been a great connector and versatile forward, and between the two new additions the Pelicans have upgraded in basketball IQ in a big way. Anyone wondering if Ingram was ready to lead a talented team is beginning to have that question answered. With the series currently tied up at two games a piece, Ingram has a chance to take a team with a losing record to the second round.
Jordan Poole
Jordan Poole has taken a more traditional route to postseason success. He was a young draft pick that has been allowed to grow up over his first few years in the league, steadily given more opportunity and responsibility, and taken real steps forward even as his exposure to important NBA basketball has grown. None of which, of course, makes his Stephen Curry impression in the Warriors’ first three wins of the playoffs any less impressive.
Poole’s an elite shooter (93 percent at the free throw line this year, which is a pretty clear barometer), and nearly doubled his assist rate this season. That doesn’t feel like something you’d see from a flash-in-the-pan outbreak of success. The Warriors have been criticized for wanting to have their cake and eat it too when it comes to hoarding young talent while still competing for titles, but it’s becoming clear that at least this season they might be en route to having the best of both worlds – a true contender, and several players under the age of 23 that can serve as bridges to a post-Steph Curry team.
Anthony Edwards
This one is pretty straightforward. Despite some reports before he was drafted first overall in 2020 that he might not be committed enough to the game of basketball, Edwards is a surefire star that is playing like one. The 20 year old is averaging nearly 25 points, five rebounds, and three assists over 38 minutes through four games with the Memphis Grizzlies – suffice it to say, it’s extremely impressive to see a kid put it together this early. He has a ways to go to break into the top tier of players, and it might take him some time like Tatum, but Minnesota fans have a lot to look forward to.
Tyrese Maxey
It seems as though everyone enjoys talking about the 76ers when they are in disarray, but in building a 3-0 lead on the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia turned a lot of heads around the league – and a lot of it had to do with Tyrese Maxey. The Raptors may have won Game 4, but the 76ers are right there with the Celtics in terms of most impressive first round performances.
Many fans are still preoccupied with whether or not Joel Embiid should be MVP, but there’s another homegrown star in Tyrese Maxey that is making the most of the playoff stage. Maxey played relatively poorly in the Game 4 loss, which really just underscores his importance – he’s becoming as integral to their success as their more established stars. James Harden has been content to play the role of high-level distributor, and it’s working for the Sixers.
Desmond Bane
Desmond Bane represents another win for the practice of selecting older players (again, the numbers generally point toward selecting younger players), and he’s been a star all season for a team that has exceeded expectations right from the start. He’s still in just his second year in the league, but has the statistical profile of an almost perfect secondary star. An elite shooter comfortable playing off ball that doesn’t turn the ball over while performing minor playmaking off a ball-dominant guard, he has stepped up his usage in a way that suggests he might still have another gear (or two) to reach. It’s paying off in the present for the Grizzlies, who now have one of the most forward-thinking front offices in the game, and find themselves with some elite talent to pair with it.
With his lower profile, Bane has been the guy that surprised you whenever he played your favorite team (especially with the attention that Ja Morant deservedly gets). He’ll still give your team fits, but it’s on you if you didn’t see it coming.