Third choices to star in the NBA
While three big men are vying for the label of best player in the NBA, three young point guards are stealing the spotlight as the postseason gets underway.
First, Tyrese Maxey, one of the biggest – if not the biggest – discarded finalists for Most Improved Player of the Year. His rapid ascent shows why the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t skimp when it came to parting with Ben Simmons.
On the other hand, guard Jalen Brunson, keeps the Dallas Mavericks in their playoff series against the Utah Jazz, as superstar Luka Doncic returns.
And finally, Jordan Poole, selected in the 28th round of the 2019 Draft. From playing in the G-League, he is now the leader of the Golden State Warriors offense alongside Stephen Curry, his master.
What have they done to get to these instances? Here’s our experts’ analysis.
Maxey steals attention from Harden
While the 76ers’ focus is on their big man and MVP candidate Joel Embiid, the team’s playoff fortunes were always going to rest on the shoulders of a perimeter player who paired with Embiid to overcome challenges along the way. That’s what James Harden arrived for, right?
Well, the concept – in theory – remains the same. But it’s Maxey, not Harden, who has emerged to accept and dazzle in said role. Lost a bit in the drama that was the Ben Simmons saga and the arrival of Harden, Maxey’s development is perhaps the most important aspect of the Sixers’ season.
The speedy second-year point guard made a significant jump from his rookie season (8.0 PPJ to 17.5 PPJ) before shining with 38 and 23 points in the first two games of the series against Raptors. Better yet, at just 21 years old, his game is still in full stride, warranting excitement in the present (especially if Harden continues to look off-tempo) and promise in the future as Embiid’s dance partner. (Victor Lopez)
Brunson ‘disguises’ himself as Doncic
The Mavericks point guard is playing his best basketball since coach Jason Kidd took over the reins this season.
Brunson on Monday became the first player in Mavs playoff history to record at least 40 points, five rebounds and an equal number of assists without committing a single turnover since that statistic officially began being compiled in 1977-78.
A 6’3″ Villanova product in the NCAA, Brunson was selected by Dallas in the second round of the 2018 draft. Now 25 years old, he will test free agency in his prime. The Mavs know they have to shell out good money if they want him to stay in Dallas, as they will have competition in free agency. They already did their homework by shedding Kristaps Porzingis’ salary.
Poole does his best Curry impression
If the Warriors looked solid and as firm candidates to the title with the Big Three’ formed by Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, now we have to add Poole, who we could call the ‘third Splash Brother’.
So far in the Playoffs (two games against Denver) the third-year guard is registering numbers that if maintained in what is to come will make the San Francisco team almost invincible. There will be no way to stop his three accurate shooters.
In just two playoff games, Poole is putting up 29.5 points per night versus the 18.5 he registered in the regular season playing only two minutes more per game (30.0 minutes in the regular season vs. 32.0 minutes per night in the postseason).
That figure is a product of the improvement in almost every way that the Michigan graduate is registering. In field goal shooting he went from 44.8% (regular season) to 65.5% (Playoffs); from 36.4% in three-pointers, to 58.8%. His ‘blemish’ is that from the free throw line he registered 92.5% in the regular phase and against the Nuggets he has dropped to 91.7% (nothing to reproach him for, of course).
We will have to keep an eye on what Jordan continues to do in his ‘Poole parties’ during the Playoffs and if he still has to reach his ceiling. (Rolando del Bosque)
