5 Players I LIKE For The 2023 Season
For the 2023 season, I’ll be keeping track of ten players. Five of them I like, five of them I don’t like.
I’m taking a page from Foolish Bailey with this one. For the 2023 season, I will be keeping track of ten players. Half of the pool will be players I deem ready to break out or have under-the-radar seasons. The other half will be players I think are destined for some sort of decline.
This is part one. This post will be all about players I like for the 2023 season. These players are going to have seasons that will outperform everybody’s predictions of them. Here goes nothing.
Javonte Green (Chicago Bulls)
Last season, at age 28, Javonte Green broke out. His 7.2 ppg average may not indicate it, but Green turned himself into the perfect role player for a playoff Bulls team. Green is a model 3&D wing. Green never got much playing time with the Celtics. Entering his second season in the Windy City, I’m optimistic he can build on things. Here’s what I’m looking forward to this season;
- Better half-court scoring
Javonte Green was one of the best transition players in the league last year. He thrived in the open floor. Improving in the half-court would be monumental to his game. Green averaged just 1.2 drives per game last season. Could he increase that?
What about his shooting? Sure, he shot 36% from outside last season, but on less than 2 attempts a night. A lot of Green’s breakout relies on the fact that he just needs to shoot more. I know that’s not his role, and his minutes aren’t limitless, but that’s what it comes down to.
- Defense
This is where Green can really make his money. That’s where the majority of his value came from last season. If he can continue to grow on that end, the more minutes he’ll force Billy Donovan to give him. He has the chance to be the perfect wing complement to the likes of DeRozan and Lavine.
Outlook
All signs point to a step up in production in 2023 for Javonte Green. At worst, he’s a solid defensive wing who can shoot corner 3’s really well. But I think there’s more for him than that. His alluring athleticism is tantalizing. Adding to his offensive game would make him the dream role player in the modern NBA.
9.9 pts ~ 5.7 rebs ~ 1.2 stls ~ 51% FG (6.8 FGA) ~ 38% 3-PT ~ 1.0 BPM
Herb Jones (New Orleans Pelicans)
Picking a sophomore player for somebody to keep an eye on isn’t very original. But I can’t help myself. The second-rounder from Alabama was a hidden gem for the Pels last season. He’s another wing player who has a chance to blossom.
Right now, Jones is all defense, no offense. He was only getting big playoff minutes because of his otherworldly length and athleticism defensively. A 1.5 DBPM for a rookie in over 2300 regular minutes is impressive.
Defense is where Jones will make his money for the next decade or so. In the meantime, it’s time to improve offensively. First and foremost, we need a better 3-PT shot. That form needs some work, and so does his confidence. Jones shot just 34% from 3 on 2.2 attempts last season. Most of his shots came from the corner, but he needs to improve from that spot.
Improving as a shooter will space out his offense and keep Jones on the floor late in games instead of a guy like Trey Murphy, who is the much better shooter at this point in time. Jones’ off-the-dribble game needs some work too. I’m not hoping for Mikal Bridges-like results, but he can do better than shooting 46% on his drives.
Outlook
Jones and the aforementioned Javonte Green are alike in a lot of ways. I’m more excited about Jones because he’s a rookie at just 23 years old. The future is bright, and he’s got a forward spot with his name on it for a Pelicans team that should be making the postseason regularly in the next few seasons.
12.1 points ~ 4.6 rebs ~ 2.0 stls ~ 48% FG (7.9 FGA) ~ 35% 3-PT ~ 1.5 BPM
Jordan McLaughlin (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Who?
That was probably most of your reactions to Jordan McLoughlin. It’s not exactly a household name in the NBA. Yet. If you remember back to the 2022 playoffs, McLoughlin was playing big minutes for the T-Wolves. He looked better than D’Angelo Russell!
His numbers last season didn’t look impressive at all. But I think that the Timberwolves will need McLoughlin to get things done this season. Minnesota’s depth took a hit thanks to the Gobert megadeal. They’ll need somebody to play backup point guard. McLoughlin has a chance to fill that role.
A lot of my hopes for the bald 25-year-old (seriously, grow some hair, dude. You’re making me feel old, and I’m 16.) are based on his opportunities. Since his rookie season, both McLaughlin’s minutes and FGA have decreased steadily.
But he knows how to get to the rim, and he’s not a terrible shooter. More importantly, he doesn’t turn the ball over. Chris Finch is getting someone he can rely on for five-minute stretches to keep the offense flowing.
For a young Minnesota team that was so up and down last year, that’s invaluable. McLaughlin could play a bigger role for the T-Wolves just because of what he showed in the postseason last year. He was that good.
Outlook
It’s hard to build up hype for a player that averaged 3.8 points last season. I’m doing my best here. And I’m not going to say that McLaughlin is going to average 12 points a night and win most improved player. But he will play a role for a team that has postseason hopes. That means something. I should also add that McLaughlin is a great defender despite only being 5-11.
But seriously, look at this dude. We need some new hair ideas;
8.0 points ~ 4.5 asts ~ 45% FG (6.4 FGA) ~ 0.8 BPM
Jusuf Nurkic (Portland Trail Blazers)
I don’t think Jusuf Nurkic has been the same since his freakish leg injury in 2019. Injuries have plagued him ever since, and when he’s on the floor, he seems less agile and quick. Still, my hopes remain high for the Bosnian Beast in 2023.
Nurkic played his usual, steady brand of basketball last year. It was good to see him get back to playing around 28 minutes a night, the most over a full season since his career 2019 campaign. Nurkic was efficient, gobbled up rebounds, and was a plus defensively. That’s all you can ask for.
I’m just looking for some improvement around the edges. Last season, Nurkic averaged 4.1 post-ups per game. However, he scored on less than half of them. Nurkic has never been known to bully his opponents in the post, but he’ll need to be better in that area to see an increase in production.
Another thing I’m looking for is a better playmaking season from Big Nurk. His swing passes from a high pick-and-roll with Dame have become his calling card. Nurkic remains one of the better playmaking bigs in the league. Since teams harass Dame so often up top, Nurkic is often the key pass that leads to a good shot.
If he can hone in on his playmaking prowess, the Blazers’ offense will be leaps and bounds better.
Outlook
Nurkic has always been a steady presence for Portland when he’s been healthy. His partnership with Damian Lillard has always been a positive. While the Blazers aren’t going to be a contender, a lot of their success depends on Nurkic’s production.
16.9 pts ~ 10.2 rebs ~ 3.7 asts ~ 55% FG (12.2 FGA) ~ 1.3 BPM
Chimezie Metu (Sacramento Kings)
Rounding out my five players is another relative unknown in the NBA. Chimezie Metu gained traction with Sacramento’s weird lineup last season, playing a career-high in games and minutes. This season, even with more competition at the forward position, I expect big things from Metu.
Metu’s biggest area of potential improvement is his 3-PT shooting. He’s not unbashful from deep, as he attempted 3.1 threes last season. The only problem is he shot just 30.6% from behind the arc. Maybe he can get some shooting practice from new rookie Keegan Murray. Adding a 3-PT shot would make Metu a lot more versatile.
The good thing is he ended the 2022 season on fire. In the last 18 games of his season, Metu shot 39.5% from deep (17/43). That’s not an insignificant sample size. If he can do that, I think he can become more dangerous from outside throughout the whole season.
Mike Brown is known to get the most out of his defenses. Metu was one of the few decent defenders the Kings had last year. Perhaps Brown can work some more of his magic. There aren’t too many 6’9″, 255-pound forwards that can move laterally like Metu.
Outlook
Now, I will admit that Metu will have more competition for minutes this season. With Sabonis, Holmes, and now Keegan Murray, Metu will have to fight for minutes. Still, I’m really excited about what the 25-year-old brings to the table.
11.2 pts ~ 5.5 rebs ~ 48% FG (9.4 FGA) ~ 34% 3-PT ~ 0.5 BPM
Will These Players Have Good Seasons? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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