Everyone is so hyped about the new American football season, so I decided to talk about basketball today. That doesn't make any sense, but with my American football knowledge, it would be a shame to write about it. Yes, quite obviously, we Europeans have nothing to do with American football. However, we are superb at basketball. Don't you believe me? Let these top players prove me right next season. If you are interested in basketball more than just drinking beer and eating hot dogs at your local team's game, you might be interested in this article.
Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis dominated the first part of the last season in New York, and his performance finally brought back to New York after many years of stagnation. However, good things are not meant to happen for the New York Knicks - Kristaps Porzingis tore his left ACL in February and had to skip the remaining of the season. He will also have to skip the beginning of the 2018-19 season, so Knicks fans should already forget playoffs even before the season starts.
However, it will be very exciting to see if Kristaps Porzingis will be able to recover from his injury and get back to his All-Star level. We could already witness his abilities on both ends of the floor last season when he had numerous 30+ points games and also improved a lot on the defensive end (he can make some of the best blocks in the NBA, but needs to get more physical to defend against stronger guys). With 10 months away from basketball, I am sure that Kristaps is spending a lot of time in the gym, getting his body ready for the action.
I would recommend following Kristaps progress throughout the season, but if you want to see him at his best, you might need to wait at least until February/March. However, it's worth the wait. Kristaps Porzingis is one of the best shooting big guys in the NBA and also loves to make power dunks and arena-lifting blocks.
Milos Teodosic
Milos Teodosic came to the Los Angelas Clippers to replace Chris Paul as the main point guard. Sadly, just as Kristaps he had a season full of injuries and only managed to play in 35 games. At the age of 31, it would be hard to expect Milos Teodosic staying healthy all season long, but he will have his good runs for sure. And he is an exciting player to watch when he gets running.
Milos Teodosic makes some of the most exciting passes in the NBA. He is not a stable shooter and extremely lazy defender, but his ability to spot his teammates on the court is undeniable. If I had to compare him to any NBA legends, I would pick Jason Williams. So yeah, watching Milos Teodosic in play is always a treat. Also, when Milos feels his rhythm, he can easily score 30+ as well.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic
I have already covered both of these players before here and here so there is no point to dwell on it too much in this post. All I need to say is that both Giannis and Luka have potential to finish their NBA careers as Hall of Famers. Will they manage to do that? Only time can tell. However, it is already a treat to watch those players on the court.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has the most spectacular two-step in the league, and his physical abilities are beyond explanation. Luka Doncic plays like a veteran and shows us his high basketball IQ every game, even though he is still a teen. So yeah, it would be a shame not to follow these two next season. I would not be surprised if Giannis becomes the MVP and Luka wins the Rookie of the Year award.
Goran Dragic
Slovenia, a small country with 2 million people, has provided the NBA with numerous talents throughout the years. If people can still doubt Luka Doncic's future in the NBA, then no one could argue that Goran Dragic is already a top-class player.
For some reason, most of the best European basketball players are big guys, so it is very rare to see a dominant shooting guard from Europe. Of course, Goran Dragic lacks stability so fans might witness him missing all his shots and leaving the court with negative efficiency from time to time, but in overall, he is one of the most important players in this Miami Heat team, which might become the dark horse of the 2018 season. Goran Dragic finally made it to the All-Star game last season, proving everyone in the world that he is a real deal.
Dragic is already 32, and he has retired from the Slovenian national team after winning the EuroBasket in 2017. Naturally, his curve will start going down soon as Goran is very dependant on his quickness and ability to drive to the basket. Such players cannot afford to lose their quickness as it takes half of their strengths away. I still believe that Goran has at least a couple of years left in his tank, but it is never for granted.
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic reminds me of Arvydas Sabonis so much. His ability to dish passes as if he was a point guard still blows my mind. I mean, shouldn't it be illegal? Jokic is also a very decent shooter, which makes him one of the most (if not the most) complete centers in the league. Of course, he still sucks at defense, but I am sure that Jokic is working on that with his coaches. At the age of 23, Serbian giant has all that it takes to become the Hall of Famer one day.
Nikola Jokic will make sure to enter the playoffs with the Denver Nuggets this year. The Nuggets were unfortunate to miss the playoffs action last year as they lost the last game to the Timberwolves and finished 9th in the Western Conference. I would be surprised if that happened again this year.
Nikola Jokic is somewhat clumsy and slow, so it is always hard to understand how he became such a dominant player. I also understand that many fans who want to see power dunks and blocks, might not enjoy watching Nikola Jokic. However, if your basketball IQ is above average, you will have a blast watching Jokic next year. Oh yes, he was picked by the Denver Nuggets as the 43rd pick in 2014 NBA drafts. That might be one of the best picks ever, don't you think so?
Jonas Valanciunas and Domantas Sabonis
These two Lithuanian players will be the leaders of the national team for many years to come. I will follow both JV and Sabonis the most next season as I am from Lithuania myself. However, even if you don't know what Lithuania is (it is a country), you might want to watch those two players.
Jonas Valanciunas has finally matured as a player, and he even started shooting three-pointers last season. This new skill allows JV to adapt to the fast-paced NBA league and stretch the opponents' defense. However, JV remains a big guy who is the best inside the paint so Nick Nurse will have to find ways to feed JV with balls if he believes in JV. Dwayne Casey did not have too much trust in Valanciunas for the last couple of years, and I would have loved to see JV leaving Toronto, but now things might change. Of course, Nurse is not exactly the type of coach who prefers big guys like Valanciunas, but without DeRozan on the team, the Raptors will have to change their style. It will be exciting to see how JV adapts to that.
As for Domantas Sabonis, I have already covered what I expect from him here. In short, he has all the talent in the world to become the key player of the Indiana Pacers. Also, basketball IQ runs in his veins. However, Sabonis needs to work on his physicality to be able to defend against the best players in the league. If he does that, the sky is the limit.
Lauri Markkanen
I am not a huge fan of anti-basketball, so I have only seen a few games of Chicago Bulls last season. That said, I have seen plenty of Lauri Markkanen during the EuroBasket 2017. His talent is undeniable on both ends of the court. Lauri reminds me of Dirk Nowitzki a lot, especially when it comes to shooting. He became the fastest player to reach 100 career 3-pointers in the NBA. That is quite a record to hold for a 7 ft Power Forward, right?
If the trend continues, Lauri Markkanen will find his way to the All-Star game one day. That might not happen next year, but if you are a Chicago Bulls fan, you must be excited about this young man from Finland.
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