NBA
NBA Players Most Impacted by the Season Suspension
While every player has been affected by this season suspension in some way, it impacts some players a lot more than others
ESPN.com
The last NBA regular season game was played March 11, 2020. It has been almost two months without hoops and many fans are still holding out hope to see this season resume.
ALL players have been affected by this. Their daily routines, nutritional plans, and workout schedules are dramatically different. Whether pursuing the MVP Trophy or a top lottery pick, the weekly calendar means very little to NBA teams and players these days. Everyone is guessing what the final chapters of the 2019-2020 season look like – or if they’ve been seen already?
For some, this may be an opportunity to heal from injury. For others, Championship contention has become tarnished. Here’s a look at some of the players most impacted by the 2020 season suspension.
The Greek Freak was on an absolute tear before the sudden halt, averaging a ludicrous 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. A repeat looked possible for the reigning league MVP as he was on pace for new regular-season highs. However, after a huge week from the King, the MVP race was turning into a close battle between Antetokounmpo and LeBron James. Milwaukee was sitting comfortably atop the Eastern Conference with an astonishing 53-12 record, boosting Giannis’ MVP campaign. Yet LBJ’s Lakers were starting to close in on that top spot as they only had two more losses than MIL (49-14).
With the season hiatus and likely cancellation of many Regular Season games, LeBron’s comeback efforts won’t prevail and the Greek Freak can start making room for another award in his suddenly crowded trophy case. After receiving both First Team All-NBA and First Team All-Defense honors in 2019, there seemed to be even more motivation for Giannis to exceed expectations in his 2020 campaign. If Giannis wasn’t driven enough, he has even more time to reflect upon the Eastern Conference Finals loss he took to Kawhi and the Raptors.
The fact that he has no access to any basketball hoops during this break certainly won’t help his chances in the Playoffs once the season resumes though.
LeBron James has shown no signs of slowing down in his 17th NBA season. The MVP candidate was averaging a career-high 10.6 assists per game, all while leading the Lakers to first place in the Western Conference with a commanding 5.5 game lead. Though James continues to put up outstanding numbers, even the King can’t exactly stop father time.
Even at age 35, he continues to play every game like it’s his last. With that determination and mentality, James’s body can probably use this unexpected time to rest his body that still has some wear and tear from EIGHT consecutive Finals runs. He can get ready to activate Playoff LeBron and maintain his god-like physical fitness abilities. LeBron’s work ethic has never been questioned and with the passing of his friend, Olympics teammate, and All-NBA competitor Kobe Bryant, Lebron is probably more motivated than ever to win a title for the Purple and Gold.
Both Giannis and LeBron have their respective teams in a comfortable playoff spot if the Regular Season is chopped. Both players would love to hold that MVP trophy at the end of the season but they probably would prefer playing for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. This season suspension hurts LeBron’s chances at either of those things happening.
Coming out of college, many viewed Zion Williamson as the next face of the NBA. With the physique of Charles Barkley, bounce of Vince Carter, and rebounding ability of Dennis Rodman, no one knows how high Zion’s ceiling is. Unfortunatley for the NBA, Zion’s rookie season did not pan out like anyone expected.
In a preseason game, Zion damaged his meniscus, putting him out for 3 months. While Zion was recovering, his rookie counterpart and former AAU teammate, Ja Morant was leading rookies in points and assists per game. Morant easily separated himself from the pack while leading a Grizzlies team positioned to make the Playoffs in the Western Conference. Zion finally laced them up on January 22nd against the San Antonio Spurs. Williamson put on a show, including a 17-consecutive point stretch in the fourth quarter and a 22-point debut.
It seemed like Zion was starting to come into his own right before Commissioner Silver postponed league play. At that point in time, Zion’s Pelicans were gaining ground in the West, trailing the eighth-seeded Grizzlies by only 3.5 games. Without any extra time for Zion to change the narrative, Morant’s ability to take a lottery team and turn them into a Playoff team, essentially locked up Rookie of the Year honors.
Now in an extended offseason, Zion’s fitness and conditioning will become more important than ever. Heavily criticized at the Draft Combine, Williamson’s weight of 284 lbs already makes him the third heaviest player in the NBA. If Zion doesn’t continue to train and condition at the same level as if he had access to NBA training resources, his game could suffer a severe setback.
As the star PG for one of the most unpredictable teams in the NBA, Ben Simmons will benefit from this suspension in a multitude of ways. Simmons will get more than enough time to heal from his lower-back injury suffered February 19th while not missing any extra games. Some of the damage from Simmons’ absence has already been done as the Sixers have slid from 5th to 6th in the East standings since his injury.
According to PF Al Horford, there’s some stuff going on in Philly’s locker room, and the Sixers are in desperate need of an identity. Simmons can help with both locker room chemistry and keeping everyone happy on the court with his outstanding passing skills. Simmons is coming off of a massive contract extension through 2025 worth approximately 34 million per season. Getting him healthy is the top priority for the Sixers if they wish to make a run at the trophy anytime soon and this hiatus certainly helps with that.
If there was one word to define the 2019-2020 NBA Season, the word “uncertainty” would apply. Not only when it comes to the rest of the Regular Season but for some players, their entire professional career. Uncertainty is one word to describe Vince Carter’s playing status. Carter has played for a total of 8 teams in his 22-year career, winning such accolades like 1999 Rookie of the Year, 8x All-Star, and the undisputed Slam Dunk Contest Champion in 2000. Though Carter’s no longer in his peak, his presence helps younger players like Hawks teammate Trae Young adapt to the ever-changing game.
At 43 years of age, it would be strange for Vince to call it a career despite 15 games still technically left on the schedule. In a loss to the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Vince may have said goodbye to the game he’s played for more than two decades. If there is a bright side, it’s very possible that Vince’s goodbye won’t last for too long and he’ll be able to receive a standing ovation for a truly storied career. Whether that ovation comes in 2020 or not is yet to be determined.
Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19 and soon after, his Utah Jazz teammate Donovan Mitchell tested positive as well. The Jazz big man was the main catalyst and bigget influence to the league’s suspension. Gobert was seen at a press conference jokingly touching all the microphones and audio recorders under the belief that he didn’t have the virus. Donovan Mitchell and the rest of the team were immediatly upset by Gobert’s careless behavior, resulting in serious ramifications.
Because of Gobert’s actions, his relationship with many Jazz teammates has declined, especially All-Star Donovan Mitchell who’s “extremely frustrated” with Gobert. At the time the NBA suspended its season, the Jazz were 41-23 and held the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference with Mitchell and Gobert solidified as the team’s two most important players. But now it appears that this season will be Gobert’s last in Salt Lake City.
Many trade rumors will surround Gobert until he’s ultimately dealt this offseason. While many look at his actions as foolish and bad (which they were), in the big picture, him getting Coronavirus (and touching those mics like it was a joke) may have saved thousands of lives. It wasn’t until that night on March 11, that many people and businesses across the nation took this disease seriously and Rudy Gobert had more influence than any player in that happening. Gobert literally changed the world in 2020 and is the only person that can say he impacted the season suspension more than the season suspension impacted him.
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