Standout Performers You Haven’t Heard About This NBA Season
In recent weeks since the NBA season began, we’ve all had a lot of fun. Young stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Kristaps Porzingis and Ben Simmons have all been way better than anyone could have expected, Kyrie Irving is leading the NBA-best Boston Celtics, and the Cavaliers are experiencing their yearly troubles a few months early.
But what about the lesser-known stories? There are many players in the league who have exceeded expectations thus far, but their fantastic seasons have not been discussed nearly enough.
Robert Covington, F, Philadelphia 76ers
It’s no surprise that Covington’s shooting percentages have gone way up, considering he has become the last thing defenses are thinking about now that he consistently gets to share the floor with players like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. But considering the notable volume he is still shooting at (7.2 three-point attempts per game), his 49.2% clip is much more impressive. He shoots them with or without defenders pressuring him, opponents contesting his jumpers seem to have no impact on the success rate of his shots. Quite frankly, the Sixers ask Covington to shoot too much to expect great percentages. But somehow, here we are. In addition to his lights-out shooting, he has continued to play the same excellent defense that earned him 4th place in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.
DeMarcus Cousins, C, New Orleans Pelicans
DeMarcus Cousins is playing like an MVP right now, and people don’t seem to know. He’s nearly averaging 29 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals per game while getting to the line 9 times a game, and making more than three-pointers per game. His defense has been improved thus far, but the biggest development has been how good he’s been at passing this season. His passing ability that is abnormal for someone of his size allows New Orleans to run very unique and difficult-to-guard sets and actions involving he and Anthony Davis. If Cousins keeps up this performance, it’s hard to see the Pelicans not making the playoffs.
Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana Pacers
Oladipo is getting the chance to prove his worth as a top option for a team, and boy is he making good on the opportunity. Thus far, hes averaging 23.8 points on fantastic efficiency (48%/44.6%/86%). He’s also rebounding and passing as a decent rate, and is still a solid defender out on the perimeter. Most notably, though, is that 44.6% from three-point range. He’s been an inconsistent and streaky shooter in the past, but the hope now is that he can sustain at least something close to this performance from beyond the arc. If he does, Indiana may not be in as bad of a spot as everyone assumed they were after the Paul George trade.
Jayson Tatum, SF, Boston Celtics
It’s not very often that you see a rookie enter the league and immediately seem like a seven-year veteran, but that’s been the story with Jayson Tatum thus far. One of the key cogs in Boston’s tremendous winning streak, he has immediately provided a scoring spark that has been very valuable, playing at a very efficient level. He’s making half of his field goals, more than half of his threes, and is shooting over 80% from the free throw line. But even if he is better than we thought right away, we knew he was going to be a great scorer for the Celtics. But it’s his rebounding (over 6 per game) and pleasantly surprising defense that has truly stood out.
