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Just like the NBA likes to call it, the season resumption in Orlando will be the case of a whole new game. Player fitness is of utmost importance, particularly for teams with deep playoff aspirations.
At the same time, several rotations will have key roster members missing. Many players are yet to report to the NBA bubble while some have left it temporarily. With quarantine periods also coming in to play, some teams will be left seriously depleted and as such, a few players will have to step up massively.
This statement holds greater importance for teams in the Western Conference, with the race for the NBA Playoffs still very much on for six franchises. On that note, let us look at five players from the West who need to step up in Orlando.
#5 Joe Ingles (Utah Jazz)
Up until the previous year, Joe Ingles was Utah Jazz's second recognized shooter after Donovan Mitchell. While that is no longer the case following the arrival of Bojan Bogdanovic and then Jordan Clarkson, Quin Snyder needs the production from Ingles in Orlando.
With Bogdanovic out for the season following wrist surgery, someone needs to step up to replenish his 20 points per game once the NBA season resumes in Orlando. Ingles' 9.8 points per game this season is fewer than what we've come to expect of him and he certainly needs to make amends in that regard.
Yes, he alone can't fill in for Bogdanovic, and the likes of Clarkson and Mitchell will have to increase their production as well, but the majority of the responsibility will fall on the shoulders of the Australian.
#4 Robert Covington (Houston Rockets)
The Houston Rockets actively pursued Robert Covington before the trade deadline in February and finally landed their man on the back of a four-team trade. Covington is the prototypical 3-and-D player that Mike D'Antoni loves and his 12.8 points per game on a decent 35% accuracy for downtown is rather valuable.
However, RoCo's biggest contribution to the Rockets following the NBA restart has to be on the defensive end. At 6'7, he will be Houston's tallest player in their starting line-up and will be tasked with guarding the opposition's big men.
Irrespective of what the Houston Rockets have done with their small-ball lineup thus far, the intensity goes up a notch in the NBA Playoffs. Most importantly, there's a good chance that the Rockets end up facing Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
If you're unaware, they only recently fielded three seven-foot tall players in their first NBA scrimmage game. And this is exactly where Covington needs to step up immensely.
Also read: NBA Orlando Restart - 5 Bold predictions for the Western Conference
#3 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Los Angeles Lakers)
The Los Angeles Lakers will be missing a key two-way starter in Avery Bradley who decided to sit out for the NBA restart. Another credible 3-and-D player, Bradley was one of the best defenders on the team while his production of 8.6 points per game was also rather neat.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the go-to guy for the Lakers for the games Bradley was out injured and he will pretty much be called upon again by Frank Vogel. The Purple and Gold have won 17 of the 20 fixtures where KCP has started but his defensive game needs to improve considerably.
Caldwell-Pope has averaged 9.5 points per game this season on 47.2% shooting from the field. However, he's likely to have more ball usage as a starter and should look to improve his numbers on the offensive end as well.
#2 Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
It's not every day that the best player on a team is asked to up his game, but there's a good reason for this as far as Nikola Jokic is concerned. Due to a lack of players, Jokic started Denver Nuggets' first NBA scrimmage against the Washington Wizards as the point guard.
While he may start as the center in the seeding games, the offense will run through him. He's the best passing big in the league so the fact that he's only averaging 6.9 assists per game is a bit underwhelming.
At the same time, his offensive production is almost the same from last year at 20.2 points per game. The Joker is in the best shape of his life and now would be the best time to increase the offensive intensity to record a bigger contribution per game.
#1 Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers)
As far as Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers are concerned, there are no qualms with regards to what he brings to the table for the NBA Championship hopefuls. He's averaging 26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, all of which are career-highs.
The bigger issue for Kawhi this season has been his fitness. His endurance will surely be tested once the season restarts in Orlando. The Clippers are losing players too quickly at this point with Landry Shamet, Montrezl Harrell, Patrick Beverley, and now Lou Williams all leaving the NBA bubble temporarily.
When they will be available is anyone's guess. A minimum of four days' quarantine period will have to be observed by the players on their return and with the Clippers restarting their campaign against the LA Lakers on 30 July, Kawhi could be in for a long game.
Additionally, Marcus Morris is set to leave the bubble in September for the birth of his child. His minutes would have to be taken care of by someone else and Kawhi could be asked to carry that load.
This won't be the biggest burden on Leonard who averaged over 39 minutes a game in the NBA Playoffs last season. But it will be interesting to see if he has the legs to replicate the same after a four-month NBA hiatus.
Also read: LA Clippers guard Patrick Beverley leaves NBA bubble due to personal emergency
Guess the Lakers players!
