Stock Watch: What's trending in the NBA
Welcome to the fifth and final installment of Stock Watch for the 2023-24 season, a look at what’s been trending up and down in the NBA.
?? Jalen Green’s stretch run
When Houston has needed him the most, Jalen Green has shown up. With the team’s postseason chances already dwindling earlier in March, they seemed to evaporate for good when rising center Alperen Sengun suffered a severe ankle sprain and bone bruise in his knee that will likely sideline him for the rest of the season. In response to these roadblocks, Green has played some of the most inspired basketball of his career – averaging 28.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists over the last 12 contests. He’s caught fire from three, making 4.2 per game on 41.7% shooting from deep.
Green’s play is a large reason why the Rockets have rattled off eight consecutive wins, and why they’re suddenly threatening the Golden State Warriors for the final play-in spot. If the 22-year-old can’t push the Rockets back into the postseason, it will at least be a building block to perhaps make the leap next season.
?? Pacers’ playoff standing
The Indiana Pacers were the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference earlier in January but have fallen to sixth place with a 40-32 record – and even placed as low as eighth for nine days in March. While Indiana has clinched a spot in the play-in tournament, a finish lower than sixth would be disappointing after the promise the Pacers showed with their strong start and big trade for former All-Star Pascal Siakam.
Tyrese Haliburton hasn’t looked like himself since missing 10 of 11 games in January with a hamstring injury. Since his return, he’s averaged 15.9 points, 9.3 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in 25 games. His shooting has been a cause for concern, knocking down 29.5% of his attempts from deep. As a team, Indiana has struggled to shoot the ball since the All-Star break, dropping from 38.1% before to 34.9%, ranking 22nd in the NBA – a product of the Buddy Hield trade. If their shooting drought continues, the Pacers will need to find a way to generate easier looks to ensure postseason success.
?? Portland’s diamond in the rough
Sometimes a franchise in rebuild mode has to focus on the small victories. Portland’s trio of electric guards – Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simmons, and Scoot Henderson – have all missed extended time due to injuries. The lack of continuity forced the Trail Blazers to look for young talent elsewhere. At the deadline, Portland shipped a future second-round selection to the Boston Celtics for 6-foot-9 guard Dalano Banton.
Banton, 24, hasn’t exactly blown the NBA away in his three seasons. This is already his third team, having made previous stops in Boston and Toronto, and he has never truly made an impact as a rotation player. However, Banton has seized his opportunity since joining Portland. The Nebraska product is averaging 14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 26 minutes per game. He has struggled as a shooter his entire career but looks comfortable from the outside and is knocking down 36.5% of his 3-pointers as a member of the Trail Blazers. Banton has also been a menace as a help defender, using his size to routinely alter shots at the rim and get into passing lanes. Portland is only 19-52 this year, but fans can find solace in this development.
?? Durant’s recent vanishing act
Perhaps it’s the winding marathon of a season in which he has ostensibly been the Phoenix Suns’ most dependable player, but something has looked off lately with Kevin Durant. In six games since dropping 37 points in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in mid-March, the 35-year-old has averaged just 18.3 points with a 28.6% mark from deep, numbers unlike what we’ve come to expect from the 14-time All-Star.
Durant’s sudden drop-off is even more perplexing when you isolate Phoenix’s fourth-quarter stats. Despite playing the second-most minutes (46) in the fourth over the team’s last half-dozen matchups, Durant has scored just 15 points total, which puts him behind not only Bradley Beal (26) and Devin Booker (23) but also Grayson Allen (23) and Royce O’Neale (21). But his fourth-quarter torpor was arguably most evident against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 17; despite needing just nine points to pass Shaquille O’Neal on the NBA’s all-time leaderboard, Durant looked entirely withdrawn and seldomly involved offensively down the stretch as the Suns lost by 11. Durant eventually passed O’Neal in the next game, but his restrained approach didn’t go unnoticed.
?? Magic’s defensive dominance
While the Oklahoma City Thunder have been getting all of the headlines, another young squad has quietly surged up the standings: the Orlando Magic. On the strength of their lockdown defense, Orlando has jumped to fifth in the Eastern Conference after going 11-4 in their last 15 games. Since Feb. 24, the Magic’s 106.1 defensive rating is the NBA’s best mark. Their defense has been dominant over their last 15, only allowing one opponent to score over 110 points.
The Magic have the rare combination of versatile length, switchability, and shot-blocking. Jalen Suggs sets the tone on the perimeter, averaging 1.4 steals per game – tied for 11th in the league – and routinely causes havoc for opposing ball-handlers. Orlando has also managed to reintegrate Jonathan Isaac into the rotation. Isaac finally looks healthy after battling injuries at the outset of his career. He’s one of the league’s most versatile defenders and can guard all five positions. Orlando is also loaded with size. Head coach Jamahl Mosley can throw the likes of Fran Wagner (6-foot-10), Wendell Carter Jr. (6-10), Paolo Banchero (6-10), and Markelle Fultz (6-4) on the floor; all of whom are capable of guarding multiple positions.
?? All-Star Game as we know it
The 73rd edition of the NBA’s midseason classic may have been the last time we see the Eastern and Western Conferences represented by a slew of top-tier talent.
Adam Silver issued his first real threat to the traditional exhibition’s existence this past weekend when he noted the lack of defensive effort and competitiveness in the East’s 211-186 victory in Indianapolis. The NBA commissioner acknowledged that players weren’t purposely taking the night off but instead prioritizing avoiding unnecessary injuries. Still, despite remarking that instilling proper competitiveness may not be possible, Silver noted the annual event will require further tweaking, adding the league is considering a USA versus World model. Whether or not that comes to fruition, it’s likely the All-Star Game’s current incarnation won’t be around much longer.
