5 role players to participate in a potential 1v1 all star weekend tournament
This past NBA all star break was awful. There is no official statement or hot take needed as I think everyone can more or less agree. What discourse is relevant is the real improvements or whole changes suggested by NBA players, alumni, and reporters. One of the more intriguing ideas thrown out by multiple, credible parties has been around for a while: the introduction of a 1v1 tournament. There are some good truths and some negative truths in regards to this commencing. The bad news is that it probably would not work exactly like some people are envisioning. There are hopes of all- star caliber players participating in this tournament. Whether it is because of the NBA declining to ask, or these star players opting out, the weekend in February does not always produce the best, especially on Saturday night with the individual challenge games. On the optimistic side, commissioner Adam Silver has shown time and time again that he is welcome to change. Exhibit A for me would have to be the brand new In Season Tournament, where the league front office worked with the Players Association to get something never seen before in most professional leagues into what should now be a mainstay in the association. Additionally, even if we don’t see an abundance of elite players, there are many players around the league who despite not getting a ton of chances to run an offense, have great potential to make a half court offense- heavy game entertaining and competitive. Assuming this would be similar to the old skills competition, where bigs face bigs and guards would go up against guards, I compiled a list with five possible candidates: two bigs, two guards, and Kyle Anderson just because I really need to see him in this.
Payton Pritchard- The long- time Celtic has had to fight for playing time his entire career, but when he does get on the floor, he always finds a way to contribute. Where Pritchard is mostly flashy though is garbage time, where we really get to see his tight handle and limitless range. Being that he is pretty undersized, getting to watch even more ways for PP to find ways to score would make him getting a spot in the tournament very worth it.
Naz Reid- Reid has been pivotal off the bench for an emerging Timberwolves team. He is one of the most mobile stretch bigs in the league, who can score from almost anywhere on the court. Watching him run with the ball in transition tells me he would show out with a lot of open court during a 1v1. Reid used to be known for his layup package, something we would hope he could bring out again.
Ish Smith- If current all star weekend tells us anything about what we could see in a one on one competition, we should expect a lot of offense. This would definitely cater to Smith. Ish is another guard who gets minutes when an offensive spark is needed for the Hornets. He has one of the best combinations of dribbling and finishing around the rim, and he does it in a sensational way. Especially facing smaller guards, we would almost be guaranteed some highlight worthy acrobatic finishes on a fellow guard.
Tari Eason- Eason is another guy who is on this list for my own selfish reasons. His energy on both sides of the floor has made him one of my favorite young guys in the league. He is often underused by the Rockets because of their guard depth and the heavy minutes Alperen Sengun gets. When he does get the ball in his hands though, Eason can shoot the three and bully his way inside for thunderous dunks. The reason I would be the most excited for Eason in this is his defense. He is one of the most athletic rim protectors in the game, and watching him do anything to stop a basket in a 1 v 1 would make him well deserving of a spot.
Kyle Anderson- Anderson would be the disruptor in the bracket. His style of isolation basketball differs from anything we see in the modern game. I still think it would play here though. If you watch him doing one on one drills or playing in an open gym, he finds innovative ways to create shots. In addition, his unusual way of slowly picking up his dribble and starting a layup hilariously throws off defenders.