With the new season underway, it’s important to have a quick reminder on which players stood out in the NBA Bubble a few months back. The Los Angeles Lakers were crowned kings of the league, but there were many players who shared the spotlight in the three-month experiment in Orlando. These guys will be brimming with confidence after their splendid play and it’s only right to keep an eye on them as the season progresses.
Excluding members of the finalists, the Lakers and the Miami Heat, here are seven players who had a bubble to remember.
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
It’s only fitting to start with the NBA Bubble MVP himself, Damian Lillard. In eight seeding games, the Trail Blazers star averaged 37.6 points and 9.6 assists per game, and flirted with a 50-40-90 shooting percentage. The Blazers went 6-2 and won over the Memphis Grizzlies in a play-in game for the final playoff spot.
Lillard’s numbers were definitely eye-popping but it was his shot-making ability that jumped out. He hit opponents with jumpers from the elbow, runners, floaters, crazy layups, and of course, 3-point shots from the logo. After nearly five months without NBA action, Dame Time’s brilliance was an absolute gift for fans. It provided a semblance of basketball normalcy with a dose of magic and flare.
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic cemented his status as the “next main guy” of the NBA during the Mavericks’ playoff run. He became a bonafide superstar and the thought of him being a 21-year-old MVP candidate was mind-blowing.
Doncic’s game took a huge leap in the first round of the playoffs against the LA Clippers. He had 42 points in Game 1, which is the most by any player in a playoff debut. His best performance came in Game 4 when he unleashed an absurd stat line of 43 points, 17 rebounds, and 13 assists. To top it all off, he sank the buzzer-beating triple to win the game. Despite losing in six games, he put up 31.0 points, 9.8 boards, and 8.7 dimes against the mighty defense of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the rest of the Clippers.
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
Make no mistake, Donovan Mitchell was already a budding star before the bubble. Prior to the season stoppage, he was coming off his first All-Star selection, averaging steady numbers of 24.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. But he reached an even higher tier of NBA stardom during the Jazz’s playoff duel against the Denver Nuggets.
Facing off against the Nuggets’ own scoring savant in Jamal Murray, Mitchell was forced to dig deep and reveal another level of game he hadn’t shown before. He put his team on his back and produced some of the best performances in the bubble. He scored at least 50 points twice in the series, putting his name beside elite company in playoff history. Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Wilt Chamberlain, (and most recently Jamal Murray in the same postseason duel as Mitchell’s) are the only other players who have recorded multiple 50-point games in a playoff series.
Mitchell scorched the net for 57 points in Game 1, which is the third-highest scoring output in playoff history, behind only Jordan’s 63 points versus the Celtics in 1986 and Elgin Baylor’s 61-point game in 1962, also against Boston. For an encore, Mitchell dropped 51 in Game 4. Even though the Jazz lost in Game 7 versus the Nuggets, that playoff series was a peek into Donovan Mitchell’s greatness.
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray turned the bubble into his own personal scoring playground. His first-round battle against Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz became an instant playoff classic. If Mitchell had to search the depths of his competitive fire to push the Jazz, Murray responded with the same fury and desire. The Nuggets’ explosive guard had two 50-point pieces and willed his team back after being down 3-1 in the series.
The Nuggets weren’t done as they pulled off another comeback, beating the Clippers in stunning fashion. It didn’t matter if he was defended by Patrick Beverley, George, or Leonard, Murray was simply an offensive juggernaut. He uncorked floaters, off-balanced shots, deep triples, and was the ultimate heat check guy in the bubble. He delivered a 40-point showcase in Game 7 that sent the Clippers home. Even though the Nuggets fizzled against eventual champion Lakers, Murray still managed to put up 25 points on a 52 percent shooting clip in the series, all while battling a bone bruise in his foot.
Jamal Murray, along with star center Nikola Jokic, will be the centerpieces for the Nuggets moving forward.
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
One of the most amusing anecdotes of the bubble was the 8-0 Phoenix Suns with Devin Booker as the leading man. The Suns relied on the brilliance of coach Monty Williams, and the solid contributions from Mikal Bridges, Ricky Rubio, and Deandre Ayton, and the rest of the team. As for Booker, he did not shy away from being the star of the franchise, putting up gaudy numbers in their undefeated run.
Booker’s signature moment inside the bubble was of course his buzzer-beating game-winner against the Clippers. It was the 24-year-old’s talent and star power in full display. The Suns’ Cinderella run was short of a playoff berth but their perfect record and joyous play are worth remembering.
Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
The Orlando bubble was also a coming out party for Michael Porter Jr. A 2018 draft pick, he sat out his entire first season after undergoing back surgery. He finally came to his own inside the bubble, getting the starting nod due to the Nuggets’ injury woes. He capitalized on the opportunity given to him and became a solid scoring option. He put up 26.3 points per game in the seeding round, showcasing his array of offensive weapons.
In the playoffs, his scoring was a welcome sight as defenses hounded stars Murray and Jokic. Porter has a high upside and should be a key piece in the Nuggets’ campaign this season.
T.J. Warren, Indiana Pacers
It’s disappointing to think that the Pacers will not have a 100 percent TJ Warren to start the season. The team’s top scorer is going to miss time because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Before the injury, Warren was one of the guys who demanded your attention whenever he stepped on the court.
Last season, Warren was averaging a career-high 19.8 points on a crisp 53.6 shooting percentage. Then in the bubble, he stepped up his game even further, unloading 53 points on the 76ers in the Pacers’ opener. He continued to turn heads, averaging 31 points in six games. If Warren gets back to his usual self, we can expect more crazy scoring games from the Pacers moving forward.
