Players who took advantage of the opportunities given to them in the first half of the season
Ahead of the trade deadline on February 5th, each team’s reinforcement moves are attracting attention. At the same time, some of the players on two-way contracts, who have been the mainstay of the team since the start of the season, are approaching the limit on the number of games they can play, and will need to switch to full contracts in order to continue using them in games. In that case, you will have to consider trades to free up roster spots.
Players on two-way contracts often get opportunities to play and become mainstays on teams that are plagued by injuries. Spencer Jones, a second-year player with the Nuggets, has emerged as a physical defender and is now in the starting lineup. In addition to his all-round defense that can handle everything from guard to power forward, he also makes 3-point shots with a good rate of 40%, even though they look a little awkward. The Nuggets have one spot open on their roster, and Jones will likely move on to a permanent contract.
As the Trail Blazers’ guards have left one after another, 21-year-old Sidi Sissoko has stepped up to the starting lineup due to his defensive ability. His specialty is fighting hard, but perhaps because he has gotten used to the game, his 3-point shooting success rate was 40% in January, and his shooting ability has improved, so we can expect further growth in the future.
Caleb Love, also of the Blazers, is used as a handler and shooter, which Sissoko does not have. Love, who was a star player in college basketball, has a strong play that is not typical of a rookie, and is also easy to use in behind-the-scenes situations in the final stages of games.
The Blazers are short on roster spots, and with the return of Jrue Holiday, the need to keep both Sissoko and Love has diminished. In some cases, they may not be able to participate in the match even though they have achieved results.
The Clippers struggled in the first half of the season, but third-year player Jordan Miller and rookie Kobe Sanders played magnificently as main players, and the team was on an upward trend. Miller, who is both a shooter and a handler, has gotten plenty of playing time as a sixth man, while Sanders has played primarily in a defensive role as a winger and as a starter.
At the beginning of the season, the Clippers were unable to win at all and were thought to be in urgent need of reinforcements, but now that their winning percentage has increased, it has become important to make moves to keep these two players. The top priority is deciding what to do with Chris Paul, who is already considered out of action, but in addition, they must also consider trading Bradley Beal, who is scheduled to sit out the entire season. It will be interesting to see if they will release a big name to help the young players.
For the Kings, Dylan Cardwell, who has a bright personality and unusually strong rebounding ability, is running rampant. Since he is a valuable young player, the team would want to keep him as a priority, so they will just have to wait for a trade for the main player to be decided. However, if they acquire young prospects or draft picks through trade, the number of players who can compete with Cardwell will increase, so the competition will continue.
Ryan Nembhard and Moussa Cissé are getting playing time for the Mavericks, but with the team struggling, it seems likely that a trade to strengthen the team will be prioritized rather than making roster space for them. The same goes for the Warriors with Jimmy Butler out, and they have work to do before signing Pat Spencer to a permanent deal.
The Pistons, who lead the Eastern Conference, are relying on second-year backup point guard Danis Jenkins. After scoring a dramatic game-tying buzzer-beater against the Wizards and becoming the driving force behind the victory, he has been thrust into the rotation, and has become an indispensable force with his stable game-making, high shooting accuracy, and second-highest assist count on the team behind Cade Cunningham. The Pistons should make room on their roster for Jenkins, as he is expected to be used in the playoffs.
Naquan Tomlin has earned playing time through hard work for the Cavaliers, who have struggled in the first half of the season. He is an unusual player who only started playing basketball seriously in college, and although he is only 25 years old, he has a lot of room to improve, and we would like to keep him on the team for his future growth.
The Pacers, who have fallen to the bottom of the league with Tyrese Haliburton absent for the entire season, have Quenton Jackson and Ethan Thompson playing active roles amid a series of injuries. In particular, the 27-year-old Jackson is in his third year with the Pacers, and he would like to get a real contract here. However, considering the Pacers’ team situation, there is no need to force the contract into a permanent deal, and it may be postponed until the off-season.
The 76ers are in dire straits as a team, with only Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker on two-way contracts at power forward. Since the center and small forward are well-stocked, it is not necessarily a position that must be used, but if they cannot be used, the range of tactics will be limited, so one should be moved to this contract. The roster is saturated with a lot of guards, so we’ll likely see some movement at the trade deadline.
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