The NBA is entering a very pivotal time of the season, when teams rise or fall as the playoffs quickly approach.
Some teams are going to thrive and others are going to fail depending on how well their rosters come together and certain stars step up.
Stephen A. Smith appeared on “First Take” and enthusiastically listed the top-five players who could be “potentially impactful” during this time of the season.
Smith said that Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Julius Randle of the New York Knicks, and Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks all have a chance to truly impact their respective teams.
But he believes that Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets are the players most likely to help their teams in very big ways.
.@stephenasmith's potentially impactful NBA players down the stretch:
1. Jamal Murray
2. Kawhi Leonard
3. Damian Lillard
4. Julius Randle
5. Ant Edwards pic.twitter.com/QpUVbjxC2C— First Take (@FirstTake) February 27, 2024
Smith said that all NBA fans know what Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets is capable of and he can be enough to lead the team to plenty of victories.
But if Murray is playing at the best of his abilities, that all but assures the Nuggets return to the Finals.
Each of these players has a lot of questions swirling around them.
People wonder if Edwards can step up in the postseason, others worry that Randle won’t get healthy, while there are some fans who don’t know if Lillard really fits alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo.
And, as always, there are concerns about Leonard remaining healthy for the rest of the season.
Each of these men plays for teams that could have a lot of success in the playoffs.
The chances of that success increase if Murray, Leonard, Lillard, Randle, and Edwards are all healthy and prepared to play hard.
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