NBA Sidekicks Who Could Star in Different Situations
In the NBA, a change in opportunity can lead to a transformation in stature.
Just ask Victor Oladipo, who was an afterthought this time last year but evolved into an All-Star once a trade give him the keys to a franchise. Or Donovan Mitchell, who wasn't a full-time starter for the Utah Jazz at first but wound up pacing them in points with 20.5 per game. Or Lou Williams, a former spark plug who seized an injury-created opening and became the Los Angeles Clippers' offensive leader.
As predictable as the Association may seem at times, it's imperative to remember everything is fluid—roles included.
With that in mind, we've uncovered five current sidekicks with the talent to be marquee stars in different situations.
We're only considering those in Robin-esque roles, not players in truly equal partnerships (like Stephen Curry-Kevin Durant or Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons). And we aren't considering those who are sidekicks but enjoyed top billing before (like Chris Paul, Paul George or Gordon Hayward).
These are players we've never known as being more than lead assistants, who have shown both the production and the potential to be headliners.
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
1 of 5
Two Augusts back, John Wall publicized his view of the Washington Wizards' pecking order. The 2010 No. 1 pick naturally dubbed himself as "A" while labeling Bradley Beal as "A-1" and "my sidekick" during an interview with CSN (h/t NBC Sports Washington).
On a possibly related note, Beal has since produced the two most dominant seasons of his career. Since the start of 2016-17, he's averaged 22.9 points and 4.0 assists per game, appeared in 159 of a possible 164 regular-season contests and even made his All-Star debut this past February.
The hierarchy is more blurred than it has been, but usage percentages still see it as Wall first and then Beal. That might work for the Wizards, but it would be interesting to see what Beal could do in the driver's seat.
He spent a two-month stint there last season, as Wall was sidelined by knee surgery. Beal's scoring dipped a bit in that stretch, but most encouraging was the fact his shooting held steady (45.9/36.9/81.0 slash) and he distributed like a lead guard (6.0 assists per game).
"I don't want to be labeled strictly as a shooter or a catch-and-shoot guy," Beal told SLAM's Peter Walsh. "I want to be labeled as a scorer and a playmaker and someone who can get his teammates involved in plays off the dribble."
Beal's current circumstances force him to embrace the floor-spacer role. He obviously has a gift for shooting (career 39.3 percent from range), plus it keeps the offensive end open for Wall to attack. But Beal is a better shot-creator than he's able to show, and he's skilled enough to maintain his efficiency even while handling a No. 1 option's workload.
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
2 of 5
It isn't easy identifying the alpha on the Boston Celtics, which is a credit to what general manager Danny Ainge and his staff have assembled. Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum both carried the scoring torch at times last season, Hayward should chip in this campaign, and Al Horford often looks like he might quietly be their most important player.
That leaves Jaylen Brown as their version of the fifth Beatle, which feels strange saying with how much upside he possesses. But he hasn't established himself the way Boston's All-Stars have and wasn't celebrated the way Tatum was as a rookie, making Brown a sidekick to the other four starters.
Put in a different situation, though, the 21-year-old might be widely seen as being on the cusp of stardom. He's already a disruptive multipositional defender, and his offense erupted as a sophomore. He more than doubled both his shots (5.4 to 11.5) and points (6.6 to 14.5) per game while simultaneously boosting his conversion rates from the field (45.4 to 46.5) and three (34.1 to 39.5).
"His jump from Year 1 to Year 2 was jarring," ESPN.com's Zach Lowe wrote. "The Celtics aren't ready to put a ceiling on him, and they shouldn't be. He may never crack the top five in MVP voting, but it is not a stretch to imagine Brown making an All-NBA team and busting into some of those lofty 'two-way player' conversations."
Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler, regulars in the top two-way player debates, weren't scoring like Brown just did as sophomores. They weren't shooting threes as accurately either. That doesn't mean Brown is guaranteed to follow their paths to the top, but their blueprints both agree he's heading the right direction.
CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
3 of 5
CJ McCollum isn't the other Damian Lillard. The former doesn't have the latter's athleticism. Or All-Star accolades. Or rap skills.
You get the point.
Inside the lines, though, McCollum can mostly go step-for-step with his higher-profile backcourt mate. Because McCollum plays the Robin role for the Portland Trail Blazers, the volume edge goes Lillard's way. But McCollum has had the higher field-goal and three-point percentages each of the last three seasons, and his career slash line comfortably wins both of those levels.
This isn't to argue that he needs to be the keeper if Portland breaks apart this pair. But McCollum's star potential is rich enough that there'd surely be some debate.
The 26-year-old is one of 13 players to average at least 20 points and three assists each of the past three seasons. He's also the only one of the 13 who never led his club in scoring. Possessing both yo-yo handles and in-the-arena shooting range, he's both a vicious isolation scorer (82nd percentile last season) and a crafty creator when triggering pick-and-rolls (79th).
"McCollum can work magic with the ball in his hands but has also become one of the NBA's slitheriest players working off screens," SI.com's Jeremy Woo wrote in February. "... He may not be an All-Star this season, but he remains one of the league's sneaky-elite scorers."
McCollum might give back some of what he gets at the defensive end—if the Blazers dismantle their backcourt, that'd be the reason—but if given the controls, he could pilot a good-to-great offense.
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks
4 of 5
Is this asking for too much when Khris Middleton has already shattered expectations several times over? His NBA journey says you would be foolish to put a cap on him.
He was the 39th pick in 2012, taken just after Quincy Miller and two spots ahead of Tyshawn Taylor. Middleton was traded after his rookie season, essentially a throw-in as part of a Brandon Knight-Brandon Jennings swap. Fast forward to the present, and Middleton is coming off a campaign in which he was one of 11 players to average 20 points, five rebounds and four assists.
He's been a support piece, a third banana and, most recently, primary sidekick of all-galaxy superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Each climb up the ladder has uncovered a new element of Middleton's game.
He started as a three-and-D ace, defending multiple positions and consistently cashing around 40 percent of his long-range looks. But he keeps taking on more offensive responsibility while also improving his true shooting percentage in all but one of his NBA seasons. He's not only slippery off the dribble (93rd percentile on pick-and-rolls), but he can also make shots under duress (49.2 percent against tight or very tight coverage).
"Middleton spaces the floor. He can run off screens and score," Celtics coach Brad Stevens told Michael Pina for Bleacher Report in April 2017. "He's a really good scorer cutting off the ball. He's gotten better, I think, as time's gone on in pick-and-roll and with the ball. And then he's a knockdown shooter."
That's a long-winded way of saying Middleton does everything, which is a different way of saying he could handle yet another promotion.
Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
5 of 5
Myles Turner's first three NBA seasons have included an All-Rookie selection, a sophomore leap and a relatively disappointing follow-up. But his per-36-minute marks swear he's been the same player all along. His points have always landed between 16.2 and 16.6, his rebounds have been 8.2 to 8.7 and his blocks have checked in at 2.3 or 2.4.
That 16-point, eight-rebound, two-block line is special on its own. Only five players have averaged that (per game) over a full season in the 2010s.
But with Turner, it feels like he's capable of more.
His 49.8 career field-goal percentage grows more impressive when noting he's not feasting on bunnies but rather launching his shots from an average distance of 12.3 feet. He's competent from long distance (34.6 percent) and excellent for a 6'11" center at the line (78.3). But he can't be labeled as just a jumbo shooter, since he's also proficient in the post (73rd percentile) and capable of isolating in a pinch (81st).
His strengths just aren't always on full display since the Indiana Pacers went from being Paul George's team to Oladipo's, with Turner getting just the fourth-most shots per game last season.
"[Turner] is an underrated big in our league right now in terms of what he is capable of doing," Irving said, per ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk. "He had a lot of talent on a perimeter-oriented team, so he is not getting as many touches as I would like to see, personally."
Turner is eligible for a contract extension this offseason. If that doesn't happen, he will be a restricted free agent the next. Given his already sharp skills and now-chiseled frame, he looks ready to lead some team in the Circle City or elsewhere.
Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball Reference or NBA.com.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.
