Victor Oladipo, Mike Conley and NBA Players Who Should Bounce Back in 2020-21
Some NBA players struggle every season for a variety of reasons, whether it's adjusting to a new team, struggling with a larger role, coming back from a difficult injury or overall fatigue.
To bounce back, these players often must do a lot of work. For some, getting more familiar with the system or new role could be the key. For others, it's about continuing to prepare their bodies for the grind of the season.
Now that the 2020-21 season might start prior to Christmas, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst, redemption might be coming for the following players far more quickly than anyone expected.
Mike Conley, Utah Jazz
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When the Utah Jazz traded for Mike Conley last summer, they became a trendy NBA Finals dark-horse pick. The veteran point guard was expected to help relieve some of the offensive creation from Donovan Mitchell.
However, Conley's first season with the Jazz didn't quite go as planned.
In his first 20 games, he averaged only 14.3 points while shooting 37 percent from the field. For context, his career field-goal percentage is 43.9 percent. He finished the season averaging 14.4 points, the lowest since the 2011-12 season.
A hamstring injury also cost Conley a large chunk of games in December and January. He played only 47 regular-season games, which made it difficult for him to hit his stride.
Conley played his first 12 seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, so his transition to Utah wasn't seamless. He needed time to learn head coach Quin Synder's offensive and defensive systems.
The playoffs were an encouraging sign for what Conley can bring to the Jazz in 2020-21. After missing the first two games for the birth of his son, he averaged 19.8 points on 48.4 percent shooting from the field and 52.9 percent shooting from deep, and he added 5.2 dimes per game.
Conley’s comfort level with the Jazz improved throughout the year, which should continue into next season.
Gary Harris, Denver Nuggets
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Gary Harris appeared to break out in 2017-18, as he averaged 17.5 points while shooting 39.6 percent from deep on 5.9 attempts per game. However, he's endured an injury-ravaged two-year skid since then.
In 2018-19, Harris averaged only 12.9 points and shot 33.9 percent from deep. This past season, he averaged 10.4 points and shot 33.3 percent from deep. He attempted only 9.3 shots per game—the fewest since his rookie season—and he shot below 30 percent from three-point range prior to the All-Star break.
What makes him a bounce-back candidate? After the All-Star break, he was beginning to find his rhythm. In the 10 games before play was suspended, he shot 57.7 percent from three.
More promising was his playoff performance. After missing all of the seeding games with a hip injury, he returned late in the first round and shot 36.5 percent from three during the Nuggets' run to the Western Conference Finals.
Harris also brought his defense with him to Florida. With him on the court, the Nuggets had a defensive rating of 108.2, compared to 117.9 when he was off.
The Nuggets might have missed the opportunity to sell high on Harris, but in a slightly smaller role, he could return to form. Between Michael Porter Jr.'s emergence as a potential third star and Jamal Murray taking the leap as a playmaker, Harris could find himself much more effective in a complementary role.
Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers
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Victor Oladipo's 2018-19 season came to an abrupt end when he tore his quadriceps tendon in January. It took him a full year to recover from the injury, so he didn't make his season debut in 2019-20 until Jan. 29.
With that much time off, Oladipo was inevitably rusty, and he never managed to shake it off. During his 19 regular-season games (including the seeding games), he averaged only 14.5 points and 2.9 assists while shooting 31.5 percent from three-point range. All three of those marks were three-year lows for him.
Now that he's nearly two years removed from the injury, he should continue to improve. Although the Miami Heat swept his Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, Oladipo averaged 17.8 points while shooting 36.4 percent from deep.
Since Oladipo missed training camp and the first few months of the season, he didn't have much of a chance to establish chemistry with backcourt mate Malcolm Brogdon. With both of them on the floor, the Pacers had an offensive rating of 102.8, which was a 6.7-point drop-off from their regular-season offensive rating. It turned into a lot of "your turn, my turn" basketball instead playing off each other.
The Pacers have hired Nate Bjorkgen as their head coach, and it will be on him to create an offense that allows for both Oladipo and Brogdon to flourish. There have been trade rumors swirling around Oladipo for months, which may complicate matters.
With Oladipo heading into a contract year, he has plenty of motivation to bounce back in 2020-21, whether it's in Indiana or elsewhere.
Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
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After signing a four-year, $75.6 million contract extension in September, it was all downhill for Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon. He started off slow and then underwent knee surgery, which forced him to miss six weeks.
Even when Gordon returned, he never quite found his form, and he sprained his ankle during the Rockets' last scrimmage before the games started in the bubble. As a result, he played only 36 out of 72 regular-season games.
On the year, Gordon averaged 14.4 points, his lowest mark since the 2014-15 season. He shot only 31.7 percent from three after entering the year with a 37.4 percent career hit rate from deep.
Gordon did show flashes of life at times, like his 50-point game against the Utah Jazz in late January. He also upped his scoring output in the playoffs to 17.3 points, although he shot only 32.2 percent from deep.
Prior to this season, Gordon had never played fewer than 68 games for the Rockets. Over those three years, he averaged 16.8 points and shot 36.8 percent from three.
Gordon plays such an important role for Houston. He is another deep threat, can attack the basket off the bounce and even serves as a third playmaker. The key will be whether he can stay healthy moving forward.
Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry — Golden State Warriors
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It's tough to judge any of the Golden State Warriors' veterans based on last season.
Klay Thompson missed the entire season recovering from the ACL tear he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals. Four games into the year, Stephen Curry broke his hand and played only one more game after that. And Draymond Green averaged only 28.4 minutes—his fewest since the 2013-14 season—across 43 games.
One Finals run can take a physical, mental and emotional toll on a team, let alone five straight.
Green and Thompson both played 104 playoff games during their five Finals runs, while Curry played 93. At a certain point, players start to play on fumes.
With Thompson sidelined for the full season, this ended up being the perfect time to have a gap year. The Warriors had no need to rush Curry back or tax Green's body when they were not in a position to compete.
Instead, the Warriors got to develop their young players and assess who might be a long-term keeper. They also made a big trade, flipping D'Angelo Russell for Andrew Wiggins and future draft considerations, and won the second overall pick in the draft lottery.
The Warriors now have a few different options with regard to how they move forward. Regardless of which direction they choose, their Big Three should be ready to hit the ground running next season.
Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men's national team. Follow him on Twitter, @MoDakhil_NBA.
