The NBA trade deadline passed a week ago and all of the biggest names across the league have been making headlines. It can be easy to only think about the NBA’s superstars, so that’s why I have you covered to make sure you don’t forget about everyone else who has been putting in work in this edition of Sleepers of the Week.
Ivica Zubac vs Utah on Feb. 8
The Los Angeles Clippers have been coined as one of the surprise teams in the league this year. LA played a majority of the season without star forward Kawhi Leonard, which allowed guard James Harden to step up his play tremendously. Guard Norman Powell has also been getting a lot of attention this season as he is having the best season of his career, putting up a career high in points per game.
Because of all the scoring threats the Clippers have on the perimeter, it can be easy to forget about LA’s big man down low, center Ivica Zubac. Zubac is averaging a career-high 15.3 points and a career-best in rebounds at 12.7. In Los Angeles’ victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday, Zubac led the team in scoring with 26 points, grabbed 15 boards and dished out five assists. As the All-Star break approaches, Los Angeles will need Zubac to keep up his dominant play so the Clippers can secure a playoff spot towards the end of the regular season.
Franz Wagner vs. Spurs on Feb. 8
It can be easy to forget how good forward Franz Wagner has been this season. He missed a lot of time due to injury, he was not selected as an All-Star this year, the Orlando Magic have struggled as of late after starting the season as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Don’t let Orlando’s struggles make you forget that the Magic have a star on the rise with Wagner. He’s averaging just over 25 points per game this season on nearly 47% shooting and on Saturday against the San Antonio Spurs, he was lethal. In Orlando’s close 112-111 win, Wagner had 33 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. The Magic can still make the playoffs this year, but they will need Wagner to continue playing like this after the All-Star break to have a realistic chance.
Christian Braun vs. Portland on Feb. 10
The Denver Nuggets are slowly starting to get back on track following a slow start to the season. The first player that always comes to mind when people think about the Nuggets is all-world center Nikola Jokić, who dominated this game with 40 points. However, third-year guard Christian Braun also had a stellar performance with 26 points.
On the season Braun is averaging a career-high 15 points per game on nearly 58% from the field. Essentially doubling his scoring average from last season, Braun has become one of the most relied-upon players for the Nuggets this season and as Denver looks to get back to the NBA Finals, they will need Braun’s contributions throughout the rest of the season.
Josh Hart vs. Indiana on Feb. 11
Josh Hart has always been known for making all the little plays it takes to win. That is exactly what he did in the New York Knicks’ victory over the Indiana Pacers. Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 40 points, but Hart was all over the place with 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. The Knicks have been sitting at the No. 3 seed in the east for a majority of the season and if they are going to make a deep playoff run this season, Hart’s grittiness will be a big factor and something to watch going forward.
Hart is averaging nearly 15 points per game this year to go along with nearly 10 rebounds and six assists. The Knicks are Hart’s fourth stop in the NBA and in his third season with the team, this may be New York’s best chance to capture that elusive NBA championship the city has been searching for since 1973.
Benedict Mathurin vs. Washington on Feb. 12
It does not take much to beat the Washington Wizards this season. They are the worst team in the league record-wise as they continue to try to rebuild for the future. However, Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin had an impressive showing against Washington as he scored 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Pacers won dramatically by a score of 134-130 in overtime.
Indiana also got off to a pretty slow start this year, but now the Pacers are starting to look like they did last year as they have climbed up to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings. After going all the way to the conference finals last year, the Pacers will be looking to prove that last season’s run was not a fluke.