Top 3 "Do you know me now?" players, and Top 3 "What the hell happened to you?" players for this coming season

[Blame Rasho]

Pretty simple topic.... top 3 players who will arrive and top three players who will fall off a cliff for this coming year.

I am not giving too much thought of it right now but here is my list

Do you know me now list

1.Tyrese Haliburton - Honestly think he has all star potential in a couple of years. I think this is a easy pick for everyone can agree on. I wish the Spurs would have taken in the draft from the games I have seen from him.
2. Keldon Johnson - Will be the go to guy for the Spurs and will play SF instead of being a small power forward. I think he can surprise some people.
3. Franz Wagner - Had a sneaky good rookie year and most people will find out how good he is when he can play off of better players.

What the hell happened to you list

1. Chris Paul - I can't imagine him still having an allstar worthy season and leading the NBA in assists like last year.
2. Jalen Brunson - I can't shake the feeling that he will disappoint in NYC.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns - I think he will fall off with Edwards emergence and Gobert in the paint. I don't see him having a bad ass mofo side to him and has coasted by his talent for too long. I mean could he really be the 3rd best player on that team now when considering everything?

Two extra people for fun...

Do you know me now?

Anfernee Simons - I think he will end up being better than CJ. He needed to grow with Lillard out, the question remains if he can play with him at a high level.

What the hell happened to you?

Jaren Jackson Jr. - I think he settles too much and will eventfully get lost in the shuffle. Great defender and weak side shot blocker but isn't getting enough boards and settles for too many threes. I thought he would have all star potential but I don't see it in him.

Well tell me how wrong or right I am... and make your own lists.

[Dacost]

Pretty simple topic.... top 3 players who will arrive and top three players who will fall off a cliff for this coming year.

I am not giving too much thought of it right now but here is my list

Do you know me now list

1.Tyrese Haliburton - Honestly think he has all star potential in a couple of years. I think this is a easy pick for everyone can agree on. I wish the Spurs would have taken in the draft from the games I have seen from him.
2. Keldon Johnson - Will be the go to guy for the Spurs and will play SF instead of being a small power forward. I think he can surprise some people.
3. Franz Wagner - Had a sneaky good rookie year and most people will find out how good he is when he can play off of better players.

What the hell happened to you list

1. Chris Paul - I can't imagine him still having an allstar worthy season and leading the NBA in assists like last year.
2. Jalen Brunson - I can't shake the feeling that he will disappoint in NYC.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns - I think he will fall off with Edwards emergence and Gobert in the paint. I don't see him having a bad ass mofo side to him and has coasted by his talent for too long. I mean could he really be the 3rd best player on that team now when considering everything?

Two extra people for fun...

Do you know me now?

Anfernee Simons - I think he will end up being better than CJ. He needed to grow with Lillard out, the question remains if he can play with him at a high level.

What the hell happened to you?

Jarden Jackson Jr. - I think he settles too much and will eventfully get lost in the shuffle. Great defender and weak side shot blocker but isn't getting enough boards and settles for too many threes. I thought he would have all star potential but I don't see it in him.

Well tell me how wrong or right I am... and make your own lists.

Jaren Jackson is out the first 3 months of the season.

[User_friendly]

I don't know, but Jason Tatum plays every year alternating the Top 1 of both categories.

[SA37]

I'll give this a shot...

Do you know me now:

1) CJ McCollum - I think he'll build on what he did last year after the trade

2) Pascal Siakam - I think he'll have a season where he establishes himself as a legit all-star setting career-highs in ppg and rebounds

3) Jalen Green - I think we'll see more consistency out of him offensively, similar to what we saw from him the last ~2 months of the season

What the hell happened to you

1) Julius Randle - I expect him to underperfom (again) relative to his 20-21 season

2) OG Anunoby - If he is in Toronto, I expect he'll stagnate; if he is traded, he won't be able to live up to the hype

3) Mike Conley - One could argue this happened this past season, but I think he'll have another sub-par season

[cupcakesnake]

Do you know me now:
I'm not sure which player to pick but a few guys on the Cavs and Raptors. I just think they were sneaky awesome last year and injuries stopped them from letting more people know. The Raps kept falling apart right when they'd get healthy, the Cavs just got steadily buried. I look at Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby as big candidates to just crush it this year.

1. Darius Garland (and Jarrett Allen pick & roll duo) becoming the talk of the town, even though the Cavs will mostly be winning with defense. Garland leads the NBA in assists per game.
2. Pascal Siakam. He was injured to start last year and then took a couple weeks to get up to speed. But Pascal Siakam for most of last season was one of the most versatile 2-way players in the NBA. If he has a better shooting season, it could make everyone forget how he once struggled in a larger role.
3. D'Angelo Russell. He got a lot of hate last season (and just in general over his career) but I think he'll be the key to making the Wolves work this year. He's going to be playing the pick & roll with Gobert and be responsible for getting Kat and Ant the ball. He's the only good decision maker in our starting lineup. Russell having a career-best season is what will power the Wolves our first playoff series win since 2004.

honourable mention: MPJ, Franz Wagner, Shai, De'Aron Fox, De'Andre Hunter

What happened to you:
1. Kyle Lowry. Really hurts to say it because I love him and am rooting for a bounce back, but he was just so banged up all year and his injury problems in the playoff hamstring problems remind me of Harden's the year before. I hear he's looking good this offseason and I'm all for that, but I just worry his psycho playstyle doesn't translate in his late 30s.
2. Chris Paul. He's 37. He's done an incredible job managing his body over his late career but at some point the wheels fall off or the injuries don't stop.
3. Lebron. He hasn't played a healthy season in years and he's 38 in December. ESPN will force us to listen to every Lakers moment again all season, but I expect Lebron to miss half the season and miss the playoffs again.

honourable mention: PJ Tucker, Mike Conley

[Clav]

Caught a lot of bball last year and it was probably my most-watched year of complete NBA teams in a while, finally had a good setup to put on multiple games and really immerse myself, so in light of that, there should be some ballers I can think of who impressed me.

Do you know me now ?

1. Terrance Mann - Nearly everytime I watch Mann play he's really tenacious and making positive things happen. He was a bit out of control at times, but I think he can have every opportunity to make good on his position with the Clippers as a two-way threat. He isn't going to be guarded by the best players, ever, and he's on a stacked team. I expect this guy to ball out.

2. Trades can put a player in a unique place to play, and even though Domas Sabonis is a past All Star, I feel like the Kings are actually primed for a very successful year (in the grand scope of things). When he was traded from Indy to Sac-Town the Kings were already outside-looking-into the playoffs, but with Keegan Murray, a dynamic wing in Barnes, plus Fox (who Sac is committing to) and their more solid cast, I'm hoping Sabonis is an integral cog in the high-post to unlock their play.

Can I pick a rookie ?
3. Benedict Mathurin - Speaking of Indy, I really enjoyed hearing Mathurin speak on some of his Summer League games when he was out of the lineup. He also showed-out really well, and I feel like he's got an Anthony Edwards things going for him with an NBA ready body. He's going to be dropped into a lineup in desperate need of everything he brings on a nightly basis, I just see the fit and the potential of Mathurin to really impress this year, he could even win RoY, might be a really competitive race for the best Rook award.


What the hell happened to you!?

1. Terry Rozier - A small guard is entering his 30's, it hasn't bode well in much of NBA history, maybe Scary Terry can keep the ride going, and he played pretty well last year, but I have a feeling with LaMelo in the sights as the lead PG that Rozier might start his decline.

2. Dennis Schroder - still unsigned, and a player who was getting consideration for 6MoY while he was in ATL and OKC, more so that one year in OKC, but still, a good offensive guard overall. After turning down the big bag from LAL... it's been a rocky road for the Menace. He maybe is a last ditch Vet min signing, but we're not going to see much of this guy anymore

3. Al Horford - Age never fails and Big al is 36. He has a fundamental knowledge of the game that will always play in his favour but I think we're going to see him slow down a bit this year

[Tim Kempton]

Do you know me now?

1. Tim Hardaway Jr. - Forgotten because of the injury and emergence of Jalen Brunson. He'll come back and have a strong year.

2. Jerami Grant - If the Blazers make a playoff run or are even halfway decent, Grant is going to be a major reason. I think he can be a solid 3rd option for them.

3. Christian Wood - He'll be the recipient of some easy buckets from Luka. If/when the Mavs make their run, he'll get a lot of credit when he's putting up 15/9.

HM: John Wall/Norman Powell - The Clips should have a nice year if they get even a 1/2 season from Kawhi and a mostly healthy Paul George. The Clips are super deep, but Mann and Jackson aren't the type of options that can carry a team offensively. That will go to Powell and Wall. Powell will emerge as a main cog. Wall should be solid enough to surprise people who think he'll do nothing.


What the hell happened to you?

1. Jordan Poole - I don't see a fall off, but I think more people will realize he's an inconsistent player with serious limitations. This whole 1st/2nd option credit he's getting will go away.

2. Klay Thompson - I swear, I'm not a Warriors hater. Klay will not return to his old form. He'll have some flashes here and there but he's going to be closer to your average player moving forward.

3. Duncan Robinson - The Heat have already started cutting his minutes. He will continue to nosedive and the Heat are too good to give him run just for the sake of building his value to trade him.

HM: Dillon Brooks - Solid player who got too much shine last year. Much like Poole, I think more people realize it this year.

[wfiles]

Do you know me now?

1. Tim Hardaway Jr. - Forgotten because of the injury and emergence of Jalen Brunson. He'll come back and have a strong year.

2. Jerami Grant - If the Blazers make a playoff run or are even halfway decent, Grant is going to be a major reason. I think he can be a solid 3rd option for them.

3. Christian Wood - He'll be the recipient of some easy buckets from Luka. If/when the Mavs make their run, he'll get a lot of credit when he's putting up 15/9.

HM: John Wall/Norman Powell - The Clips should have a nice year if they get even a 1/2 season from Kawhi and a mostly healthy Paul George. The Clips are super deep, but Mann and Jackson aren't the type of options that can carry a team offensively. That will go to Powell and Wall. Powell will emerge as a main cog. Wall should be solid enough to surprise people who think he'll do nothing.


What the hell happened to you?

1. Jordan Poole - I don't see a fall off, but I think more people will realize he's an inconsistent player with serious limitations. This whole 1st/2nd option credit he's getting will go away.

2. Klay Thompson - I swear, I'm not a Warriors hater. Klay will not return to his old form. He'll have some flashes here and there but he's going to be closer to your average player moving forward.

3. Duncan Robinson - The Heat have already started cutting his minutes. He will continue to nosedive and the Heat are too good to give him run just for the sake of building his value to trade him.

HM: Dillon Brooks - Solid player who got too much shine last year. Much like Poole, I think more people realize it this year.

I’m surprised you didn’t put Draymond Green for number 3 and Andrew Wiggins for HM too.

[LAL1947]

I was looking for a thread to post this image I came across, and this one seems as good choice as any... as all three guys could feature either on the "Do you know me now?" and "What the hell happened to you?" lists.

[cupcakesnake]

HM: Dillon Brooks - Solid player who got too much shine last year. Much like Poole, I think more people realize it this year.

He missed most of the season last year (31 total games played). I don't disagree with the premise that Brooks is not a player you want taking 16 shots per game. But until Memphis gets a real small forward, Brooks is their most important wing stopper (even more so this year with Kyle Anderson gone), so he's going to get minutes. Jenkins basically demands every Memphis player to be really aggressive, and Brooks is the guy who benefits the most from that since he absolutely loves to attack and pull up.

So basically, I don't see a Brooks regression until Memphis replaces him with someone better suited for his role.

[cupcakesnake]

1. Terrance Mann - Nearly everytime I watch Mann play he's really tenacious and making positive things happen. He was a bit out of control at times, but I think he can have every opportunity to make good on his position with the Clippers as a two-way threat. He isn't going to be guarded by the best players, ever, and he's on a stacked team. I expect this guy to ball out.

It's difficult to envision Mann getting minutes, unless the Clippers have major injury problems again. Even though the Clips like to play 3-4 wings at a time, Mann is probably behind Kawhi, George, Norm Powell for minutes at the 2-3, and those guys will play a lot of minutes there because the 3-4 has competition from Rob Covington, Nic Batum, Marcus Morris. I agree with you on the quality of Mann, but I wonder if there's room for him to break out this year.

2. Trades can put a player in a unique place to play, and even though Domas Sabonis is a past All Star, I feel like the Kings are actually primed for a very successful year (in the grand scope of things). When he was traded from Indy to Sac-Town the Kings were already outside-looking-into the playoffs, but with Keegan Murray, a dynamic wing in Barnes, plus Fox (who Sac is committing to) and their more solid cast, I'm hoping Sabonis is an integral cog in the high-post to unlock their play.

Totally agree. I think the Sabonis to Murray connection is very exciting on paper. Sabonis is a physical scoring threat who demands a lot of attention, and Murray is a bit of a genius at sneaking in to the gaps to open up easy passing angles. Add the rim pressure of De'Aron Fox and the release valve scoring or Barnes, and I think we see the most functional Kings team in a long time.

1. Terry Rozier - A small guard is entering his 30's, it hasn't bode well in much of NBA history, maybe Scary Terry can keep the ride going, and he played pretty well last year, but I have a feeling with LaMelo in the sights as the lead PG that Rozier might start his decline.

2. Dennis Schroder - still unsigned, and a player who was getting consideration for 6MoY while he was in ATL and OKC, more so that one year in OKC, but still, a good offensive guard overall. After turning down the big bag from LAL... it's been a rocky road for the Menace. He maybe is a last ditch Vet min signing, but we're not going to see much of this guy anymore

3. Al Horford - Age never fails and Big al is 36. He has a fundamental knowledge of the game that will always play in his favour but I think we're going to see him slow down a bit this year

All very good pick. I don't want to see Big Al decline, but he's near the top of the list of players to watch for age-related regression. Rozier feels more like a coinflip but I wouldn't be surprised if his decline was abrupt. Dennis Schroeder is probably already there.

[dirkforpres]

Do you know me now:

- Saddiq Bey - going to get all of those Jerami Grant touches, plus Cade and Ivey will find him anywhere he goes
- Jonathan Isaac - comeback season coming off a ton of rest. I still believe in his potential.
- De’anthony Melton - underrated acquisition with a lot of opportunities in Philadelphia, where Doc has always been able to get the most out of PGs

What happened to you:

- Jalen Brunson - Yes, some of me listing him here is sour grapes from him leaving the Mavs, but also he is not a good defender, nor will he be benefiting from the open looks as a result of defenses focusing on trying to stop Luka anymore. I think he may have similar stats to last year, but itll be at much lower percentages. Not worth the 27 million dollar price tag, and I could see it getting ugly in NY pretty quickly
- Lebron James- it’s inevitable and he pushed it farther than I ever could’ve imagined, but I think Father Time finally catches up to him this season
- Kawhi Leonard - Now on wrong side of 30 coming off yet another knee injury. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he takes a big step back

[ellobo]

Do you know me now?
SGA. Between injuries and tanking, a lot of more casual fans don't know him well and a lot of more serious fans are still skeptical or reserving judgment. I'm a believer and he's probably my favorite player to watch.

Haliburton and Maxey have already broken out to a degree, but I expect them to go from promising to clearly for real, and I think their teams already think of them that way, so they don't have to fight for their roles or look over their shoulders -- they can just go out and play with confidence.

Honorable mention 2nd year guys: Franz Wagner and Jalen Green. I think these guys both had underappreciated rookie years and are due for a much higher level of recognition, especially since their teams should be more competitive. Also, Bones Hyland. He should have an expanded role with Morris gone, he had some excellent moments last year, the organization seems to believe in him, and the team should be a contender if healthy.

What the hell happened to you?
This one is tricky for me if I exclude older guys who are naturally due for a decline at some point. For instance, Chris Paul seemed to fall off a cliff and turn into Cliff Paul when he turned 37. I remember Jason Kidd's last year with the Knicks, when he went from still got it to completely washed by the end of the season. And this past season, it was Kemba Walker, who still had a few good moments offensively, but could no longer even pretend to guard anyone and could not keep up physically game to game with an NBA schedule.

So, to me it's more like guys who we thought were good, or at least put up numbers, and will suddenly fall off or have a much smaller than expected role, and I'm having trouble thinking of guys like that off the top of my head.

[Long2_noD]

My early flameout candidate is Josh Richardson. He's been on decline for what, past 3 seasons?
With the youth movement in SA, I just don't see him bouncing back. They have Vassell, Primo and now Branham ready to take his minutes.

I suspect he gets traded before the deadline for a couple of pick swaps to a contender to play maybe 15mpg.

[HiRez]

3. Franz Wagner - Had a   sneaky   good rookie year and most people will find out how good he is when he can play   off of better players   on other teams that aren't located in Orlando.

Fixed.

[BenoUdrihFTL]

Do you know me now:

Cam Johnson
PJ Washington
Herb Jones
HM: Omer Yurtseven

Wtf happened:

Nikola Vucevic
Dejounte Murray
Caris LeVert
HM: Tobias Harris

[Texas Chuck]

shocking how everyone finds a do you know me now from their favorite team and gets in their feelings if someone names someone from said team to the other list.

Now let me tell you why Davis Bertans is winning MIP.....


Now for my more surprise breakout list:

Monte Morris is the only real playmaker Washington has and they have some offensive weapons around him. I expect a sneaky good season.

Myles Turner is due a healthy year and whether he ultimately does get traded or plays out the string in Indy, I think he's highly motivated to remind people this is a DPOY-caliber center and he thinks he has more offense to give and maybe he's right.

Ben Simmons gets on the court and reminds everyone he's one hell of a good basketball player, even without a jump shot.

What happened to you guys?

Al Horford played a bunch of hard playoff minutes. I think he will still be a useful player if they can keep his minute down, but wouldn't be stunned at a major regression finally

Dejountae Murray -- Trae isn't going to give up the ball much, not should he as he's not great off ball either. Murray really struggles to find his role trying to play off Trae, everyone will be wondering why the Hawks paid so much

Jamal Murray -- he's only ever been great in the bubble and I think he comes back and struggles and people wonder why they ever thought he was a rising star

[Colbinii]

Do you know me now:

Cam Johnson
PJ Washington
Herb Jones
HM: Omer Yurtseven

Wtf happened:

Nikola Vucevic
Dejounte Murray
Caris LeVert
HM: Tobias Harris

I think Cam and Herb are fairly household names at this point after the year they had.

[Colbinii]

Do you know me now

1. Kawhi Leonard - Best player in league vibes. Wins Championship.
2. Domantas Sabonis- Very good basketball player
3. Davis Bertans - I liked him a lot when he signed the contract and still think he can live up to the remainder of the contract.

What happened to you guys?

1. Lonzo Ball - Injuries are unfortunate. I wouldn't be surprised with another injury riddled season which is a shame as he is a defensive sensation.
2. Kyle Lowry - 2022 was only the beginning. His body is falling apart.

[Infinite Llamas]

Caught a lot of bball last year and it was probably my most-watched year of complete NBA teams in a while, finally had a good setup to put on multiple games and really immerse myself, so in light of that, there should be some ballers I can think of who impressed me.

Do you know me now ?

1. Terrance Mann - Nearly everytime I watch Mann play he's really tenacious and making positive things happen. He was a bit out of control at times, but I think he can have every opportunity to make good on his position with the Clippers as a two-way threat. He isn't going to be guarded by the best players, ever, and he's on a stacked team. I expect this guy to ball out.

2. Trades can put a player in a unique place to play, and even though Domas Sabonis is a past All Star, I feel like the Kings are actually primed for a very successful year (in the grand scope of things). When he was traded from Indy to Sac-Town the Kings were already outside-looking-into the playoffs, but with Keegan Murray, a dynamic wing in Barnes, plus Fox (who Sac is committing to) and their more solid cast, I'm hoping Sabonis is an integral cog in the high-post to unlock their play.

Can I pick a rookie ?
3. Benedict Mathurin - Speaking of Indy, I really enjoyed hearing Mathurin speak on some of his Summer League games when he was out of the lineup. He also showed-out really well, and I feel like he's got an Anthony Edwards things going for him with an NBA ready body. He's going to be dropped into a lineup in desperate need of everything he brings on a nightly basis, I just see the fit and the potential of Mathurin to really impress this year, he could even win RoY, might be a really competitive race for the best Rook award.


What the hell happened to you!?

1. Terry Rozier - A small guard is entering his 30's, it hasn't bode well in much of NBA history, maybe Scary Terry can keep the ride going, and he played pretty well last year, but I have a feeling with LaMelo in the sights as the lead PG that Rozier might start his decline.

2. Dennis Schroder - still unsigned, and a player who was getting consideration for 6MoY while he was in ATL and OKC, more so that one year in OKC, but still, a good offensive guard overall. After turning down the big bag from LAL... it's been a rocky road for the Menace. He maybe is a last ditch Vet min signing, but we're not going to see much of this guy anymore

3. Al Horford - Age never fails and Big al is 36. He has a fundamental knowledge of the game that will always play in his favour but I think we're going to see him slow down a bit this year

I always come across as a Rozier apologist but he doesn’t turn 30 until March 2024. His last three seasons are carbon copies of each other. As long as he is in Charlotte, he will get his opportunities