The upcoming 2020-2021 NBA season is finally on the way, after the league and NBPA have agreed on the rules and regulations that will be implemented. Given that the NBA season is upon us, there is no doubt a lot of storylines to look forward to such as the title defense of the Los Angeles Lakers, how Anthony Edwards will fare for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the first overall pick in this year’s NBA draft, and many more.
But one of the spectacles you can also look forward into in the upcoming season is the possible triumphant returns of some NBA players that haven’t seen action in the NBA hardwood for quite some time. For this piece, let’s take a look at five NBA players that might make their return to the league next season.
5. Jeremy Lin
Despite winning his first NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, Jeremy Lin became a free agent shortly after but not a single NBA team wanted his services. The Linsanity star felt that the league had “given up” on him. As a result, he decided to take his talents to China and played for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association. Lin tore up the stat sheet for the Ducks as he averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per outing.
Although the former Knicks star easily flourished in China, Lin has made it known to everyone that his desire to play again in the NBA is still there.
Just earlier this year, the former Harvard standout announced on Weibo, “This decision has really been the hardest in my life. Every morning I would wake up at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. thinking, thinking, and thinking all the time. In the end, although Shougang [The Ducks] have treated me incredibly well… giving me everything I wanted, in the end, I feel that I still have NBA dreams. I still have time to play [there] and I have to chase this.”
Although the Beijing Ducks are trying to move mountains to keep Linsanity in the CBA, Lin could possibly make a return this year into the NBA, given how he chose not to return to the Ducks. Furthermore according to NBA reporter Alex Kennedy, he claims that NBA contenders are showing interest on the 10 year veteran, as Lin was seen working out with Nets and Warriors players including Stephen Curry.
Although it’s been about a decade ago since Linsanity took over the NBA, I’m sure fans would love to see Jeremy Lin thrive in the NBA hardwood once again. Furthermore, the Linsanity star can defeinitely help any NBA team trying to vie for a deep playoff run.
4. Isaiah Thomas
We last saw Isaiah Thomas in the NBA just earlier this year in February. However, we can tell that Thomas was no where near the MVP form he showed us during his time with the Boston Celtics. His short stint with the Wizards saw him just play 40 games while logging in 12.2 points, and 3.7 dimes per game as the underdog star was dealing with nagging hip pains. Since then, Thomas was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers and was waived. Because of this, the two time NBA All-Star has been surprisingly out of the league for quite a while now.
Fortunately, things may have changed for the better for the former 5’9 guard. After a hip resurfacing procedure, Thomas claims he has felt better.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Thomas said “It’s like night and day for me…There’s no more pain. I’ve got my full range of motion. For three years, I was trying to play the best players in the world on one leg.”
Given that Thomas is healthy again, there is no doubt that teams will be trying to get the services of the former All-Star. Thomas has announced publicly on Twitter that he is ready to take on any role to help the team that would sign him. So far, he has showed a desire to play for the championship-laden Golden State Warriors in a tweet saying “I need that warriors action. I’ll come off the bench serving!!!”
For sure the pint sized guard may be smaller than the average guard in the NBA, however, fans would surely want to see him showcase his skills that one ignited the hearts of the underdogs. If things go well, it won’t be surprising to see Thomas running rings around defenders in the upcoming NBA season.
3. John Wall
Just about a decade ago, John Wall took the NBA by storm as he showcased his speed, quickness, and athleticism that saw him blow by multiple defenders in the league. We would also see him rack five straight NBA All-Star distinctions by averaging 19.0 points and 9.2 dimes per game. Unfortunately, the five time NBA All-Star has been out ever since December 2018. The cat-quick guard sustained a dreaded torn achilles injury after slipping in his home forcing him to miss the entire 2019-2020 season. The Wizards badly missed his services as the team has not made the postseason since 2018.
The good news is John Wall is ready to make a comeback. In a video posted Bleacher Report on Twitter, the former Kentucky standout looked to be in perfect shape showcasing his speed, explosiveness, and shooting. Certainly, this is a great sight to see for Wizards fans, as they might now see Wall run alongside their star Bradley Beal and young overseas talents in Rui Hachimura and Davis Bertrans, who just agreed to a five year, $80 million deal to return to the team. Coach Scott Brooks only has some positive things to say about Wall’s comeback attempt.
In a discussion on The Starting Lineup, Brooks said “His speed, his athleticism, his explosiveness, it’s all back.”
2. DeMarcus Cousins
Another talent we might see make a comeback next season is All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins. The All-Star center last played in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals for the Golden State Warriors where he registered 12 points and five rebounds off the bench. Ever since Cousins stepped foot on the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, there’s no question he possess a huge amount of talent. Unfortunately, his history of injuries has slowed the 6’10 center from establishing himself as an elite big man in the league. His last injury was revealed to be a torn ACL in his left knee, which he acquired while working out in Las Vegas. Because of this, Cousins wasn’t even able to play a game for the eventual champions Los Angeles Lakers last season.
Fortunately, Boogie has been recovering well. The former Kentucky star even chose to be unavailable when the 2019-2020 NBA season was resumed in order to focus on his rehab. Furthermore, he also recently posted an inspirational video that shows how serious he is on making a comeback happen soon.
In fact, Cousins just signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Houston Rockets. With the Rockets having a new coach in Stephen Silas and the signing of former Pistons breakout star Christian Wood, there’s no question that the team will be making use of the size of their new acquisitions. Although Cousins will probably be playing backup to Wood, it might be a great opportunity for Boogie to slowly regain his All-Star form. Based on the reports of Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, the writer claims that Cousins made a good impression during the workouts with the team and has shown that “He’s as hungry as ever.”
If Cousins is indeed raring to play again in the NBA, then fans might be in for a treat. Should Boogie return to his All-Star form next season, then the Rockets might have gotten a steal that increased their chances of making a deep playoff run.
1. Kevin Durant
Arguably the biggest star in this list, there is no doubt that everyone will be waiting to see how Kevin Durant will fare in the league after he tore his right achilles during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals that sidelined him for the rest of the series and the entire 2019-2020 season. It is also worth noting that Durant was also diagnosed with Covid-19.
The two-time Finals MVP is no question a scoring phenom that is almost impossible to stop, given his polished skills to alongside with his 6’10 frame. But now that he suffered a dreaded achilles injury and has not seen action for more than a year now, a great number of questions surround the current Nets star. Thankfully, Durant seems to be on the right path to reclaiming his stardom.
During Stewie’s World podcast, he said “I appreciate being in the gym. I appreciate the workouts and the one-on-one sessions and just being in there with the other guys, just the whole routine. I just have a newfound evolved level of joy for it.”
Furthermore, even medical experts our positive that KD will be just as good when he returns to the NBA hardwood.
According to The NY Post, Dr. Laith Jazrawi, who is chief of the division of sports medicine in NYU Langone Sports Health, said “He’s not an old guy, 36, 37 towards the end of his career. I don’t think it’s like that in him. He’ll do just fine. I don’t see any issue to say he won’t be as good of a player as he was a year-and-a-half ago…”
NBA fans will surely be keeping their eyes open for Durant. Given that he is booked to play alongside All-Star Kyrie Irving for the upcoming season, there is no doubt that the Nets will be an automatic championship contender if KD finds his footing in the NBA once again, and that will definitely put the rest of the league on notice.
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