NBA Bubble Power Rankings Preview: Catch up time

Also on the outside looking in, the Phoenix Suns are the first team that should truly benefit from the experience of the bubble, even if they do not have much of a chance to move on to the next stage.

The team has two young stars who can benefit from finally being on a national stage. Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton have both shown improvement this season. Getting to see more of their development together will be essential to building any sort of plan for the team going forward. Exploring Booker at point guard might be something worth looking at in this short eight-game run. Ayton has hinted at expanding his shooting range, allowing him to pair better with Aron Baynes.

If Kelly Oubre Jr. is also able to return following meniscus surgery in March, Phoenix will have the three core pieces of their young team on the floor together. This is about looking forward to next season. Building chemistry is essential for planning that next step.

It has already been confirmed that Ricky Rubio will not be playing his normal minutes to avoid any injury issues going into next season. Given this, the team brought in Cameron Payne to fill a roster spot but do not expect to see too much of him.

The Sacramento Kings may have been ranked higher on this list a week ago, but on Wednesday De’Aaron Fox sprained his left ankle, putting his status for the bubble games in doubt. With Buddy Hield, Alex Len and Jabari Parker still recovering from COVID-19 and Harrison Barnes just being diagnosed this week, the team is slowly unraveling.

Many jokes were made about Richaun Holmes violating the rules of the bubble this week, but having him being placed in quarantine further limits the roster for the Kings as play approaches. With only Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles III currently active to fill out the frontcourt, things could get out of hand quickly for the team with the longest playoff drought in the league.

Corey Brewer was the only addition the team made, but ultimately what matters is how the questionable players can return to the team. Should Fox and Hield be able to take the court, they may be able to make things interesting in the playoff race. Coming into the bubble the Kings are tied with Pelicans and Blazers 3.5 games out of the final playoff spot.

The final eight games will be a free-for-all for the three final teams and the Grizzlies to find out who has a date with the Lakers. If the franchise guards can take the court, they may be able to remain in the mix.