The Miami Heat, after making a Finals run in the 2020 playoffs, just got demolished by the Bucks. They got swept 4-0, and only one game was close (and that was the one Bucks struggle game. The Heat didn’t play well all series). That’s super disappointing.
So, because of this disappointing loss, we now know that the Heat need to make changes. They aren’t capable of winning a championship in their current state. So, I’m gonna talk about a few things I think they should do to return to contender status next season.
First things first: Make a decision on Tyler Herro
We know Tyler Herro is pretty good. He definitely has potential. The problem is, he was inconsistent this year. That’s a bad sign (I talked a lot about him in this article, so I won’t say too much else here). Therefore, the Heat need to make a decision: do we trade Herro while we know for sure he has value, or do we keep him and hope he returns to his bubble state?
I think he should get traded. Why? That leads to my next thing.
Acquire a scorer
I’m talking about a consistent 18-20 PPG guy that can score at all levels. That’s what Miami really needed in the playoffs, because everybody was struggling shooting the ball. Jimmy usually isn’t that. Bam isn’t that. Tyler could become one, but he isn’t that yet.
The Heat have cap space. If they want to use that on a scorer, I think Norman Powell or Evan Fournier are the ideal targets. I like Norman Powell in Miami, because he’s a better defender than Fournier, but both would be good.
A trade involving Tyler Herro is the other way for Miami to acquire a scorer. The obvious target is Bradley Beal. I just don’t think that’s realistic. Maybe last summer, when Tyler’s value was at its highest, but not anymore. Therefore, I have another potential target:
Collin Sexton.
I know, not the perfect player. He’s not necessarily a willing passer, and he’s also a young player who is still developing. He’s not a great defender, which doesn’t fit Miami’s culture. But I think he’d be better than Tyler on the Heat, and it’s been rumored that Cleveland could listen to offers for Sexton.
I think that Sexton would be able to have the ball in his hands in Miami, but he could also learn to play off the ball so Jimmy can facilitate. I think Sexton as an off ball would be great. I also think that Sexton would be an awesome sixth man if Coach Spoelstra opted to start the veteran Dragic. I think a Tyler for Sexton swap would work out well for both teams. I do think the Heat would have to throw in a few picks to get it done, but it would be worth it if they’re really all in on winning now.
Tyler would be great for a young Cleveland roster. He has the All-Star potential. He has the ability to play on and off the ball, which is great because Darius Garland could slide in as the full time point guard. He could grow nicely on a team with no pressure and less media attention, which would benefit him immensely.
Don’t pay Victor Oladipo, please
I don’t care how much he wants to be in Miami, I don’t want to see Oladipo in a Heat jersey next year. Not because he’s a bad player. He’s definitely not as good as he used to be, but he’s still a good player that fits nicely on the Heat. It’s just that he’s going to want a lot of money. If he won’t accept anything below $15 million, the Heat should not bring him back. He’s just not worth that much money.
(Plus, Miami hardly gave up anything to get Oladipo, so letting him go is no biggie. If Duncan Robinson would have been involved like Houston wanted, this would be a different story.)
Do pay Duncan Robinson, please
Not more than $20 million though. He’s obviously a top shooter in the league, but he’s not worth All-Star money. He should get around $15 million, tops. The Heat need to keep Duncan for now, he’s too valuable to let go.
Resign Kendrick Nunn
He could be used in a sign-and-trade. If Miami decides they really want to go all in on Bradley Beal, Kendrick would have to be involved in the deal. He’s probably worth $10 million a year tops if Miami wants to keep him, but if he was involved in a sign-and-trade for a star player then he could get $15 million to make the money match.
Bring back Nemanja Bjelica and Dewayne Dedmon
Both are solid role players that did their jobs in the Bucks series. I think Miami should bring them back for a full season.
In the end, Miami’s offseason comes down to two main points:
Acquire a scorer, it’s necessary
Don’t screw up your cap space
I definitely trust Miami’s front office to do their job well, but that’s what I would do if I was the Heat’s general manager (hey, this is almost like a “I become the GM of” article).
Do you agree with my plan? What would you change? Are you angry because of this article’s title? Let me know! See you next time!
What a start to the playoffs! I watched basketball all weekend. My whole life is watching basketball during the playoffs. The first games did not waste my time.
I’ve got some takeaways from these games. A few involve the play-in, the rest relate to the first playoff games played this weekend. Here we go!
(Before we start, I’ll mention the rebranding this blog went through. Finn’s Basketball Blog wasn’t an awful name, but the Bench Mob Blog is a lot better. Shoutout to my dad for designing the logo. I chose the Bench Mob because I have a strange obsession with lots of random bench guys in the NBA. Mike James, Tim Frazier, and Mamadi Diakite are a few of my favorites.)
KASH MONEY!!!
Middleton for the win! You love to see it. In the 2018 playoffs, Middleton made one of the five best shots I’ve seen/watched live. He made another clutch shot this year. It put the cap on a game that was kind of a struggle for a lot of players. Giannis was inefficient (10-27 from the field, 6-13 from the free throw line), Jimmy was extremely inefficient (4-22 from the field), Bam was inefficient (4-15), Tyler Herro was very inefficient (2-10), Divincenzo struggled (1-5), and a few others guys struggled as well. That’s kind of how I expected this series to go. It’s definitely a defensive battle type of matchup. I’m excited for the rest of the series (although if the Bucks lose, I’m going to lose it). This is definitely a top three (maybe top one) first round matchup in terms of viewing enjoyment and competitiveness.
Luka has help, but not from who you would expect
Luka, as usual, was amazing in the first game against the Clippers. In a double-digit win, he put up 30 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, and 2 blocks. Of course, in order to win in the playoffs, the supporting cast needs to play well. That’s what happened on Saturday. Tim Hardaway Jr. put up 21 points (that man’s been hooping lately), Dorian Finney-Smith had 18, and Jalen Brunson added 15.
However, the man getting paid $30 million to be Luka’s sidekick, Kristaps Porzingis, had a bad game. His problem is inconsistency (and injury). I don’t like his shot selection. He’s a seven-foot tall player that fades away when a small guard is switched on to him. I think the Mavericks (unless they have a crazy playoff run) should look to move on from KP this offseason. I’m not sure what they could get in return, but I don’t think he’s good as a second option.
Poor Jokic…
Jokic needs Jamal Murray. He was able to keep the Nuggets afloat after Jamal’s injury in the regular season, but he just lost by 20 to the Blazers in game one (and C.J. McCollum and Norman Powell weren’t efficient). Michael Porter Jr. (who I will admit is better this year than last. He’s pretty good. I do think R.J. Barrett deserved the nomination for MIP over MPJ though) shot 1-10 from three. This may be a five game exit for Denver. That’s an unfortunate way to end an MVP season for Nikola Jokic.
Ice Trae is in full force, and Danilo Gallinari’s hair sucks
Chants of “Eff Trae Young” turned into silence after Trae’s game winner against the Knicks. What a way to start his playoff career. Stop the Trae Young hate.
It really helped Atlanta that the Knicks were struggling. Julius Randle shot an ugly 6-23, R.J. Barrett shot 6-15 and Reggie Bullock was 0-5 from three. I’m sure they’ll turn it around. When they do, this will be an even more competitive series.
(Shoutout to Alec Burks. He’s a bucket.)
Tobias Harris deserves his money
Tobias had an All-Star level regular season. He also had a superstar first game against the Wizards. He put up 37 points. Tobias is the perfect third option for a contender. He’s great, and his contract isn’t looking so bad anymore.
Joel Embiid added 30 points with 12 free throws. Ben Simmons had a Draymond performance (3-9 from the field, 0-6 from the free throw line, 15 rebounds, 15 assists). The 76ers looked really good on Sunday.
Start Daniel Gafford please
In a game for Washington where every starter had a negative plus/minus, Daniel Gafford had +14. He’s an interior defender and a rim protector. Alex Len is solid, and Robin Lopez has an elite post hook (not kidding, he led the league in hook percentage this year. He makes them like everytime), but Daniel Gafford should be Washington’s starting center.
Anthony Davis needs to get off the struggle bus or LA is screwed
The Lakers aren’t scary at all when AD isn’t playing well. Game one against the Suns is a great example of that. That’s because the supporting cast is a bit iffy at times. Dennis Schroder is an inconsistent scorer, Andre Drummond is a bad decision maker, KCP can be quite streaky (he was chucking up bricks on Sunday), and Kyle Kuzma’s inconsistent. Alex Caruso has been a bright spot recently, having solid offensive performances against Golden State and Phoenix, and he also plays solid defense.
If AD doesn’t turn it around, then the Lakers could legitimately lose in five. LeBron can carry a team, but he still needs his supporting cast to make shots.
The Phoenix Suns are serious contenders
Although picking him to win MIP this year didn’t work out, Deandre Ayton just had a great first game against the Lakers. Maybe he’ll win it in 2022.
Devin Booker had an excellent playoff debut. He’s still not better than Donovan Mitchell, but he is still a top five shooting guard.
Chris Paul is a trooper. He left the game twice due to a shoulder injury, and still played 36 minutes. He’s the ultimate true point guard, and he’s such a great fit in Phoenix.
Mikal Bridges is such a good 3&D wing. I don’t know if he’ll ever be an All-Star, but he’ll definitely become a top role player on a championship team. His skillset is so valuable.
Phoenix also has a solid supporting cast. Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, Cameron Payne, Dario Saric, and Torrey Craig all play specific roles and play them well.
I think Phoenix has a great chance of making the Finals. Potentially the best in the West.
Them boys in Memphis are HOOPING
Wow, the Grizzlies have been playing great lately. They surprisingly made it out of the play-in, and then had a great win over Utah on Sunday. All of their guys are playing excellent basketball.
Jonas Valanciunas is a top six or seven center. He led the league in 20-20 games this season. He sets great screens, and grabs every single offensive rebound.
Ja Morant is doing usual Ja Morant things, but he’s shot the ball well from downtown in the last couple games and that’s making him even harder to guard. He made five triples against Golden State.
Kyle Anderson may be very slow, but he has a big impact for Memphis. This has truly been a breakout year for him. He’s a good defender, and his shot has improved this year.
Desmond Bane is a sniper, and so is Grayson Allen. I thought it was wild that Grayson closed the game against Golden State with back-to-back triples.
Finally, Dillon Brooks has been playoff MVP so far. He’s played truly excellent defense (especially on DeMar), and he’s also been great on offense, especially when getting to the rim. He’s only 25. Could he maybe be an All-Star one day? We’ll see.
So, those are some random takeaways and thoughts I have after watching the first 2021 playoff games. Do you agree with anything I said, or do you disagree? Do you have any other thoughts? Let me know! See you next time!
The NBA regular season has wrapped up. For me, it was a great season. I enjoyed watching games this year. The one bad thing for me was all the injuries. So many stars missed time this year. Hopefully next year everybody stays healthy.
Because the regular season is over, I can now give you my picks for the regular season awards. I’ll give my three finalists, and then my official pick. Let’s get into it.
Coach of the Year
Finalist: Tom Thibodeau
The Knicks had their best season in a long time. They’re the four seed, and have a legitimate chance to beat the Hawks in round one. Coach Thibodeau has got to get some credit for that. Since 2015, the Knicks have had five different coaches (Thibs is the sixth). Coach Tibodeau will probably stay for a while. His biggest impact on this team was on the defensive end, where the Knicks were really good this year.
Finalist: Gregg Popovich
I have to give Pop this nomination. The Spurs had zero expectations before this year, and everybody thought they would be bad. Now they’re in the play-in, where I think they have a real chance of winning at least the game against Memphis. Coach Pop led a team with one former All-Star (DeMar), some veterans, and a bunch of young players to that play-in spot. Earlier in the season, San Antonio had a top ten record in the league. He is one of the greatest coaches ever.
Finalist: Quin Snyder
Best record in the NBA. Some of the best ball movement I’ve watched this year. Obviously great defense. The Jazz had a great regular season, led by Quin Snyder. He’s probably a lot of people’s favorite for this award.
2020-21 NBA Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau
Sixth Man of the Year
Finalist: Enes Kanter
To be eligible for the 6MOY award, you need to have come off the bench in more games than you started. Enes Kanter started 35 games and came off the bench in 37, so he’s technically eligible. Kanter was just a double-double monster this year. He averaged 11 points and 11 rebounds, including an insane 4 offensive rebounds per game. Kanter had a big impact off the bench in his return to Portland.
Finalist: Jordan Clarkson
This is a pretty obvious one. He’s the favorite for a lot of people. Although he was somewhat inefficient (35% from three, but considering he shot 8 a game that percentage isn’t as bad), he was still a key player for the Jazz. He has the numbers and he has the team success. Everybody should have Jordan in their top three for this award.
Finalist: Derrick Rose
In my preseason award prediction article, I had Derrick Rose in 5th for this award. But I said if he got traded to a team better than the Pistons, he could finish top three. That’s exactly what happened. Derrick Rose got traded to the New York Knicks, where he made a big impact. He shot the ball efficiently (41% from three in 35 games with the Knicks, 39% overall this year). He was the perfect veteran addition for the Knicks this year.
2020-21 NBA Sixth Man of the Year: Jordan Clarkson
Most Improved Player
(I need to give some honorable mentions: Christian Wood, Kyle Anderson, Darius Garland, Jerami Grant, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.)
Finalist: Chris Boucher
A few of the other players I had in consideration for this award are better than Chris Boucher. But the name of the award is Most Improved Player, and Chris improved a ton. He improved in almost every statistical category. He’s a great shot blocker and can stretch the floor. He’s become a legitimate starting-caliber 3-and-D center this year.
Finalist: R.J. Barrett
Not enough people are talking about R.J. Barrett in the MIP race. He had an inconsistent (and inefficient) rookie season that resulted in him missing out on an All-Rookie nod. This year, he’s the second best player on a playoff team. He’s gotten a lot more efficient (40% to 44% from the field, 32% to 40% from three, 61% to 75% from the free throw line). He’s become a solid defender. R.J. definitely has All-Star potential, and he took a large jump towards that this year.
Finalist: Julius Randle
I’m gonna be honest. There are a lot of players who deserve to be in contention for this award, but there’s basically only one choice for the winner. And that’s this man, Julius Randle. He was a ball-stopping forward who could average 20 and have no impact for his whole career. This year, he’s an All-NBA caliber player who led a team to the playoffs. He went from a bad shooter to a great one. He’s become a playmaker, making him a guy who can grab a triple double any night. If it’s not clear, Julius Randle is the Most Improved Player this year.
2020-21 Most Improved Player: Julius Randle
Defensive Player of the Year
Finalist: Rudy Gobert
Rudy Gobert’s advanced numbers are always gonna be elite. He’s set all-time records for plenty of stats. Rudy Gobert is always going to have an argument for DPOY, and this year is no different. He’s actually statistically better on defense this year than his two DPOY seasons. He is the premiere rim protector in the league.
Finalist: Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons guards 1-5. He’s incredibly versatile on defense. He steals the ball at a high level. He’s guarded (and clamped) some of the league’s best this year, including Giannis Antetokunmpo, James Harden, Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, and LeBron James. Rudy Gobert could never guard some of the league’s best guards. Ben Simmons could never defend the rim like Rudy Gobert can. Ben and Rudy represent two kinds of defense in the NBA, which makes this a hard decision.
Finalist: Bam Adebayo
Bam is another versatile defender. He’s a great rim protector. He’s not a perimeter lockdown like Ben, but he is a very switchable player. Steph Curry shot 20% when guarded by Bam this year. LeBron shot 25%. Kyrie Irving shot 29%. Bam will probably when DPOY at least once in his career.
2020-21 NBA Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Simmons
(I’m really a fan of Ben’s versatility. There’s never been anybody like Benny. He’s a true unicorn.)
Rookie of the Year
Finalist: Tyrese Haliburton
Although Tyrese was a lottery pick, I think he’s one of the steals of the 2020 draft. He could have gone as high as 6th overall to the Atlanta Hawks. The Kings picked up a great player who will be able to play alongside De’Aaron Fox in the future. Despite having a very interesting jumper, Tyrese was an efficient shooter in his rookie season. He’s also a solid playmaker. He’s a combo guard with a great future in the NBA.
Finalist: Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards is a national treasure. This man is hilarious. He’s also great on the court. Although his efficiency isn’t good quite yet, that will come around. Ant is a straight up bucket. He had some crazy dunks this year. He’s a decent defender, but he can develop further on that end. Ant had a crazy inefficient start to this season, but that turned around after the All-Star break. He really made this award a tough choice while LaMelo was injured.
Finalist: LaMelo Ball
LaMelo is definitely a great player already in his NBA career. He’s an excellent playmaker (and I mean that. I’m not using excellent just for word diversity purposes). He still needs to become a more consistent scorer, but that will happen soon. He’s even a pretty good defender. Plus, LaMelo’s biggest impact this year isn’t statistical. It’s that he brought a struggling Hornets to the playoffs (the play-in) in his first year there. Don’t get me wrong, Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward were better than him this year. But if Golden State took LaMelo and Charlotte ended up with James Wiseman, they would not be in the playoffs. Picking this award was a tough choice.
2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year: LaMelo Ball
Most Valuable Player
(I need to give honorable mentions again. Shoutout to Giannis, Chris Paul, Luka Doncic, and Mike James.)
Finalist: Joel Embiid
Embiid was definitely the favorite earlier in the season. Philly was really good, and he was playing the best basketball of his career. This was the best season he’s ever had. He’s scored like this before, but never this efficiently. He’s a great mid-range shooter (50% from that range), and a solid three-point shooter as well (37% on three attempts per game). Then, Joel got injured. While he was out, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris were able to keep the team as the one seed (in fact, Simmons missed time too and Tobias was the guy stepping up and keeping them going). The fact that his team was able to keep winning without him hurts his MVP campaign.
Regardless, it was an elite season for Joel, and if he stays healthy next year I think that he can win the award.
Finalist: Stephen Curry
I don’t even have to say much here. He’s the only unanimous MVP ever, and that isn’t even his best season ever. This is the best season of Steph’s NBA career. He faced double teams, and even triple teams, every night and still dropped a career high 32 points per game. He’s the MVP for a lot of people. Look at Curry man, so inspirational. (Shoutout to Flight because he predicted Curry’s 32/5/5 averages in a video prior to the season.)
Finalist: Nikola Jokic
Jokic is just unreal. He’s a slow, chubby 6’11” dude who’s basically a point guard. This year he averaged 26 PPG (6 more than he ever has), and he still put up a career high assists per game. He also scored very efficiently. He shot an insane 53% from the mid-range. Jokic is a unique player, and we’ll never see anybody else like him. The most important part of his MVP campaign is Jamal Murray’s injury. Jokic lost his main sidekick for the rest of the season, and the Nuggets kept winning like nothing happened. Jokic is crazy good.
2020-21 NBA Most Valuable Player: Nikola Jokic
All-NBA Teams
All-NBA Leave-offs due to games played: James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Davis. That’s three top ten players. It’s kinda weird leaving these guys off. The only reason LeBron is on a team is because the forward position got a little bit shallow. I couldn’t have Zion because of team success. I couldn’t have two Celtics, so Jaylen Brown was a no. DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis don’t have team success either.
All-NBA First Team
G- Stephen Curry
G- Damian Lillard
F- Kawhi Leonard
F- Giannis Antetokounmpo
C- Nikola Jokic
All-NBA Second Team
G- Luka Doncic
G-Kyrie Irving
F- Jimmy Butler
F- Julius Randle
C- Joel Embiid
All-NBA Third Team
G- Bradley Beal
G- Chris Paul
F- LeBron James
F- Jayson Tatum
C- Rudy Gobert
All-Defensive First Team
G- Ben Simmons
G- Jrue Holiday
F- Draymond Green
F- Giannis Antetokounmpo
C- Rudy Gobert
All-Defensive Second Team
G- Matisse Thybulle
G- T.J. McConnell
F- Jimmy Butler
F- Bam Adebayo (he played 30% of his minutes at forward this year.)
C- Joel Embiid
Just a quick little thought here – positions for All-NBA/All-Defensive teams is stupid! I didn’t get to give Myles Turner or Nerlens Noel recognition because there’s only two center spots. I cheated with Bam Adebayo. The NBA needs to make those two teams like the All-Rookie teams, where there isn’t a position requirement.
All-Rookie First Team
Lamelo Ball
Anthony Edwards
Tyrese Haliburton
Saddiq Bey
Immanuel Quickley
All-Rookie Second Team
Jae’Sean Tate
Malachi Flynn
Isaiah Stewart
Desmond Bane
Facundo Campazzo
So, those are all my NBA awards! Do you agree? Let me know! See you next time!
(By the way, when I had Mike James as an MVP honorable mention, that was quite obviously a joke.)
The NBA regular season is wrapping up. One week remaining until the playoffs. I’m excited! There are some good series set to be played, and I love watching good basketball.
Speaking of watching good basketball, today I have a list of ten players I’ve enjoyed watching this year (in no particular order). NBA League Pass is an amazing thing, and I’ve had the opportunity to watch any game I want this season. Therefore, I’ve watched virtually every player this year, from LeBron James to Axel Toupane.
But, I can only watch one game at a time, so I have to make choices every night. These players (for the most part) all play for my favorite teams to watch (which are the Bucks, the Spurs, the Hornets, the Kings, the healthy Timberwolves, the Trail Blazers, and a couple others).
So without further ado, here are ten players I especially enjoy watching.
(Note: Giannis, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, DeMar DeRozan, Dejounte Murray, and Keldon Johnson were all left off this list because my favorite players on my favorite teams are obviously some of my favorites to watch. I wanted to talk about guys that I don’t talk about often.)
De’Aaron Fox
When thinking of my favorite players to watch that aren’t the aforementioned leaveoffs, Fox was the first guy that came to mind. De’Aaron’s game is fun. He’s incredibly fast, and has a great handle. He gets to the basket with ease, where he either makes a pretty layup or throws it down hard. He also has a smooth midrange pull-up/fade game. De’Aaron is one of my 10-12 absolute favorite guys in the league. He has lots of potential. He’s also better than Ja Morant at the moment.
Terry Rozier III
Behind the Bucks and the Spurs, I’ve probably watched the Hornets the most out of every team. Part of it is the immaculate commentary from Eric Collins. Terry Rozier is another significant reason. When Charlotte first signed him, it looked like an overpay to many people. He was great in his first year with the Hornets, averaging 18/4/4 on 42/40/87 shooting splits. This year though, he’s been near All-Star level good. He’s averaging 20/4/4 on 45/40/82 shooting. Just like most other All-Star level players, Terry is really fun to watch. He’s great at creating his own shot. He scores at all three levels. He’s clutch. The Hornets in general are fun, but Terry is the most fun to watch for me (I unfortunately haven’t seen LaMelo play too much. I started consistently watching the Hornets just a week or two before he got injured).
Miles Bridges
Another Hornets player. Miles Bridges is a walking highlight. Miles will probably appear in at least 7 of the NBA YouTube’s top 50 dunks of the season. Everybody knows him for his dunks. However, he brings more to the table than dunks. He’s a smooth shooter. If Miles went to a team where he could be a top two option, he could average 20. Miles is my second favorite player on the Hornets to watch.
Patty Mills
Patty is my favorite role player on the Spurs. Why? He’s a flamethrower. When Patty is on fire, he is ON FIRE. It’s always fun to watch a player get hot. Not only is Patty a great shooter, I also think he’s a decent defender. He’s very quick, and can keep up with other team’s best guards. He’s a free agent after this season, and I think that he’s gonna sign with a contender where he can have a huge impact (like the Lakers, or maybe the Bucks. Patty on the Bucks would be awesome). (Another thing that makes watching Patty play is the Spurs commentators yelling “G’day mate!” or “Good on ya Patty!” after he hits a shot.)
Bobby Portis Jr.
Bobby should be in the Sixth Man of the Year race. He’s been such a valuable player for the Bucks. For one, he’s got a solid offensive game. He hits the three at a very high percentage. He can throw down a dunk as well. My favorite part of his game is how hard he works. Bobby is a beast on the glass. Hustle players that work hard are some of the most lovable in my opinion (I miss you D.J. Wilson). (I will admit, if Bobby was still on the Knicks or something, I probably wouldn’t like watching him as much. I like to watch my favorite teams. Sue me.)
Jayson Tatum
Yeah, yeah, basic pick. I know. Tatum is just so talented. He’s a pure scorer. If the Celtics were better I would watch them more, but whenever I do watch them, I always love watching JT.
Damian Lillard
Everybody likes watching superstars. Dame is definitely that. He has a swagger that makes watching him even more enjoyable. Dame is one of my favorite players.
Gary Trent Jr.
I really liked watching the Trail Blazers earlier in the year. When McCollum was out, Coach Stotts ran lineups of Lillard, Trent, and Anfernee Simons sometimes. They dropped in so many threes. It was wild. Gary Trent has come out of nowhere as a legitimate young guard. He’s a good scorer who can become great. I think that Gary can be an All-Star one day. He’s gonna learn a lot from Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet in Toronto. Once Lowry leaves, Gary can slide in as a starter and he will be awesome. I like his game, and I like watching him play.
D’Angelo Russell
D’Lo is one of the clutchest guys in the league. He’s made 15 Clutch² shots this year (Clutch² is defined as a shot crucial to the outcome of a game, specifically a buzzer beater or a near buzzer beater at the end of a game), and has made 67% of those shots. He has ICE IN HIS VEINS. There’s a reason why I said that the healthy Wolves are one of my favorite teams to watch, as opposed to any Timberwolves lineup this year. That’s because the healthy Wolves are competitive and play in close games, and the injured Wolves get blown out. Watching D’Angelo in a close game is super exciting, but also in general. People have to stop underrating D’Lo.
Boban Marjanovic
I don’t need to explain this one too much. Anytime you get the opportunity to see a 7’4” man with a big smile play basketball, you have to take it. Boban is awesome.
So those are 10 players I’ve really enjoyed watching this year! What players have you enjoyed watching? What potential playoff matchup are you the most excited for? Let me know! See you next time!
If you read my recent article about underrated young players, you may remember that I mentioned how important opportunity is in the NBA. If you didn’t, I’ll sum it up for you.
I said that having young guys on the end of a bench can be very valuable. All it takes is a young player to get some opportunity, and then they can show how good they are. The best way to develop a young guy is to play them.
My example in my recent article was Moses Brown. He signed a two-way contract with the Thunder last offseason, looking like his career would be over soon. He played extremely well in the G-League bubble, and then the Thunder started giving him minutes. He took the opportunity and ran with it, and got a multi-year deal with OKC.
Multiple other players have done what Moses did this year. The NBA lifted the restriction on how many games a two-way player can suit up for in the NBA, and I think that was a good move. It creates more opportunity. That opportunity has paid off for multiple players this season, seeing their play rewarded with a full NBA deal. Those players are:
Lamar Stevens (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Lamar is an undrafted rookie forward who just got a multi-year contract with the Cavs. He’s a good rebounder and a solid defender. His offense is still coming around, but a hustle player is always a good asset for an NBA team.
Yuta Watanabe (Toronto Raptors)
Yuta is the best player I’ll mention in this article. After two years with Memphis where he only played 33 games, he got his opportunity with the struggling Raptors. He’s played 41 games so far this season. He can stretch the floor (40% from three), play some good defense, finish at the rim, and rebound. He’s a versatile player who would help a good team off the bench. Toronto only signed him for the rest of this season, so he’ll be a free agent after this year. I expect him to sign with some sort of contender.
Mamadi Diakite (Milwaukee Bucks)
Although he doesn’t play much, Mamadi is one of my favorite Bucks. That’s why I’m excited that he got a long term deal with Milwaukee. He’s a player who works hard on the boards, and can throw it down on anybody. He can block shots. He can hit the mid-range shot at a consistent rate, and hopefully he can develop a three-pointer as well. He also has winning DNA from his time at Virginia. Mamadi clearly works hard (that has to be why he got the deal, because he doesn’t play much), and I think he’s gonna have a solid NBA career.
There are some other players who are currently playing well on a two-way contract. Those guys include Chimezie Metu (Sacramento Kings), Armoni Brooks (Houston Rockets), and Naji Marshall (New Orleans Pelicans. New Orleans has an open roster spot, and I expect Marshall to fill that spot. He’s entered the Pelicans rotation, and he’s been playing well too).
The other way for players to get some opportunity is a 10 day contract. There’s been a ton of 10-day signings this season as teams decide who to use their roster spots on. Several players have earned full NBA contracts after their 10 day expired. Those players are:
Oshae Brissett (Indiana Pacers)
Oshae has really been playing well for Indiana so far. In 7 games (2 starts), he’s averaged 7 points, 3 rebounds (1 offensive and 2 defensive), almost one steal and one block, and shot 43% from three. Although he’s a forward, he’s actually played most of his minutes at center so far due to Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis missing time. That’s impressive. Oshae got a three year deal, and at age 22 he’ll probably develop into a consistent rotational wing throughout his time with the Pacers.
Alize Johnson (Brooklyn Nets)
Alize first signed on a 10 day contract with Brooklyn in late March. In his first game with Brooklyn (where the injury ravaged Nets took a blowout loss to Utah), Alize put up 23 points and 15 rebounds. He’s a great rebounder, and the definition of hustle. He’s averaged 5 points and 5 rebounds in 12 games for the Nets, earning a three year guaranteed deal with Brooklyn. I guess the board man really does get paid.
Norvel Pelle (New York Knicks)
Norvel is a really impressive shot blocker. When I was at Bucks vs. 76ers last February, Norvel blocked D.J. Wilson three times straight before D.J. finally got a dunk. It was wild. This year, he spent time with Brooklyn and Sacramento before getting a 10 day with New York. Coach Tom Thibodeau said he didn’t know who Norvel was when he first arrived, but then he was very impressed with how hard Pelle works. That hard work resulted in a multi-year deal. The Knicks have a great trio of shot-blocking centers, with Mitchell Robinson, Nerlens Noel, and Norvel Pelle.
Tyler Cook (Detroit Pistons)
Tyler is similar to Alize Johnson. He’s a hustle player who finishes efficiently and grabs rebounds. He works hard on the court. His issue is that he can’t shoot. He’s only 23, and has time to develop a jumper. Detroit likes the way he’s been playing, because they signed him for the rest of this season and next season. As mentioned earlier in the article, a hustle player is always a great thing to have on a basketball team.
Devin Cannady (Orlando Magic)
After winning G League Finals MVP with the Lakeland Magic, Cannady earned a 10 day contract with the Orlando Magic. He was pretty solid, especially as a shooter. Orlando signed him to a two-way contract after his 10 day expired. Unfortunately, Cannady suffered an awful ankle injury the other night. I wish him a speedy recovery.
Also, shout out to Freddie Gillespie, who I hope will get a full deal with the Raptors after his second 10 day expires, because he’s been a solid rebounder and finisher for a Toronto roster in need of center depth.
I decided to write this article because this season has had a lot more 10 day deals than any season I can remember (including one for my boy Mike “LeBron” James, who was a cheat code in NBA2K19). I love seeing random NBA players get opportunities. If you aren’t like me and don’t care about (or don’t know about) super random NBA players, you probably didn’t like this article. That’s cool. It was a random article about random players, after all.
But, I hope you did enjoy this article. In fact, I hope that you go watch one of the guys in this article play sometime. After all, the point of this article (besides giving examples of how 10 day contracts and two-way contracts are great things) was to introduce you to some guys you’ve probably never heard of.
Recently, I’ve seen some stuff come out about Tyler Herro. Apparently, the Heat organization is worried about his stardom getting to his head, which is leading to a decrease in his work ethic. This may legitimately be the case.
Tyler has that cocky demeanor on the court that makes him easy to dislike (unless you’re a Heat fan. Also, check out this picture). Because he’s like that, getting stardom like he has is not a good thing, especially because it’s so early in his career. He had a nice 2020 playoffs, and everybody started thinking he’s next up. That’s not the case though, because he’s not even that good this year.
For one, he’s been pretty inconsistent this year, as well as inefficient. He’s shooting the same amount of threes per game as last year (5), but his percentage has gone from 39% to 34% (league average is like 36%). He takes two more field goals per game this year as last season, but his FG% is exactly the same (meaning he’s just missing two more shots every game than last year). Tyler isn’t a good defender. One positive is that he’s gathering one rebound and one assist more per game than he was in 2020, but considering he plays more minutes this year that’s not exactly some crazy improvement.
Basically, Tyler hasn’t improved whatsoever from 2020 (he’s statistically gotten worse). So far in his career, he’s just some dude who’s only accomplishment was his bubble performance (which is only meaningful because of his team’s success. Basically everybody was better in the bubble. Heck, even Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot averaged 16 points per game in the 2020 playoffs).
But, despite this lack of improvement, Tyler is now a very popular player in the NBA world. He even has a Jack Harlow song named after him (the song does go hard). His name has acquired value. People were extremely high on him for months after the bubble (and still are). I think he’s overhyped/overrated now. Here’s a list of some young guards I think are better than him at the moment (I’m not including obvious dudes).
Donte Divincenzo (Far and away too. Trust me. There’s no bias here.)
Dejounte Murray (Also not close at all. I guess I lied about including obvious guys.)
Tyrese Haliburton
Lonzo Ball
Darius Garland
Luguentz Dort
Gary Trent Jr.
(I’m gonna be annoying real quick and say that if you disagree with that list you’re wrong. The only one that would even be worth debating is Lu Dort.)
The big value to Tyler is his potential. He has qualities that an All-Star needs (including the ability to create a shot, the ability to close a game, the killer instinct, the name value). The issue is that his potential will take a significant hit if he loses his work ethic. I believe the Heat organization, too. There’s definitely something like what they said happening to Tyler right now. There’s really not another valid explanation for his lack of improvement. If he’s supposed to be so good that the Heat wouldn’t trade him for Bradley Beal or James Harden, then he seriously better be that good.
He’s not.
The Heat as a whole aren’t as good as they were in the bubble, not just Tyler. That’s why I think they should’ve pulled off a trade for somebody better than Victor Oladipo. Jimmy Butler is the type of guy who can lead a team deep into the playoffs, and he deserves a shot to do so. But the Heat holding on to Tyler isn’t helping that. The Heat with Bradley Beal could be the fourth or fifth seed in an underwhelming 2021 Eastern Conference, and the Heat with James Harden are a serious Finals contender.
In conclusion, Tyler Herro’s career isn’t in a good place right now. I’m not saying he’s a bad player, by the way. I think he’s good. But good is it. Not really good, not great, and definitely not the guy who should be holding up a James Harden trade. If the Heat are really fearful of his work ethic, then something has to be done or Tyler will end up being a one season wonder (that’s a ha-ha funny right there. ‘Cause his nickname is Boy Wonder. Yeah. Hilarious).
This has been one of those articles where I just sit down and speak (or write, I guess) my mind. I was planning to also talk about other players who have had their careers affected by generating too much hype, as well as the general negative effect of overhyping, but then I wrote too much about Tyler and now my plans have changed. Let me know if you want an article like that in the future. Thanks for reading!
(I’m gonna emphasize something one last time: Donte Divincenzo>>>Tyler Herro.)
Young NBA Players. They can be so fun, and that’s because their development is so unpredictable. Second round picks can become All-Stars, and lottery picks can be out of the league in three years. J.J. Redick said on an episode of his podcast that he thinks teams in the NBA should have more veterans on the roster. I can see the benefits to that, but having young guys on the end of your bench can be so valuable as well. Just look at players like Moses Brown. He was hanging on to his career by a thread, signed to a two-way contract with the Thunder this year. Then he got playing time, and now he looks like a significant part of OKC’s future. Opportunity is important in the NBA.
So for this article, I’ll be talking about one underrated young player for each NBA team that I think can become (or already are) important players one day. Let’s get started!
Atlanta Hawks: Kevin Huerter
Kevin Huerter is a sniper. He is shooting a career low 36% from three this year (on 6 attempts per game), but that’s obviously not bad. He shot 38% on a similar amount of attempts in his first two seasons. That’s the main thing he’s got going for him. He’s an average defender, which isn’t a perfect fit next to Trae. However, there is a reason people used to call Trae Young and Kevin Huerter the Walmart Splash Bros. Even if Kevin Huerter doesn’t find a role as the Hawks starting shooting guard for the future, he will still be a valuable shooter for a contending team as long as he’s in the league.
Boston Celtics: Robert Williams III
Robert is having a great season. To put in perspective how good he is (as well as how good he can be), the Celtics chose to trade away Daniel Theis for Mo Wagner (decreasing their center depth) instead of increasing their center position, which was a big need for Boston. Robert isn’t a versatile Bam Adebayo type of center. He’s more of a lob threat, rim protecting, rebounding, hard-working type of center. His peak is a top ten center, and if Robert can reach that in the next five years, that will be great for Boston. Robert Williams is a great player for Boston to grow alongside Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Brooklyn Nets: Bruce Brown
People are starting to talk about Nicolas Claxton now, so I wanna talk about Bruce Brown. Bruce isn’t a star, and he probably won’t become one, but he is an excellent role player for this Brooklyn Nets roster. Bruce is listed as a shooting guard (which is accurate), but he played the role of a center for a long stretch of time before Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge signed with Brooklyn. He was rolling to the basket and grabbing rebounds like a big. He’s a tough defender, and can also stretch the floor some. His playstyle is unique, and his ceiling is probably a better shooting version of his current self. Bruce is a solid player, and I think that isn’t recognized enough.
Charlotte Hornets: P.J. Washington
P.J. Washington is a great versatile power forward. He stretches the floor well, he can finish at the rim, he can defend, and he can rebound. He does lots of things well. He’s only 22, and is in his second year in the NBA. He made an all rookie team in 2020 for a reason. I think PJ’s ceiling is a Paul Millsap type player. A four who averages around 18 and 10, with a steal and a block per game and 38% from three. P.J. could be an All-Star one day in the right circumstance. He’s the third or fourth best player on the Charlotte Hornets right now (depending on what you think of Devonte’ Graham), and the Hornets are in the playoffs. I don’t think P.J. gets talked about enough, which is why I’m mentioning him here.
Chicago Bulls: Patrick Williams
When Patrick Williams was drafted, lots of people were surprised. They thought he was taken too high. So far, he’s been proving people wrong. Patrick Williams is a great 3&D forward with excellent potential. He’s already a 38% three point shooter, he’s a great mid-range shot creator, and he’s a good finisher. He’s a solid defender who will improve more on that end throughout the next few years. Combine those two things, and you get a great player. I group P-Will with OG Anunoby, De’Andre Hunter, and Mikal Bridges as young 3&D forwards with All-Star potential. I’m excited to see how his career turns out, and more people should be.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland
Darius has improved on both sides of the ball this year. His offense is much better than last year. He’s shooting the same amount of threes per game this year as he was in 2020, but he’s making 5% more of them (35% to 40%). His playmaking has also improved (4 APG to 6 APG), which was a concern last year because his backcourt mate Collin Sexton has a score first mentality. I don’t have a ceiling for Darius, but he could be an All-Star one day as well. Since the Cavaliers are bad and nobody watches them, people don’t talk about Darius Garland as much as they should.
Dallas Mavericks: Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson has become an important part of the Dallas roster. He is now the team’s established sixth man. He’s highly efficient, shooting 52% from the field as a 6’1” point guard. He’s shooting a sizzling 56% from the mid range, and a great 39% from three. If Jalen Brunson can become a better playmaker as his career progresses, he could be a Mike Conley type player at his absolute peak. Brunson is a really solid player with championship DNA already (because of his career at Villanova), and will be a big part of Dallas’s future.
Denver Nuggets: Bol Bol
PLAY BOL BOL! He needs minutes! If Denver isn’t going to play him, then they need to trade him. His career is being murdered in Denver so far. I can’t give Bol Bol any type of comparison because he’s so unique, and I can’t give Bol Bol a ceiling because I haven’t seen him play enough to really decide how good he is. But when Bol Bol has got minutes, he’s shown just how much of a unicorn he is. He can handle the ball and shoot the three ball at 7’2”, and he can also playmake at a surprisingly decent level. I’m excited to watch Bol get more minutes because he’s very fun to watch.
Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey
Saddiq Bey has been hooping this year. He’s going to be an All-Rookie player. What’s most impressive about Saddiq’s play is his efficiency. He shoots six threes per game, which is fortieth in the league and the most for a rookie this year. He’s shooting 38%, which is really good. Saddiq is also a solid defender. I’m not sure if Saddiq will ever be an All-Star, but I do think he will be a great contributor to some good teams in the future. Saddiq has some big games, and I’d recommend tuning in to a Pistons game next time they play a good team. Detroit always comes to play against good teams (Saddiq dropped 25 points with 5 threes and 4 steals against the Clippers the other night).
Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole
Jordan Poole is having a solid season. He’s averaging 10 PPG, while shooting 35% from three on 5 attempts per game (that’s pretty good considering his questionable shot selection). I think Jordan needs a few more seasons to improve his game (especially his efficiency). I think Poole at his peak is a Jordan Clarkson type player, just a guy who comes off the bench and gets baskets. He’s only 21 though, so we’ll see just how good he can become.
Houston Rockets: Kevin Porter Jr.
I think KPJ has a great chance of making at least one All-Star game in his career. He’s only 20 years old right now (He’ll be 21 in early May), and already averaging 15 points and 7 assists in 17 games with Houston. He was by far the best player in the G League bubble this year, where he was a triple double machine. He still needs to improve his efficiency, but that will come along with more time in the league. I almost put KPJ on my top 25 players with the most potential list. It’s really a shame that Cleveland felt forced to trade KPJ away because of some locker room incidents. (I’m not saying they shouldn’t have traded him or that KPJ didn’t do anything, I’m just saying that it’s unfortunate.) I’d also recommend watching the Rockets play sometime, because KPJ is that good.
Indiana Pacers: Edmond Sumner
I don’t really have too much to say about Edmond. I picked him for this article due to a lack of other underrated young players on the Pacers roster. But he has gone from a slasher who looked like his career would be over after his rookie contract expired to a wing who can stretch the floor and finish at the rim who will likely get another contract after his current one. He’s played a career high 40 games this year, and started a career high 12. He’s a solid player.
Los Angeles Clippers: Terance Mann
Terance Mann is a great player. I like his game a lot. He’s got the skill set to be an elite 3&D wing in his prime (obviously not Kawhi Leonard good, but like prime Danny Green good). He’s shooting 43% from three this year, and he’s a solid defender. He’s also a good rebounder. He was picked in the second round, which is crazy. Terance is a super important part of the Clippers bench unit, and the average fan doesn’t recognize that.
Los Angeles Lakers: Talen Horton-Tucker
The Lakers have one young player besides Kuzma, and that’s Talen Horton-Tucker. LA really likes him too. Trading for Kyle Lowry would have boosted their championship chances significantly (not that their chances weren’t already high), and Rob Pelinka wasn’t willing to trade THT to acquire him. That says something. Talen is a good slasher, and a good defender as well. His shooting isn’t great, though, which could become an issue. I’m sure it will come along.
(I’m going to be 100% honest, I don’t think THT is underrated. I actually think he’s overrated this season. But I didn’t think Kuzma was young/underrated enough to write about, so yeah.)
Memphis Grizzlies: De’Anthony Melton
Despite playing for the Grizzlies, who are loaded at the shooting guard position, De’Anthony has carved out a big role for himself this year. He’s only started one game this year, but he’s been a big help off the bench. He’s a great defender, and a great shooter. De’Anthony shot only 29% from three in his first two seasons, but this year he’s shooting 45% (4 attempts per game). That’s really good. The best part is that De’Anthony is only 22. He has a lot of room to grow still. He could totally be a Fred VanVleet type player one day. There’s a reason Memphis signed him to a $35 million deal last offseason.
Miami Heat: Kendrick Nunn
Why does nobody talk about Kendrick anymore? He had a great rookie season, and had plenty of people talking about him. He’s playing the same this year, but not getting much recognition. I guess some people saw him play bad in the playoffs (he had COVID before the playoffs, so he deserved to be cut some slack) and just think he’s always like that now. He’s more efficient this year, and he’s slowly becoming a better defender. I don’t think Kendrick has a high ceiling because he’s already 25, but he will still be a great scorer off the bench for seasons to come.
Milwaukee Bucks: Jordan Nwora
Jordan Nwora is a bucket getter. He’s already an efficient three point shooter, and he’s shown he’s capable of creating a shot as well. At 6’8”, he’s able to get his shot up over defenders. He’s not really a good defender quite yet, but that can change as his career progresses. I think if his defense improves, he could develop into a Khris Middleton type player. I’m excited for the rest of his career.
(I also really like Sam Merrill and Mamadi Diakite. All three Bucks rookies are solid. Well done Jon Horst!)
Minnesota Timberwolves: Jaden McDaniels
McDaniels was a high ranked player coming out of high school. But I guess his college play was underwhelming to most teams, because he fell to 28th overall in the 2020 draft. He’s been really solid for the Timberwolves, especially since the All-Star break (or since he’s been a starter). He’s a 6’10” forward who can shoot the basketball. He’s even a standout good defender on a bad defensive team. Jaden is only 20 years old. He has a lot of upside, and it will be fun to watch him grow as a core player for Minnesota.
New Orleans Pelicans: Jaxson Hayes
Jaxson Hayes has been a highlight machine this year. His vertical combined with his height has resulted in multiple poster dunks and alley-oops. He’s an excellent lob threat. He doesn’t do all that much else, though. His shot blocking is down from last year, and he doesn’t get too many rebounds (he grabs 3 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes though, which is good). He is 3-6 from three this year, so maybe he’ll develop some kind of consistent jumper later in his career. Jaxson is only 20, so he has lots of time to develop. If he can become a better rebounder, Jaxon could be a great center going forward (and if he can become a decent three point shooter. That would make him a great fit alongside Zion).
New York Knicks: R.J. Barrett
R.J. is having a great season. Last year he was inefficient and inconsistent, and people kind of wrote him off because the Knicks were bad. He’s improved significantly this year, and the Knicks are decent, so it’s crazy that nobody is talking about him. He should be in the top five for most improved player this season. He is the second best player on the Knicks, which I don’t even know if people realize (Knicks fans love Immanuel Quickley. Quickley is solid, but he’s only the fourth or fifth best player on the team. Maybe sixth depending on what you think of Alec Burks). R.J. Barrett has a great career with multiple All-Star appearances ahead of him if he keeps this up.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Vast Majority of the Team
Sorry, I couldn’t pick one player for OKC. In one offseason, OKC managed to gather a plethora of good young players (and future draft picks, of course). Their rookies are Theo Maledon and Aleksej Pokusevski. Maledon is the team’s starting point guard at the moment, and is looking solid as a playmaker and scorer. Pokusevski had an awful start to the season, but has turned it around lately. He’s a super unique player as a 7-footer who can handle the ball, slash to the hoop, and shoot from three. He has a bright future in the NBA. Moses Brown has emerged as a legitimate NBA center this season. He was balling in the G-League bubble, and that’s carried over to the NBA. He’s averaging 9 PPG and 9 RPG, as well as 1 BPG. He’s only 21 years old. Darius Bazely is a really solid forward with lots of potential. He’s only 20. Tony Bradley has become a solid player. He’s only 23. The Thunder roster is full of young players that are showing what they can do this season. Obviously every NBA player is very good at basketball. But lots of players don’t get the opportunity to show that in the NBA. Therefore, when you have a team like OKC that isn’t worried about winning games right now, young players who wouldn’t get to play for other teams get the opportunity to play and grow. It’s really fun.
Orlando Magic: Chuma Okeke
Chuma Okeke is a rookie who was picked just outside the lottery in 2019 (he missed his first year with an injury). He’ll be in contention for All-Rookie this year. Now that the Magic are tanking, Chuma has emerged as the team’s starting power forward. He’s a good shooter, a good defender, and a decent rebounder. He’s also averaging 2 assists per game, which is pretty solid. When Jonathan Isaac returns next season, the Magic will slide Chuma to small forward if they know what’s good for them (unless they draft a forward in the lottery). Chuma will be a solid player in the league for the next decade.
Philadelphia 76ers: Shake Milton
The 76ers made a great choice by drafting Shake 54th overall back in 2018. He’s a really solid player. He can handle the ball and act as a point guard. He’s a solid shot creator. He’s a highly efficient mid-range shooter, and he’s a good three point shooter. If he becomes a better defender, he would be a starting guard on plenty of teams. His three point percentage has taken a significant dip from last year (43% to 34%. He attempts the same amount of threes per game as this year as he did last year. Maybe he’s taking more difficult shots or something), but he’s improved in every other statistical category. If he has one more season where he takes a big jump, he can become a great player. I think he can do it.
Phoenix Suns: Jevon Carter
Although he’s lost minutes this year due to Chris Paul’s arrival and Cameron Payne’s improvement, Jevon is still a solid player. His main skill is his defense. In the bubble, he was matched up against players like James Harden and Luka Doncic, and doing a solid job. He’s also a pretty good shooter. I would love to see him on a different team, because his skillset would be very valuable for plenty of teams. I was really hoping that the Bucks would get Jevon in return for Torrey Craig, because we could really use a player like him in Milwaukee.
Portland Trail Blazers: Anfernee Simons
Anfernee is a great scorer. He’s shooting a career high 41% from three this year on 5 attempts per game. He can hit the shot off the dribble or the catch (only 66% of this three point makes this year are assisted, which is low). Scoring like that would be great for any team off the bench. The problem is that he’s really not a good defender. That’s something he’ll have to improve if he wants to be a starter one day. He’s only 21 though, so he has a ton of time to develop that (it helps that he can play behind Damian Lillard because there’s no pressure for him). While C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic were injured (and Norman Powell wasn’t on the team yet), Anfernee was a large part of Portland’s offense. Watching him, Dame, and Gary Trent was a lot of fun. Every game was a three point barrage. I’m excited to watch the rest of Anfernee’s career.
Sacramento Kings: Terence Davis
Terence Davis was traded for a second round pick at the deadline. That’s because Toronto wanted to clear a roster spot for a Kyle Lowry trade (where multiple players would be coming in for Lowry because of salary). But since Lowry wasn’t traded, I bet Masai Ujiri regrets trading TD for nothing. Terence is probably cool with it though. Raptors fans began to hate him because of his legal incident (even after the case was dismissed and charges were dropped, which is ridiculous), and TD lost his minutes. Now, in Sacramento, TD will have the opportunity to continue growing as a player. I really like Terence. His story is awesome (after he wasn’t drafted in the first round, he told teams in the second round not to draft him because he wanted a guaranteed contract. He got the contract, and made an All-Rookie team). He’s a solid player too. He’s a good shooter and a decent defender. He’s going to be a useful player in the NBA for a long time.
San Antonio Spurs: Dejounte Murray (it would be Keldon Johnson if I hadn’t already talked about him plenty of times)
Dejounte is thatguy. He legitimately could be an All-Star in the next three years (and I’d almost guarantee he will make one in the next five years). He’s a lockdown defender. He’s an excellent mid-range scorer and a decent three point shooter. He’s a clutch performer (he’s made a few big shots and he’s super clutch on defense). He’s a great rebounder and a great passer. He’s a triple double threat. He’s such a high IQ player and I love watching him play. I’ve emphasized it before, and I’m going to emphasize it again: watch the Spurs! Seriously! You won’t regret it.
Toronto Raptors: Malachi Flynn
Since he’s started getting big minutes for Toronto, Malachi has been delivering. He’s a solid scorer. He’s a solid playmaker. He’s a decent defender. I gave him an honorable mention in my preseason award predictions for ROTY (which isn’t much, but I had a feeling that any rookie on the Raptors would be solid. I was right) which is looking like a good take, because Malachi could sneak on to the All-Rookie second team. I’m not sure what his ceiling is, but it’s probably a great sixth man guard. Malachi will get more opportunity in the next few years if (when) the Raptors go into retool/rebuild mode, and I’m interested to see how good he can turn out to be.
Utah Jazz: Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell isn’t an underrated young player (or at least definitely not to the degree of these other players). Unfortunately, the Utah Jazz don’t have any other young players that play enough minutes where I could write about them here. So instead of putting nobody for the Jazz, I’m putting Mitchell for one reason. That reason is I’m tired of people trying to say that Devin Booker is better than Donovan Mitchell.
Washington Wizards: Daniel Gafford
Daniel Gafford is a very solid young center. He’s a great shot blocker. He’s averaging 2 blocks a game in his first 7 games with Washington. He’s filling a need that Washington had earlier in the year, which is rim protection. He is a solid rebounder, and a solid lob threat as well. Now that Daniel has Russell Westbrook passing him the ball instead of Ryan Arcidiacono, he’s going to be more effective as a finisher. I was quite surprised that the Bulls traded him away. The Wizards got a good player.
So, those are some underrated young guys for all 30 NBA teams! I hope you leave this article with some new players on your radar. See ya next time!
The other day, ESPN released their top 25 NBA players that are under 25 years old. It didn’t get a positive reaction. Even Stephen A. Smith had a fit about it, and he works for ESPN. Because the list is behind the ESPN+ paywall, here it is:
1. Luka Doncic
2. Zion Williamson
3. LaMelo Ball
4. Donovan Mitchell
5. Jayson Tatum
6. De’Aaron Fox
7. Ben Simmons
8. Devin Booker
9. Bam Adebayo
10. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
11. Brandon Ingram
12. Jaylen Brown
13. Jamal Murray
14. Michael Porter Jr.
15. Ja Morant
16. Trae Young
17. Mikal Bridges
18. Domantas Sabonis
19. Anthony Edwards
20. Deandre Ayton
21. Tyrese Haliburton
22. John Collins
23. Jarrett Allen
24. Lonzo Ball
25. Collin Sexton
I agree with the general consensus. I don’t think this list is very good.
This list was made based on future potential, which does make it a little better (still not very good though). I just feel like this list can’t be based on potential. The only thing on the list that reflects future potential is LaMelo at three. So before I show my two lists, here are some major things I disagree with on this list (in no order):
First thing: LaMelo Ball over Jayson Tatum
Look, I understand that LaMelo is really good. I also understand that LaMelo is a very flashy, offensive-oriented, fun to watch player. The guys at places like ESPN and Bleacher Report love their flashy players. LaMelo could definitely be an MVP one day. Because this list is based on potential, I’ll let it slide. There’s one player below him I think should definitely be higher than him, and that’s Jayson Tatum. Jayson Tatum has limitless potential in my opinion. Not only is he a versatile offensive player, he’s also a versatile defender. LaMelo isn’t that quite yet. Because we’ve already seen rookie Jayson Tatum take a team to the conference finals, we know he’s capable of leading a team deep into the playoffs. We still have no idea if LaMelo will be able to do that. Therefore, the more established player who still has a ton of potential should be above him.
Second thing: The disrespect towards Trae Young
People this year have been disrespecting Trae. The main reason for this (as far as I can tell) is because apparently he’s a flopper now. That may be true (I’ve seen some clips, but I won’t pretend like I’ve watched the Hawks a ton this year), but that’s no reason to disregard the player he is (or mostly the player he can become). (Fun fact: Trae is shooting less free throws per game this season than he was last year.) After all, he is an All-Star. He’s a great scorer who can become elite if his efficiency improves. He’s a great playmaker. What’s always gonna hold Trae back is his awful defense. But if he can get paired with a great defensive backcourt mate, that won’t be a huge deal (still a deal, just not as big as it is now). Trae is only 22, and still has lots of room to grow. The two players higher than him on ESPN’s list that shouldn’t be are Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. You could also argue Trae has higher potential than Brandon Ingram. I’m not (necessarily) saying that Trae has top ten or top five in the league potential, but he definitely will be a top five (potentially top 3) PG one day.
Third thing: Jaylen Brown not top ten?
Jaylen Brown is very good. And not only is he good now, he still hasn’t hit his ceiling. JB is the type of guy who has the potential to be the best player on a great team. There are eight players on ESPN’s list that have the potential to be the best player on a great team (in my opinion, of course). JB is a great scorer and shot creator, and is also a great defender. You have to be ELITE on one end if you aren’t going to be above average on the other in order to be the best player on a great team. Jaylen Brown would be fully capable of doing what Donovan Mitchell has if he was on his own team. Brown has more potential than Ingram, Shai, Bam, Book, and Fox in my opinion. That makes him top ten on the list.
Fourth thing: De’Aaron Fox is a little too high
De’Aaron has been one of my favorite players to watch this year. Out of all six teams who are the worst in their division, the Kings are the best record-wise. Fox is a huge part of that. He is an All-Star type player. He also has a high ceiling, and could lead a team to the playoffs in the near future. He just has to become more efficient on the offensive end, especially from three. I just think ESPN overreacted a little here. Fox is having a great year, but he should be lower. Probably around that ten spot.
Fifth thing: Ja Morant below the Nuggets duo
Ja Morant is a walking highlight. He has crazy hops and makes insane passes. He has led a team who fell just short of the playoffs in 2020, and is leading a Grizzlies team to a playoff spot this year (while Jaren Jackson Jr. is out). Ja is one of my eight players who could be the best player on a great team, because he’s already shown us he can lead a team close to the playoffs in his rookie year. Jamal Murray hasn’t done anything like that, and probably won’t. (One reason Jamal won’t is because he will be teammates with Jokic throughout his prime, so he won’t get a chance. The other reason is that I don’t think Jamal’s game is fit for a number one option. He’s not a playmaker.) Therefore, since Ja can lead a team and Jamal (theoretically) can’t, Ja has higher potential. Michael Porter Jr. is a great player, but he can’t be over Ja (maybe not even Trae) at this point in his career. MPJ isn’t a shot creator (but he can be), he physically cannot playamake at even a below average level, and he isn’t an excellent defender either. I think that Ja should be higher than MPJ and Jamal. It’s that simple.
Those are five things that really stood out to me from this list. There are a couple other things that I didn’t think were big enough to elaborate on, so here they are:
Tatum should be over Donovan
Edwards, Collins, Lonzo, and maybe even Haliburton and Ayton over Sabonis in terms of potential
Do Dejounte Murray, Tyler Herro, Keldon Johnson, James Wiseman, or Kevin Porter Jr. deserve a spot on this list?
Now, the highlight of the article, my two lists (and a bonus third).
We’ll start with the bonus, which is the eight players who I think will be able to be the best player on a great team (in no order):
Luka
Zion
LaMelo
Donovan
Tatum
Simmons (remember, Giannis can’t shoot. People put too much stock in Benny’s lack of a jumper. That just tells me they haven’t watched the 76ers play this year.)
Jaylen
Ja
I feel like all those picks either don’t need explaining or received some previously in the article. However, there is definitely one player most of you readers just thought of after you read the list, and that man is Devin Booker. I have a simple reasoning for this.
Book’s teams were some of the worst in the league for all of his pre-CP3 days, and that tells me a lot (2019 is the most important year in this argument). In the 2018-19 season, Booker had T.J. Warren, Kelly Oubre, rookie Deandre Ayton, and rookie Mikal Bridges. Obviously not great. But the Suns only won 19 games that year. Phoenix had the same record as Cleveland, and Cleveland’s best three players were rookie Collin Sexton, 22 games of Kevin Love, and Jordan Clarkson. The Bulls had a better record than Phoenix, and their top three were LaVine and nobody (Lauri Markkanen and freaking Justin Holiday). The Hawks had rookie Trae Young and sophomore John Collins, and they won more games than Phoenix.
Phoenix’s core in 2020 was the same as in 2019, except minus Warren and plus Rubio. The only reason Phoenix was close to the playoffs is because their 8-0 bubble record. Otherwise they would have probably been higher in the lottery than they were. The Suns were great in the bubble, but any team in a league that has all the best players in the world can get hot and win 8 games straight.
I just feel like Booker should have won some more games during his pre-CP3 years in Phoenix, especially in the last few seasons. After all, Donovan Mitchell took the Jazz from mediocrity to a perennial playoff team as soon as he was drafted.
List #1: Based on potential
1. Luka Doncic
2. Zion Williamson
3. Jayson Tatum
4. LaMelo Ball
5. Ben Simmons
6. Donovan Mitchell
7. Jaylen Brown
8. Ja Morant
9. Devin Booker
10. Bam Adebayo
11. De’Aaron Fox
12. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
13. Trae Young
14. Brandon Ingram
15. Jamal Murray
16. Michael Porter Jr.
17. Anthony Edwards
18. John Collins
19. Mikal Bridges
20. Tyrese Haliburton
21. Deandre Ayton
22. Domantas Sabonis
23. Lonzo Ball
24. Collin Sexton
25. James Wiseman
Here are some little bits of explanation:
Tatum over LaMelo already got its explanation.
Simmons goes over Donovan and JB because he has more room to grow, and this is a potential-based list. I think Simmons will develop a proficient jumper during his career, and that would make him a borderline top ten player in the league. Therefore, he gets top five potential.
My top eight is of course the eight players that I think have the potential to be the best player on a great team.
I have Bam over guys like Fox, Shai, and Trae because Bam has such a unique play style that fits the modern NBA well, and he will probably be a top 2-3 center one day (also Bam’s 80% free throw shooting suggests he can develop at least a consistent mid-range shot. He shoots 37% from 16-3P range).
Domantas Sabonis falls pretty low because I think he’s almost maxed out as a player. He has improved his jumper this year, but I don’t think he’ll get much better.
John Collins gets a top 20 placement. I think he’s a great player. He can shoot, he can finish, and he can defend. He can be an All-Star one day, and ESPN’s list didn’t reflect that.
James Wiseman, although he’s at 25, deserves a placement because he is still very young. He’s been inconsistent, but he can defend the paint and also stretch the floor to a degree. He still has excellent potential. It was just tough to rank him higher because I haven’t seen too much from him so far.
List #2: Based on the 2020-21Season
1. Luka Doncic
2. Jayson Tatum
3. Donovan Mitchell
4. Devin Booker
5. Ben Simmons
6. Jaylen Brown
7. Zion Williamson
8. Trae Young
9. De’Aaron Fox
10. Bam Adebayo
11. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
12. Ja Morant
13. Jamal Murray
14. Brandon Ingram
15. Domantas Sabonis
16. Michael Porter Jr.
17. Collin Sexton
18. John Collins
19. LaMelo Ball
20. Mikal Bridges
21. Dejounte Murray
22. Tyrese Haliburton
23. Jarrett Allen
24. Deandre Ayton
25. Lonzo Ball
Here’s some explanation:
Zion takes a dip on this list compared to the potential-based one. Zion is definitely a dominant paint scorer, but that’s more or less it for him. He is a great rebounder, and a solid defender, but he isn’t very versatile at this point in his NBA career. Plus, the Pelicans are bad. Therefore Zion isn’t top five on this list. I saw someone on Tiktok say Zion is better than Tatum. That’s ridiculous.
Trae Young barley edges out Fox. The edge is team success, and Trae is better on offense. It’s super close though, and I could see it going either way depending on who you talk to.
Ja Morant, despite being an inefficient offensive player, still is placed over Jamal Murray. I’m giving the edge to Ja because it’s so impressive to me how he can lead his team (while missing their second best player) to a playoff/play-in spot at this point in his career. I don’t like to let stats decide all my opinions.
MPJ over Sexton. I’m not a MPJ fan. He’s just so ridiculously efficient. He takes one more three per game than Sexton, and shoots 7% better. Sexton has no Ja Morant-like edge now that the Cavs have fallen out of playoff contention, so MPJ goes higher than him.
Dejounte Murray makes an appearance on this list. Dejounte is super good. He didn’t make the potential list because he’s basically 25 years old, but he does make this one.
Jarrett Allen is better than Deandre Ayton. I thought Ayton was gonna be a lot better this year than he has been, but that’s something to discuss in a postseason article.
So, those are my thoughts on ESPN’s top 25 under 25 list (now around a week late, because I worked on this over a weekend), as well as my own lists. Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
Kyrie Irving. One of the best ball handlers ever. Great scorer. Second best player on the 2016 Cavalier championship team. 7-Time All-Star. 2-Time All-NBA player. Obviously an excellent player. This season, he’s averaging 28 PPG, 5 RPG, and 6 APG on 50/39/90 shooting. Those would be MVP numbers if he wasn’t the third best player on his team. I think Kyrie is a top fifteen player in the NBA.
The problem is that lately people have been overrating him. I’d almost say severely overrating him. I say severely because the overrating has gone further than just calling him a top ten player or something (which is a reasonable statement, but not a correct one). There are two main claims that I keep seeing on the internet that I have to address.
Claim 1: Kyrie>Damian Lillard
If you look at the stats, you would think Kyrie is better than Dame. That’s the issue though. Not everybody watches a ton of basketball. Most fans just watch their favorite teams and nationally televised games (People like that shouldn’t be allowed to have hot takes, by the way).
So of course, if you only look at the stats, you don’t get the full story. The full story is that Damian Lilllard is better than Kyrie Irving. Why, you may ask? Dame is a number one option.
Kyrie has shown us that he isn’t a number one option. He tried it in Boston, and it didn’t work out. He was criticized by teammates saying that he was hard to play with. If you’re supposed to be the best player on your team and your teammates don’t even like playing with you, that’s an issue.
Meanwhile, Damian Lillard is a great leader. Dame has also had more team success as a number one option.
Simply put, Lillard has the tools a number one option needs. Kyrie doesn’t. Therefore, there’s no way you can say Kyrie is better than Dame.
(P.S: I know Kyrie is a good guy. But good guy≠good leader.)
Claim #2: Kyrie Irving is the most skilled offensive player ever
This one is funny. Obviously, Kyrie is HIGHLY skilled. The way he can dribble is simply mind boggling. He’s an excellent finisher, and a great shooter as well. But there are two players I can say for certain are more skilled offensively than Kyrie.
The first is Kevin Durant, who in my opinion is the most skilled offensive player ever. He’s seven feet tall, and can dribble and shoot with the best. He might be the most fun player to watch when he’s hot, because he’s simply unstoppable. There’s no way you can watch these guys on the court together and tell me that Kyrie is more skilled.
The other is Stephen Curry. Curry’s ball handling isn’t far off from Kyrie’s, and Curry is a better scorer. After all, Steph is the greatest shooter ever. There’s a reason why Curry is the best point guard in the league even when his team isn’t in the playoffs.
(There are two other players that you could argue are more skilled than Kyrie. One is Michael Jordan. I’ve obviously never watched him play, so I couldn’t really tell you. The other is James Harden.)
So you could say that Kyrie is a top five most skilled offensive player ever, perhaps even top three. But the best EVER? That’s crazy talk.
(I do think it’s absolutely crazy that three of the best offensive players ever are on the same team right now.)
Those are my thoughts on the recent claims being made about Kyrie Irving. Do you agree with my takes? You’ll also have to let me know if articles like this are hard to read (articles where I just sit down and write my opinion with no prior outline.) Thanks for reading!
The other day, I was listening to an episode of Bill Simmons’s podcast Book of Basketball 2.0 where he talked to Daryl Morey and his time with the Rockets (especially the 2017-18 season). While listening to this episode, I randomly came up with the experiment that this article is about:
Can I make two NBA teams, one that shoots 50 threes a game and one that shoots less than 15?
More importantly, can those teams both be good?
50+ threes a game and less than 15 are both extremes. Both are unlikely to happen in the NBA for a while. But in my virtual NBA world, hopefully it will.
That’s right, we’re back on NBA2K21. I did a fantasy draft where I picked for both of my teams. The other 28 teams in the NBA are controlled by the computer. After the draft, I made some trades to make my teams fit the experiment even better. So before I start my experiment, I’ll show you my rosters.
Philadelphia 76ers: Non-Shooting Team
My goal here was to put together a team of players who don’t make threes, but also a team of players who don’t take threes. I bet there’s one player who came to mind when you read that, and he’s on the team.
PG: Ben Simmons (Obvious choice)
SG: Gary Harris (He’s been a bad shooter this year, but he plays good defense)
SF: DeMar DeRozan (He’s been taking/making more threes this year, but still not enough to be a shooter)
PF: Jonathan Isaac (Inconsistent shooter/offensive player. He plays elite defense.)
C: Jarrett Allen
C: Richuan Holmes
PG: Elfrid Payton (takes some threes, but not many. Good playmaker and solid defender)
PF: Jarred Vanderbilt
SG: Matisse Thybulle (Takes threes, but really doesn’t make them)
SF: DeAndre Bembry
PG: Michael Carter-Williams
SF: Andre Roberson
SF: Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Looked like a shooter the other day, but he’s not)
SG: Gary Payton II
C: Drew Eubanks
For this team, I wanted good defense. The offense will be alright, but the defense should be top ten in the league. I struggled to find guards and wings who couldn’t shoot but could play minutes, so not everybody on this team can’t shoot at all. The point was to have all below average shooters.
Houston Rockets: The Chuckers
I simply made a team of players who are good shooters. Therefore, I have the best shooter ever.
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Buddy Hield
SF: Joe Ingles
PF: Marcus Morris Sr.
C: Christian Wood
PF: Bojan Bogdanovic
PG: Jalen Brunson
SG: Seth Curry
SF: James Ennis
C: Mike Muscala
SG: J.J. Redick
SF: Sterling Brown (Sterling has been balling this season. He’s shooting 40% from three. I love it)
SF: Kyle Korver
C: Meyers Leonard
PF: Dean Wade
This team’s defense isn’t excellent, but it shouldn’t matter because if everything goes right, they’ll score the most points per game in the NBA.
So those are the rosters. For Philly, I’m running a grit & grind system. Houston is running a seven seconds or less system. I’m gonna start simulating the season, and see how things go.
February 1st
The Rockets are top five in scoring, but I expect them to jump to number one. But that’s not important right now because so far, the team is shooting 51 threes a game. That’s 8 more than the next team. They’re also leading the league in percentage. They are 14-15, but that’s alright. The goal of this experiment is to see how good a team that shoots 50 threes a game can be, and if they’re bad, then that makes a point.
The 76ers are 19-11, and second in the East. That’s wild, because they’re shooting 7 threes a game. That’s less than I thought they would! They have a top three defense, just like I expected, which is definitely why they’re good. They also lead the NBA in team FG%, which makes sense because they take a ton of twos.
All-Star Selection
Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, Ben Simmons, and Christian Wood were all All-Stars. That’s a good sign.
All-Star Break
The Rockets got hot. They are now 35-21, thich is tied for the fourth best record in the league. They are now leading the league in scoring, which makes sense. They are still shooting 50 threes a game, and still lead the league in percentage.
The 76ers are still second in the East, and have the second best record in the NBA. They have the best defense in the NBA. They only shot 6.6 threes a game. That’s crazy! They are now the far-and-away league leaders in team FG%, shooting 54%. The next best team shoots 50%.
End of Season
The Rockets finished 47-35. That’s 3rd in the West, and 6th in the NBA. They led the league in PPG. And, most importantly, they finished the year shooting 50.4 threes a game, while leading the league in percentage. They had 9 players shoot higher than 40% from three.
The 76ers finished 53-29, which is the best record in the NBA. They had the best defense. They only shot 6 threes a game. The funny part is they only had the fifth worst 3PT percentage in the NBA. They had 3 players shoot 60%+ from the field.
Playoffs
The Rockets lost in a seven game series in the second round. Likely because they shot an insane 53.3 threes a game in the playoffs. But the 76ers won the championship.
Conclusion
So, in conclusion, a team that doesn’t shoot threes will play really well as long as they have a good defense. After all, a shot in the paint is more efficient than a three point shot.
A team that shoots a ton of threes can be a good regular season team, but may fall apart in the playoffs (that’s a conclusion that’s already been made because that’s what happened to the Rockets in 2017-18).
So both of the teams did what I wanted them to, which was fun. I had fun doing this experiment. I don’t expect to see a team shoot six threes a game anytime soon, but who knows. Maybe some GM will read this article and try it out.
(This will actually never happen in real life, because a team that doesn’t shoot threes would have no spacing, making them easy to guard. That wouldn’t lead to much success.)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66283137/usa_today_14002385.0.jpg)
.JPG)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69081211/1232135225.0.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68995227/usa_today_15745824.0.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68764348/1230486851.0.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68978842/usa_today_15737477.0.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68697279/1295528718.0.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69006856/1231874535.0.jpg)
The Bench Mob Blog 
