Every NBA Team’s Most Underrated Player
Each team has that one player who makes a big impact on the team but does not get acknowledged. According to Meriam-Webster, underrated means “rated or valued too low”. In this article, we will be viewing each team’s most underrated player. These players have made an impact on their team in any way possible. It can be the fact that they contribute through points or assists, or they make the players around them better. Since the season has currently wrapped up, we can view the impact these players had throughout the season.
Atlanta Hawks: Clint Capela
Season Stats: 15.2 PPG, 14.3 REB, 2 BLKS, 59.4 FG%, 57.3 FT%
In his first season with the Hawks, Clint Capela averaged career highs in blocks and rebounds. He played a major role in the Hawks defense with a defensive rating of 106.1, the third-best in the league. The last player to average similar numbers for the Hawks was Dwight Howard back in 2016. Clint has provided the Hawks with starting center that they have been missing.
Boston Celtics: Robert Williams III
Season Stats: 8.0 PPG, 6.9 REB, 1.8 AST, 1.8 BLK, 72.1 FG%
In his third year with the Celtics, Robert Williams had career highs in points, assists, rebounds, and blocks. After Daniel Theis was traded to the Bulls, Williams saw an increase of minutes, averaging over 20 minutes a game. Unfortunately, the arrival of Moses Brown may result in a decrease of minutes for Williams.
Brooklyn Nets: Jeff Green
Season Stats: 11.0 PPG, 3.9 REB, 1.6 BLK, 49.2 FG%, 41.2 3P%
Aside from the BIG 3 and Joe Harris, Jeff Green was the next best player. As the season went along, Green became a bigger part of the rotation. He had multiple 20 point games and stepped up in game two of the conference finals scoring a playoff career-high 27 points. Green will enter free agency after one season with Brooklyn Nets.
Charlotte Hornets: Terry Rozier
Season Stats: 20.4 PPG, 4.4 REB, 4.2 AST, 1.3 STL, 45.0 FG%, 38.9 3P%
Last season, all the attention was on LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward. Terry Rozier is one of the most underrated point guards in the league. In 69 games, he averaged career highs in points, assists, steals, and field goal percentage. Terry also had one of the best dunks this season, putting Kevin Durant on a poster.
Chicago Bulls: Thaddeus Young
Season Stats: 12.1 PPG, 6.2 REB, 4.3 AST, 1.1 STL, 55.9 FG%, 26.7 3P%
Thaddeus Young has been an excellent player for the Bulls. He contributed to all aspects of the game this season and played solid defense this year with a defensive rating of 109.6. Young had such a big impact that he ending the season with a plus-minus of +146.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Darius Garland
Season Stats: 17.4 PPG, 2.4 REB, 6.1 AST, 1.2 STL, 45.1 FG%, 39.5 3P%
This season, the young point guard showed his potential to be a future star. Garland showed improvements in all categories of his game, from distributing the rock to being more active on the defensive side. In 30 minutes, Garland scored a career-high 37 points and tallied seven assists, two steals, and one block. Despite his amazing performance, Garland is still an underappreciated talent in this league.
Dallas Mavericks: Maxi Kleber
Season Stats: 7.1 PPG, 5.2 REB, 1.4 AST, 42.2 FG%, 41.0 3P%, 91.1 FT%
Though Maxi did not have the best season, he did improve his three-point and free-throw shooting numbers. Kleber has been been a solid player for the Mavericks rotation, though he may be moved this offseason.
Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr.
Season Stats: 19.0 PPG, 7.3 REB, 1.1 AST, 54.2 FG%, 44.5 3P%
This season, MPJ was given an increased role and he showed that he has superstar potential. With nearly double the minutes this season, Porter Jr put up excellent numbers compared to last season. A stat to watch next year would be his assist numbers, as he has only averaged one assist per game in his two-year career.
Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey
Season Stats: 12.2 PPG, 4.5 REB, 1.4 AST, 40.4 FG%, 38.0 3P%
In his first season, Saddiq Bey showed that he can be a superstar in the future. He played the second-most minutes on the Pistons and was top five in rookie minutes played. This shows Saddiq was trusted to contribute to the team in his first season.
Golden State Warriors: Juan Toscano-Anderson
Season Stats: 5.7 PPG, 4.4 REB, 2.8 AST, 57.9 FG%, 40.2 3P%
JTA played a pivotal role this season, he brought high offensive IQ and defensive energy every time he is on the court. Juan’s playing style is similar to Draymond Green with the potential to be the next Dray.
Houston Rockets: Kevin Porter Jr.
Season Stats: 16.6 PPG, 3.8 REB, 6.3 AST, 42.5 FG%, 31.1 3P%
Kevin Porter Jr may not have played many games on the Rockets, he has demonstrated that he will be the Rockets’ next superstar. On April 29, he scored 50 points and dished 11 assists, becoming the youngest player with a 50+ point and 10+ assist game. The KPJ trade is one of the most underrated trades this season.
Indiana Pacers: TJ McConnell
Season Stats: 8.6 PPG, 3.7 REB, 6.6 AST, 1.9 STL, 55.9 FG%
Tj McConnell is the definition of a backup point guard. He can distribute the ball to his teammate, spaces the floor, and provide a high level of defensive energy. McConnell‘s energy coming off the bench is what every backup point guard’s energy level should be. McConnell changes the momentum of the game, whether it be a steal or a crazy assist.
Los Angeles Clippers: Terance Mann
Season Stats: 7.0 PPG, 3.6 REB, 1.6 AST, 50.9 FG%, 41.8 3P%
Terance Mann took big strides in his second season whilst playing a greater role. As the season continued, Mann became more involved in the rotation, averaging twenty minutes after the All-Star break. In game six of the conference semifinals, Terance Mann scored a very productive career-high 39 points. He went 15–21 on field goals and 7–10 on three-pointers.
Los Angeles Lakers: Talen Horton-Tucker
Season Stats: 9.0 PPG, 2.6 REB, 2.8 AST, 45.8 FG%
Talen Horton-Tucker was one of the biggest breakout players of the year. In his four pre-season games, Horton-Tucker averaged 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and three assists. THT’s impressive performance in the preseason landed him a spot in the Lakers rotation.
Memphis Grizzlies: Kyle Anderson
Season Stats: 12.4 PPG, 5.7 REB, 3.6 AST, 46.8 FG%, 36.0 3P%
The 2020–21 season was Kyle Anderson’s best season of his career. His three-point percentage was up nearly ten percent from last season. Anderson is a solid all-around defender with a defensive rating of 108.8. He was an important part of the Grizzlies’ play-in tournament games, providing a total of sixteen rebounds, eight assists, and six blocks in both games.
Miami Heat: Kendrick Nunn
Season Stats: 14.6 PPG, 3.2 REB, 2.6 AST, 48.5 FG%, 38.1 3P%
In the 2020 playoffs, Kendrick Nunn’s performance took a dip, due to him contracting Covid-19 before the playoffs. Though he bounced back this season returning to his rookie of the year runner-up performance. Nunn improved in all of his shooting percentages including field goal, three-point, and free-throw percentages.
Milwaukee Bucks: Bobby Portis
Season Stats: 11.4 PPG, 7.1 REB, 1.1 AST, 52.3 FG%, 47.1 3P%
Bobby Portis is an NBA champion. Portis contributed to the team throughout the season with multiple double-digit games and playing outstanding defense. His playoff number slightly declined, but he had stronger defense in the playoffs.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Malik Beasley
Season Stats: 19.6 PPG, 4.4 REB, 2.4 AST, 44.0 FG%, 39.9 3P%
Malik Beasley was having a career season before injuring his left hamstring, sidelining him for the rest of the season. Prior to getting injured, Malik was considerably the second-best player on the team. Except he had complications with the law, resulting in a twelve-game suspension in the middle of the season. Currently, Beasley is serving 120 days in jail, he is scheduled to be released on August 17th.
New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo Ball
Season Stats: 14.6 PPG, 4.8 REB, 5.7 AST, 41.4 FG%, 37.8 3P%
Each season Lonzo has been maturing into a better player. Though his rebound and assists number dropped, Lonzo’s scoring increased as well as his three-point percentage and field goal percentage. Ball is also a solid defender providing 1.5 steals and a defensive rating of 112.7
New York Knicks: Alec Burks
Season Stats: 12.7 PPG, 4.6 REB, 2.2. AST, 42.0 FG%, 41.5 3P%
Alec Burks played lights out in his first season with the Knicks. Burks attempted a career-high five three-pointers a game this season, producing a new career-high of 2.1 three-pointers. He provided the Knicks with excellent defense contributing to the Knicks the third-best defensive rating in the league.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Lugeuntz Dort
Season Stats: 14.0 PPG, 3.6 REB, 1.7 AST, 38.7 FG%, 34.3 3P%
Lu Dort has solidified his role in the Thunder’s rotation. The undrafted shooting guard out of Arizona State flourished in his second season with the Thunder. Playing a bigger role, Dort was substantially the second-best player on the team after SGA. In April, Dort averaged 24.4 points, 1.3 steals, and 5.3 rebounds. That month he scored a career-high 42 points in a loss against the Utah Jazz
Orlando Magic: Terrence Ross
Season Stats: 15.6 PPG, 3.4 REB, 2.3 AST, 41.2 FG%, 33.7 3P%
After the Vuc and Aaron Gordon trades, Terrence Ross became the captain. After all the trades, Ross was the team’s best player, yet he continued to come off the bench. He averaged 29.3 minutes per game and only started two games.
Philadelphia 76ers: Seth Curry
Season Stats: 12.5 PPG, 2.4 REB, 2.7 AST, 46.7 FG%, 45.0 3P%
The Sixers acquired Curry from the Mavericks on November 18th, 2020. Curry improved spacing for the Sixers by providing more perimeter shooting. Over the last three seasons, Curry has shot over forty-five percent from the three-point range.
Phoenix Suns: Cameron Payne
Season Stats: 8.4 PPG, 2.4 REB, 3.6 AST, 48.4 FG%, 44.0 3P%
Cameron Payn has had a rocky career, but he revived his career with the Phoenix Suns. This season Payne scored a career-high 24 points against the Lakers. He stepped up in the postseason averaging 9.3 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.5 rebounds. Payne scored a playoff career-high of 29 points against the Clippers in game two of the conference finals.
Portland Trail Blazers: Carmelo Anthony
Season Stats: 13.4 PPG, 3.1 REB, 1.5 AST, 42.1 FG%, 40.9 3P%
In the 2020–21 Sixth Man voting, Melo received one second-place vote and five third-place votes. At 36, Anthony is producing at a high level, scoring a season-high 29 points while playing a career-low 1690 minutes.
Sacramento Kings: Richaun Holmes
Season Stats: 14.2 PPG, 8.3 REB, 1.7 AST, 63.7 FG%, 18.2 3P%
Holmes had a career year, he had career highs in nearly every aspect of the game. Since signing with the Kings, Holmes has played over 25 minutes each season. This has allowed Holmes to flourish into an above-average center.
San Antonio Spurs: Keldon Johnson
Season Stats: 12.8 PPG, 6.0 REB, 1.8 AST, 47.9 FG%, 33.1 3P%
Recently, Keldon Johnson was promoted to Team USA’s basketball roster from the Select Team. His promotion came after Bradley Beal and Kevin Love would not be able to participate in the Olympics. In his second season, Johnson has shown the potential to be a star; he scored a career-high 29 points in a loss against the Houston Rockets.
Toronto Raptors: OG Anunoby
Season Stats: 15.9 PPG, 5.5 REB, 2.2 AST, 48.0 FG%, 39.8 3P%
In only 43 games, OG Anunoby set career highs in all categories except for field goal percentage and blocks in which he tied. In each season of his career, OG has been improving his game. This suggests that OG will only get better next season.
Utah Jazz: Bojan Bogdanovic
Season Stats: 17.0 PPG, 3.9 REB, 1.9 AST, 43.9 FG%, 39.0 3P%
During the hiatus in 2020, Bojan underwent surgery on his right wrist due to a ruptured scapholunate ligament. At the beginning of the season, Bojan was inconsistent; in one game he would have twenty points, then he would only score seven in the next game. As the season progressed, Bogdanovic felt more comfortable with his wrist and slowly returned to his previous form.
Washington Wizards: Russell Westbrook
Season Stats: 22.2 PPG, 11.5 REB, 11.7 AST, 43.9 FG%, 31.5 3P%
Russell Westbrook can be considered the most underrated superstar in the league. For the fourth time in his career, Westbrook averaged a triple-double. This season he passed Oscar Robertson for the most triple-doubles in NBA history.
