Most Underrated Players in the NBA from the 2020-2021 season

By: Layth Dahman

The most underrated NBA players from the 2020-2021 season are:

Tobias Harris:

Tobias Harris is having a career season that has gone under the radar. He is playing at an All-Star level and should have been an All-Star this season. He has been the second-best player and the second scoring option on the best team in the east record-wise. This season Harris is averaging 19.7 points per game, 3.6 assists per game, and 6.8 rebounds per game. This is the most efficient season of his career shooting a field goal percentage of 51.4 percent which ranks 27th and a three-point percentage of 39.3 percent which ranks 50th. He is one of the few players on the Sixers who can create his own offense and offense for others. He is able to score off the dribble and in catch and shoot scenarios. Harris is able to create his own shot from inside, mid-range, and three-point range. When shooting off the dribble he is shooting 53.2 percent on two-pointers and 32.2 percent on three-pointers. He is a player who can come around screens and make shots off the dribble. He also moves well without the ball and is able to get high-quality three-point looks in catch-and-shoot scenarios. This season on catch and shoot three-pointers he is shooting 44.1 percent. When taking no dribbles Harris is shooting 60 percent on two-pointers and 43.8 percent on threes. Harris also expanded his playmaking and ball-handling this year. As soon as he gets a rebound, he is able to push the pace and bring the ball up and either attack the rim or get a high-percentage look for his teammates off dribble penetration. This season he is averaging a career-high in assists compared to previous seasons. Harris makes the Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons duo effective with his ability to produce offense in the half-court. Before the season there were questions about whether the duo of Simmons and Embiid would be able to coexist. The three-man line-up of Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid scores 118.2 points per 100 possessions and has a net rating of 14.5 which ranks 4th among three-man lineups in the league. Harris has been reliable this season and hasn't missed many games. When Embiid got hurt and missed 19 games to injury or rest there were doubts about the 76ers and they were expected to fall down the standings. Harris kept them afloat and gave them the scoring they needed to remain the 1st seed when Embiid was out.

 Michael Porter Jr.:

Michael Porter Jr is a superstar in the making. This season he is having a breakout season and is averaging 19.4 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game. He is shooting an efficient field goal percentage of 54.8 percent from the field which ranks 17th and 45 percent from three which ranks 8th. He is an elite scorer and is able to score in many ways. Porter Jr moves well without the ball and is able to get open high-percentage looks from inside and from three-point range. He has developed a two-man game with Nikola Jokić by cutting to the rim and Jokić finding him for a high-percentage shot inside. Porter Jr is also an elite catch-and-shoot player and is one of the best catch-and-shoot three-point shooters in the league. This season he is shooting an efficient 43.6 percent on two-pointers and 46.9 percent on three-pointers in catch and shoot scenarios. He has an effective field goal percentage of 67.1 percent which means he makes more threes in catch and shoot scenarios than two-pointers making him an effective catch and shoot floor spacer for the Nuggets. Porter Jr is also shooting 67.7 percent from two-point range and 47.2 percent from three-point range when not taking dribbles. Porter Jr is also able to create his own shot off the dribble from the inside, mid-range, and three-point range. He has good size and is able to shoot over defenders. This season, Porter Jr is shooting an efficient 55.2 percent on two-pointers and 42.6 percent on three-pointers when creating his shot off the dribble. On pull up jumpers, Porter Jr is shooting 51.5 percent on two-pointers and 37 percent on three-pointers.

Porter Jr has a reputation for having a poor basketball IQ and having bad shot selection from taking tough contested shots, but even though Porter Jr takes tough contested shots, his size allows him to make them. Earlier in the season and in the bubble during the playoffs, the Nuggets stunted Porter Jr`s development by not playing him in the 4th quarter or playing him late in the 4th quarter when the game has already been decided, even though he elevates his performance late in games. The Nuggets don't allow Porter Jr to play through his mistakes at times. Even when he wasn't scoring earlier in the season, he made an impact on the glass. He is one of the best rebounding small forwards in the league. He also is a confident player and doesn't hesitate on shots late in games when the game is close. He takes tough contested shots and makes them late in games.

Porter Jr has a reputation for also being a poor defender. Even though he doesn't have defensive lateral quickness and struggles to guard against isolations, he is still able to make an impact on the defensive end. He has length on the defensive end with a wingspan of 7 feet allowing him to force opponents into tough contested shots. Porter Jr is also a good help defender and is able to be used as a rim protector with his ability to switch quickly and block and alter shots. This season he is averaging 1 block per game. He is also valuable for defensive rebounding and limiting 2nd chance opportunities for opponents. He is aggressive on the defensive glass and is aggressively pursuing defensive rebounds. This season he is averaging 5.9 defensive rebounds per game which ranks 19th among forwards.

Daniel Gafford:

Daniel Gafford is a starting-caliber center but hasn't gotten the chance to start in his NBA career. He is a rim-running center and an inside scorer. He also runs the pick and roll effectively and is a lob threat at the rim. This season he is averaging 6.9 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game. He is shooting an efficient 69.2 percent from the field. After being traded to the Wizards, he is getting 5.3 more minutes per game and he is averaging 10.1 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game on 69.3 percent shooting.

On defense, Gafford is a mobile big. He is also able to alter shots at the rim and be a rim protector. This season he is averaging 1.4 blocks per game. He has a defensive rating of 108.4. He makes the Wizards a better defensive team and they allow 2.5 fewer points per 100 possession when he is on the floor. The Wizards should start Gafford over Alex Len. He is a better finisher around the rim and has better hands and a finishing touch around the rim. He helps the Wizards fill a defensive need and the Wizards are a better defensive team with him on the floor compared to Len. The Wizards allow 1 fewer point per 100 possession when Gafford is on the floor compared to when Len is on the floor. Gafford is a better help defender and pick-and-roll defender than Len. Len often is forced to switch to the pick-and-roll ball handler and gets beaten off the dribble leading to a high-percentage shot and an unfavorable matchup for the Wizards. With Gafford being more mobile, he is better in pick and roll defense and is less likely to get beaten off the dribble in pick and roll switches, making it a more favorable matchup for the Wizards.

De'Aaron Fox:

De'Aaron Fox is a top 10 point guard in the league, but he doesn't get viewed as one of the elite young guards in the game. This season he is having a career year averaging 25.2 points per game and 7.2 assists per game. He is shooting an efficient 47.7 percent from the field.

Fox is one of the best transition scorers in the league. He allows the Kings to play at a fast pace and get easy baskets in transition. He is a big reason why the Kings average 22 points per game in transition which ranks 7th. This season he is averaging 5.6 points per game in transition which ranks 4th and has shot an efficient 56.4 percent in transition. In transition, he has speed and quickness and is able to outrun defenders as a ballhandler and get an easy layup or get to his spot and make a pull-up mid-range jumper in transition.

Fox can also score in the half-court at a high rate. He has speed and is explosive attacking the rim, allowing him to blow by defenders and get easy straight line drive opportunities at the rim. He is also able to create his shot from inside and mid-range. Fox off the dribble is shooting an efficient 54 percent on two-pointers. He is a player who can come around screens as a pick and roll ball handler and shoot the mid-range or attack the rim. He is one of the quickest and most explosive players to get past screens and attack the rim. Fox gets used primarily as the ball handler but has also shown the ability to play off the ball. He doesn't have a consistent three-point shot off the dribble but as a three-point shooter in catch and shoot scenarios, he has a consistent three-point shot. On catch and shoot three-pointers he is shooting 39.3 percent and when shooting threes when not taking dribbles he is shooting 37.1 percent compared to off the dribble in which he is shooting 30.4 percent. If Fox is able to develop a consistent three-point shot off the dribble, it will elevate his game to an even higher level and make him a more lethal and complete offensive player. Developing a consistent three-point shot off the dribble will force opponents to close out on him opening up a lane to the rim allowing him to have an easier time blowing by opponents and getting higher-percentage shots. Fox is an elite playmaker and is able to be a playmaker out of the pick and roll. He has developed a two-man game with Richaun Holmes and is able to get him easy, high-quality looks inside as a lob threat or open looks under the basket. He is also able to get three-point shooters open looks off dribble penetration from the pressure he draws when attacking the rim.

On defense, Fox is able to get into passing lanes and deflect passes. This season he is averaging 1.5 steals per game which ranks 13th in the league. He averages 2.8 deflections per game which ranks 19th and 161 total deflections which ranks 17th. On the defensive end, Fox needs to improve his ability to get through screens. At times when a player sets a screen on him, he gets stuck forcing a big to switch on to a guard and defend in space in an unfavorable matchup.

Tyrese Maxey:

Tyrese Maxey is a high upside rookie with a lot of potential but hasn't gotten much playing time with the Philadelphia 76ers. This season in 14.9 minutes per game Maxey is averaging 7.6 points per game and 1.8 assists per game. He is shooting an efficient field goal percentage of 46.1 percent. When he has gotten playing time this season he has shown potential as a scorer. He is an aggressive player attacking the rim and has a quick and explosive first step when attacking the rim. He is also able to create his shot off the dribble from inside and mid-range and three-point range but still needs to develop a consistent three-point shot. When creating his shot off the dribble, Maxey is shooting 52.8 percent on two-pointers. He is also shooting 49.2 percent on two-point pull-ups. Maxey has also shown the ability to be a playmaker. He is able to be a playmaker out of the pick and roll and off dribble penetration when attacking the rim. He also is a willing passer and is able to find the open player. When a key player is hurt or missing from the 76ers lineup, Maxey always steps up. This shows he always stays prepared and is in-game shape even though he doesn't get a lot of minutes.

Tyrese Haliburton:

Tyrese Haliburton is a dynamic player. He is a high IQ rookie and plays the game the right way.

This season he is averaging 13 points per game, 5.3 assists per game, and 3 rebounds per game. He is shooting an efficient 47.2 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from three. He is a player who plays within the flow of the offense and doesn't force up shots. He plays off-ball most of the time with De'Aaron Fox being the primary ball-handler. He thrives playing off the ball and makes catch and shoot three-pointers at a high level. This season on catch and shoot three-pointers he is shooting 43.8 percent. He is one of the most efficient players on catch and shoot three-pointers. He has an effective field goal percentage of 64.2 percent, which means most of his makes and attempts in catch and shoot scenarios come from three-point range. Haliburton becomes the primary ball handler when Fox is out of the game and is able to take over the offense. He is able to create his shot off the dribble from inside and three-point range. This season when Haliburton creates his shot off the dribble, he is shooting 52.9 percent on two-pointers and 35.7 percent on three-pointers. In transition, Haliburton is also able to make pull up three-pointers. This season he is shooting an efficient 37. 5 percent on pull up three-pointers. Haliburton is able to also be a playmaker out of the pick and roll and has developed a two-man game with Richaun Holmes. He gets Holmes high-quality looks inside out of the pick and roll and can also throw lobs to him. He is also able to drive to the rim and pass it out to a three-point shooter for a high percentage three-point shot from the pressure he draws attacking the rim. Haliburton at the end of games gives the Kings the flexibility to play small ball and have three ball handlers and playmakers on the floor. The Kings are able to run a small ball lineup of De'Aaron Fox at the 1, Buddy Hield at the 2, Tyrese Haliburton at the 3, Harrison Barnes at the 4, and Richaun Holmes at the 5. This lineup would be the best lineup for the Kings to close the game as it would give them three high-level shooters to space the floor and allows Fox and Holmes to play inside to their strengths.

Haliburton is a menace on the defensive end. He is a lengthy defender with a wingspan of 6 feet 8 inches. He has defensive lateral quickness and is able to force players into tough contested shots. He is also able to get into passing lanes and get steals and deflections. This season he is averaging 1.3 steals per game and 2.1 deflections per game. He is able to get through screens and make it tough for the pick and roll ball handler to score. He makes up for what Fox struggles with on the defensive end with his ability to get through screens.

Despite his skillset and high potential, many teams passed up on him during the 2020 draft allowing him to fall to the 12th pick even though he would be a great fit for many of those teams.

 CJ McCollum:

CJ McCollum is the most underrated scorer in the league. With his scoring ability, he could be the 2nd best player on a championship team. This season he is averaging 23.1 points per game, 4.7 assists per game, and 4 rebounds per game. He is shooting an efficient 45.7 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from three. He can score with ease in the half-court and can make tough contested shots. He is an isolation scorer. He is a player who can get to his spots and create his own shot from inside, mid-range, and three-point range. He is one of the better shot creators in the league. He can create separation from his defender with his step-back jumpshot. This season when McCollum is creating his shot off the dribble, he is shooting an efficient 50.9 percent on two-pointers and 38.1 percent on three-pointers. McCollum is quick to get around screens as a pick and roll ball handler leading to a high-percentage shot off the dribble for him. McCollum is a crafty finisher around the rim and is able to score around the rim with both hands. He isn't quick or explosive attacking the rim but is able to play offense at his own pace. His ability to change directions and his finishing hand around the rim make him tough for opponents to stop at the rim. He is also able to come around screens as a ball handler or off the ball and knock down high-percentage three-point shots. McCollum also has a transition game. In transition he is dynamic. He is able to operate in transition as the ball handler or on leakouts. A lot of his transition game involves pull-ups. He is an efficient pull-up shooter. This season on pull-up jumpers McCollum is shooting 47.8 percent from two-point range and 35.7 percent from three-point range. McCollum doesn't play off-ball often with only 19 percent of his offense being catch and shoot, but when he does play off-ball it generates high-quality looks for the Portland Trail Blazers. McCollum plays well off the ball and is able to get many high-percentage open looks with his ability to move without the ball. When he plays off the ball, he can come off screens and get a high-percentage open shot from mid-range or three-point range. This season in catch and shoot scenarios McCollum is shooting 55 percent on two-pointers and 47.5 percent on three-pointers. He attempts and makes more three-pointers than two-pointers leading to an effective field goal percentage of 69.3 percent in catch and shoot scenarios.

Christian Wood:

Christian Wood is the ideal big in today's NBA. This season he is averaging 21 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per game. He is shooting an efficient 51.4 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from three. He can score in many ways as a big. He is a player who can create his own shot off the dribble from inside, mid-range, and three-point range. This season when creating his shot off the dribble, he is shooting 51.7 percent on two-pointers and 43.8 percent on three-pointers. On pull-up jumpers, he is shooting 40.7 percent on two-pointers and 41.2 percent on three-pointers. Wood can also make three in catch-and-shoot situations. This season he is shooting 36.9 percent from three in catch-and-shoot scenarios. He has an effective field goal percentage of 51.9 percent, which means most of his catch and shoot attempts and makes are three-pointers. Wood can be used in pick and roll situations and pick and pop situations. In pick and roll situations Wood is a mobile big and is able to score inside as a lob threat or off high-quality looks inside. He is also able to score in the post against smaller players. Wood is also able to push the pace for the Rockets in transition off a defensive rebound. He is a skilled ball handler in transition as a big.

On the defensive end, Wood is a solid defender. He is a rim protector. This season he has 1.2 blocks per game which ranks 14th. He is also one of the better bigs at guarding the pick and roll ball handler. When he is forced to switch and guard the pick and roll ball handler, he has defensive quickness and is able to contest the shot forcing the pick and roll ball handler into a tough contested shot. His defensive quickness and mobility allow him to be versatile on the defensive end and guard multiple positions. He makes the Rockets a better defensive team when he is on the floor. When he is on the floor the Rockets allow 1.6 fewer points per 100 possessions.

Due to the season being suspended because of COVID, the Houston Rockets were able to get Wood at a bargain contract for the next 2 years. As the Pistons did not qualify for the NBA return in the bubble, Wood was not able to show his skillset over a longer period. Last season when Andre Drummond was traded and Wood became a starter, he averaged 22.8 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, and 2 assists per game. During this 13-game stretch, he was one of the most efficient bigs in the league shooting 55.1 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three. Teams did not feel comfortable pursuing Wood in free agency since he showed this skillset in a small stretch of games despite showing a skillset of a modern big. Even though Wood was getting limited minutes last season, he had a player efficiency rating of 23.22 which ranked 20th. It is a stat that measures a player's overall contribution on the floor per minute. It includes positive stats such as field goals, free throws, three-pointers, assists, rebounds, blocks, and steals, and negative ones such as missed shots, turnovers, and personal fouls. Having a player efficiency rating in the top 20, showed the star potential he has.

Dejounte Murray:

Dejounte Murray is a player who isn't elite at any one skill but who does everything well. This season he is averaging 15.8 points per game, 5.4 assists per game, and 7.1 rebounds per game. He is shooting an efficient 45.4 percent from the field. Murray is at his best when he is operating from inside and the mid-range. Murray is a crafty finisher around the rim and has tremendous footwork when attacking the rim. Murray improved his shot-creating ability this season and he is able to come around screens and create his own shot from inside and mid-range. This season he has been efficient shooting off the dribble. On pull-up jumpers, Murray is shooting an efficient 47.4 percent on two-pointers. When creating off the dribble, Murray is shooting an efficient average of 48.8 percent. He is a player who is able to get to his spots and knock down jump shots from inside and mid-range. He also moves well without the ball and can operate in catch and shoot scenarios. This season in catch and shoot scenarios Murray is shooting 44.4 percent on two-pointers. When not taking any dribbles, Murray is also shooting 54.9 percent on two-pointers. Murray expanded his playmaking this season. He is averaging a career-high in assists. His ability to rebound gives the Spurs a ball handler to push the pace. He is able to get others involved in the offense off his ability to draw pressure when attacking the rim from dribble penetration. He can also be a  playmaker out of pick and rolls.

Murray is one of the best guard defenders in the league. He is an All NBA Defensive Team Talent. He makes the Spurs a significantly better defensive team when he is on the floor. Murray allows 109.5 points per 100 possessions. The Spurs allow 2.1 fewer points per 100 possessions when Murray is on the floor. He has length at the guard position with a wingspan of 6 feet 10 inches. He has more size than opposing guards, allowing him to be more physical, and opposing guards struggle to create their shot against him. He makes it tough for his matchup to score in the half-court. He has defensive lateral quickness making it hard for guards to beat him off the dribble and attack the rim against him. He is also one of the best players in the league at getting in passing lanes. This season he is averaging 1.5 steals per game which ranks 10th. This season he is also averaging 2.9 deflections per game which ranks 16th and has 189 total deflections which ranks 7th. His ability to get into passing lanes sparks the fast break and allows the Spurs easy opportunities in transition. Murray is a clutch defender. He elevates his defense late in games. He takes tough defensive assignments late in games and guards the opposing team's best players. He forces them into tough contested shots late in games or forces them into turnovers.

Mikal Bridges:

Mikal Bridges is the ideal three and d player on a championship team. He is one of the best three and d role players in the league. He knows his role and isn't a high usage player. He takes high-percentage open shots within the flow of the offense. He is able to shoot the three and play defense at a high level. This season Bridges is averaging 13.5 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game. He is shooting an efficient field goal percentage of 53.7 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three-point range. This season Bridges significantly improved his shooting mechanics and three-point percentage. He has a quick release, making it hard for opponents to alter the shot when closing out on him, resulting in a 6 percent increase in his three-point percentage. A lot of his three-pointers are catch-and-shoot attempts from the corner off dribble penetration from Chris Paul and Devin Booker. This season Bridges is shooting 39.6 percent on catch and shoot three-pointers and  he attempts them 45.3 percent of the time. He has an effective field goal percentage of 59 percent which means he makes more threes than twos in catch-and-shoot scenarios. Effective field goal percentage is a stat that adjusts field goal percentage to account more for three-pointers than two-pointers which shows how much of a high percentage and effective shot a catch and shoot three is for Bridges. Bridges moves well without the ball and his constant movement along the three-point line gets him these high-percentage looks. Bridges also runs well on leak-outs in transition and he has quickness allowing him to outrun his opponents and get easy fast-break layups. This season Bridges has scored 4.1 points per game in transition.

On the defensive end, Bridges plays high-quality perimeter defense. He has length on the defensive end with a wingspan of 7 feet 1 inch. He has defensive lateral quickness which allows him to be a good isolation defender and forces his matchup into a tough contested shot. Opponents against Bridges are shooting only 38.4 percent on shots greater than 15 feet away and have a three-point percentage of 36.3 percent against him. Bridges is also able to play defense off the ball and get into passing lanes and cause deflections. This season he has 2.1 deflections per game to go along with 1 steal per game.