Thanks to Blogger constantly deleting my drafts, this article is coming to you nearly a month later than I intended to release it. Anyways, the narrative concerning the NBA is far too star-driven in my opinion, so I wanted to shine some light on players who are good in their own right, but don't get the recognition they deserve. The only restriction I had was that I could not include any of this year's All-Stars.
Point Guard
Mike Conley - Memphis Grizzlies
It's strange to say that the player with the biggest contract in the NBA is overrated, but much of what he does goes unnoticed. Conley is proving to be a good scorer by reaching the 20 point average and doing damage from all over the court. He's proving to be relatively efficient too, as his true shooting percentage ranks him 65th in the league-ahead of notable scorers Damian Lillard (75) and Kyrie Irving (80). But Conley does much more than put the ball in the basket. His on-ball defense has always been superb and he runs a balanced half-court offense effectively. His leadership and basketball abilities have the Grizzlies sitting in the 7th seed and within striking distance of reaching the 4th.
Shooting Guard
Victor Oladipo - Oklahoma City Thunder
The whole narrative of the Oklahoma City Thunder this year is that Westbrook is surrounded by nothing more than role players. However, Oladipo has shown that he is quite capable in his own regard. The Thunder knew this too, as he was the key return piece in the Serge Ibaka trade. Oladipo has always been an athletic guard, but his jump shooting has improved each year he's been in the league. Now, he's averaging 16.4 ppg while being efficient on the floor at a 0.454 FG%, and 0.382 3P%. He's best suited as a secondary scorer, which bodes well for him and his guard running mate.
Small Forward
Harrison Barnes - Dallas Mavericks
It saddens me to see that Barnes' career is being overshadowed by his poor Finals performance last year. To his credit though, Barnes is doing all that he can to come back from that as he's averaging 19.6 PPG with a nice 47% shooting. He accomplishes this through mostly mid-range jumpers and floaters-two key skills that is overlooked at the NBA level nowadays. His athleticism helps him get big rebounds and body up his opponents too. Barnes' biggest shortcoming comes from shooting slumps that last longer than what you'd want out of your primary scorer. Nonetheless, he is a very valuable wing player.
Power Forward
LaMarcus Aldridge - San Antonio Spurs
The fall from stardom did not come too kindly for Aldridge and has left him as the forgotten "big" piece in San Antonio. A significant reason for this is that San Antonio simply doesn't have to rely on him to create shots for himself. Additionally, he's spending a little more time outside the arc, so he can't enforce his dominance in rebounding (7.4 RPG, a career low). To put it simply, the talent is still there, but the system he's on doesn't put him in the position to be dominate the offensive side of the ball like he used to.
Center
Myles Turner - Indiana Pacers
Myles Turner has a very developed post game, especially for someone who is so young, and is an elite shot blocker. What more can you ask from your Center? If you want icing on the cake, he's a good free throw shooter, so you can play him during key parts of the game, and not have to rely on small ball. My only complaint is that I'd like to see more of a motor when chasing rebounds. He has legit size and can easily grab more than his 7.1 RPG. To be fair though, he's still 20 years old, which means there is plenty of time for him to reach an elite echelon and become a double-double machine.
Honorable Mentions
Point Guard
Goran Dragic
I was a little hesitant to put Dragic here since people know him to be a good player, but most credit for the Heat's surprising season is given to Hassan Whiteside, and to a lesser degree, Dion Waiters.
Shooting Guard
Avery Bradley - Boston Celtics
Bradley is known to be a defensive juggernaut, but he's also a good scorer now too. His off-ball movement ranks among the top in the NBA and his 3 point shooting has improved drastically.
Small Forward
Evan Fournier - Orlando Magic
The Frenchman, previously thought to be soft shooter who doesn't use his size enough, changed his game and diversified his scoring ability. Most indicative stat of this is his 4.0 FTA per game.
Power Forward
Marvin Williams - Charlotte Hornets
Williams has quietly become one of the better shooters from the Power Forward position. Although his 3 point shooting is a bit down compared to his career averages, he now looks more comfortable taking free throws and long-range jumpers.
Center:
Tristan Thompson - Cleveland Cavaliers
Coming into the league, Tristan Thompson was considered to be very raw on the offensive side, and his athleticism, hands, and timing were his only redeeming qualities. The reason I elected to put him here was because his post-game and ability to finish with both hands has improved drastically. It doesn't get noticed because of all the firepower the Cavaliers have, but his progression is actually amazing. His shot-blocking and free-throw shooting leave more to be desired, but those wrinkles shouldn't overshadow the hard work he's put in.
Point Guard
Mike Conley - Memphis Grizzlies
It's strange to say that the player with the biggest contract in the NBA is overrated, but much of what he does goes unnoticed. Conley is proving to be a good scorer by reaching the 20 point average and doing damage from all over the court. He's proving to be relatively efficient too, as his true shooting percentage ranks him 65th in the league-ahead of notable scorers Damian Lillard (75) and Kyrie Irving (80). But Conley does much more than put the ball in the basket. His on-ball defense has always been superb and he runs a balanced half-court offense effectively. His leadership and basketball abilities have the Grizzlies sitting in the 7th seed and within striking distance of reaching the 4th.
Victor Oladipo - Oklahoma City Thunder
The whole narrative of the Oklahoma City Thunder this year is that Westbrook is surrounded by nothing more than role players. However, Oladipo has shown that he is quite capable in his own regard. The Thunder knew this too, as he was the key return piece in the Serge Ibaka trade. Oladipo has always been an athletic guard, but his jump shooting has improved each year he's been in the league. Now, he's averaging 16.4 ppg while being efficient on the floor at a 0.454 FG%, and 0.382 3P%. He's best suited as a secondary scorer, which bodes well for him and his guard running mate.
 |
| A small example of Oladipo's athleticism. |
Harrison Barnes - Dallas Mavericks
It saddens me to see that Barnes' career is being overshadowed by his poor Finals performance last year. To his credit though, Barnes is doing all that he can to come back from that as he's averaging 19.6 PPG with a nice 47% shooting. He accomplishes this through mostly mid-range jumpers and floaters-two key skills that is overlooked at the NBA level nowadays. His athleticism helps him get big rebounds and body up his opponents too. Barnes' biggest shortcoming comes from shooting slumps that last longer than what you'd want out of your primary scorer. Nonetheless, he is a very valuable wing player.
Power Forward
LaMarcus Aldridge - San Antonio Spurs
The fall from stardom did not come too kindly for Aldridge and has left him as the forgotten "big" piece in San Antonio. A significant reason for this is that San Antonio simply doesn't have to rely on him to create shots for himself. Additionally, he's spending a little more time outside the arc, so he can't enforce his dominance in rebounding (7.4 RPG, a career low). To put it simply, the talent is still there, but the system he's on doesn't put him in the position to be dominate the offensive side of the ball like he used to.
Center
Myles Turner - Indiana Pacers
Myles Turner has a very developed post game, especially for someone who is so young, and is an elite shot blocker. What more can you ask from your Center? If you want icing on the cake, he's a good free throw shooter, so you can play him during key parts of the game, and not have to rely on small ball. My only complaint is that I'd like to see more of a motor when chasing rebounds. He has legit size and can easily grab more than his 7.1 RPG. To be fair though, he's still 20 years old, which means there is plenty of time for him to reach an elite echelon and become a double-double machine.
 |
| There's a lot to like about Myles Turner's game. |
Honorable Mentions
Point Guard
Goran Dragic
I was a little hesitant to put Dragic here since people know him to be a good player, but most credit for the Heat's surprising season is given to Hassan Whiteside, and to a lesser degree, Dion Waiters.
Shooting Guard
Avery Bradley - Boston Celtics
Bradley is known to be a defensive juggernaut, but he's also a good scorer now too. His off-ball movement ranks among the top in the NBA and his 3 point shooting has improved drastically.
Small Forward
Evan Fournier - Orlando Magic
The Frenchman, previously thought to be soft shooter who doesn't use his size enough, changed his game and diversified his scoring ability. Most indicative stat of this is his 4.0 FTA per game.
 |
| It's nice to see Fournier aggressively attack the rim. |
Marvin Williams - Charlotte Hornets
Williams has quietly become one of the better shooters from the Power Forward position. Although his 3 point shooting is a bit down compared to his career averages, he now looks more comfortable taking free throws and long-range jumpers.
Center:
Tristan Thompson - Cleveland Cavaliers
Coming into the league, Tristan Thompson was considered to be very raw on the offensive side, and his athleticism, hands, and timing were his only redeeming qualities. The reason I elected to put him here was because his post-game and ability to finish with both hands has improved drastically. It doesn't get noticed because of all the firepower the Cavaliers have, but his progression is actually amazing. His shot-blocking and free-throw shooting leave more to be desired, but those wrinkles shouldn't overshadow the hard work he's put in.
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