Five guys we don't talk about enough

Let’s admit it, we all love the NBA on TNT. Nothing is better than tuning in to the *zesty* flare of Jeff Van Gundy's persistent basketball cynicism and Mark Jackson just kind of sitting there and saying things of little substance. But… sometimes, one must obtain the magical NBA League Pass to get into the real nitty gritty of the league (or just illegally stream it — League Pass sucks). When the national television schedule looks something like the picture below, you're bound to miss a few things.

And that’s why I’m here — to inform you about all the little guys in the league that Van Gundy only talks about in dark, musty bars late at night. But first (gasp): the criteria!

Criteria: Aforementioned “little” (actually pretty sizable outside of Fast Freddy VanVleet) guys of the league must appear in five or less nationally televised games.

Okay that was easy. Let’s begin.

1. Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors, PG

Yeah, Fred VanVleet isn’t your everyday Will Hunting. He’s not a totally unknown kid solving the world’s greatest calculus equations behind closed doors (I mean, he might be — who knows). In fact, his genius and rise from undrafted afterthought to NBA champion and borderline all-star has been pretty well documented.But as we tend to do in this beautiful country, we got bored. It’s a real shame because Fast Freddy VanVleet is truly a sight to behold. Last year was weird for Canada's favorite basketball team (Vancouver Grizzlies are a closer second than you bastards like to admit). Pascal Siakam went from budding superstar to a predictable second option, and Kyle Lowry missed significant time packing his bags for the Miami beaches. This culminated in a lottery finish, but it was perhaps just what the Raptors needed to revamp their post-Kawhi squad. Obviously it led to fourth overall pick Scottie Barnes, who now profiles as a franchise cornerstone. It also allowed young players OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr., and Chris Boucher to experiment with their games a little. But perhaps most importantly, the “down” season started Fred VanVleet’s transition from a combo guard to a pure point guard, and god, I love it.

Last year was up and down for Freddy. He hoisted nine threes a game, almost two and a half more than the year previous, and struggled mightily inside the arc, converting a borderline horrid 41.6 percent of his two-point attempts. He struggled to transition from a strong secondary playmaker to the metro of the whole orchestra, and there were times I questioned if he was cut out to run the show. He’s proven me wrong this season and I couldn’t be happier. Fred is making the 10th most passes in basketball, and he’s kept their half court offense alive with Siakam slowly integrating himself back into the lineup. VanVleet is shooting the rubber off of the ball, converting on nearly 40 percent of his three point attempts and shooting 40.7 percent on all pull up jumpers. Fred has recognized the struggles he has at the rim, and instead he’s slowed down and taken high percentage mid range shots and floaters. This is a meaningful development, considering he’s hitting a ridiculous 56 percent of his mid range shots, and allowing bulldozers OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes to take care of the rim responsibilities.

He’s probably not an all-star in the loaded East, and he may never be one, but Fred VanVleet is the personification of a winner, man. He gets his hands dirty on defense, he makes the right play with frustrating consistency, and he stretches the floor for a fun group of uber athletic mammoths beside him. He’s a joy to watch and the deserving first member of the “guys we don’t talk about team”.

2. Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs, G

I know, right — how did the NBA screw the Spurs out of five nationally televised games?? What’s more fun than watching average shooters huck up midrange shots? I don’t know, kite surfing probably. Water skiing. Most aquatic activities, I would guess. But there’s one player that sticks out of this San Antonio sore thumb (thank you very much), and that’s Mr. Dejounte Murray, who is VERY quietly averaging around 18, 8, and 8 for the good ole Spurs.

The Spurs are hopeless without Murray. When he’s off the court, they’ve been outscored by nearly 10 points per 100 possessions, as their offense drops to the 11th percentile and their defense treads water in the 37th percentile. Insert Murray and you’ve got a +3.4 point differential per 100 possessions, and an above average offense to go along with a sturdy defense that would rank in the 67th percentile league wide. So, what makes Dejounte so interesting? To start, he’s everywhere. The NBA world told him he needed a jump shot to take “the leap”, and Murray simply shrugged and doubled down on everything he’s good at. On offense, he doesn’t let his lack of a perimeter jumpshot define his game. He’ll take it if it’s open, but he’s athletic enough to get to his spots in the mid-range regardless of how the defense plays him, and he’s shooting 45 percent on midrange shots thus far. If you commit to the three or the mid-range, Murray will blow by you to the rim, where he’s been a terror, shooting 70 percent within three feet. The biggest jump has been the playmaking, where we’ve seen his assist percentage almost jump a full 10 percent, while his turnover percentage only increased by half a percent. Murray is elite at disguising his pass attempts as midrange shots, and he’s always willing to give up a good look for a great one (I’m imagining Popovich getting intimate with himself reading this). Murrays added scoring and playmaking punch is the only thing keeping San Antonio's offense alive in the halfourt, and it’s quite fun to see him coordinate all those criminally large limbs into a real offensive threat, and that’s not even his best side of the court.

Murray is a hound on defense, currently averaging two steals per game. He’s in every passing lane and seems to constantly be in two places at once. He’ll pick up the opponents best guard on a night to night basis, and it can’t be understated how difficult it is to carry a team on both sides of the court. He’s not a finished product, and I’d love to see him add a little more craft to his pick and roll game, and perhaps a nifty floater, but man is he a breath of fresh air on this outdated San Antonio team.

3 + 4. Montrezl Harrell (C) and Kyle Kuzma (F), Washington Wizards

These guys just felt like they needed to be together. I mean, how can I separate the disgraced ex-Lakers of the world? They need each other. In other news, the Washington Wizards are in first place of the Eastern Conference, and that is in no small part because of the play of Montrezl Harrell and Kyle Kuzma. In a way, they’re tasked with the same responsibilities as their time in L.A. — peripheral players meant to fill the holes beside stars (Bradley Beal in this case), and take over in stretches when the big boys go to the bench. It’s a hard role, toggling between aggression and patience, but Kuz and Trez have found a rhythm here.

For Trez, he just looks refreshed, man. No longer is he being asked to be more than what he is, and he’s returned to the Trez we all know and love — an absolute bully. Harrell is scoring on 50% of 2.7 post ups a game, and he doesn’t just score — he demoralizes. He’s a master at detecting when to hurl his body into the defender and catch them at their least stable. He’s also been a fantastic pick and roll man, which was true last year as well, but he was criminally underutilized. This year, he’s more than doubled his possessions per game as the roller in PnR settings, and he ranks in the 93rd percentile here, which is valuable offense for any team. The most encouraging aspect of Washington Trez has been his play at center, though. The Wizards’ best two lineups, which outscore opponents by 13.2 and 11.3 points per 100 possessions respectively, both feature Harrell at center. Even more encouraging is these lineups have ranked above league average on the defensive side of the ball, which has always been the question for Trez. When he can stay alive on defense, and provide his signature streetball punch on offense, Montrezl is a passionate League Pass staple, in my opinion.

As for Kuz, it’s been fun to watch him play with more freedom. He went from spotty shooter and desperation shot creator to a versatile, do-it-all wing. Kuz has been everywhere this year, from being used as a screener to a pick and roll ball handler (where he’s been surprisingly effective in a tiny sample size) to a deadeye shooter and even a legitimate defensive stopper. He’s grabbing a pretty remarkable 9.2 rebounds per game and he’s learned how to play meaningful minutes alongside high usage ball handlers Beal and Spencer Dinwiddie. He’s become a much more willing ball mover, and you can even find him seeking out playmaking opportunities.

It might not last all season, but the Washington Laker-rejects are fun this year. So, yeah, screw you, Rich Paul and Russell Westbrook.

5. Wendell Carter Jr., Orlando Magic, F/C

Yes, I understand Cole Anthony is the sexier pick here - but I need to prove my worth as a basketball fan and show love to the less trendy Wendell Carter Jr. I loved Wendell coming out of the draft. He’s a no-nonsense big with a sky-high basketball IQ and the skills to connect all the dots. It didn’t pan out in Chicago, and honestly the Orlando experience has been underwhelming as well, but he’s playing his best basketball right now and it deserves some love.

First things first, the Magic have done just about everything they can to halt Carter's progress. He starts as a power forward next to the blossoming Mo Bamba, which is cool and all in theory, but the numbers make it hurt. The Magic are outscored by 0.6 points per possession with Carter at power forward and Bamba at center. When it’s Carter at center without Bamba on the court, the Magic are outscoring opponents by a blistering (blistering for the Magic, okay?) 7.2 points per 100 possessions. He elevates their defense to almost the 80th percentile league-wide, and stifles opponents at the rim. In comparison, the Magic defense is just about the worst in the league when Bamba plays without Carter. He’s just so sound positionally, and he’s not scared to switch onto guards either.

Offensively, Carter's beginning to experiment with his game, which is really fun to observe, especially for us Carter-believers that have been immensely frustrated with his lack of assertiveness over the course of his career. This season, Wendell is jacking 3.9 threes a game, and cashing in on 43.1% of them. He’s scoring 17 points per 36 minutes and he’s still a useful playmaker on the short roll and off post ups, where he also ranks as an above average asset.

The Magic are 24.1 points better when Wendell is on the court — absolutely unfathomable, even for a small sample size on a bad team. He might not be the all-star I envisioned him to be, but he’s a real nifty player, and he’s finally showing signs of legitimate upward trajectory. They might not be the best watch in the league, but compared to years previous, this Magic team is actually pretty damn fun.

There you have it. Finally something to do on Monday nights when Giannis decides to rest in the nationally televised game. I hope I could provide a small spotlight on some of the league's buried treasures. And if not, eh, I’ll try again another time.