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Every team in the NBA has a player that doesn’t get the love they deserve. I will be going through each division of the NBA and picking a player on every team that I think is underrated. Today, I will cover the Northwest Division.
Utah Jazz: Talen Horton-Tucker
In 2020 Talen Horton-Tucker helped the Los Angele Lakers take home an NBA championship in the Orlando bubble. He had some flashes of greatness that season, as well as a few more this past season, but his hype ultimately disappeared. Just last week, Horton-Tucker was traded to Utah. Now that he is no longer in the shadow of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook, THT now has the chance to show that he can still play at the level he gave us a sneak peek of. There is also a possibility that Donovan Mitchell is traded, and that would open up the shooting guard position even more, allowing Horton-Tucker even more room to shine.
Denver Nuggets: Bones Hyland
Bones Hyland was drafted by Denver last season, and he immediately made an impact. With Jamal Murray being out all season, Bones was coming off the bench right behind Monte Morris. Now, Jamal Murray is coming back, but Will Barton and Monte Morris are both gone. This means there is room at the guard spot. Hyland has been seen making major improvements this summer, and I expect him to have a breakout season this year. The Nuggets have shown how much trust they have in this kid by keeping him over Barton and Morris, and he is looking to show the organization that they made the right decision.
Minnesota Timberwolves: D’Angelo Russell
No one seems to talk about D’Angelo Russell anymore, but at his peak, Russell is a threat from deep. Over his seven years in this league, Russell has shot around 35% from three-point land, and he has not shown any signs of slowing down. However, people often call the Timberwolves a “poverty franchise,” and that could be why the hype around Russell has gone down. But with the new addition of Rudy Gobert, Russell is now paired up with two all-star centers. This means Russell can fully focus on his offense and help this team get into the playoffs.
Portland Trailblazers: Gary Payton II
Gary Payton II was a big part of the Golden State Warriors’ success last season. Payton has spent many years in the G-League. He played in some NBA games, but it was mostly garbage time. But this season was different. Payton started showing glimpses of great basketball throughout the season from beyond on the arc and in the paint. But the most impactful part of his game was his defense. He averaged 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in the Warriors’ championship run last year. But, for whatever reason, the Warriors did not bring Payton back this season, so he signed with Portland. The Trailblazers don’t really have a shooting guard, so I think that if Payton keeps playing the way he did last year, he could see a lot of minutes and maybe even a starting spot.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Aleksej Pokusevski
Aleksej Pokusevski was the first of the Thunder’s guard-like big men. When Chet Holmgren was drafted, fans were excited to see the two share the court. But, this summer, Holmgren suffered an injury that ended up taking him out for his entire rookie season. Now, Pokusevski is the only decent big-man on the Thunder roster besides the aging Derrick Favors. Pokusevski showed signs of “unicorn” like basketball last season. He can shoot, he can dribble fairly well, and his post-game is good. (Obviously…he’s seven feet tall). If he can get his defense to the same level as his other skills, as well as get a little stronger, I think that Pokusevski has a good chance of starting at center this season.
