5 most underrated point guards in the 2020-21 NBA season
The NBA features a plethora of extraordinary point guards. But not all of them are recognized to the same extent because not everyone showboats or puts up record-breaking numbers.
It is impossible to have the spotlight on every player in the NBA. However, there are a few point guards worthy of praise, as they have been exceptional at both ends of the floor this season.
Five underrated guards in the 2020-21 NBA season
Many point guards in the 2020-21 NBA have dazzled after coming off the bench. They have manages to impact games in whatever little time they have spent on the court.
While most players on this list are not starters, they are perfectly capable of leading a team. On that note, let's take a look at the top five underrated point guards in the 2020-21 NBA season.
#5 TJ Mcconnel
TJ McConnell had an unconventional entry to the NBA. The rookie was undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft but secured a spot on the Philadelphia 76ers team through the 2015 NBA Super League.
After an incredible performance in the preseason, McConnell was part of the 76ers' starting lineup in the first game of the 2015-16 NBA season. In a decent outing, he recorded four points, four assists and three steals in 27 minutes.
McConnell is the perfect epitome of a playmaker. He creates open looks for his teammates effortlessly. In the four years he spent in Philadelphia, he became the fourth player in franchise history to make 17 assists in a game.
The Indiana Pacers signed the point guard in 2019 after his four-year contract with the 76ers expired. TJ continued his fine form for his new team, making 355 assists in 71 games.
This season, TJ has made 357 assists and 94 steals while averaging 25.7 minutes. The 29-year-old holds the NBA record for the most steals in one half (9).
His court vision and intuitiveness are commendable attributes. If he gets more playing time, the point guard could make a greater impact.
#4 Terry Rozier
Terry Rozier started his NBA career with the Boston Celtics in 2015. The rookie was likened with Damian Lillard but found it difficult to get going in his first season. Things started to look up for the guard in his sophomore year, though, as he received more playing time. He continued to improve and recorded career-highs in points.
Reports suggested that Rozier was unhappy with his playing time early in the 2018-19 season despite starting in the NBA playoffs the previous season. At the end of the season, he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
Rozier played 34.3 minutes in his first season for the Hornets, averaging 18 points. The 2020-21 season has brought out the best in Rozier, who put up a career-high 42 points two days before Christmas. He is leading the team in points (20.5) and steals (1.3) this campaign.
#3 Malcolm Brogdon
Malcolm Brogdon has been an exceptional point guard in the NBA, with several accolades and records to prove his credentials. He started his professional career in 2016 after getting drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks.
He has continually improved since his arrival in the NBA. His stats have gotten better every year after he was chosen in the second round of the NBA draft. The rookie went ahead to show everyone what they missed out on, averaging ten points, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Brogdon received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award at the end of the season. That made him the first second-round pick in NBA history to win the award since 1965.
After spending three years with the Bucks, he was traded to the Indiana Pacers. He had big boots to fill, as he was expected to start in the point guard position. Brogdon stepped up to the challenge and exceeded expectations.
In his first season with the Pacers, he played 30.9 minutes, averaging 16.5 points and 7.1 assists. So far this season, Malcolm Brogdon is leading the team in points (21.5) and has tallied six assists per outing.
#2 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one the most underrated point guards in NBA history, mostly because of the overall performance of the teams he has played for.
He was selected in the first round of the 2018 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. On that same night, the rookie got traded to the LA Clippers. Coming off the bench, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.8 points and 3.3 assists.
The Canadian made his first NBA playoffs appearance with the Clippers. In the last game for the Clippers that season, the rookie put up a career-high 25 points against the Golden State Warriors.
In July 2019, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. With more playing time, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up record-breaking numbers. He became the youngest player in franchise history to record a 20-20-10 statline.
Although he is out with a foot injury at the moment, he is leading the team in points (23.7) and assists (5.9) per game this season while shooting 50.8% from the field.
#1 De'Aaron Fox
DeAaron Fox is arguably the most underrated point guard in the ongoing 2020-21 NBA season despite the player being only 23. That probably has something to do with his team, the Sacramento Kings, being ranked 12th in the Western Conference.
The Kings selected Fox with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. In his rookie season, he averaged 11.6 points, 4.4 assists and one steal in 27.8 minutes per game.
Fox wasted no time acclimatizing himself with the NBA, as he became a starter for the Kings in his sophomore year. In the 2018-2019 season, he played 81 games, averaging 17.3 points and 7.3 assists per outing.
The guard has continued to dazzle in the ongoing 2020-21 season. He recorded a career-high in points (44) in his team's victory against the Golden State Warriors. So far this season, he is leading the team in points (25.2), steals (1.5) and assists (7.2) per outing.