Top 5 NBA players who proved their critics wrong in the 2020-21 season
There is an often perpetuated notion that NBA players and professional athletes in general do not really listen to what is said about them in the media. However, there have been athletes who've shown that they do listen to the criticism, and several NBA players responded in the best way possible to their critics this season.
In every NBA season, there are some players who come under media scrutiny and face heavy criticism for performances in the postseason or even for failing to reach the NBA Playoffs. But many of them bounce back immediately, as was the case in the 2020-21 season.
5 NBA players who answered questions in the 2020-21 season
Players like Paul George and Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the 2020-21 NBA season after being criticized for failing to succeed in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. These are not isolated cases as many other players have also had to endure similar experiences.
On the other hand, some players were not really heavily criticized, but are often excluded from certain debates or rankings from the current league. One of the best examples of this is Devin Booker, who was not voted into the All-Star Game and was left out of the All-NBA teams this year.
In this article, we discuss five players who proved their critics wrong in the 2020-21 NBA campaign.
#5 Draymond Green
Draymond Green needed a solid season for the Golden State Warriors in the 2020-21 NBA campaign. He evidently struggled the previous season without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
With a fit-again Curry but without a huge team around him, Green had a solid campaign that reminded everyone of his best years. The 31-year-old had a fantastic year defensively, earning a spot among the DPOY finalists. Green also averaged a career-high 8.9 assists per game (fourth-best in the NBA).
Green proved that he can be the essential player the Golden State Warriors need even without playing with multiple superstars around him.
#4 Paul George
Paul George surely got the most criticism after the 2020 NBA Playoffs as the LA Clippers fell in the second round of the postseason against the Denver Nuggets. He too had some poor performances in the 2019-20 season.
George's struggles in the postseason were also quickly becoming commonplace, having begun during his days with the OKC Thunder.
In the 2020-21 NBA season, George got off to a fantastic start on the Opening Night against the LA Lakers. The game set the tone for the rest of the season as the 31-year-old produced excellent numbers throughout the year. George averaged 23.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game with 47/41/87 shooting splits in the regular season.
George has had some difficult nights in the postseason as the LA Clippers fought hard to progress past the first round against the Dallas Mavericks. In the second round against the Utah Jazz, George put up a tremendous performance in Game 5 on the road without Kawhi Leonard. Thanks to him, the LA Clippers are now one win away from the Western Finals.