The Underrated Stars: An Overlooked MVP Candidate and a Phenomenal Role Player
- Brennan Valladares
- Jan 5, 2024
- 7 min read
Talent isn't hard to come by in the NBA. What is is the recognition of the talent beyond the Embiid's and Jokić's.
While Joel Embiid storms his way to presumably his second straight MVP award, numerous other players have been balling this season. And yet, year after year, the battle for the NBA's most valuable award (pun intended) has outshone the deserved praise of the rest of the league. Even within the MVP race, fans (including myself) have found it easy to fixate on the top two to three candidates and ignore the high-level play of the other contestants.
Beyond the MVPs, there are players at all different role levels who don't get the appreciation they deserve for their winning contributions. While some of the players I will later list in this piece are not "role" players, they have definitely molded their game to serve a greater purpose beyond individual accolades. These players, in my eyes, are some of the more underappreciated players in the league. From talent to production, some players are so consistent that it becomes almost bland. But that doesn't take away from the value they provide on the court.
Whether their play is sexy or not, these five players have been stars within their respective roles, and I want to take some time to appreciate them. The list will be broken down as so:
MVP
Allstar
Star
Role Player
So from the top, let's start with the most underappreciated MVP candidate so far this season.
Kawhi Leonard | MVP | 24.6 PTS, 6.0 REB, 3.6 AST
Before Kawhi went down with a hip injury, the Clippers were riding a nine-game winning streak, and the Klaw was torching the opposition. Over that span, Leonard averaged 29.3 points on 61.3/50/95.7 shooting splits. More notable was that up until Leonard's injury, he had appeared in the first 27 games of the season. This proved what seems to be a basketball given, that when healthy, Kawhi makes any team a championship contender.
While the Clippers star can surely handle a heavy offensive load with a diverse scoring game, Kawhi is more than capable of playing away from the ball. He is taking nearly 3 catch-and-shoot threes a game and is converting at a 48% clip. This malleability in his offensive game allows Leonard to fit well alongside other ball-dominant players such as James Harden and Paul George. And that just might be Kawhi's strongest case for/against his MVP candidacy.
Leonard's usage rate (27.0) during his dominant nine-game stretch would rank nearly 20 slots below the next closest MVP candidate in Nikola Jokic (30.1). While other players such as Luka Dončić and Joel Embiid govern the ball, Leonard uses seductive pump fakes and jab steps to set up his shots. Unless he is posterizing an unlucky bystander in the paint, Kawhi's footwork does not necessarily draw the social media attention of a Luka no-look pass. Don't get it twisted though, when Leonard puts the ball on the deck, he is one of the most effective pull-up shooters (77th percentile in FG%) and drivers (11 drives/game, 7.4 pts) in all of basketball.
Overall, the Clippers are 15.3 points better per 100 possessions according to Cleaning the Glass with Kawhi on the floor, a career-best mark for him and ranking in the 98th percentile this season. While he does not wow the audience with frequent jaw-dropping highlights, Kawhi Leonard is the epitome of consistency when he can play healthy basketball.
Desmond Bane | Allstar | 24.5 PTS, 4.5 REB, 5.2 AST
Every year Desmond Bane continues to evolve as a player, and in Ja Morant's 25-game absence to start the year, he assumed the primary on-ball duties for the Grizzlies. He is currently averaging a career-high in points, assists, three-point attempts (8.8), and usage rate (28.9). While the Grizzlies certainly had their struggles without Morant (6-19 record), Bane had shown the capability to be more than an elite shooter. This is most noticeable in pick-and-roll situations.
Bane's marksmanship, especially on pull-up threes (98th percentile in attempts and 58th percentile in efficiency), forces defenses to overplay him, opening up driving lanes and back cuts. This attention benefits his teammates as well as Bane has grown as a playmaker year by year. While he is not an elite passer to the likes of Nikola Jokić or Luka Dončić, Bane can make the easy plays when needed, making him an excellent secondary initiator. Among the other career-best statistics for the Grizzlies' two-guard, his assist percentage (26.3) ranks in the 88th percentile according to DunksandThrees. But while Bane has been solid with more on-ball responsibilities, he is at his best working away from the ball.
Bane's high volume, high-efficiency shooting (8.8 3PA/38.3 3P%) makes him one of the premier beyond-the-arc threats in all of basketball. Even with Morant missing significant time, Bane was and still is among the league leaders in off-screen and handoff possessions, ranking in the 86th and 98th percentile, respectively. All of this movement is punctuated by Bane's absurd 45% on catch-and-shoot threes.
Desmond Bane might not be the centerpiece of an elite offense, but his skill as a shooter and secondary playmaker makes him one of the best complementary pieces next to a superstar guard like Ja Morant.
James Harden | Star | 17.7 PTS, 4.8 REB, 8.1 AST
The immediate aftermath of the Harden trade for the Clippers was a six-game losing streak. While it was easy to point out the team's flaws (Harden being one of them), Los Angeles has found its stride with its new-look squad mostly due to Harden's playmaking. In December, the Clippers won nine straight to start the month and were victorious in 11 of 13 games. During that stretch, James Harden averaged 20 points, 9.6 assists, and had a whopping 37.1 assist percentage which would rank fifth in the entire NBA.
This season has continued the trend of Harden leaning more into a playmaking role. After his days as the sixth man in Oklahoma City, The Beard averaged 19.6 shots a game in Houston. The last three seasons have seen that shot count trickle down to his now 11.1 field goals, which is his lowest amount since his third year in the league. While Harden can still have explosive scoring nights, his willingness to take a back seat and set up his teammates has been admirable. He currently ranks sixth in the NBA in assists per game and is among the league leaders in passes made (53.8).
While Harden has been criticized for his passive play in big moments, he is now paired with one of the all-time great playoff performers, Kawhi Leonard, and a healthy Paul George who was two games away from leading the Clippers to their first NBA Finals in 2021. This trio mixes ball-handling and scoring like no other team and can cover for each other when someone is off. Yes, Harden will still need to perform on the biggest stage regardless of who he is teammates with and he is still capable of doing so. The Clippers as a team have some of the most deadly isolation scorers, and perhaps shockingly, James Harden is fourth in the NBA in isolation possessions and ranks in the 92nd percentile in points per isolation.
James Harden may not pour in an overwhelming 36 points on a nightly basis anymore, but he is still a pick-and-roll maestro and can have the occasional 40-point outburst when the matchup is right. He is still one of the best playmakers in the league, and now that he understands what his role is, the Clippers have an extra weapon to go to when they need it most.
Mike Conley | Role Player | 11.4 PTS, 2.8 REB, 6.2 AST
Mike Conley has been the perfect point guard for Minnesota. In his 16th season in the association, Conley continues to be cool at the helm of an offense. While Minnesota is not elite on that end of the floor by any stretch, Conley has been the perfect fit alongside superstars Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony-Towns. He does two things exceptionally well that have allowed him to thrive his entire career and now in Minnesota; shooting it and defending.
Over the last three seasons, Conley has shot 42.5% on wide-open threes and 39% on pull-up threes. This makes him a threat away from the ball and also coming off screens with defenses worrying about the roll man. Off-ball, Conley has a quick trigger release that makes him deadly with even the slightest bit of space. For instance, look at this out-of-bounds play from the Wolves' recent bout with the Lakers:
Conley continuously punishes defenses for losing sight of him, and it makes the veteran guard a perfect fit alongside two star-caliber players. With all the attention Edwards and Towns garner, Conley moves into shot-ready positions to capitalize off defenses drifting toward those two.
With the ball in his hands, Conley has taken on the playmaking load for the Wolves, ranking in the 90th percentile in assist percentage. Out of pick-and-roll, if defenders drop too low to take away the roll-man, Conley will lace it from deep. The beauty of this, though, is that Conley is not pounding the air out of the ball. As a great role player, the lead guard exploits the opportunities he is given. This season, Conley is posting a career-low 14.8 usage percentage, but his shooting efficiency from the floor (46.3%) and beyond the arc (45.3%) are both career highs. Yes, his overall shot volume has been halved since his prime years, but the Wolves don't need him to average 20. Minnesota needs Conley to be ready for the moments he has been given already, and so far he has done so.
Defensively, Conley is not All-Defensive worthy anymore, but his quick hands and intelligence on that end of the floor allow him to make timely plays, which when surrounded by all of Minnesota's size, is all the team could ask for. Conley is the weak link on the Timberwolves chain because of his lack of size, but when a player exposes a ball for a split second or miscalculates his angle, a turnover is caused.
Mike Conley still possesses the two skills that have made him a staple in the NBA for the last 16 seasons. His ability to knock down shots and still be disruptive down the stretch defensively makes him the perfect point guard for a budding Minnesota squad. His impact does not require him to have the ball every possession. Conley's leadership and ageless game translate into any situation and have made him one of the best role players in the NBA this season.
Comments