1 Under The Radar Player For Every NBA Team- Eastern Conference, Central Division
Chicago Bulls- Ayo Dosunmu:
Coby White had a breakout season for the Bulls last year, but Ayo Dosunmu had an awesome season as well. He had a career-high 12 points per game, and he shot a career-high 40% from three. The numbers get even better when looking at his stats as a starter. In 37 games as a starter, he averaged 15 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists a game, while shooting just under 42% from three. While the Bulls had a rough season, the growth of both White and Ayo was fun to watch, as they are dynamic scorers when they get hot.
The Bulls have officially entered a rebuild it appears, and Ayo should be a major piece moving forward. He is a blur in transition with his speed, and is an improving three-point shooter. He is set to be the Bulls sixth man this year and he should thrive in that role. He showed last year he can run the offense if needed as well as an ability to play off the ball.
Chicago has a deep guard rotation with White, the acquisition of Josh Giddey, the return of Lonzo Ball and Zach Lavine from injury, and of course, Ayo. It will be interesting to see how the Bulls manage that group, as they all need a good amount of playing time. Regardless of how the minutes play out, Ayo should be in line for a nice bench role, and should be able to build off last season.
Cleveland Cavaliers- Isaac Okoro:
Isaac Okoro entered the league as an athletic defender with offensive upside, but he was not a shooter, and it showed. He shot just 29% from three in his first season. Entering year four, Okoro had to make some strides on offense, otherwise it would be hard for him to crack the rotation. He only averaged 9 points a game, but he shot a career-high 39% from three. He was only taking 3 shots from deep a night, but he made himself respectable enough from range. Teams still are not scared of him as a shooter, but compared to where he was as a shooter the previous season, he is a completely new player.
Teams can never have enough 3-and-D wings, and the Cavs showed that this off-season. when they gave Okoro a three-year extension. He is still working on the three-point part of the 3-and-D role, but if he can stay consistent and respectable as a shooter, it will greatly improve the Cavs overall team. With Okoro struggling from three in recent years, Cleveland has not had a reliable perimeter defender that they could keep on the floor. Now that he is an improved shooter, the Cavs have someone they can trust to guard the other team's best perimeter player.
Okoro is not a flashy player or a strong scorer, but he is an important piece for the Cavs, and he should have a noticeable impact this year.
Detroit Pistons- Marcus Sasser:
When people think of the Pistons, they think of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey and that is understandable, but Detroit has another fun guard, and that is Marcus Sasser. Despite being 6'2 he is more of a shooting guard than a point guard. He is an explosive shooter from all over the court as he can get hot at any moment and go on heaters.
He only averaged 8 points a game as a rookie, but his playing time was up and down, due to the Pistons weird roster makeup. In 11 games as a starter, he averaged 13 points and 5 assists a game. Oddly enough, he was better shooting the three from off the bench (40%) than he was as a starter (30%). Regardless, Sasser showed the skill set that made him a first-round pick last year.
The Pistons need shooting as badly as anyone, and Sasser is one of the best on the team in that department. He plays best off-ball, as he is not a great playmaker yet, and his size makes it tough for him to create one-on-one. Off the ball, he can come off screens, move around, and get to his spots much easier than he can on the ball. Another plus with Sasser is that he is a feisty defender. His size limits him on that end of the court, but he doesn't let it deter him from making an impact. Sasser is a fun offensive player who competes defensively, and a player who should be the sixth man of the future for the Pistons.
Indiana Pacers- Bennedict Mathurin:
The Pacers went on a deep playoff run last year, despite not having one of their better scorers. Benedict Mathurin is an explosive athlete, who brings intensity as soon as he steps on the court, and is not shy to let it fly. Before suffering a season-ending injury last year, he was averaging 14.5 points a game while shooting 37% from three. He was the sixth man for the Pacers, and he provided a scoring punch not many players on the roster could. After the Pacers run to the conference finals without him, it seems people may have forgotten about him when discussing the team.
Indiana runs a pace and space offense where everyone gets involved, and it works great, until teams slow the game down. When the Pacers needed someone to go get a good shot for themselves, they didn't have many options. Tyrese Haliburton is awesome, but he is a playmaking point guard who creates shots with ball movement. Pascal Siakam can get a shot for himself, but they are often contested mid-range or spinning post shots. Andrew Nembhard showed his ability to do so without Haliburton last year, but the sample size is too small to gauge whether or not he can consistently do it.
Mathurin on the other hand is a pure shot creator. When he is in the game, he is looking to score in any way possible. He has yet to average more than 2 assists a game in each of his first two seasons, and that trend likely continues. He is arguably the purest self-shot-creator on the roster.
Mathurin was missed by Indy last year, as he applies rim pressure and offers shot creation, both of which are lacking on the team. If the Pacers make another deep playoff run, expect him to have a key moment on the offensive side of the ball.
Milwaukee Bucks- Delon Wright:
Delon Wright has gone under the radar for way too long. He is not a flashy player or a dynamic scorer, but he is an awesome defender. Wright is a great point-of-attack defender, as he moves well laterally, and has long arms that help cover a lot of ground. He is also always in the passing lanes creating turnovers, whether it is by deflecting the ball, or outright stealing it himself. He is always causing problems for opposing teams when he is on the floor, and that should continue this year. On top of just being a good player, Wright is a perfect fit for the Bucks.
Last year, after trading Jrue Holiday, the Bucks were not a strong defensive team, especially at the point of attack. Damian Lillard is an elite player, but he thrives on offense, not defense, whereas Jrue Holiday is maybe the best defensive guard in the league. Wright is not Jrue Holiday, but he is an upgrade from what they had last year. He and Lillard pair well together, as Wright is a capable shooter from deep, so he won't be a liability on offense.
People think of Wright as an end-of-the-bench role player, but he is more than that, and he has a chance to play a big role on this team. He gives the Bucks something they desperately need, and that is good backcourt defense.