1 Under The Radar Player For Every NBA Team- Western Conference, Northwest Division
Denver Nuggets- Peyton Watson:
Peyton Watson is full of potential as he is a young, bouncy, athletic wing, who is already a strong defender. His only drawback is that he is extremely raw offensively. He averaged just 7 points a game last season and shot under 30% from three in 19 minutes a game. He has the mold of a 3-and-D wing player with upside on both ends of the floor, but he has a lot of work to do.
This season, the Nuggets will be relying on their younger players more than ever and Watson needs to be one of them.
He has the highest upside of any young player on the roster and would be the perfect fill-in for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope if he can improve his three-ball. Many people think Christian Braun or Julian Strawther will be the young player that pops, but Denver should hope it is Watson. Braun is a solid player, but he doesn't have the same upside as Watson. Strawther is a much better shooter, but he isn't the same athlete and is a worse defender. Both Braun and Strawther help Denver's floor, but Watson raises their ceiling.
The Nuggets have a fantastic top four with 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon. After those four, things get shaky. Russell Westbrook is still good, but his inefficiency from three makes it tough to play him for long stretches. Dario Saric is a solid backup big, as he is a solid playmaker and can space the floor, but he is limited defensively.
After those two vets, the X-Factor for Denver this year will rely on their younger pieces. Christian Braun is set to start at shooting guard, but Watson can overtake him if he develops a three-point shot. He is an elite defender who just needs some work on offense.
Minnesota Timberwolves- Terrance Shannon Jr.:
Shannon was one of the most exciting players to watch in college over the past few years. He is all gas no breaks and brings intensity from the jump. He loves to use his speed and athleticism to get downhill, attack the basket, and put pressure on the rim. Now with the Timberwolves, he has the chance to play the same way. Shannon may not play a ton right away as Minnesota is deep on the wings, but he offers something not many players on the team do, and that is his ability to get downhill.
Anthony Edwards is great, but outside of him, there aren't many guards and wings that can effectively attack the basket. Mike Conley is older and is a facilitator and shooter. Donte DiVincenzo is a sharpshooter who can create his own shot, but he operates beyond the arc for the most part. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a great 3-and-D bench piece, but he is mainly a shooter. The Timberwolves just don't have many wings that can get downhill, but Shannon can. His jump shot is a little shaky but that never deterred him from getting where he wanted to go.
Shannon is a lot of fun to watch and hopefully, the Timberwolves give him some playing time this year. He fits perfectly as the backup to Anthony Edwards because he has some similarities as far as athleticism and rim pressure go. Edwards is a top 10-15 player in the league and by no means is Shannon close to the player that Ant is, but he has some similarities. He matches the energy that the Timberwolves bring every night, and he should fit right in. Be on the lookout for Shannon to at least produce some highlights this year at the very least.
Oklahoma City Thunder- Isaiah Joe:
It's not often that teams just stumble across an elite three-point shooter just sitting in free agency, but that's what happened with Joe and the Thunder.
Joe was a second-round pick by the 76ers in 2020, but after limited production over his first two seasons, he was released. Joe was a sharpshooter coming out of Arkansas but never found his shot while in Philly. The Thunder took a shot on Joe after he was cut, and they struck gold. In a bench role, Joe has shot 41% each of the past two seasons in OKC and has become a key piece for the Thunder. This off-season he was rewarded with a 4-year, 48-million-dollar extension to continue his time in OKC.
While Joe's calling card is his shooting, he has some shot-creating ability and sneaky athleticism as well, but he doesn't get to showcase it in limited action. He plays just 19 minutes a game on a loaded Thunder roster and is used primarily as a shooter. If Joe were to receive more minutes, his numbers would increase, but that is unlikely due to how deep the roster is. OKC is going to play in a lot of meaningful games this year and Joe will have a key role in all of them. He may not jump off the stat sheet, but he has a great impact on the game and will be a key factor in the Thunder winning games.
Portland Trailblazers- Deni Avdija:
Deni Avdija is one of the most underrated players in all of basketball. After a slow start to his career, he has started to come into his own as a player. He averaged career highs in every category last year with 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists a game while shooting 37% from three. After a breakout campaign, the Wizards decided to trade him to the Trailblazers for Malcolm Brogdon and two first-round picks. Between playing for a bad team in Washington, and taking a long time to break out, Avdija had flown under the radar, but he shouldn't anymore.
Deni is a strong, physical wing, who is a good playmaker and defender and has grown as a scorer over time. On a Blazers roster full of young players with potential, Deni is one of the most exciting players. He can play any role on offense and can guard 2-5 on defense due to his frame and athleticism. Despite not winning much in Washington, he is the definition of a winning player as he can contribute in a multitude of ways.
On top of his actual skill being underrated, he is on one of the best contracts in the league. Avdija is currently entering the first year of a 4-year $55 million dollar contract he signed with the Wizards last year. Players like Avdija typically do not make around $13 million per year, they usually make upwards of $20 million a year. The contract is a terrific value for the Blazers.
People who watch every game know that Deni is a very good player, but the average fan might not because he was on a bad team. The Blazers won't be great either, but they have a lot of talent on the roster, and they could be better than expected if they have internal development. Regardless of whether Portland is good or not, people need to get familiar with Deni Avdija as he is an improving young player who still has room to grow.
Utah Jazz- Taylor Hendricks:
Of all the young players on the Jazz, Hendricks has the highest upside. He is a 6'9, 3-and-D wing with a 7-foot wingspan. Despite his height and wingspan, Hendricks is the starting small forward for the Jazz. While Hendricks sounds big to be playing small forward, his athleticism makes up for it on defense as he can stay in front of quicker players. On top of his athleticism helping him on defense, his length does as well as he can play help defense while being able to quickly recover. The main reason Hendricks was drafted in the top ten was because of his defensive upside as both an on-ball and off-ball defender.
Along with the defensive upside that he brings, Hendricks also offers offensive upside. He only averaged 7 points as a rookie last season, but he shot 38% from three which is encouraging. His shot creation at the moment is limited, but he can grow in that area as he has the skills to improve. Hendricks only played in 40 games last year and only averaged 6 shots per game. This season he should be more aggressive on offense as Utah has nothing to lose by letting him experiment on that end of the court.
Hendricks player build is one that every team wants, and the Jazz should try and get the most out of him this year. People think of Keyonte George when they discuss the Jazz's 2023 draft class, but Hendricks was the top pick for Utah. He is fully healthy entering the season and slated to be a starter. With more opportunities this year, Hendricks could really emerge.
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