NBA: 5 Players That Deserve Your Attention

The NBA is filled with terrific talent from top to bottom. However, the athletes on the best or big market teams get all the credit and exposure. What about those athletes that play night in and night out just like the other guys? They are just as athletic and talented but don’t get their games and exposure on national TV like the other players do. They deserve some love too. The NBA doesn’t seem willing to showcase these players, but it’s time for them to be recognized. Here are the Top 5 players in the NBA who deserve more attention.

Jordan Crawford: Plays shooting guard for the Washington Wizards and has been one of the few bright spots for them this season. He is averaging 14.9 PPG, 4.5 APG and 4.1 RPG. The most surprising statistic about Crawford might be his player efficiency rating or PER, which is a surprising 16.2. The league average for PER is 15.0. To have an above average number on a team as bad as the Wizards suggests that Jordan Crawford might be the real deal.

Jose Calderon: Plays point guard for the Toronto Raptors and has quietly become one of the most efficient point guards in the NBA with averages of 10.6 PPG, 7.1 APG, and 2.5 RPG. His assist to turnover ratio is outstanding with 184 assists on the season while only committing 50 turnovers. Another stat that suggests Calderon should be considered one of the best point guards in the league is his assist percentage. While he is on the court, he assists on 42.1% of the Raptors’ made baskets. You think the Raptors are bad now? Just imagine if they didn’t have Calderon running the show for them.

Jimmer Fredette: Plays guard for the Sacramento Kings. His per game averages are anything but impressive, but if you take a look at his numbers per 36 minutes, they suggest he deserves more credit and playing time then he is currently getting. His per 36 minute averages are: 22.2 points, 3.2 assists, and 3.1 rebounds. The only question left to ask is why doesn’t Head Coach Keith Smart play him more? He deserves it.

Carl Landry: Plays forward for the Golden State Warriors and averages 13.0 PPG and 6.8 RPG. While those averages don’t jump off the page at you, they don’t tell you the whole picture. This guy is one of the best players to have coming off your bench. He has started a total of 63 games out of a possible 333 in his career, and is still putting up very productive numbers. This is one of those guys that EVERY general manager wants on their team, and there are few people in the league that have that quality.

Brandon Knight: Plays point guard for the Detroit Pistons and averages 15.0 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 3.8 RPG. In a league full of stellar point guards, Knight has definitely flown below the radar. He is putting up solid numbers and is very efficient while doing so. He has a True Shooting Percentage of 54.4%, which is above league average of 52.9%. It is always impressive to be above the league average as a young player in the NBA. He is definitely one of the best young point guards in the game today.

Thanks for visiting HoopsHabit.com! We’d love to hear your opinion in the comments section below!

Please visit our sponsors and like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our Youtube feed and tell your friends!

HoopsHabit’s Regular Column Schedule:

Monday – NBA Awards Watch
Wednesday – NBA Power Rankings
Friday – NBA Stat Central
Sunday – Your NBA Fix Podcast