NBA: Ranking every team’s best player in 2020-21
21. Malcolm Brogdon, G, Indiana Pacers
The first question to answer is why Malcolm Brogdon gets the nod as the best player on his own team. The Pacers have an entire starting lineup of worthy picks for the honor. In the end, Brogdon won something of a tie, but this group of starters harkens back to the Budenholzer Hawks or Larry Brown Pistons in being a true egalitarian group.
light. Related Story. 25 Best Players To Play For The Indiana Pacers
Brogdon gets the nod because of his two-way ability and modern game. He can defend 1-3 depending on the matchup, is an elite 3-point shooter and has no holes in his game. That not only gets him picked for the best player on the Pacers, but it lifts him past players such as Gordon Hayward and Blake Griffin (serious injury and aging concerns) and, narrowly, De’Aaron Fox (lack of shooting tough for a guard). At 28 he is still firmly in his prime.
In the Mix: Nearly the entire team. Victor Oladipo was the team’s star, but injuries have sapped his efficiency and trade rumors abound. Myles Turner is the best defensive player on the squad, while fellow big man Domantas Sabonis was an All-Star last year. T.J. Warren was the NBA Bubble’s breakout player, dropping points on everyone as he pushed an injured Pacers team up to the 4-seed.