Who are the most underrated players in the Western Conference?

The NBA season starts today and the West is the better of the two conferences from a talent perspective and has arguably 4 of the top 5 players in the league, such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Steph Curry. These future Hall of Famers are big time and deserve all the attention they get but there many players in this conference that don’t get the recognition they deserve.

Gary Harris from the Denver Nuggets is key contributor to their success. In 2017, he was on the only player that was in the top 55 in PPG to shoot 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3. In 2018 he averaged 17.5 PPG, 1.8 SPG which was 6^th in the NBA, while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from 3. Harris also finishes around the rim well, last year he was 1 of 3 guards after James Harden and Ben Simmons to finish 70 percent of their shots at the rim. If Harris can stay healthy look forward to him being a top 3 scorer for the Nuggets and propel them to a top 6 seed in the West.

Another guy that comes mind is Joe Ingles from the Utah Jazz. His stats might not jump off the page, but he is very affective and fits the Jazz’s system very well. In 2018 he averaged 11.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 4.8 APG while shooting 44 percent from 3. If you look at Ingles from an advanced analytic standpoint he ranks in the top 10 as a Small Forward in all major categories such as Real Plus-Minus, Box Plus-Minus, Win Shares per 48 Minutes. Ingles checks all the boxes as player you would want on your team he can shoot, play defense and create for others. He ranks 12^th All-Time in three-point percentage, trailed only Buddy Hield last season in catch-and-shoot effective field goal percentage with 68.7 percent. Ingles was 2^nd on the team in APG, and he was 37^th in STL percentage among 6’8” plus players in 2018. Ingles will play a major role this year as the Jazz try to increase their win totals from last year and contend for a top 4 seed in the West.

Lastly TJ Warren from the Phoenix Suns is vastly underrated, in 2018 averaged 19.6 PPG, 5 RPG, while shooting 49.8 percent from the field. Last season Warren ranked 5^th in PPG, 14^th in free throw percentage, 5^th in field goal percentage, and 3^rd in 2-point shot percentage among Small Forwards. Warren has an unorthodox playing style as in he can’t shoot threes, but what he can do offensively he does well. The Suns will be one of the most improved teams this season and Warren will be a big part of that. If Warren can become a more well-rounded player by increasing his APG, 3-point percentage and a better defender, in due time he could be top 10 in his position.