5 NBA Players With A Lot to Prove In 2021
- Tramaine Griifin
- Jan 5, 2021
- 4 min read
With the 2020-21 NBA season underway. Here are five players, in my opinion, that has a lot to prove throughout 2021. Which player will rise to the occasion and silence their critics?
Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons is easily one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. There’s a lot of mixed feelings on Ben Simmons right now. There’s one side of the media who heavily criticizes him because of his lack of jump shot and his unwillingness to take a shot outside of the paint. Then, there’s the other side of the media that believes he is a very good player that doesn’t get enough credit for the things that he does at an elite level (I’m on this side) and gets overly criticized for the things he can’t do. Outside for his lack of a jump shot, he’s one of the best passers in the league, a good playmaker, a good rebounder, an elite finisher especially in transition, and an elite defender, who has the potential to be the Defensive Player of the Year as soon as this year. With all things being considered, Ben Simmons still find ways to be impactful on the court (outside his lack of a perimeter shot). However; the reason why he has a lot to prove, is due to the fact that he hasn’t made it past the second round of the playoffs. If Philly wants to win a championship then Ben Simmons has to take that next step and add a respectable perimeter shot. The jump shot conversation with Ben Simmons will be a main topic all season long for Philly especially in the playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The reigning two-time NBA MVP has a lot to prove this upcoming year. After back-to-back disappointing playoff exits & playoff struggles. People are beginning to wonder whether Giannis can lead Milwaukee to a championship as the guy, due to the way, teams have been guarding him during the playoffs. Given his skillset, there are question marks about whether Giannis would be better off as the second option during the playoffs (due to his inconsistent shot from the perimeter). Nobody is questioning his ability to perform in the regular season, as he has had historic regular season numbers the past two seasons (which is why he is the reigning two-time MVP). Regarding to his regular season numbers, no matter how gaudy they are, they will have no bearing on whether his year will be considered successful or not. Giannis will be a judge on how he and the Milwaukee Bucks perform in the playoffs. Anything short of the NBA Finals will be considered a failed season. Giannis will be under a microscope this season so let’s see if Giannis can overcome the playoff obstacles that he has faced during the past couple of playoff runs.
James Harden
It’s certainly a plausible argument that James Harden has the most to prove this year. After being the highlight of the offseason with some of the things he has done off the court. James Harden is in a weird situation with the Houston Rockets after openly demanding to be traded from Houston. He’s certainly made himself an easy target for the media and he will be under a microscope every time he steps on the court due to the situation, he put himself in. Nobody is questioning his ability to score and it’s not about what he does in the regular season because he puts up all-time numbers in the regular season. It’s about what you’re going to do come playoff time and he’s been underperforming in the playoffs. The narrative on James Harden at the moment, is that he doesn’t like to be held accountable, he’s hard to play with and have had issues with other stars, and him underperforming in the playoffs. Harden’s antics off the court and underwhelming playoff performances certainly hasn’t helped him. However; Harden can certainly silence a lot of his critics by stepping up in the playoffs and lead his team with a deep playoff run while displaying good leadership for his team throughout the year.
Russell Westbrook
One of the most criticized players in NBA history. Westbrook’s last few years has certainly been a rollercoaster, as he averaged a triple-double for three straight seasons (after KD left) which hasn’t been done before. However; (since KD left) he hasn’t been out the first round and has only won a total of 4 playoff games (before being traded to Houston). Then, last season, Westbrook & Harden just didn’t work which ended in disappointment. The word that always been out on Westbrook is that can he succeed with other stars and can you ultimately win with Westbrook and unfortunately that hasn’t been the case. Nobody is questioning how hard he plays and how great of a teammate he is but Westbrook has proven that he’s at his best when he’s the guy and has the ball in his hands. However; this hasn’t equal to playoff success, as his efficiency & decision making has been his biggest reason as to why he hasn’t succeeded in the playoffs. After being traded to Washington, this may be Westbrook last chance to change the narrative about himself. Let’s see if Westbrook can return back to MVP “Westbrook” and help lead the Wizards to the playoffs and overcome his playoff efficiency struggles.
Paul George
Arguably the player with the most to prove this year is Paul George. Also, arguably, he may be currently the most hated player in the NBA ‘outside of James Harden’ right now. He’s been heavily criticized over the last few months due to his poor playoff performances this past season. And it’s for a good reason because ever since he left Indiana, he’s been underperforming in the playoffs (in his two playoff appearances with the Thunder & last postseason with the Clippers). A lot of people aren’t concerned about how well Paul George performs in the regular season, the big question mark is whether or not he will show up and step up in the playoffs. And a lot of people predictions for him this year, are that he will be very good in the regular season but will once again underperform in the playoffs. Paul George is under a TON of pressure this season so let’s see if he can change the narrative about him and silence his critics.
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