Even if you cannot claim to be an NBA devotee, you’ll probably recognise some of the league’s most famous names including Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Jayson Tatum. These players provide a heavy dose of star quality and their stats across recent seasons are consistently impressive. We’ve picked out five players who are yet to boast this level of notoriety and are yet to be regarded as household names, however, their numbers throughout the 2023-24 season suggest they possess the ability to elevate their status over the coming years.
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Devin Booker - Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns may not have progressed beyond the first round of the NBA playoffs last season, yet they possess one of the most underrated players in the game. The 26-year-old guard’s efforts have been recognised by Steve Kerr, who selected him for Team USA at the 2024 Olympics. He was instrumental in their four exhibition games and finished with a far better Plus/Minus (PM) than any of his teammates. Having featured in Team USA’s victory over Serbia, he has been described as the glue that holds everything together, and although some of his hard work tends to go unnoticed, he significantly improves the Suns, and his defensive prowess enables his teammates to thrive.
Trae Young - Atlanta Hawks
Despite his accomplishments on the court, Trae Young was snubbed for the 2024 All-Star game once again. Some analysts and fans have suggested that the 25-year-old may be under-appreciated due to the Hawks’ lack of success in recent seasons, however, his defensive nous is outstanding and without him, they’d be significantly weaker.
Young led the way when it came to Turnovers Per Game (TOPG) during the 2023-24 campaign averaging 4.4 per match, finishing ahead of Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid. At 6ft 1inch, he is one of the smallest players on the court, yet he competes admirably and is extremely smart and efficient.
According to the bookmakers, The Hawks look set to underwhelm once again next season, yet they do possess Trae Young, who is an underrated gem, and whose work continues to go largely unappreciated by the national media.
Tyrese Haliburton - Indiana Pacers
Tyrese Haliburton has been building up an impressive portfolio of work across the last few years and registered the most Assists Per Game (APG) last season. Like Devin Booker, he’s been called up for Team USA and this should enable him to take his game to the next level. Having spent the majority of his career in small markets, he has yet to become a truly high-profile player, however, his stats simply cannot be ignored.
The Pacers enjoyed a decent 2023-24 season, finishing 47-35 and reaching the Eastern Conference finals before crashing out to eventual champions Boston Celtics. They weren’t particularly expected to challenge according to the pre-season betting odds, yet Haliburton was instrumental in helping them to exceed expectations.
It remains to be seen whether the Pacers can repeat this feat in 2024-25 with the likes of Betovo and Betonic, who are regarded as some of the best sports betting apps for NBA fans, pricing them up as third favourites to finish top of the Central Division.
Derrick White - Boston Celtics
Admittedly, it’s difficult to categorized as ‘underrated’ when you have played an integral part in a successful season for the NBA Playoff winners. Despite this, White’s contributions don’t necessarily receive enough recognition.
As one of the best backcourt defenders in the division last season, those who have studied the Celtic's record-breaking campaign will probably be able to highlight his importance to his team, yet in terms of notoriety, his name is firmly down the pecking order behind more glamorous options such as Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown and Al Horford.
He averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds across his hugely eye-catching 73-game spell in Boston and enjoyed working under Joe Mazzulla last season.
Jalen Williams - Oklahoma City Thunder
As the 12th overall draft pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and having started his basketball career in Santa Clara, Jalen Williams was expected to enjoy a fair-to-middling career at the top level.
Despite this lowly expectation, he enjoyed a solid rookie season in the NBA before kicking on and producing impressive numbers in 2023-24. He averaged 19.2 points and registered 4.2 assists per match which has significantly enhanced his reputation amongst his peers. He looks set to break into All-Star territory in 2025 and if he can continue on the same trajectory, he could become one of the most heralded names of the forthcoming season.
