NBA Players Who Deserve More Hype This Season

The NBA has a third of the regular season in the books and elite players are grabbing the headlines. Rookies Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama have been as good as advertised. Many young players like Tyrese Haliburton and Tyrese Maxey are taking the leap. There are so many stars emerging, but a few under-the-radar players deserve more of the attention.

What classifies as an under-the-radar player? There are several different ways to qualify. They could be playing for a small-market team that is not getting much attention. Or, they could have improved key parts of their game that don't always show up in the highlights. Top-line talent can sometimes overshadow under-the-radar players on a team, but they are integral pieces nonetheless.

The most important thing about under-the-radar players is that they are not household names but should be.

Below are a handful of players all fans should be aware of as essential pieces for their respective teams.

Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings

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SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 18: Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings looks on against the Washington Wizards during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Golden 1 Center on December 18, 2023 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The Sacramento Kings are not the darlings they were last season, but what has gone unnoticed is the play of Malik Monk off the bench. Over the years, the now-25-year-old guard has made massive strides in his game.

This season, Monk is scoring a career-high 14.6 points and shooting 41.9 percent from three. He has provided a scoring punch off the bench and has dropped 20-29 points in seven games already. More impressive than the scoring, though, is the playmaking.

In addition to Monk's career high in scoring and three-point percentage, he is averaging 5.2 assists, up from his previous high of 3.9 last season. As a result, he has blossomed into the third playmaker for Sacramento.

The two clips in the X post below show Monk's passing skills. In the first play, he comes off the Domantas Sabonis dribble handoff; he sees the defense gets sucked in on his drive and Sabonis' roll, and then he fires a one-handed pass off the bounce to Keon Ellis for a wing three. In the second clip, he comes off a ball screen and throws a beautiful bounce pass to a cutting Keegan Murray.

https://x.com/MoDakhil_NBA/status/1735524050506797460?s=20

It has been a journey for Monk after getting drafted in Charlotte but never finding a home there, so he headed to L.A. to join the Lakers. There, he showed off his skills, but in Sacramento, he has found a home and is still improving on his game.

Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat

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MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 18: Jaime Jaquez Jr. #11 of the Miami Heat dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center on December 18, 2023 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Including a rookie on a list of under-the-radar players seems silly, but Jaime Jaquez Jr. is an exception. The Miami Heat were the perfect landing spot for him. He fits everything about their style; Jaquez is a tough, mature, high-IQ player. That screams MIAMI HEAT!

On the court, Jaquez's numbers are not eye-popping. He's averaging 12.9 points on 50.5/37.3/84.2 shooting splits in 28.3 minutes per game. Jaquez is fourth in scoring for all rookies and will be on the all-rookie team.

It is Jaquez's position versatility that has helped the Heat. According to Cleaning the Glass, he swings between the guard and forward positions, giving the Heat more lineups to play with.

There is a level of trust that Erik Spoelstra has in Jaquez. It shows up in the crunch time minutes distribution. Jaquez is fifth in crunch time total minutes for the Heat. Spoelstra has even said about Jaquez, "He's playing winning basketball."

Keep an eye on Jaquez as the season goes on; he averages 31.9 minutes in December and is firmly entrenched in the rotation. He embodies everything the Heat are about, even though he went to a stupid college (Fight On!).

Norman Powell, LA Clippers

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DALLAS, TEXAS - DECEMBER 20: Norman Powell #24 of the LA Clippers reacts after making a basket in the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on December 20, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)

The LA Clippers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, having won 14 of their last 18 games. All the attention has rightfully gone to Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Paul George. But one name that has been instrumental to the Clippers' turnaround has been Norman Powell.

Coming off the bench, Powell has been immense. He's averaging 13.5 points and shooting a team-best 45.5 percent from three (minimum three attempts), which goes with his 50.8 percent from the field. More impressively, he is doing this with his usage dropping 6.8 points from 25.1 to 18.3.

Powell is destroying teams with a variety of play types, according to Synergy Sports Technology. In the spot-up game, he has a point per possession of 1.442; off screens, it is 1.316, and 1.545 off cutting. This variety makes him a perfect teammate for the Clippers' headliners.

It is easy to see how the big names on the roster can overshadow Powell, but his play has been a considerable part of their recent success. Even with his drop in usage, he has been incredibly productive, and if the team's success continues, Powell will make a run at the Sixth Man of the Year.

Alperen Şengün, Houston Rockets

AP Photo/Aaron Gash

Houston Rockets' Alperen Sengun drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks' Brook Lopez during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

It might surprise some that the Houston Rockets' best offensive player is not Fred VanVleet or Dillon Brooks. Alperen Şengün is the key to the offense in Houston.

Şengün has been awesome on that end of the floor. He leads the Rockets in scoring with 19.7 points on 52.9 percent from the field, and he's second in assists with 5.2.

Houston's offense takes a complete nosedive when Şengün is on the bench. The on/off offensive rating numbers are staggering; the team has an offensive rating of 114.9 when he is on the floor and drops to 105.7 when he is off. That is a 9.2 drop—the biggest swing on the team.

A significant difference with the Rockets this year compared to last year is that Ime Udoka has put in a structure, and Şengün has benefited from an actual plan. His usage has increased from 21.1 to 26.7 this season, with none of his efficiency dropping.

Şengün probably will not make an All-Star team as a reserve this year, but there is a strong case for him to be invited to Indiana with his scoring and playmaking ability.

Coby White, Chicago Bulls

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 18: Coby White #0 of the Chicago Bulls dunks the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on December 18, 2023 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

The season started terribly for the Chicago Bulls, but things have turned around as of late, with them winning eight of their last 11 games. With Zach LaVine out, Coby White has stepped to the plate and been fantastic.

White has done just about everything for Chicago during this 11-game run. He leads the team in scoring at 24.4 points on 50.0/47.4/82.9 shooting splits, with 6.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds. He seems to make the right play at just the right time. The more shocking number is the swing in offensive rating with White on and off the court. It is a 14.6-point offensive swing when he is off the court.

White is averaging a career-high 17.6 points for the season and shooting 42.3 percent from three. This has been a big bounce-back year for him after a career-low 9.7 points in 2022-23.

White has carried such a large load for the Bulls but has not faltered during this stretch. Chicago felt dead, but White's play has given it hope as he takes the pressure off DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vučević.