NBA: 1 Underrated player every team should be thankful to have on their roster

New Orleans Pelicans

CJ McCollum 

CJ McCollum has quietly emerged as one of the players the New Orleans Pelicans should be grateful for. And it’s been clear that since his injury, the Pelicans have needed his calming veteran presence in the backcourt. It’s easy to say that the Pelicans’ acquisition of McCollum was somewhat of a sunk cost.

However, the big reason it hasn’t worked as perhaps the Pelicans thought it would is not because of a lack of production, it’s because the Pelicans can’t seem to remain healthy.

New York Knicks

RJ Barrett 

Jalen Brunson is the player that completely rejuvenated the New York Knicks franchise last season but it’s RJ Barrett that offers this team the one chance to raise the ceiling. And we’ve begun to see that this season as he’s played the best basketball of his career. Barrett is averaging 22 points, three rebounds, and three assists on 47 percent shooting from the field and 47 percent shooting from 3-point range.

If Barrett continues to play at a high level, the rest of the supporting cast can hit their stride, there’s a chance the Knicks emerge as a better team compared to last season.