1 Player on Every NBA Team to Get Excited About in 2021

And for many organizations, there is more than one who fits that description.Here, we'll look at both the obvious choices for each team and what may be an under-the-radar selection.The Obvious Choices: Trae Young and John CollinsThe Atlanta Hawks have a franchise-altering offensive engine in Trae Young, who averaged an absurd 29.6 points and 9.3 assists as an NBA sophomore. He's 15th in the league in offensive box plus/minus during that stretch, thanks in part to averages of 23.1 points and 3.1 threes per 75 possessions, as well as a 62.3 true shooting percentage that is 6.1 points over the league average.Having a stretch 4 who can also attack a closeout and draw a foul puts loads of pressure on opposing defenses, especially if there's also a guard who can get into the paint.Young obviously checks that box, as Chris Paul did for the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. The Under-the-Radar Choice: Aaron NesmithTatum and Brown are likely to increase their scoring output this season, but probably not by enough to completely replace Hayward's 17.5 points (not to mention Walker's 20-plus during his absence).Marcus Smart will likely get some of those shots, but incoming rookie Aaron Nesmith might end up being the better option.First-year players are rarely ready to contribute right away, but on a team with Tatum and Brown, Nesmith may not be asked to do much more than catch-and-shoot. His 47.8 effective field-goal percentage on pull-ups ranked 50th.The Obvious Choices: Zach LaVine and Lauri MarkkanenZach LaVine is one of the league's most explosive athletes and already looks like an annual 20-points-per-game guy. Kevin Love may reduce the assist output a bit, much like Griffin did, but Drummond has shown an ability to pass when given the opportunity.And as we've seen on teams led by Jokic, Marc Gasol and other playmaking 5s, creation from a big can make life much easier for perimeter scorers.The Obvious Choices: Luka Doncic and Kristaps PorzingisIt took a bit for the Dallas Mavericks' top two stars to jell in 2019-20, but once they did, the duo looked like a potential juggernaut. Of course, he won't be called on to deploy his full-blown Bloodsport skills, but simply having a player who won't allow shenanigans from opponents can go a long way.The Obvious Choices: Nikola Jokic and Jamal MurrayOver the last three seasons, the Denver Nuggets have scored 116.7 points per 100 possessions when Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are both on the floor.Their chemistry in the pick-and-roll and other two-man-game sets is one of the easiest things in basketball to watch right now. It was enough to show that there's still some hope, though.For a team that's still years away from contention, these are exactly the kinds of fliers worth taking.The Obvious Choices: Stephen Curry and James WisemanFor the Golden State Warriors to reenter the tier of legitimate title contenders, Stephen Curry will have to look like he did during his two MVP seasons (easier said than done without Klay Thompson commanding defensive attention), and James Wiseman may have to be an immediately positive contributor. Last season, he was eighth in total two-point attempts from five feet and out and 10th in field-goal percentage from that range (among players with at least 100 attempts).The Obvious Choices: Kawhi Leonard and Paul GeorgeThe Los Angeles Clippers' star duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is one of the league's best, but they weren't quite enough to stave off the Nuggets' comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the postseason. Ibaka shot 38.5 percent on 3.3 attempts per game.With bigs being forced to leave the paint to honor Ibaka's range, the middle of the floor should be more open for Leonard, George, Kennard and Lou Williams.The Obvious Choices: LeBron James and Anthony DavisFresh off the 2020 title, Los Angeles Lakers forwards LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the undisputed top duo in the league. With Gasol, who shot 38.5 percent from three last season, AD can do more damage against single coverage in the post.The Obvious Choices: Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.With the reigning Rookie of the Year in Ja Morant and a 6'11" forward with shooting-guard numbers from three in Jaren Jackson Jr., the Memphis Grizzlies have plenty of reasons to be excited for 2020-21. Earlier this week, 5 Reasons Sports' Greg Sylvander reported that the Heat were "unwilling to include Tyler Herro in any package" to land James Harden.The Obvious Choices: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue HolidayThe Milwaukee Bucks pushed all their chips in, grabbed a few more from under the table and threw those in and then topped the pot off with the car keys for Jrue Holiday, a one-time All-Star (in 2013) who has one season in his career with an above-average true shooting percentage.Holiday's size and defensive versatility should help the Bucks on that end of the floor, and his three-point range will likely demand more respect than Eric Bledsoe's, but this is as "title or bust" as trades get. The Under-the-Radar Choice: Mitchell RobinsonNew York has had numerous shots at the draft lottery over the last few years, but its most promising young player may be the second-rounder it selected in 2018.Skills like passing and three-point shooting are becoming increasingly important for centers, but there's still room for those who fit the Rudy Gobert archetype. And as Robinson becomes more aware of when to chase blocks and when to stay home, his defensive impact will increase.His presence already affects a sizable change in the Knicks' plus-minus, and there's still plenty of room to grow.The Obvious Choice: Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderShai Gilgeous-Alexander showed All-Star potential in his second NBA season, averaging a well-rounded 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.2 threes and 1.1 steals for the Oklahoma City Thunder.Now, with Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams all gone, he'll have even more responsibility. The league average for points per possession was 1.11.With this level of shooter moving around the perimeter, it'll be significantly more difficult for opposing defenses to focus in on Simmons or Embiid inside.The Obvious Choices: Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Chris PaulLast season, the Suns were plus-7.6 points per 100 possessions (91st percentile) when Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Ricky Rubio were all on the floor.And the leadership, passing and defense Rubio brought to that mix have all been upgraded, at least on paper. Even without many touches, he had a comfortably positive influence on the team's plus-minus because of solid defense and a way-above-average effective field-goal percentage.He could probably stand to take another shot or two per game, but his willingness and ability to be a gap filler will be more important on this particular roster.The Obvious Choices: Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Jusuf NurkicDuring Jusuf Nurkic's three-plus seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, they're plus-7.6 points per 100 possessions when he shares the floor with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum (that backcourt combo is plus-1.8 without Nurk).As long as that well-balanced trio is on the floor, Portland will be tough to outscore. He would fit just about anywhere in the league, but that's especially true of him in Portland.He can defend all over the floor, protect the rim a little bit and shoots more than enough threes to force opposing 4s to follow him around the perimeter.Over the last five seasons, Covington is 13th in the league in three-point attempts per game.The Obvious Choices: De'Aaron Fox and Buddy HieldBuddy Hield's inclusion here may be contested, given recent unhappiness with his role on the Sacramento Kings, but there's no question he's one of the game's most dangerous shooters. Since then, he's appeared in 75 games, averaged 14.8 points and posted a slightly below-average effective field-goal percentage.It's way too early to give up on his potential to be a star, though.Over the course of his two seasons, Nurkic and Valanciunas are the only players in the league who match or exceed Bagley's per-possession averages for points, offensive rebounds and blocks. "He consistently runs through the tape on defense, emptying the fuel tank each possession and never quitting on the play."Adding that kind of defense from a wing increases San Antonio's switchability, which is increasingly important in today's NBA.The Obvious Choices: Fred VanVleet and Kyle LowryOver the course of Kyle Lowry's eight seasons with the Toronto Raptors, his team is plus-2,443 with him on the floor. Aron Baynes will obviously pick up a big portion of those looks, but OG Anunoby should see an increased responsibility, as well.Last season, his contributions were mostly made on defense, but Anunoby's 39.0 three-point percentage suggests he's ready for more catch-and-shoot opportunities.He's attempted 3.0 threes per game over the course of his career, a number that could reasonably be expected to double in 2020-21.With Lowry and VanVleet slashing to the rim, those kickouts should be available.The Obvious Choices: Donovan Mitchell and Rudy GobertThere may be questions about the relationship between Utah Jazz stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, but the on-court mix is tough to beat.Over the course of Mitchell's three seasons, Utah is plus-8.3 points per 100 possessions when both are on the floor.