One under-the-radar-player to watch from every NBA team

When people think Atlanta Hawks, they think about Trae Young bombing threes, they think about John Collins' NBA Jam leaping ability, they think...wait, who else is even on the Hawks? Ironically, they probably have no idea who the team's actual best player is: Taurean Prince. Prince quietly made wonderful progress in his second season, averaging 14 points and five rebounds per game on 39 percent shooting from three. Prince projected to be an average three-and-D wing out of college but has already surpassed that status and improved enough for the Hawks to prioritize him as a building block for their future. 

Considering their entire starting lineup either has been or will be All-Stars and the main cogs off the bench got significant playoff action last year (Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart), the next most integral player on the Celtics' roster is probably Aron Baynes. The big Kiwi with a man-bun is an ideal center for Boston's second unit. He can rebound, he can defend traditional bigs and he even flashed the ability to hit corner-threes in the playoffs last season. If he regresses, look for Daniel Theis to step back into the role Baynes took from him when he got injured.

Assuming he doesn't get traded for Jimmy Butler in the next few days, LeVert will enter his third NBA season as an under-the-radar-player to most fans but a potential star in the eyes of the Nets organization. In fact, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor recently said on a podcast that the Nets might not even be willing to include LeVert in a Butler deal. That seems a little far-fetched, but the point is that the Nets love the progress he's shown, especially last season when he finished the year averaging 12 points, four rebounds and four assists per game despite playing only 26 minutes a night. He's developed as a ball-handler and playmaker quicker than expected and, at 6-foot-7, presents a matchup problem against most guards. Get to know Caris LeVert, people!

Jeremy Lamb has finally started to play like the Thunder had always hoped he would after being a centerpiece in the James Harden deal back in 2012. He averaged 13 points per game last season on pretty efficient shooting for the Hornets despite having to deal with a two-guard backlog in Charlotte. He's still only 26 years old and has the look of a player who just took a while to "get it" in the NBA. Or maybe he only plays well with Kemba Walker.

Bobby Portis is more of a household name than he should be. That's because he made headlines last season for the fisticuffs that left Nikola Mirotic with a broken face. Portis the bare-knuckle boxer isn't very under-the-radar, but Portis the basketball player is. Despite coming off the bench and playing less than 23 minutes per game, Portis still managed to score 13 points and grab seven rebounds a night. His per-36 averages project to 21 points and 11 rebounds. He still needs to become a more efficient shooter, but don't be surprised if Portis is more important to the Bulls' success than Jabari Parker this season.

Cedi Osman is already a household name by now because of the microscope that was placed on the Cavaliers' dramatic 2017-18 season. The same can be said about most of their roster. After Kevin Love, Osman is the guy who could benefit most from LeBron's departure, as he is slated to start at small forward. After being baptized by fire last year, and, for the most part, handling the pressure admirably, Osman projects to be a more consistent defender and scorer this season. Look for him to struggle at times against the top wings in the league, but expect him to embrace the challenges and improve as the season moves on.

Once again, due to this player's early exposure on a great team (the Warriors), people already know about Harrison Barnes. And while they probably remember his horrendous performance in the 2016 NBA Finals, people tend to forget just how important Barnes was as a defender early in his career. Despite being listed at 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, Barnes could stymie or at least bang with some of the strongest players in the league in the post. With the team intent on prioritizing the development of Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr., Barnes' offensive role should shrink a bit as he could go from being an overrated scorer on a crappy team to an underrated third banana on an up-and-coming one.

Everyone knows about Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Most people recognize the likes of Isaiah Thomas and Paul Millsap too. They're all sleeping on Gary Harris though. Harris is already one of the best guard defenders in the NBA and still managed to average 17.5 points per game in only his fourth season. It gets better, Nuggets fans. The advanced analytics suggest that his career arc could mirror Kawhi Leonard's. Simply put, the media attention will be on the aforementioned Nuggets, but the key to their success could fall on one of East Lansing's finest: Gary Harris.

It took him a few years, but Reggie Bullock has developed into a nice three-and-D player for Detroit, with an emphasis on the three. Bullock shot a scorching 44.5 percent from three last season on 4.5 attempts per game. If he's going to continue to shoot like that, and there's evidence to suggest that he will, Bullock should really start to let it fly from deep this year. If the Pistons get more consistent play at point guard (looking at you, Reggie Jackson), Bullock could really thrive in the Dwane Casey offense.

When you take into account that Golden State's top-six players are all future Hall-of-Famers, selecting a player who only averaged five points, four rebounds and one block per game last season makes a little more sense. From a statistical standpoint, Jordan Bell had an OK rookie season. However, when you watched him compete in the playoffs and get switched onto the likes of LeBron James and James Harden, you quickly realized that this kid is going to be a hell of a defender in the NBA. While his vision and playmaking skills will never amount to that of Draymond Green, the Warriors should feel comfortable knowing that if they ever move on from Green, they have a potentially elite defender on deck in Bell. Expect Bell's regular-season role to expand this season, at least until DeMarcus Cousins is healthy.

Gone are the Rockets two best three-and-D wings from their record-setting 2017-18 season: Trevor Ariza and Luc Mbah a Moute. In are a handful of castoffs like Carmelo Anthony, Marquese Chriss, Michael Carter-Williams and the most important of the bunch, James Ennis III. If the playoffs were to start today, Ennis, not Anthony, would probably be the guy who fills the Ariza spot in the Rockets' crunch-time lineup. At 6-foot-7, Ennis isn't as tall or long as his predecessors, but he is athletic enough to make the likes of Kevin Durant, LeBron James and others at least work for their points. Expect Ennis to have the best season of his career this year. 

Viewed as somewhat of a throw-in in the Paul George trade, Domantas Sabonis (like Victor Oladipo) shocked a lot of people last season when he turned in a fine 12-points, eight-rebound-per-game stat line. Despite playing in a crowded frontcourt with Myles Turner, Thaddeus Young and others, Sabonis has carved out a nice niche on the upstart Pacers. Right now, he's still one of the least recognizable players in the Pacers' rotation, but there's a chance he's actually the best of that trio this season as he is only 22 years old and has plenty of room to improve. If he does, it could help vault the Pacers into that top tier in the East.

Here's a surprising fact about Montrezl (pronounced "Montrez") Harrell: He's the only player in the NBA with a silent "l" in his name. Here's another fun fact: His Player Efficiency Rating last season was 24.7, which, had he played enough minutes to qualify, would have tied him with Russell Westbrook for No. 11 in the entire NBA. His look and playing style remind people of young Kenneth Faried, but Harrell is a better defender than Faried ever was. There's obviously concern that his high-energy playing style is most efficient at 15-20 minutes per game (like he played last season), but it would be crazy for Doc Rivers to not try to test the upper limits of that and play Harrell more minutes on the scrappy Clippers this season.

If you caught any of the Las Vegas Summer League — which you probably didn't because you have a life — you definitely noticed MVP Josh Hart. He was the guy who was way too good to be playing in the Summer League. This was a bit of a revelation for Lakers fans, as Hart had a good-not-great rookie season, averaging eight points and four rebounds on 40 percent shooting from three. Hart figured to be a fringe rotation player on this year's Lakers before the Summer League, but after his standout performance, he should be in line for some major minutes this season. His scrappy defense, long distance shooting and crafty offensive game will be a nice fit alongside LeBron James. Watch for Hart to emerge as an important piece of the Lakers' plans moving forward.

Do you remember who finally put the clamps on the runaway Trae Young bandwagon last year? His name was Jevon Carter. Young waltzed into Morgantown, and Carter harassed him the second he stepped off the bus — and he never stopped, forcing Young to shoot an ugly 8-of-22 while turning the ball over eight times. Carter is a Pit Bull of an on-ball defender — an opposing point guard's worst nightmare. He'll carve out a role as a Patrick Beverly-type guard immediately for the Grizzlies and will remind Memphis fans of their beloved "Grindfather," Tony Allen. 

When people think about the Heat, they think about Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic, Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow. One of the Heat's most intriguing pieces, however, is second-year big man, Bam Adebayo. (Let's hope by the time you read this, he hasn't been traded as part of a Jimmy Butler deal.) Adebayo, like most raw big men, was inconsistent and relied entirely on teammates to set him up to score last season. But man, did he have a couple of monster games, including a 16-point, 15-rebound, five-block game against the Raptors. It'll be interesting to see what type of progress he makes in Year 2 because his ceiling as a rim-running center is pretty high right now.

By no means am I a fan of Brook Lopez, but the guy was an absolute bargain at one year, $3.3M for Milwaukee. He can score in the post, and he can spread the floor with his respectable three point stroke. While he's not a great rebounder or defender, he's still a 7-foot, 275-pound human being who offensive players have to maneuver around when they get into the lane. Simply put, Lopez is better than what the Bucks had at center last season, and his ability to stretch the floor only opens up more room for Giannis Antetokounmpo drives.

Pour one out for Tyus Jones. He should be the Timberwolves' under-the-radar-player this season, but Tom Thibodeau is going to play Derrick Rose over him for God knows what reason. Therefore, journeyman Anthony Tolliver gets the UTRP status for the T-Wolves. Tolliver is big enough at 6-foot-8, 240-pounds to play small-ball four next to Karl Anthony-Towns. The T-Wolves might be a train wreck on defense during those stretches, but they'll be able to score at will on the other end with Tolliver's deadly 44 percent three-point shooting keeping defenders from helping too much on Towns. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see Tolliver average double digits this season for Minnesota.

Nikola Mirotic isn't as much of a household name as his competition for the power forward position, Julius Randle, but he might be more important to the team's success this year. Mirotic averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game last season after being traded to the Pelicans. His ability to stretch the floor next to Anthony Davis while still being an adequate rebounder on the defensive end are important traits for any team that plays with the insane pace of the Pelicans. It's unclear whether he or Randle will start this season, but Mirotic most likely is going to finish most games, when accurate shooting is paramount.

This season is all about the future for the Knicks. Kristaps Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox are clearly a part of New York's future. Beyond that, it's wide open. Enter Mario Hezonja, aka the European JR Smith. Largely a bust in Orlando, Hezonja snapped out of the two-year funk he'd been in and improved his game last season before signing with the Knicks in the summer. Hezonja plays with the arrogance of an All-Star, but he struggles with consistency. The Knicks' hope is that Hezonja was in a bad situation in Orlando and that playing at Madison Square Garden every home game will bring out the best in him. And they just might be right.

Now that the Carmelo Anthony experiment is over, the Thunder can focus on what makes them unique as a team: their athleticism. When the Thunder was humming on all cylinders last year, it was because they were able to overwhelm teams on defense and on the boards by throwing athlete after athlete at the other team's best players. One of those athletes who seems poised for an increased role this season is Jerami Grant. Grant averaged only eight points and four rebounds in 2017-18, but his defensive switchability and two-way energy often took pressure off Paul George on the wing. With Andre Roberson coming off a major knee injury, the Thunder will need Grant to take his game to the next level.

While the media will be focused on the growth and development of the Magic's uber-athletic frontcourt (Mo Bamba, Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon), opposing coaches will be focused on figuring out how to account for Jonathon Simmons. In his first season with the Magic, Simmons proved that he was more than a Gregg Popovich system player, averaging 14 points per game (more than double his previous career high). The problem for Simmons is that he'd be much better on a better team — plug him in for Trevor Ariza on last season's Rockets, and there's no drop-off. Perhaps the Magic will sell high on him this year around the deadline, but until then he'll have to be content being an unknown good player on a bad team.

The 76ers are loaded. They have top-end talent as well as depth at every position. They're so loaded that a stud like Dario Saric ends up being only the fifth or sixth player you bring up when talking about the team. If he were on a lesser team, Saric's numbers would be even more impressive than the 14-point, seven-rebound, three-assist stat line he averaged last season. His vision and versatility at 6-foot-10 make him a nightmare matchup, especially considering the other team's best defensive players are already focused on Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and JJ Redick. Saric's stats will probably only slightly increase this season, but his game should still improve vastly in only his third season in the NBA.

Did you know TJ Warren averaged 20 points and five rebounds a game last year? Neither did I. The interesting thing about Warren is that he does all of his scoring inside the three-point arc. While that puts a pretty hard ceiling on his upside, not many guys in the world can score 20 a night on 50 percent shooting, which Warren did in 2017-18. Interestingly enough, the Suns seem intent on finding a replacement for him at small forward as they drafted Josh Jackson and Mikal Bridges in back-to-back drafts and then signed Trevor Ariza. Will Warren's resilience continue to ward off the competition? Or will the team look to move on from him in the near future? Either way, Warren is unique player you should check out sometime. 

The Blazers are a team of extremes and seem to either make brilliant or disastrous roster moves with no in between. Seth Curry is going to be an example of the former. As a part-time starter for the Mavericks in 2016-17 (he missed all of 2017-18 with an injury), Curry averaged 13 points per game and actually shot a higher percentage from three than his brother, Steph. With the Blazers, Curry will be expected to do what Shabazz Napier did for the team last season, only do it a little more efficiently. As long as he's healthy, Curry should be up to the task.

Once considered the next Kevin Garnett and a can't-miss prospect, Harry Giles basically hasn't played basketball the past four years due to various knee injuries. After being held out for his entire "rookie" season with the Kings, Giles looked eager to prove he could still play in the Las Vegas Summer League, which was a successful endeavor for him. As expected, his offensive game is lagging a bit, but defense seemed to come natural to him. Ironically, based solely on what we saw this summer, the Kings might be more excited about Giles' future than Marvin Bagley III's future. Classic Kings.

Rudy Gay is a household NBA name who, during the prime of his career, was talked down upon by basketball analysts for his ball-stopping ways and inefficient shooting. Now, after an injury zapped him of some of his athleticism, he's settled nicely into the role of a small-ball four in his first season under Gregg Popovich. In his second year with the Spurs (and second full season after recovering from his Achilles injury), expect Popovich to continue to utilize Gay's scoring ability and quickness against other team's big men. He'll never be a go-to guy again, but Gay could have a nice back-end-of-the-career renaissance in this role with the Spurs.

Obviously, Kawhi Leonard, if healthy, is a one-man wrecking crew on defense. Everybody knows that. However, not everybody knows that his backup, second-year player, OG Anunoby, showed signs of being a Kawhi-like defender in his rookie year, even being tasked with guarding LeBron James in the playoffs. Anunoby wasn't quite up to that tall task, but given the opportunity to learn from one of the game's best defenders (and weirdest laughers) in Leonard, he might be ready to shut down some of the game's elite sooner than you might realize. And Anunoby won't just be Leonard's backup, but he'll play plenty of minutes alongside him as well. Good luck to whomever is trying to score from the wing during those minutes.

Dante Exum has had some of the worst injury luck in the league ever since he was drafted No. 5 overall in 2014. Even still, he's only 23 years old and has a knack for making stuff happen every time he's on the floor. His range and athleticism jump off the screen at you. If Exum can stay healthy, he can play a role similar to that of Marcus Smart for the Jazz this season — a guy whose impact on winning greatly outweighs his raw box score numbers. 

When he's not getting fined for wearing a Supreme sleeve or trying to fight his opponents, Kelly Oubre Jr. is a real nice 23-year-old wing for the Wizards. Oubre rewarded coach Scott Brooks' trust in him by basically doubling his scoring average (12 points per game) in just seven extra minutes of playing time as compared to the season prior. Oubre often gets lost in the shuffle behind the likes of John Wall, Bradley Beal and Otto Porter, but he's developing into a player who is a consistent three-point shot away from being too good to come off the bench.