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Power Ranking - The Unsung Heros of the NLL - PRs

Feb, 02 (Week 11) - Today we take a look at the Unsung Heros of each and every team.These guys have been working hard and sometimes sacrificing for team success. We shed a much deserved spotlight on their under-the-radar production. Hope you guys enjoy. [merencio]

Rank Rating Team Record Comment
1 (4) 101 Mil Milwaukee Bucks 11-1
Pho 102, Mil 117 W
Mil 110, Chi 84 W
Dal 108, Mil 118 W
Mil 113, LAC 85 W
Ind 99, Mil 123 W
Cha 95, Mil 115 W
Phi 123, Mil 127 W
Mil 108, Mia 101 W
Mil 104, GS 71 W
Mil 133, Pho 53 W
Mil 107, Mem 77 W
Unsung Hero: C.J. Miles. This guy has been this team's starting small forward since the beginning of the season for the most part and then has to hear every week on ESPN his GM and coaching staff complaining that the team has no wings and that trade are being worked because there are no quality wings. Trades came and went and he beat most candidates and has said almost nothing to the press, that's the sign of a real pro. P.S.: He's finally on the bench for Taurean Prince now.
  2 (2) 84 OKC Oklahoma City Thunder 10-3
LAL 61, OKC 130 W
OKC 107, Bkn 87 W
OKC 108, NO 74 W
Por 62, OKC 134 W
Hou 102, OKC 91 L
Mem 81, OKC 119 W
Chi 100, OKC 96 L
OKC 74, Dal 117 L
Bkn 106, OKC 125 W
OKC 118, Hou 124 L
OKC 117, Chi 73 W
Unsung Hero: JAVAAAAALEEE MCGEEEEEEE!!! That's right, the Shaqtin' A Fool god is back at it and playing great for the Thunder. If earlier in his career he was an overpaid head case, now he is severely underrated for what he means to the Thunder. The guy is #62 in NLL and is being paid the minimum salary. His contributions may get clouded by the fact that he's playing on a team that's full of stars, but he makes up for a lot the dirty work the Thunder need done when one of their guys goes down.
  3 (3) 75 Cle Cleveland Cavaliers 9-3
Chi 89, Cle 107 W
Cle 107, Det 113 L
Phi 119, Cle 112 L
Cle 81, Hou 108 L
LAL 76, Cle 101 W
Det 111, Cle 82 L
Cle 80, Pho 120 L
Cha 100, Cle 69 L
Den 93, Cle 108 W
Cle 125, GS 91 W
Mia 100, Cle 103 W
Unsung Hero: Gerald Green. I know, I know, the guy received a 67 million dollar bonus to play for the Cavs, sure, but even then I think this title has to go to him. The choice was hard between him and Covington, but Green takes the edge because he makes the Cavs bench one of the toughest matchups because of his volume shooting and aggressiveness, and that opens up a lot of opportunities for other members of the squad on the court at the same time. He adds another dimension to a team that is already dangerous with 10 points a game off the bench every night.
4 (1) 74 Cha Charlotte Hornets 9-3
Atl 104, Cha 94 L
Mia 66, Cha 122 W
Cha 91, LAC 125 L
Cha 95, Mia 68 W
Orl 91, Cha 83 L
Cha 100, Cle 69 W
Cha 95, Mil 115 L
Cha 110, Was 99 W
Cha 107, Orl 98 W
Cha 98, Det 112 L
Unsung Hero: Brandon Ingram. Yes, Gary Harris would also be a perfect candidate, and yes, much is expected from Brandon Ingram, but he is simply not ready to be the leader and scoring prophet people expected him to be, at least not right away. What he IS doing is showing a lot of maturity for a 20 year old player, and playing within the system, shooting awesome percentages and causing matchup problems, as it is expected with that Charlotte team. He's only providing 11 ppg but for the roster, his importance is greater than that.
5 (18) 74 Chi Chicago Bulls 9-3
Chi 89, Cle 107 L
Mil 110, Chi 84 L
NO 92, Chi 88 L
Phi 120, Chi 72 L
Chi 100, OKC 96 W
Chi 67, GS 99 L
Chi 105, Utah 88 W
OKC 117, Chi 73 L
Chi 72, Orl 90 L
Unsung Hero: Mike Scott. While most of the attention goes out to the Splash Brothers and the #1 rated player in the NLL in Steph, the rest of that attention goes to Dirk Nowitzki, who's having himself a season with the three ball and is back to 15 ppg. So there is only a little time left to talk about a guy who has been great for the Bulls and flown under the radar until now. Scott provides instant offense and almost 10 ppg with the Bulls tapping into the small lineup strategies every once in a while, Scott has been thriving.
6 (11) 69 SA San Antonio Spurs 8-5
SA 104, NY 92 W
Utah 98, SA 116 W
SA 109, Min 84 W
Sac 93, SA 112 W
SA 113, GS 120 L
Den 94, SA 105 W
SA 99, Pho 114 L
Sac 87, SA 96 W
SA 84, Por 97 L
Bkn 85, SA 110 W
SA 97, GS 89 W
Unsung Hero: Maurice Harkless. This dude went from being a prospect with a sky-high ceiling, to a player with a very safe floor. That's how I see Maurice, still he is constantly undervalued in what he does, and I'm not talking about salary, but the importance he has to the team. Maurice is the barometer of the Spurs. He will shoot with great efficiency, defend, make the extra pass and getout of the way. It seems pretty easy, right? It's not! Few wings in this league have the capacity to do what it takes to win without letting their egos get in the way. I guess he's just applying the Spurs way of basketball.
7 (19) 68 Hou Houston Rockets 8-4
Hou 106, GS 99 W
Hou 136, Utah 108 W
Phi 119, Hou 109 L
Cle 81, Hou 108 W
Hou 102, OKC 91 W
Min 80, Hou 116 W
Hou 126, Bos 113 W
OKC 118, Hou 124 W
Tor 93, Hou 123 W
Hou 112, Was 123 L
Unsung Hero: Al Jefferson. Al is the EASY choice here because he knows what he can do, being a crafty vet and undervalued his whole playing career due to his cranky old man style of play, and he is balling out in limited minutes off the bench despite playing on an engine that is tilted towards big men! Still, Al has seen the likes of Dante Cunningham and Wilson Chandler line up at the starting PF spot before him and he hasn't complained. He's starting this week due to a strategic shift from the coaching staff.
  8 (8) 68 NY New York Knicks 8-5
SA 104, NY 92 L
NY 104, Por 97 W
NY 117, NO 109 W
NY 117, Ind 135 L
NY 107, GS 113 L
NY 98, Sac 72 W
NO 75, NY 100 W
NY 105, Utah 95 W
Dal 113, NY 89 L
NY 96, Was 120 L
LAC 118, NY 84 L
Unsung Hero: Bobby Portis. With so many big brand names on the roster and a Physio team that doubles every other NLL team in size of staff, I doubt people will pay much attention to what Bobby has been doing for this team. Despite the guy putting great efficient numbers at the PF spot, he keeps on being bounced out of the starting lineup for older cranky dudes or recent trade acquisitions. I expect this guy to continue to do his and patiently wait for his chance again.
9 (5) 67 Min Minnesota Timberwolves 8-4
Sac 101, Min 110 W
SA 109, Min 84 L
Min 90, Den 103 L
Mem 102, Min 74 L
Utah 111, Min 104 L
Bkn 127, Min 122 L
Min 80, Hou 116 L
Pho 82, Min 73 L
Dal 120, Min 107 L
Min 70, Det 107 L
Bos 113, Min 102 L
Unsung Hero: C.J. McCollum. He plays for a team that has many stars, including himself, and although he is much more suited to playing off the ball and letting it fly with no conscience, he has told the coaching staff that he will bring up the ball and play PG full-time if need be, and it will. Management pulled of a trade sending the resident more classic PG out of town and now it will be in his hands to guide the team, especially now with all the injuries that are coming Minny's way. Expect CJ's numbers to explode.
10 (9) 67 Tor Toronto Raptors 8-4
Phi 136, Tor 99 L
Tor 102, LAC 138 L
Det 98, Tor 101 W
Bkn 134, Tor 129 L
Tor 88, NO 93 L
Tor 104, Was 101 W
Tor 114, Ind 83 W
Tor 72, Phi 126 L
Tor 101, LAL 90 W
Tor 93, Hou 123 L
Unsung Hero: Willy Hernangomez. When you look at the Raptors squad his name doesn't pop out as a weapon, but he is underrated, no doubt. Big Willy has been putting great numbers and making his case for a starting spot for quite some time now, but the ever changing carousel that is the Raptors frontcourt make it tough for him to prove his worth. Willy is waiting to be unleashed.
11 (7) 58 Mem Memphis Grizzlies 7-5
Mem 91, Utah 106 L
Mem 117, Por 83 W
Mem 115, GS 78 W
Mem 97, Sac 84 W
Mem 102, Min 74 W
Mem 81, OKC 119 L
Mem 94, Bkn 110 L
NO 79, Mem 103 W
Mem 52, LAC 113 L
Mil 107, Mem 77 L
Unsung Hero: Alec Burks. This is the wing that brought stability to the lineup with consistent shooting and playing within the offense as it's becoming a pattern I observed with most succesfull teams this season. Burks has since been replaced by another player like him in Caris LeVert who just had a 7-11 from 3-point land game, so looking for the trend to continue.
12 (13) 57 Bos Boston Celtics 7-5
Ind 136, Bos 133 L
Bos 112, Mia 99 W
Dal 116, Bos 94 L
Bos 93, Phi 110 L
Bos 106, Por 99 W
Hou 126, Bos 113 L
Utah 121, Bos 113 L
Bos 129, LAC 132 L
Bos 119, Den 116 W
Bos 123, Atl 97 W
Bos 113, Min 102 W
Unsung Hero: Tyreke Evans. Despite his GM's propensity to go through rosters at least a couple times during the season, Evans hasn't been traded and seems to be one of the only guys to have the untradeable tag on himself alongside KD. Reke is having himself a season in the NBA and it is translating to the NLL though he takes a back seat to shot chuckers KD and Melo, he's the guy every Boston fan should be thanking.
13 (6) 57 Utah Utah Jazz 7-5
Mem 91, Utah 106 W
Utah 98, SA 116 L
Atl 112, Utah 109 L
Hou 136, Utah 108 L
Utah 111, Min 104 W
Utah 92, Atl 104 L
LAC 104, Utah 89 L
Utah 121, Bos 113 W
NY 105, Utah 95 L
Utah 116, Mia 75 W
Chi 105, Utah 88 L
NO 81, Utah 97 W
Unsung Hero: Chris Paul The logic here is simple, he is a top 10 player in the league and sees himself that way, but still is able to check his ego at the door and tries to do what's best for the team instead, which is take advantage of the big men the engine heavily favors. Paul has seen his numbers diminish a little bit in comparison to past seasons, and he is rarely recognized for the job he has done in trying to spread the ball around to so many shooters.
14 (15) 53 Sac Sacramento Kings 7-5
Sac 101, Min 110 L
Mem 97, Sac 84 L
Sac 54, Orl 105 L
Sac 93, SA 112 L
NY 98, Sac 72 L
Ind 101, Sac 57 L
Sac 94, Den 110 L
Sac 87, SA 96 L
NO 76, Sac 90 W
Sac 60, Por 108 L
Phi 109, Sac 88 L
Unsung Hero: Brook Lopez. Yes, that's right. Brook has been constantly undervalued at every stop! The guy has been absolutely hammering the opposition since coming to the Kings, who were not afraid of taking a chance on him. I believe it's the foot speed that undersells what this guy can do. He is on fire and a big reason why the Kings are streaking. Keep shutting up them doubters, Brook!
15 (16) 49 Dal Dallas Mavericks 6-7
Den 114, Dal 129 W
Por 116, Dal 120 W
Dal 116, Bos 94 W
Dal 108, Mil 118 L
Dal 102, Mia 91 W
OKC 74, Dal 117 W
Dal 136, Det 115 W
LAL 89, Dal 117 W
Dal 120, Min 107 W
Dal 113, NY 89 W
Dal 105, Pho 102 W
Unsung Hero: Emmanuel Mudiay. "Wait, where are all my teammates?", said Mudiay. Well, they've been traded, Emmanuel and the sad news is if it weren't for some injuries, you would still be on the bench. Mudiay is top draft pick who has been struggling to find his footing in the NBA and NLL. After showing a lot of promise early on, he quickly fell out of the rotation. Still he has taken it like a champ and will star this week to help his team field the minimum necessary to play the sport. His patience has been rewarded, somewhat. Here's to him figuring things out.
16 (10) 39 Den Denver Nuggets 5-7
Ind 111, Den 96 L
Den 114, Dal 129 L
Min 90, Den 103 W
Den 98, Orl 80 W
Den 94, SA 105 L
Sac 94, Den 110 W
Atl 121, Den 112 L
Den 109, Ind 107 W
Bos 119, Den 116 L
Den 93, Cle 108 L
Den 111, Atl 81 W
Unsung Hero: Enes Kanter. It's hard being Enes because he is usually "sung" for the wrong reasons and so he is not seen as a well liked guy in the NBA, nor does he want to be that, it seems. He likes picking fights with superstars and he usually can't back it up on the court, but here he can and he is doing that. Kanter is the real star of this team and has been keeping them afloat on a down season for the Nuggets. With a bunch of players going down, if there is a sell high window, this is it, because his numbers will be mind boggling.
  17 (17) 37 Atl Atlanta Hawks 5-7
Atl 90, Was 109 L
Atl 104, Cha 94 W
LAL 91, Atl 117 W
Atl 112, Utah 109 W
Phi 109, Atl 89 L
Utah 92, Atl 104 W
Atl 121, Den 112 W
Atl 91, Det 116 L
Bos 123, Atl 97 L
Den 111, Atl 81 L
LAC 109, Atl 88 L
Unsung Hero: Darrell Arthur. While Jrue Holiday and Greg Monroe take all the spotlight for the Hawks, look no further than Arthur for our unsung hero. The guy is shooting out of his mind and reaching career highs across the board. 47% from three is even better than the guy he was traded for and is touted as a three-point marksman in Ryan Anderson. Arthur is one of this season's glitch All-Star and is a big reason why this Hawks roster has been able to stay afloat.
18 (24) 37 Ind Indiana Pacers 5-8
Ind 136, Bos 133 W
Phi 126, Ind 132 W
Ind 111, Den 96 W
NY 117, Ind 135 W
Ind 101, Sac 57 W
Ind 99, Mil 123 L
Tor 114, Ind 83 L
Den 109, Ind 107 L
Bkn 100, Ind 129 W
Ind 123, Det 116 W
LAL 101, Ind 120 W
Unsung Hero: Steven Adams. On a team that has Blake Griffin, it is ALL about Blake Griffin! While not many people are saying INDIANA(!!!) this year, Adams has quietly putting up awesome numbers and leading the league in Steals and offensive rebounds, yes, you read correctly. Dude is quietly balling out and deserves to have his name called.
19 (27) 36 Orl Orlando Magic 5-7
Orl 79, Det 101 L
Den 98, Orl 80 L
Sac 54, Orl 105 W
Orl 74, Pho 108 L
Orl 68, LAC 127 L
Orl 91, Cha 83 W
Orl 70, Det 121 L
Mia 99, Orl 102 W
Cha 107, Orl 98 L
Chi 72, Orl 90 W
Unsung Hero: Wesley Matthews. GM Javijoe loves the fact that a real life Mavericks player is playing so well for him. Wes is that guy and he's been light out from 3 and doing that defensive work he is famous for doing. Again, a theme, solid wings that bring the balance to the team.
20 (12) 35 Bkn Brooklyn Nets 5-8
Was 89, Bkn 118 W
Bkn 134, Tor 129 W
OKC 107, Bkn 87 L
Bkn 127, Min 122 W
Bkn 104, Mia 83 W
Mem 94, Bkn 110 W
Bkn 106, OKC 125 L
Bkn 100, Ind 129 L
Bkn 85, SA 110 L
Por 100, Bkn 84 L
Unsung Hero: Larry Nance Jr. On a team that is full of big names, the spotlight is rarely on Larry Nance Jr., and I like to think he prefers it that way. He has been on of the most efficient players on the Brooklyn squad playing alongside FG efficiency monster DeAndre Jordan, the Nets seem to a couple of solid PFs in Nance and RHJ to build for the future.
  21 (21) 31 LAC LA Clippers 4-9
Tor 102, LAC 138 W
Cha 91, LAC 125 W
Det 102, LAC 121 W
Orl 68, LAC 127 W
LAC 103, LAL 89 W
Mil 113, LAC 85 L
LAC 104, Utah 89 W
Bos 129, LAC 132 W
Mem 52, LAC 113 W
LAC 118, NY 84 W
LAC 109, Atl 88 W
Unsung Hero: Nikola Mirotic. This guys has been the bench spark we all seek to get when trading for that 6th man and he's been using that size to cause matchup problems for opposing defenses. Miro has been providing 10 ppg on 40+% shooting from 3. While other sparkling rookies get more recognition, this veteran is calling our attention.
22 (26) 31 Mia Miami Heat 5-7
Mia 66, Cha 122 L
Mia 91, LAL 75 W
Bos 112, Mia 99 L
Mia 66, Det 100 L
Bkn 104, Mia 83 L
Dal 102, Mia 91 L
Cha 95, Mia 68 L
Mia 99, Orl 102 L
Mil 108, Mia 101 L
Utah 116, Mia 75 L
Mia 100, Cle 103 L
Unsung Hero: Timofey Mozgov. I know, you didn't expect that one, right? He is actually playing solid ball. The roster has suffered a major overhaul and he's one of the few that has remained and he's playing well above the league's expectation for him. At least in NLL he's a little more worthy of his salary, sort of...
23 (14) 26 Pho Phoenix Suns 4-8
Pho 102, Mil 117 L
Was 118, Pho 120 W
NO 100, Pho 92 L
Orl 74, Pho 108 W
SA 99, Pho 114 W
Cle 80, Pho 120 W
Pho 109, GS 77 W
Pho 82, Min 73 W
Mil 133, Pho 53 L
Dal 105, Pho 102 L
Unsung Hero: Ekpe Udoh. Here is a guy that comes off the bench and puts up 8 ppg and 6 rpg and keeps to himself. GM Pennywise is a big fan of the Center but he is not a piece you take notice when you look at the Suns roster. Udoh is a great player to own in this engine.
24 (20) 23 Det Detroit Pistons 4-9
Orl 79, Det 101 W
Cle 107, Det 113 W
Det 98, Tor 101 L
Det 102, LAC 121 L
Mia 66, Det 100 W
Det 111, Cle 82 W
Orl 70, Det 121 W
Dal 136, Det 115 L
Atl 91, Det 116 W
Ind 123, Det 116 L
Min 70, Det 107 W
Cha 98, Det 112 W
Unsung Hero: David Nwaba. The young forward has come in via trade and been a revelation in NBA and NLL, because he provides consistent defense coupled with a 56 FG%, which is impressive. Also a 37% clip from 3 doesn't hurt. He is the ultimate team player and should be fun to own going forward.
25 (23) 23 LAL LA Lakers 4-8
LAL 61, OKC 130 L
GS 95, LAL 110 W
LAL 91, Atl 117 L
Mia 91, LAL 75 L
LAL 76, Cle 101 L
LAL 85, NO 58 W
LAC 103, LAL 89 L
LAL 88, Was 114 L
LAL 89, Dal 117 L
Tor 101, LAL 90 L
LAL 101, Ind 120 L
Unsung Hero: Marvin Williams. Although Marvin started the season red-hot, his aggressiveness has dwinddled after the slider tweak. He still has been solid in his approach be it from the bench or starting and he's been a good lad for the Lakers keeping them hovering around .500.
26 (25) 20 Por Portland Trail Blazers 3-9
NY 104, Por 97 L
Mem 117, Por 83 L
Por 116, Dal 120 L
Por 62, OKC 134 L
Bos 106, Por 99 L
Por 113, GS 120 L
Was 115, Por 103 L
Phi 119, Por 111 L
Sac 60, Por 108 W
SA 84, Por 97 W
Por 100, Bkn 84 W
Unsung Hero: Tery Rozier. Yes, the film expert himself! He's been playing some of his best ball in NBA and NLL and he's showing a mature game. Though guys like Jaylen Brown and Ian Mahinmi and Rudy Gay usually figure on the top of the scoreboards every night for the Blazers, Terry has flown under the radar.
27 (28) 19 NO New Orleans Pelicans 4-8
NO 100, Pho 92 W
OKC 108, NO 74 L
NO 92, Chi 88 W
NY 117, NO 109 L
Tor 88, NO 93 W
NO 77, Was 103 L
LAL 85, NO 58 L
NO 75, NY 100 L
NO 76, Sac 90 L
NO 79, Mem 103 L
NO 81, Utah 97 L
Unsung Hero: Caleb Swanigan. Well, this is another overhauled roster, so my choices are few, so I'm going with Swanigan. The rookie has shown poise when he's played, here and in the NBA, by the way. He will be a fun player to own and watch during the Pelicans rebuild.
28 (22) 13 Phi Philadelphia 76ers 3-9
Phi 136, Tor 99 W
Phi 126, Ind 132 L
Phi 119, Cle 112 W
Phi 119, Hou 109 W
Bos 93, Phi 110 W
Phi 120, Chi 72 W
Phi 109, Atl 89 W
Phi 123, Mil 127 L
Phi 119, Por 111 W
Tor 72, Phi 126 W
Phi 109, Sac 88 W
Unsung Hero: Richaun Holmes. Another roster with a lot of pieces flying around, so my choice will be Richaun. He has been consistent whenever his number's been called. He has the type of aggresive game that seems to be favorable to this engine. He is a good prospect for the future too as that energy bench big.
  29 (29) 12 Was Washington Wizards 3-9
Atl 90, Was 109 W
Was 89, Bkn 118 L
Was 118, Pho 120 L
Was 128, GS 81 W
Tor 104, Was 101 L
NO 77, Was 103 W
LAL 88, Was 114 W
Was 115, Por 103 W
Cha 110, Was 99 L
NY 96, Was 120 W
Hou 112, Was 123 W
Unsung Hero: Joe Johnson. When comparing to the NBA I'd say this team has a lot of unsung heros, however NLL is a different beast, and I'm going with another crafty old man with an ageless game. Johnson can still fill it up in spurts and he has quietly been a productive member of the Wiz bench at a 40% clip from 3.
  30 (30) 11 GS Golden State Warriors 3-9
GS 95, LAL 110 L
Hou 106, GS 99 L
Mem 115, GS 78 L
Was 128, GS 81 L
NY 107, GS 113 W
SA 113, GS 120 W
Por 113, GS 120 W
Chi 67, GS 99 W
Pho 109, GS 77 L
Mil 104, GS 71 L
Cle 125, GS 91 L
SA 97, GS 89 L
Unsung Hero: Joffrey Lauvergne. Lauvergne has first been called off the bench and has actually done quite well. Now he's been started and has been contributing quite well. A 56% clip overall shows how nice he can contribute on a nightly basis.

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