Top 10 Most Disappointing Players of the Second Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs

The second round of the NBA playoffs was incredibly exciting, capped off by two Game Sevens.

Some players played incredibly well. These players did not.

The Top Ten

Ben Simmons

Benjamin David Simmons is an Australian professional basketball player. As of 2025, he plays for the Los Angeles Clippers in the National Basketball Association. He was selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2016 NBA Draft and has earned multiple All-Star selections, as well as the NBA... read more

What can I say about Mr. Won't Shoot? Ben Simmons, during this playoff series, was the most squeamish player I have ever seen. He passed up open layups and easy dunks for passes to players in contested situations.
Simmons averaged not even 10 points per game (9.9) and only 6 shot attempts per game. Despite having a high shooting percentage (60%), he just wouldn't shoot! In the biggest playoff game of his life, Game 7, he scored 5 points. He had as many made shots as turnovers (2). This is one of the most disappointing results for a star player in the playoffs that I have ever seen.

Get this guy out of Philly. This fan base will revolt if he's not gone by next year.
Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert is a professional basketball player who plays center for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA. He also represents the French national basketball team in international competitions. Standing 7 feet 1 inch tall, with a 7-foot-9-inch wingspan, Gobert is known for his dominant shot-blocking... read more

Rudy Gobert. For someone on the Defensive First Team, he sure didn't play a lot of defense against the Clippers. A notorious shot blocker, Gobert only recorded 2 blocks combined in the last 4 losses against the Clippers. This is usually the amount of blocks he gets in one game, let alone four.
When the Clippers inserted a small ball lineup, Gobert was left clueless on the floor, having to guard smaller players. He finished with an astoundingly bad -24 +/-. For someone who is touted to be one of the defensive players, he didn't appear as good as he was said to be.
Joe Harris

Joe Harris. 2019 three-point champion. Walking brick against the Bucks. For someone renowned as a star three-point shooting champion, he looked more like Andre Roberson in the second round. In 7 games and 37 minutes per game, he was only able to average 9.6 points per game and 2 three-pointers made per game.
His 34% shooting from three-point range was much lower than his regular season (43%), and he was -20 in total over the course of the series. A very disappointing series indeed.
Jrue Holiday

Jrue Randall Holiday is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. Known for his defensive abilities, he was named to the NBA All‑Defensive First Team in 2018 and helped lead the Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021. Holiday played college basketball at UCLA... read more

Yes, the Bucks did win the playoff series. However, Jrue Holiday was most definitely holding them back from doing it faster. In 7 games against the Nets, Holiday averaged a modest 15 points per game. However, this was while shooting 17 shots per game and only making 6.
He shot 36% from the floor and 26% from three-point range. Not only was he throwing up and missing shots at a high rate, but he also went above and beyond in Game 7, shooting 5/23 in 48 minutes. This is 32% of their total missed shots. He nearly blew it for the Bucks and should be lucky that he didn't.
James Harden

James Edward Harden Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA.e is a 10-time NBA All-Star and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2018. Harden is also recognized for leading the league in scoring for three consecutive seasons and for his exceptional... read more

James Harden may have been hurt, but it may have been better if he had stayed on the bench for this one. In 3 games he played this series, the Nets went 1-2, and Harden was a hindrance to the team. Through the series, he shot 30% from the floor and 19% from three-point range. He was only able to average 11 points per game and averaged 3 turnovers as well.
I believe the Nets would've been better letting him rest up to full health rather than putting him out there and having him perform this terribly.
Joel Embiid

Joel Hans Embiid is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. He was born on March 16, 1994, and played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks before being drafted third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. Embiid was named the NBA Most... read more

Joel Embiid is not on here because of his offensive stats. Those are good enough. However, his ball control and security were some of the most sloppy I've seen in a long time. In 7 games against the Hawks, Embiid turned the ball over 33 times.
He turned the ball over more than he averaged in points per game. Every other play where he had the ball, he seemed to fumble it. Him being easy pickings for turnovers was one of the main reasons the 76ers lost this series.
Monte Morris

For someone who was supposed to be replacing Jamal Murray, Morris did not do a good job of it. While his numbers seem decent enough, at 11.5 points per game and 40% from the floor, his defensive presence was nonexistent throughout the series. In only 4 games, Morris racked up a horrifically bad -69 +/-, a tremendous feat and something which has earned him a spot on this list.
Michael Porter Jr.

Porter, supposed to be the second option for the Nuggets with the absence of Jamal Murray, completely disappointed playing against the Suns. Shooting 38% from the floor, Porter averaged only 15 points for a team that needed everything it could get against the Suns. His biggest hindrance, however, was his abysmal defense. Over 4 games, Porter had a total +/- of -46.
P.J. Tucker

Another player for a Bucks team that did advance, P.J. Tucker also tried his hardest to give the series away to the Nets. He was pretty much just running around and missing shots most of the series. In 7 games, he only averaged 5 points per game in 31 minutes per game.
His 35% from the floor and 30% from three weren't impressive either. For someone who was supposed to be a valuable asset to the team, he really didn't show it.
Furkan Korkmaz

Someone who is known for their shooting, Korkmaz was expected to produce, especially when Danny Green went down. However, he did not. In 7 games and 20 minutes per game, Korkmaz only averaged 7 points (still almost as many as Ben Simmons). His 37% from the floor and 30% from three were far below his season averages and certainly didn't help the Sixers make a move to the next round.

The Newcomers

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Paul George

Paul George (born May 2, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. He previously played for the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. George is known for his two-way play, earning multiple All-Star selections and All-Defensive... read more
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Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Andrew Irving is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. He previously played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. He was the 2016 NBA Finals MVP after helping the Cavaliers win their first championship.

The Contenders

Tobias Harris

Tobias John Harris is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. He was born on July 15, 1992, and played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers. Harris has been a consistent contributor in the NBA, known for his scoring and... read more
Marcus Morris
Lou Williams

Louis Tyrone Williams is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA. Known for his scoring ability off the bench, he has won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award three times. Williams has played for multiple teams throughout his career, including the Philadelphia 76ers... read more
Aaron Gordon

Aaron Addison Gordon, born September 16, 1995, is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets in the NBA. He was selected fourth overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft and played with the team until he was traded to Denver in 2021. Gordon won an NBA championship with... read more
Will Barton
Rajon Rondo

Rajon Pierre Rondo is an American former professional basketball player who last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season. He won two NBA championships, one with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and another with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. Rondo announced his retirement on April 2, 2024, after a career... read more