Top 10 Most Disappointing Players of the Second Round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs
The second round of the NBA playoffs were incredibly exciting, capped off by 2 game sevens. Some players played incredibly well. These players did not.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.
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. 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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.