Top 5 NBA players who proved their critics wrong in the 2020-21 season

There is an often perpetuated notion that NBA players and professional athletes in general do not really listen to what is said about them in the media. However, there have been athletes who've shown that they do listen to the criticism, and several NBA players responded in the best way possible to their critics this season.

In every NBA season, there are some players who come under media scrutiny and face heavy criticism for performances in the postseason or even for failing to reach the NBA Playoffs. But many of them bounce back immediately, as was the case in the 2020-21 season.

5 NBA players who answered questions in the 2020-21 season

Players like Paul George and Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the 2020-21 NBA season after being criticized for failing to succeed in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. These are not isolated cases as many other players have also had to endure similar experiences.

On the other hand, some players were not really heavily criticized, but are often excluded from certain debates or rankings from the current league. One of the best examples of this is Devin Booker, who was not voted into the All-Star Game and was left out of the All-NBA teams this year.

In this article, we discuss five players who proved their critics wrong in the 2020-21 NBA campaign.

#5 Draymond Green

Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors drives.

Draymond Green needed a solid season for the Golden State Warriors in the 2020-21 NBA campaign. He evidently struggled the previous season without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

With a fit-again Curry but without a huge team around him, Green had a solid campaign that reminded everyone of his best years. The 31-year-old had a fantastic year defensively, earning a spot among the DPOY finalists. Green also averaged a career-high 8.9 assists per game (fourth-best in the NBA).

Green proved that he can be the essential player the Golden State Warriors need even without playing with multiple superstars around him.

#4 Paul George

Paul George surely got the most criticism after the 2020 NBA Playoffs as the LA Clippers fell in the second round of the postseason against the Denver Nuggets. He too had some poor performances in the 2019-20 season.

George's struggles in the postseason were also quickly becoming commonplace, having begun during his days with the OKC Thunder.

Paul George is the 1st player with 35 points, 15 rebounds & 5 assists in a playoff game in Clippers history. pic.twitter.com/iLnLl9rJYX
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 17, 2021

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In the 2020-21 NBA season, George got off to a fantastic start on the Opening Night against the LA Lakers. The game set the tone for the rest of the season as the 31-year-old produced excellent numbers throughout the year. George averaged 23.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game with 47/41/87 shooting splits in the regular season.

George has had some difficult nights in the postseason as the LA Clippers fought hard to progress past the first round against the Dallas Mavericks. In the second round against the Utah Jazz, George put up a tremendous performance in Game 5 on the road without Kawhi Leonard. Thanks to him, the LA Clippers are now one win away from the Western Finals.

#3 Devin Booker

Devin Booker has not really been on the receiving end of heavy criticism throughout his NBA career. However, his achievements have often been overlooked.

Booker has been selected for the All-Star Game twice in his career (2019 and 2020). But on both occasions, he was drafted in as a substitute for an injured player. Booker has not been selected for the All-NBA teams in 2021 either, despite leading the Phoenix Suns to the second-best record in the league. He also guided them to the Western Finals alongside Chris Paul.

Booker averaged 25.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the regular season and made it to the NBA Playoffs for the first time in his career. In the postseason, Booker has recorded 27.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game with 49/38/92 shooting splits.

#2 Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell earned some criticism after the Utah Jazz fell to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. The Jazz lost a 3-1 lead to crash out of the tournament.

Heading into the 2020-21 NBA campaign, Mitchell had a point to prove. The 24-year-old was a massive presence for the Jazz in the team's run to the best record in the entire NBA season.

Even in the NBA Playoffs, Mitchell has been immense for the Utah Jazz. But he will need to perform at a high level to save the Jazz's season against the LA Clippers.

In the 2020-21 regular season, Mitchell responded to his critics, including Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O'Neal. Mitchell averaged a career-high 26.4 points (10th-best in the NBA), 5.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game with 44/39/85 shooting splits.

#1 Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors.

Stephen Curry received heavy criticism at the start of the 2020-21 NBA campaign after struggling in the early days of the campaign. There were also questions about how he would perform without another offensive weapon of his caliber in the team. It is safe to say Curry answered all those doubts on the court throughout the year.

Curry ended up as an NBA MVP finalist after leading the NBA in points per game at 32. He also recorded 48/42/91 shooting splits in 63 games for the Golden State Warriors.

Ultimately, Curry was not able to lead the Golden State Warriors to the NBA Playoffs, which will bring him flak once again. However, the team's chances only disappeared in the Play-In tournament after losses to the LA Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies. Up until that point, Curry had performed admirably for the Warriors.