The Warriors' Gary Payton II, Nets' Bruce Brown represent a new trend of underrated glue guys in NBA

When the Golden State Warriors defeated the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 16, two of the more interesting and underrated players in the NBA faced off.

After a quick glance at the box scores, you might not notice Golden State’s Gary Payton II or Brooklyn’s Bruce Brown. Payton is averaging 6.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. Meanwhile, for the Nets, Brown has produced a similar output of 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.

Basic counting stats, however, can be deceptive and misleading. Because when you watch the games, it’s obvious that Payton and Brown are integral to the success that both teams have had so far this season. And it’s no secret that both these teams are having a ton of success in 2021-22.

bruce brown vs. gary payton ii tonight on national tv baby

— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) November 16, 2021

Why should you care about either of these players, who unlike their flashier teammates Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant or James Harden, will never be players who are going to be volume scorers who can pull up from long-range whenever they want?

Payton, who has mostly bounced around the G League for the past several seasons, currently leads the league in defensive estimated plus-minus. Brown, who the Nets essentially acquired for the price of a second-round pick, ranks in the 98th percentile for the same measurement.

Brown and Payton are players who represent a fascinating trend that the league is facing right now. While both may have been undersized for the position they play and are extraordinarily low-usage players on offense.

Even though Brown is just 6-foot-4, according to Synergy, he has finished more than 25.0 percent of his possessions as the roll man on ball screens so far this season. Despite the fact that Payton is 6-foot-3, among those with at least 20 attempts, he is shooting a league-best 19-for-22 (86.4 percent) in the paint.

But these are guys who are undeniably making their living on the defensive end of the floor.

According to Cleaning the Glass, Payton’s steal percentage leads all players classified as combo guards while Brown’s leads all players classified as forwards. Payton leads the NBA in deflections per 36 minutes (min: 100 minutes) so far this season as well.

They are guys who can guard bigger than their size would otherwise suggest and make an impact even without ever having the ball in their hands. They are utility guards who can play and multiple positions and who make winning plays, and that allows them to stay on the floor during the most high-impact minutes.

The NBA is so much more fun with guys like Bruce Brown and Gary Payton II on the floor

— Tucker (@SportingLogical) November 17, 2021

So what can we learn from the success these two guys have had in the NBA?

There are only three high-major college basketball players on record with a defensive rebound rate of at least 18.0 percent, block rate of 2.0 percent, steal rate of 2.0 percent on defense while also recording an assist rate of at least 20.0 percent, 3-point attempt rate of at least 4.0 per 100 possessions and ten dunks in a season.

Going back to 2008, those three players are Brown (2018), Payton (2015) and Payton’s Golden State teammate Draymond Green (2012).

GPII said he's leaning on Draymond and Andre to stay locked in this season https://t.co/hsPng9ZnZP

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) November 17, 2021

Are those thresholds arbitrary? Sort of, yeah! But they prove a point, too.

It’s very rare to find players who aren’t total non-shooters who also have the athleticism to dunk often, enough court vision to assist his teammates and the tenacity and instincts to be an above-average defensive playmaker and rebounder.

Yet somehow, Green wasn’t selected until the No. 35 overall pick in the draft. Brown wasn’t picked until No. 42 overall. Payton, curiously, went undrafted coming out of college.

Moving forward, don’t be surprised if guys who are willing to forego some of their field goal attempts and who are able to switch defensively start to rise in the pre-draft process. When you surround these types of players with high-octane offensive juggernauts like Curry or Durant and Harden, they impact winning in massive ways.