McGee was brought in for that role and fit perfectly. So ended the saga of Maxwell, good enough to be an NBA Finals MVP, not good enough to be a Celtic. Chris Duhon has not exactly set the NBA on fire in his first seven seasons, and this year is one of his worst so far. Basketball player Bill Russell spent a total of 13 seasons of his professional career in the National Basketball League, and is inducted in the top place in our list of top 10 NBA players with most championship titles. (Not to name names or anything, Sidney Moncrief.). Lever should be considered a top five Nugget, but just about no one outside of the Rockies gives the guy any respect. Only about 1 in 1000 men will reach a height of 6'7" but that is the average height in the NBA. During that time, he was selected All-NBA on 12 occasions and All-Defense on five more. The only reason I had has to do with a series I did about a month ago, but prior to that, you could have stumped me easily. He went on to play for eight teams, none in major markets. I'll bet you didn't even know who he was before reading this, either. Fat Lever is the most underrated point guard in NBA history. Offensively, the 6'4" Moncrief was as versatile as anybody on the court and had one of the game's best jumpers. Some would argue that the Bulls era was unmatched but it was a different kind of game back then. Drafted in 2003 in front of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, Milicic has done nothing in his eight years in the NBA. In 14 seasons in the association, he has averaged 15.5 points, 5.6 assists, three rebounds and has shot 39 percent from downtown to go with an incredible 89.4 percent clip at the line. He ranks high on the all-time list in two important categories for point guards assists (40th) and field throw percentage (47th). It could be that it led to unrealistic expectations. He shot nearly 53 percent and averaged 12.2 points. It is not good for a 6'11" forward to have career averages of only five points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Robert Horry: Big Shot Bob. Home Forums > Basketball > National Basketball Association > NBA General Discussion > NBA General > Most unknown player in the NBA Discussion in ' NBA General ' started by magicfrankie , Jun 27, 2003 . Thabeet has spent time in the Developmental League and has career averages of 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. It was there that he earned a Defensive Player of the Year Award and made his lone All-Star Game appearance. He is a constant threat to knock down the three shooting 40.7% from distance on seven attempts a game. All in all, he averaged almost 19 points and more than seven assists per game. John Starks is, without a question, one of the fiercest competitors to ever play the game of basketball. Dominique Wilkins was a tremendous offensive player, a guy who averaged 25 points per game over the course of his career, a number that certainly places him among the best. Overall, the former Minnesota Golden Gopher averaged better than 17 and seven during his legendary 13-year career. Do you think Luke Kennard, Klay Thompson, and Ben Simmons are on the list? 10.) He was a mainstay in Chicago's program for a decade from 1976 on, and he was the first Bull to get his jersey sent into the rafters. Named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team, Greer was widely considered the third best guard during the 1960s decade, trailing only Jerry West and Oscar Robertson. Calling Oden worthless is unfair, but he has not been able to reach any of his potential and has seen his value drop considerably. He averaged 19.6 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in five seasons there. A Pepperdine graduate, Christie averaged 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his 827-game career. The Mule was an All-Star-caliber defender-rebounder even if he never played in the showcase event. I mean, have you ever heard of him? His scoring average of 8.4 points per game this season is about half of his career average, and he has not lived up to the expectations he had when he signed for so much money. At 64 he has great size for a guard while also being quick on his first step. (Isn't that right, Maurice Cheeks and Bobby Jones? In four consecutive postseasons (1957-1960), his field goal percentage and points average exceeded his regular-season output. Top 10 Basketball Players with Most Championships. Rivers did everything well except shoot the long ball. Olynyk is only rostered in 45.3 percent of leagues, yet he ranks in the top 50 in both points-based and the . Kosta Koufos should have stayed in college instead of coming out and being drafted by the Utah Jazz. Though the future of the league remains uncertain, here's a list of 25 team MVPs for each of their teams. While the Bulls coach stubbornly double downed on Shaquille ONeal in the low post, his former whipping boy drained open shot after open shot. 1. However, during his prime, Big Ben was a force in the paint that even Michael Jordan would have a tough time scoring on him and his legendary afro. Sikma shot an extremely prolific 92.2 percent from the charity stripe during the 1987-88 season and accumulated better than 84 percent throughout the course of his 14-year career. He played alongside Wes Unseld in our nation's capital to form one of the best frontcourts the NBA has ever seen. Seth Curry . Playing in Miami to win an NBA Championship before he retires, this former All-Star has seen a drop in his production over the last several seasons. Before John Havlicek, there was Frank Ramsey, the Celtics' swingman whose standard for sixth men left a permanent mark on the game. His No. Since rejoining the New York Knicks last season after some time with the Houston Rockets, Jeffries' game has actually gotten worse since the first time he was in New York. That's not to say they didn't recognize his presence, though. The "White Chocolate" Food Nickname Group. The Lakers played in three consecutive Game 7s. 3. The Grizzlies have an exciting young core and Bane will be a highlight of that for years to come. Seth can do just about everything Steph can do, just not quite at the same production level. The 10 Most Entertaining NBA Players of All Time Michael Jordan Walter Iooss Jr./SI He brought the NBA from the world of sports to the world of entertainment with his tongue-wagging dunks, his. Antwan Jamison will always be underrated in my eyes, and the main reason lies within the fact that he was ninth in scoring during the 2000s among all players. In 524 games with the Bucks, Johnson averaged 21 points, pulled down better than seven boards and dished out nearly four assists per game. Greer was also known for his odd free throw technique. All these players were skilled on their court but also notorious outside that court. I'm still not sure why he isn't ever brought up in those debates. The Ringer Podcast Network The Most Interesting Players Going Into the 2022-23 NBA Season Plus, the only potential flaw for Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jovic's near-perfect pairing with the. A 6'7" power forward from New York City, Schayes was one of the NBA's first great members of the frontcourt. Like Greg Oden, Michael Redd's once very promising career was cut short way too early with knee injuries. Yep, those Sixers, the ones who finished a pathetic 9-73 the previous season. While future Hall of Famer Clyde "The Glide" Drexler dominated highlight reels, Porter served as the heartbeat of a team that averaged 57.5 wins over a four-year period and included an NBA Finals appearance. Elvin Hayes, although never mentioned in the same breath as the best the NBA has ever seen, should certainly be brought up in the power forward debate. Miller fun fact: He led the league in offensive rating in the 2004-05 season, when he produced a 15.6/9.6/3.9/1.2 slash line on 52 percent in the field and 81 at the charity stripe. He also ranks high on the all-time list of league leaders in assists (58th) and steals (71st) per game. Winning five NBA championships, making two All Star games, earning two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and being entered into the Hall of Fame in 2011, Rodman was a hugely successful player. "Logo", as he was sometimes called for that reason, was an All-Star in all 14 seasons he played with the Lakers. No matter. He was later traded with his current teammate Luke Harangody for a future second-round pick. He won two well-deserved championships in Houston, albeit at the hands of Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets, who were taking full advantage of the absence of Michael Jordan. He was, after all, one of the NBA's first great guards. He is best known among the NBA world by this dunk, a play that perhaps presented hope of beating the almighty Bulls. Some even starred in major markets. Jason Williams' career coincided with 2 other players with the essentially the same name Jayson Williams and Jay Williams. By Teru Ikeda . Moncrief was known for his tenacious D, a stingy attribute that led to him being named Defensive Player of the Year in the first two years the award was handed out. Otis our man performed the pick-and-shovel work about as well as anyone for the better part of two decades. He made an unforced error about as often as he bricked an open shot. Players like Jordan or Saqil O'Neal paved the way for legendary players that came after. "Hondo" won eight championships with the Celtics, was a part of the All-NBA teams 11 times and was an eight-time All-Defensive player. He has career numbers of 4.9 points and 2.4 total rebounds per game. Forget the Grant Hill of the last 10 years, thoughI'm specifically focusing on the one we could've seen over the last decade of a half. On the heels of an epic 69-13 regular season and league title, the 1972-73 Lakers were even better. Redd deserves recognition for his comeback attempt with the Phoenix Suns this season, but it is hard to watch him average only 3.3 points per game. Grayson Allen was one of the most scrutinized NCAA basketball players in recent memory, and many are quick to dismiss him because of this. He is the Mavs' second-best player in franchise history behind the great Dirk Nowitzki, and just about no one outside of Texas knows that. I will hear complaints whether he is on the list or not, so I leave it up to the reader to decide whether or not he should be here. On March 18, 1982, Calvin Natt pitched one of the few perfect games in NBA history. Yet Sleepy Sam was a dependable scorer and rebounder for much of his career. Randy Smith was easily the hardest name on this list to compile information for. He excelled at team defense, and few played the passing lanes better. The pug-nosed forward looked and played the part for 11 seasons, all with mid-market teams. If you turn on a Nets game its easy to spot Curry as he roams around the perimeter waiting for his catch-and-shoot threes. Basically, no defender could contain the 6'7" King during his heyday. A former Duke-e, Battier is also not only solid on D but is a viable shooter as well, most notably beyond the arc, where he has shot 38.5 percent from deep. These players tend to make their presence felt different than your average superstar, whether it be a quiet demeanor or a flat-out underachieving status from everyone in the league. Eddie Curry deserves a lot of credit for overcoming off-court tragedies and working his way back to the NBA, but the Miami Heat experiment is not yet working out. So much did the Pacers value Foster off the bench, the career overachiever spent his entire time in Naptown. "Horace was the most overlooked part of our defense," Bach once told me. 1) Darko Milicic, Detroit Pistons. Supporters of Cardinal would argue that the things he does to help the team win do not show up in the box score. Whatever the case, the Suns lifer was on the shortlist of better all-around pivotmen for an extended period. Look at the leaderboards for any of the best advanced stats and youll see a lot of the same names: Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, Jimmy Butler, Lebron Jamesand Isaiah Hartenstein. After leaving the Dallas Mavericks, Eduardo Najera has become a forgotten player in the NBA. Los Angeles won the 1987 NBA Finals, with Johnson averaging 26.2 points, 13.0 assists, and 8.0 rebounds. 10. Before Maurice "Mo" Cheeks was an NBA head coach and a "Star Spangled Banner"-concluder, he was one of the 1980's best floor generals with the Philadelphia 76ers. Ginobili might have been a bad actor, but the longtime Spur also was an all-time winner. The most interesting NBA players on new teams. Mason signed as a free agent with the Washington Wizards before the season began. Brunson has proved all those doubters wrong, solidifying himself as one of the points guards in the league. The following are the 10 most disrespected players in NBA history: 10. Did you know that the NBA logo is actually a silhouette of West himself? To those who say that L.J. So, from E.T. The following season, Johnson left his mark as one of the most clutch NBA players in the playoffs. All in all, he helped revolutionize the small forward game and should be better known amongst NBA cliques. This year, his numbers have dropped, as he struggles to get onto the court for the Oklahoma City Thunder. When he played with the Lakers, he was a vital bench player for two championship teams. Blake Griffin is really good, the best player the Pistons have had since Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace 's heyday. Scalabrine has played for three different teams in his more than 10-year career. Allen has one of the highest motors in the league, actively surveying the floor for the best positioning. Brunsons impact for the Knicks cannot be understated, as he adds a floor general that will spur the tempo of the game. His smothering defense was a main catalyst factoring into D.J. He has a career average of 2.7 points and 1.9. Nate "the Great" Thurmond was one of the NBA's best centers during the era of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. While he is still in the league, we need to sit back and enjoy who we are witnessing, because this guy undoubtedly has a top 15 spot sealed for him in the future. Apparently, these numbers and records aren't enough to get him much Hall of Fame consideration. You know you're on a great team when Michael Jordan is easilythe third best defensive player. It is commonplace in sports culture today to label a player a bust way too early in their career. For some reason, however, he was only elected to six All-Star Games, an unfair testimony to the awesome career he had. is just 20 years after his retirement? Some of these players are new to the league and still fighting for playing time, some are not living up to big contracts that they signed several seasons ago and some are simply past their prime and trying to hold on to their careers as long as they possibly can. In 14 seasons, Jeff Hornacek shot 50 percent in the field, 40 from beyond the arc and 88 at the free throw line. 1. Thats right teams would look for opportunities inside the arc before the game morphed into so many 3-point shootouts. Teams: Atlanta Hawks (1983-91), Los Angeles Clippers (1991-92), New York Knicks (1992-94), San Antonio Spurs (1994-96). Terrence Ross has always been a case of unrealised potential, but for one nightly only, he realised the f*ck out of it with a 51-point explosion which tied Vince Carter's franchise record. DeMarre Carroll, Denver Nuggets 3 of 50 DeMarre Carroll signed a free-agent contract with the Denver Nuggets despite playing only 12 games last season. That reputation has only grown since the former Arkansas Razorback joined the Milwaukee Bucks. But Miller, who dished out 8,524 assists in his career - 11th most in NBA history and the most among players who never made an All-Star team, gets the edge. The notion of Joakim Noah being one of the NBA's worst players was unfathomable just four seasons ago. One thing is for sure, McGee signing with the Mavericks was one of the best this off-season. Perhaps you've heard of them. One of the toughest competitors the New York Knicks franchise has ever seen, Dave DeBusschere had the heart of a champion. Credit should be given to the Portland Trail Blazers, who still hold out hope that Oden can some day overcome his injuries and are loyal to Oden. Consider his career in comparison to current NBA star Rudy Gay: Jent's NBA career spanned two years and included 37 total points, a plateau that Gay has exceeded four times over the course of a single game. 23. He also has a huge impact defensively, actively pursuing the passing lanes and causing deflections. He often looks lost on the court and seems surprised when one of his shots goes in the basket. If not for his team-high 28 points and 11 rebounds in a tense Game 7 of the Eastern Division finals against the Syracuse Nationals, the Celtics would have one fewer championship banner in the rafters. Maxwell showed lots of promise in his first two seasons, except that president Red Auerbach already had eyes for Bird, whom he drafted with a year of college eligibility left. Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (1985-95), Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-99), San Antonio Spurs (1999-2002). During that decade, English averaged 21, 24, 25, 28, 26, 28, 30, 29, 25 and 27 points per game in each season. A great pull-up shooter combined with excellent finishing ability, Burks has the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. Both games were nationally televised, with the first featuring the Celtics and Hawks and the latter featuring the Warriors and Sonics. You can email Joseph atjef3m8@mail.missouri.eduor follow him on Twitter at@JosephFafinski. Koufos has career averages of 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. He embraced his role on the bench and has carved out a remarkable NBA career so far. The Boston Celtics won their first NBA title in 1957 thanks to a team built over the years and led by Red Auerbach. Teams: Denver Nuggets (1980-84), Portland Trail Blazers (1984-88), New York Knicks (1989-92), Los Angeles Clippers (1992-93). Teams: New Jersey Nets (1989-90), Denver Nuggets (1990-91), New York Knicks (1991-96), Charlotte Hornets (1996-2000), Miami Heat (2000-01), Milwaukee Bucks (2001-03). Did you also know he's seventh on the NBA's all-time scoring list? Petro, who averages 4.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game this year, has started a few games for the Nets, but he cannot get anything going this season. He was also named "Uncle Drew" for acting in a series of Pepsi Max advertisements. 50. Michael Jordan: Air Jordan. What I did find is that Smith had the longest "iron man" streak in basketball, a 906-game run that was eventually surpassed by A.C. Green. MILWAUKEE, WI - MAY 23: Eric Bledsoe #6 of the Milwaukee Bucks is introduced against the Toronto Raptors during Game Five of the Eastern . Sam Cassell and Grant Hill to Bernard King and Joe Dumars these are the 25 Greatest Underrated NBA Players of All Time. Statistically, Adams had his best season as a Rookie of the Year. Schayes was routinely among the leaders in points, rebounding and assists, apexing each category at second, first and sixth on separate occasions. Hayes would grab almost 13 rebounds per game during those years, and he would score far more than Unseld, routinely reaching the 20s. (Isn't that right, Maurice Cheeks and Bobby Jones?) How Chauncey Billups did not make an All-Star Game until 2006, when he was 29, absolutely boggles my mind. Roger Mason Jr. did have some good seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, but he has done very little since that time. Teams: Chicago Bulls (1987-94), Orlando Magic (1994-99, 2001-02), Seattle SuperSonics (1999-2000), Los Angeles Lakers (2003-04), League championships: 4 (1991, 1992, 1993, 2001). NBA Player with the Most Championships Bill Russell is the player who holds the record for most rings, with 11 NBA Titles in 13 seasons played with the Boston Celtics. Allen Iverson: The Answer. He has appeared in three games this season and has six points and four rebounds total. His most dominant days came as a Knick, where he averaged better than 28 points on three separate occasions. I'm not entirely sure why Hal Greer isn't more well known among basketball junkies. I'm not asking for Eaton to be considered an all-time great, but at least give this guy his due. 1 overall draft pick Paolo Banchero immediately looking like a foundational offensive player nearly 22-7-4 and eight free throws per night, and he just turned 20. To make matters worse, Erden has fallen out of the rotation in Cleveland recently, as he did not play in a game last week due to a coach's decision. As of 2022, Kevin Love's net worth is $50 million which puts him on the list of highest earners in the NBA. He also was a six-time All-Star and a two-time All-Defensive selection. was a disappointment, we say buzz off. Leave me your thoughts and tell me what you think. Later that year, he was named recipient of both the Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards. So far this year, he is 3-of-21 from three-point range for a percentage of 14 percent. He did finally get some well-deserved recognition, though, when he was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame this April. They needed their best player, and Johnson delivered. Throughout the NBA's history, there have been many overlooked and underrated players. People seem to not know who Love is, so you might as well call me teacher, as I just gave you this important lesson. His career numbers are 4.5 points and 1.6 assists per game. At 26, Steve Mix was at the crossroads. Was it Magic Johnson or Larry Bird? Position: Power forward and small forward, Teams: Utah Jazz (2001-11), Minnesota Timberwolves (2012-13), Brooklyn Nets (14-15). (Heres looking at you, Jack Sikma.) Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (1991-97), Milwaukee Bucks (1997-98), Minnesota Timberwolves (1999-2002). After winning two national championships at Villanova as well as the John R. Wooden award, Jalen Brunsons future in the NBA was blurry. Everytime it feels like the Spurs are about to be written off, Greg Popovich finds a way to bring them back from the brink. The third year guard for the Rockets should be on everyone's radar. Certified Skills Development coach. Now heres the real list of all-time underrated NBA players. The 5 Most UNDERRATED NBA Players of ALL-TIME - YouTube 0:00 / 11:21 #NBA #Basketball #Sports The 5 Most UNDERRATED NBA Players of ALL-TIME 28,103 views Sep 23, 2019 1K Dislike Share. He obviously scored enough (26,395 points in all), he rebounded adequately (8,007) and he could even dish the ball when needed (6,114). I think the reason he's underrated is obvious. Over the past decade, we've seen championships won by Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Dirk Nowitzki. One of the biggest travesties in the game of basketball is Wilkins' omission into the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team. Larry Owens' NBA career is just getting started, but he already is at a disadvantage. That translated well at the next level, where the combo forward did enough to carve a niche for himself. The second-rounder was good for at least 10 points and a half-dozen rebounds every season. Gerald Wallace is one of the few players in the NBA today who get it done on both sides of the floor, yet he is the one that gets the least attention out of the bunch. I am not sure exactly what Steve Novak's role on the New York Knicks is, but it is obviously not to score points and grab rebounds. Maxwell was shipped to the fifth-place Los Angeles Clippers, and three years later, at 32, he left the league a bitter man. I guess voters would rather have an all-offense, no-defense guy like Carmelo Anthony instead. When you win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in perhaps the toughest era in all of NBA history and have to wait to hear your name inducted by the Hall, you are obviously underrated. Solomon Alabi is only in his second year in the league, but he is not ready for life in the NBA. He has two sisters named Asia and London. Tony Battie has found a way to hang around the league since 1997, but this season is by far his worst. He helped lead the Detroit Pistons to a championship in 2004, and he collected the Finals MVP award in the process. The 6'5" Sloan was a two-time All-Star and a six-time All-Defensive guard who was tenacious in his ways on both sides of the court. Some even starred in major markets. Mitch Richmond Among the most consistent players in NBA history, Richmond will be remembered for an uncanny ability to average 21 points or more a season, which he did on 10 consecutive occasions . 2 of 30. He holds many distinctions in the NBA's history. And that doesn't even really capture the full freakish extent, since the average NBA player has a wingspan that is far greater than their height. Novak has a career average of four points and 1.1 rebounds per game. Even though Pierce was on the shortlist of best sixth men in his prime, he was taken for granted too often. Indeed, Mix was the ultimate grinder, a 6-foot-7 bundle of smarts and hustle whose game had to be watched regularly to be appreciated. Since becoming the 11th overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft, Jared Jeffries has not been much more than a disappointment. Players make their names in the postseason, though, and Drew spent too many them on his couch. Bob McAdoo's career got off a phenomenal start, when he averaged 28.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game in four seasons for the Buffalo Braves. Last season, he came off the bench in Utah for the Jazzsomething that he has been accustomed to during his career. 1 / 31 Click through this gallery for a look at the top 30 NBA players of today who attended mid-major schools. Every time someone mentions an all-time great, rarely is John Havlicek's name brought up, and it's a darn shame that is the case. In his career, he averaged 14.1 points, five assists and nearly four boards per game. The five-time all-star, Kevin Love is not only handsome but also one of the best basketball players. In my opinion, he's the second best point guard ever, after the great Magic Johnson. Not known as a starter, Wilkins is playing nearly 18 minutes per game for the Detroit Pistons this season off the bench. His three seasons in New York were the best of his career. Crazier still was the fact Ross was averaging just 7.4 points per game at the time, the lowest among all players to ever drop 50. Hopefully you will get the best match. Teams: Boston Celtics (1977-85), Los Angeles Clippers (1986-87), Houston Rockets (1987-88). While many of his Hall of Fame teammates in the Celtics dynasty overshadowed Ramsey, his immense value should not be underestimated. By some measures, Chris Jent can be considered one of the most successful players to ever set foot in the NBA. As soon as he was given a starter's role in the Windy City, he took advantage, averaging 21 points and eight rebounds in his first full season. He tallied over 23,000 points in his career and sported a 24.3 career average. 10 jersey currently hangs in the rafters of the United Center. Gary Payton: The Glove. However, he remained in the shadow of stars Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby and Chris Webber during his tenure, but that didn't seem to bother the man who prided himself on his forceful defensive prowess. He also is one of six players to average better than 25 points per game in 10 consecutive seasons. Regardless of which brother was better, neither was very good and both should be out of the league. 8 of 30. The New Jersey Nets are not a good team, and Johan Petro is not helping that much. According to Ranker, Kelly Paul Oubre Jr. is the hottest NBA player with the highest votes by readers. Murray was traded to the Atlanta Hawks this offseason and will be paired up with Trae Young in the backcourt. Over his career, he averaged 4.1 points per game and 3.5 rebounds. The owner of one of the more creative free-throw routines around before each shot, Horny wiped his right cheek three times as a way to say hello to his kids he had basketball smarts that made up his lack of outrageous athleticism. Teams: New York Knicks (2005-10),Golden State Warriors (2010-15), Boston Celtics (2015-16), Dallas Mavericks (2016), San Antonio Spurs (2016-17). The floor general took the reigns of a struggling Milwaukee Bucks franchise and won Rookie of the Year, but would sign with the Indiana Pacers before seeing the Bucks win a championship. The Knicks had a hot start last season but have cooled off significantly since then. There are currently five NBA players who have exactly six NBA Championships to their name. In Buffalo, he teamed up with Bob McAdoo to form a formidable one-two punch. So what if the rest of his game was iffy at best? Releasing con. Updated: June 1, 2016 10:41 am Mark Eaton was the ultimate "guy-you-wouldn't-expect-to-be-a-hero-but-somehow-ends-up-one". Once known as one of the most exciting players in the league, this former All-Star has lost a lot in his 17th season in the league. Okur had a game that was far more consistent than it was pretty. 0:39; Danny Green gives keys to interviewing Gregg Popovich. Teams: Denver Nuggets (2002-12), Washington Wizards (2012-16), Houston Rockets (2016-19). While Larry Bird and Kevin McHale were dominant in their respective own ways during the 1980s, Dennis Johnson was the glue that kept everything stable in Boston. He should have gotten more recognition during his career, and it is for this reason that he is vastly underrated. To say that he was a draft bust is an understatement. He has only played in four games this year for the Houston Rockets. That's some pretty crazy company to be in; it's a shame his name sticks out from the rest for the wrong reasons. People tend to point to how many championships Scottie won without Michaelzero. Battie is not coming off the bench as often as he would like in Philadelphia and is only averaging 1.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Top 10 interesting information on Basketball. Pinckney learned how to win in his Villanova days. Expected to be one of the top point guards in the NBA despite skipping college, Telfair has struggled his entire career to find the type of play he was supposed to provide. Teams: Kansas City-Sacramento Kings (1984-88, 1998), Houston Rockets (1988-95), Portland Trail Blazers (1995), Detroit Pistons (1995-97), Vancouver Grizzlies (1997-98), Washington Wizards (1998-99), Miami Heat (1990-2000), Charlotte Hornets (2000-01). Brunson was awarded a max contract with the Kicks this summer and is looking to bring them back into playoff contention. And for reasons unbeknownst to me, he is not in the Hall of Fame. He was chosen to 10 All-Star Games, being chosen MVP in one (1968). So how come he isn't more widely recognized as the phenomenal small forward he was? His two inclusions to the All-Defensive teams do not do this man justice. Rashard Lewis was one of the NBA's brightest stars early in his career, but he gave up on the Orlando Magic a couple of years after signing a huge contract. It wasn't like he was bad or anything either. Before coming to Utah, Tinsley was playing in the Developmental League for the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Jon Brockman went from bad to worse when he was traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Milwaukee Bucks before the 2010-2011 season began. Garrison Matthews is most likely a name that isn't familiar to most NBA fans. Earl Barron has been in and out of the Developmental League and has dealt with more 10-day contracts than he would like to. Ranking Best Active NBA Players Who Attended Smaller Colleges. This year, he is averaging only 0.9 points per game in just 4.7 minutes on the court. His offensive rating is 64th on the all-time list, ahead of James Worthy, Dominique Wilkins and Julius Erving, among others at the position. Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1988-93), Charlotte Hornets(1993-95, 2000-01), Seattle SuperSonics (1995-99), Chicago Bulls (1999-2000). The most interesting is probably Franz Wagner establishing himself as a legit high-volume playmaker to pair with Banchero, too. Wilt Chamberlain holds numerous NBA records that may never be broken Wilt Chamberlain is best known for setting some of the most unbelievable records in his NBA career. Whatever the reason, he's still extremely underrated for how good he actually was. There was no backcourt player more fun to watch than Redd in the mid-2000s. Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the most famous basketball players. Thus, he is one of the most underrated players in the history of the NBA. His No. It was there that he established himself as an instant spark of electricity and a solid shooter off the bench, two tags that followed him throughout his dozen-year long NBA career. He averages 2.8 points per game for the Boston Celtics this season. He averaged 22.5 points (try naming five active players who've done that) and six rebounds per game and was the most explosive offensive player of (dare I say it?) Murray catalyzed that fast pace, as he is one of the best transition guards in the league. In the shadows of the two-time league MVP is his younger brother, Seth Curry. Chants of "Coooop" surfaced whenever the 6'5" guard touched the ball, and even though he wasn't anything special offensively, he made his presence known on D, a testament to his eight All-Defensive selections. He was always underrated, especially playing under the stars with guys like Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace. 23 jersey has been retired by the Atlanta Hawks. He also drained an incredible 55 percent of his field goals. In 2002, the bigs were involved in a bruhaha, and just when a stark-raving Shaq was ready for the kill, right fist cocked, he thought better of it. 1993 - 1994 Scoring Title - 36 equals 71? Teams: Sacramento Kings, (2004-09) Houston Rockets (2009-12), Oklahoma City (2012-13), Minnesota Timberwolves (2013-16), San Antonio Spurs (2016). His best season occurred during the 1988-89 campaign, when he averaged 19.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists. Blake Griffin. What casual basketball fans might not know is that he is widely considered one of the two or three best defensive forwards to ever play the game along with Dennis Rodman, his teammate from 1995-98 with the Chicago Bulls. He was tougher than nails during his career as a Celtic, most notably playing through the 1987 postseason with a broken foot. Despite his long career, Magloire is going to have a hard time signing a new contract next summer when his current deal expires. Perhaps a previous column I wrote in March can persuade you to call Lafayette "Fat" Lever one of the NBA's most underrated. After 17 seasons roaming around the NBA, Juwan Howard needs to just call it a career. For nearly two decades, Chandler was among the most consistent rebounders and interior defenders around. A Natts eyelash away from superstardom, one might say. Efficiency wise, Seth Curry has a TS% of 63%, which would place him top 15 in this category. 4 jersey was released into the rafters of the Bradley Center shortly after his retirement. Bernard King is easily one of the most underrated players in the NBA's long history. Jerry West, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson. "Butterbean", as Love was known, had a prolific and consistent NBA career. Luke Walton is still sitting on the bench for the Los Angeles Lakers. There are only four players in the NBA history to have a quadruple-double. Oh, how Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan hated Kukoc for the way that GM Jerry Krause fawned over him. Until then, AK-47 might as well have been back in Izhevsk, since his all-around game received so little notice around the league. He accepted his role and kept his mouth shut, which played no small role in his success. He has won numerous awards including, 2 NBA Championships, 4 times NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, 2 times NBA Finals MVP etc. The most important development for the Magic is No. Lloyd Bernard Free effectively changed his name to "World B. One of the strongest aspects of his game is the confidence he shoots with. A 20-points-per-game scorer in three seasons, Sweet Lew ranks 22nd in career 3-point percentage. The 32-year-old is also, according to teammates of the past and present, a locker room presence who is a joy to play with. The former had post moves to die for; the latter had the complete game that led to him becoming a top-five consensus player in league history. Only after the 1990-91 season did Porter receive MVP consideration, and then only barely. He produced three seasons of 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. Every year, there are some players that come out of nowhere and shine in some pre draft camps like the Reebok Euro Camp or the Nike Hoop Summit. He was recently recalled from the Bakersfield Jam, but is not expected to help the Raptors out much. He also swiped an amazing 1.9 steals per game. For that, the man deserves a place in the Hall of Fame contributors wing at least. The 6-foot-11 big averaged at least 12 points and a half-dozen rebounds per game in six seasons. Funny, but many of those same fans would give their right one to have another El Contusione on their team. Free" as the NBA's most prolific, high-risk shot-taking and flamboyant scorer of the time. He shot 87.5 percent at the free-throw line. 3y3 years ago. Despite being a young guy, let's hope he improves with the Nets and can stick around for several years. 25. Now playing for the Charlotte Bobcats, no one is sure what he is known as. 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