He was the first NBA player to bring in the big balls dance celebration, injuring his groin, The 12 Most Underrated NBA Players of the 2010s, This Millennial Transformed One Rental Property Into A Multi-Million Dollar Empire, 10 Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Beauty Business Tips And Secrets. He was also one of the better offensive rebounders in basketball and led the league in that stat in the 2004-05 season with 299 offensive rebounds. He blew past defenders and glided through the air and threw down rim-rocking dunks with brutal authority. Only one year later, Jamison jumped his stats tremendously averaging 19.6 PPG and 8.3 RPG followed by a career-high in scoring at 24.9 PPG. Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Playing position: Striker. Forget the role in the fight. Nick Mac is an NBA Writer with over 5 years of experience in journalism. Jackson is mainly known for his stints with the Indiana Pacers and the Golden State Warriors. Corey Maggette was the player version of the Los Angeles Lakers/Los Angeles Clippers relationship in that he was the Walmart version of Kobe Bryant. That was the year Richardson became a solid 3-point shooter, as he nailed 38.4% of his threes. By the time his 4th season in 2004 came around, Redd was an All-Star and a consistent and efficient 20.0 PPG scorer. The players listed here may be relatively unknown, underappreciated, or underrated in terms of not making the elite lists of other football raters. As a member of the Indiana Pacers, O'Neal was a very gifted two-way big man. His scoring jumped from 12.9 PPG to 19.0 PPG, and he made his first All-Star Team in 2002 for the Pacers. His three years stretch from 2001-04 saw him average 22-6-2, make the All-Star team every year, and even get him a spot on the 2nd Team All-NBA squad. The most underrated scene in 'The Last Dance' was ___. Forgive and forget and put Jermaine ONeal in the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame. He made his mark from deep and, with an increase in playing time, averaged 11.4 points per game while shooting 44% from beyond the arc. Elton Brand was one of the most underrated players of the 2000s. Career Stats: 12.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG. Most Overrated NBA Players of All Time. This season encapsulates why Redd isnt any higher on this list. Answer (1 of 3): Dirk Nowitzki. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. Shaquille O'Neal. After taking 2 years to play overseas in Greece, Peja made his NBA debut in the 1998-99 season. Think about Dennis Johnson of the 1980sthe dude was a five-time All-Star and a Finals MVP. The Top 10 Most Underrated NBA Players Of The 2000s, Valentina Shevchenko doesnt lose a step just because she fought for a split decision: I really dont care what people say, UFC 285 start time, TV schedule for Jon Jones vs. Ciryl Gane, Texans divorce from QB Deshaun Watson could affect CJ Strouds court, Texans finish 32nd in Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings, Houston finishes No. And make it not as a lifetime achievement award or an injury replacement, but during what would be a 2nd Team All-NBA season? Doug Christie. Required fields are marked *. After two more seasons, he would win 6th Man of the Year with the Dallas Mavericks in 2004. Here are the 10 most underrated NBA players of the entire 2000s. Gary Trent Jr. is easily one of the most exciting and underrated players in the NBA today, starting with a Toronto Raptor and ending with one. All the most overrated players in the NBA will be featured here to choose from. While you probably wouldnt be able to get away with that nickname in the NBA today, it still earns him an easy placement on this list. Would the Clippers have been able to dispatch the Mavericks in the next round? Richardson was drafted by the Clippers and had his best season in 2004 with the team averaging 17.2 PPG. He finished his career averaging 5.5 three-point attempts per game in an era that was just startingto see the actual value of the deep ball. 7 min read. His best season came in 2003-04, Peja averaged a career-high 24.2 PPG on 48.0% shooting overall and 43.3% from three. In fact, I dont think I would have him on here if not for having the greatest NBA nickname of all time, Bad Porn.. A lethal gunner from range, Stokakoi was one of the first NBA players to bomb away from range who hit a high percentage of their shots. 4 pick in the 1998 draft, Jamison made the All-Rookie Team with the Warriors averaging 9.6 PPG and 6.4 RPG. Miller was as good as it gets running an NBA offense and he was one heck of a playmaker. In 2009, he earned the 2nd All-Star selection of his career when he averaged 17.7 PPG and helped lead Orlando to the NBA Finals. With the NBA season approaching fast, there are a few players who haven't gotten the credit they deserve. Yes, but just barely scratching this list. Roy was a special talent on offense confirmed by some of the greats such as Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant. Ilgauskas wasnt the strongest in the post but he made up for it with a beautiful 6to 8-foot jumper that he had a beautiful touch on and was nearly automatic. Thats not that tough. Designed by profootballspace. How many other players in NBA history have an argument for being both the best paint scorer and overall defender at the same time? When coming into the league, there were no expectations for Michael Redd having been the 43rd pick of the 2000 NBA Draft. The following season in 2002-03, he was one of the best seasons of the decade for ANY player. Creighton's the favorite, Jay Wright's no longer at Nova, and three more huge coaching changes set up a competitive chase in the Big East He would have a few more All-Star seasons with Indiana but after the 2004 brawl in Detroit, the damage had been done to his stance within the league. He was a two-way mastermind who had a knack for coming through in a games biggest moments that earned him the nickname Mr. At 34 years of age, Cassell had his best year averaging 19-3-7, helping the downtrodden Minnesota franchise propel itself to #1 in the Western Conference Standings. We dont even have to look at career averages or anything. Still, you dont hear much talk about the years the Clippers might have been the championship favorite. . During his time in the NBA, Rasheed Wallace received a bad reputation as its resident bad boy. Schrempf is often overlooked and considered one of the most underrated players in NBA history. Defensively he was excellent, making an NBA All-Defensive Team three times. Of course, we couldnt account for everyone who deserves to be on this list, but below are the most underrated NBA players of the early 2000s. Cleveland's superstar is regarded as one of the greatest offensive players in NBA history. 2023 profootballspace. ONeal is an excellent example of the circumstances most players on these lists go through during their careers. 1 seed Mavericks in 2007 but his career was so much more than one season. 1) Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks. Roy attempted a comeback in 2013 but lasted just 5 games before calling it quits for good. Mitch Richmond, Detlef Schrempf, and Vin Baker are among the underrated players from the '90s. Brandon Roy is one of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history and the little we did get to see of his career left us as NBA fans wanting so much more. Vancouver selected Abdur-Rahim third overall, and he immediately became the teams leading scorer. Redd was consistently criticized for his lack of a complete game but his scoring was by far the best part of his game. This happened because other great players such as Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O'Neal were the faces of the NBA and grabbed all the headlines all the time. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In 2002, ONeal won the NBAs Most Improved Player award by averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. 50 Most Underrated NBA Players of All Time. Championships: 0. Shareef could never take that next step up to consistent superstardom, and despite forming a talented trio alongside Glenn Robinson and Jason Terry, the Hawks never sniffed the playoffs. He was also a big reason the Cavaliers were able to make the 2007 NBA Finals, being LeBron James favorite option on offense. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); My name is Hayden, and I'm a digital marketing consultant. . Alex Novick, NBA.com Global Editions (): Quick, name the only player other than David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon to average at least two . He also made the All-Star Team and the All-NBA Third Team after a strong season with the Milwaukee Bucks. League championships: 0. Sure. Davis began his career as a member of the Charlotte Hornets. Six seasons into his career in 2005, Lewis earned his first All-Star selection and first 20.0 PPG season. Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics. Im Still Ballin. The 2000s were filled with incredible defenders, lights-out shooters, amazing ball handlers, solid secondary stars, and bench players who were elite at their jobs. For the first 12 seasons of his career, Miller was a consistent 15.0 to 17.0 PPG scorer but he really made his impact as a passer. 6. #6 of 290. Corey Maggette was one of the most consistent scorers during the 2000s. Milwaukee took Redd with the 43 rd overall pick and the former Buckeye would go on to play 11 years with the franchise. Throughout the NBA 's history, there have been many overlooked and underrated players. Due to a knee condition that basically deteriorated his knee cartilage as time went on, we were only able to experience 3 real years of his peak. Unfortunately, but very reasonably, he will also be remembered for one incident above any other when he choked his coach P.J Carlesimo.Sprewell was suspended from the NBA for an entire season after playing for the Golden State Warriors for 14 games. I have never seen a Finals MVP and a more impactful point guard be overlooked in NBA history more than Chauncey Billups. As one of the best big men in Clippers history, Brand had a superstar season in 2006 averaging 24.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 2.5 BPG. Magic Johnson. He was an empty-calories kind of player who put up stats on losing teams and couldnt carry a team to any relevancy. During his early days in Seattle, Lewis took a bit to develop into the shooter and scorer he went down as. Roy would begin to experience his downfall by 2011, just his 5th season in the league. And when you peak to the point, you can be compared to the greatest power forward of all time. Few players have taken the NBA by storm or altered the way teams play the game the way Curry has . Right off the bat, you can tell Rashard Lewis is highly underrated simply by his lack of accolades to his name. Jabbar was from the very beginning of his career being named the 1969-1970 rookie year, Abdul-Jabbar was a 5x MVP, 9x All-Star, 9x All-NBA, and 8x All-Defensive selection in the 1970s with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers; moreover, he averaged 28+ points, 14+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game and led the Bucks to their first NBA title, winning Finals MVP in . With talk of which NBA players are the most underrated right making the rounds on social media this week, we thought it would be a good time to come up with our own All-Underrated Team for the . Cameron Smith will be the first Players Championship winner since Tiger Woods in 2014 to not defend his title at the Players . Me and other NBA analysts and NBA content creators have said it before and we will keep on saying it, Robert Covington is the DEFINITION of the NBA 3&D player. O'Neal had a strong inside scoring game, was very active on the offensive boards, and was a capable shot-blocker. He tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee after playing just 33 games. Of course, this was never true with the likes of Shaquille ONeal and Tim Duncan hanging around, but the conversation wasnt an insane one to have. He was selected only behind guards Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd, which is the greatest single accomplishment in his career. We have seen a host of very talented yet underappreciated stars during the past 20 years. One year later, he joined the Phoenix Suns where he averaged 14.9 PPG on 35.8% shooting from three. Elton Brand led the way with 24-10 as the best player on a championship contender, the 2005-06 Clippers. Bibby had a handle and jump shot that was among the best in his time, and he had tremendous success with Chris Webber in Sacramento. By looking at individual statistics, team impact, and skills during their era; we have compiled a ranked list of the best stars who went underappreciated during their time. He could force his way into the paint like a running back hitting the hole in the NFL and either finish at the rim easily or find the open man for an easier opportunity. 5y. His most valuable skill? 10 James Lofton. He would average 20.0 PPG or more for the next 3 seasons and shot near or better than 40.0% from three during that time. He scored 57 that same season, breaking the Bucks single-game scoring record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Lewis retired with the Miami Heat in 2014, one year after adding an NBA championship to his already impressive resume. The 2000s were filled with incredible defenders, lights-out shooters, amazing ball handlers, solid secondary stars, and bench players who were elite at their jobs. Career Stats: 16.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG, Career Achievements: 2x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection. Lewis is considered one of the best second options ever for his time with both the Seattle SuperSonics next to Ray Allen and in Orlando with Dwight Howard. Bibby made the All-Rookie Team in 1999, averaging 13.2 PPG and 6.5 APG for the Vancouver Grizzlies. Mike Bibby is one of the most underrated basketball players of all time. re: Most Underrated NBA Players (Historically) Posted on 1/14/23 at 11:11 am to Gaggle. Richardson was a solid scorer throughout his career and was a very capable defender. Davis was an explosive point guard who was a blur on the floor in open space. DeMar DeRozan is having an incredible season. He won the Rookie of the Year award with the least games played in history to win the award. The Top 10 Most Underrated NBA Players Of The 1960s, The Top 10 Most Underrated NBA Players Of The 1970s, The Top 10 Most Underrated NBA Players Of The 1980s, The Top 10 Most Underrated NBA Players Of The 1990s, The Best NBA Player From Every Team In The 2010s. Career Stats: 13.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG. As the all-time and single-season leader in technical fouls, how could he not? He consistently made a significant impact early on with the Vancouver Grizzlies and was the leading point guard on some really good Sacramento Kings lineups in the early 2000s. He would lead the league in steals once more in 2007 with the Warriors with 2.1 SPG. Career Stats: 13.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG. Even with Minnesota, Cassell also owns a space in a potential worst trade of all time discussion, being moved, along with a first-round pick, from Minnesota in 2005 to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Marko Jaric and Lionel Chalmers. 1) Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Giannis and LeBron? The 2000s were a period in the NBA that featured the rise of some of the greatest players to ever play the game, including LeBron James , Kobe Bryant , Dwyane Wade , Kevin Garnett , Tim Duncan and . Billups finished his career a 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team selection, and a 3x All-Defensive Team selection. He would become an All-Star once more in 2005 averaging 16.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 2.1 BPG.
