Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thats why hes the first name on this list. Today, we honor the stars whose legacies have become underappreciated as time has gone on and we get further and further away from their playing days. During his time in the NBA, Rasheed Wallace received a bad reputation as its resident bad boy. Neither made an impact, with Lionel Chalmers never playing another NBA game. You have the heartbreaking series between the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference Finals series. Not related to Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal was one of the best big men in the NBA during his time. Elton Brand was one of the most underrated players of the 2000s. Forget the role in the fight. Roy was a special talent on offense confirmed by some of the greats such as Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant. Before this career year, Cassell bounced around as a competent floor general, never finding a true home with a team and playing for eight franchises over a nineteen-year career. During his early days in Seattle, Lewis took a bit to develop into the shooter and scorer he went down as. He won the Rookie of the Year award with the least games played in history to win the award. A look at those who were ranked too high and too low in the preseason Coaches Poll released Tuesday He could put the ball on the floor and get by defenders relatively easily and it made him a true three-level threat. Still, you dont hear much talk about the years the Clippers might have been the championship favorite. He spent 3 seasons with the team and helped them transition to the City of New Orleans. Well, that counts for something, right? Expectations are high for every player in the league, and the overrated label . James Harden is the only player in NBA history with 21-game . Zum ndern Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellung, z.B. He made 3 straight All-Star games from 2002 through 2004 and averaged 21.7 PPG on 48.1% shooting over that time. Philadelphia 76ers Premier League UFC Television The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Playing position: Striker. Designed by profootballspace. Redd blossomed as a scorer in his 4th season, averaging 21.7 PPG on 35.0% shooting from three. ONeal is an excellent example of the circumstances most players on these lists go through during their careers. Billups finished his career a 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team selection, and a 3x All-Defensive Team selection. They say the best ability is availability, and Finley did just that. I say yes. Ronald Koeman - Barcelona. Redd was also a member of the 2008 U.S. mens Olympic basketball team that won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. The man consistently dropped games in which he earned anywhere from 30-50 points in 2021 and 2022. #513 of 1,316. At his peak, he became one of the most prolific scorers in the league and ignited the spirit of the game back in the City Of Milwaukee. Roy attempted a comeback in 2013 but lasted just 5 games before calling it quits for good. After being traded to the Sacramento Kings at the end of the 2000 season, he formed a potent shooting perimeter alongside Peja Stojakovi. His best seasons come while playing for teams that arent popular or mainstream. 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. How many other players in NBA history have an argument for being both the best paint scorer and overall defender at the same time? 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. 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. Portland athletes have been underrated for a long time, sometimes due to geography, but also because of the early 2000s, which saw casual fans turned away from the NBA team after the ill-fated "Jail Blazers" era that was marred by a string of player arrests, untimely technical fouls, and disastrous playoff meltdowns. He led the league in minutes played for three seasons of his career. The play at power forward saw him have a couple of All-Star seasons. His presence on the early 2000s Kings teams was a perfect fit that put them over the top as a contender at the time. Sure. Cassell would then lead the way to another franchise turnaround, bringing the Clippersthat featured two players on this listto their then-most successful season in franchise history. The following season in 2002-03, he was one of the best seasons of the decade for ANY player. Maggette had his best seasons during the 2004, 2005, and 2008 seasons. Injury replacements, lifetime achievement awards, and many players that might not entirely deserve it. Throughout the NBA 's history, there have been many overlooked and underrated players. In an era littered with talented point guards, Baron Davis was among the most exciting to watch play. 20. Latrell Sprewell was a great player. At his peak, he became one of the most prolific scorers in the league and ignited the spirit of the game back in the City Of Milwaukee. Elton Brand was a special big man on offense and on the boards, and he was one of the most underappreciated players during his time. He could put the ball on the floor and get by defenders relatively easily and it made him a true three-level threat. Ron Artest, Metta World Peace, or his now legal name Metta Sandiford-Artest may surprise some on this list. Cameron Smith will be the first Players Championship winner since Tiger Woods in 2014 to not defend his title at the Players . Finley was a no-nonsense small forward that was the perfect complement beside Dirk Nowitzki, had multiple seasons averaging above 20-5-5 per game, and capped his career off with a championship on the 2007 San Antonio Spurs. For some reason, as time has gone on, fans refer to Zydrunas Ilgauskas as one of those garbage players that LeBron James dragged to the NBA Finals early in his career. 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. He scored 57 that same season, breaking the Bucks single-game scoring record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Even some players who did make it onto that stage, like Rashard Lewis and Richard Hamilton, arent remembered as reverently as they should be. Davis can be credited with sparking the We Believe Warriors to an upset win over the No. 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 . Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics. Due to the emergence of other superstars like Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, LeBron James, and Tracy McGrady, many other solid players who had massive success in the decade have flown under the radar as time has gone on. Here were some of . However, when we look at this year, we can see that it was Rons best statistical start to an NBA season. The NBA has done an unfortunately great job of sweeping Jermaine ONeals career under the rug after his role in the infamous Malice At The Palace. DeMar DeRozan is having an incredible season. But the sheer fact that Clipper Contenderswas uttered during the 2005-06 playoffs firmly earns Elton a spot on this list. The 2000s was an awe-inspiring time to grow up as an NBA fan and witness these real-life superheroes hit the court every single night. With over a decade of writing articles for sports sites, Eddie Bitar has a unique writing voice that shines through in the latest collection of NBA-related content that captures trade rumors, power rankings, and team news. Was he better than he is remembered? It is borderline insanity that Miller was never even honored with an All-Star selection and for that, he is the 3rd most underrated player of the 200s decade. 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. For the first few seasons of his career, Jermaine ONeal struggled to find a role with the Portland Trail Blazers. During his 3rd season in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miller led the NBA in assists with 10.9 APG to go with 16.5 PPG and 1.6 SPG. Still, ONeal was a franchise centerpiece to a team that consistently made the postseason, so he deserves his spot on this list. 8. Basketball Time Machine He also set the record for most three-pointers made in a single quarter, with eight, before being overtaken when Klay Thompson made nine. Many superstars surfaced at this time but perhaps none bigger than Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers who led them to 3 straight titles at the beginning of the decade. It's tough to argue with a top five like that, but Acho brought up several great points while making a case for the former San . The Best Athletes Of All Time. Date of birth: February 1, 1969. In fact, I dont think I would have him on here if not for having the greatest NBA nickname of all time, Bad Porn.. 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. DeRozan may be cementing his status as the best player in franchise history in front of our eyes, but say he belongs in the MVP conversation and most NBA fans will laugh at you. He had a ton of athleticism and scoring prowess in his 6'6" frame, and played the majority of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers. His only season above 50% from the floor was with the 2009-10 Miami Heat, which isnt anything to write home about for a 611 power forward. In every season in which he started over 60 games for one of his 9 NBA teams, he earned at least 6.0 APG. Bottom Line: Otis Thorpe. I have never seen a Finals MVP and a more impactful point guard be overlooked in NBA history more than Chauncey Billups. If the season ended today, he'd be second in the NBA in fantasy points per game, but few think of him . He is an NBA History buff that details the game from the 1960s all the way up to today. That could not be further from the truth as Ilgauskas was a solid two-way big man who helped LeBron James adapt to the NBA. Elton Brand led the way with 24-10 as the best player on a championship contender, the 2005-06 Clippers. Billups name never comes up in Top 20 conversations as far as point guards go, let alone Top 10 lists. He had three All-NBA team selections, two thirds, and a second cap off his individual awards. BYL's Most Underrated NBA Players of the 2000's Follow BYL and comment who we missed out on Who's the Most Underrated?? Some players on this list, like Mehmet Okur and Doug Christie, are, sadly, likely unknown to the young NBA fans of today. Yes, but just barely scratching this list. 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 has been married to Clarenda Harris since September 12, 2006. Richardson was drafted by the Clippers and had his best season in 2004 with the team averaging 17.2 PPG. He would have 5 more dominant scoring seasons for Milwaukee by averaging 23.0 PPG, 25.4 PPG, 26.7 PPG, 22.7 PPG, and 21.2 PPG. Elton averaged 30-10-4 with 3 blocks per game that series. While Redd played amazingly, the team finished the season with a horrible record28-54. In fact, Kirilenko was born in Izhevsk, where the weapon was first manufactured. Oh, and Google his insane back tattoo. When coming into the league, there were no expectations for Michael Redd having been the 43rd pick of the 2000 NBA Draft. Looking at the 2000s specifically, many All-Star caliber players did not get the recognition they deserved. Drafted with the No. Milwaukee took Redd with the 43rd overall pick and the former Buckeye would go on to play 11 years with the franchise. 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As the No. By the time his 4th season in 2004 came around, Redd was an All-Star and a consistent and efficient 20.0 PPG scorer. #6 of 290. And . 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. Last time I did this series, 2 years ago, I had him as the most underrated SF in the league. His only other individual awards were a 2004 All-Star selection after averaging 16-8-3 with 2 steals and 3 blocks. He finished 3rd in MVP voting and was arguably the best two-way player in basketball. Press Esc to cancel. He would improve his scoring over the next few seasons, boosting his scoring to a career-high 23.2 PPG during the 2006 season. Again, ONeal might be remembered more for his last season with Golden State, just before the team ascended into the perennial dynasty. 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. Lewis retired with the Miami Heat in 2014, one year after adding an NBA championship to his already impressive resume. And when it comes to the 2000s, well, there are plenty of guys who deserved more love. The Most-Underrated NBA Players of All-Time. When coming into the league, there were no expectations for Michael Redd having been the 43rd pick of the 2000 NBA Draft. Required fields are marked *. He would lead the league in steals once more in 2007 with the Warriors with 2.1 SPG. 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. We started the decade with Lakers championships and ended with Lakers championships, and yet you can rightfully argue that Tim Duncan was the most important player of the ten years. Brand's best year came in 2006 as an MVP candidate averaging 24.7 points and 10 rebounds while leading the Los Angeles Clippers back into the playoffs. 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. Sports Mania Asia lists five underrated NBA players between the late 1990s and early 2000s. Career Stats: 19.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG. Still, with his peak year coinciding with his healthiesthe appeared in 78 gameshe led the Utah Jazz in total points, points per game, total rebounds, rebounds per game, blocks, blocks per game, steals, steals per game, free throws made, free throws attempted, three pointers made, and three-pointers attempted. Lewis was one of the NBAs top shooters for years with 8 seasons ranked in the Top 20 for 3-pointers made. Career highlights and awards * NBA champion (2011) * NBA Finals MVP (2011) * NBA Most Valuable Player (2007) * 14 NBA All-Star (2002-2012, 2014, 2015, 2019) * 4 All-NBA First Team (2005-2007, 2009) * 5 All-NBA Second Team (2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011) . For the first few seasons of his NBA career, Billups bounced around until he found a home with the Detroit Pistons in 2003. Career Achievements: 1x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection. 18 pick in the 2020 draft, there were high hopes for Richardson's career. He led the league in steals in 2004 with 2.4 SPG. He was an entertaining player, scorer, and consistent all-star-level talent in the 90s. These are the most overrated players in NBA history. Photo: Paul Popper. That needs to begin to change after you read this piece. Here is a look at the most underrated soccer players of all time. Mike Bibby is one of the most underrated basketball players of all time. The following season it came to fruition as Billups not only led the Pistons to a title but won Finals MVP in the process. The most underrated player in fantasy basketball this season has to be Gilgeous-Alexander. Players like Russell Westbrook, John Wall, and Kyle Kuzma each get the overrated label due to playoff failures, huge contracts, or just being talked up more than their games can back up. To narrow down the list to 10 underrated players in the whole decade is about as tough as it gets. Here are the teams, odds and spread for Super Bowl 57 matchup, Super Bowl 2023 predictions and picks for each round of the NFL playoffs. During his early days in Seattle, Lewis took a bit to develop into the shooter and scorer he went down as. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. 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. He could rebound the ball well at 610 tall and his passing and court vision were a perfect recipe for success with how much those Kings teams liked to run. He was so fast with his first step off of the dribble and even faster once he got headed toward the basket. For years now, Jrue Holiday has been widely regarded as the most underrated player in NBA. He averaged 20.1 PPG and 10.0 RPG in his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, making the All-Rookie Team. www.basketball-timemachine.com. 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. 1 of 25. He was also a big reason the Cavaliers were able to make the 2007 NBA Finals, being LeBron James favorite option on offense. Davis recorded 3 different seasons with at least 20.0 PPG and 2.0 SPG as one of the more dynamic point guards in basketball. 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. Basketball is one of the most loved sports worldwide. 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. During his All-Star seasons with Portland, Wallace was a double-digit scorer and rebounder while being a force to be reckoned with on defense. Roy would be named an All-Star the following 3 seasons and averaged 21.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 5.2 APG, and 1.1 SPG over that time. People are bound to take notice of him soon after his impressive season with the Raptors. He averaged 24-6-3 on a Pacers team that was seen as among the top teams in the NBA and potentially a future NBA champion. He would lead the league in steals once more in 2007 with the Warriors with 2.1 SPG. LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers. A 2000 trade to the Pacers changed everything and almost immediately transformed O'Neal into an MVP candidate. Think about Dennis Johnson of the 1980sthe dude was a five-time All-Star and a Finals MVP.