5y. The Golden Age of Point Guards - Medium He helped lead the Magic to a Finals berth in 2009 by being a versatile scorer next to the dominant Howard. The top 25 NBA duos of all time | Yardbarker 19. Redd shot a career 38.0% from three and his 6 straight years of scoring prowess rank him 3rd on this list. Erteilung oder Widerruf von Einwilligungen, klicken Sie hier: Westbrook vs. KD beef Are They Cool Now? Drafted with the No. Andrei Kirilenko was a prototype of what the modern-day NBA landscape now values above all else; versatility. He epitomized, you dont know what youve got till its gone.. From2004 through 2009, Redd battled injuries and bumps but still averaged at least 21.0 PPG every season. That season he averaged 16.2 PPG and it was clear that the Pistons had their championship point guard. Roy attempted a comeback in 2013 but lasted just 5 games before calling it quits for good. 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 . His most valuable skill? That needs to begin to change after you read this piece. Most Overrated NBA Players of All Time | Stadium Talk Roy would begin to experience his downfall by 2011, just his 5th season in the league. Arguably the coolest aspect of Kirinlenkoss career is his nickname, AK-47, referencing his Russian heritage and jersey number. Elton is perfect for this list. 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. Big Shot. 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. This honestly swayed an NBA championship, costing the Minnesota Timberwolves in their series against the Lakers, in which they were the better team. Big Shot. Neither made an impact, with Lionel Chalmers never playing another NBA game. He could dominate the game on both sides from the low block, he possessed a turnaround jumper that was as unblockable as DIrks fadeaway, and he was a defensive nightmare for opponents nightly. Despite having the aura of a rugged workhorse, Kirilenko struggled with durability, usually finishing NBA seasons between 60-70 games played. What NBA players have been the most underrated since the year 2000 This reputation caused many to forget just how imp[actful Wallace was on the basketball court. Unfortunately for Christie, what should have been a fruitful career as a spot-up shooter quickly ended due to a litany of injuries. We need to focus on exactly one year of Eltons career that solidifies his place on this list without a thought. 1969-1971 . Fans have a tendency to overlook certain players, and that effect is amplified as years and decades pass. He averaged 21.2 points a game that season and would never be the same. 20. 15 Most Underrated NBA Players Right Now - (2022-23 Updates) 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. But how many of those players make their first all-star team at 34 years old? Career Stats: 15.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Career Achievements: 1x Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team Selection, 3x All-Defensive Team Selection. 25. He made 3 straight All-Star games from 2002 through 2004 and averaged 21.7 PPG on 48.1% shooting over that time. He began a stretch of six straight seasons in which he averaged at least 21 points a game. Aaron Mansfield, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Merrimack College. He could put the ball on the floor and get by defenders relatively easily and it made him a true three-level threat. Well focus primarily on his most impactful seasons, from 2001-2004. 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. But today, we arent talking about Tim, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille ONeal, or Dwyane Wade. 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. Bottom Line: Otis Thorpe. Throughout the NBA 's history, there have been many overlooked and underrated players. Roy was destined to be a star from his first season in the NBA. Even Basketball-Reference.com doesnt give the man a prayer. 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. Ilgauskas deserves so much more respect than modern-day fans give him. Your email address will not be published. Tim Duncan: Most underrated athlete in sports history? He was an empty-calories kind of player who put up stats on losing teams and couldnt carry a team to any relevancy. Was he good enough that its a travesty that his name isnt among the great scorers in the history of the NBA? I will say it here and now. Landers mens soccer closes out the season with a penalty-kick loss to Florida Tech. Vancouver selected Abdur-Rahim third overall, and he immediately became the teams leading scorer. Career Stats: 19.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG. 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. 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. This is the plight of DeMar DeRozanhes criminally underrated, and probably will be for his entire career. Shaq and Chuck don't have the defense, although O'Neal did finish 3rd in the 2000 DPOY. Top 5 Best NBA Point Guards Since 2000 - The Sports Drop Redd was consistently criticized for his lack of a complete game but his scoring was by far the best part of his game. BYL's Most Underrated NBA Players of the 2000's Follow BYL and comment who we missed out on Who's the Most Underrated?? Ilgauskas struggled with injury the first few seasons of his career, missing his rookie season and 4th season with foot issues. 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. Who is fantasy basketball's most underrated player? Here are the 10 most underrated stars during the 2000s. During his early days in Seattle, Lewis took a bit to develop into the shooter and scorer he went down as. While Redd played amazingly, the team finished the season with a horrible record28-54. He was a menace on the defensive side of the ball as well, never shying away from a tough matchup or assignments. He had a smooth lefty jumper that was as good as anyones in the game when he was on point. 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. You would have expected Peja to become a lethal off-the-bench shooter, but from 2008 until he retired, he never seemed to get more than 60 games played. Career Stats: 13.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.7 BPG, Career Achievements: 1x Most Improved Player, 6x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team Selection. 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. The Best NBA Players Of The 2000s - Ranker In every season in which he started over 60 games for one of his 9 NBA teams, he earned at least 6.0 APG. One year later, he joined the Phoenix Suns where he averaged 14.9 PPG on 35.8% shooting from three. The 11 Most Underrated NBA Players of the 2010s | Ventured 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 . 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. Now, I could go up to as many as 25 maybe 30 players that are forgotten stars from the 2000's but i'm only going to focus on 12, enjoy. When coming into the league, there were no expectations for Michael Redd having been the 43rd pick of the 2000 NBA Draft. Career Stats: 12.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG. His stint with the Kings started in 2002 where he averaged 17.6 PPG and 5.4 APG over 7 seasons with the franchise. For the first few seasons of his NBA career, Billups bounced around until he found a home with the Detroit Pistons in 2003. Scotty Bags. During his early days in Seattle, Lewis took a bit to develop into the shooter and scorer he went down as. His scoring jumped from 12.9 PPG to 19.0 PPG, and he made his first All-Star Team in 2002 for the Pacers. For his career, Redd shot 38.0% from three and 44.7% overall. Maybe. Cleveland's superstar is regarded as one of the greatest offensive players in NBA history. His mid-range game and three-ball were impeccable as well. Top 5 most underrated NBA players in history This reputation caused many to forget just how imp[actful Wallace was on the basketball court. 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. 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. Career Stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG. Image via Complex Original. Ilgauskas deserves so much more respect than modern-day fans give him. The Most UNDERRATED NBA Players Of The 2000s.. - YouTube Roy was impossible to keep up with in isolation. He won the Rookie of the Year award with the least games played in history to win the award. Including averaging 10 attempts at the line per game when he averaged 22 points per game in his 2004-05 season. 5. Thats not that tough. He was selected only behind guards Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd, which is the greatest single accomplishment in his career. Wallace helped to revolutionize the power forward position forever with his ability to spread the floor and shoot the ball He could play any role that a team needed him to. We dont even have to look at career averages or anything. The Most Underrated NBA Players Of The 90s - Hoop Maestro 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. Still, ONeal was a franchise centerpiece to a team that consistently made the postseason, so he deserves his spot on this list. As the all-time and single-season leader in technical fouls, how could he not? Forget the role in the fight. My point is that after further analysis, it becomes apparent that the top five point guards, right now . The players listed here may be relatively unknown, underappreciated, or underrated in terms of not making the elite lists of other football raters. Not related to Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal was one of the best big men in the NBA during his time. Davis can be credited with sparking the We Believe Warriors to an upset win over the No. Miller would go on to play 5 more seasons with Sacramento. Championships: 0. He would be forced to retire from the game at 27 years old. In the Finals against the Lakers, Billups averaged 21.0 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 3.2 RPG in the 5-game series to win the championship. Not only did he start playing precisely at the starting point of the decade after being selected 1st overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1999 draft, but he proceeded to be one of the most under-the-radar players during his career. 17.9 points, 2.9 RPG, and 1.9 APG. O'Neal had a very slow start to his career, before blossoming into an All-Star in his 6th season. He averaged a career-high of 26.7 points a game during the 2006-07 season. Most Underrated NBA Players (Historically) | Page 3 | More Sports Over time, Kidd improved as a shooter and scorer, so by the year 2000, he was arguably the most well-rounded point guard in the NBA. Mehmet Okur - Career Stats : 13.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.7 apg - Best season (2005-06) : 18.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.4 apg - Achievements : NBA Champion (2004), NBA All-Star (2007) - Best years were with the Jazz 12 Forgotten/Underrated Players of the 2000's | Hardwood Amino The draw of Finley was his consistency and availability. He scored 57 that same season, breaking the Bucks single-game scoring record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 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. 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. But when we focus on his game, we can see that he was overlooked for his talent, with many casual fans not understanding that at points in the 2000s, Ron Artest was seen as one of the top NBA players in the league. The top 10 players in the NBA according to ISH posters in August of 2000 2023 profootballspace. And when it comes to the 2000s, well, there are plenty of guys who deserved more love. Drafted with the No. He could dominate the game on both sides from the low block, he possessed a turnaround jumper that was as unblockable as DIrks fadeaway, and he was a defensive nightmare for opponents nightly. Last time I did this series, 2 years ago, I had him as the most underrated SF in the league. 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. The play at power forward saw him have a couple of All-Star seasons. Just 3 seasons later, he would become a 20.0 PPG scorer and an automatic 40.0% shooter from deep. He was also a big reason the Cavaliers were able to make the 2007 NBA Finals, being LeBron James favorite option on offense. At his peak, he had an argument for the best big man in basketball at a time when Tim Duncan and Shaq were still in the league. 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. 10. Billups name never comes up in Top 20 conversations as far as point guards go, let alone Top 10 lists. 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. I have never seen a Finals MVP and a more impactful point guard be overlooked in NBA history more than Chauncey Billups. Thread Tools. The Rise of Paul George Can he bring a championship to LA. 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 . www.basketball-timemachine.com. Ronald Koeman of the Netherlands lines up before the UEFA Euro 88 Group 2 match between England and the Netherlands at the Rheinstadion on June 15, 1988 in Dsseldorf, West Germany. Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports, Career Stats: 18.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Career Achievements: 1x Rookie of the Year, 3x All-Star, 2x All-NBA Team Selection. Lewis was one of the NBAs top shooters for years with 8 seasons ranked in the Top 20 for 3-pointers made. Nick Mac is an NBA Writer with over 5 years of experience in journalism. Elton Brand led the way with 24-10 as the best player on a championship contender, the 2005-06 Clippers. Thats right; were talking top player in the league status. Just 3 seasons later, he would become a 20.0 PPG scorer and an automatic 40.0% shooter from deep. Obviously, we have to mention the Malice at the Palace incident that saw him miss the entirety of the 2004-05 season with Indiana. Jackson's role in the Warriors upset over the #1 seed Dallas Mavericks will forever be remembered. Forgive and forget and put Jermaine ONeal in the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame. Top 13 NBA Stars From the 90s (And 12 From the 2000s - TheSportster He was a two-way mastermind who had a knack for coming through in a games biggest moments that earned him the nickname Mr. That should be considered common sense considering NBA players peak from 25-30 years old. In 2002, ONeal won the NBAs Most Improved Player award by averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. By the time his 4th season in 2004 came around, Redd was an All-Star and a consistent and efficient 20.0 PPG scorer. He became the first Russian player selected in the first round and made the all-rookie team in his first year. With the trade of superstar Ray Allen, the Bucks fell off as one of the NBAs top teams, but the leading role was filled by Redd, who went on to average 21.7 points en route to his only All-Star appearance. Milwaukee took Redd with the 43 rd overall pick and the former Buckeye would go on to play 11 years with the franchise. . Some players on this list, like Mehmet Okur and Doug Christie, are, sadly, likely unknown to the young NBA fans of today. And when you peak to the point, you can be compared to the greatest power forward of all time. In the 2000 NBA draft, the Milwaukee Bucks got lucky when Ohio States Michael Redd fell all the way into the second round. The Most UNDERRATED NBA Players Of The 2000s..Welcome back to Sports Savvy. He was so fast with his first step off of the dribble and even faster once he got headed toward the basket. One of the most valuable roleplayers in the early part of the decade, Doug Christie, was a deadeye shooter that brought it at an all-defensive level on the other end. He was the first NBA player to bring in the big balls dance celebration, injuring his groin. Redd blossomed as a scorer in his 4th season, averaging 21.7 PPG on 35.0% shooting from three. 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. 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. 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. The most underrated scene was ___. The iPad clip I would like to hand Yet, not all players who saw action at the NBA, the biggest basketball league in the world, are well-known Not all basketball players are well known, Sports Mania Asia lists the top five most underrated NBA players from the late 1990s to 2000s. He ended his career with a well-deserved championship with the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. 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. Career Stats: 18.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG. Career Stats: 17.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Career Achievements: 3x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection. In his next season, he averaged 22 points per game to go with 7 rebounds. O'Neal would average a double-double over the next 2 seasons in Indiana, and make 5 straight All-Star Teams. He drove, he shot, and he played a little selfishly. Roy attempted a comeback in 2013 but lasted just 5 games before calling it quits for good. 50 Most Underrated NBA Players in History - Bleacher Report By 2003, Ilgauskas was an All-Star and averaged 17.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG while adding 1.9 BPG. After two more seasons, he would win 6th Man of the Year with the Dallas Mavericks in 2004. He was so fast with his first step off of the dribble and even faster once he got headed toward the basket. With the impressive season he just had with the Raptors, people are bound to take notice soon. He also made the All-Star Team and the All-NBA Third Team after a strong season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Forgive and forget and put Jermaine ONeal in the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame. The assessment was based on how players performed during this decade and this decade ONLY (2000-2009). Mitch Richmond is one of the most electric yet underrated players of the 90s. Michael Redd is another interesting 2000s player. . #6 of 290. James demonstrated this when he surpassed Patrick Ewing for 20th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Richmond scored the 4th-most total points for the entire decade of the 90s , mainly with the Warriors and Kings. After being traded to the Sacramento Kings at the end of the 2000 season, he formed a potent shooting perimeter alongside Peja Stojakovi. 3. Forget the role in the fight. In the Finals against the Lakers, Billups averaged 21.0 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 3.2 RPG in the 5-game series to win the championship. Press Esc to cancel. Were discussing the most underrated NBA players of the 2000s. Required fields are marked *. Defensive teamsala the Championship Detroit Pistonsthat dominated to the point the NBA had to change the rules to speed up the game, which helped a dopey-haired small, white Canadian point guard pick up back-to-back MVPs. 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. He spent 3 seasons with the team and helped them transition to the City of New Orleans. With his accurate 3-point shot and ability to pass the ball effectively, Stojakovidc would be a nightmare for defenses in todays game. Iverson took the fourth most shots per game in NBA history and is the worst-shooting volume chucker in the modern NBA. He picked up three Second Team All-Defenses and one First Team All-Defense. For some reason, ONeal was vilified relentlessly for his role in the brawl and his reputation has taken years to recover. Of course, there was Tim Duncan and the Spurs who captured 3 championships of their own in the 2000s after winning one in 1999 the year after MJ left the NBA. In fact, Kirilenko was born in Izhevsk, where the weapon was first manufactured. 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. Top 20 Most Underrated NFL Players of All Time | TheRichest 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. Lewis was one of the NBAs top shooters for years with 8 seasons ranked in the Top 20 for 3-pointers made. In every season in which he started over 60 games for one of his 9 NBA teams, he earned at least 6.0 APG. In a season sandwiched between two non-playoff years, Elton Brand and the Clippers lost in seven games to the Phoenix Suns. Oh, and Google his insane back tattoo. O'Neal's strongest season came in 2005 by averaging 24.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.0 BPG. 32 in Touchdown Wire list, Big Ten 2023 Football Power Rankings Too Soon, ASU Footballs Kenny Dillingham hopes QB room structure will push players, Oregon Football Recruitment: Nyckoles Harbor and Ducks Update, Big 12 Conference Tees 2023 Schedule Release, Know the Foe: Virginia Tech Footballs 2023 Away Opponents, Denver Broncos meet again with Michigan Footballs Jim Harbaugh. Nets vs. Knicks: Start time, where to watch, what's the latest 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. Since the Trail Blazers drafted him in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft . The Top 10 Most Underrated NBA Players Of The 2000s 10. As a member of the Indiana Pacers, O'Neal was a very gifted two-way big man. 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. The Top NBA Players Of All Time. That season he averaged 16.2 PPG and it was clear that the Pistons had their championship point guard. Wallace helped to revolutionize the power forward position forever with his ability to spread the floor and shoot the ball He could play any role that a team needed him to. 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. The 14 Most Underrated NBA Players - yahoo.com With only one more high-scoring season under his belt, 22.7 points per game, Redd would suffer a torn ACL and MCL injury that would significantly impact the rest of his career. Mainly known for his part with the Washington Wizards Big Three including Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, Jamison was a consistent scoring star in the NBA. 5 pick in the 2001 draft, Richardson was expected to be one of the most impactful shooting guards in the NBA and he was certainly underappreciated in his time. He averaged 22.8 PPG and led the league with 17.5 RPG, and 3.0 BPG. Who are the 25 Most Charitable Athletes in the World? 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 would become an All-Star once more in 2005 averaging 16.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 2.1 BPG. 1. Your email address will not be published. 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. This season encapsulates why Redd isnt any higher on this list. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. 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. Roy was destined to be a star from his first season in the NBA. Career Stats: 19.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Career Achievements: 1x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection.