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. Malcolm Brogdon might have the quietest 20/6/6 stat line in the NBA. Big East expert picks 2022-23: Bold predictions, most overrated and #6 of 290. One year later, he joined the Phoenix Suns where he averaged 14.9 PPG on 35.8% shooting from three. Billups name never comes up in Top 20 conversations as far as point guards go, let alone Top 10 lists. The play at power forward saw him have a couple of All-Star seasons. Landers mens soccer closes out the season with a penalty-kick loss to Florida Tech. Davis was an explosive point guard who was a blur on the floor in open space. On offense, he was a great spot-up shooter and that's why he is mainly known for being a shooter during the Steve Nash era in Phoenix. Your email address will not be published. He would improve his scoring over the next few seasons, boosting his scoring to a career-high 23.2 PPG during the 2006 season. 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. Milwaukee took Redd with the 43 rd overall pick and the former Buckeye would go on to play 11 years with the franchise. 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. Tim Duncan: Most underrated athlete in sports history? This season encapsulates why Redd isnt any higher on this list. Iverson took the fourth most shots per game in NBA history and is the worst-shooting volume chucker in the modern NBA. He would average a double-double over the next 4 seasons, and by his third season, he was a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. Here is our list of 12 of the most underrated players in the NBA today. 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. 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. The following season it came to fruition as Billups not only led the Pistons to a title but won Finals MVP in the process. Just 3 seasons later, he would become a 20.0 PPG scorer and an automatic 40.0% shooter from deep. In his best season in 2005/06 with Sacramento, Bibby helped the team make the playoffs, which is . I say yes. Designed by profootballspace. Forgive and forget and put Jermaine ONeal in the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame. The Most UNDERRATED NBA Players Of The 2000s.. - YouTube That needs to begin to change after you read this piece. 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. 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 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. As of early May, James and . You must be a great player to fit into a team named The Greatest Show on Court. He helped the Kings lead the league in wins in 2001-02, and while he didnt average too many pointsending his career with averages of 11-4-3he made his mark on defense. Maybe. #NBA #NBATwitter #BYL #NBAPicks #Goats #Underrated. He scored 57 that same season, breaking the Bucks single-game scoring record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Besides the obvious suspension from the Malice incident, Jermaine didnt reach a higher level because of a lack of real playoff success and a subpar field goal percentage for a big man. He would lead the league in steals once more in 2007 with the Warriors with 2.1 SPG. Elton is perfect for this list. Top underrated NBA players of the late 1990s-early 2000s These players tend to make their presence felt different than your average superstar, whether . Redd shot a career 38.0% from three and his 6 straight years of scoring prowess rank him 3rd on this list. 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 . Forgive and forget and put Jermaine ONeal in the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame. 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. As a result, a number of quality players had their careers pass without ever getting exposure on the highest level. He epitomized, you dont know what youve got till its gone.. 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. 5. When coming into the league, there were no expectations for Michael Redd having been the 43rd pick of the 2000 NBA Draft. Magic Johnson. Jason Terry: 1066.71 TPA. He was so fast with his first step off of the dribble and even faster once he got headed toward the basket. He was a menace on the defensive side of the ball as well, never shying away from a tough matchup or assignments. Even though he never made an All-Star Team, Bibby certainly played like one and he was a major reason the Kings were a problem in the West. Career Stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 4.0 APG on 45.6% shooting in just 57 games. 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. I will say it here and now. 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. He is an NBA History buff that details the game from the 1960s all the way up to today. Elton deserves this spot. Corey Maggette was one of the most consistent scorers during the 2000s. 1 seed Mavericks in 2007 but his career was so much more than one season. By signing up, you agree to the our terms and our Privacy Policy agreement. Richardson was drafted by the Clippers and had his best season in 2004 with the team averaging 17.2 PPG. Basketball Time Machine And . Out of all the players on this list, O'Neal was the most talented big man and also one of the most underrated players during his time. Michael Redd is another interesting 2000s player. The Best Athletes Of All Time. A look at those who were ranked too high and too low in the preseason Coaches Poll released Tuesday His three hasn't been falling . While Redd played amazingly, the team finished the season with a horrible record28-54. Expectations are high for every player in the league, and the overrated label . Top 10 NBA Players of the 1970s - The Grueling Truth Elton Brand led the way with 24-10 as the best player on a championship contender, the 2005-06 Clippers. ESPN.com - Page2 - The List: Underrated teams We present our all-time underrated teams, those great teams which don't receive their proper respect in the historical archive. 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. His only other individual awards were a 2004 All-Star selection after averaging 16-8-3 with 2 steals and 3 blocks. Since the Trail Blazers drafted him in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft . 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. He also has a rare 83-game season under his belt after being traded from Phoenix to Dallas early in his career. 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. I have never seen a Finals MVP and a more impactful point guard be overlooked in NBA history more than Chauncey Billups. 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. Ilgauskas struggled with injury the first few seasons of his career, missing his rookie season and 4th season with foot issues. In 2002, ONeal won the NBAs Most Improved Player award by averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. 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. With his accurate 3-point shot and ability to pass the ball effectively, Stojakovidc would be a nightmare for defenses in todays game. Here were some of . Right off the bat, you can tell Rashard Lewis is highly underrated simply by his lack of accolades to his name. 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. Miller also had an All-Star season with the Pacers in 2003 where he averaged 13.1 PPG and 8.3 RPG. He was an empty-calories kind of player who put up stats on losing teams and couldnt carry a team to any relevancy. You have the heartbreaking series between the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2002 Western Conference Finals series. From there, he developed his offensive game and defensively got more aggressive. A small core of teams dominated the league in that era. For those of us that remember ONeal at his peak, we remember an undersized two-way beast for the Indiana Pacers who helped them nearly capture a championship in his heyday. Were discussing the most underrated NBA players of the 2000s.