{"id":19328,"date":"2019-03-05T11:58:56","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T16:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnba.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=19328"},"modified":"2021-12-29T22:53:36","modified_gmt":"2021-12-30T03:53:36","slug":"the-5-most-underrated-and-overrated-players-in-the-nba-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2019\/03\/05\/the-5-most-underrated-and-overrated-players-in-the-nba-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5 Most Underrated and Overrated Players in the NBA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Consistently the NBA fans are talking about who is overrated or underrated. The obvious choices being draft picks not living up to the hype or a superstar not delivering for a few games. Sometimes, these players make a big impact for their team–look at\u00a0Derrick Rose<\/strong><\/a>. He is playing above expectations, but no one would consider him underrated. Rose won an MVP in 2011 and has since battled injuries in less than stellar years. This is a resurgence, not above par for him. The other players in the league that have realistic expectations to fill can earn the tags of underrated or overrated, here\u2019s a look at five of each.<\/p>\n

The 5 Most Underrated and Overrated Players in the NBA<\/strong><\/h1>\n

The 5 Most Overrated Players<\/strong><\/h2>\n

5. Andrew Wiggins<\/a>,\u00a0Minnesota Timberwolves<\/a><\/h3>\n

When articles start coming up about how a player could be better suited coming off the bench, it\u2019s time to revisit how good they are. Wiggins has always had the shadow over him when he was drafted by the\u00a0Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a>\u00a01st overall and then traded to the Timberwolves for\u00a0Kevin Love<\/strong><\/a>. This of course due to\u00a0LeBron James<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0return to the Cavaliers. Since the departure of\u00a0Jimmy Butler<\/strong><\/a>, Wiggins has had the opportunity to shine. His play isn\u2019t necessarily bad, but costing the Timberwolves $25 million this season and up to $33 million in year five, is just not a great contract.<\/p>\n

4. Gordon Hayward<\/a>,\u00a0Boston Celtics<\/a><\/h3>\n

Before this becomes a bashing segment, it\u2019s well known that the Celtics have some roster issues this season. They have too many players and all are talented. With that being said, when Hayward is on the court, he\u2019s just not pulling his weight. Hayward, of course, suffered a serious injury last season and is slowly coming back but he is averaging the lowest in nearly every category since his rookie year. Until he gets back on track, he has to stay on this list.<\/p>\n

3. LaMarcus Aldridge<\/a>,\u00a0San Antonio Spurs<\/a><\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s a player that was thought to be on a resurgence path. Well, not quite. After a disappointing first two seasons in San Antonio, Aldridge had an outstanding season in 2017-18. Now, there seems to be a slight dropoff in his play, along with an all-star selection. It seems unwarranted. He is averaging just under a double-double and those are high numbers, but with\u00a0Kawhi Leonard<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0departing from the Spurs, he should have taken control of the team in a leadership role.<\/p>\n

2. Eric Bledsoe<\/a>,\u00a0Milwaukee Bucks<\/a><\/h3>\n

After a tenuous situation for the\u00a0Phoenix Suns<\/a>, Bledsoe has found his place on a contending team. However, he\u2019s just not performing at a level that is consistent when you\u2019re teammates with a possible MVP candidate,\u00a0Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/strong><\/a>. He\u2019s posting his lowest averages in points in his career as a starter and underwhelms on the court. This team is likely heading for the Eastern Conference Finals.<\/p>\n

1. Draymond Green<\/a>,\u00a0Golden State Warriors<\/a><\/h3>\n

This is bound to make fans unhappy, but there just isn\u2019t any compelling statistic that shows Green is the 4th, and maybe the 5th best player on this team. Understandably, that is still a successful position to be in. However, Green is posting some of the lowest averages of his career and still manages to play more than 30 minutes a game. The premise of this ranking is a bit biased because the Warriors are just so good and to be outshined by\u00a0Stephen Curry<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Kevin Durant<\/strong><\/a>, and\u00a0<\/strong>Klay Thompson<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is not a bad place. It\u2019s just that Green is usually so highly touted as this defensive force and still produces slightly average numbers.<\/p>\n

The 5 Most Underrated Players<\/strong><\/h2>\n

5. Julius Randle<\/a>,\u00a0New Orleans Pelicans<\/a><\/h3>\n

There\u2019s nothing like seeing an ex succeed after you dumped them. The Los Angeles Lakers may be feeling a bit\u00a0unhappy seeing Randle perform for the Pelicans<\/a>. Given the freedom to play to his strengths, Randle is a great addition for nearly any team. The Pelicans have let him play his style and with the impending departure of\u00a0Anthony Davis<\/strong><\/a>, there is going to be a large void to fill with usage. Randle has put up career highs in shooting percentages and points per game. Alongside\u00a0Jrue Holiday<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and a young core, Randle could easily take a leading role in years to come.<\/p>\n

4. Buddy Hield<\/a>,\u00a0Sacramento Kings<\/a><\/h3>\n

Since a trade sent him to the Kings, Hield has seemingly found the perfect fit for his style. Playing alongside\u00a0De\u2019Aaron Fox<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and fellow young pros, Hield has emerged as the primary scoring threat. According to BetEasy\u2019s NBA odds, he is also on the list for Most Improved Player for the 18\/19 season. Yet, Fox seems to get most of the attention when talking about the Kings. This is mostly due to Fox only being in his second year, but Hield has only played one more year. The overshadowing maybe due to the fact that he wasn\u2019t drafted by the Kings.<\/p>\n

3. Domantas Sabonis<\/a>,\u00a0Indiana Pacers<\/a><\/h3>\n

The Pacers were in the race for the Eastern Conference Championship before an unfortunate injury to\u00a0Victor Oladipo<\/strong><\/a>. Now with Oladipo down for the year, the Pacers may still earn a playoff spot but it may be short-lived. Sabonis was packaged with Oladipo from the Oklahoma City Thunder a few years back and this season has nearly averaged a double-double playing under 25 minutes per game. He is nearly at the top of the Pacers roster in some key statistical categories despite coming off the bench for the most part.<\/p>\n

2. Josh Richardson<\/a>,\u00a0Miami Heat<\/a><\/h3>\n

The retirement tour of\u00a0Dwyane Wade<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0has overshadowed anything in Miami. Richardson is leading this team. He is currently posting the highest averages of his career and has the team behind him. Yet, the 37-year-old Wade still pulls headlines. In the next seasons, Richardson is going to become a household name. With his rise, Miami just may become a hot spot for free agents to come to as well. A young roster and a talent like Richardson is easily turned into a Finals contender.<\/p>\n

1. Jusuf Nurkic<\/a>,\u00a0Portland Trail Blazers<\/a><\/h3>\n

Usually, the third best player on a team isn\u2019t considered underrated at all. Yet, when those two teammates are\u00a0Damian Lillard<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<\/strong>CJ McCollum<\/strong><\/a>, that is easy to fall out of the public eye. Nurkic is quietly becoming one of the best passing centers in recent memory. As with these other four players, Nurkic is posting his highest averages in his young career. Additionally, with his help, the Blazers could find their way in the 2nd round of the playoffs after an early exit last season. Perhaps a strong showing from Nurkic will get him off this list and into an all-star game in the future.<\/p>\n

Inherent Bias<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When using labels like overrated or underrated, there\u2019s an obvious sense of \u201chot-take\u201d in the decision. Most opinions about sports are layered in biases about who is watching which team and how often certain players are seen on television. The NBA is so heavily covered that it\u2019s difficult for players to go under the radar, but media coverage is fickle for teams not in Los Angeles or New York.<\/p>\n

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Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>