He was selected only behind guards Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd, which is the greatest single accomplishment in his career. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 4.0 APG on 45.6% shooting in just 57 games. One of the best dunkers in NBA history, Richardson's athleticism often took eyes away from his all-around game. For the first few seasons of his career, Jermaine ONeal struggled to find a role with the Portland Trail Blazers. Billups name never comes up in Top 20 conversations as far as point guards go, let alone Top 10 lists. 8 Most Expensive Kevin Garnett Basketball Cards, Title 15 Most Expensive Diamonds in the World. Was it worth it? Type above and press Enter to search. In his best season in 2005/06 with Sacramento, Bibby helped the team make the playoffs, which is . 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. Ilgauskas struggled with injury the first few seasons of his career, missing his rookie season and 4th season with foot issues. Miller also had an All-Star season with the Pacers in 2003 where he averaged 13.1 PPG and 8.3 RPG. Yet, not all players who saw action at the NBA, the biggest basketball league in the world, are well-known. 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 could not be further from the truth as Ilgauskas was a solid two-way big man who helped LeBron James adapt to the NBA. Career Achievements: 1x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection. Career Stats: 12.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG. , Owner: (Registered business address: Germany), processes personal data only to the extent strictly necessary for the operation of this website. For some reason, ONeal was vilified relentlessly for his role in the brawl and his reputation has taken years to recover. His presence on the early 2000s Kings teams was a perfect fit that put them over the top as a contender at the time. Career Stats: 19.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG. Championships: 0. Six seasons into his career in 2005, Lewis earned his first All-Star selection and first 20.0 PPG season. Gabriel Batistuta, Argentina. 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. That should be considered common sense considering NBA players peak from 25-30 years old. A 2000 trade to the Pacers changed everything and almost immediately transformed ONeal into an MVP candidate. Ron Artest, Metta World Peace, or his now legal name Metta Sandiford-Artest may surprise some on this list. In 2002, ONeal won the NBAs Most Improved Player award by averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. Tracy McGrady was born on May 24, 1979 in Bartow, Florida, USA. 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. 1) Kareem Abdul Jabbar. He was a two-way mastermind who had a knack for coming through in a games biggest moments that earned him the nickname Mr. Potential only counts for so much. During his time in the NBA, Rasheed Wallace received a bad reputation as its resident bad boy. 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. He also set the record for most three-pointers made in a single quarter, with eight, before being overtaken when Klay Thompson made nine. He would be forced to retire from the game at 27 years old. Career Stats: 12.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG. The problem with most underrated NBA lists is too many of the players are, well, overrated. 1. Peja is one player that would have been awesome to watch in the current NBA era. For the first few seasons of his career, Jermaine ONeal struggled to find a role with the Portland Trail Blazers. Davis was an explosive point guard who was a blur on the floor in open space. He was a scorer, plain and simple. He had three All-NBA team selections, two thirds, and a second cap off his individual awards. CJ McCollum voted most underrated player since 2000. Personally, I believe it is a crime that Wallace is still not a basketball Hall Of Famer. 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. We need to focus on exactly one year of Eltons career that solidifies his place on this list without a thought. 1) Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks. Alex Novick, NBA.com Global Editions (): Quick, name the only player other than David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon to average at least two blocks . Elton averaged 30-10-4 with 3 blocks per game that series. Thats why hes the first name on this list. He was one of many roleplayers that was able to fit seamlessly into talented teams throughout his career. Maggette had his best seasons during the 2004, 2005, and 2008 seasons. 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 . 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. A small core of teams dominated the league in that era. 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 . 6. For his career, Redd shot 38.0% from three and 44.7% overall. 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. The players listed here may be relatively unknown, underappreciated, or underrated in terms of not making the elite lists of other football raters. The sample size doesn't include the '87 playoffs because McHale was playing on a broken foot. However, when we look at this year, we can see that it was Rons best statistical start to an NBA season. 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. He's got some recognition since then, but he still isn't as respected as he should. 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. 17.9 points, 2.9 RPG, and 1.9 APG. With Indiana, Jackson was part of a tough crew featuring Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal that was also involved in the Malice at the Palace. He could put the ball on the floor and get by defenders relatively easily and it made him a true three-level threat. This honestly swayed an NBA championship, costing the Minnesota Timberwolves in their series against the Lakers, in which they were the better team. 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. One of the most outspoken NBA analysts in the media, Stephen Jackson was a player that his teammates absolutely loved. 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. Even some players who did make it onto that stage, like Rashard Lewis and Richard Hamilton, arent remembered as reverently as they should be. The Most Underrated NBA Player of the Early 2000s. 1 / 32 OrlandoMagic.com ranks the best NBA point guards from the 2000s. As of early May, James and . Cameron Smith will be the first Players Championship winner since Tiger Woods in 2014 to not defend his title at the Players . Zum ndern Ihrer Datenschutzeinstellung, z.B. He was an empty-calories kind of player who put up stats on losing teams and couldnt carry a team to any relevancy. Right off the bat, you can tell Rashard Lewis is highly underrated simply by his lack of accolades to his name. He blew past defenders and glided through the air and threw down rim-rocking dunks with brutal authority. The little brother. In fact, he was voted 4th overall in the 2003-04 MVP race, beating out the aforementioned shooting guard on the Lakers. Malcolm Brogdon might have the quietest 20/6/6 stat line in the NBA. Iverson took the fourth most shots per game in NBA history and is the worst-shooting volume chucker in the modern NBA. The Top NBA Players Of All Time. He was the spiritual successor to Dennis Rodman, released music featured in NBA 2K, and is infamous for his antics on-and-off court. Required fields are marked *. Despite sharing the court with Ray Allen early on, Redd carved his own path and should be revered for his unbelievable scoring at his peak. Richardson made the All-Rookie Team in 2001 by averaging 14.4 PPG and 4.3 RPG for the Golden State Warriors. Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Playing position: Striker. He led the league in steals in 2004 with 2.4 SPG. Lofton was the first player in NFL history to accumulate 14,000 receiving yards. He made 3 straight All-Star games from 2002 through 2004 and averaged 21.7 PPG on 48.1% shooting over that time. Billups name never comes up in Top 20 conversations as far as point guards go, let alone Top 10 lists. As we entered the 2000s, NBA fans were left with the question of who was going to. 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. He averaged 20.7 PPG, 22.2 PPG, and 22.1 PPG during those years while missing out on All-Star Teams despite his scoring. Was he good enough that its a travesty that his name isnt among the great scorers in the history of the NBA? They say the best ability is availability, and Finley did just that. Since the Trail Blazers drafted him in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft . O'Neal's strongest season came in 2005 by averaging 24.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 2.0 BPG. 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. Personally, I believe it is a crime that Wallace is still not a basketball Hall Of Famer. With his ability to both score and pass the ball, Miller was must-watch television whenever he was in town. His presence on the early 2000s Kings teams was a perfect fit that put them over the top as a contender at the time. There are the 10 most underrated NBA players of the 2010s. He was so good that Pacers fans couldrealistically argue that he was the best big man in the league. He was also a big reason the Cavaliers were able to make the 2007 NBA Finals, being LeBron James favorite option on offense. For the first few seasons of his career, Jermaine O'Neal struggled to find a role with the Portland Trail Blazers. 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 . Miller would go on to play 5 more seasons with Sacramento. 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. Another is that many of these players are often misremembered for their time and play late in their careers when theyre past their prime, bouncing around to teams and being fitted for jerseys that will probably struggle to sell ten total copies. Well, that counts for something, right? 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. In his first season in Los Angeles, he made his first All-Star Team. With the impressive season he just had with the Raptors, people are bound to take notice soon. This season encapsulates why Redd isnt any higher on this list. In every season in which he started over 60 games for one of his 9 NBA teams, he earned at least 6.0 APG. Finley played on two of the premier Western Conference powerhouses over the decade, starting with Dallas and moving to San Antonio after being waived. Forgive and forget and put Jermaine ONeal in the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame. James Lofton is one of many cases of players being in the Hall of Fame and nevertheless being vastly underrated when compared with others who played the position. Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. If the season ended today, he'd be second in the NBA in fantasy points per game, but few think of him . Roy was a special talent on offense confirmed by some of the greats such as Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant. Elton Brand was one of the most underrated players of the 2000s. Ilgauskas deserves so much more respect than modern-day fans give him. 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. He ended his career with a well-deserved championship with the 2011 Dallas Mavericks. He is an actor and writer, known for Like Mike (2002), Arli$$ (1996) and Adidas Originals: Superstar - Change Is a Team Sport (2020). 1. Schrempf is often overlooked and considered one of the most underrated players in NBA history. This is the plight of DeMar DeRozanhes criminally underrated, and probably will be for his entire career. 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. Even Basketball-Reference.com doesnt give the man a prayer. I have never seen a Finals MVP and a more impactful point guard be overlooked in NBA history more than Chauncey Billups. He finished 3rd in MVP voting and was arguably the best two-way player in basketball. Elton Brand led the way with 24-10 as the best player on a championship contender, the 2005-06 Clippers. 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. Trevor Ariza. Michael Redd is another interesting 2000s player. 15.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.7 BPG. Basketball Time Machine Here are the 10 most underrated NBA players of the entire 2000s. 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. Billups finished his career a 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team selection, and a 3x All-Defensive Team selection. Career: 1989-2002. www.basketball-timemachine.com. Roy was destined to be a star from his first season in the NBA. 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. 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. I will say it here and now. While Redd played amazingly, the team finished the season with a horrible record28-54. Here are the 10 most underrated NBA players of the entire 2000s. Show Printable Version; Today, 04:33 PM #1. Giannis and LeBron? He had a smooth lefty jumper that was as good as anyones in the game when he was on point. Roy attempted a comeback in 2013 but lasted just 5 games before calling it quits for good. Maybe. 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. 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. Brand lasted two more seasons at an elite level with the Clippers before age and attrition took a toll on his body. I will say it here and now. Elton deserves this spot. Forget the role in the fight. Basketball is one of the most loved sports worldwide. He found the end zone in three different decades. He would become an All-Star once more in 2005 averaging 16.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 2.1 BPG. 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) . Ilgauskas deserves so much more respect than modern-day fans give him. The man consistently dropped games in which he earned anywhere from 30-50 points in 2021 and 2022. 12. Jermaine does that by propelling himself to All-Star status with Indiana. There are dozens of underrated players most folks forget. 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. Fans have a tendency to overlook certain players, and that effect is amplified as years and decades pass. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Here's a ranking of the NBA's top teammate duos throughout league history. Billups finished his career a 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team selection, and a 3x All-Defensive Team selection. For some reason, ONeal was vilified relentlessly for his role in the brawl and his reputation has taken years to recover. But how many of those players make their first all-star team at 34 years old? Injuries took away superstar potential from Michael Redd, but he was an offensive machine when he was healthy. 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. As one of the original stretch forwards in the game, Lewis used both his size and shooting ability to become a scoring machine. He was a tough forward who played hard-nosed defense and never backed down from any challenge. 1969-1971 . 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. 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. Roy was impossible to keep up with in isolation. 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. From2004 through 2009, Redd battled injuries and bumps but still averaged at least 21.0 PPG every season. Lewis was one of the NBAs top shooters for years with 8 seasons ranked in the Top 20 for 3-pointers made. A 2000 trade to the Pacers changed everything and almost immediately transformed O'Neal into an MVP candidate. 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. Career best stat line: 19.6 points, 9.1 assists, 41% 3PT (1989-90) The Cavs always had their hearts broken when running into Jordan, in the late '80s and early '90s, but Price was also one of . Big Shot. Seth Curry - Brooklyn Nets. He averaged 21.2 points a game that season and would never be the same. 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. Jackson's role in the Warriors upset over the #1 seed Dallas Mavericks will forever be remembered. Not related to Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal was one of the best big men in the NBA during his time. 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. He is an NBA History buff that details the game from the 1960s all the way up to today. And when you peak to the point, you can be compared to the greatest power forward of all time. Jason Terry: 1066.71 TPA. He also made the All-Star Team and the All-NBA Third Team after a strong season with the Milwaukee Bucks. 7 min read. Beginning with a Toronto Raptor, and ending with one, Gary Trent Jr. is easily one of the most exciting and most underrated players in the NBA today. The assessment was based on how players performed during this decade and this decade ONLY (2000-2009). Just 3 seasons later, he would become a 20.0 PPG scorer and an automatic 40.0% shooter from deep. Unfortunately for Christie, what should have been a fruitful career as a spot-up shooter quickly ended due to a litany of injuries. He helped lead the Magic to a Finals berth in 2009 by being a versatile scorer next to the dominant Howard. Here are the 10 most underrated NBA players of the entire 2000s. 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.

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