NBA Most Underrated

It is a common topic within any sports community, who is the most "underrated" player. What qualifies a player as underrated? Salary? All-Star votes? Followers on Twitter? Whatever the logic one chooses, every list, without fail, stirs some type of debate. It is one of the many beauties of athletics.
Top Underrated NBA players is compiled on a wide range of sources. As I am currently reading Jonah Keri"s The Extra 2%, my mind is forcing itself to look beyond the traditional statistics. Thus, along with personal perception and traditional stat lines (i.e PPG/RPG/APG), I will also be incorporating Hollinger's saber-metric system ratings. (No Big Baby, you will not be in this list I don't  care how much you try and say you deserve it.)

That attachment to her shoulder is
Nets forward Kris Humphries.

10. Kris Humphries PF-Nets- I should probably show you his 10.2 rebounds per game or the fact that he his shooting 53% from the field. Maybe, mentioning his 17.86 PER (Player Efficiency Rating) would convince you. What if I told you this guy landed a Kardashian? Now you understand why he is underrated.

9. Danny Granger SF-Pacers- Scoring 20 points a game is enough to justify the offense running through him even though he is only pulling 2 rebounds  per game. Leading the Pacers to playoff contention, even after a coaching change, seems to go unnoticed.

8. Dwight Howard C- Magic- That is correct. 23 PPG, 14.3 RPG and a PER of 26.27 (2nd in the NBA) and he still does not get the respect that he deserves. He is officiated differently than any other superstar. His supporting cast is dependent on the "three" ball far too much to be considered a legitimate threat in the playoffs. Yet, he continues to dominate the NBA and lead his team to contention every year.

7. Luol Deng SF-Bulls- Derrick Rose is the flavor of the month and deservedly so. However, without Deng the Bulls would lose not only 17 points a game but also their top perimeter defender. According to Hollinger, if Deng were not on the Bulls, they could expect a 7 win/loss differential. According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Deng is an "All League defender, he guards everybody."  Pretty substantial for a guy we never hear about.

6. Nene C-Nuggets- He has no stat line that stands out to you. He only brings in 7 rebounds a game, little offensive production but he is always around. Watch the Nuggets and you cannot help but notice Nene. He is the Gruden of the NBA, nothing great but for some reason he is all over my television.

5. Monta Ellis SG-Warriors- Electric comes to mind. So does Allen Iverson but we will instead focus on electric. Bringing 24 points into every game along with almost 6 assists, Ellis finds himself overshadowed by Steph Curry and the obscurity that is due to the Warriors being forever irrelevant.

4. Kevin Martin SG- Rockets- Top 20 in both PER and EWA (estimated wins over replacement) as well as 23 points a game and somehow he continues to go unmentioned by most media outlets. Sure, winning will alleviate some of this issue but the man has game regardless of wins and losses.

3. Kevin Love PF/C- Timberwolves- How does a guy whose historic double-double streak made nightly highlights make the underrated list? Did you know that besides his 20 points and 15 rebounds per game he has an estimated win/loss differential of 16.5. Here is a little perspective. Kobe Bryant has a 15.9, Nash has 11.7 and Dirk has 13.7. Those three have 4 regular season MVPs.

2. Russell Westbrook PG- Thunder- He barely made the All Star team, and when you mention Thunder, Kevin Durant instantly enters one's mind (for good reason). However, on any other team Westbrook would be the face of the team. Derrick Rose is considered by most to be the runaway MVP. Rose and Westbrook are 1 and 2 in scoring by PGs. As far as PER, APG, RPG and Steal per game; Westbrook leads Rose.


1. Zach Randolph PF-Grizzlies- Is this the same guy who was traded by numerous teams because of character issues and work ethic? On a team with Rudy Gay (if I ever write an "Overrated" list I believe I have a lead candidate), OJ Mayo, and Mark Gasol, Randolph is the catalyst. Averaging 20 PPG as well as 12.3 RPG, Randolph has carried the Grizzlies to playoff contention in the Western Conference and you never even heard about it.

The Team to Beat...

'Melo to the Knicks, D. Williams to the Nets, Hinrich to the Hawks, K. Perkins to the Thunder, the Celtics get Jeff Green; these are some of the trades made prior to the NBA deadline. The NBA is unlike any other league because it completely revolves around its' individual stars. One key addition can turn an entire franchise into a contender while one major subtraction can handicap an organization (insert Cavalier joke here). So after all the dust has settled, what teams do you consider to be the favorites to make the Finals this season?

What Would Robin Hood Do?

The rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting Raymond Felton. To imitate America's current economic condition, the gap between good teams and bad teams is growing. We have our contenders, and we've had them since day one of the season. Which of the five or so teams will win the NBA Championship? There is no chance for the other teams. Is it good for the league that its superstars are assembling themselves together?

Top 25 Under 25

We all know that the NBA still belongs to the likes of Kobe and LeBron, but there is a flood of young talent coming up so I looked at what the NBA is going to look like in the future. This is the players that I'd want for the next 10 years in this league. This is based on previous accomplishments, future potential, and a little personal preference thrown in as well.

Honorable Mention: Andrea Bargnani, Rodney Stuckey, JaVale McGee, Ty Lawson, DeJuan Blair, Michael Beasley, Tyrus Thomas

25. Brandon Jennings

24. Brook Lopez

Both will probably be higher in most people's opinions, but Lopez is 7 feet tall and just doesn't rebound while Jennings shoots an awful percentage from the field. They're also below average defenders.

23. Paul Milsap-

22. Serge Ibaka

These two will be top 10 power forwards for years to come. Milsap has the ability to put up 20 points a night, while Ibaka is more of a rebounding and shot blocking presence in the post.

21. DeMarcus Cousins- So maybe he's insane. Wasn't Dennis Rodman too?

20. Tyreke Evans- Tyreke's numbers are down from his rookie campaign, but I'm not too worried considering he's only 21 years old

19. Andrew Bynum- By now he should probably be in the top 5 of this list but it just hasn't happened yet. I still believe though.

18. Eric Gordon- The urban legend says that he played MJ's son in Space Jam. Apparently he learned how to shoot while on set. The kid can score.

17. Josh Smith-Undersized for a Power Forward, but doesn't have quite the skill set to be a Small Forward. Still a physical freak who can block some shots.

16. Luol Deng- An all around good player who will never be a great player. Still I'd love to have him on my team.

15. Rudy Gay- The rich man's Luol Deng.

14. John Wall- Could be the next great floor general.

13. Al Horford

12. Joakim Noah

These two are gonna be dominant Centers in this league for the next decade. They're both well rounded offensively and defensively. Horford is more of a scorer, while Noah is a top rebounder in the NBA

11. Monta Ellis

10. Stephen Curry

9. Rajon Rondo

All three are excellent guards but lack something. Curry is a well rounded offensive player but lacks the proper on-ball defensive skills. Ellis is an incredible scorer but is lackluster on defense. Rondo is an assist machine and an excellent defender, but his shot is less than impressive.

8. LaMarcus Aldridge- He has improved in every category this season. He already was a good player and has transformed into a great one.

7. Blake Griffin-I don't think I really have to say a lot here. Everyone knows about BG.

6. Russell Westbrook- He rebounds well, plays solid defense, and dishes out 9 assists a game. Also, the 22 a night isn't shabby. He's only getting better.

5. Kevin Love- When you're 22 and getting compared to Moses Malone you must be doing something right.

4. Derrick Rose

3. Chris Paul

Rose is an incredible scorer who contributes to his team in every other possible way as well. Paul is an outstanding player who could shine even more on any other team. I can't wait to see him in 2011-12 on another team.

2. Kevin Durant- He's only 22 and is most likely going to grab his second consecutive scoring title. Did I mention he's only 22?? He's also an above average rebounder for a small forward.

1. Dwight Howard- An absolute physical freak at the Center position. Howard could go down as a top 5 or 6 Center in NBA history.

In the Knick of Time

The Knicks finally put an end to all the Carmelo Athony trade talks. The Knicks decided not to wait until free agency and take the chance of losing Anthony. So are the Knicks a contender now? If not, how long until they become one? Should they have parted with so much to get Anthony?

Maximum Contraction

A list of ten teams that shouldn't be, from the three major sports.

10. & 9. NFL – Seattle Seahawks & Arizona Cardinals – The NFL has a perfect product, but they must be included in the list, if only to hope for a talent overflow somewhere in the league. (If I didn't enjoy the Jaguars, I'd have them and Houston here. The two teams picked have been to Championships in the last 6 years.) At least two teams really stink every year, but the Bills and Lions and Bucs and Browns (no, not them) all have great histories. Take Carolina, if you want, but two teams must go.

8. NBA – Minnesota Timberwolves – Didn't they draft two point guards in the top six overall in 2009? No one's seen either of them since (Sure, Jonny Flynn plays almost 20 MPG, but I don't watch Minny, and neither do you). They didn't draft their two best players: Kevin Love and Darmichael Beaslicic. And Nick Calathes went there and died along with the real Jonny Flynn and Rubio's rights.

7. MLB – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – This is a good team with a great manager (like that matters in baseball). But the name makes me want to eat Bartolo Colon's hair. No one does this. They are the Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of the MLB. Or the nerd wearing a Hollister T-shirt, when his glasses and pocket protector scream Bugle Boy. Anaheim, stop using Los Angeles' name to look cool.

6. MLB – Pittsburgh Pirates – History doesn't matter; look forward. The biggest splash they've made in the last three years is dumping Jason Bay. And we all thought he was good. I'm sorry, Andrew McCutchen. We know your secret.

5. NBA – Charlotte Bobcats – Supposedly, this is a real NBA franchise (No confirmation, as Collin is my source). If your most attractive personality is a non-player, you need contraction, even more-so if he's your owner. I'll let you keep your team when you re-replace your mascot: back to the Hornets now, jerks.

4. NBA – Toronto Raptors – Canada has a basketball team—not football or baseball, basketball. I'm no sociologist, but something seems off. Yeah, Montreal wasn't right for baseball, but Toronto would be. With all of the traveling-between-countries-with-customs woes, I'd rather the Buffalo Bills move to Toronto, then the players would only have to travel over a border 10-12 times a season (or 24, depending on the NFL's new CBA) instead of the 41 (and only 41, because Toronto doesn't make the Playoffs—don't Google, just trust......Darn you). Note: the previous portion of this paragraph was written in a Who Jays Haze. Yeah, there sure are four teams in the AL East. You're cute. What? Five? Now you're just talking crazy.

3. MLB – Florida Marlins – Yeah, they have two World Series wins in their short tenure. But their dumping of players upsets me, wins Boston a ring and puts Miggy the Alcoholic in a bad situation. You can't tell me that he would have been arrested or even drunk if he was in South Beach. Also, Hanley Ramirez told me he's tired of playing in front of twenty-nine people every night. If a city cannot fill seats for a team, they don't deserve it (Oh God, what am I saying? Mr. Weaver, I didn't mean it.)

2. NBA – New Orleans Hornets – There are three simple reasons to get rid of you, NO: it would release CP3 to run freely on a good team with management that appreciates him (or just management, which bring me to reason two) ; the NBA owns you; somehow, you're in the Western Conference. The last one discredits all names in the NBA, with New Orleans being farther East than like fourteen Eastern teams (but I'm no geographer either) and...You aren't the real Hornets.

1. NFL – Oakland Raiders – Al Davis is Jerry Jones without charisma (or the need to be liked and known, whichever Jones has). If you are affluent enough to own a professional sports team, you are not qualified intellectually to manage one. So Al, stop.