#4 of 165. Davis can be credited with sparking the We Believe Warriors to an upset win over the No. We need to focus on exactly one year of Eltons career that solidifies his place on this list without a thought. Schrempf is often overlooked and considered one of the most underrated players in NBA history. Top 5 most underrated NBA players so far this season: PG - Malcolm Brogdon, Indiana Pacers. 1 of 25. Corey Maggette was the player version of the Los Angeles Lakers/Los Angeles Clippers relationship in that he was the Walmart version of Kobe Bryant. 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. Teams: Nets . He scored 57 that same season, breaking the Bucks single-game scoring record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Elton Brand led the way with 24-10 as the best player on a championship contender, the 2005-06 Clippers. He was named an NBA All-Star in 2004 after averaging 21.7 points and a career-best 5.0 rebounds a game. Redd returned the following season but re-injured the same knee tearing the ACL again. Elton averaged 30-10-4 with 3 blocks per game that series. Miller played 14 seasons in the NBA, mainly for the Kings and Bulls. . Sports Mania Asia lists five underrated NBA players between the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Rise of Paul George Can he bring a championship to LA. The 5 most overrated players in Madden NFL 23, including the Eagles' Darius Slay Jr. View 5 items Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. An . After being traded to the Sacramento Kings at the end of the 2000 season, he formed a potent shooting perimeter alongside Peja Stojakovi. 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. DeMar DeRozan is having an incredible season. NFL NBA Megan Anderson Atlanta Hawks Los Angeles Lakers Boston Celtics Arsenal F.C. Three others that could be argued at a higher level (they do get plenty of respect, but perhaps not enough) are Vuc, Brogdon, and Jrue. 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. 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. 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. Drafted with the No. He would lead the league in steals once more in 2007 with the Warriors with 2.1 SPG. 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. He epitomized, you dont know what youve got till its gone.. Others, like Vince Carter and Joe Johnson, are still kicking around the league, but young fans are probably unaware of just how dominant they used to be. Redd blossomed as a scorer in his 4th season, averaging 21.7 PPG on 35.0% shooting from three. Looking at the 2000s specifically, many All-Star caliber players did not get the recognition they deserved. 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. He tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee after playing just 33 games. A small core of teams dominated the league in that era. In an era littered with talented point guards, Baron Davis was among the most exciting to watch play. A 2000 trade to the Pacers changed everything and almost immediately transformed ONeal into an MVP candidate. Here are the 10 most underrated stars during the 2000s. Latrell Sprewell was a great player. Who are the 25 Most Charitable Athletes in the World? One of the most outspoken NBA analysts in the media, Stephen Jackson was a player that his teammates absolutely loved. 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. 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 Most Underrated NBA Player of the Early 2000s. Required fields are marked *. Drafted with the No. From there, he developed his offensive game and defensively got more aggressive. 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. Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics. For some reason, ONeal was vilified relentlessly for his role in the brawl and his reputation has taken years to recover. Roy attempted a comeback in 2013 but lasted just 5 games before calling it quits for good. They say the best ability is availability, and Finley did just that. Championships: 0. In fact, Kirilenko was born in Izhevsk, where the weapon was first manufactured. Basketball Time Machine Press Esc to cancel. Seth Curry - Brooklyn Nets. Career Stats: 18.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG. 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 only other individual awards were a 2004 All-Star selection after averaging 16-8-3 with 2 steals and 3 blocks. Billups name never comes up in Top 20 conversations as far as point guards go, let alone Top 10 lists. His three years stretch from 2001-04 saw him average 22-6-2, make the All-Star team every year, and even get him a spot on the 2nd Team All-NBA squad. Jamison would then form part of a consistent team with the Wizards, making 2 All-Star Teams during his tenure there and solidifying himself as one of the best power forwards in the NBA during his time. Dave McNally went 20-7, 24-9 and 21-5 from '60 to '71. Just 3 seasons later, he would become a 20.0 PPG scorer and an automatic 40.0% shooter from deep. 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. #NBA #NBATwitter #BYL #NBAPicks #Goats #Underrated. Enter Sam Cassell. As a two-way player and one of the best athletes to ever play the game, Richardson was a gem in his prime. Designed by profootballspace. He was the first NBA player to bring in the big balls dance celebration, injuring his groin, The 12 Most Underrated NBA Players of the 2010s, This Millennial Transformed One Rental Property Into A Multi-Million Dollar Empire, 10 Entrepreneurs Share Their Best Beauty Business Tips And Secrets. Were discussing the most underrated NBA players of the 2000s. He was one of many roleplayers that was able to fit seamlessly into talented teams throughout his career. Even in his later years when his scoring dropped, there was little drop-off in Kidd's assist or steal numbers. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 4.0 APG on 45.6% shooting in just 57 games. Elton Brand was one of the most underrated players of the 2000s. Thread Tools. His three hasn't been falling . O'Neal also won the Most Improved Player of the Year Award that same year. Can you name any other player who only made the all-star game once in his career? Injury replacements, lifetime achievement awards, and many players that might not entirely deserve it. 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. 12. NBA underrated performers are one of the more challenging lists to rank. Richardson's ability to help teams defend the perimeter and also score when needed makes him an underrated player during the 2000s. 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. Scotty Bags. Roy attempted a comeback in 2013 but lasted just 5 games before calling it quits for good. I have never seen a Finals MVP and a more impactful point guard be overlooked in NBA history more than Chauncey Billups. By the time his 4th season in 2004 came around, Redd was an All-Star and a consistent and efficient 20.0 PPG scorer. Ilgauskas deserves so much more respect than modern-day fans give him. This season encapsulates why Redd isnt any higher on this list. When coming into the league, there were no expectations for Michael Redd having been the 43rd pick of the 2000 NBA Draft. Mookie Blaylock. 17.9 points, 2.9 RPG, and 1.9 APG. We present our all-time underrated teams, those great teams which don't receive their proper respect in the historical archive. James Harden is the only player in NBA history with 21-game . 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. Maybe. Jackson is mainly known for his stints with the Indiana Pacers and the Golden State Warriors. He was an empty-calories kind of player who put up stats on losing teams and couldnt carry a team to any relevancy. Neither made an impact, with Lionel Chalmers never playing another NBA game. He had a sweet jumper and smooth release that he could knock down from anywhere in front of half-court. Ron Artest, Metta World Peace, or his now legal name Metta Sandiford-Artest may surprise some on this list. 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. His best seasons come while playing for teams that arent popular or mainstream. Richardson was a solid scorer throughout his career and was a very capable defender. 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. Roy would begin to experience his downfall by 2011, just his 5th season in the league. 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. In nine of his last ten NBA seasons, James has scored at least 2,000 points. He didnt have the chance to display his scoring prowess during his first season in Milwaukee since he was playing behind the great Ray Allen. Tracy McGrady was born on May 24, 1979 in Bartow, Florida, USA. . But looking at his career as a whole, Jamison was an All-Star caliber talent. Despite having the aura of a rugged workhorse, Kirilenko struggled with durability, usually finishing NBA seasons between 60-70 games played. Portland athletes have been underrated for a long time, sometimes due to geography, but also because of the early 2000s, which saw casual fans turned away from the NBA team after the ill-fated "Jail Blazers" era that was marred by a string of player arrests, untimely technical fouls, and disastrous playoff meltdowns. Injuries were a concern throughout Pejas career, especially in the second half of his NBA lifespan. Injuries took away superstar potential from Michael Redd, but he was an offensive machine when he was healthy. Peja Stojakovi. For the first few seasons of his career, Jermaine ONeal struggled to find a role with the Portland Trail Blazers. Shaquille O'Neal. Here's a ranking of the NBA's top teammate duos throughout league history. Mike Bibby is one of the most underrated basketball players of all time. He also set the record for most three-pointers made in a single quarter, with eight, before being overtaken when Klay Thompson made nine. Scottie Pippen is #15 on this list and would have been much higher a decade ago, but recent lists have been very kind to Pippen and have listed the versatile defensive small forward in the top twenty of all-time (which we believe is way too high for a player with his numbers).. By 2003, Ilgauskas was an All-Star and averaged 17.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG while adding 1.9 BPG. 3. All details in the privacy policy. Your email address will not be published. His most valuable skill? Redd had led Ohio State to a Final Four as a . Anyways. There are dozens of underrated players most folks forget. Vancouver Grizzlies (1997-98), Washington Wizards (1998-99), Miami Heat (1990-2000), Charlotte Hornets (2000-01) All-Star Games: 2001. 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. His only postseason trip was as a role player averaging 12-5 on the 2005-06 Sacramento Kings, who would lose in the first round to San Antonio. He finished 3rd in MVP voting and was arguably the best two-way player in basketball. The 2000s were filled with incredible defenders, lights-out shooters, amazing ball handlers, solid secondary stars, and bench players who were elite at their jobs. Career Stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG.