most underrated nba players of the 2000s most underrated nba players of the 2000s

For years now, Jrue Holiday has been widely regarded as the most underrated player in NBA. 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. . Miller would go on to play 5 more seasons with Sacramento. Sure. 18 pick in the 2020 draft, there were high hopes for Richardson's career. Can you name any other player who only made the all-star game once in his career? At 34 years of age, Cassell had his best year averaging 19-3-7, helping the downtrodden Minnesota franchise propel itself to #1 in the Western Conference Standings. He also made the All-Star Team and the All-NBA Third Team after a strong season with the Milwaukee Bucks. His scoring jumped from 12.9 PPG to 19.0 PPG, and he made his first All-Star Team in 2002 for the Pacers. Just 3 seasons later, he would become a 20.0 PPG scorer and an automatic 40.0% shooter from deep. Not a chance. 32786 posts. Date of birth: February 1, 1969. We need to focus on exactly one year of Eltons career that solidifies his place on this list without a thought. He also set the record for most three-pointers made in a single quarter, with eight, before being overtaken when Klay Thompson made nine. Glen Rice was a three-time All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. . Career Stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG. One of the most outspoken NBA analysts in the media, Stephen Jackson was a player that his teammates absolutely loved. But despite this, you should know that Jermaine ONeal was a beast. 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. He was a two-way mastermind who had a knack for coming through in a games biggest moments that earned him the nickname Mr. Your email address will not be published. Vancouver Grizzlies (1997-98), Washington Wizards (1998-99), Miami Heat (1990-2000), Charlotte Hornets (2000-01) All-Star Games: 2001. 10. We'll focus primarily on his most impactful seasons, from 2001-2004. Right off the bat, you can tell Rashard Lewis is highly underrated simply by his lack of accolades to his name. The Top NBA Players Of All Time. Most Overrated NBA Players of All Time. 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. He would average 20.0 PPG or more for the next 3 seasons and shot near or better than 40.0% from three during that time. Required fields are marked *. Shareef could never take that next step up to consistent superstardom, and despite forming a talented trio alongside Glenn Robinson and Jason Terry, the Hawks never sniffed the playoffs. 25. He's got some recognition since then, but he still isn't as respected as he should. Many superstars surfaced at this time but perhaps none bigger than Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers who led them to 3 straight titles at the beginning of the decade. Agent 0 going into L.A. and dropping 60 on the Lakers. In 2002, ONeal won the NBAs Most Improved Player award by averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. 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. 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. Elton is perfect for this list. A team dwarfed by the sheer size, glamor, and continued excellence in the shared city. He made the All-Star game and was selected to the All NBA-Third Team. For some reason, ONeal was vilified relentlessly for his role in the brawl and his reputation has taken years to recover. His best seasons come while playing for teams that arent popular or mainstream. Only one year later, Jamison jumped his stats tremendously averaging 19.6 PPG and 8.3 RPG followed by a career-high in scoring at 24.9 PPG. 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. Mehmet Okur - Career Stats : 13.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.7 apg - Best season (2005-06) : 18.0 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.4 apg - Achievements : NBA Champion (2004), NBA All-Star (2007) - Best years were with the Jazz 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. Bottom Line: Otis Thorpe. Alex Novick, NBA.com Global Editions (): Quick, name the only player other than David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon to average at least two . 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. 1 / 32 OrlandoMagic.com ranks the best NBA point guards from the 2000s. Lofton was the first player in NFL history to accumulate 14,000 receiving yards. Roy was a special talent on offense confirmed by some of the greats such as Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant. He won the Rookie of the Year award with the least games played in history to win the award. A 2000 trade to the Pacers changed everything and almost immediately transformed ONeal into an MVP candidate. Miller also had an All-Star season with the Pacers in 2003 where he averaged 13.1 PPG and 8.3 RPG. Career Stats: 13.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 1.7 BPG, Career Achievements: 1x Most Improved Player, 6x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team Selection. He was one of the top players in the league until Gerald Wallace injured him. And while many fans will remember the Clippers for continuously being one of the dumpster fires of NBA teams, alongside Sacramento, Minnesota, and others, those other teams have had moments in the spotlight that are remembered fondly. Brad Miller was a rare center in the 2000s because he had a consistent mid-range jump shot. Basketball is one of the most loved sports worldwide. Ronald Koeman - Barcelona. Wallaces impact was truly measured when he was acquired by the Detroit Pistons midway through the 2004 season. Who are the 25 Most Charitable Athletes in the World? Lewis retired with the Miami Heat in 2014, one year after adding an NBA championship to his already impressive resume. As only the No.13 pick, Maggette is one of the most underrated players during his era due to his impact on the Clippers. Miller was as good as it gets running an NBA offense and he was one heck of a playmaker. Well focus primarily on his most impactful seasons, from 2001-2004. O'Neal would average a double-double over the next 2 seasons in Indiana, and make 5 straight All-Star Teams. Enter Sam Cassell. 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. 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. , Owner: (Registered business address: Germany), processes personal data only to the extent strictly necessary for the operation of this website. And when it comes to the 2000s, well, there are plenty of guys who deserved more love. Brand's best year came in 2006 as an MVP candidate averaging 24.7 points and 10 rebounds while leading the Los Angeles Clippers back into the playoffs. CJ McCollum voted most underrated player since 2000. Doug Christie. Other Underrated NBA Players for 2021-22. But if the languid laziness of a typical baseball game was overrated by the purists who want to keep the three-and-a-half-hour games, it was underrated by the people who forgot just how much the . He was an empty-calories kind of player who put up stats on losing teams and couldnt carry a team to any relevancy. Cassell would then lead the way to another franchise turnaround, bringing the Clippersthat featured two players on this listto their then-most successful season in franchise history. Redd became an even more prolific scorer in the seasons that followed. This season encapsulates why Redd isnt any higher on this list. He would improve his scoring over the next few seasons, boosting his scoring to a career-high 23.2 PPG during the 2006 season. Career Stats: 15.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Career Achievements: 1x Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team Selection, 3x All-Defensive Team Selection. He was also one of the better offensive rebounders in basketball and led the league in that stat in the 2004-05 season with 299 offensive rebounds. 4 pick in the 1998 draft, Jamison made the All-Rookie Team with the Warriors averaging 9.6 PPG and 6.4 RPG. He consistently made a significant impact early on with the Vancouver Grizzlies and was the leading point guard on some really good Sacramento Kings lineups in the early 2000s. In an era littered with talented point guards, Baron Davis was among the most exciting to watch play. Mike Bibby is one of the most underrated basketball players of all time. Miller was as good as it gets running an NBA offense and he was one heck of a playmaker. Thats not that tough. Elton averaged 30-10-4 with 3 blocks per game that series. Ilgauskas struggled with injury the first few seasons of his career, missing his rookie season and 4th season with foot issues. Fans have a tendency to overlook certain players, and that effect is amplified as years and decades pass. 10 James Lofton. Bibby had a handle and jump shot that was among the best in his time, and he had tremendous success with Chris Webber in Sacramento. DeMar DeRozan is having an incredible season. Tracy McGrady. 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. 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. In fact, Kirilenko was born in Izhevsk, where the weapon was first manufactured. 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. Richmond scored the 4th-most total points for the entire decade of the 90s , mainly with the Warriors and Kings. He was selected only behind guards Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd, which is the greatest single accomplishment in his career. 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. 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. Teams: Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics. O'Neal also won the Most Improved Player of the Year Award that same year. In 2002, ONeal won the NBAs Most Improved Player award by averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. Roy attempted a comeback in 2013 but lasted just 5 games before calling it quits for good. 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He could put the ball on the floor and get by defenders relatively easily and it made him a true three-level threat. re: Most Underrated NBA Players (Historically) Posted on 1/14/23 at 11:11 am to Gaggle. Required fields are marked *. Neither made an impact, with Lionel Chalmers never playing another NBA game. Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1998-2000), Miami Heat (2000-01), Cleveland Cavaliers (2001-03), Boston Celtics (2003-06), Minnesota Timberwolves (2006-07), Miami Heat . Obviously, we have to mention the Malice at the Palace incident that saw him miss the entirety of the 2004-05 season with Indiana. League championships: 0. Erteilung oder Widerruf von Einwilligungen, klicken Sie hier: Westbrook vs. KD beef Are They Cool Now? A 2000 trade to the Pacers changed everything and almost immediately transformed ONeal into an MVP candidate. He played one final season in Phoenix in 2011-12 before retiring. In every season in which he started over 60 games for one of his 9 NBA teams, he earned at least 6.0 APG. Before this career year, Cassell bounced around as a competent floor general, never finding a true home with a team and playing for eight franchises over a nineteen-year career. Redd returned the following season but re-injured the same knee tearing the ACL again. He would lead the league in steals once more in 2007 with the Warriors with 2.1 SPG. Designed by profootballspace. Not related to Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal was one of the best big men in the NBA during his time. And . He finished 3rd in MVP voting and was arguably the best two-way player in basketball. He averaged 22.8 PPG and led the league with 17.5 RPG, and 3.0 BPG. For his career, Redd shot 38.0% from three and 44.7% overall. Milwaukee took Redd with the 43rd overall pick and the former Buckeye would go on to play 11 years with the franchise. His true moment in the spotlight happened near the tail end of his career. Peja Stojakovic is one of the better perimeter scorers of the 2000s decade. Redd shot a career 38.0% from three and his 6 straight years of scoring prowess rank him 3rd on this list. Unfortunately, his fantastic rookie campaign was lost in history behind a similar scoring guard in Allen Iverson, but it was easy to see the skill and talent Shareef possessed. The following season in 2002-03, he was one of the best seasons of the decade for ANY player. Maybe. For his career, Redd shot 38.0% from three and 44.7% overall. Here are the 10 most underrated stars during the 2000s. His mid-range game and three-ball were impeccable as well. 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. Oh, and Google his insane back tattoo. 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. Over NY's past three games, Mitchell Robinson is 16-for-16 from the floor & averaging 11.3 points and 12.0 rebounds Per @bball_ref, he is the first player in NBA history to record a double . 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 . He is incredibly well known; hes played beside Kobe on the Championship Lakers, delivered us with one of the best post-championship press conferences ever, and been a member of the infamous Malice and the Palace. Vancouver selected Abdur-Rahim third overall, and he immediately became the teams leading scorer. Get the latest sports news from SportsSite about soccer, football and tennis. By 2003, Ilgauskas was an All-Star and averaged 17.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG while adding 1.9 BPG. 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. Mainly known for his part with the Washington Wizards Big Three including Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, Jamison was a consistent scoring star in the NBA. Philadelphia 76ers Premier League UFC Television The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver The following season it came to fruition as Billups not only led the Pistons to a title but won Finals MVP in the process. Roy was a special talent on offense confirmed by some of the greats such as Tracy McGrady and Kobe Bryant. Career Stats: 13.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG. A small core of teams dominated the league in that era. Actor | Like Mike. This reputation caused many to forget just how imp[actful Wallace was on the basketball court. Theres been a lot of former all-stars. He was so fast with his first step off of the dribble and even faster once he got headed toward the basket. Thats right; were talking top player in the league status. 5 pick in the 2001 draft, Richardson was expected to be one of the most impactful shooting guards in the NBA and he was certainly underappreciated in his time. Richardson's ability to help teams defend the perimeter and also score when needed makes him an underrated player during the 2000s. 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. Ilgauskas wasnt the strongest in the post but he made up for it with a beautiful 6to 8-foot jumper that he had a beautiful touch on and was nearly automatic. During his time in the NBA, Rasheed Wallace received a bad reputation as its resident bad boy. Honestly, call him the Russian Lebron James. Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. However, when we look at this year, we can see that it was Rons best statistical start to an NBA season. Richardson made the All-Rookie Team in 2001 by averaging 14.4 PPG and 4.3 RPG for the Golden State Warriors. 10. Maggette had his best seasons during the 2004, 2005, and 2008 seasons. As we entered the 2000s, NBA fans were left with the question of who was going to take over the league after Michael Jordan left Chicago. 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. Malcolm Brogdon might have the quietest 20/6/6 stat line in the NBA. He became the first Russian player selected in the first round and made the all-rookie team in his first year. For the first few seasons of his career, Jermaine ONeal struggled to find a role with the Portland Trail Blazers. Despite his demise over the latter course of his career, Redd still averaged 19.0 points per game for his career. NBA underrated performers are one of the more challenging lists to rank. Ilgauskas wasnt the strongest in the post but he made up for it with a beautiful 6to 8-foot jumper that he had a beautiful touch on and was nearly automatic. 6,418 votes. Billups name never comes up in Top 20 conversations as far as point guards go, let alone Top 10 lists. Mitch Richmond, Detlef Schrempf, and Vin Baker are among the underrated players from the 90s. 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. Few players have taken the NBA by storm or altered the way teams play the game the way Curry has . Of course, this was never true with the likes of Shaquille ONeal and Tim Duncan hanging around, but the conversation wasnt an insane one to have. One year later, he joined the Phoenix Suns where he averaged 14.9 PPG on 35.8% shooting from three. But looking at his career as a whole, Jamison was an All-Star caliber talent. Well, that counts for something, right? As a result, a number of quality players had their careers pass without ever getting exposure on the highest level. As the No. Career Stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG. Forgive and forget and put Jermaine ONeal in the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame. Billups name never comes up in Top 20 conversations as far as point guards go, let alone Top 10 lists. Lewis was one of the NBAs top shooters for years with 8 seasons ranked in the Top 20 for 3-pointers made.