Not only did he start playing precisely at the starting point of the decade after being selected 1st overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1999 draft, but he proceeded to be one of the most under-the-radar players during his career. His best season came in 2003-04, Peja averaged a career-high 24.2 PPG on 48.0% shooting overall and 43.3% from three. Elton deserves this spot. His best season came in 2003-04, Peja averaged a career-high 24.2 PPG on 48.0% shooting overall and 43.3% from three. Davis was an explosive point guard who was a blur on the floor in open space. 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. Dating back to his time with the Pelicans, he was an All-Star level . Billups finished his career a 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team selection, and a 3x All-Defensive Team selection. My point is that after further analysis, it becomes apparent that the top five point guards, right now . 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. Davis can be credited with sparking the We Believe Warriors to an upset win over the No. Required fields are marked *. He could put the ball on the floor and get by defenders relatively easily and it made him a true three-level threat. Michael Jordan and Karl Malone greet each other before Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 1, 1997, at the United Center. He finished 3rd in MVP voting and was arguably the best two-way player in basketball. Career Achievements: 1x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection. Career Stats: 18.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG. Andrei Kirilenko was a prototype of what the modern-day NBA landscape now values above all else; versatility. He spent 3 seasons with the team and helped them transition to the City of New Orleans. 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. 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. Thread Tools. Neither made an impact, with Lionel Chalmers never playing another NBA game. 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. Your email address will not be published. 32 in Touchdown Wire list, Big Ten 2023 Football Power Rankings Too Soon, ASU Footballs Kenny Dillingham hopes QB room structure will push players, Oregon Football Recruitment: Nyckoles Harbor and Ducks Update, Big 12 Conference Tees 2023 Schedule Release, Know the Foe: Virginia Tech Footballs 2023 Away Opponents, Denver Broncos meet again with Michigan Footballs Jim Harbaugh. Even some players who did make it onto that stage, like Rashard Lewis and Richard Hamilton, arent remembered as reverently as they should be. From there, he developed his offensive game and defensively got more aggressive. Still, you dont hear much talk about the years the Clippers might have been the championship favorite. Who are the 25 Most Charitable Athletes in the World? Roy would begin to experience his downfall by 2011, just his 5th season in the league. During his time in the NBA, Rasheed Wallace received a bad reputation as its resident bad boy. Here are the 10 most underrated stars during the 2000s. The 2005-06 campaign. The most underrated scene in 'The Last Dance' was ___. Including averaging 10 attempts at the line per game when he averaged 22 points per game in his 2004-05 season. 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. Just 3 seasons later, he would become a 20.0 PPG scorer and an automatic 40.0% shooter from deep. League championships: 0. His three hasn't been falling . 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. O'Neal had a very slow start to his career, before blossoming into an All-Star in his 6th season. 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. Lewis was one of the NBAs top shooters for years with 8 seasons ranked in the Top 20 for 3-pointers made. 8. Career Stats: 19.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG, Career Achievements: 1x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection. Elton Brand was one of the most underrated players of the 2000s. Seth Curry - Brooklyn Nets. 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. By signing up, you agree to the our terms and our Privacy Policy agreement. Ron Artest, Metta World Peace, or his now legal name Metta Sandiford-Artest may surprise some on this list. 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. The Rise of Paul George Can he bring a championship to LA. ONeal is an excellent example of the circumstances most players on these lists go through during their careers. 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. 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. In every season in which he started over 60 games for one of his 9 NBA teams, he earned at least 6.0 APG. Even in his later years when his scoring dropped, there was little drop-off in Kidd's assist or steal numbers. 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. I have never seen a Finals MVP and a more impactful point guard be overlooked in NBA history more than Chauncey Billups. 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. The assessment was based on how players performed during this decade and this decade ONLY (2000-2009). Besides the obvious suspension from the Malice incident, Jermaine didnt reach a higher level because of a lack of real playoff success and a subpar field goal percentage for a big man. 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. Here are the 10 most underrated NBA players of the entire 2000s. For some reason, ONeal was vilified relentlessly for his role in the brawl and his reputation has taken years to recover. But today, we arent talking about Tim, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille ONeal, or Dwyane Wade. 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. 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. Peja Stojakovic is one of the better perimeter scorers of the 2000s decade. His mid-range game and three-ball were impeccable as well. Over time, Kidd improved as a shooter and scorer, so by the year 2000, he was arguably the most well-rounded point guard in the NBA. 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. 17.9 points, 2.9 RPG, and 1.9 APG. He would lead the league in steals once more in 2007 with the Warriors with 2.1 SPG. 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. He scored 57 that same season, breaking the Bucks single-game scoring record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Gabriel Batistuta, Argentina. Even though he never made an All-Star Team, Bibby certainly played like one and he was a major reason the Kings were a problem in the West. An . We'll focus primarily on his most impactful seasons, from 2001-2004. He won the Rookie of the Year award with the least games played in history to win the award. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Injury replacements, lifetime achievement awards, and many players that might not entirely deserve it. The 2000s-era NBA was one of the more bizarre representations of basketball one could imagine. Finley played on two of the premier Western Conference powerhouses over the decade, starting with Dallas and moving to San Antonio after being waived. He became the first Russian player selected in the first round and made the all-rookie team in his first year. With his accurate 3-point shot and ability to pass the ball effectively, Stojakovidc would be a nightmare for defenses in todays game. Think about Dennis Johnson of the 1980sthe dude was a five-time All-Star and a Finals MVP. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Davis began his career as a member of the Charlotte Hornets. . 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. Peja Stojakovi. The problem with most underrated NBA lists is too many of the players are, well, overrated. Was it worth it? He was an empty-calories kind of player who put up stats on losing teams and couldnt carry a team to any relevancy. He blew past defenders and glided through the air and threw down rim-rocking dunks with brutal authority. 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. The players listed here may be relatively unknown, underappreciated, or underrated in terms of not making the elite lists of other football raters. 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 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. 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. An elite scorer and underrated playmaker, Jason Terry spent the majority of the 2000s playing the role of starting guard for the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks, and the last bit dominating off the bench for the latter franchise. Miller was as good as it gets running an NBA offense and he was one heck of a playmaker. He was a scorer, plain and simple. With his ability to both score and pass the ball, Miller was must-watch television whenever he was in town. He averaged 20.1 PPG and 10.0 RPG in his rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, making the All-Rookie Team. I will say it here and now. Aaron Mansfield, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Merrimack College. He would lead the league in steals once more in 2007 with the Warriors with 2.1 SPG. 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. www.basketball-timemachine.com. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive. Mookie Blaylock. Nick Mac is an NBA Writer with over 5 years of experience in journalism. His stint with the Kings started in 2002 where he averaged 17.6 PPG and 5.4 APG over 7 seasons with the franchise. Landers mens soccer closes out the season with a penalty-kick loss to Florida Tech. 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).. Ilgauskas deserves so much more respect than modern-day fans give him. In 2002, O'Neal won the NBA's Most Improved Player award by averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. Fans have a tendency to overlook certain players, and that effect is amplified as years and decades pass. Ronald Koeman - Barcelona. Date of birth: February 1, 1969. To narrow down the list to 10 underrated players in the whole decade is about as tough as it gets. In fact, I dont think I would have him on here if not for having the greatest NBA nickname of all time, Bad Porn.. Right off the bat, you can tell Rashard Lewis is highly underrated simply by his lack of accolades to his name. 3. 11. 25. That was the year Richardson became a solid 3-point shooter, as he nailed 38.4% of his threes. One year later with the Kings, Miller would have a career year averaging 14.1 PPG and 10.3 RPG while making his second straight All-Star Team. Expectations are high for every player in the league, and the overrated label . He was one of the top players in the league until Gerald Wallace injured him. Jackson is mainly known for his stints with the Indiana Pacers and the Golden State Warriors. The Clippers have always been the runt of LA. Redd was consistently criticized for his lack of a complete game but his scoring was by far the best part of his game. Even Basketball-Reference.com doesnt give the man a prayer. 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. Ilgauskas struggled with injury the first few seasons of his career, missing his rookie season and 4th season with foot issues. But the sheer fact that Clipper Contenderswas uttered during the 2005-06 playoffs firmly earns Elton a spot on this list. 1. With over a decade of writing articles for sports sites, Eddie Bitar has a unique writing voice that shines through in the latest collection of NBA-related content that captures trade rumors, power rankings, and team news. 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. Brad Miller was a rare center in the 2000s because he had a consistent mid-range jump shot. He averaged 22.8 PPG and led the league with 17.5 RPG, and 3.0 BPG. Lofton was the first player in NFL history to accumulate 14,000 receiving yards. By the time his 4th season in 2004 came around, Redd was an All-Star and a consistent and efficient 20.0 PPG scorer. For the first 12 seasons of his career, Miller was a consistent 15.0 to 17.0 PPG scorer but he really made his impact as a passer. We need to focus on exactly one year of Eltons career that solidifies his place on this list without a thought. This happened because other great players such as Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O'Neal were the faces of the NBA and grabbed all the headlines all the time. Six seasons into his career in 2005, Lewis earned his first All-Star selection and first 20.0 PPG season. He also has a rare 83-game season under his belt after being traded from Phoenix to Dallas early in his career. 1 / 32 OrlandoMagic.com ranks the best NBA point guards from the 2000s. Vancouver selected Abdur-Rahim third overall, and he immediately became the teams leading scorer. His best season, 2003-04, when he averaged 20-10 and 2.6 blocks, earned him 3rd place in the MVP race. There are the 10 most underrated NBA players of the 2010s. 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. A 2000 trade to the Pacers changed everything and almost immediately transformed ONeal into an MVP candidate. He made 3 straight All-Star games from 2002 through 2004 and averaged 21.7 PPG on 48.1% shooting over that time. The most underrated player in fantasy basketball this season has to be Gilgeous-Alexander. He played in just 18 games and then 10 more in 2010-11. Your email address will not be published. When coming into the league, there were no expectations for Michael Redd having been the 43rd pick of the 2000 NBA Draft. Richmond scored the 4th-most total points for the entire decade of the 90s , mainly with the Warriors and Kings. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 4.0 APG on 45.6% shooting in just 57 games. Big Shot. Was he better than he is remembered? 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 . In his first season in Los Angeles, he made his first All-Star Team. He picked up three Second Team All-Defenses and one First Team All-Defense. . He averaged 22.8 PPG and led the league with 17.5 RPG, and 3.0 BPG. #4 of 165. O'Neal also won the Most Improved Player of the Year Award that same year. He had three All-NBA team selections, two thirds, and a second cap off his individual awards. Image via Complex Original. Career Stats: 13.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG. Since the Trail Blazers drafted him in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft . He played one final season in Phoenix in 2011-12 before retiring. Pac-12 Mens Football Player of the Week 14 November 2022, Meet the Oregon High School Boys Soccer Stars This Week (November 7-13), College Roundup Monday: SMCC loses Womens Soccer Championship game, Indiana mens soccer wins national seed for ninth straight year The Bloomingtonian, The 3 Big 12 Freshmen in the Recent NBA Mock Draft, Reporter names surprising contender for NBA expansion franchise, MikeCheck: Jackson Jr. thrilled to be back as Grizzlies All-NBA defender looks to debut this season, NBA Players Association could file complaint against Nets Kyrie Irving, Jon Jones predicts hell say and again, Ciryl Gane aims to be the baddest man on the planet after UFC 285 final stare, Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane face off in the final showdown, Caesars Super Bowl 57 promo code gets you up to $1,250 in betting credits, Who is in Super Bowl 2023? Theres been a lot of former all-stars. Elton Brand led the way with 24-10 as the best player on a championship contender, the 2005-06 Clippers. Iverson took the fourth most shots per game in NBA history and is the worst-shooting volume chucker in the modern NBA. 4 pick in the 1998 draft, Jamison made the All-Rookie Team with the Warriors averaging 9.6 PPG and 6.4 RPG. He was the first NBA player to bring in the big balls dance celebration, injuring his groin. Sacramento picked Pedrag Stojakovi at the 1996 NBA rookie draft while still playing in Greece. 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. Career Stats: 12.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.2 BPG. Trevor Ariza. He also set the record for most three-pointers made in a single quarter, with eight, before being overtaken when Klay Thompson made nine. 1969-1971 . 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. With the trade of superstar Ray Allen, the Bucks fell off as one of the NBAs top teams, but the leading role was filled by Redd, who went on to average 21.7 points en route to his only All-Star appearance. He was a tough forward who played hard-nosed defense and never backed down from any challenge. He averaged 16.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 4.0 APG on 45.6% shooting in just 57 games. Teams: Charlotte Hornets (1998-2000), Miami Heat (2000-01), Cleveland Cavaliers (2001-03), Boston Celtics (2003-06), Minnesota Timberwolves (2006-07), Miami Heat . In 2002, ONeal won the NBAs Most Improved Player award by averaging 17.2 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.6 BPG. He made the All-Star game and was selected to the All NBA-Third Team. 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. Yes, but just barely scratching this list. One of the most outspoken NBA analysts in the media, Stephen Jackson was a player that his teammates absolutely loved. Career Stats: 19.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG. Mitch Richmond is one of the most electric yet underrated players of the 90s. But looking at his career as a whole, Jamison was an All-Star caliber talent. The Most UNDERRATED NBA Players Of The 2000s..Welcome back to Sports Savvy. During his 3rd season in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miller led the NBA in assists with 10.9 APG to go with 16.5 PPG and 1.6 SPG. During his time with the New Orleans Hornets for 3 seasons, he averaged 20.2 PPG, 8.1 APG, and 2.0 SPG. At his peak, Billups was a serious threat as a scorer, passer, and defender who was the perfect point guard to lead the Detroit Pistons to the 2004 NBA championship. McCollum voted most underrated player since 2000. Read that sentence again. He has been married to Clarenda Harris since September 12, 2006. His best season came in 2002 after being traded to Atlanta. He found the end zone in three different decades. His scoring jumped from 12.9 PPG to 19.0 PPG, and he made his first All-Star Team in 2002 for the Pacers. Im Still Ballin. During his time in the NBA, Rasheed Wallace received a bad reputation as its resident bad boy. His mid-range game and three-ball were impeccable as well. 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 Davis began his career as a member of the Charlotte Hornets. Were discussing the most underrated NBA players of the 2000s. If the season ended today, he'd be second in the NBA in fantasy points per game, but few think of him . 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. Mitch Richmond, Detlef Schrempf, and Vin Baker are among the underrated players from the 90s. But how many of those players make their first all-star team at 34 years old? Forget the role in the fight. Malcolm Brogdon might have the quietest 20/6/6 stat line in the NBA. Thats right; were talking top player in the league status. Nine seasons into his career, the former USC Trojan has finally found his stride and established himself as one of the NBAs top guards. Richardson was drafted by the Clippers and had his best season in 2004 with the team averaging 17.2 PPG. That needs to begin to change after you read this piece. The top 10 players in the NBA according to ISH posters in August of 2000; Results 1 to 1 of 1 Thread: The top 10 players in the NBA according to ISH posters in August of 2000. Roy was destined to be a star from his first season in the NBA. Gary Trent Jr. is easily one of the most exciting and underrated players in the NBA today, starting with a Toronto Raptor and ending with one. By looking at individual statistics, team impact, and skills during their era; we have compiled a ranked list of the best stars who went underappreciated during their time. He was a two-way mastermind who had a knack for coming through in a games biggest moments that earned him the nickname Mr. 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 . In a season sandwiched between two non-playoff years, Elton Brand and the Clippers lost in seven games to the Phoenix Suns. In an era littered with talented point guards, Baron Davis was among the most exciting to watch play. Finley was a no-nonsense small forward that was the perfect complement beside Dirk Nowitzki, had multiple seasons averaging above 20-5-5 per game, and capped his career off with a championship on the 2007 San Antonio Spurs. Brand lasted two more seasons at an elite level with the Clippers before age and attrition took a toll on his body. His only other individual awards were a 2004 All-Star selection after averaging 16-8-3 with 2 steals and 3 blocks. To narrow down the list to 10 underrated players in the whole decade is about as tough as it gets. 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. Magic Johnson. Jermaine does that by propelling himself to All-Star status with Indiana. 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. How many other players in NBA history have an argument for being both the best paint scorer and overall defender at the same time? Last time I did this series, 2 years ago, I had him as the most underrated SF in the league. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Career Stats: 14.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG. 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. Averaging 16.0 PPG, he is one of the most recognizable offensive players for the Clippers over the last 20 years. For years now, Jrue Holiday has been widely regarded as the most underrated player in NBA. Unfortunately for Rahim, he will be remembered for being the centerpiece of this lopsided trade that sent Pau Gasol to Memphis, where he would quickly *not*become one of the most underrated players of the 2000s. He led the league in minutes played for three seasons of his career. He averaged 24-6-3 on a Pacers team that was seen as among the top teams in the NBA and potentially a future NBA champion. Championships: 0. He would be forced to retire from the game at 27 years old.
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