So I was thinking…over the years the NBA has had many superstars, even some that transcend basketball eras, but there are always those deserving players not given enough recognition. This group of stars is either only truly appreciated by their home-town fans or simply not given the respect they deserve at their position.
Here is my all under-rated team:
Elgin Baylor - Baylor’s numbers were absolutely gaudy: he was an 11-time all-star and a 10-time all-NBA first team performer who averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game (4th in points and 9th in rebounds per game in NBA History) during his illustrious career. His biggest knock was that he did not win an NBA championship, though ironically the Lakers won 33 games in a row and the NBA Championship during the 1971-1972 season, the season Baylor retired only nine games into the campaign. With that resume how can he be underrated? I don’t know but he is. Whenever all-time forwards are discussed Baylor is somehow left out of the discussion.
Bernard King - BK was unstoppable. Period. This guy was a four-time NBA all-star who averaged 22.5 points per game - impressive but that doesn’t tell the whole story. King averaged 32.5 points per game at the height of his career, in the 1984-1985 season. His baseline turnaround and the way he finished on the break made him un-guardable. He sported back to back 50 point games in 1984, as well as a 34.8 points per game average in the 1984 playoffs and an outrageous 42.6 point per game average during the memorable five-game victory over the Detroit Pistons (the same series in which Isiah Thomas scored 16 points in 93 seconds to force game five into overtime). King blew out his knee so badly in March of 1985 that he missed two seasons of basketball, coming back to play in only six games in 1986. The ACL injury took away his explosiveness at the height of his career. King however worked diligently to return to his dominant form. Before his knee finally forced him to retire, King changed his game and raised his scoring average every year from 1987-1988 to 1990-1991, culminating in a 28.1 points per game average in 1991, good for third in the NBA that year.
Here is my all under-rated team:
Elgin Baylor - Baylor’s numbers were absolutely gaudy: he was an 11-time all-star and a 10-time all-NBA first team performer who averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game (4th in points and 9th in rebounds per game in NBA History) during his illustrious career. His biggest knock was that he did not win an NBA championship, though ironically the Lakers won 33 games in a row and the NBA Championship during the 1971-1972 season, the season Baylor retired only nine games into the campaign. With that resume how can he be underrated? I don’t know but he is. Whenever all-time forwards are discussed Baylor is somehow left out of the discussion.
Bernard King - BK was unstoppable. Period. This guy was a four-time NBA all-star who averaged 22.5 points per game - impressive but that doesn’t tell the whole story. King averaged 32.5 points per game at the height of his career, in the 1984-1985 season. His baseline turnaround and the way he finished on the break made him un-guardable. He sported back to back 50 point games in 1984, as well as a 34.8 points per game average in the 1984 playoffs and an outrageous 42.6 point per game average during the memorable five-game victory over the Detroit Pistons (the same series in which Isiah Thomas scored 16 points in 93 seconds to force game five into overtime). King blew out his knee so badly in March of 1985 that he missed two seasons of basketball, coming back to play in only six games in 1986. The ACL injury took away his explosiveness at the height of his career. King however worked diligently to return to his dominant form. Before his knee finally forced him to retire, King changed his game and raised his scoring average every year from 1987-1988 to 1990-1991, culminating in a 28.1 points per game average in 1991, good for third in the NBA that year.
Moses Malone - Despite being fifth in total points and fifth in total rebounds in NBA history Moses is conspicuously absent from the discussions of top centers. This guy was a monster on the boards and an unstoppable offensive force. He single handedly carried the Houston Rockets to the 1981 finals only to succumb to the Boston Celtics. And even the great 76ers teams of the early 80s with Dr. J., Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Bobby Jones, Daryl Dawkins and the like could not win without Moses. It took Malone’s arrival in Philadelphia to bring home that elusive championship in 1983.
Isiah Thomas - Zeke was one of the best players in NBA history and has an impressive resume: 12-time all-star, two-time NBA champion, fifth in NBA history in assists and thirteenth in league history in steals. Isiah is nonetheless UNDERRATED. When best point guard discussions take place, Isiah’s name is not mentioned often enough.
John Stockton - This guy was an iron-man, having played 82 games in 16 of his 19 NBA seasons (remember one was lockout-shortened) who will always be associated with Karl Malone. His numbers however, stand up to anyone who has ever played the point. In addition to being a 10-time all-star, Stockton is the NBA all-time leader in assists and steals by a mile (over 5,500 steals ahead of Mark Jackson and over 700 assists ahead of Michael Jordan). He only averaged 13.1 points per game for his career but could score if needed. He shot an astonishing 51.5% from the field and 82.6% from the line and sports an astounding assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.72.
Sixth Man
Kevin Johnson - While nobody would rank KJ as a top-5 point guard, he is nonetheless underrated. Put simply - KJ could play. He was quick and could shoot, score and pass the ball. Injuries limited him to 735 games so his numbers were not as impressive as they could have been, but KJ still leave behind an impressive body of work. The three-time all-star ranks sixth all-time in NBA history in assists per game at 9.1 and averaged over 20 points 10 assists in three straight seasons from 1988-1991, becoming one of only five NBA players to accomplish this feat, joining Nate Archibald, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, and Isiah Thomas.
Kevin Johnson - While nobody would rank KJ as a top-5 point guard, he is nonetheless underrated. Put simply - KJ could play. He was quick and could shoot, score and pass the ball. Injuries limited him to 735 games so his numbers were not as impressive as they could have been, but KJ still leave behind an impressive body of work. The three-time all-star ranks sixth all-time in NBA history in assists per game at 9.1 and averaged over 20 points 10 assists in three straight seasons from 1988-1991, becoming one of only five NBA players to accomplish this feat, joining Nate Archibald, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, and Isiah Thomas.
1 comment:
Don't sleep on Elvin "The Big E" Hayes and Hakeem the Dream
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