Image via Complex Original
In a league full of overrated stars and Draft busts, is it really possible to be underrated? Yes. There are ballers who quietly post up numbers on par with the “greats” of certain eras but have been overlooked for a variety of reasons. Maybe it was because of the mediocre teams/cities they played for, their future Hall of Fame teammates, injuries which cut careers short or the fact that they were complete assholes (what up, Bill Laimeer?!). But we’re here to give some shine to the unsung heroes of the L. So, from E.T. Sam Cassell and Grant Hill to Bernard King and Joe Dumars these are the 25 Greatest Underrated NBA Players of All Time.
25. Alex English
Years: 1976-1991
Teams: Bucks, Pacers, Nuggets, Mavs
Two big things happened in the '80s: Crack hit and Alex English went H.A.M. Upon his arrival in Denver in 1980, English went on a decade-long scoring spree which saw him average 25.2 PPG. During that 10-year period English only averaged less than 20 PPG in one season, 1989-1990 when he posted 17.9 PPG. He won the scoring title in 1983 and put up 29.8 PPG in 1985-86. So he scored more than anyone else during the '80s, yet he was somehow overshadowed by Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and MJ-the NBA where amazing happens.
24. Grant Hill
Years: 1994-present
Teams: Pistons, Magic, Suns
Before LeBron and Kobe, Grant Hill was supposed to be the next Michael Jordan. He came into the league and lived up to expectations seemingly from day one. He won co-Rookie of the year honors (with Jason Kidd) in 1995, made six consecutive All-Star teams, won a gold medal with team USA at the '96 Olympics, and averaged 21 PPG over his first six seasons. Then in April of 2000 came the beginning of ankle injuries that would plague him for the next several seasons. He only played in 47 games over the next three seasons and would never really return to the Grant Hill of the '90s, but his perseverance did lead him to return and play in all 82 games in the 2008-09 season and he helped lead the Suns to the WCF in 2010. Grant Hill ranks among the elite of his era and would be a sure-fire Hall of Famer had it not been for the injury bug. #whatcouldvebeen
23. Otis Thorpe
Years: 1984-2001
Teams: Kings, Rockets, Trail Blazers, Pistons, Wizards, Heat, Hornets
Best known as a rebounding machine, Thorpe was also an efficient scorer, and a key member of the Rockets' '94 championship team. The ninth pick in the loaded '84 draft, Thorpe averaged 20 and 10 for the Kings in 1987-88, but it was after being traded to the Rockets prior to the '88-'89 season that he blossomed alongside Hakeem Olajuwon in the Houston front court. Thorpe was consistently among the league leaders in field goal percentage, made an All-Star team in '92, and played in 542 consecutive games at one point. In the '94 Playoffs, he averaged just shy of a double-double, with 11.3 points and 9.9 boards in 23 games.
22. Bill Laimbeer
Years: 1980-1994
Teams: Cavaliers, Pistons
His legacy is tainted (and justifiably so) by his status as the baddest of the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys, but cheap shots aside, Bill Laimbeer was one of the best players in the NBA during the '80s. A nimble big man whose sweet jumper belied his decidedly unsweet post game, Laimbeer averaged a double-double playing every single game of the 1982-83 through 1987-88 seasons. He averaged close to a double-double (12 and 9.7) in 113 career playoff games. And, needless to say, he was adept at the dirty work.
21. Manu Ginobili
Years: 2002-present
Teams: Spurs
All foreign players are soft and have no "real" game? Think again, son. Well, at least in regards the latter part. Manu quietly played a pivotal roll in the Spurs "Sleepy Dynasty" throughout the 2000s. He's only been named to two All-Star teams (2005, 2011) and his highest individual achievement was winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2008 but anyone who stayed up to watch the Spurs win those three titles knows that it really wouldn't have been possible without Manu. During San Antonio's 2005 and 2007 title runs Manu averaged 18 PPG 5 APG. Those numbers put a lot of well-known starting guards to shame.
20. Mario Elie
Years: 1991-2001
Teams: 76ers, Warriors, Trail Blazers, Rockets, Spurs, Suns
He didn't break into the league for good until he was 27, and only played 11 seasons, but Mario Elie made the most of his chance, picking up three rings for two different teams as one of the '90s greatest role players. The 160th overall pick in the 1985 Draft, Elie bounced around Europe before signing a series of 10-day contracts and securing a spot in the L playing for Don Nelson's Run TMC Warriors squads. He made his rep though with the Rockets, playing a key role in the Clutch City championships in '94 and '95 (including as a starter in the '95 Finals when he averaged 16 PPG). He picked up another Texas trophy with San Antonio in '99. He was a lot like John Starks, another overlooked shooting guard who made a name for himself in the mid-'90s-except Elie had a little better luck when it counted.
19. Terry Cummings
Years: 1982-2000
Teams: Clippers, Bucks, Spurs, SuperSonics, 76ers, Knicks, Warriors
He averaged a double-double as a 21-year-old rookie for the lowly San Diego Clippers in 1982-83, but it's for his leading role on two on the cusp teams that Terry Cummings is best remembered. He averaged 20+ PPG for the Bucks during their playoff runs to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1986, and EC Semis in 1987, and put up nearly 25 and 10 alongside rookie David Robinson for the 1990 Spurs team that stretched the eventual conference champion Trail Blazers to seven games in the Western Conference Semis that year. He suited up for 110 career playoff games, playing significant minutes as a 35-year-old for the Pacific Division-winning SuperSonics in 1997.
18. Gus Williams
Years: 1975-1987
Teams: Warriors, SuperSonics, Bullets, Hawks
Williams was out of the league by the age of 33, but he made the best of his truncated career, and enshrined himself as a Seattle icon in the process. A 6'2" shoot-first point guard, he dominated the 1979 Finals alongside Dennis Johnson, averagng 28.6 points for the series (the MVP went to Johnson). After having his best year in 1979-80, Williams sat out the entire 1980-81 season because of a contract dispute, but went on to have two more excellent seasons with the Sonics before signing with the Bullets and fading into obscurity.
17. Larry Nance
Years: 1981-1994
Teams: Suns, Cavaliers
A power forward/center with a wingman's hops, Nance was a key member of a Cleveland Cavaliers nucleus that won 54 or more games three times in a five-year span in the late '80s and early '90s. He won the Slam Dunk contest in 1984, but it was his mid-range game and defense that made him one of the most valuable under the radar players during his career. He averaged 17 and 8 for his career, and shot below .520 only once (he posted a .546 career shooting percentage). If not for some dude named Jordan and his "Shot," Nance and the rest of the Lenny Wilkens era Cavs would've had a lot more shine.
16. Mookie Blaylock
Years: 1989-2002
Teams: Nets, Hawks, Warriors
In addition to his underrated role in rock n' roll history (Pearl Jam was originally named after him, and their first album, 10, is an homage to his jersey number), Mookie Blaylock was an underrated star of the '90s NBA. He was first team all defense twice ('94 and '95) and second team all defense four times ('95-'99), but he could also score and dish, averaging nearly 14 and 7 for his career. And with a squad that inlcuded the likes of Jud Buechler and Tate George, be thankful Pearl Jam chose Mookie to pay tribute to.
15. Detlef Schrempf
Years: 1985-2001
Teams: Mavericks, Pacers, SuperSonics, Blazers
If their were a Hall of Fame for "glue" players, Detlef Schrempf would be one of the charter members. In a nine season stretch beginning in 1989-90, Schrempf put up a series of consecutive very good seasons, including three excellent ones ('92-'93, '94-'95, '97-'98). He was a key member of the mid '90s Sonics squads that gave the '96 Bulls a challenge in the Finals. For you '90s Babies: Imagine a taller Manu Ginobili who handled the ball less-and somehow had an even worse haircut.
14. Sam Perkins
Years: 1984-2001
Teams: Mavericks, Lakers, Sonics, Pacers
He never quite lived up to the promise of being the 4th overall pick in the 1984 draft, but Big Smooth was the Robert Horry of his day, albeit with fewer game-winning shots and body checks but more steady production. He went to the Finals with three different teams ('91 Lakers, '96 Sonics, '00 Pacers), and went to a Conference Finals with a fourth ('86 Mavericks). He was a 6'9" three-point specialist who could still bang in the paint, and while he never made an All-Star team and his career numbers aren't extraordinary (12 and 6, both numbers diminished by his curtailed role late in his career), his 164 playoff games played speak to his value as a player.
13. Kevin Johnson
Years: 1987-2000
Teams: Cavaliers, Suns
If professional basketball players were teflon robots that never got injured the Trail Blazers would be in the Western Conference Finals right now on the coattails of Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, and Kevin Johnson would be in the Hall of Fame. The author of one of the all-time greatest dunks in Playoffs history, Johnson nearly won a title in Phoenix with Charles Barkley in 1993. But what's often forgotten is that KJ led the Suns to consecutive trips to the Western Conference Finals in '89 and '90 (schooling a still-in-his-prime Magic Johnson along the way) at the ripe old ages of 22 and 23, averaging better than 20 points and 10 assists in his first two trips to the Playoffs. He's one of only three players to average 20 points and 10 assists for three consecutive seasons (the others are named Isiah and Oscar), and one of only three players to average 20 and 12 for a season (the others are named Isiah and Magic).
12. Terry Porter
Years: 1985-2002
Teams: Trail Blazers, Timberwolves, Heat, Spurs
He was never great, but for a half-decade stretch in the late '80s and early '90s, he was really, really good on some really, really good (almost great!) Portland teams. He averaged a double-double (points and assists) in 1987-88, and had a five-year stretch averaging 8+ assists and 13+ points. He played in only two All-Star games, but did make two Finals, averaging 20+ points in the Playoffs in each of the Blazers Finals runs.
11. Sam Cassell
Years: 1993-2008
Teams: Rockets, Suns, Mavs, Nets, Bucks, T-Wolves, Clippers, Celtics
Most mentions of Sam Cassell immediately reference his alien-like features but the truth is dude was a pretty damn good baller, too. In his rookie and sophomore seasons he was a role player averaging 20 MPG and 10 PPG in the playoffs during Houston's back-to-back title run. His glory years came in Milwaukee where he averaged 19 PPG and 7 APG from 1998 to 2003 and helped the Bucks reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001 alongside Ray Allen and Michael Redd.
10. Adrian Dantley
Years: 1976-1991
Teams: Braves, Pacers, Lakers, Jazz, Pistons, Mavericks, Bucks
Adrian Dantley was the non-Forrest Gump of the NBA-every time something cool started to happen for the team he played for, he got shipped out of town. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1977 for Buffalo-and was promptly traded to the Pacers. After 23 games with Indiana, he was traded to the Lakers, where he played alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for two years before being traded during training camp to the Jazz for Spenser Haywood, just after the Lake Show had drafted some guy named Magic. Dantley then had six great seasons with the Jazz, leading the league in scoring twice and averaging more than 30 PPG during three full seasons (and 29.8 during a fourth), before being traded to the Pistons a year after some guy named Malone arrived; two years after his buddy Stockton came to Utah. Dantley got even closer to the promised land with the Pistons: He led Detroit in scoring in three of the seven games of the 1988 Finals that the Bad Boys lost, only to be traded at the deadline next year to play out his days in the basketball purgatory called Dallas. He had his No. 4 retired by the Jazz in 2007-a year after Stockton and Malone had statues unveiled outside the Delta Center.
9. Chauncey Billups
Years: 1997-present
Teams: Celtics, Raptors, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Pistons, Knicks, Clippers
It's hard to call a guy who's been named to five All-Star Games "underrated," but take this quick trivia quiz and see if you realize just how good Chauncey Billups is: Who has a higher single-season Win Share mark, Billups or Kobe Bryant? Spoiler alert: It's Billups (we wouldn't have asked the question if the answer was Kobe). In 2005-06, Billups had his best season, posting 15.5 Win Shares; that same season, Kobe posted 15.3 (that was the year Kobe averaged 35 points per game-hey, we didn't say Win Shares were a perfect metric). Every team could use a Chauncey Billups. And the Knicks could really, really use a Chauncey Billups.
8. Rod Strickland
Years: 1988-2005
Teams: Knicks, Spurs, Blazers, Wizards, Heat, T-Wolves, Magic, Raptors, Rockets
BJ Armstrong's made an All-Star team. Jamaal Magloire made an All-Star team. Yao Ming made about 15 All-Star games without even playing. But Rod Strickland never made an All-Star team (and famously said he wouldn't show if he ever was selected-which he wasn't). He was an All-NBA second team selection in 1998, and finished in the top 10 in assists seven times in an eight-year stretch in the '90s. Maybe if he hadn't left two teams (the Knicks and Spurs) under contentious circumstances, he could've shown off his City Game in an All-Star contest.
7. Joe Dumars
Years: 1985-1999
Teams: Pistons
When you play on a squad dubbed the "Bad Boys" you're not going to stand out much if you're the guy draining jumpers all day while your teammates are trucking anyone who comes down the lane. But Joe Dumars played a pivotal, if not the most significant role in the Pistons' back-to-back title run. Dumars averaged 17.5 PPG and 5 APG over those two seasons but the 1989 NBA Finals is where he went H.A.M averaging 27.3 PPG in Detroits sweep of the Lakers. Oh yeah, did we mention that MJ said Dumars was the best defender he ever came across? Good D >>>...Ayo!
6. Byron Scott
Years: 1983-1997
Teams: Lakers, Pacers, Grizzlies
Kareem was the post presence par excellence, Worthy was the slasher, and Magic was, well, Magic, but the Showtime Lakers squads of the mid-'80s wouldn't have been the same without Byron Scott. He never made an All-Star team, but he started nearly 50 games for the Lakers as a rookie in 1983-84, and only in his final year, a farewell reunion with the Lake Show in 1996-97, did he average fewer than 10 points in a season. With Kareem on the decline, Scott became the Lakers third offensive option during their repeat season in 1988, and he responded, averaging 19+ points a game in L.A.'s run. Scott also made key contributions in limited minutes to the Pacers back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals teams in '94 and '95.
5. Shawn Marion
Years: 1999-present
Teams: Suns, Heat, Raptors, Mavericks
If he'd played a few more years in a Mike D'Antoni offense, we might be talking about Shawn Marion as a potential Hall of Famer. As it is, Marion will go down as an all-time all-around player. One of five players in NBA history to record 1,500 steals and 1,000 blocks (the othes are named Olajuwon, Malone, Erving, and Garnett), Marion was also in the top five in the league in rebounding and steals twice. He won a chip in 2011 with the Mavs-against the Heat, the team that traded him for Jermaine O'Neal and Jamario Moon (the Heat might've regretted that trade).
4. Bernard King
Years: 1977-1993
Teams: Nets, Jazz, Warriors, Knicks, Bullets, Nets
The numbers/stats don't lie but the folks on the Naismith Hall of Fame committees certainly do. Bernard King made four All-Star teams, two All-NBA First Teams, and won a scoring title in 1985 but apparently those aren't HOF-worthy accomplishments. Setting the New Jersey Nets record for most points in a season (1,909) as a rookie, scoring 50+ plus points in consecutive games with the Knicks in January of 1984, and lighting up the Nets (as a Knick) for 60 on Christmas Day the next season apparently aren't good enough either. Yes, tearing his ACL in 1985 robbed him of a career that would've put him on par with the all-time greats of his era but even then King bounced back to average 20+ PPG over four of the next six seasons before continuous knee problems brought his career to an end in 1993. Based on consistency and perseverance alone, Bernard King should've been in the Hall a while ago.
3. Jack Sikma
Years: 1977-1991
Teams: SuperSonics, Bucks
Jack Sikma is the Bert Blyleven, and not just because of the Nordic surname. Now that Artis Gilmore is in the Hall of Fame, there's a vocal contingent nominating Sikma for the title of Biggest HOF Snub, and with good reason. Across a 15-year career, was a rare breed: An annual double-double center who also once led the league in free throw percentage. As a rookie, Sikma was a key contributor to the Sonics team that lost the Finals in seven games to the Bullets; in his second year, he put up nearly 15 and 12 to help lead Seattle to its only chip. After joining the Bucks in the twilight of his career, he developed a three-point game, becoming one of the first big man arc assassins for a Milwaukee team that was a perennial on-the-cusp contender.
2. Horace Grant
Years: 1987-2004
Teams: Bulls, Magic, Sonics, Lakers
The Alfred to Jordan and Pippen's Batman and Robin, Horace Grant has always been acknowledged as a key component of the Bulls' first threepeat, but you can make the argument that during a couple of those years it could've been Scottie doing the butlering back at the Batcave. Grant had two legitimately great years with the Bulls: in 1991-92 when he averaged 14 and 10, and 1993-94 when he averaged 15 and 11 and made his lone All-Star team. In his first nine trips to the playoffs with Chicago and Orlando, he failed to shoot better than .540 only twice, and in addition to his three chips in Chi-Town, he picked up a ring with the Lakers in '01 and helped guide the Magic to the Finals in '95.
1. Sidney Moncrief
Years: 1979-1991
Teams: Bucks, Hawks
If not for a degenerative knee condition that forced him to retire at the age of 33, Sid Moncrief wouldn't be on this list-because he'd be in the Hall of Fame and there'd be a statue of him outside the Bradley Center. In the mid-'80s, Moncrief was the leader of a Milwaukee Bucks team that would've been the best of that decade if not for a couple guys name Bird and Magic. Between 1982 and 1986, Moncrief was named to four All-NBA second teams, one All-NBA first team, and was named defensive player of the year twice. He's also got one of the greatest nicknames in NBA history: Sid the Squid.