We think we know these athletes, but the televised images are so incomplete. Fans form opinions based on very little information, mixed with a lot of emotion.

These are the perfect dynamics for "misunderstood," a label that you could apply to nearly half the league.  When it comes to the most mocked players, players who could most aptly be known as "misunderstood," Ron "Metta World Peace" Artest and JaVale McGee top the list.

Metta is sometimes known for being hilarious, but fans forget all that whenever he embroils himself in a controversy. The James Harden elbow is a prominent example. One bad Metta act, and people were ready to suspend the man for life. In the aftermath of the incident, Ron was his usual funny, over-sharing self. He's never been any one thing, always a mix.

JaVale is a different kind of maligned. Nobody thinks he's a bad guy, but fans and media love to mock his mistakes. McGee's an improving, young big man, one who demonstrated some serious quality in these last playoffs. By many accounts, he strives hard to get better. For observers to grasp this, results on the floor will have to be forthcoming. 

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