Top Five Most Underrated Players in the NBA

Some players are just forgotten about and don't get enough credit. It may be because they are on a bad team. It may be because they don't market themselves as well as LeBron might. Yet, they come out and perform without praise from the major sports' media outlets. Underrated players are defined by how good they are versus how much credit they receive.

On the other hand there are players who receive far too much credit for their play. The players who get too much attention are players like Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson, Shaq , and J.R. Smith. Too much of the time attention is given to flamboyant, flashy players over fundamental, consistent players. That is why I am making a list of the most underrated players in the NBA. Someone has to give them credit. I will be judging this list by stats, their value to their team, and how much attention they get.

1. Gerald Wallace

Gerald Wallace is only the third player ever to average two blocks and two steals. Yet, he has never made an All-Star game until this year. He is hardly ever mentioned simply because he plays for the Bobcats. If the playoffs were today, the Bobcats would be the eighth seed in the east with a overall record of 22-22, all thanks to Gerald Wallace. This year Wallace is averaging 18.6 points, 11 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.8 blocks.

2. Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh scores very consistently but is never talked about as being the best power forward in the NBA. He has the best stats out of all power forwards in the league. Bosh averages 24 points and 11 boards. He has a great high post game, and at times he is basically unstoppable. He is probably underrated because his team has a bad overall record, likewise he plays in a small market city.

3. David Lee

David Lee works hard night in and night out. Yet, he doesn't receive any credit because he plays on the Knicks. Lee averages 19 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field. Those are All-Star stats and he deserves All-Star recognition. I know he is not an exciting player, never does fancy dunks, or chucks powder in the air making a mess like LeBron. But, you shouldn't have to do that to receive attention.

4. Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez is a solid center who can give you a double double on a consistent basis. Yet no one cares about him at all because he is an awfully boring player and because he plays on the depressing Nets. Whereas Shaq plays 23 minutes a game and hardly does anything while receiving triple the credit.

5. Antawn Jamison

Antawn Jamison can hurt you from anywhere on the court. I think Gilbert Arenas' incident took everyone's attention away from Jamison's abilities as a player. Jamison is averaging 21 points and eight rebounds. He is one of the best power forwards in NBA. I think he should be mentioned more often as such.