The Top Five NBA Players: Overrated? Underrated? Or Just Plain Rated? You Decide

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Have you ever noticed that while some people consider players to be overrated, others consider them to be underrated. The truth is that you can make a case for any player being overrated or underrated. Down below I’m going to show that even the best five players in the league can be considered both.

1. LeBron James

Underrated

Last year James finished fourth in the MVP voting even though statistically he had a very similar year to this year. His averages of around 28 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists have never consistently been reached by any other player in NBA history.

However, people have still found reasons to criticize him, whether it be because of his outside shooting, or his hesitancy to consistently drive hard to the lane. Arguably, no one has done more with less, and it is possible that he is underrated.

Overrated

LeBron James has showed in the past, by virtue of his .411 field-goal percentage and .257 three-point percentage in the playoffs last year, that he doesn’t always translate his great regular season stats into the playoffs. If he had played better last year in the playoffs, the Cavaliers most likely would have beaten the Celtics. If he is considered the best player in the NBA, than he needs to show up in the playoffs.

Verdict:  Just Plain Rated

2. Kobe Bryant

Underrated

How is it that Kobe Bryant has only won one MVP award in his career (one less than Steve Nash)?

Even though his team has the best record in the NBA right now, he isn’t the favorite to win the MVP. Usually the best player on the best team wins the MVP award, but that seems unlikely to happen this year. He has virtually no physical flaws in his game, and he can pretty much do whatever he wants.

However, because there are so many fans that don’t like Kobe Bryant because of his cockiness and arrogance, in some ways he has become underrated.

Overrated

How is it possible that a player who has zero NBA Finals MVP’s is often compared to Michael Jordan, who has six? Many Lakers fans truly believe that he is as good as Jordan even though his stats, individual achievements, and team achievements are all inferior.

If he is considered one of the best closers and clutch players in the game, than why is it that he has shot under .405 percent in four out of his five Finals appearances. Even if he has no physical flaws in his game, he clearly has exhibited mental ones.

He often fails to be a true team leader (read Curt Schilling’s blog), and when things go badly like in the finals last year, he tends to disappear.

Verdict: Overrated

3. Dwyane Wade

Underrated

Do people forget just how good he was in the NBA playoffs four years ago? John Hollinger of ESPN  ranked Wade’s Finals performance as the greatest ever.

Yet players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, who have not stepped up in the NBA Finals, are considered better. Wade has proven that he can lead a team to a title, while the other two haven’t yet (sorry, Shaq lead the Lakers, not Kobe).

He has been banged up the last couple years, and thus he started off this season under the radar. Now that Wade is healthy and playing like the old Wade, I would be scared to face him come playoff time.

Overrated

If he is put in the same category as James and Bryant, why is it that his team is only 35-29? Is LeBron's team really that much better than Wade's? You would think with teammates like Jermaine O’Neal, Dequan Cook, Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, and Udonis Haslem, that his team’s record would be better.

Verdict: Underrated

4. Chris Paul

Underrated

How has he disappeared from the MVP voting this year? He is having almost the exact same season statistically this year, and is easily the best point guard in the league. His team record may be worse, but it’s not his fault his bench has virtually disappeared and most of his teammates' numbers have dropped this year.

Overrated

Why is Chris Paul already getting compared to Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, and all the other great point guards in NBA history? He is only in his fourth season and the comparisons need to stop until he does something to earn it.

Verdict: Just Plain Rated

5. Dwight Howard

Underrated

Some people claim that he is overrated because he doesn’t have a polished offensive game yet. However, what truly makes Howard great is his ability to rebound and dominate defensively. He leads the league in blocks and rebounding, a feat that not many have accomplished. Howard may not have the offensive stats that Shaq had at a similar age, but his team’s record is just as good.

Overrated

For a player who is already supposedly taken over for Shaq as the league's most dominant player, he still has a lot of work to do. He still lacks a fundamental post game, and he doesn’t always demand the ball, as evidenced by his 12.5 attempts per game. Shaq at a similar age, averaged 29.3 PPG with a .599 FG percentage, but Howard only averages 20.9 PPG with a 57.2 FG percentage.

He always gets the attention when his team wins, but people tend to forget that his team is pretty good. Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson/Rafer Alston, and his bench, are no slouches.

Verdict: Overrated

What do you think?