Building the 2013 NBA Playoffs All-Underappreciated First Team

The 2013 NBA playoffs have showcased some of the top talents on the planet. However, there are a host of other players who remain out of the spotlight, yet have a great amount to do with those elite guys getting a shot at a ring.

You won't find any of these players having Gatorade-infused nightmares or traveling back in time to apply sunscreen in commercials this year. Nor will many of them be rushing to the bank this weekend to deposit a monstrous NBA check.

Instead, these players often remain on the outskirts of public conscious. They enter from time to time, coming up with a big shot or big game when their team needs it most. That is how they've gotten to where they are now.

Some of these guys have had to struggle and claw their way to playing time on a postseason roster. They've spent the season, and sometimes their entire careers, carving out a niche in the league. Others have simply lost their way, falling into lulls without producing on the big stage.

They won't get the credit they deserve, because the NBA is built for stars. These guys didn't play on February 17 in Houston.

We can't appreciate them because we can't even see them beyond the superstar glow. Here is where they get their due.

All statistics accurate as of June 1, 2013.

Point Guard

George Hill, Indiana Pacers

With no Danny Granger in these games, the Indiana Pacers have had to seek offense elsewhere. One of the places they've struck gold is with George Hill at starting point guard.

A year ago, Hill split time with Darren Collison, barely edging out the starting spot in the middle of the year. Now he is a key player on a team with a shot to go to the NBA Finals. 

Hill isn't in the conversation with Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo as one of the league's elite point guards. However, he's proving with every game that he may have what it takes to counter Tony Parker, should he get the chance.

While far from perfect, Hill has really bolstered the Pacers in a background role across the board. His 14.6 points and 4.4 assists per game have been a fairly consistent addition to Indiana's offense, while his size has given the team a point of attack on defense.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, Hill has had a real hand in limiting the quality opportunities seen by Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers. As a very active defender, Hill is racking up deflections and turning them around quickly on the fast break.

Roy Hibbert and Paul George will see a lot of attention for their stellar play, but without Hill, their team wouldn't still be alive.

Second Team: Nate Robinson, Chicago Bulls

Shooting Guard

Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors were the NBA's Cinderella team this postseason, entering as a No. 6 seed and forcing the San Antonio Spurs to Game 6 of the conference semifinals. They upset the Denver Nuggets in Round 1.

The star of the team, and of the opening rounds across the league, was Stephen Curry. Curry got virtually all the attention granted to Golden State. He deserved it, too, playing fantastically throughout the team's 12 games.

However, there was another guy playing right alongside Curry in their first-ever postseason. Klay Thompson watched the media storm Curry and the fan adoration that followed. All Thompson did was keep shooting.

Thompson averaged 15.2 points per game through the playoffs, playing an outrageous 41.3 minutes a night. Curry dumped in 23.4 points on average, but Thompson actually shot better percentages. His 42.4 percent clip from beyond the arc and 43.7 overall mark were better than Curry's.

He also managed to grab more rebounds and play a larger role defensively for the club. Thompson appears quiet and almost shy on the floor, but his 6'7" frame is enough to be imposing.

With his stroke from downtown and unassuming style, the 23-year-old will be getting more recognition as time goes on.

Second Team: Marco Belinelli, Chicago Bulls

Small Forward

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

You'll be hearing quite a bit in the coming weeks about Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich going for their fifth title. There will also be noise about Tony Parker as the best point guard in the league and going for NBA Finals MVP No. 2. 

Lost in the shuffle through three rounds of the postseason is Kawhi Leonard. The San Antonio Spurs' 21-year-old small forward has added a new dimension to the team. His length and athleticism on the wing are something the Spurs have missed in recent years. 

In just his second NBA season, the former No. 15 pick has solidified his spot as a starter on a championship contender. It isn't just that Leonard has improved throughout his two seasons; it is that he has elevated his game even more in the playoffs.

Popovich had no choice but to ease the playing time of the Spurs' backups in the playoffs, meaning more usage for Leonard. He has responded to a six-minute-per-game increase by posting 13 points and eight rebounds a night, both improvements over his regular season. His 37.1 minutes a night are the most on the team.

Leonard's shooting has been a revelation for the Spurs. He is shooting a scalding 56.5 percent from the field after three rounds. That includes a 41.7 percent clip from beyond the arc.

Defensively, Leonard has been an asset to the aging Spurs core. His ability to help and recover on the perimeter has caused problems for each team they have faced and will be crucial to slowing whoever comes out of the Eastern Conference.

Second Team: Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors

Power Forward

Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls

Looking at Carlos Boozer's paycheck this season, it would be hard to claim he isn't appreciated. 

Boozer made $15 million this past year, which is a healthy sum for a player who hadn't gotten the job done in the playoffs for quite some time. In 2013, he put that common jab to rest with a spectacular and consistent performance.

Boozer has been the subject of a fair amount of trade and amnesty rumors lately, only adding to his lack of appreciation. Those rumors should be cleared up with the Chicago Bulls' recent run through the postseason. 

Boozer was the most consistent producer for Chicago all year, playing in 79 regular-season games. In the postseason, he kept right on chugging with 16.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. In the Bulls' final game of the playoffs, Boozer posted 26 points and 14 rebounds against the Miami Heat.

Injuries hampered the Bulls late in the season, but Boozer's consistency helped them plow through stretches. In the playoffs, he and Joakim Noah were finally able to get into a real rhythm together.

He also adapted to the sometimes difficult stylings of Nate Robinson at the point. For that, Boozer really had to be on point with his mid-range accuracy. Hitting those shots, particularly from the baseline, caused a lot of problems defensively for the Brooklyn Nets in Round 1.

After this performance, the Bulls should have little concern about moving ahead with Boozer at power forward.

Second Team: Chandler Parsons, Houston Rockets

Center

Andrew Bogut, Golden State Warriors

Like Carlos Boozer, Andrew Bogut isn't hurting financially. Also like Boozer, Bogut proved a lot this postseason.

For once, Bogut wasn't the Golden State Warriors' big man who went down with an injury. Just as soon as the postseason began for the Warriors, David Lee tore his hip flexor. That left Bogut in a thin backcourt, with very little skill behind him.

It had been seven years since Bogut saw the playoffs, and this time he was ready to go. He finished averaging 7.2 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, adding 1.5 blocks a night defensively. While he didn't score a ton, Bogut was efficient with his opportunities, shooting 58.2 percent from the field.

With a team that takes as many low-percentage shots as the Warriors do, it is incredibly important to have a skilled rebounder. Bogut gave the Warriors a great chance to get second chances on failed possessions. 

The guys taking those shots got a lot of credit, with Stephen Curry and Jarrett Jack garnering serious recognition. However, without Bogut, this team may not have survived the Denver Nuggets in Round 1. In the closeout game of that series, Bogut posted 14 points, 21 rebounds and four blocks.

Unfortunately, the San Antonio Spurs had too deep of a frontcourt for Bogut to contend with, and they eventually got the better of him and the Warriors. He has one year left on that healthy contract, and this postseason went a long way toward comforting the Warriors' nerves.

Second Team: Tiago Splitter, San Antonio Spurs

Sixth Man

Quincy Pondexter, Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies held tight with the San Antonio Spurs but ultimately were waxed out of the Western Conference Finals in four games. That happened because their stars simply didn't show up at times.

Quincy Pondexter, on the other hand, led the team in scoring for the series. His 15.3 points per game tied Mike Conley for the most on the Grizzlies. He scored 15 or more in three of the games and went for seven points and nine rebounds on 3-of-6 shooting in the other.

In the elimination game that wound up sending Memphis home for good, Pondexter poured in 22 points off the bench, going 7-of-11 from the field and 5-of-7 from the line. 

Overall, Pondexter hit 12 of 25 threes in the series and shot 45.3 percent from there throughout the postseason.

Memphis' big names are defensive harassers or post scorers. What it needed was a perimeter shooter this postseason, and that is exactly what Pondexter provided.

He won't get a ton of attention from the national press, nor will he make more than a couple million dollars next season, but maybe Miss Tennessee can show the Grizzlies reserve some appreciation.

Second Team: Chris Andersen, Miami Heat

Head Coach

Frank Vogel, Indiana Pacers

There is something truly special about what Frank Vogel has done with these Indiana Pacers in just under three years. He has gone from an interim coach role after Jim O'Brien was fired to coaching deep into an Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat in just two complete seasons.

He's been an NBA head coach for just 185 regular-season games, and in that short time he has become one of the best. His team lost its leading scorer from a year ago in Danny Granger, an All-Star in 2009, and has actually improved. 

He has overseen the growth of Paul George into a legitimate star in the league, and helped Lance Stephenson grow from a guy averaging 10.5 minutes per game last year into a real starting guard and offensive weapon for the Pacers. 

For all of this, Vogel received just three first-place votes for Coach of the Year. He finished in fifth place behind George Karl and Mike Woodson, both eliminated, as well as Erik Spoelstra and Gregg Popovich. Lionel Hollins earned more first-place votes as well.

He got a lot of criticism for pulling Roy Hibbert twice defensively in the Game 1 loss. While he deserved a lot of that, he focused on keeping his team ready and stole Game 2 in Miami.

Vogel's team isn't deep, but for the postseason it hasn't needed to be. Thanks to his defensive schemes and player development, the Pacers should be at the top of the Eastern Conference for years to come.

Second Team: Lionel Hollins, Memphis Grizzlies