Overrated/Underrated Superstars: Sophomore Edition
Judging a player after one year isn't always the best antidote for success. Sometimes the evolution of talent takes longer than a season to develop.
In this slideshow, we looked back at a select group of players over the past two seasons with one burning question in mind: Are these individuals underrated assets or are they grossly overrated?
The leagues we dipped into are the NHL, MLB, NFL and NBA. Those four major sports bodies gave us enough fuel to select 12 people. Based on advanced metrics, impact and regular stats, we've gone out and labeled the following athletes underrated or overrated.
Ezekiel Ansah
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The Detroit Lions found themselves quite an edge-rusher when they drafted Ezekiel Ansah in 2013. The ex-BYU product went out and registered eight sacks in 14 games during his rookie season.
A total like that is impressive when you realize that he was a raw piece of talent coming into the league.
Pro Football Focus' advanced look at things showcased the ups and downs of his rookie campaign. Pulling in a negative-2.2 overall grade, Ansah wasn't dominant but he flashed enough potential to be deemed worthy.
Last season he grew. Ansah turned his negative-2.2 PFF grade into a positive-17.2 mark. That leap ranked him No. 5 among all 4-3 defensive ends.
His sack total may have gone down to 7.5, but that doesn't tell the real story. Ansah's pressure was relentless. His presence alone changed the entire Lions' defensive line.
Because of his numbers and maturity on the field, Ansah gets an underrated mark on his report card.
Conclusion: Underrated
Michael Carter-Williams
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Michael Carter-Williams is one of the greatest anomalies we've seen in the NBA. He's a guy who laces up the stat sheet with numbers, even winning a Rookie of the Year trophy.
Despite that, he was traded midway through his sophomore season and has faced a ton of criticism. If you were to flip MCW's trading card over, you'd think he was a fantastic NBA asset. His rookie year with the Philadelphia 76ers saw him put up 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
The negative to those numbers was the fact that he shot .405 from the field and had a player efficiency rating of 15.59—26th-best among active point guards in 2013-14.
His sophomore campaign wasn't any better. Carter-Williams' PER dropped to 14.13 and his totals took a hit as well. His 14.6 points and 5.3 assists were both lower than his debut campaign.
Carter-Williams definitely gets tagged with the overrated label despite his best efforts to rack up numbers.
Conclusion: Overrated
Star Lotulelei
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The Carolina Panthers need Star Lotulelei to be great. No. 98 may only have two seasons in the league, but his presence on that defensive front has become a defining trait for the organization.
Lotulelei was the No. 14 pick in the 2013 draft. Slugged in as a 4-3 defensive tackle, he found a way to get his hand in the ground and shake things up right away. Pro Football Focus dished out a positive-10.2 grade for all of his efforts in the trenches—including the postseason.
The man with the dope first name is a run-stopper. His 315-pound frame was built to keep rushing lanes closed. Lotulelei's pursuit of that goal carried on last year.
He wasn't as effective as he battled through injuries and endured a bit of a sophomore slump. His positive-8.7 grade was fine but not the second-year leap we hoped for.
Still, the fact he's remained a positive force makes him an underrated player. Perhaps 2015 will be his true breakout year.
Conclusion: Underrated
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Jose Abreu
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Jose Abreu's introduction to Major League Baseball came at age 27. As an older rookie, Abreu was able to contribute from the jump.
In 556 at-bats, Abreu hit 36 home runs and knocked in 136 RBI. His .317 average and .581 slugging percentage were also grandiose totals for a rookie.
His sophomore year is far from over, and despite a few struggles, Abreu is out there showcasing his knack for offense. ESPN.com's Doug Padilla explained:
"Consider this comparison: Abreu has 60 hits this season, 37 percent of them for extra bases. On this date last year he had 55 hits, with a whopping 62 percent of them going for extra bases. That extra-base hit total included 19 home runs."
He's clearly underrated for all the great things he does. When you talk about excellent hitters, Abreu doesn't get nearly the same love as some of his peers.
Conclusion: Underrated
Otto Porter Jr.
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The NBA draft is sometimes a lot more complicated in terms of development than the NFL or NHL. Aside from prospects who are deemed "can't miss," it takes a lot more time to mature in this league.
Otto Porter Jr. of the Washington Wizards is a shining example of that. Porter had a tough time finding a role during his rookie season. He averaged only 8.6 minutes per game coming off of the bench. It was frustrating to watch when you realized that the 6'8" wing player was gifted.
His 2014-15 adventure wasn't a lot better. Porter's minutes were upped to 19.4 per game but he was only able to score an average of six points every time he was out on the floor.
The turning point finally came during the postseason, as Jorge Castillo of theWashington Post wrote. That's when everything started clicking for Porter. He scored points, rebounded well and spaced the floor.
It will be intriguing to see if that type of play becomes normal for Porter. Assuming it does, we are going to stick Otto with an underrated grade for his brief NBA career.
Conclusion: Underrated
Victor Oladipo
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The 2013 NBA draft was mostly filled with duds. Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo wasn't one of them.
Oladipo has done well for himself playing for a dismal—but youthful—Orlando team. He's experimented by suiting up at point guard and shooting guard since his rookie year.
It took some time, but we've finally seen how good he can be. Oladipo turned everything around toward the middle of last season, as Bleacher Report's Alec Nathan beautifully laid out in written form.
Oladipo seems to have turned a corner with his skill set. He's a dynamic scorer who is rangy and doesn't take terrible shots. The Magic have found themselves an underrated player in the grand scheme of things who can be a building block for the future.
Conclusion: Underrated
Eddie Lacy
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Who said running backs aren't valuable? The Green Bay Packers found themselves a catalyst when they secured former Alabama tailback Eddie Lacy in the '13 draft.
Lacy is your classic power runner. He grooves between the tackles, takes defenders down with him and somehow has enough speed to turn on the jets and fuel past the competition.
For all of his trouble, bruises and efforts, Lacy has churned out back-to-back seasons with over 1,100 yards rushing and has scored 24 total touchdowns.
Speaking of TDs, Lacy has also became a pretty savvy pass-catcher as well. His 42 receptions for 427 yards and four scores in 2014 was a huge boost to the Packers offense.
Lacy is underrated because of all the quality halfbacks running around the league these days. But when push comes to shove, there are times when he's as good as any of those guys.
Conclusion: Underrated
Nathan MacKinnon
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Nathan MacKinnon came into his second season as the NHL's reigning Rookie of the Year award winner. In 82 games he scored 24 goals to go along with 39 assists.
That 63-point total was impressive and it gave the Colorado Avalanche another weapon they could throw out on the ice. Points like that attached high hopes to MacKinnon's sophomore season. Watching him work, you expected him to build on those numbers.
Instead, MacKinnon played in 64 contests, scoring only 14 goals to 24 assists. The drop-off was surprising to say the least.
It was all MacKinnon's fault though. The Avalanche went from 52 wins to 39 as they tried to find solutions. Even though he didn't play at his best, MacKinnon still showed promise. It will be interesting to see where his third season goes.
For now, let's stick him with the overrated tag just because of the numbers.
Conclusion: Overrated*
Tavon Austin
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Tavon Austin had a ton of hype leading up to the 2013 NFL draft. People who watched his collegiate tape thought he resembled Percy Harvin—an all-around weapon more than a true, route-running savant.
Austin even registered a 91.4 grade on NFL.com prior to being selected by the St. Louis Rams. That classification made him an "impact player" out of the gate.
Too bad a weird blend of misuse and a tough quarterback situation really put a damper on Austin's value. In two seasons he's managed to catch just 71 balls on 113 targets for 660 yards and four touchdowns.
Though he's done work on special teams, Austin hasn't developed like most had hoped for. Even without an ideal QB situation, talent like that should because to overcome. Austin has to be slapped with an overrated mark thanks to a serious drought in offensive production.
Conclusion: Overrated
Frederik Andersen
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Frederik Andersen is one of the best young goaltenders around. As one of the driving forces behind the recent success of the Anaheim Ducks, Andersen has turned in two ravishing seasons tending net.
In two years he's won 55 games to just 17 losses—pretty impressive for a 25-year-old dude. At 6'3", Andersen is a specimen in net. His reach is crazy—and combined with flexibility it's a sinister combination.
The Ducks have a bright future ahead as long as he stays in net. Already one of the top goalies in the sport, Andersen is criminally underrated these days.
Conclusion: Underrated
DeAndre Hopkins
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DeAndre Hopkins is a tremendous football player. Playing Robin to Andre Johnson's Batman for two seasons with the Houston Texans, Hopkins wasn't given nearly as much credit as he deserved.
Even with ringers like Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Mallett at quarterback, the man they call "Nuk" caught 76 passes for 1,210 yards and six touchdowns in 2014.
Known for having some of the best hands in the league, Hopkins has been a linchpin on Pro Football Focus' rankings. His drop rate of 3.80 was good enough for eighth-best among qualifying pass-catchers last season.
Hopkins puts up numbers without a brilliant quarterback slinging him the ball. It will be interesting to see his climb to greatness continue without Johnson in 2015.
Conclusion: Underrated
Jacob deGrom
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The New York Mets' Jacob deGrom is quickly rising to stardom behind a blistering fastball and excellent control.
Bursting onto the scene last season, deGrom was electric for the Mets. In 22 games he finished with a 9-6 record. But those totals weren't what made us drool over his potential.
DeGrom's real worth came by way of his 2.69 ERA and 144 strikeouts. That sheer command over the plate was staggering.
He's off to another strong start in '15, winning seven games and striking out 93 batters. Even better, his 2.34 ERA is lower than last season.
Watch out for deGrom, as this gunslinger looks like the real deal.
Conclusion: Underrated
All statistics and game information via Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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