NBA: The Most Underrated Player in Each Team's History

With every NBA franchise, there will always be a few players who you think of immediately.

They are players simply synonymous with the franchise's name; like Bill Russell with the Boston Celtics or Magic Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers. They go hand in hand because of the accolades and successes that those franchise players brought unlike any other who had attempted to before and after.

Rather than hyping one of those players up again, this particular piece is dedicated to the players who brought some sort of success or attention to the team but didn't get too much credit for what they did. They're underrated players that don't get the credit that they deserve until now.

Break out your history books for this one, because the names that are featured are players that aren't exactly perennial All-Stars or players who you'll hear every day on ESPN. These are the players that brought some sort of success to the teams where the franchise player was taking up most of the attention.

Atlanta Hawks: Mookie Blaylock

Reaching his lone All-Star Game as a member of the Hawks, point guard Mookie Blaylock saw some of the best years of his career come with Atlanta.

The team would also have some of its most successful postseason runs with Blaylock leading the way, as they would make it to five consecutive playoffs during his time, with three conference semifinals appearances. They would also tie a franchise high with 57 wins in the 1993-94 season, as the team won the Central Division.

Blaylock never had extreme statistics, but did average his career high when he averaged 17 points per game in the 1994-95 and 1996-97 seasons. He also led the league in steals per game for two consecutive years.

He also managed to finish in the top three in three-pointers made between 1994 and 1997, and he would even make it onto two All-Defensive First Teams and four All-Defensive Second Teams, all of those selections coming as a member of the Hawks.

Boston Celtics: Tom Heinsohn

When you think about the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s, which first names that come to mind first?

Probably Bill Russell. Maybe Bob Cousy and Sam Jones, but no one ever remembers another key member on those dominant Celtics teams in small forward Tom Heinsohn.

Heinsohn played a large role on the Celtics dynasty of the '60s as he helped the team win eight titles between 1957 and 1965, winning Rookie of the Year and making it on to six All-Star Games along the way. Heinsohn would also make it on to four consecutive All-NBA Second Teams and would finish as high as sixth in MVP voting.

The former Holy Cross standout had career highs of 22 points per game and 11 rebounds per in different seasons.

Charlotte Bobcats: Raymond Felton

There isn't too much of a historic background for the Charlotte Bobcats, but if anyone fits the bill for underrated players it's going to be point guard Raymond Felton.

Felton was a solid point guard in his time with the Bobcats and was also the most consistent. He never averaged less than 12 points per game since being drafted by the team in 2005, and averaged more than five assists in his time before departing for New York.

He averaged 14 points per game for three consecutive seasons and a then-career high of nearly eight assists per game in only his third season. He would finish in the top 10 in assists per game for two consecutive seasons and would finish sixth in his time with both New York and Denver.

Chicago Bulls: Artis Gilmore

One of the league's most underrated rebounders and defenders, Artis Gilmore was never able to transition the success he had in the ABA to the NBA.

It's not to say Gilmore didn't have a solid NBA career, it's just that his ABA numbers were too ridiculous to even come close to matching. He won the ABA Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season, averaging 24 points and 18 rebounds per game while also leading the league in field goal percentage at nearly 60 percent.

Gilmore would help lead the Kentucky Colonels to the 1975 championship before packing up and departing for the Chicago Bulls of the NBA for the 1976-77 season. He would average 19 points and 13 rebounds per game in his first season at the NBA level and would go on to average as much as 24 ppg.

In his time between the ABA and NBA, Gilmore would make it to 11 All-Star Games, three All-ABA First Teams, four ABA All-Defensive First Teams and one NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Mark Price

One of NBA histories greatest shooters, Mark Price helped bring the Cleveland Cavaliers success before LeBron James was even in preschool.

A second-round draft pick, Price established his shooting prowess by his third season after converting nearly one three-pointer per game for the first time in his career, while also shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc. He would continue averaging at least a three-pointer per game between 1988 and 1995 and would never shoot less than 34 percent from beyond the arc in his time with Cleveland.

With Price, the Cavs saw success that they had never witnessed before. They consistently made the postseason and even advanced to their first Conference Finals in 1992, losing to the Chicago Bulls in six games.

Price would make it on to four All-Star teams, one All-NBA First Team, three All-NBA Third Teams and would finish in the top six in three-point field goal percentage on three different occasions. He also led the league three times in free throw percentage, twice as a member of Cleveland.

Dallas Mavericks: Rolando Blackman

Joining the Dallas Mavericks in only their second year as a team, Rolando Blackman teamed up with offensive juggernaut Mark Aguirre to help them become perennial postseason attendees.

The Mavericks would make the postseason every year between 1983 and 1988 and would even advance as far as the Conference Finals in '88, when they pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to seven games. All in all, the Mavs would make it to six postseasons in the 11 years Blackman spent in Dallas.

Blackman was a solid second scoring option in Dallas and would average as much as 22 points per game in only his third year. He would only average more than 20 points per game for two more seasons and nearly four rebounds and four assists per game in each season he played with the Mavericks.

Blackman would play on four All-Star teams.

Denver Nuggets: David Thompson

One of the NBA's greatest scorers, Denver Nuggets shooting guard David Thompson is most known for his battle for the scoring title with George Gervin in 1978.

The story goes with Gervin going into the final day of the season up by .02 points per game on Thompson. With Thompson dropping 73 points, it appeared that the scoring title was seemingly his unless Gervin scored 58 points or more. Gervin made sure to hit the mark by taking 49 shots and scoring 63 points to win the scoring crown by 0.07 points per game.

Thompson would never win a scoring title, but he would be one of the league's top scorers, averaging at least 20 points per game in all but one year with the Nuggets and finishing in the top six in points per game on five different occasions between his stints in the ABA and NBA.

He would make it on to five All-Star teams, four in the NBA, win the 1979 All-Star Game MVP, make two All-NBA First Teams and would even finish as high as third in MVP voting.

As far as team success goes, the Nuggets saw some postseason success but never advanced further than the Conference Finals in his time with Denver.

Detroit Pistons: Dave Bing

With battles between Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell taking up most of the attention in the 1960s, there was hardly any time for players like Dave Bing to get their respect and their notoriety.

If you weren't paying attention to the Detroit Pistons in the late-1960s and early-1970s, I know I was, then you probably haven't heard of the team's star point guard. Bing was one of the league's top point guards outside of Oscar Robertson, and he would average 27 points, six assists and five rebounds per game in only his second NBA season.

Bing was basically the team that season, as he attempted an unheard of 24 shots per game, converting on nearly 11 of them.

He would average at least 20 points per game between his rookie year of 1966 and 1973. He would also average as much as eight assists per game, good enough for third in the league. Bing made it on to seven All-Star teams, win the 1977 All-Star Game MVP, make two All-NBA First Teams and one All-NBA Second Team and finish as high as third in MVP voting.

The only unfortunate occurrence during Bing's time with Detroit was that he only made it to three postseasons, never advancing past the first round.

Golden State Warriors: Nate Thurmond

An absolute beast on the boards, Golden State Warriors power forward/center Nate Thurmond commanded the paint with his strength and athleticism.

Thurmond is one of only a few players in NBA history to go an entire season average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds per, which he did in the 1967-68 campaign, averaging 21 points and 22 rebounds. Thurmond averaged over 20 boards per game the previous season, those two years would be the only times during his career that he would reach that plateau.

He would, however, average over 20 points per game for five consecutive seasons. But it was his work on the boards and on defense that has merited him a spot in the Hall of Fame and among the 50 greatest players.

Thurmond made it on to seven All-Star teams, two NBA All-Defensive First Teams, three NBA All-Defensive Second Teams and would finish as high as second in MVP voting in 1968.

He also finished in the top five in rebounds per game for six seasons.

Houston Rockets: Otis Thorpe

Otis Thorpe spent time with a number of NBA teams, eight to be exact, and saw the best years of a 16-year career with the Houston Rockets.

Those years also came with Thorpe's lone championship, when he helped lead the Rockets to the title in 1994. He rounded out an unbelievable front court that was composed of himself and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Thorpe joined the Rockets in 1988 after spending the first four years with the Kings, where he would actually average his career high of 20 points per game. He found immediate success with the team averaging 17 points and a little under 10 boards per game. He averaged a double-double in three different seasons, including a career high of 11 boards per game in 1993-94.

He was one of the teams most consistent offensive threats as well shooting better than 54 percent in every season he played with Houston, finishing as high as second in the league when he shot 59 percent.

Indiana Pacers: Rik Smits

Nicknamed "The Dunking Dutchman," Holland native Rik Smits stood at 7'4" and was an imposing threat in the middle of the 1990s Indiana Pacers teams that consistently threatened as championship contenders if not for the greatest player of all-time standing in their path.

Smits was one of the Pacers most consistent threats on offense as he averaged at least 10 points per game throughout his entire career, all with Indiana, and would average as high as 19 per game in the 1995-96 season when the team won 52 games.

He would also help lead the team to as close as they had ever been to the championship when the Pacers pushed the Chicago Bulls to the brink in the Conference Finals before losing in seven games after winning a franchise high 58 games in the regular season, a mark that has only been topped once. Smits averaged 17 points and seven boards per game that season.

Smits was a solid offensive contributor, but his rebounding totals were surprisingly low for a player of his size. He never averaged more than eight boards per game and finished his career averaging six rebounds.

Los Angeles Clippers: Lamar Odom

There weren't many choices of underrated players to pick from Los Angeles Clippers franchise history since their rate of success is lower than most teams. So we had to narrow it down to Lamar Odom and the first four years of his career that he spent with the Clippers.

Odom was a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate in his first season, averaging nearly 17 points and eight boards per game. He would then average a career high of 17 points to go along with eight boards and five assists per game. Odom wouldn't see that type of offensive production again until he had already left the Clippers.

He did, however, have another season averaging above five assists and five rebounds in the same year.

Odom is the type of player that you don't want to lose considering how versatile he is. He can play and defend every position on the floor and even run the point if called upon. Odom can score from anywhere on the court and is a rare breed of player that only comes around once every so often.

He recently won back-to-back championships with the other Los Angeles team.

Los Angeles Lakers: Gail Goodrich

On a team composed of Wilt Chamberlain, Happy Hairston and Jerry West, would you believe that none of these players were the leading scorers of the team during the fabled 1971-72 season when the Los Angeles Lakers won 33 consecutive games, 69 in total, while also winning their first championship outside of Minneapolis?

It turns out that the leading scorer wasn't any of those three but none other than point guard Gail Goodrich, who averaged a career high 26 points per game that season. Goodrich helped lead the charge for a determined Lakers squad that had several players hungry for a championship, including West who was looking for his first and Chamberlain who was searching for his second.

With both players at the twilight of their careers, it was up to Goodrich to lead the way, and lead he did.

Goodrich never matched the success he had in that dream season, but he would have a solid career with the Lakers averaging over 20 points per game for four consecutive seasons and finishing as high as fourth in scoring. He would also lead the league in free throws made and attempted in the 1973-74 season, converting on nearly six of his seven free throws a night.

Gail would make it on to five All-Star teams and be a member of one All-NBA First Team.

Memphis Grizzlies: Shareef Abdur-Rahim

A career that ended too abruptly, Shareef Abdur-Rahim peaked by his fifth year in the league.

Abdur-Rahim was a member of the inaugural Vancouver Grizzlies team, and he was also its offensive leader averaging 19 points per game in his rookie year. He would go on to average 22 points per game the next season and wouldn't average less than 20 points while with the Grizzlies.

He was a solid offensive threat as well as a quality rebounder for a player of his size at 6'9". He averaged nearly eight rebounds per game for his career and averaged as many as 10 boards per game in the 1999-2000 season.

Abdur-Rahim's career ended at 31 years of age, as nagging and persistent injuries forced his early retirement.

Miami Heat: Udonis Haslem

One of the most underrated players in the game today, Udonis Haslem has made a career based solely on his hard work ethic, sacrifice and loyalty.

Haslem sacrificed millions of dollars to stay with the Miami Heat this past offseason, despite receiving lucrative deals from Denver and Dallas. He decided to stay as a thank you to the team that gave him his only workout after going undrafted in 2003.

He has spent eight seasons with the team and was also the starting power forward of the 2006 championship team that came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the NBA Finals. He has averaged as much as 12 points and nine boards per game and has been coming off of the bench for the past two seasons as the team's sixth man. He averaged 10 points and eight boards per game in his first season not in the starting lineup, but recently had to sit out the majority of the regular season this past year.

Haslem doesn't have any eye-popping stats and isn't the type to make highlight plays on any given night. Instead, he'll provide hard work on the boards and on defense where he gives a full effort any time he steps out on the hardwood.

Milwaukee Bucks: Sidney Moncrief

Besides being the focal point of the Milwaukee Bucks offense in the 1980s, Sidney Moncrief prided himself on his defense, as he would win a few awards and make it on to a number of All-NBA teams as a result.

Moncrief was an excellent defender and would actually win two consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards despite standing at 6'3" and mainly defending opposing point guards. He was the first player to win the award and was also the first to win it more than once. He, Alvin Robertson and Gary Payton remain as the only point guards to win the award.

The Bucks standout would also make it on to four All-NBA Defensive First Teams as well as an appearance on the All-NBA Defensive Second Team. Moncrief also made it on to one All-NBA First Team and five appearances on the All-NBA Second Teams.

Aside from being a terrific defender, Moncrief was also a solid player to rely on when it came to scoring as well. He averaged better than 20 points per game for four consecutive seasons and would help the team become perennial postseason attendees, even making it to three Conference Finals.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Terrell Brandon

Believe it or not, there were players on the Minnesota Timberwolves not named Kevin Garnett that contributed to the teams success.

Terrell Brandon spent the last three-and-a-half seasons of his career with the Timberwolves and actually saw some individual and team success for the first time in his short 10-year career. In his first full year with the team, Brandon averaged 17 points and nine assists per game while helping to lead the team to their first 50-win season in franchise history. He would also set a career high in three-point percentage at 40 percent.

Brandon would spend two more seasons with the Wolves before seeing a promising career cut short by nagging injuries.

He would finish in the top seven in steals per game for two consecutive seasons with Minnesota and fifth in assists when he averaged nine per game.

New Jersey Nets: Drazen Petrovic

One of the NBA's more depressing story lines, Drazen Petrovic was only 28 years old and in the middle of a budding NBA career before a car accident took his life.

Prior to his unexpected death, Petrovic was becoming one of the league's best offensive threats from all over the court. He averaged 22 points per game on 52 percent shooting from the field overall while also converting one three-pointer per game on 45 percent shooting from behind the arc in his final season in 1993. This came one season after averaging over 20 points per game for the first time in his NBA career.

The Croatian only played four seasons in the NBA beginning when he was 25 years old, but he already established himself as a possible All-Star-in-the-making, even earning a trip to the All-NBA Third Team in his final season.

Petrovic was one of the first international players in the league and one of the first Europeans outside of Detlef Schrempf to be in the league and make a legitimate impact.

New Orleans Hornets: P.J. Brown

A solid contributor for the Charlotte/New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, P.J. Brown wasn't the type of player that was going to put up statistical oddities. Instead, he'd be there to consistently drop shots from the mid-range and post while also rebounding at an impressive rate.

Brown played for the Hornets between 2000 and 2006 as the team's starting power forward. He would average better than 10 points per game for three consecutive seasons and would even average a career high of 10 boards per in the 2001-02 season.

He also shot a career-best 53 percent from the field during the 2002-03 season, the only time in his career that he shot over 50 percent.

Brown made it on to three All-Defensive Second Teams, once as a member of the Hornets.

New York Knicks: Anthony Mason

A key member of the New York Knicks' notorious defense of the 1990s, Anthony Mason prided himself on being able to frustrate opposing player and using his bruising defensive skills to deter opposing players from entering the lane whenever they felt like it.

Mason spent five seasons with the Knicks, his longest tenure with any team, and helped them achieve success that they hadn't seen since the early-1970s when they won NBA championships. During the Knicks' championship run at the end of the 1994-95 season, Mason led all players in field goal percentage at 60 percent, averaging 10 points and eight boards during the regular season.

He was never a quality offensive threat and only averaged over 10 points per game on two occasions with the Knicks, including 15 points per game while leading the league in minutes per game at 42.

Mason would win Sixth Man of the Year during the Knicks near-championship season in 1995.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Detlef Schrempf

When you have a last name that is seven letters long and consisting of only one vowel, the chances are high that you're going to get noticed.

Detlef Schrempf also made sure to let his game do plenty of the talking as well. Playing with the Seattle SuperSonics from 1993 to 1999, Schrempf played a key role in a number of the team's championship runs including their appearance in the 1995-96, when they took a 72-10 Chicago Bulls team to six games.

Schrempf averaged 16 points and five rebounds per game during that postseason.

The first German to play in the NBA, Schrempf was one of the first European-born players in the league, also setting the standards for international players taking their talents to the NBA. He was a solid offensive threat from all over the court, averaging as much as 19 points per game in his time with the Sonics.

Orlando Magic: Dennis Scott

One of the NBA's top three-point shooters in the first half of the 1990s, a player like Dennis Scott would fit in perfectly with the Orlando Magic today considering that he was taking nearly eight three-pointers per game.

He wasn't putting up Antoine Walker numbers, though, as Scott was making over three three-pointers per game that season and converted on 43 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

Scott was with the Magic from his rookie season in 1990 until being traded away in 1997. Alongside Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson and Shaquille O'Neal, Scott helped the new franchise achieve immediate success with a championship appearance in 1994 against the Houston Rockets.

His three-point shooting was key in the Magic's early postseason runs.

Scott averaged as much as 20 points per game in only his second season and would lead the league in three-pointers made in the 1995-96 season, converting a career-high 267 for the season.

Philadelphia 76ers: Maurice Cheeks

A defensive star, Philadelphia 76ers point guard Maurice Cheeks set the tone to a number of tough Sixer teams that were perennial championship contenders throughout the late-1970s and early-1980s.

Cheeks wasn't a monster in the stats, as his career highs were only 16 points and nine assists per, but he was an excellent leader, and that's why the Sixers won the championship in 1983 playing alongside Moses Malone and Julius Erving. He was as solid and consistent as any point guard, shooting over 50 percent from the field for his first nine seasons in the league while only averaging two turnovers per game despite playing over 30 minutes a night.

Mo was mostly known for his effort on defense making it on to four consecutive All-Defensive First Teams and an All-Defensive Second Team.

He made it on to four All-Star teams between 1983 and 1988.

Phoenix Suns: Shawn Marion

Utilized today as a role player and defensive specialists, Shawn Marion for a time was considered one of the most multi-dimensional and best all-around threats in the league.

He could shoot from anywhere, rebound, involve his teammates and defend some of the league's top small forwards, which he still does today, evidenced in this year's NBA Finals. Marion was a terrific offensive threat as he possessed a great ability of being able to explode while also showing off a great deal of range despite having one of the league's most awkward shots.

In 2002-03, Marion nearly averaged two three-pointers per game on 39 percent from beyond the arc. 

Marion averaged as much as 22 points per game as well as 12 rebounds per game. He was a key member of the Suns teams that made a number of championship runs as his ability to run the fast break alongside Steve Nash allowed the team to be considered one of the league's most prolific offenses in the modern era.

Portland Trail Blazers: Terry Porter

A solid role player that can play both sides of the court, Terry Porter was a member of a number of Portland Trail Blazers that constantly threatened to take a championship. He and Clyde Drexler helped advance the Blazers to that plateau in 1992, when they took on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

Porter spent the first decade of his career with the Blazers and was one of the team's most reliable and consistent players. He played at least 77 games every season from 1985 to 1993, and for his career he had six seasons playing all 82 and the other being the lockout season when he played the full 50. Along with playing nearly entire seasons for a decade, Porter was also playing in the postseason nearly every year and still managed to play up to 35 minutes a night.

Porter averaged as much as 18 points and 10 rebounds per game in his time with the Blazers and would also finish near the top when it came to three-pointers made per game between 1990 and 1992, when he converted on nearly two three-pointers per game for three consecutive seasons.

Sacramento Kings: Peja Stojakovic

Before being recognized today as a defensive liability with a broken jump shot, Peja Stojakovic was for a time notorious for being one of the league's top three-point shooters.

He was also a member of the Sacramento King teams from the early-2000s that were consistently considered championship contenders. Stojakovic was one of the team's offensive leaders and was also it's main perimeter three-point threats averaging as much as three three-pointers per game during the 2003-04 season.

Stojakovic converted on 43 percent of his three-pointers that season, a feat that wouldn't be matched until 2007-08 when he converted three three-pointers per game on 44 percent from beyond the arc.

Stojakovic averaged as many as 24 points per game and would lead the league in three-pointers made in 2003-04, converting 240. He also led the league twice in free throw percentage, once with the Kings when converted 93 percent.

San Antonio Spurs: Alvin Robertson

One of only four players in NBA history to record a quadruple-double, former San Antonio Spurs guard Alvin Robertson is the only guard to have done so, as he posted up 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in a game.

He's the only player to have recorded the feat with steals rather than blocks.

Aside from the one memorable game, Robertson was a consistent player with a good ability to drive and play defense better than any guard in the game at his time. In only his second season, Robertson led the league in steals, averaging four per game. He would then lead the league again the next season by averaging three steals per game. Aside from his rookie season, Robertson averaged at least three steals per game for four consecutive seasons.

Robertson also averaged a career-high 20 points per game in 1987-88 and would average at least five rebounds and five assists per game for six consecutive seasons, four the Spurs.

Toronto Raptors: Antonio Davis

Antonio Davis didn't have too many quality years, but when he did they came as a member of the Toronto Raptor teams of the late-1990s.

It was a trying time for the Raptors as Davis spent time with Vince Carter before the teams eventual breakup with the high-flying All-Star.

Davis erupted after being traded from the Indiana Pacers to Toronto. After averaging over 10 points per game in only one of his first six seasons in the league, he went on to average over 10 points per for four consecutive seasons with the Raptors, including the lone season he averaged a double-double, posting 14 points and 10 rebounds per contest.

He was also one of the league's top offensive rebounders, averaging over three for three consecutive seasons, good enough for the top 10 in each season.

Davis made the only All-Star game of his career with the Raptors in 2001 when he averaged the double-double.

Utah Jazz: Jeff Hornacek

One of the league's most underrated role players of all-time, Utah Jazz shooting guard Jeff Hornacek rarely gets half the credit he deserves compared to that of his teammates in Karl Malone and John Stockton.

Hornacek joined the Jazz in 1993 after playing six seasons for the Phoenix Suns and one-and-a half-seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. With the Jazz, Hornacek didn't receive nearly the number of minutes as he did while with the Suns. He was playing upwards of 38 minutes per game during his tenure with Phoenix and only played as much as 33 minutes per once he joined Utah.

His stats with Utah never exceeded those in Phoenix either, as he only managed to average 17 points per game compared to the season when he posted a career high of 20 points to go with five boards and five assists per game.

Hornacek played a key role throughout the postseason runs of the Utah Jazz in the 1990s. He was a key member of the two Jazz teams that went to the NBA Finals in consecutive seasons.

Washington Wizards: Bernard King

For most players at the end of their careers, the chances of averaging even above 20 points per game is an accolade worth mentioning.

It is if you haven't met Bernard King, who was 34 years old when he averaged over 28 points per game in his second-to-last season in the NBA. It was good for third in the league and was the second highest average in a season (he scored 32 points per game when he led the league in scoring in 1984-85).

King only played four seasons with the Washington Bullets, as he spent the final years of his career as their offensive leader despite being one of their oldest players. He averaged over 20 points per game in three of the four seasons and saw his best production come at 34 when he averaged 28 points to go along with five rebounds in 38 minutes per game.

Bernard made one All-Star Game and was a member of the All-NBA First Team in his short stint with the Bullets.