NBA's 15 Most Underrated Players

The NBA is a league of stars. You'll always hear about the All-Stars, the big guys who grace the All-NBA teams and make the headlines.

But there are over 400 players in the NBA, and most of them aren't household names. You can't have expect to have teams of just superstars (unless you're the Miami Heat). The unheralded heroes are often role players or youngsters whose talents and contributions are simply overlooked. 

Here are fifteen of the leagues' most underrated players. While their teams individual fanbases may recognize their talent, they continue to be in the wide world of the NBA, relatively rarely discussed.

Some are simply role players who deserve more credit than they get and some are youngsters who could be studs some day. And some are soon-to-be stars ready to grab their own headlines.    

#15: Ryan Anderson (PF, Orlando Magic)

Everything in Orlando is centered around Dwight Howard, of course. And while everyone is quick to point out that Howard lacks any real help, Ryan Anderson goes unrecognised for his fairly strong play.

The Magic offense is perfect for Anderson, who can roll off Howard picks and make long jumpers thanks to his strong range. While he only averages 10 points and 5.5 boards for Orlando, he shoots a fantastic 39 percent from three and fits in seemlessly along Howard.

He's only a role player, of course, and won't keep Dwight from fleeing Orlando if the Magic don't get him actual help. But being ranked #36 in Hollinger NBA Player Efficiency Ratings is pretty nice for a role player, and strong role players like Anderson rarely get the credit they deserve. 

#14: Greg Monroe (C, Detriot Pistons)

Last year, Pistons rookie Greg Monroe got lost in all the noise about Blake Griffin and John Wall. He finished 6th in the Rookie of the Year voting, but the lack of attention to Monroe is somewhat understandable. Nothing about his game will make headlines–he's just exceptionally well-rounded.

He averaged 9.4 points and 7.6 boards on 55 percent shooting for a dysfunctional Pistons team. Some doubted his ability to transition to the NBA game, but he showed he has a vast array of skills inside and an ability to battle with the league's bigs.

He has a decent jumpshot, good rebounding instincts, and is an improving defender even if he's not a great shotblocker. He's a nice balance between being a finesse center and a bruising center, and doesn't really have a glaring weakness in his game. Given time, he should become an excellent NBA big.  

#13: Marcin Gortat (C, Phoenix Suns)

If this were a list of the most under appreciated nick-names in Sports, Marcin would be #1. The Polish Hammer? Come on.

Gortat complained when he was with the Magic that he wasn't getting the playing time he deserved. Apparently, he actually did deserve that playing time.

In his 55 games with Phoenix, he averaged 13 points, 9.8 boards and 1.3 blocks on 56.3 percent shooting, becoming one of the few bright spots in the valley of the sun. He'll never be a franchise player, but he's a bruising center with defensive and rebounding skills that seem so rare in this day and age.

While the Suns will be gong through a rebuilding era fairly soon, Gortat's well-rounded skills should keep him a high commodity for Phoenix.  

#12: Wilson Chandler (SF, Denver Nuggets)

When the Melo-to-Knicks deal went down, lost in the fray of it all was Wilson Chandler, who took his talents to Denver.

He didn't have the best end to the season, and struggled in transitioning into the Nuggets system. He absolutely stunk in the playoffs, averaging just 4.8 points on 27 percent shooting.

Yet the fact remains that he is one of the more well-rounded silent scorers out there, and if he tests the waters in FA, some team would be really smart to pick him up.

With New York, he averaged 16.4 points on 46 percent shooting and 35 percent from downtown. He's very athletic and quick, able to attack the basket and create his own jumpshot. He's also a fair rebounder, at 5.7 on the year while adding 1.3 blocks per contest.

Any team looking for a solid small forward who can score, defend and rebounding might wanna take a look at Chandler.  

#11: Kyle Lowry (PG, Houston Rockets)

Kyle Lowry is one of the more underappreciated PGs in the league and one of the reasons Houstons guard play didn't miss a beat when they traded off Aaron Brooks.

While Lowry will never be a star, he is a very strong PG and averaged 6.7 assists last season for the Rockets and better than a 3/1 Assist to turnover ratio. He's not a fantastic scorer, shooting just 43 percent from the field, but he definetly showed improvement in his long range shooting last year, improving 27.7 percent from three in 2009-2010 to a solid 37 percent last year.

Lowry is a solid defender and a good shooter, and as Houston tries to rebuild on the fly if they add more weapons around him his assist numbers could skyrocket.  

#10: Luis Scola (PF, Houston Rockets)

Yeah, it's pretty hip to say Luis Scola is underrated. Everyone says it, and it means he's probably the most overrated underrated player in the league.

Still means he's underrated, though.

He averaged 18.3 points and 8.2 boards on the year for Houston, who desperately needed a big with Yao done and Patrick Petterson still a rookie. Scola has great range and post moves and is a real solid offensive threat, shooting 50 percent from the field on the season and 75 percent from the FT line.

While he's a good rebounder, he's only an average defender, and he's already 31-years old so there isn't much time for him to fix that. Still, his scoring abilities should merit him far more credit than he gets.

#9: Ty Lawson (PG, Denver Nuggets)

Denver giving up Chancey Billups in the Carmelo Anthony trade really wasn't that big a deal considering they had Ty Lawson in the wings. 

Lawson's seasonal averages of 11.4 points and 4.7 assists were fairly pedestrian. Following the departure of Billups and Melo, he gained the starting position and his play rose dramatically.

In his 31 games as a starter, he averaged 14.6 points, 6.7 assists and 1.4 steals, all while shooting 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from downtown.

He's got fantastic range (see the video above), strong floor general skills and is a decent defender for his small size. Denver remains one of the more well-rounded squads in the league, having a ton of nice players but lacking one true star–but of all their talents, Lawson may have the most potential. 

#8: George Hill (G, Indiana Pacers)

The fact that George Hill earned Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's good graces so quickly in his career is praise enough about his abilities as a basketball player.

Hill is a smart combo guard, able to slide between being a scorer and being a fringe point as needed. He's a very smart player, a really solid defender and capable of scoring inside and outside.

He averaged 11.6 points and 2.5 assists off the bench for the Spurs last year before being traded to Indiana on draft day this offseason. 

One of the more promising things for Pacers fans is the fact that, in five games tarting last year, Hill averaged 16.8 points and 4.4 assists on 48 percent shooting. It'll be interesting to see how Indiana fits Hill in with a roster full of guard and wing talent, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Hill explode as one of the surprises for the upcoming season. 

#7: Arron Afflalo (SG, Denver Nuggets)

No, I'm not a Nuggets fan. Hardly my fault Denver has stacked the deck with underappreciated talent.

Afflalo will never be a volume scorer, but he's one of the best role players in the league and a fantastic on-ball defender. He averaged 12.2 PPG this season on 49 percent shooting and 43 percent from downtown. He's athletic and able to get to the basket, but he's more suited to his role player position.

He's a restricted free agent so it'll be interesting to see what he gets on the open market, but if he could get on a team next to a star–say, Chicago and Derrick Rose–he could win a ring or two as a great defensive wing with a sweet jumpshot. 

#6: Jrue Holiday (PG, Philadelphia 76ers)

Jrue Holiday was projected all over the place in the 2009 Mock Drafts before falling all the way to Philadelphia at #17. He struggled his rookie season, averaging 7.8 points and 3.8 assists as a fringe starter for the 76ers and didn't look at that confident.

He definitely improvedthis season, averaging 14 points and 6.5 assists while shooting 44.6 percent from the field. He's improved his range and is a capable all-round shooter, yet quick and agile enough to get to the basket. While his passing wasn't really on display in college, he definitely improved this season and looks far more comfortable as a floor general.

With all the question marks surrounding the 76ers going into next season, one can only hope Holiday makes the most of his chances and continues to improve.   

#5: James Harden (SG, Oklahoma City Thunder)

James Harden isn't exactly a secret amongst NBA fans. After all, he was the #3 pick just two years ago–and how could anyone forget that beard?

But amongst the Thunder scorers in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, it is easy to forget about Harden, who fits in seamlessly amongst his Oklahoma teammates with his well-balanced talents and above-average scoring instincts.

He's perhaps the best passer on Oklahoma City, despite his 2.2 APG total. He's a well-rounded scorer, able to get to the basket (and dunk with the best of them) or pull up from distance. He scored 12.2 points per game last year, shooting 43.2 percent and 35 percent from downtown.

Most importantly, he picked up his play in the playoffs and was one of the Thunders best players in the post season, averaging 13 points, 5.4 boards, 3.2 assists on 47.5 percent shooting. If he continues to improve, he could be an fantastic glue player/third option for Oklahoma City.     

#4: Wesley Matthews (SG, Portland Trailblazers)

Wesley Matthews went undrafted in 2009 and made the Utah Jazz roster after a strong training camp. A year late, he had signed an exuberant contract with the Trailblazers that few expected him to live up to.

So far, the 24-year old has been fantastic for Portland.

He started 69 games for the Blazers last year amidst Brandon Roy's health problems, and he averaged 15.9 points per game on 45 percent shooting and 40.7 percent from downtown. He's big enough to play both wing positions, and is a natural scorer, able to both attack the basket and create his own shot.

While he may never be a star, going from undrafted to one of Portland's best weapons in only two years is pretty dang special.  

#3: Paul Millsap (PF, Utah Jazz)

People paid attention to Paul Millsap when he was a FA last season, but once the contract had been signed he faded into the background again.

While Milsap will never be a top option on a winning team, he is an excellent big man. He averaged 17.3 points and 7.8 boards on 53.8% shooting last year for an inconsistent Jazz team that went through a lot of changes with the Deron Williams trade. Though he's not a great shotblocker, he is a tough on-ball defender, and his greatest weapon is his incredible tenacity.

While the team traded for young big Derrick Favors and added Turkish center Enes Kanter on Draft Day 2011, Millsap remains the team's best big man at the time and remains one of the more underappreciated bigs.   

#2: Marcus Thornton (SG, Sacramento Kings)

The Kings' acquisition of Marcus Thornton at the trade deadline went along fairly quietly. In fact, most of the attention went to the Hornets, who got forward Carl Landry in the deal.

Thornton had averaged a strong 14.9 points on 45 percent shooting off the bench his rookie year. But early last season, he hit a sophomore slump, and lost favor with Hornets coach Monty Williams. He averaged just 7.8 points on 41 percent shooting before the trade.

He came to a Sacramento Kings' squad that already had two polarizing scorers in Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins, but the Kings desperately needed a shooter and hoped that Thornton could integrate himself into an Kings offense scheme that didn't really exsist.

Needless to say, Thornton exceeded all expectations.

He fit in fluidly with the squad and became the shooter the Kings so desperately needed. In the last two months of the season, he was the best player on the team. He averaged 21.3 points with Sacramento, shooting 45 percent overall and 36 percent from downtown.

Most importantly of all, you could see that he had chemistry with the other Kings players, and while he is a restricted FA, few expect him to leave. While everyone thinks of Evans and Cousins when they consider Sacramento's future, Thornton proved last season he deserves far more credit than he gets.

He became even more overlooked this summer, though. The acquisition of rookie Jimmer Fredette seemed to make fans and experts forget that Thornton was still a King, and amongst Jimmermaina Thornton is nothing but an afterthought.

Thornton is an incredibly valuable part of the Sacramento franchise, and they'd be fools to forget about him or let him leave 

#1: LeBron James (SF, Miami Heat)

... No, not really. Just joking.

#1: Eric Gordon (SG, Los Angeles Clippers)

Eric Gordon had an excellent rookie season in 2008-2009, set a Clippers rookie record with 41 points, and finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.

Since then, he's been pretty much forgotten. He didn't have the best sophomore performance, didn't step up his game his second year, it's true. But in this past season, he averaged 22.3 points, 4.4 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 45 percent from the field.

Problem is, he's stuck in Blake Griffin's gigantic shadow. Which isn't exactly a bad thing. While it means that Gordon won't ever get all the praise he deserves, he'll also be able to play second fiddle to one of the most exciting players of his generation.

And while there isn't any question that Gordon is, in fact, in Blake's shadow, he is in his own right an exceptional player and a star in his own right. 

He's an exceptionally strong shooter, with great three point range (37.5 percent on his career). He's quick and agile enough to get to the basket and is a great finisher. He's simply got a natural scoring instinct that so many players lack, and he gives Blake something that many franchise talents have lacked over the past years–a really, really good 2nd option.

It's hard to imagine that Gordon would trade the chance to play with Blake for a chance to be a top guy on a team - which is what he will be in a season or two. But for now, standing next to Blake he's pretty quickly forgotten, even if he shouldn't be.