Most Underrated Passer in the History of Each NBA Team
When you think about NBA teams, you undoubtedly have certain players spring to mind sooner than others. Whether reminiscing about great scorers, rebounders, defenders or passers, this is always the case.
As a result, some players are always going to be underrated.
Passers can be underrated for a variety of reasons. They may specialize in outlet passes instead of the more glamorous kinds that result in gaudy assist totals. They may have played too long ago to be in the forefront of our minds. Or they may simply be overshadowed by some historical greats in their franchise's history.
Whatever the reasons may be, these players are the most underrated passers for each of their respective franchises.
Atlanta Hawks: Mookie Blaylock
1 of 30Years With Team: 1993-1999
Assists Per Game: 7.3
Doc Rivers and Pete Maravich steal most of the spotlight when it comes to great Atlanta Hawks passers, but Mookie Blaylock deserves to be right up there.
Born Daron Oshay, Mookie is the all-time leader in assists per game for the Hawks. His quick hands made him more well known as a thief and three-point shooter, but his deft touch translated into the passing game as well.
Boston Celtics: Bill Russell
2 of 30Years With Team: 1957-1969
Assists Per Game: 4.3
Bill Russell is one of the greatest defenders of all-time, regardless of position. But, while his defensive prowess made him a legend, it also made him an incredibly underrated passer, because no one focused on his distributing ability.
Russell was a master at tipping his blocks into the hands of his teammates, but he was also a skilled passer in the half-court offense. Larry Bird and Bob Cousy may have provided Celtics fans with boatloads of flashy passes, but Russell quietly racked up a lot of assists for a center.
Charlotte Bobcats: Brevin Knight
3 of 30Years With Team: 2005-2007
Assists Per Game: 8.3
Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin have somehow managed to make the majority of NBA fans completely forget about Brevin Knight, who happens to be the all-time leader for the franchise in assists per game.
Knight was in the twilight of his career when he came to the Charlotte Bobcats, but that didn't stop him from finding open teammates early and often.
Chicago Bulls: Norm Van Lier
4 of 30Years With Team: 1972-1978
Assists Per Game: 6.9
I was quite tempted to put Scottie Pippen here instead of Norm Van Lier, but then I remembered just how underrated the Chicago Bulls point guard of the 1970s is today.
Van Lier didn't have any seasons quite as impressive as his 1970-1971 season with the Cincinnati Royals in which he led the league in assists, but he was incredibly consistent throughout his time with the Bulls.
Cleveland Cavaliers: John Bagley
5 of 30Years With Team: 1983-1987
Assists Per Game: 6.2
The only players ahead of John Bagley on the Cleveland Cavaliers' leaderboard for assists are Mark Price and LeBron James.
Bagley was drafted 12th overall in 1982 by the Cavs and played with the team until he was traded away to the New Jersey Nets. His best season came in 1985-1986 when he set career-highs in both points and assists per game with 11.7 and 9.4, respectively.
Dallas Mavericks: Derek Harper
6 of 30Years With Team: 1984-1997
Assists Per Game: 5.9
Derek Harper is third all-time for the Dallas Mavericks in terms of assists per game, behind only Jason Kidd and Steve Nash. But, because he was a consistently good point guard for 12 years, Harper has nearly 600 assists more than anyone else in the franchise's history.
Harper, who ranks 17th in NBA history when it comes to assists, is commonly thought of as one of the greatest players who never made an All-Star team. He was underrated both in his day and during the present one.
Denver Nuggets: Fat Lever
7 of 30Years With Team: 1985-1990
Assists Per Game: 7.5
Second only to Alex English (because of longevity) in Denver Nuggets history for total assists, Fat Lever is one of the most underrated players in NBA history, regardless of what we're talking about.
Lever has one of the greatest names of a player to ever take the court. He's fourth all-time for the Nuggets in assists per game, and he managed to have an incredible season in 1986-1987. That year, Lever averaged 18.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game.
Detroit Pistons: Kevin Porter
8 of 30Years With Team: 1976-1979
Assists Per Game: 10.1
When people think of great Detroit Pistons guards, they generally tend to think of Isiah Thomas, Dave Bing, Chauncey Billups, Joe Dumars, Grant Hill and even Rodney Stuckey before Kevin Porter.
Yet Porter averaged more assists per game than any other player in Detroit history with 10.1 per contest. He led the league in assists four times (twice while he was with the Pistons) and even held the record for single-game assists (29) until Scott Skiles topped him.
Golden State Warriors: Guy Rodgers
9 of 30Years With Team: 1959-1966
Assists Per Game: 8.3
No player in the history of the Golden State Warriors accrued more assists in his career than Guy Rodgers, yet no one seems to know his name. That could be because Rodgers played in the 1950s and 1960s and wasn't named Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain.
Rodgers led the NBA in assists twice, finished second six times and even dished out 20 dimes to Chamberlain during his famous 100-point game.
Houston Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon
10 of 30Years With Team: 1985-2001
Assists Per Game: 2.5
Hakeem Olajuwon may be known for his smothering defense and the Dream Shake, but the big man was also a surprisingly good passer for a 7'0" center.
For most of the 1990s, The Dream managed to average nearly 3.5 assists per game—despite the fact that he was the most dominant player on his team. If it wasn't tough enough to guard Olajuwon because of his offensive moves, it was even tougher because of his passing.
Indiana Pacers: Jamaal Tinsley
11 of 30Years With Team: 2002-2008
Assists Per Game: 7.0
Until T.J. Ford replaced him in the starting lineup, Jamaal Tinsley ran the show for the Indiana Pacers ever since he was drafted in 2001.
Although he was by no means ever the top point guard in the NBA, Tinsley did consistently make good passes during his time with the Pacers. Only Pooh Richardson and Mark Jackson averaged more assists per game during their tenures in Indiana.
Los Angeles Clippers: Norm Nixon
12 of 30Years With Team: 1984-1989
Assists Per Game: 9.0
The oft-injured Norm Nixon spent the latter years of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, who were still the San Diego Clippers when he joined the team.
No player in the franchise's history has averaged more assists per game than Nixon, who actually managed to average 11.1 assists per game during his first year with the Clippers.
Los Angeles Lakers: Norm Nixon
13 of 30Years With Team: 1978-1983
Assists Per Game: 7.9
When it comes to assists per game, the top five players in Los Angeles Lakers history are Magic Johnson, Norm Nixon, Nick Van Exel, Jerry West and Gary Payton.
That should say it all.
Memphis Grizzlies: Jason Williams
14 of 30Years With Team: 2002-2011
Assists Per Game: 7.0
Maybe it's because of the way he carried himself, but Jason Williams never quite gets the credit he deserves for his incredibly flashy passes.
White Chocolate didn't even need to use his hands to make passes. Sometimes he just needed an elbow.
Miami Heat: Sherman Douglas
15 of 30Years With Team: 1990-1992
Assists Per Game: 7.9
He only spent three seasons at South Beach in the early 1990s, but Sherman Douglas still managed to dish out more dimes per game than anyone else in the short history of the Miami Heat.
Although his best years would come with the Boston Celtics, The General was still a great distributor for the Heat. His second season in the league, in which he averaged 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, was particularly impressive.
Milwaukee Bucks: Oscar Robertson
16 of 30Years With Team: 1971-1974
Assists Per Game: 7.5
Oscar Robertson is remembered as one of the greatest players of all time, but he's still one of the more underrated passers ever.
The Big O is remembered more for his scoring prowess and the insane knack for rebounding that he possessed for someone who lined up as a shooting guard. Lost in that shuffle is the fact that Robertson was a master at passing the ball.
After all, to average a triple-double for an entire season, you have to average 10 assists per game.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Garnett
17 of 30Years With Team: 1996-2007
Assists Per Game: 4.5
It's pretty amazing to me that Kevin Garnett averaged the 12th most assists per game in the entire history of the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise history. Needless to say, none of the 11 players ahead of him were power forwards.
KG is one of the better passing big men of all time, which automatically qualifies him as an underrated passer.
New Jersey Nets: Kenny Anderson
18 of 30Years With Team: 1992-1996
Assists Per Game: 7.8
The only four players to average more assists per game than Kenny Anderson for the New Jersey Nets are Deron Williams (only one season in New Jersey), Kevin Porter (only one season in New Jersey), Jason Kidd and Stephon Marbury. Kidd and Marbury are both so well known that it's tough for them to be underrated.
Anderson only made one All-Star team after he was drafted at No. 2 in 1991 by the Nets, but he did manage to average 7.8 assists per game for the team.
New Orleans Hornets: Chris Paul
19 of 30Years With Team: 2006-present
Assists Per Game: 9.9
I'm sure a bunch of people are going to immediately think, "What!?!? How can Chris Paul possibly be underrated?"
But still, CP3 doesn't receive the recognition he deserves.
If he did, he'd be unanimously considered the best pure point guard in the NBA today, and everyone would realize just how impressive it is that only Magic Johnson and John Stockton have ever averaged more assists per game than Paul.
New York Knicks: Mark Jackson
20 of 30Years With Team: 1988-2002
Assists Per Game: 8.0
Raymond Felton may have averaged 9.0 assists per game during his first (and so far only) year with the New York Knicks, but Mark Jackson is in second place on the Knicks leaderboard with 8.0.
Somehow, it seems that everyone forgets to mention Jackson's name when they talk about the greatest passers in the history of The Association. That's pretty shocking since only John Stockton and Jason Kidd have racked up more assists in their carers.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Gary Payton
21 of 30Years With Team: 1991-2003
Assists Per Game: 7.4
When people hear the name Gary Payton, they tend to immediately think of the stifling defense that helped him earn his moniker: The Glove. What they fail to remember is just how good he was at distributing the ball around to his other teammates on the Seattle SuperSonics.
Only Lenny Wilkens averaged more assists per game than Payton for the franchise now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder. To be fair, Russell Westbrook will probably surpass him soon, but Westbrook is most assuredly not underrated as a passer.
Orlando Magic: Scott Skiles
22 of 30Years With Team: 1990-1994
Assists Per Game: 7.2
Another of the most underrated passers of all time, Scott Skiles is already being forgotten about as a player despite the fact that he played just over a decade ago.
With the Orlando Magic, Skiles averaged 7.2 assists per game, more than any other player in the franchise's history. Plus, he has the most assists in a single game in NBA history with the 30 he completed on December 30, 1990 in a 155-116 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Philadelphia 76ers: Wilt Chamberlain
23 of 30Years With Team: 1965-1968
Assists Per Game: 6.8
Other than caring about winning, is there anything Wilt Chamberlain wasn't good at?
He's one of the most prolific scorers of all time, maybe the greatest rebounder ever, a tremendous shot-blocker and an athlete for the ages. But, because Wilt was so dominant at everything, his passing skills are often overlooked.
Yes, Chamberlain did lead the league in total assists once, but that needs to come with an asterisk as he set out to do so and lost the opportunity to win some games in order to pad his stats. That said, Wilt was still a tremendous passer.
Phoenix Suns: Kevin Johnson
24 of 30Years With Team: 1988-2000
Assists Per Game: 9.5
It seems like Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are the only point guards that consistently get ink when it comes to the Phoenix Suns. That's not really fair to Kevin Johnson.
KJ is commonly thought of as one of the better floor generals in NBA history, but he still doesn't get the recognition he deserves. After all, Johnson managed to average double-digit assists for four consecutive seasons with the Suns and is the franchise's career leader in the total assists category (although he'll soon be surpassed by Nash).
Portland Trail Blazers: Bill Walton
25 of 30Years With Team: 1975-1978
Assists Per Game: 4.4
Outlet passes are quite important, but they don't get nearly as much credit as the ones that result in assists in the half-court offense.
As the master of the outlet pass, Bill Walton doesn't get nearly enough credit for his passing ability as he deserves. There has never been a better passing big man.
Sacramento Kings: Chris Webber
26 of 30Years With Team: 1999-2005
Assists Per Game: 4.8
It's hard to remember just how good a passer Chris Webber was because of his ability to dominate in other statistical categories.
Maybe it's because he realized that he had to pass when he was in trouble instead of calling timeouts and spent a lot of time working on that skill.
San Antonio Spurs: Johnny Moore
27 of 30Years With Team: 1981-1990
Assists Per Game: 7.4
Even though he played fairly recently, Johnny Moore's name virtually never comes up in basketball conversations. He never even made an All-Star team, but Moore's "00" jersey was still retired by the San Antonio Spurs, the team for which he played all but one game in his career, primarily due to his passing ability.
Moore averaged 7.4 assists per game during his time in the league, a number which leaves him trailing only Jon Lucas (one season with the team) and Rod Strickland.
Toronto Raptors: Damon Stoudamire
28 of 30Years With Team: 1996-1998
Assists Per Game: 8.8
Picking an underrated passer for the Toronto Raptors is quite a challenge as the Raptors haven't had too many great passers in their history, and most of the good ones are well known.
That said, Damon Stoudamire is the most underrated of the bunch. Mighty Mouse had an incredible rookie season and went on to play two more solid years with the Raptors before moving on to the Portland Trail Blazers by means of a trade.
Utah Jazz: Rickey Green
29 of 30Years With Team: 1981-1988
Assists Per Game: 6.9
The top six players in Utah Jazz history in terms of assists per game are, in order, John Stockton, Deron Williams, Rickey Green, Pete Maravich, Devin Harris and Mark Jackson.
Of all of them, the only two that could possibly be considered underrated (as opposed to overrated, like Stockton) are Green and Jackson. Since the latter only spent one season with the Jazz, Green and his eight years in Utah take the prize.
Washington Wizards: Wes Unseld
30 of 30Years With Team: 1969-1981
Assists Per Game: 3.9
One of the greatest rebounders of all time, Wes Unseld is one of the few people in NBA history who can legitimately challenge Bill Walton's unofficial title of the best outlet passer of all time.
Whenever he ripped down a rebound, he found a teammate with unfailing court vision and threw laser beams that would hit that teammate directly in the chest. It may not have been statistically glamorous, but it was part of what made Unseld so great.
Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
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