Underrated great players no one talks about anymore

All-socks team deserves its own thread. Mostly white guys.
 
Tree Rollins

The man responsible for one of the greatest headlines ever after his fight with Danny Ainge... "Tree bites man"

Certainly wouldn't include him on this list but Clemson actually has some good representatives in this category with Larry Nance and Dale Davis.

To give just one answer to the topic and including even HOF players I think I would go with Rick Barry. Much of his career was spent in the NBA dark ages of the 70's and this is a guy that entered a stacked league and averaged 25 and 10 as a rookie. His 2nd year he leads the league in scoring at 35 a game. His 3rd year he is legally forced to sit out the season as he tried to jump to the ABA, where he spent 4 seasons averaging 30 a game. Comes back to the NBA and in 1975 leads a nondescript Warriors team to the Title averaging 30 a game while leading the league in steals and his team in assists. Including his ABA days finished his career with over 25,000 points and did that largely without the benefit of the 3 point line.

So why is he an afterthought when the greats of the game are mentioned ? Probably because of his reputation for selfish play, of having a volatile temper, and being a top-notch asshole. Must be something to it because he was truly a great player that even had 3 of his 4 sons play in the NBA which is remarkable.
 
The man responsible for one of the greatest headlines ever after his fight with Danny Ainge... "Tree bites man"

Certainly wouldn't include him on this list but Clemson actually has some good representatives in this category with Larry Nance and Dale Davis.

To give just one answer to the topic and including even HOF players I think I would go with Rick Barry. Much of his career was spent in the NBA dark ages of the 70's and this is a guy that entered a stacked league and averaged 25 and 10 as a rookie. His 2nd year he leads the league in scoring at 35 a game. His 3rd year he is legally forced to sit out the season as he tried to jump to the ABA, where he spent 4 seasons averaging 30 a game. Comes back to the NBA and in 1975 leads a nondescript Warriors team to the Title averaging 30 a game while leading the league in steals and his team in assists. Including his ABA days finished his career with over 25,000 points and did that largely without the benefit of the 3 point line.

So why is he an afterthought when the greats of the game are mentioned ? Probably because of his reputation for selfish play, of having a volatile temper, and being a top-notch asshole. Must be something to it because he was truly a great player that even had 3 of his 4 sons play in the NBA which is remarkable.


An almost never missed a free throw.
 
Loved Dale Ellis' game. Alex English also a good call but he was slow as hell, he'd struggle in today's game.

Jeff Hornacek was a great player but other players hated him and he was always second fiddle so he was forgotten. Hersey Hawkins another one. King Ralph Sampson before his knees quit on him.
 
Alvin Robertson
Jeff Malone
Tracy McGrady
Detlef Schrempf
Pre lockout Shawn Kemp
 
Kemp was such a fat bum in Cleveland.

Between the contract dispute, the baby mama drama, and the lockout where he basically didn't work out or pick up a basketball for 7 months, his career was basically over by the time he got on the plane to go to CLE. A shame too because that Seattle team had real potential
 
Between the contract dispute, the baby mama drama, and the lockout where he basically didn't work out or pick up a basketball for 7 months, his career was basically over by the time he got on the plane to go to CLE. A shame too because that Seattle team had real potential

that SEA team was my fave along with the Jailblazers with B Grant, Mighty Mouse, Rasheed etc
 
Jeff Malone!!! Great mention Unc. Remember watching the old Bullets with him,Moses Malone, Bernard King, Terry Catledge & Darrell Walker. Oh yeah Mark Alarie too
 
That early 90s Drexler Blazers team had several, Terry Porter comes to mind first but Jerome Kersey and to an extent Cliff Robinson later in his career was a scoring machine
 
is Vince Carter underrated?

guy was sick for a while...still plays


He is one of a few that have had to change his game and approach to be able to last as long as he has. It really is remarkable.... he's probably the worst defender on the grizz though lol
 
Jeff Malone!!! Great mention Unc. Remember watching the old Bullets with him,Moses Malone, Bernard King, Terry Catledge & Darrell Walker. Oh yeah Mark Alarie too

You forgot Manute and Muggsy (one season only)...man I loved him and almost mentioned him earlier.

Jeff Malone is a GREAT mention, I knew he was an all-star but actually a 2 time all-star that had 5 seasons in a row above 20 a game and 9 seasons in a row above 18 a game.

Want to know how much the league has changed...Malone made 24 3's in 1983-1984 and that was good for 7th most in the NBA :rofl:
 
Bob Dandridge

Key player on 2 Championship teams in the 73 Bucks and 78 Bullets of which he was the goto guy over HOF Elvin Hayes. Was a 4 time all-star and averaged 18.5 points a game over his career.
 
Im a fan of 90s era because that's what I grew up watching. First to come to mind:

Gary Payton

I'll throw in Allen Iverson, as well. He doesn't have a great rep nationwide, but Philly fans have a ton of respect for him.
 
Im biased towards those Indiana teams of the 90s..Loved the entire team (Davis boys, Hay Workman, etc), but only Reggie gets the press. Well deserved in his own right.

But Rik Smits was a really good big man. Career 20 and 8 guy in an era with very good big men. Gets no love
 
Vucevic
Gobert
Wesley Matthews
Valanciunas
Monroe
DeMarre Carroll


just to name a few

anyone who plays daily fantasy knows these guys though
 
Vucevic
Gobert
Wesley Matthews
Valanciunas
Monroe
DeMarre Carroll


just to name a few

anyone who plays daily fantasy knows these guys though

None of those guys are great. Underrated yes but certainly not great, especially in a historical context.

Carroll playing to get paid though this postseason...good for him I like guys that don't have success handed to them on a platter and go out and earn it.

Having had Ibaka, Bosh, Matthews, Ryan Anderson, and Robin Lopez all go down on me this season I think I will also give DFS a shot next year.
 
None of those guys are great. Underrated yes but certainly not great, especially in a historical context.

Carroll playing to get paid though this postseason...good for him I like guys that don't have success handed to them on a platter and go out and earn it.

Having had Ibaka, Bosh, Matthews, Ryan Anderson, and Robin Lopez all go down on me this season I think I will also give DFS a shot next year.
agree

could we put Peja in there then?
 
Pistol Pete Maravich (all socks team nomination)
Toni Kukoc
Dennis Scott
Vinny "Microwave" Johnson (all Johnson team KJ,DJ,LJ)
Mark Jackson (great post game for a pg)
 
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Another guy I would consider is Andrew Toney...part of that great 76er team in the early 80's; career slightly derailed by foot (I think) injuries.
 
definitely dennis johnson....one of the most clutch ever....the guy never missed when you needed a bucket late....and an incredible passer
 
[video=youtube;7zg36wqGlsM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zg36wqGlsM[/video]It was mentioned already and truly wins thread but found a random one tonight...just to highlight...
 
Pistol Pete Maravich (all socks team nomination)
Toni Kukoc
Dennis Scott
Vinny "Microwave" Johnson (all Johnson team KJ,DJ,LJ)
Mark Jackson (great post game for a pg)

Never gets spoken about with those teams....
 
Mentioned these names in the discussion thread the other night, but think they're worth repeating here:

Arvydas Sabonis
Sarunas Marciulionis
Drazen Petrovic
 
I mean ok...

but the thread is stupid then...

"nobody talks about anymore" implies that they WEREN'T underrated when they were playing...

guys like tracy Mcgrady nobody talks about anymore, but his impact was second to few if any at all when he was at the peak of his powers...same can be said for amare back in the day
 
Roy Tarpley.

Losing him to drugs was one of the big reasons why the Mavs were the worst franchise in the NBA during the 90's.
 
3jWinz3.jpg

Spud Webb? Slam dunk champion!

Moses Malone
Greg Kite...just kidding, but if you uneeded a mugger
Bill Laimbeer
 
Remember the offensive juggernaut the Denver Nuggets had: Dan Issel, Kiki Vandeweigh (sp), Alex English. Didn't all 3 avg. 25+ ppg. one year? Team avg. 120+ ppg.?
 
Remember the offensive juggernaut the Denver Nuggets had: Dan Issel, Kiki Vandeweigh (sp), Alex English. Didn't all 3 avg. 25+ ppg. one year? Team avg. 120+ ppg.?

Without looking I think that was 83-84


Same year they played in Highest scoring game ever losing to Detroit 186-184.
 
Remember the offensive juggernaut the Denver Nuggets had: Dan Issel, Kiki Vandeweigh (sp), Alex English. Didn't all 3 avg. 25+ ppg. one year? Team avg. 120+ ppg.?

Never did all 3 average 25 a game, but in both 82-83 and 83-84 English and Vandeweghe avg. 25 a game while Issel avg. 21.6 and 19.8 in those seasons.

1981-1982 Nuggets averaged 126.5 a game and gave up 126.0 a game and all three avg. over 21 a game.

Only 4 instances I can think of were teammates had 2000 point seasons together, English and Vandeweghe twice, West and Baylor, and Maravich and Lou Hudson. Think the Nuggets had 3 seasons of 3 guys avg. 20 a game and not too many of those seasons in history either. Quite likely that 82-83 English, Vandeweghe, and Issel the highest scoring trio in NBA history.

With the Warriors making the Finals, that leaves just 4 teams around since the Merger that haven't made a Finals...the Nuggets, Hawks, Kings, and Bucks.
 
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