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You would have expected Peja to become a lethal off-the-bench shooter, but from 2008 until he retired, he never seemed to get more than 60 games played. A 2000 trade to the Pacers changed everything and almost immediately transformed O'Neal into an MVP candidate. This reputation caused many to forget just how imp[actful Wallace was on the basketball court. The Most UNDERRATED NBA Players Of The 2000s..Welcome back to Sports Savvy. How many other players in NBA history have an argument for being both the best paint scorer and overall defender at the same time? This honestly swayed an NBA championship, costing the Minnesota Timberwolves in their series against the Lakers, in which they were the better team. 8. He could rebound the ball well at 610 tall and his passing and court vision were a perfect recipe for success with how much those Kings teams liked to run. In an era littered with talented point guards, Baron Davis was among the most exciting to watch play. One year later with the Kings, Miller would have a career year averaging 14.1 PPG and 10.3 RPG while making his second straight All-Star Team. He led the league in steals in 2004 with 2.4 SPG. Here are the 10 most underrated stars during the 2000s. Unfortunately for Christie, what should have been a fruitful career as a spot-up shooter quickly ended due to a litany of injuries. He could rebound the ball well at 610 tall and his passing and court vision were a perfect recipe for success with how much those Kings teams liked to run. During the 2000s, at various times, he was up against the likes of 15 time all-star Tim Duncan, 15 time all-star Kevin Garnett, 14 time all-star Dirk Nowitzki, 10 time all-star Carmelo Anthony, 6 time all-star Pau Gasol, 6 time all-star Amar'e Stoudemire (yes, he got the nod as a forward), 5 time all-star Chris Webber. Ronald Koeman of the Netherlands lines up before the UEFA Euro 88 Group 2 match between England and the Netherlands at the Rheinstadion on June 15, 1988 in Dsseldorf, West Germany. He is an actor and writer, known for Like Mike (2002), Arli$$ (1996) and Adidas Originals: Superstar - Change Is a Team Sport (2020). Gilbert Arenas. 6,418 votes. The little brother. Cassell would then lead the way to another franchise turnaround, bringing the Clippersthat featured two players on this listto their then-most successful season in franchise history. Milwaukee took Redd with the 43 rd overall pick and the former Buckeye would go on to play 11 years with the franchise. The Best Athletes Of All Time. By 2003, Ilgauskas was an All-Star and averaged 17.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG while adding 1.9 BPG. That could not be further from the truth as Ilgauskas was a solid two-way big man who helped LeBron James adapt to the NBA. Press Esc to cancel. As a result, a number of quality players had their careers pass without ever getting exposure on the highest level. He was the baby Bryant from across the LA freeway. Corey Maggette was one of the most consistent scorers during the 2000s. As one of the original stretch forwards in the game, Lewis used both his size and shooting ability to become a scoring machine. That was the year Richardson became a solid 3-point shooter, as he nailed 38.4% of his threes. Thats not that tough. The following season in 2002-03, he was one of the best seasons of the decade for ANY player. At his peak, he became one of the most prolific scorers in the league and ignited the spirit of the game back in the City Of Milwaukee. Brand's best year came in 2006 as an MVP candidate averaging 24.7 points and 10 rebounds while leading the Los Angeles Clippers back into the playoffs. You have Kevin Garnetts MVP and Western Conference Finals season with the Wolves. Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Playing position: Striker. His only other individual awards were a 2004 All-Star selection after averaging 16-8-3 with 2 steals and 3 blocks. The Most-Underrated NBA Players of All-Time. Photo: Paul Popper. But for now, Lillard looks like the young PG with the most potential to grow into the best point guard of his era. One of the most valuable roleplayers in the early part of the decade, Doug Christie, was a deadeye shooter that brought it at an all-defensive level on the other end. Six seasons into his career in 2005, Lewis earned his first All-Star selection and first 20.0 PPG season. Billups name never comes up in Top 20 conversations as far as point guards go, let alone Top 10 lists. Defensive teamsala the Championship Detroit Pistonsthat dominated to the point the NBA had to change the rules to speed up the game, which helped a dopey-haired small, white Canadian point guard pick up back-to-back MVPs. His mid-range game and three-ball were impeccable as well. 19. Bibby made the All-Rookie Team in 1999, averaging 13.2 PPG and 6.5 APG for the Vancouver Grizzlies. O'Neal also won the Most Improved Player of the Year Award that same year. Only one year later, Jamison jumped his stats tremendously averaging 19.6 PPG and 8.3 RPG followed by a career-high in scoring at 24.9 PPG. He won the Rookie of the Year award with the least games played in history to win the award. Well, that counts for something, right? Bibby's best season came in 2006 where he averaged 21.1 PPG and 5.4 APG for the Kings squad that finished with a 44-38 record. Date of birth: February 1, 1969. With his accurate 3-point shot and ability to pass the ball effectively, Stojakovidc would be a nightmare for defenses in todays game. The 2000s-era NBA was one of the more bizarre representations of basketball one could imagine. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) His presence on the early 2000s Kings teams was a perfect fit that put them over the top as a contender at the time. Portland athletes have been underrated for a long time, sometimes due to geography, but also because of the early 2000s, which saw casual fans turned away from the NBA team after the ill-fated "Jail Blazers" era that was marred by a string of player arrests, untimely technical fouls, and disastrous playoff meltdowns. In every season in which he started over 60 games for one of his 9 NBA teams, he earned at least 6.0 APG. And make it not as a lifetime achievement award or an injury replacement, but during what would be a 2nd Team All-NBA season? Unfortunately, his fantastic rookie campaign was lost in history behind a similar scoring guard in Allen Iverson, but it was easy to see the skill and talent Shareef possessed. He also made the All-Star Team and the All-NBA Third Team after a strong season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Brad Miller was a rare center in the 2000s because he had a consistent mid-range jump shot. Luckily for this list, his two all-star appearances occurred within the decade when he made the cut in both the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 seasons. He would become an All-Star once more in 2005 averaging 16.9 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 2.1 BPG. That needs to begin to change after you read this piece. Here are the 10 most underrated NBA players of the entire 2000s. Glen Rice was a three-time All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. . He would be forced to retire from the game at 27 years old. Seth Curry . The NBA has done an unfortunately great job of sweeping Jermaine ONeals career under the rug after his role in the infamous Malice At The Palace. 6. Mitch Richmond, Detlef Schrempf, and Vin Baker are among the underrated players from the 90s. The assessment was based on how players performed during this decade and this decade ONLY (2000-2009). 10 James Lofton. It's tough to argue with a top five like that, but Acho brought up several great points while making a case for the former San . To narrow down the list to 10 underrated players in the whole decade is about as tough as it gets. The 2000s were filled with incredible defenders, lights-out shooters, amazing ball handlers, solid secondary stars, and bench players who were elite at their jobs. Career Stats: 16.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.4 BPG, Career Achievements: 2x All-Star, 1x All-NBA Team Selection. That needs to begin to change after you read this piece. Redd blossomed as a scorer in his 4th season, averaging 21.7 PPG on 35.0% shooting from three. . At his peak, he became one of the most prolific scorers in the league and ignited the spirit of the game back in the City Of Milwaukee. Career Stats: 13.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.6 BPG. Elton Brand was one of the most underrated players of the 2000s. Lewis retired with the Miami Heat in 2014, one year after adding an NBA championship to his already impressive resume. Image via Complex Original. Redd was also a member of the 2008 U.S. mens Olympic basketball team that won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Arguably the coolest aspect of Kirinlenkoss career is his nickname, AK-47, referencing his Russian heritage and jersey number. During his All-Star seasons with Portland, Wallace was a double-digit scorer and rebounder while being a force to be reckoned with on defense. Potential only counts for so much. As one of the best big men in Clippers history, Brand had a superstar season in 2006 averaging 24.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 2.5 BPG. You can't go wrong by picking Ariza here, mainly because actual NBA players back it up.Trevor Ariza possessed such a valuable skillset that even as late as the 2021-22 season with the Lakers, fans were claiming he was the missing piece that would allow them to ascend to playoff contention. League championships: 0. He averaged 20.7 PPG, 22.2 PPG, and 22.1 PPG during those years while missing out on All-Star Teams despite his scoring. Personally, I believe it is a crime that Wallace is still not a basketball Hall Of Famer. Well focus primarily on his most impactful seasons, from 2001-2004. Thats why hes the first name on this list. Maggette had his best seasons during the 2004, 2005, and 2008 seasons. 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An elite scorer and underrated playmaker, Jason Terry spent the majority of the 2000s playing the role of starting guard for the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks, and the last bit dominating off the bench for the latter franchise. He was also one of the better offensive rebounders in basketball and led the league in that stat in the 2004-05 season with 299 offensive rebounds. He made 3 straight All-Star games from 2002 through 2004 and averaged 21.7 PPG on 48.1% shooting over that time. The most underrated scene in 'The Last Dance' was ___. But the sheer fact that Clipper Contenderswas uttered during the 2005-06 playoffs firmly earns Elton a spot on this list. Career Stats: 15.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG, Career Achievements: 1x Finals MVP, 5x All-Star, 3x All-NBA Team Selection, 3x All-Defensive Team Selection. He had a smooth lefty jumper that was as good as anyones in the game when he was on point. Would the Clippers have been able to dispatch the Mavericks in the next round? Here is our list of 12 of the most underrated players in the NBA today. The 2000s was an awe-inspiring time to grow up as an NBA fan and witness these real-life superheroes hit the court every single night. The play at power forward saw him have a couple of All-Star seasons. Players like Russell Westbrook, John Wall, and Kyle Kuzma each get the overrated label due to playoff failures, huge contracts, or just being talked up more than their games can back up. Others, like Vince Carter and Joe Johnson, are still kicking around the league, but young fans are probably unaware of just how dominant they used to be. This is the plight of DeMar DeRozanhes criminally underrated, and probably will be for his entire career. This season encapsulates why Redd isnt any higher on this list. He made the All-Star game and was selected to the All NBA-Third Team. Dave McNally went 20-7, 24-9 and 21-5 from '60 to '71. His best season came in 2003-04, Peja averaged a career-high 24.2 PPG on 48.0% shooting overall and 43.3% from three. In his first season in Los Angeles, he made his first All-Star Team. He was so fast with his first step off of the dribble and even faster once he got headed toward the basket. His best statistical season came in 2006-07, with a career-high 26.7 points per game. McCollum voted most underrated player since 2000. The top 10 players in the NBA according to ISH posters in August of 2000; Results 1 to 1 of 1 Thread: The top 10 players in the NBA according to ISH posters in August of 2000. Mike Bibby is one of the most underrated basketball players of all time. In 2009, he earned the 2nd All-Star selection of his career when he averaged 17.7 PPG and helped lead Orlando to the NBA Finals.