Most Underrated NBA Players

steemsports (80)in #steemsports • 8 years ago

SteemSports Presenter: @dwin0603
SteemSports Editor: @theprophet0

A lot of great NBA players today don’t earn enough respect even though they're playing at a high level and can go toe-to-toe against the league’s best players. They get snubbed through All-Star voting. They don’t get enough recognition because sometimes they play side by side by with another great player that receives all the attention. Sometimes they just want to do their job and play their best to help their teams. Now, we'll take a look at some of the top underrated players in the NBA.

Juluis Randle

Julius Randle has played excellent this season and improved a lot on the defensive end. His ball handling is much better and it helps him drive to the basket easier. His hustle and energy is outstanding. He’s rebounding is superb and Randle always looks like a double-double monster. He’s much stronger now as well. He is extremely solid for the rebuilding Lakers. He’s averaged 15.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 0.6 blocks on 56% shooting. Ever since the start of the season, Randle has had his name in the trade rumors, the Lakers didn’t want to give him a big contract in the off season and they may let him walk away because their priority is to sign two-three max contract players this summer. But Randle’s solid season just proves that the Lakers need him and he deserves to sign a huge contract and be part of the Lakers future.

Steven Adams

When you play with three superstars, it's obvious that you will receive limited touches. Especially when you are playing with Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George. But despite Adams’ low profile, he became one of the league’s best big men. Steven Adams is an outstanding offensive rebounder. He averages 4 offensive rebounds a game for the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are ranked 6th in the league in defense and Adams is a big factor on the defensive end for the Thunder. He plays excellent in pick and rolls especially when Westbrook handles the ball. He put up great screens to create space for OKC’s shooters. He is also averaging 13.9 points, 9 rebound, and 1 block per contest.

Jrue Holiday

Even without DeMarcus Cousins in the lineup, the Pelicans are playing great basketball and making a playoff push. People are putting all the credits towards Anthony Davis who leads the team in his respectable position, right now, but Jrue Holiday deserves a lot of recognition. He’s running the offense very well even when playing off the ball. He’s also good on defense. He’s averaging 19.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game shooting 50% from the field and nobody notices that because all the attention is focused on Davis and Cousins. This only goes to shows that even if he is not the main option on offense, he can always be efficient and give great numbers for the team.

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard records more points per game than Stephen Curry (former two-time MVP), Kevin Durant (former MVP) and LeBron James (former four-time MVP) and has a higher field goal percentage than James Harden and Chris Paul. He’s also scoring more field goals than Curry, Harden, and Durant. He even recorded more three pointers than Klay Thomson and James Harden. Does anybody know that? No, because Dame’s outstanding performance is unnoticed as he plays for a small market. Dame is one of the most talented scorers in the league and the most underrated player. He led the Portland Trail Blazers to the third seed in the Western Conference. With so many powerhouse teams in the West, he still managed to bring his team all the way up in the standings behind the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors. And when it is clutch time, Dame is the most reliable player when the game is in line in the dying seconds of the game. He’s the most clutch player in the league that’s why he’s known for the gesture, “It’s Dame Time.”