Who is your most overrated/underated player in the league?

[fairweatherfan]

Dang I can't believe no one including me's mentioned Kemba yet. Guy just keeps getting better and keeps getting ignored because he's on a mediocre team in a bad market.

[PhoSita]

Dang I can't believe no one including me's mentioned Kemba yet. Guy just keeps getting better and keeps getting ignored because he's on a mediocre team in a bad market.

I feel like he's gotten a fair bit of recognition this year for what he's doing.

I guess this gets to what we mean by overrated or underrated.

If casual fans don't really respect a guy, but media types still gush about them regularly, does that count?


In that case, Nikola Jokic is still the most underrated dude in the game.

[Celtics4ever]

Most over rated all Celtics on this board and I am guilty of it, too


Most under rated to me is Chris Middlleton.

[Surferdad]

Most over rated all Celtics on this board and I am guilty of it, too


Most under rated to me is Chris Middlleton.

I was gonna say...

Also, Spencer Dinwiddie more recently...

[celticsclay]

underrated holiday
overrated simmons

I am pleased to see like 15 people name Simmons here. The people that are supporters of his are often very vocal about his already being a superstar or top ten player so this is nice to see.

[byennie]

I can definitely see a counterargument to this, but I'm going to add a vote for Harden.

Is he an All-Star? Yes, of course. But as an MVP candidate, I call hogwash. He leads the league in turnovers by a healthy margin, plays zero defense, and benefits from gimmick offenses and rule changes as much as anyone in the league.

LeBron, Durant, Davis, Curry, Giannis, Kawhi, Embiid are all better all-around players by far.

Not his fault - he's a great player - but vastly overrated still.

[Surferdad]

I can definitely see a counterargument to this, but I'm going to add a vote for Harden.

Is he an All-Star? Yes, of course. But as an MVP candidate, I call hogwash. He leads the league in turnovers by a healthy margin, plays zero defense, and benefits from gimmick offenses and rule changes as much as anyone in the league.

LeBron, Durant, Davis, Curry, Giannis, Kawhi, Embiid are all better all-around players by far.

Not his fault - he's a great player - but vastly overrated still.

Not to mention the zebras who let him take steps constantly.

[Jvalin]

(in random order)

underrated: Josh Richardson, Brogdon, Dinwiddie, Bogdanovic (the one playing for the Kings), Vucevic, Conley, Tobias Harris, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

overrated: Westbrook, LaVine, Lonzo, Dennis Smith Jr, Trae Young, Wiggins, Hardaway Jr, Josh Jackson


just from the C's

underrated: Horford, Theis, Smart

overrated: Morris (at least on this board)
- ball-stopper
- rarely passes the ball --> it seems to me he only cares for his own shot

Hate to say it, but I'd but Brown on this list as well.

[Moranis]

I don't actually think Westbrook is overrated.  Most people have him somewhere in the back half of the top 10, which is probably right about where he belongs.  Even when he won the MVP, it was pretty well acknowledged he was winning for doing something that hadn't happened in 60ish years and only 1 other player had done ever, but no one was elevating him into the same class of players as James, Durant, Curry, etc.  I think this is borne out in that he repeated his triple double and finished 5th in MVP voting last year, and is again averaging a triple double and no one is talking about him as a MVP candidate basically at all and that is with the Thunder currently sitting as the 2nd seed out west.  Everyone also is pretty quick to point out his weaknesses.  So I don't see him as overrated at all, and don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting he is underrated, just that I don't think he is overrated.

[Jvalin]

I don't actually think Westbrook is overrated.  Most people have him somewhere in the back half of the top 10, which is probably right about where he belongs.  Even when he won the MVP, it was pretty well acknowledged he was winning for doing something that hadn't happened in 60ish years and only 1 other player had done ever, but no one was elevating him into the same class of players as James, Durant, Curry, etc.  I think this is borne out in that he repeated his triple double and finished 5th in MVP voting last year, and is again averaging a triple double and no one is talking about him as a MVP candidate basically at all and that is with the Thunder currently sitting as the 2nd seed out west.  Everyone also is pretty quick to point out his weaknesses.  So I don't see him as overrated at all, and don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting he is underrated, just that I don't think he is overrated.

I would argue he is definitely in the top 10 in terms of talent. He is nowhere near the top 10 in terms of helping his team win games, which at the end of the day is all that matters.

So yeah, if there is a general consensus that Westbrook is a top 10 player, imo Westbrook is overrated.

[trickybilly]

I want to say the whole Jazz for underrated.

And of course enes Kanye for overrated..

Spell check that.

[mmmmm]

Just my $.02:

Most overrated player:  Gonna go with Westbrook.  Unbelievable athlete and deserving of accolades for that.  But he is not as good of a "basketball player" (someone who's impact leads to winning basketball games) as he is an athlete.

Most underrated player:  Al Horford.  His impact to winning on this club is so underrated by even many Celtic fans just because he doesn't put up gaudy scoring numbers.  Yet this team continues to show again and again how they flounder without him.   

Bonus:

Most overrated coach:  Phil Jackson is retired so I'll have to pick on someone else ... let's go with Thibadeau.   Loved him as an assistant and he clearly has an understanding of how defense should be played in the modern NBA.  But his understanding of his players and teams as a collection of living, breathing humans with strengths and weaknesses just doesn't seem to be there.   Strange how he could mentor under Doc and seem to miss on that.

Most underrated coach (imho) is Quin Snyder.   The guy is so solid and consistently gets the best out of his teams both with scheme and motivation.   I also like that he bases his schemes around his talent and does not try to fit guys into the wrong role.  Obviously part of why he is underrated is really that he's overlooked, coaching in Salt Lake City instead of a major metro.

[Androslav]

Just my $.02:

Most overrated player:  Gonna go with Westbrook.  Unbelievable athlete and deserving of accolades for that.  But he is not as good of a "basketball player" (someone who's impact leads to winning basketball games) as he is an athlete.

Most underrated player:  Al Horford.  His impact to winning on this club is so underrated by even many Celtic fans just because he doesn't put up gaudy scoring numbers.  Yet this team continues to show again and again how they flounder without him.   

Bonus:

Most overrated coach:  Phil Jackson is retired so I'll have to pick on someone else ... let's go with Thibadeau.   Loved him as an assistant and he clearly has an understanding of how defense should be played in the modern NBA.  But his understanding of his players and teams as a collection of living, breathing humans with strengths and weaknesses just doesn't seem to be there.   Strange how he could mentor under Doc and seem to miss on that.

Most underrated coach (imho) is Quin Snyder.   The guy is so solid and consistently gets the best out of his teams both with scheme and motivation.   I also like that he bases his schemes around his talent and does not try to fit guys into the wrong role.  Obviously part of why he is underrated is really that he's overlooked, coaching in Salt Lake City instead of a major metro.

Nice touch with the coaches.

[action781]

Overrated - Demarcus Cousins
Underrated - Kawhi Leonard

[Moranis]

I don't actually think Westbrook is overrated.  Most people have him somewhere in the back half of the top 10, which is probably right about where he belongs.  Even when he won the MVP, it was pretty well acknowledged he was winning for doing something that hadn't happened in 60ish years and only 1 other player had done ever, but no one was elevating him into the same class of players as James, Durant, Curry, etc.  I think this is borne out in that he repeated his triple double and finished 5th in MVP voting last year, and is again averaging a triple double and no one is talking about him as a MVP candidate basically at all and that is with the Thunder currently sitting as the 2nd seed out west.  Everyone also is pretty quick to point out his weaknesses.  So I don't see him as overrated at all, and don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting he is underrated, just that I don't think he is overrated.

I would argue he is definitely in the top 10 in terms of talent. He is nowhere near the top 10 in terms of helping his team win games, which at the end of the day is all that matters.

So yeah, if there is a general consensus that Westbrook is a top 10 player, imo Westbrook is overrated.

Westbrook is +14.3 per 100 possessions on the year and per 100 possessions the Thunder are 12.5 points better with him on the floor then when he is on the bench.  I'd say that is pretty much the definition of a guy that helps his team win games.  And this isn't a new development as this is the 4th straight season that the Thunder are at least 12 points better per 100 possessions with Westbrook in the game vs. him being on the bench.