Players who get underrated

[MiamiHeat]

The first thing that comes to mind is players of the 1990's. Players who were victims of the Jordan Bulls dynasty that gobbled most of the championships of the 1990's.

Gary Payton (Heat ring doesn't count), Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley

All of these guys "Should have had a ring" ... they all got to the Finals at least once, but each of them got bounced by MJ in the Finals.


So they go through their prime without a ring, (or in Gary Payton's case get a ring at age 38 off the bench with the Heat which doesn't count)

How high would these guys be on the All-Time Greatest list if they had won some rings or played in a different era? Do we underrate these guys unfairly because they played in Jordan's Era? Based on career stats and dominance, I mean.

We look at these guys and say

"Well, they never won a ring. They lost in the Finals"

but anyone would have lost to the Jordan Bulls. They were the greatest basketball team ever assembled. So how fair is it really?

How would our image of Gary Payton or Malone or Stockton or Barkley change if we had pictures and images in our head of them smiling, holding up a trophy, and a Finals MVP?

I personally think they are always way too low on the All-Time Greatest lists.

[pauls931]

Think of how many players Bill Russell ruined...

[LnGrrrR]

The first thing that comes to mind is players of the 1990's. Players who were victims of the Jordan Bulls dynasty that gobbled most of the championships of the 1990's.

Gary Payton (Heat ring doesn't count), Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley

All of these guys "Should have had a ring" ... they all got to the Finals at least once, but each of them got bounced by MJ in the Finals.


So they go through their prime without a ring, (or in Gary Payton's case get a ring at age 38 off the bench with the Heat which doesn't count)

How high would these guys be on the All-Time Greatest list if they had won some rings or played in a different era? Do we underrate these guys unfairly because they played in Jordan's Era? Based on career stats and dominance, I mean.

We look at these guys and say

"Well, they never won a ring. They lost in the Finals"

but anyone would have lost to the Jordan Bulls. They were the greatest basketball team ever assembled. So how fair is it really?

How would our image of Gary Payton or Malone or Stockton or Barkley change if we had pictures and images in our head of them smiling, holding up a trophy, and a Finals MVP?

I personally think they are always way too low on the All-Time Greatest lists.

Honestly, I don't think Payton, Malone, Stockton or Barkley are underrated. Most of them are at least usually mentioned in the "best of X position" arguments. I don't think any of them wouldn't be on a top ten or twenty position argument.

And when you get specific, it works even better for them... Stockton is the king of assists, Payton one of the better defensive guards, Barkley was a monster, and no one could play dirty better than Malone. :)

[ambchang]

David Robinson was vastly underrated because of one single series.
How stupid is that?

[gaKNOW!blee]

Think of how many players Bill Russell ruined...

Like 6?

[stretch]

The first thing that comes to mind is players of the 1990's. Players who were victims of the Jordan Bulls dynasty that gobbled most of the championships of the 1990's.

Gary Payton (Heat ring doesn't count), Karl Malone, John Stockton, Charles Barkley

All of these guys "Should have had a ring" ... they all got to the Finals at least once, but each of them got bounced by MJ in the Finals.


So they go through their prime without a ring, (or in Gary Payton's case get a ring at age 38 off the bench with the Heat which doesn't count)

How high would these guys be on the All-Time Greatest list if they had won some rings or played in a different era? Do we underrate these guys unfairly because they played in Jordan's Era? Based on career stats and dominance, I mean.

We look at these guys and say

"Well, they never won a ring. They lost in the Finals"

but anyone would have lost to the Jordan Bulls. They were the greatest basketball team ever assembled. So how fair is it really?

How would our image of Gary Payton or Malone or Stockton or Barkley change if we had pictures and images in our head of them smiling, holding up a trophy, and a Finals MVP?

I personally think they are always way too low on the All-Time Greatest lists.

I agree very much so, because winning is a team-stat. What made MJ great wasnt his winning... it was his LEADERSHIP. People get the two confused. You can still lose yet still be a great leader. Look at Lebron for instance. Great leader, but a shit team holds him back. Kobe dealt with it. Jordan even dealt with it.

[MaNu4Tres]

Think of how many players Bill Russell ruined...

It wasn't only Russel. Russel's teams were stacked with talent.

[HarlemHeat37]

I'm not just saying it as a Spurs fan, but David is highly underrated nowadays..

[dirk4mvp]

I'm not just saying it as a Spurs fan, but David is highly underrated nowadays..

Yes you are.



Shaq >>>>>> David


Hakeem >>>>>>> David

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Yes you are.



Shaq >>>>>> David


Hakeem >>>>>>> David


Benjarvus is getting owned in the UTSA sucks thread.

[dirk4mvp]

Benjarvus is getting owned in the UTSA sucks thread.

I wonder what he's got in the fridgerator faggot.

[ambchang]

Yes you are.



Shaq >>>>>> David


Hakeem >>>>>>> David

Case in point.

[jacobdrj]

I agree very much so, because winning is a team-stat. What made MJ great wasnt his winning... it was his LEADERSHIP. People get the two confused. You can still lose yet still be a great leader. Look at Lebron for instance. Great leader, but a shit team holds him back. Kobe dealt with it. Jordan even dealt with it.

I put Jason Kidd in that category.

[BlackSwordsMan]

kurt thomas

[JoeTait75]

None of those guys are underrated. Now, Moses Malone- he's underrated. Three-time MVP, won a World Championship, dragged a garbage Rockets team to the Finals on his back, abused Kareem on a regular basis, and how often do you hear his name mentioned in discussions of all-time great pivots? Not often.

[jacobdrj]

Moses gets talked about by my dad on an almost daily basis. I showed a few clips to some friends who had never seen him before... they were astounded. I told them he played in 4 decades, and they were perplexed. I mentioned that he played in a celebrity game, and still looked good at near 50 years old, and they were baffled. Moses was the man...

[JamStone]

My homerism would like to mention Joe Dumars. Great shooter, great defender, great team player, a winner, and did it all quietly with any pomp and circumstance. Not a superstar or a top 50 player all time, but a great, great player that I'd just like to mention.

Kevin Johnson. I remember growing up and watching KJ and being completely amazed by how much speed and power and athleticism he had in such a small body. I think he often gets overlooked and some only remember him more for being shut down by Gary Payton in the playoffs. I think he's one of the best point guards to ever play the game and he won't always or even often get mentioned among the greats.

Reggie Miller. As a broadcaster and a personality, he's annoying as hell. But, man, the guy was such a good and cold-blooded shooter. You can't put him up there with other great shooting guards like Jordan or Kobe. But, I don't think he's that far down the line. And, there are very few players in the history of the game that I'd want shooting a game winning or game tying shot other than him.

As for today's NBA, with the exception of Spurs and Argentine fans, Manu Ginobili is really underrated. I think he's as good as any wing player after LeBron, Kobe, and Wade. And he's one of those players whose will to win and his competitive spirit actually outshine his physical talents and gifts. Those are the players I admire most.

Lamar Odom. Even Laker fans don't appreciate this guy as much as they should. Before the Finals and even before the playoffs started, there were plenty of Laker fans that wanted him gone in the middle of the season. Some don't expect him back and are cool with it. I don't think enough people realize how good he is and how unique he is. His skillset at his size is crazy. He hasn't always played up to his potential, even this year, but I think people underrate him a great deal.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

If KJ never had injuries and continued to dominate like he did in his 1st 4 years, he'd be compared to the all time great PGs.