Charley Rosen's - All Overrated Team

[Ashy Larry]

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/lists/NBA-2010-All-Overrated-Team#sport=NBA&photo=11579864


Not as good as everyone says

Don’t be fooled by stats, fan-voted All-Star Game appearances, highlighted plays, and/or media hype. While every combatant in the NBA is a truly great player, too many of them are gauged by these grossly misleading standards. Here is Charley Rosen's collection of the NBA’s most over-valued not-so superstars, along with their backups at each position, as well as the one coach who likewise gets far more credit than he deserves.



Point guard: Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

One reason why CP3 racks up so many assists is that he dominates the ball as much as Steve Nash and LeBron do but, to be fair, he does have extraordinary court vision and can pass equally well with both hands. Still, Paul’s biggest negatives are his almost total dependence on screen/rolls to create his own and his teammates' shot opportunities, which means double teams render him virtually impotent. His defense mostly relies on his stealing opponents’ careless passes and dribbles; plus bigger, stronger opponents (practically every other point in the league) can easily maneuver Paul to their favorite spot and then shoot over him.


BACKUP: Jason Kidd (Mavs) is way past his prime, can’t get his dribble to the hoop in half-court sets, and can no longer adequately defend quick opponents.








Shooting guard: Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks

Doesn’t play aggressive defense anymore. Is virtually useless on offense unless the ball is in his hands and is therefore easy to double-team when he does have possession. His sticky fingers frustrate his teammates by limiting their own scoring opportunities while, at the same time, delaying the natural maturation of some of the younger Hawks. "Iso Joe" also takes far too many shots and must shoot over 50 percent to be the difference between Atlanta’s winning or losing.


BACKUP: Vince Carter (Magic) is one of the most highly skilled players extant. But he can be rendered relatively impotent when forced left, and his own lack of heart routinely makes him prone to all kinds of miscues in the clutch.







Small forward: LeBron James, Miami Heat

Massages the ball every time he touches it and therefore creates stagnation in the offense. Despite his awesome size and strength, James has never worked to make himself a legitimate threat to score in the low post. Plays and lives as though he’s desperate for the spotlight to always shine on him. Can play hustling open-court defense and can’t be overpowered in half-court defense, but LBJ’s defensive stance is top heavy so he’s helpless against quicker opponents. The most questionable aspects of his game are his off-ball play, his erratic shooting stroke, and the sincerity of his commitment to winning. Simply put, The Chosen One is really a volunteer.


BACKUP: Tayshaun Prince (Pistons) has absolutely lost his passion for the game. His once lock-down defense is now ordinary, and his offensive moves have become both casual and predictable.






Power forward: Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls

He can score from the low post with his turnaround jumpers and his left-handed drives, and he’s a fairly accurate mid-range shooter. But because Boozer’s lateral movement is extremely limited, he’s only a two-space rebounder. He can’t complete anything except the simplest of passes, has difficulty handing in even modest crowds, and is too small to defend centers and too slow to defend power forwards. Boozer will usually fill up his stat line with some late-game jumpers, but good teams easily neutralize him when a game is on the line.


BACKUP: Chris Bosh (Heat) shoots as much as possible. Passes as little as possible. Rarely grabs a tough rebound. Registers more turnovers than assists. Blocks an occasional shot but can’t defend.







Center: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

Making movies in the offseason is obviously more important to him than working to improve his low-post offense, so it’s no surprise that Howard’s offense remains crude and is easily stymied by the better-coached teams in the league. In addition, Howard can’t complete complicated passes when two-timed; can be fouled for profit; is so eager to swat shots that smart teams can sucker him into following the bouncing ball; and is unable to contain opposing bigs who can turn, face and attack. Even so, Howard believes that he’s already the best he can be.


BACKUP: Al Jefferson (Jazz) is a one-trick pony who can score in the low post. Period. He shuns playing defense, passing, and assaulting the defensive glass with the same determination with which he goes after easy put-backs.





Coach: Stan Van Gundy, Orlando Magic

He's much too emotional on the bench, which sometimes causes him to lose his concentration. His offenses lack any element of surprise. He pleads with his players to follow his instructions instead of demanding the same. His in-game and between-game adjustments are too elementary. And Howard let the cat out of the bag last year when he indicated that SVG isn’t totally respected by his players.





Discuss

[Typhoon]

good list :toast

I don't like Rosen but he is spot on.

[Girasuck]

Cue butthurt Hornets fans in 5, 4, 3....

[The Batman]

Hornets fans will be shouting "Blasphemy" from the rooftops

[admiralsnackbar]

Who over-rates Prince, Kidd, or VC anymore?

[Cane]

The ones I agree with the most are Dwight Howard and SVG. Dwight's possibly the worst "best big man in in the league" in NBA history. He lacks fundamentals and IQ in just about every part of his game including his defense and seems too easily frustrated. Dwight made history for all the wrong reasons in the first round as he couldn't stay on the god damn court.

Chris Webber and Michael Wilbon both thought that SVG was going to be let go from their sources which is no surprise considering he doesn't seem respected at all ---- whenever your star player calls you out on your coaching and makes regular shrill and negative impersonations you have failed as a head coach. Not to mention they seem to run a gimmick of a system that collapses if Dwight struggles which can be accomplished in a number of ways for good coached teams.

[redzero]

Cue butthurt Hornets fans in 5, 4, 3....

So you agree with Rosen?

[DPG21920]

This is one stupid f'ing list.

[elemento]

I don't agree with Lebron and CP3 at all.

Lebron is the best player in the NBA and a healthy Paul is easily the best PG in the NBA.

And i don't agree with Chris Bosh in the list. STAT would easily have his place as the backup overrated PF. IMO Bosh is better than STAT

[Basketballgirl25]

I don't agree with Kidd, Howard, and even Lebron on the list. Made up with it by having Chris Bosh(he is so overrated)

[djohn2oo8]

I don't agree with Kidd, Howard, and even Lebron on the list. Made up with it by having Chris Bosh(he is so overrated)

Howard doesn't have a legit post game is the reason he's overrated

[The Squirrelyq]

I hate the fact that everyone has given Howard the "best big man" label and hardly anyone mentions his complete lack of offensive ability. Someone needs to come in here and take that torch from him because it is embarrassing to have a player as unskilled as Howard being given such a lofty title. Lebron though? I don't think so, best player in the league at the moment, I don't agree with Paul either. One year injured and everyone forgets about him

[TheGreatest23]

I don't agree with Lebron and CP3 at all.

Lebron is the best player in the NBA and a healthy Paul is easily the best PG in the NBA.



What makes them the best again?

[himat]

Deron is better than Chris.

[Pelicans78]

Deron is better than Chris.

CP3 is a better pure PG, but Deron has strong SG skills which CP3 is has developed, but doesn't have the size to shoot over defenders like Deron. Still, CP3 is a better PG. As far as who is better overall will always be a tough debate.

[Pelicans78]

Rosen thinks he's making good points, but its a pretty short-sighted and lazy view of CP3. Of course CP3 handles the ball alot, but he makes fantastic decisions and is better with the ball than any PG in the game. Plus, his TO rates are outstanding. No PG could put up the same amount of stats even if they controlled the ball as much as he did. Those PGs would probably have more TOs than anything since their ball-handling doesn't compare with CP3's.

The pick n roll is a staple in today's NBA. Most teams use it as a primary offense, especially PG dominated teams. What makes CP3 better today is his development of a consistent outside jumper and three-point shot. Plus, he finishes as good as any PG in the paint and shoots an outstanding FT percentage.

Basically, Rosen thinks CP3 is overrated yet the numbers show how valuable he is to his own team whether you look at win-shares or PER or even look at how limited in talent he has had around him. Rosen needs a bedfan because he's full of shit.

[SomeCallMeTim]

I don't agree with Lebron and CP3 at all.

Lebron is the best player in the NBA and a healthy Paul is easily the best PG in the NBA.

And i don't agree with Chris Bosh in the list. STAT would easily have his place as the backup overrated PF. IMO Bosh is better than STAT

Playing Devil's advocate here... being the best player in the NBA and being overrated are not mutually exclusive.

That said... I don't really see James as overrated. He has plenty of doubters, enough to outweigh the people who don't see his flaws.

Paul and Bosh are arguably overrated only because of the legit skepticism over Paul's injury and the lumping in of Bosh as a 3rd superstar.

[redzero]

Paul and Bosh are arguably overrated only because of the legit skepticism over Paul's injury and the lumping in of Bosh as a 3rd superstar.

That would be a valid complaint if Rosen didn't have Paul on his overrated list last season as well.

He just plain doesn't like Chris Paul.

[Girasuck]

So you agree with Rosen?

I don't give a shit about the list.

[ezau]

Everything is correct except CP3 and Lebron. Paul is a top three PG at worst and Lebron? Well he's the best player in the planet for three years now. Rosen has become a legitimate Lebron hater.

[BRHornet45]

sons what a gay ass and RACIST list. notice he doesn't mention not ONE white player and every last white player in the NBA is terrible overrated (Dirk, Manu, Peja, Daivd Lee, etc.)

[Koolaid_Man]

I don't agree with Lebron and CP3 at all.

Lebron is the best player in the NBA and a healthy Paul is easily the best PG in the NBA.

And i don't agree with Chris Bosh in the list. STAT would easily have his place as the backup overrated PF. IMO Bosh is better than STAT


:lmao...Lebron is a one trick pony...one must be multi-faceted to claim Don of the leauge... and The Mamba still wears that crown...

[Flo-Rida]

Everything he said about Lebron is spot on. Too bad it took Rosen so long to notice. We've been exposed that fraud.

Im starting to think you are in love with lebron ?

[HarlemHeat37]

One reason why CP3 racks up so many assists is that he dominates the ball as much as Steve Nash and LeBron do but, to be fair, he does have extraordinary court vision and can pass equally well with both hands. Still, Paul’s biggest negatives are his almost total dependence on screen/rolls to create his own and his teammates' shot opportunities, which means double teams render him virtually impotent. His defense mostly relies on his stealing opponents’ careless passes and dribbles; plus bigger, stronger opponents (practically every other point in the league) can easily maneuver Paul to their favorite spot and then shoot over him.

Paul was one of the best isolation scorers in the NBA this past season..he shot 48% in 1 on 1 situations and he scored on 47% of his attempts in general, both very high amounts..to say he relies primarily on screen and rolls is false, although he obviously uses that for a lot of his points..Paul has never had a good offensive coach to use him in various ways, so I find it unfair to make a point like that..

Defensively, it's true that bigger and stronger PGs can take advantage of him, and he's probably a poor 1 on 1 defender anyways..however, individual defense from a PG is very overrated and mostly irrelevant IMO, this era doesn't allow PGs to be lock down defenders..taking away handchecking renders individual defenders useless at the PG position..Paul's ability as a help defender and as an overall ball stealer in general makes him useful on the defensive end, and not a liability..


BACKUP: Jason Kidd (Mavs) is way past his prime, can’t get his dribble to the hoop in half-court sets, and can no longer adequately defend quick opponents.

Jason Kidd isn't really rated highly by anybody anymore..



BACKUP: Vince Carter (Magic) is one of the most highly skilled players extant. But he can be rendered relatively impotent when forced left, and his own lack of heart routinely makes him prone to all kinds of miscues in the clutch.

Vince Carter is shitted on by everybody, and everybody, even his die-hard fans like myself, recognize that he declined heavily this past season..how can he possibly be overrated?..Yahoo just underrated him heavily by having him as the #23 best SG in the NBA, yet he's overrated?..I don't think Rosen understands this term..


Small forward: LeBron James, Miami Heat

Massages the ball every time he touches it and therefore creates stagnation in the offense. Despite his awesome size and strength, James has never worked to make himself a legitimate threat to score in the low post. Plays and lives as though he’s desperate for the spotlight to always shine on him. Can play hustling open-court defense and can’t be overpowered in half-court defense, but LBJ’s defensive stance is top heavy so he’s helpless against quicker opponents. The most questionable aspects of his game are his off-ball play, his erratic shooting stroke, and the sincerity of his commitment to winning. Simply put, The Chosen One is really a volunteer.

This one hurts:(

- Lebron has never played for a good offensive coach..he has shown that he's an absolutely dominant cutter and great off the ball player..Lebron shot 80% from the field in cutting/off-ball situations, a ridiculously high amount, the highest amount for a non-big man in the NBA, yet Mike Brown couldn't find a way to utilize him more with that style of play..it also has to do with the fact that he didn't play with another playmaker..

- Lebron shoots 53% in the post, one of the best marks in the NBA..his effectiveness in the post was similar to Kobe's last year, yet Kobe is regarded as having an elite post up game..

- Lebron is a dominant defender..opponents shot 31% against him from the field in 1 on 1 situations, the best mark of any perimeter defender in the NBA last year..then you add in his help defense, which is obviously elite, and there shouldn't be anybody questioning his defense..


BACKUP: Tayshaun Prince (Pistons) has absolutely lost his passion for the game. His once lock-down defense is now ordinary, and his offensive moves have become both casual and predictable.

I haven't heard about Tayshaun Prince in years, how can he be overrated?..


Center: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

Making movies in the offseason is obviously more important to him than working to improve his low-post offense, so it’s no surprise that Howard’s offense remains crude and is easily stymied by the better-coached teams in the league. In addition, Howard can’t complete complicated passes when two-timed; can be fouled for profit; is so eager to swat shots that smart teams can sucker him into following the bouncing ball; and is unable to contain opposing bigs who can turn, face and attack. Even so, Howard believes that he’s already the best he can be.

Howard shot 52% in the post this season, one of the best marks in the NBA..his post up game is ugly, but it's extremely effective..he still has work to do, especially against teams like Boston, but he's still extremely effective in the post..he's also the best pick and roll finisher and cutter in the NBA by a decent margin..

Defensively, he's by far the best in the NBA, no question..Orlando has been ranked highly in the defensive rankings for the last few years, despite surrounding Howard with terrible defenders..he's a 1 man defense that has more defensive responsibilities than any player in the NBA..opponents shot an abysmal 34% against him in the post, and then there's his highly publicized help defense..

Far from overrated when everybody overemphasizes his flaws..


I don't know how this guy gets paid to write about basketball..

[LkrFan]

sons what a gay ass and RACIST list. notice he doesn't mention not ONE white player and every last white player in the NBA is terrible overrated (Dirk, Manu, Peja, David Lee, etc.)
:lmao

[LkrFan]

This one hurts:(

- Lebron has never played for a good offensive coach..he has shown that he's an absolutely dominant cutter and great off the ball player..Lebron shot 80% from the field in cutting/off-ball situations, a ridiculously high amount, the highest amount for a non-big man in the NBA, yet Mike Brown couldn't find a way to utilize him more with that style of play..it also has to do with the fact that he didn't play with another playmaker..

- Lebron shoots 53% in the post, one of the best marks in the NBA..his effectiveness in the post was similar to Kobe's last year, yet Kobe is regarded as having an elite post up game..

- Lebron is a dominant defender..opponents shot 31% against him from the field in 1 on 1 situations, the best mark of any perimeter defender in the NBA last year..then you add in his help defense, which is obviously elite, and there shouldn't be anybody questioning his defense..

LeHype shouldn't need an offensive coach since he is "the best in the game." Is Phil Jax a great offensive coach? Not really, yet Kobe thrives. Imagine him being the shooting guard for Phoenix. The problem with LeHype is a good defensive team can exploit "LeBron ball" -- you know the drill: 4 guys go into 4 corners to spot up, while LeHype takes his man off the dribble for the dunk, drive and kick, or the foul (plus the and-1 -- which makes sports center highlights on the regular). That shit don't work in the playoffs. Without a good lowpost threat, that shit won't work in South Beach either. They can't demand a double from the post nor can they defend the post because they have doughnut in the middle.

LeHype shoots 53% in the post is a fallacy. He dunks alot. Early and often. That's what's saving his shooting percentage. Hell if they banned dunking, he would be out of a job (ditto for DWhistle) because he can't shoot consistently.

LeHype is not a dominant defender. Don't let those sportscenter highlights of him coming from the blindside to block someone's shot fool you. Put it like this, if Miami puts him on Kobe all game long, and don't "hide" him (or DWhistle) I guarantee you he will either get roasted, or foul out. Guaranteed.

The only crime Mike Brown should be convicted of was that he let LeHype have his way for far too long. Hell, the whole Cavs organization have themselves to blame for this mess. Mike Brown is a coach from right under Pop's coaching staff, so we know he knows his X's and O's. He should have hardly been the scape goat for the Cavs' demise. But we will see soon enough whether LeHype is worth all the ruckus in these playoffs. He has "superstar" talent type help this time around. Many people outside of LA would argue he is better than Kobe and that DWhistle/Bosh >> Gasol/Bynum. So when they don't win this year (or next), maybe he can shed his "Chosen One" label for good. A "king" with no ring. Imagine that.

:toast

[eisfeld]

Meh, if Rosen would have titled the article "Superstars and their flaws" then it would be spot on. Every point he makes is legit but that doesn't mean those guys are overrated.

[will_spurs]

sons what a gay ass and RACIST list. notice he doesn't mention not ONE white player and every last white player in the NBA is terrible overrated (Dirk, Manu, Peja, Daivd Lee, etc.)

It's just a little payback for all your homophobic posts.

[admiralsnackbar]

sons what a gay ass and RACIST list. notice he doesn't mention not ONE white player and every last white player in the NBA is terrible overrated (Dirk, Manu, Peja, Daivd Lee, etc.)

You left yourself out.

[jacobdrj]

Good list. Only one I disagree with is LeBron, but I can see him on the list after he quit on his team these past playoffs.

[21_Blessings]

Robin James is absolutely overrated and it has nothing to do with him losing to a lower seeded team whilst quitting on his teammates.

Been proven he's not the best player in the league yet people inaccurately label him as such. Others liken him to Jordan or Magic and invoke "potential GOAT" when he hasn't even come close to winning a fucking thing. No post game and pedestrian footwork. Pathetic mid range jumper. And now he's nothing more than a 2nd fiddle during his prime years.

Robin is the epitome of overrated.

[hater]

very good list.

dude brought the goods today

That being said. Dirk could have easily made his list. 7 foot german's got no post moves, weak D and nonexistent shot blocking.

[MiamiHeat]

PG - Steve Nash
SG - Kobe Bryant
SF - Rashard Lewis
PF - Dirk Nowitzki
C - Yao Ming (due to injury issues, he's a bust. T-Mac took unfair criticism with this gigantic clown always getting injured every season)

[JamStone]

Being the best doesn't mean you can't be overrated. Even the best players can have flaws and get over-hyped. In fact, it's easier for very good and even great players to be overrated than average or bad players.

In my opinion, LeBron James is the best player in the NBA. But, I do think he has flaws and does get more hype than he deserves sometimes, by the likes of ESPN and some fans. This summer was one of the first times he has taken heavy criticism. I think over the last few years, while he's been the best player in the league, he probably has been overrated some. Most overrated small forward? That's debatable. But just because a player is great, it doesn't mean he can't be overrated. That's not a sound argument.

But if you look at the small forward position in the NBA, there aren't a lot of overrated players. You might make an argument for a guy like Hedo Turkoglu but after last season, he showed his ass and now people realize he's garbage. Same might be said of Caron Butler, but not sure he was that highly rated to begin with. I think you might argue Andre Iguodala. Still a very good player, but often regarded as a shut down defender and on the cusp of being a real star in the league. Hasn't really improved and expanded on his talents, to me. And probably will never be a real star in the league.


Same thing can be said of Chris Paul. I think it's general consensus that he's the best point guard in the league, or at worst the second best point guard in the league. Doesn't mean he doesn't have flaws or that those flaws are often overlooked or disregarded. I agree that he holds onto the ball a little too much. Wasted dribbling and shot clock consumption at times. There are times where he maxes out his dribble to look for the direct assist instead of swinging the basketball to make the defense move and adjust because that won't directly lead to an assist. I don't knock him too much for his defense because he is what he is, a small guard who will always be at a disadvantage against bigger and stronger point guards who have back-down post skills. He can't grow 4 inches. Bulking up too much would likely have more negative effects than positive ones. So he gambles on defense. That's his strength on defense. But offensively, he could change and sacrifice his game a little bit to accommodate his teammates more. Piling up assists doesn't always mean a player is unselfish. Sometimes unselfishness also means allowing your teammates to be play-makers as well, not just feeding them easy buckets.

[redzero]

Jamstone, what other playmakers are on the Hornets? David West?

[JamStone]

Fair point. Last year, really only him and Collison and David West.

But like I said, sometimes swinging the ball is the right play just to make the defense have to react instead of holding the ball looking for a direct assist to pile up. When you dribble the shot clock down and stay on one side of the offense, the offense stagnates and the weakside defenders don't even have to move. You do bring up that fair point that the Hornets don't really have other guys to play through. However, to me, Paul still over-dribbles and stagnates the offense unnecessarily at times.

[Killakobe81]

Playing Devil's advocate here... being the best player in the NBA and being overrated are not mutually exclusive.

That said... I don't really see James as overrated. He has plenty of doubters, enough to outweigh the people who don't see his flaws.

Paul and Bosh are arguably overrated only because of the legit skepticism over Paul's injury and the lumping in of Bosh as a 3rd superstar.

Amen.
You beat me to it. It is possible to be the best player and STILL be overrated. If someone argues that Kobe is a top 5 or top 10 player all-time, but think that those who put him in the same sentence as MJ, are overrating him, would you say that was unreasonable?
Lebron is the most amazing natural talent I have ever seen in basketball. But as a player, factoring fundamentals and skill level he IS overrated.
Lebron in his defense, is also a victim of the ESPN hype and of his own amazing ECF performance vs the Pistons.
Funny thing is Lebron, surpassed the hype he had in HS ...he has been even better than most thought. But when you consider him against the GOAT (which i did myself after that ECF) he comes up way short ...

And all though numbers point to him as the best player in the league, I have a hard time accepting that with the holes in his game and the empty trophy case. Others feel he already is the best and I see why they do he makes amazing plays nightly ...but he is definitely overrated.

[Killakobe81]

Rosen is not th end-all be all. But the guy does know basketball.
He has called out Kobe on many occasions and I am sure that if I posted those ...many on here would agree. (many on Lakerground hate him) Thing is, he has a long relationship with Phil Jackson, so rosen will ALWAYS applaud ball movement over pound the rock play-making. Larry brown and Phil are his basketball Gods ...
Yes, you can use numbers to refute some of what he says but what criticism did he make here that was way off base? If you buy the premise that someone can be the best but STILL be overrated ...than why does that exempt Paul and Lebron?
Rosen never said they werent any good, he just said they are overrated ...and in most of the cases, on this list I agree. For the record Kobe and Duncan are overrated a bit as well... just not as much as the guys on this list.

[Baseline]

Is anybody more overrated than Charley Rosen?

Everything he writes is so tainted with purple and gold that it's not worth reading.

[LkrFan]

Robin James is absolutely overrated and it has nothing to do with him losing to a lower seeded team whilst quitting on his teammates.

Been proven he's not the best player in the league yet people inaccurately label him as such. Others liken him to Jordan or Magic and invoke "potential GOAT" when he hasn't even come close to winning a fucking thing. No post game and pedestrian footwork. Pathetic mid range jumper. And now he's nothing more than a 2nd fiddle during his prime years.

Robin is the epitome of overrated.
:lmao

[ezau]

Amen.
You beat me to it. It is possible to be the best player and STILL be overrated. If someone argues that Kobe is a top 5 or top 10 player all-time, but think that those who put him in the same sentence as MJ, are overrating him, would you say that was unreasonable?
Lebron is the most amazing natural talent I have ever seen in basketball. But as a player, factoring fundamentals and skill level he IS overrated.
Lebron in his defense, is also a victim of the ESPN hype and of his own amazing ECF performance vs the Pistons.
Funny thing is Lebron, surpassed the hype he had in HS ...he has been even better than most thought. But when you consider him against the GOAT (which i did myself after that ECF) he comes up way short ...

And all though numbers point to him as the best player in the league, I have a hard time accepting that with the holes in his game and the empty trophy case. Others feel he already is the best and I see why they do he makes amazing plays nightly ...but he is definitely overrated.

Well said

[picc84]

Killa, he's been spoiling his fans too much. Just like he said.

[Killakobe81]

Killa, he's been spoiling his fans too much. Just like he said.

LOL ...funny thing is, I wasnt trying to defend him or bash him, just trying to be fair.

[Supergirl]

LOL: Heat now have two of the most overrated players, according to Rosen. Sounds about right, too.

[Darrin]

Who over-rates Prince, Kidd, or VC anymore?

The ESPN on ABC.

[Darrin]

LeHype shouldn't need an offensive coach since he is "the best in the game." Is Phil Jax a great offensive coach? Not really, yet Kobe thrives. Imagine him being the shooting guard for Phoenix. The problem with LeHype is a good defensive team can exploit "LeBron ball" -- you know the drill: 4 guys go into 4 corners to spot up, while LeHype takes his man off the dribble for the dunk, drive and kick, or the foul (plus the and-1 -- which makes sports center highlights on the regular). That shit don't work in the playoffs. Without a good lowpost threat, that shit won't work in South Beach either. They can't demand a double from the post nor can they defend the post because they have doughnut in the middle.

LeHype shoots 53% in the post is a fallacy. He dunks alot. Early and often. That's what's saving his shooting percentage. Hell if they banned dunking, he would be out of a job (ditto for DWhistle) because he can't shoot consistently.

LeHype is not a dominant defender. Don't let those sportscenter highlights of him coming from the blindside to block someone's shot fool you. Put it like this, if Miami puts him on Kobe all game long, and don't "hide" him (or DWhistle) I guarantee you he will either get roasted, or foul out. Guaranteed.

The only crime Mike Brown should be convicted of was that he let LeHype have his way for far too long. Hell, the whole Cavs organization have themselves to blame for this mess. Mike Brown is a coach from right under Pop's coaching staff, so we know he knows his X's and O's. He should have hardly been the scape goat for the Cavs' demise. But we will see soon enough whether LeHype is worth all the ruckus in these playoffs. He has "superstar" talent type help this time around. Many people outside of LA would argue he is better than Kobe and that DWhistle/Bosh >> Gasol/Bynum. So when they don't win this year (or next), maybe he can shed his "Chosen One" label for good. A "king" with no ring. Imagine that.

:toast

Not really? TRIANGLE! Geez, did you ever watch the Bulls pass the basketball. Hell, haven't you seen the Lakers? It's about passing, knowing where you are in relationship to the other player and keeping spacing. PJ's revolution in the game was on the offensive end.

[mountainballer]

Rosen does know a lot and usually does have a point.
but
he is that much of an attention whore, that he thinks he always needs to play this: I speak out what none else even dares to think. and this makes him construct such stupid and totally out of proportion articles.

[namlook]

PG - Steve Nash
SG - Kobe Bryant
SF - Rashard Lewis
PF - Dirk Nowitzki
C - Yao Ming (due to injury issues, he's a bust. T-Mac took unfair criticism with this gigantic clown always getting injured every season)

You are trying to hard. One guy on that list has 5 rings. The others have none. No one that has won as much as Kobe has belongs on an overrated list comprised of nothing but ringless players.

[21_Blessings]

PJ's revolution in the game was on the offensive end.

Don't be dumb. The Bulls/Lakers triangle offense is Tex Winter's baby and the "triangle" has been ran in NBA long before PJ became a head coach.

[Chomag]

Don't worry guys. Lebron is taking notes.

[phxspurfan]

Rondo should be over Paul on this list. Rondo was called the Best PG in the World so many times during last year's playoffs it was sickening.

[Supergirl]

Rondo should be over Paul on this list. Rondo was called the Best PG in the World so many times during last year's playoffs it was sickening.

Nah, Rondo has won a championship, and is overall better without being touted as one of the top PGs in the NBA on a regular basis, as Paul is. Paul is overrated because he is held up as the best in the NBA and has nothing to show for it. Deron Williams is as good as Paul without being nearly as hyped.

[21_Blessings]

Rondo couldn't even make the USA C team.

Also notice how the Rondo hype completely vanished after the NBA finals. The Lakers weren't even guarding him :lmao

[quentin_compson]

Chris Paul and LeBron overrated ... yeah, sure ... :rolleyes

And who the hell would rank Kidd, Vince, and Prince that high anymore anyway?

Howard, hm, I don't know. It's a shame he still hasn't developed some low post moves, and overall, he probably is overrated. As for Boozer and Jefferson, there are a lot of people for sure who are overrating these guys.

[redzero]

Nah, Rondo has won a championship,

And? He won a championship with three hall of famers on his team doing the majority of the work. Paul came second in MVP voting the year that Rondo was carried to a championship.


and is overall better without being touted as one of the top PGs in the NBA on a regular basisOverall better than whom? And if you watched the Celtics in the playoffs, all you would hear about is how Rajon Rondo is the best player on the team and how he is so amazing.


Paul is overrated because he is held up as the best in the NBA and has nothing to show for it. Deron Williams is as good as Paul without being nearly as hyped.1.) Deron is not as good as Paul is.
2.) Neither of them have won anything, so that's pointless to say.

[HarlemHeat37]

Laker fans are shitting on Phil Jackson now?..really?..

[himat]

Wait I just looked at the list again and realize Amare Stoudemire is not on the list!

The list is a joke now.

[JamStone]

Wait I just looked at the list again and realize Amare Stoudemire is not on the list!

The list is a joke now.

All about perception. It's pretty obvious that Rosen isn't too keen about how the current general consensus rate players if he thinks guys like Kidd, Carter, and Prince are rated very highly to be "overrated." People acknowledge that Kidd is past his prime and a complementary player at this point in his career, Tayshaun hasn't been highly regarded since probably 2005 or 2006, and people shit on Vince Carter. None of those guys can be considered overrated at this point.

As for Amare, that's an interesting one. I think there are a lot of people who have criticized Amare for a while now for not being an elite rebounder, a sufficient defender, or for being better in the low post with his back to the basket, considering all his physical tools. He's taken a lot of heat for those critiques. And sometimes an overrated player can quickly become an underrated player and vice versa. Take for example Chauncey Billups around 2003-2005, one of the more underrated players in the league. Then he got the "Mr. Big Shot" moniker and Finals MVP and undeserving all NBA defensive honors, and people started to over-hype him. Billups went from underrated to overrated in a matter of a couple seasons. I think enough people shit on Amare for his lack of defense and rebounding and perceived need for Nash to spoon feed him that he's not overrated anymore. Because of that, he might even be underrated.

[HarlemHeat37]

I don't know if any of us are really qualified to talk about which players are overrated though, IMO..

Most people here are die-hard basketball fans, we spend time discussing basketball in depth, analyzing every aspect of every player's game..so we always talk about every flaw a player has, thus making it difficult for us to consider certain players to be overrated..

This obviously appeals to the casual fan and the media..so while I stand by my previous post, and my previous point does remain the same for certain players on his list(Vince, Prince for instance, where the media shits on them/doesn't talk about them), it's tough for some of us to view it in the eyes of the media and casual fan..

[himat]

All about perception. It's pretty obvious that Rosen isn't too keen about how the current general consensus rate players if he thinks guys like Kidd, Carter, and Prince are rated very highly to be "overrated." People acknowledge that Kidd is past his prime and a complementary player at this point in his career, Tayshaun hasn't been highly regarded since probably 2005 or 2006, and people shit on Vince Carter. None of those guys can be considered overrated at this point.

As for Amare, that's an interesting one. I think there are a lot of people who have criticized Amare for a while now for not being an elite rebounder, a sufficient defender, or for being better in the low post with his back to the basket, considering all his physical tools. He's taken a lot of heat for those critiques. And sometimes an overrated player can quickly become an underrated player and vice versa. Take for example Chauncey Billups around 2003-2005, one of the more underrated players in the league. Then he got the "Mr. Big Shot" moniker and Finals MVP and undeserving all NBA defensive honors, and people started to over-hype him. Billups went from underrated to overrated in a matter of a couple seasons. I think enough people shit on Amare for his lack of defense and rebounding and perceived need for Nash to spoon feed him that he's not overrated anymore. Because of that, he might even be underrated.

:lol Yep. I think Joe D once said that people called him underrated so much that he was overrated. (People used to not acknowledge how much he meant to the team and then he became known as a Jordan stopper I guess.)

And great post about Chauncey.

I think one player who might pull a Chauncey is Joakim Noah. People keep saying he's underrated.

As a team I think the Thunder have to face that issue too. Yes, they were a Gasol tip in away from taking the champs to a Game 7, but the amount of respect they are getting is way too high for a team that hasn't made it out of the first round yet. (Granted I am one of those people:lol).