Underrated players

[TOP]

I'm going to comment on a past player and their overall history but feel free to throw out current underrated players in terms of around the league.

Anyways...

I knew Sam Cassell was a pretty good player but I guess I never realized how good his numbers actually were. Maybe it won't come as a surprise to others and they won't find the numbers very impressive or maybe they knew he was that good but when you think of Sam Cassell, do you think...

30.0mpg 15.7pts 6.0asts 3.2rebs 1.1stl
45.4%fg 33.1%3pt 86.1%ft

I don't know why but those numbers shock me and they're even weighed down quite a bit by his early seasons and later seasons. I remember thinking he was really good with Ray Allen and Glen Robinson on the Bucks but after looking at season by season, his numbers are mind blowing.

75gms 19.6pts 8.0asts 3.1rebs 1.6stls 44.1%
81gms 18.6pts 9.0asts 3.8rebs 1.3stls 46.6%
76gms 18.2pts 7.6asts 3.8rebs 1.2stls 47.4%
74gms 19.7pts 6.7asts 4.2rebs 1.2stls 46.3%
78gms 19.7pts 5.8asts 4.4rebs 1.1stls 47.0%
81gms 19.8pts 7.3asts 3.3rebs 1.3stls 48.8%
78gms 17.2pts 6.3asts 3.7rebs 0.9stls 44.3%

Is there anyone who knew he had that many good seasons? Again, I remember him being a good player but not that good. Those numbers blow my mind. Steve Nash's MVP numbers for instance...

75gms 15.5pts 11.5asts 3.4rebs 1.0stls 50.2%
79gms 18.8pts 10.5asts 4.2rebs 0.8stls 51.2%

Now compare Cassell, Nash and Kidd's career numbers...

Cassell 6'3" 193lbs - 1993 24th overall
30.0mpg 15.7pts 6.0asts 3.2rebs 1.1stl
45.4%fg 33.1%3pt 86.1%ft

Nash 6'3" 178lbs - 1996 15th overall
31.4mpg 14.5pts 8.6asts 3.0rebs 0.7stls
49.1%fg 42.8%3pt 90.4%ft

Kidd - 6'4" 210lbs - 1994 2nd overall
36.6mpg 13.0pts 9.0asts 6.4rebs 1.9stls
40.1%fg 34.9%3pt 78.4%ft

Maybe it's just me but damn, as quality of player as I thought Cassell was, I didn't realize he was that good. So does anyone else agree he's underrated or did I just block out how good he was and it's common knowledge he was averaging like 20-7-4 while shooting 47% over the course of 7 seasons?

[n_huffhines]

I think Cassell is pretty much appreciated for what he was.

Artis Gilmore...he was Kareem on terrible teams.

[TOP]

Originally Posted by n_huffhines

I think Cassell is pretty much appreciated for what he was.

Artis Gilmore...he was Kareem on terrible teams.

Ya think?

I mean, I guess I really underrated him then because I would have put him on par with someone like Devin Harris. When really, he was actually pretty amazing. I guess I'm just shocked he had that many 20 point seasons. Definitely not comparable to Gilmore though because Cassell was a point guard putting up 20 and he did it it in one of the best eras of basketball. And he wasn't playing on a bad team either, Glen Robinson and Ray Allen were both averaging 20 as well.

Now this would get it off topic but wouldn't your argument about Artris Gilmore looking like Kareem on a bad team damage all of your arguments about the greatness of Kevin Love.

I get what you're saying though. I just remember thinking he made a good trio with Allen and Robinson. Didn't realize he was actually matching their production. Dude was better than I would have given him credit for without looking at his numbers.

[n_huffhines]

Originally Posted by The_Orange_Pearl

Ya think?

I mean, I guess I really underrated him then because I would have put him on par with someone like Devin Harris. When really, he was actually pretty amazing. I guess I'm just shocked he had that many 20 point seasons. Definitely not comparable to Gilmore though because Cassell was a point guard putting up 20 and he did it it in one of the best eras of basketball. And he wasn't playing on a bad team either, Glen Robinson and Ray Allen were both averaging 20 as well.

Now this would get it off topic but wouldn't your argument about Artris Gilmore looking like Kareem on a bad team damage all of your arguments about the greatness of Kevin Love.

I get what you're saying though. I just remember thinking he made a good trio with Allen and Robinson. Didn't realize he was actually matching their production. Dude was better than I would have given him credit for without looking at his numbers.

How so?

[zjcvols]

Greg Monroe is severely underrated.

[005]

Very true.

[n_huffhines]

Monroe is a good choice.

My current all-underrated team:

Jose Calderon
Brandon Rush
Andre Iguodala
Ersan Ilyasova
Joakim Noah

All of them were top 5 in 2012 (at their positions) in terms of productivity (wins produced).

[005]

Calderon really did have a great year and just nobody knew he even existed.

[n_huffhines]

The other nice sign is he's played well each of the last 3 seasons, while steadily improving...he's an excellent distributor. Too bad he wasted his 20s in Canada.

[005]

Excellent from the charity stripe and can shoot the three pretty well too. He could have helped a lot of teams recently. Like, the Lakers, before now.

[n_huffhines]

put him on the Pacers or the Jazz, and either team is probably looking at a 3 seed.

[005]

I think Gortat is underrated. But playing with Nash sure helped.

[005]

And I have always been somewhat of a fan of Rodney Stuckey, even though he seems like feast or famine at times (may just be my thinking and not the truth).

J.J.
Kris Humphries.

[n_huffhines]

Originally Posted by Dbake005

I think Gortat is underrated. But playing with Nash sure helped.

He was pretty good as Howard's backup, too.

Hump is very underrated.

[TBrown]

Originally Posted by n_huffhines

put him on the Pacers or the Jazz, and either team is probably looking at a 3 seed.

I don't know what's funnier.. The fact that the Pacers were the actual 3 seed or you suggesting the Jazz would have been.