The 10 Most Underrated Players in the NBA Today

December 1, 2018; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield (24) celebrates against the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

We like to lump Blake Griffin among the forgotten power fours of yore; those athletic bigs born before backing guys down went out of favor, but have since seen their role turn into 3-point release valve. In 2014, Blake finished third in MVP voting, which was also the final of three successive seasons on the All-NBA Second Team. While 2014 sounds like the not-so-distant past, Joakim Noah won the Defensive Player of the Year that season, so it might as well ancient history.

But through the first quarter of the 2018-19 season, the man who first coined “Lob City” now sports a career-high in true-shooting percentage, thanks to a career-high in 3-point accuracy on a career-high number of attempts. As such, per minute, he’s scoring points at a career-high rate. More than that is his rebounding percentage, which only falls short of his remarkable rookie and sophomore campaigns that heralded him as the next big thing, a bruising force on the block, who could also jump out of the gym. These days he’s got the handles and vision of a playmaking point-forward, and the Pistons have been abysmal scoring the ball, worse than league-worst Chicago, when Griffin sits.

There’s too much talent at his position for a lock on All-NBA status every year, but Detroit isn’t cratering despite his crater-sized contract and they’re snug among the East’s mid-tier playoff teams. About where the Detroit stand-up comedy scene ranks.

The deal that sent Paul George to Oklahoma City felt like a massive Sam Presti coup at the time for the Thunder GM. Right now, it might end up as the rare deal that nets both teams above-average talents over the long term (modern translation: more than two seasons). But before you give Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard a cookie and compliment, remember there were some who didn’t know if Domantas Sabonis would earn a deal after his rookie one expired. That’s how bad he played on a team trailing the snarling shadow of Russell Westbrook.

Now he’s just after Nikola Jokic when it comes to sending APBRmetric bros hyperventilating when they see a nearly unblemished stat line. He’s knocking down everything near the rim and snagging everything coming off of it. The 2018-19 Sixth Man of the Year feels like it could be between 10 different names after canvassing 10 different media writers, but Sabonis’ advanced stats tell a story at odds with the mainstream perception. Plus, the Pacers are like the fourth or fifth-most watched hoops team in their state.

Picture Jrue Holiday training with Mr. Miyagi. Yes, that mental image stems from his karat-ayyy head-band, but also his improved health (from crane kicks on the beach), which was always the one thing holding him back from Mike Conley status in the West, or All-Star status in the East (under Doug Collins’ mid-life crisis bleach-blonde hair).

Holiday is crazy strong, and it shows itself more on defense, where he shrugs off picks like the Chris Paul of old: not so much a shrug, as a violent “get the hell outta my way, mang” shove. That’s why, paired with the prickly Rajon Rondo, the Pellies’ domineering backcourt forced Damian Lillard to become an even better leader while making others wonder if the Blazers needed to call out about CJ McCollum. That’s how dominant Holiday was in the first round of the playoffs last year. If he wasn’t shooting under 30 percent from three as of this writing more people would talk about that resurgence and his big contract wouldn’t serve as a millstone for gossip about Anthony Davis eventually turning down that fifth-year extension. But his shooting has dropped, and with it the perception that he’s an elite-level player that can hang against the deepest position in the league. Jrue’s good. Maybe Brow knows better than the rest of us.

The Heat weren’t ready to give him up with Jimmy Butler on the table. Pat Riley regret exists, but Josh Richardson is a 3-and-D guy who can handle the rock. Can he be the best player on a playoff team? It may have already happened last year. In the East, but still.

There are holes in Richardson’s game—wiggle and play-making—and they might be ceilings. He’s not getting to the rim as much this season and his defense isn’t what it’s been over his career. That’s the risk Riley took when he said no to the Wolves’ offers. However, he’s long and lean and cheap and that last part makes him the only one on the roster you can say that about (Remember Dion Waiters? Or All-NBA Goran Dragic?).

Similar to Griffin, Miami’s offense scores two points less per 100 possessions than the worst offensive team in the NBA when Richardson isn’t on the court. He’s crucial to their scoring success. That term’s relative for a team hemorrhaging money on bad deals while stuck below .500 in the crappier conference. But Richardson’s legit, not that you’d know it.

Simply put, Luka Doncic is the most confident and accomplished rookie in NBA history. Yes, we’re just barely past the quarter-mark of the season and haven’t played the Christmas quintuple yet, but the idea he fell behind Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III and then the Hawks traded him for Trae Young and a future first round selection boggles the mind of any fan who understands the skill level of the best European teams. And, yes, NBA Twitter loves him to a degree that’s off-putting for a list like this, but last season the man won every team and individual award available: He captured the EuroLeague title with Real Madrid, while getting named EuroLeague MVP (like the regular season MVP) and EuroLeague Final Four MVP (like the Finals MVP). He was the ACB (ACB Liga is the top-tier pro league in Spain) MVP and was named to the EuroBasket All-Tournament team after pairing with Goran Dragic to help little Slovenia capture EuroBasket gold for the first time in the country’s history.

Because he played into the summer, he came into camp in Fortnite and chill shape, trailing a David Blatt-esque confidence behind him that made him seem petulant instead of care-free. Didn’t matter. Dude exudes the same moxy as Ben Simmons, but...warranted (it’s a shooter’s league now!). HalleLuka’s game-sealing, step-back, 26-footer on Clint Capela saw Houston’s switch-everything center so shook, he was standing in the paint before recovering to contest.

HalleLuka is here and Dirk Nowitzki just made his season debut last week. Nothing less than Springfield pronouncements properly rate him, even if J.J. Barea and and Dallas’ diabolical bench are the biggest reasons this team is in the thick of the packed Western Conference playoff race. Who cares. Fun matters and Luka gives fun goosebumps.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Clippers are reportedly thinking of offering up one of their two valuable max contract openings to Tobias Harris, the slinky tweener Jason Kidd shipped out of Milwaukee not that long ago. If they can get KD and Kawhi they won’t, but the fact they’re toying with the idea says something. The Clippers are one of the biggest surprises in the NBA this season, unless you’re a Jerry West acolyte. Harris might be the biggest reason why. He can run your offense in a pinch, swing the ball, attack the closeout, and finish with either hand. He’s long, smart, and can shoot—toying with a 50/40/90 season.

For such a well-rounded team, they outscore opponents by more than eight points per 100 possessions when Harris plays, tops among any starter or big-time bench player. He’s the best player on a team that could have homecourt in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs if they keep this up. He’s underrated in the most traditional sense of the word because his excellence blends too damn well.

What a stud. Sixers fans would be fools not to miss the wiry-armed 3-point shooter. Robert Covington’s made Karl-Anthony Towns look downright frothy on defense again, which is incredible for a perimeter player in this era. He was All-Defensive First Team last season and he should make it again for how he’s turned around the Wolves on that end while giving them spacing on offense.

In a lot of ways, that’s why he’s underrated; he’s the perfect fourth or fifth starter on a really good playoff team. Could he be the fourth or fifth starter on a finalist? Depends on who slots in around him. He’s not a creator, but that frees you up because he can cut and set picks and doesn’t demand the ball. You never want too many cooks in the kitchen. While you don’t want RoCo as your sous chef, there might not be a more perfect line cook. This metaphor rumbles the stomach.

Similar to Sabonis, the DeMarcus Cousins deal doesn’t look as bad now for the Kings as it did two seasons ago. True, DMC might dominate on the block when he returns from injury soon, but the Kings got a solid return on that deal, and it starts with their old youngster. Hield, who is 25, shot better than 42 percent from 3-point range for the last two seasons on over five attempts per contest. That’s elite, and he’s been even better this year. And it’s not like the Kings were drawing a ton of defenders away from him.

De’Aaron Fox, rightfully, deserves the majority of credit for Sacramento’s surprising start to the season. The fact they’re still above .500 with the holidays upon us means Dave Joerger should get some COY votes even as his assistant GM tries to get rid of him. But Hield is a steadying hand, and the team’s defensive on/off is surprisingly stout with Hield—they give up almost six fewer points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court. He’s a sneaky-good rebounder, too, and has improved his play-making, though it’s still not his strong suit.

The Spurs really could have used him, even if Jakob Poeltl is a solid back-up big man. Opponents will definitely give him the corner three when the playoffs roll around, and the chances Toronto beats Boston, not to mention Milwaukee or Philadelphia, relies more on his bony shoulders finding a shooting touch than it does perhaps anything else on a loaded Toronto team.

Minus the shooting, Siakam is a prototypical big, someone who can guard multiple positions, but in a Draymond Green way where he’s actually staying with point guards and holding his own against the bigger centers. He’s not gonna stay in front of Kemba Walker and bang with Joel Embiid, which is why he’s not Draymond, but those are extremes.

However, he’s shooting 36.7 percent from deep, and more than half of those are from the corners. He’s Henry Ford’s favorite NBA player, an interchangeable part on defense, and a decent enough shooter from deep that he won’t cramp the floor until the playoffs. But that’s when he could become something beyond an aggravation for R.C. Buford.

No two superstars match better. We dare you to contradict us. As such, the pairing of Kevin Durant with Steph Curry in Golden State worked better than we could have imagined. They’re underrated as far as superstar duos go. Sure, the Rockets pushed them to seven games last May, but Steph—as has often been the case late in season—wasn’t really healthy. Plus, KD was in his head a bit with the way Houston was switching on him, forcing the isolation play pundits ripped him for when the Rockets were up 3-2 in that series.

One is the best shooter of all time, and the other is the best shooter of all time who likely stands over seven feet tall (sorry Dirk, but you know it’s true). The shooting’s key. No other superstars in the league today can punish opponents like them off the ball, which means they can coexist better on the floor together. There’s only one ball, but Curry affects multiple defenders by mere presence. His defender HAS to defend him all the way to 30 feet and beyond. Durant is the best iso-scorer today with the ability to get to any spot and make a defense pay. Kerr has started to run more pick-and-rolls with with them, and it’s unlocking some angry Durant dunks when the help defender sticks with Steph.

On top of the savant shooting rests their demeanor. While KD hasn’t been all happy-go-lucky since winning the last two rings and NBA Finals MVPs, Steph is a bubbling cauldron of good times and good tidings. He’s the only reason the tension bubbling beneath the surface of Draymond and KD’s relationship hasn’t cracked the Twitter trending. He’s the reason KD can sacrifice some of his touches, too. Selflessness is contagious, just ask Gregg Popovich after Tim Duncan left.

Steph and KD are perfect for each other, which is why they’re underrated as a tandem. No other two players in the game could do what they do and it’s driving us all mad.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Spencer Dinwiddie, Monte Morris, Paul George, Julius Randle, Khris Middleton, Danilo Gallinari, Montrezl Harrell (and really the whole Clippers team, including the coach).