The NBA’s 10 Most Criminally Underrated Stars

With the Eastern Conference springing to life and the Western Conference still in an early slumber, the NBA hasn’t seen parity like this in quite some time. The league currently has 19 teams that have won at least 45 percent of their games and the only four teams that have separated themselves from the rest of the pack — Warriors, Spurs, Cavaliers and Thunder — reside in smaller markets.

As always, the NBA’s success is driven by its star players. From LeBron James to Kevin Durant to Stephen Curry to Tim Duncan, it’s no wonder those four franchises have been a shining example of sustained greatness over the last few seasons. It’s simple math: the more superstars you have, the more likely it is that your team is one of the best in the NBA.

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But all too often, the stars that are a few levels down from the MVP discussion get overlooked. For the good but not great teams, those players are responsible for providing fans with nightly entertainment while occasionally stepping back into the superstar spotlight in a league where any team can win any given game.

In honor of the former greats who have since gotten old and in honor of the on-the-rise stars who haven’t quite taken the next step into the elite category, here’s a look at 10 NBA stars in 2015-16 who are criminally underrated.

Next: No. 10