Hoops Habit
Fansided

The NBA’s 10 Most Criminally Underrated Stars

By Gerald Bourguet

January 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) dribbles the basketball against Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh (1) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Heat 111-103. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) dribbles the basketball against Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh (1) during the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Heat 111-103. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 23, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh (1) takes a breather during the second half against the New York Knicks at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 95-78. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Chris Bosh

2015-16 Statistics: 19.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, .471/.391/.805 shooting, 22.4 PER

Chris Bosh was underrated back when he was a regular 20-10 guy with the Toronto Raptors. He was underrated as the third member of a Miami Heat team that won two championships and went to four straight NBA Finals. And in 2015-16, he remains one of the most underrated players in the league, which is even more outrageous considering he was fighting for his life less than a year ago.

When blood clots in Bosh’s lungs took him out for the rest of the 2014-15 season, it was a long road back to recovery. But this season, the Boshtrich is back and averaging 19.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while also knocking down nearly 40 percent of his 4.4 three-point attempts per game.

There aren’t many power forwards in this league who are capable of scoring on the inside and from the perimeter like Bosh does on a nightly basis. Dwyane Wade is the face of the franchise and he’s still going strong at age 33, but Bosh has quietly been getting the job done for a Heat team that aspires to be Cleveland’s greatest threat in the Eastern Conference.

Bosh ranks 10th in the league in total win shares and his ability to spread the floor opens up driving lanes for Wade, Goran Dragic and the team’s other penetrators off the bounce.

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The Miami Heat may not be as exciting since LeBron James left, but Bosh is living up to the gaudy five-year, $118 million contract extension that so many people foolishly deemed to be a waste. One day when this future Hall of Famer is gone, perhaps people outside of South Beach will properly appreciate him.