The 10 most underrated NBA players of the 2010s

2. Rajon Rondo

The Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen may have brought the Boston Celtics back to championship glory in 2008, but it was Rajon Rondo who kept their title window open far longer than anyone had expected.

With the confidence gained from an encouraging 2009 playoff run, Rondo came back the following season a new player, making the first of four All-Star appearances and using the playoff stage as his introduction to full-fledged stardom.

He averaged 15.8 points, 9.3 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game in helping Boston make an unexpected Finals run. He dazzled with spectacular displays of IQ and hustle, racking up 10 games with 10 or more assists.

Rondo’s speed and quickness gave the Los Angeles Lakers trouble at both ends, so much so that a legitimate case could’ve been made for a Finals MVP trophy had the Celtics claimed victory in Game 7.

In 2012, the Celtics surprisingly came within a game of the NBA Finals thanks in large part to Rondo’s play. He led the postseason in assists with 11.6 a night, including four triple-double performances.

And who could forget his famous 44-point, 10-assists, eight-rebound display in Game 2 in those conference finals against the Miami Heat? Rondo had been playing at such a high level for so long that he had even begun generating MVP buzz.

If not for a thumb injury during the 2017 playoffs, perhaps Rondo could’ve helped the Bulls pull off the historic No. 8 over No. 1 upset against his former Celtic team.

The next year saw Rondo help lift Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans to just their second-ever second-round appearance, this time leading the playoffs in assists with 12.2 a night.

Call him too smart for his own good. Call him a difficult player to deal with. There are a lot of adjectives to describe Rondo, but when his flaws begin to take center stage is when it’s time to take a step back and marvel at all the improbable contributions he’s made over the years.