NBA: 10 most underrated performers of the season so far
By Nate Friesen
We talk a lot about the NBA’s All-Stars and MVP candidates but often forget to show love to the role players. Let’s take a look at 10 underrated performers.
The NBA is full of talented players. Guys like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic give us endless stuff to talk about with their on-court brilliance and their off-court shenanigans. However, one thing we tend to overlook in the NBA world is the endless role players that give these stars the ability to do what they do best.
Some of the great role players in NBA history like Robert Horry, Derek Fisher and Bruce Bowen got recognition because they made big plays in big playoff games and won championships. With that said, not all role players are that lucky. Some of them are on bad teams and are doing the most they can but are better suited as a complement to great players while others are young guys who have yet to reach their full potential but are showing flashes.
Either way, role players makeup essentially 90 percent of the players in the NBA but generate very little discussion about the league. Any All-Star or All-NBA player will say that everything they accomplish wouldn’t be possible without the help of elite role players. This is why we see teams spend so much time and effort trying to fit the right pieces around their stars.
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We saw the Los Angeles Lakers pay Danny Green a lot of money to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Houston Rockets did the same thing with P.J. Tucker. And while guys like Green and Tucker are hugely important role players, I feel like they’ve been greatly appreciated in the recent past.
That is why I would like to spend some time showing love to the under-appreciated and underrated. Guys who are playing incredibly important roles, similar to Green and Tucker, but still aren’t getting the appreciation they deserve.