Fan Fuel: Five overrated NBA players

BY ERIC NYUGEN – FAN FUEL BLOGGER

When fans think of overrated players in the NBA, the names Kobe Bryant and LeBron James may come to mind. Those two often get a lot of love and hate from the fans because they are the face of the sport.

But here is a list of five players in the NBA that receive far too much credit for their lackluster play:

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1. Jameer Nelson, PG (Orlando Magic)

When Nelson was first traded to the Magic at the 2004 draft, many believed that Orlando was receiving a point guard that could anchor their offence with fellow 2004 draftee Dwight Howard for countless years to come. Howard has blossomed into perhaps one of the best centres of all-time in the NBA. Nelson meanwhile hasn’t even become an above-average point guard, yet he continues to be the starting one for the Magic.

Nelson is the definition of a player that has no strengths in his game. He’s not a scoring point guard, yet he is a below average distributor and defender. He also lacks consistency when it comes to shooting the ball from all ranges. Not only was he not deserving of the All-Star honours that he received during the 2008-09 season, he has yet to improve on those satisfactory numbers since.

2. Joakim Noah, C (Chicago Bulls)

Often thought of as the player that the Raptors might have drafted had he declared his eligibility in 2006, Noah instead spent one extra year in Florida and went ninth overall to the Bulls the following year. While Bargnani has been under constant scrutiny in Toronto because of his defensive shortcomings, Toronto fans should perhaps first look at Noah and thank their lucky stars that he wasn’t available in the 2006 draft.

Noah’s statistics are simply that of a bencher, and not a starter. While he rebounds and shoots from the free throw line with good proficiency for someone of his stature, he has a real difficult time scoring. He will likely continue to struggle putting up double-digits, especially when Chicago has other secondary scoring options such as Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and Richard Hamilton. The Bulls lack outstanding talent outside of Derrick Rose, and that’s why they will only go as far as Rose can carry them.

3. Brandon Jennings, PG (Milwaukee Bucks)

My best friend told me that Jennings wasn’t overrated because he scored 55 points in a game during his rookie season. And there lies the problem. After lighting it up during one game, he seemingly gained elite point guard status overnight, yet his statistics would strongly disagree. While he may be a moderately proficient scorer, he lacks the passing and/or shooting ability to establish himself as an elite point guard in the game.

Jennings scores and steals, but he fails to establish any consistency. He takes too many shots to put up a decent amount of points and probably would be better off shooting less and passing more. He has weapons like Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson at his disposable. He’s likely better off using them more often.

4. Rajon Rondo, PG (Boston Celtics)

He possesses tremendous speed, passing ability, and has the tools to steal so often that the opposition might have to consider calling 911. But while some parts of his game might be extremely polished, the others parts are extremely unpolished. As long as he plays with the Big Three in Boston, they will make him look like an All-Star, but time is running out, and Rondo is going to have to learn to establish scoring by himself.

With great passing ability, but perhaps the worst shooting ability for any point guard in the NBA, Rondo is the complete opposite of Jennings, as he relies on his teammates too much. On offence, he’s a two-trick pony: he’ll either pass the ball or drive in and use his speed. As long as defenders keep him far away from the inside, he’s just another player wearing a Celtics jersey.

5. Danny Granger, F (Indiana Pacers)

He’s often regarded as one of the top five small forwards in the NBA, yet he lacks the consistency that LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Rudy Gay all possess. If Granger can improve on his consistency, he has the potential to join James, Durant, and Anthony as a part of the truly elite players in the NBA.

In some games, Granger can put up Durant-like numbers, doing everything from scoring, to rebounding, stealing, and blocking. But in other games, Granger puts up numbers that makes people wonder why he plays so many minutes every night. He is not a dependable player simply because his play is unpredictable. The Pacers have to recognize that if they are going to seriously starting contending in the East, they have to find another player to build the team around.

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