The most underrated player on every NBA team

Fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers desperate to have something to cheer for have embraced forward Cedi Osman as one of their own. In late January, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com wrote how Osman has exceeded expectations while playing for one of the worst teams in the league. The 23-year-old who started 49 out of 50 games and who has been named a Rising Star entered Jan. 30 averaging nearly 15 points per game for the month. 

The New York Knicks are downright terrible without Kristaps Porzingis, who may or may not be a trade piece for the team moving forward. Recently, Mike Cortez of The Knicks Wall stated guard Trey Burke is somebody who has "no future with the team," which may be a bit harsh. The 26-year-old, who revived his career from the G League in early 2018, has started in only a handful of games, but he's averaging over 11 points per game. He's outshone Frank Ntilikina, who is struggling to find his feet in the league. 

The Phoenix Suns being unwatchable coupled with Luka Doncic playing as well as expected, if not better, has caused center Deandre Ayton to go a little unrecognized. The 20-year-old, who started 46 of 47 games, is averaging a double-double and posting 16.4 PPG and 10.6 RPG, and his defense has improved since the beginning of the winter months. 

Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen attract attention when they're on the court, but guard Kris Dunn has shown he can be a solid contributor when healthy. Granted, his scoring can be hit and miss, but the 24-year-old is averaging 12.1 PPG and 6.3 APG and is an excellent defender routinely tasked with stopping an opposing team's top guard. Chicago getting a real head coach (no offense, Jim Boylen) will only help Dunn take that next step toward being something better than a second-unit player. 

Just as some may have overrated Atlanta Hawks rookie guard Trae Young after his hot start in October, the 20-year-old has become somewhat underrated while starting every game in which he plays for an awful team. Young isn't Luka Doncic, and he may cause the Hawks to feel some buyer's remorse down the road, but he is averaging 16.4 PPG and 7.3 APG. As Marcel Mutoni of Slam Online explained, Young is well-aware of what critics and some fans have had to say when comparing him to Doncic. Give him credit for possessing fire and motivation to prove doubters wrong. 

Rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. is a lone bright spot on a Memphis Grizzlies team that needs to trade some dead wood en route to a reboot. The 19-year-old who is the club's future is tallying over 13 points per game, and he, rather than Luka Doncic, may have the highest ceiling of anybody from his draft class. 

Nikola Vucevic may not be underrated for long if he plays his way into the Orlando Magic shipping him to a contender ahead of the trade deadline. The 28-year-old is enjoying a career season, averaging personal highs in PPG (20.7) and RPG (12). Orlando trading him to give Mo Bamba  more playing time may prove to be a massive mistake. 

Watching the Washington Wizards fall to the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 29 was yet another reminder that this team is going through the motions. Trevor Ariza may not be long for the club. Since being traded by the Phoenix Suns to Washington, the versatile 33-year-old has averaged over 15 points per game in 20 starts. As Ben Standig and Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington wrote, Ariza could be worth valuable assets gained from a team chasing a title before the trade deadline. 

It's easy to forget about Blake Griffin, partially because the Detroit Pistons are below average, at best and partially because he's been around for nearly a decade. Don't look now, but the 29-year-old is averaging 26.3 PPG, well above his highest average for a single season (24.1 in 2013-14). Griffin's stellar campaign has led to some speculation he could force a move to a better team. As Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press wrote, the Pistons expect he will stick around through what is a disappointing period for the franchise. 

Anthony Davis isn't the only current New Orleans Pelicans player who isn't part of the team's long-term future. Nikola Mirotic, acquired by the Pelicans from the Chicago Bulls in February 2018, will be available for the right price. The almost 28-year-old is averaging nearly 17 points per game and shooting slightly under 37 percent from beyond the arc and should be coveted by a team in need of somebody capable of stretching the floor. He is on the verge of cashing in via free agency this summer. 

Just because the Dallas Mavericks may be ready to give up on guard Dennis Smith Jr. doesn't mean we should diminish what he could offer a different team. Yes, the 21-year-old is averaging under 13 PPG after posting 15.2 PPG as a rookie, but his shooting percentage has actually improved. The fact that he's boosted his efficiency should remind everyone he isn't a finished product and could thrive outside of an offense that includes Luka Doncic. A change of scenery may do him wonders.  

We understand anybody not completely buying Derrick Rose stock this winter. You've been hurt before, after all. The 30-year-old probably will never return to an MVP level, but he is in the middle of his best season since the 2011-12 campaign, averaging 18.6 PPG and 4.7 APG in 38 appearances. As it pertains only to on-the-court matters, Rose is the league's top redemption story. 

Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams won't make your All-Star ballot, but the 32-year-old remains a solid starter who averaged over 11 points per game from the start of December through the final days of January. Williams can still shoot the three, as he has drained nearly 38 percent of his long-range attempts this season. Jordan Kligman of Hashtag Basketball recently made the case for the Toronto Raptors trading for Williams this winter. 

It's probably frustrating for fans of the Miami Heat that center Hassan Whiteside remains underrated because it means he isn't playing well enough to be spotted as one of the best at the position. The 29-year-old is a walking and breathing double-double, averaging 12.6 PPG, 12.4 RPG and 2.3 BLK, but his disappearing acts, particularly during the postseason, make him a liability because of a contract that will likely attach him with the Heat through this year's trade deadline. 

De'Aaron Fox is lightning quick, and fellow guard Buddy Hield is leading the Sacramento Kings in scoring. Twenty-five-year-old center Willie Cauley-Stein is somewhat quietly having his best season, as he's on pace to notch career highs in PPG (13.2), RPG (8.8) and STL (1.2). If he's truly reaching his potential, he will be a starter for a playoff team, maybe later this year. 

Those who didn't understand LeBron James joining the Los Angeles Lakers last summer was the beginning of the end of Lonzo Ball's tenure with the club were living in denial. The three-time champion needs a better scorer at the position, simply put. Ball's shooting hasn't come around. It may never. The 21-year-old still possesses vision well beyond his years. As cliche as it may be to say, the right coach capable of motivating the second-year pro with the help of a perfectly placed boot could do him plenty good. 

Guard Spencer Dinwiddie requiring surgery to repair his injured right thumb was yet another blow for a Brooklyn Nets side that continues to somehow outkick the coverage with its play. Before being sidelined, the 25-year-old was averaging 17.2 PPG, mostly coming off the bench. He should be a strong contender to win the league's Sixth Man of the Year Award. 

It's borderline weird that Los Angeles Clippers forward Tobias Harris is so unheralded. He leads a team that plays home games in a massive market in scoring (21.2 PPG). As Eric Patten of Clips Nation wrote, the Clippers rarely win when Harris doesn't score over 15 points. The 26-year-old is having his best season, but those who don't routinely follow the club probably don't know it. Some organization, maybe not the Clippers, is going to give him a boatload of cash this summer. 

Maybe Rudy Gobert would be more appreciated if the Utah Jazz looked like something better than a one-and-done playoff team. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is enjoying his best offensive season, averaging a career-high 15 PPG coupled with 12.9 RPG and 2.2 BLK. Ryan Miller of KSL.com recently referred to the 26-year-old as one of the league's best big men, and Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune argued Gobert should be an All-Star. 

OK, so Rudy Gay shooting over 64 percent (not a typo) from three-point range in October was more a mirage than a sign of things to come. Nevertheless, the 32-year-old has become a vital part of the San Antonio Spurs during his second season with the team. The Spurs lost all four games during which Gay didn't play in November, and San Antonio dropped three of the five January contests he missed. 

James Harden evolving into the league's greatest scorer since the days of Kobe Bryant dominating opponents may make everybody else associated with the Houston Rockets a little underrated in the eyes of some. All the way back in September 2011, Kelly Scaletta of Bleacher Report named Eric Gordon as one of the NBA's most underrated players, and that trend continues to this day. The fact the 30-year-old has been an inconsistent scorer when healthy this season (he's shooting a career-low 38.6 percent from the field) has kept him under the radar. 

On Jan. 30, Zach Weiss of Sporting Pedia wrote Jusuf Nurkic "looks like the most underrated center in all of the NBA." He leads the Portland Trail Blazers in rebounds (10.4 RPG), steals (1.1 STL) and blocks (1.6 BLK) and is also averaging 15.2 PPG during his best season. At just 24 years old, Nurkic shouldn't be underrated for too much longer. 

Guard Marcus Smart will never be the best player on a playoff team, and his shot selection can cause fans of the Boston Celtics to consider ripping their hair out. The 24-year-old who started 29 of 49 contests this season ended January at fifth on the roster in plus-minus, and he's well on his way to posting his best three-point shooting campaign (36.5 percent). 

Paul George is producing a campaign worthy of MVP votes, and Russell Westbrook is the face of the Oklahoma City Thunder regardless of his struggles from the field. Steven Adams, meanwhile, is in the middle of his best season, averaging career highs in PPG (15.4) and RPG (10). How many boards would Adams have on his resume if he didn't concede them to Westbrook on a nightly basis? 

JJ Redick is the perfect player for his role with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 34-year-old who can shoot 40 percent from beyond the arc in his sleep is averaging a career-high 18.4 PPG, and he's behind only Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid on the team in scoring. He's also on pace to attempt more shots than during any previous season.

In late January, Ben Gibson of Eight Points Nine Seconds referred to Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young as "the glue holding the defense together." The 30-year-old is averaging 12.7 PPG and 6.2 RPG, but his motor and ability to guard against different types of opponents make him so important to what is, as of the typing of this sentence, the third-best team in the East. As Tom Lewis of Indy Cornrows wrote, the Pacers are leaning on Young after losing Victor Oladipo to injury. 

As Forbes' Joel Rush wrote last fall, NBA general managers voted Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray as the player most likely to enjoy a breakout campaign. It's happening. The 21-year-old is well on his way to improving his PPG average for a second straight season (18.5 PPG), and he's second on the Denver roster in scoring. Nikola Jokic, maybe the best passing big man in the history of the NBA, stands out in the lineup, but Murray's confidence and obsession with improving his shooting, as detailed by ESPN's Jackie MacMullan, shouldn't be discounted. 

The Toronto Raptors' "Bench Mob" has been lauded over the years, but the progress made by forward Pascal Siakam since he entered the starting lineup has been remarkable. The 24-year-old, who was a G League player only a few years ago, started 50 of his first 51 games of the season, he's third on the Raptors in scoring and he's posting 15.2 PPG and 7.0 RPG while averaging over 31 minutes per contest. As ESPN's Jackie MacMullan explained, Siakam was roughly 18 years old when he started playing organized ball, so it's difficult to forecast how much better he'll get once he hits his physical prime. 

Picking one underrated player on a team lucky enough to have Giannis Antetokounmpo is no easy task. In January, Andrew Sharp of Sports Illustrated wrote about how much Eric Bledsoe means to the Milwaukee Bucks months ahead of the team potentially finishing the regular season atop the conference standings. While he may average fewer PPG (15.8) than he has since the 2014-15 campaign (17.0), he is the ideal two-way guard who doesn't mind being overshadowed by the Greek Freak and Khris Middleton, the latter often mentioned as his team's most underrated piece. The next task for the 29-year-old is to put his nightmare playoff performance vs. the Boston Celtics last year in the past. 

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson may be the most underrated athlete among all who play in the big four North American sports leagues, but it's easy to understand how we arrived at that point. Stephen Curry is the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history. Kevin Durant is a two-time NBA Finals MVP and already a Hall of Famer. While Thompson is shooting under 40 percent from beyond the arc for the first time, he's still averaging over 21 points per game. The Warriors may learn how irreplaceable he is if he leaves the team via free agency this summer.