Top five overrated NBA players

[dansensei]

According to Fox Sports, the top 5 overrated players in the NBA are:

5. Dwayne Wade

Some may scoff at this ranking, pointing to the NBA Championship Wade won after being in the league just three seasons. But remember, he had something other young stars have not — The Big Diesel. Yes, Wade was struggling with injuries, but did you watch any Heat games this year? Without Wade, the Heat were pitiful. With Wade, they weren't much better. When he hung up the sneakers for the season, the Heat had an NBA-worst 11-54 record highlighted by a 1-26 stretch. Can you honestly imagine KG, LeBron or Kobe — even paired with 11 of the league's worst players — starting a season 11-54?

4. Robert Horry

Robert Horry doesn't get a whole lot of attention during the regular season, but when the playoffs come around he is getting more publicity than the Beckhams. Yeah, big names are born in the playoffs, but let's examine his career average stats: seven points and 4.8 rebounds. "Sure," you say, "but he saves his game for the playoffs when it counts." Horry's career averages for the playoffs are 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds. He shoots 42 percent in the regular season and 43 percent in the playoffs. Those shots in the final minute have been clutch, no doubt, but what about the other 47 minutes in the game?

3. Yao Ming

Yao Ming has all the tools to be one of the most dominant forces this league has ever seen. He's 7-foot-6, yet his 85 percent-plus free-throw percentage is better than most guards. Problem is that Yao has been the victim of unparalleled hype. That being said, he is grossly overrated. Didn't the Rockets play their best ball while he was out of the lineup? He doesn't make his team worse, it's just that the Rockets continued to improve during his absence. At this point, Yao is an offensive force who is incredibly injury-prone and a defensive liability who picks up avoidable fouls. If this past season showed us anything, it's that the Rockets can be an elite team — with or without Yao.

2. Shawn Marion

Marion is a rare player who has been called underrated so much over his career that he actually has become overrated. His pouting in Phoenix the past few years has been well-documented as he has called himself undervalued — despite being paid $16.4 million per year — and asked to have more plays called his way. Marion may be the best "garbage" player in the league, but his team will only be successful if he is surrounded by capable offensive threats and doesn't have to be a primary option.

1. Shane Battier

Battier is as consistent as winter rain in the Northwest — if by consistent you mean consistently mediocre. Despite playing nearly 37 minutes per game, he averaged only nine points and five rebounds last season. For a player whose consistency and fundamentals are constantly praised, he shoots a miserable 43 percent from the field and a below-average 72 percent from the charity stripe. The former Duke star has been a bigger beneficiary of his past reputation than any other player in the league. The fact that he was asked to represent the USA as one of the best 15 players is reason enough to call him the most overrated player in the game.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/pgStory?contentId=8455178&MSNHPHMA#sport=NBA&photo=8455148

[diddy]

i read that, complete bullshit about wade! u could see him playing in Olympics, and he leads team USA in scoring, so how the hell could he be an overrated player???
marion is overpaid not overrated, he's great in fastbreak and great defender! Yao's great, but not using full potencial, and the rest are overrated!

[benji]

For a player whose consistency and fundamentals are constantly praised, he shoots a miserable 43 percent from the field

Good thing that well over half his shots are three-pointers, meaning he shoots the equivalent of 54% for players who only take two-pointers. Not as great as his 57% the season before, but still miles from "miserable" no?

I wonder who they consider the top five underrated to be.

[Andrew]

I see where they're coming from in putting Battier first but as far as the widespread opinion of how good he is, I wouldn't say he's overrated or underrated. Most expectations and rankings seem to be on the ball. Besides, Team USA abandoned the true Dream Team approach long ago. Battier's inclusion wasn't meant to suggest he was one of the top players in the league.

The reason for including Wade is a bit of a double standard too. They dismiss his success as basically a fluke and the fortune of having Shaq on his team but they're judging him based on an off year in which he missed several games due to injury/rehab and his team was awful. I wouldn't agree with the call they make on Yao either, 12 of those 22 consecutive wins came with Yao in the lineup. The Rockets overachieving doesn't make Yao is overrated.

[Sauru]

i felt wade was overrated when he won his ring, not so much now. some people may find that comment to be crazy but i judge by baksetball talent not acting level.


btw benji, the radio station i listen to plays that obama quote every day

[Laxation]

This is the stupidest list ever.

Yao is there because he is tall, but isn't a god at basketball.
Battier and Horry are there because they don't score a lot. Apparently Fox missed the bit where people praise them for things other than scoring a lot...
Marion overrated? Your kidding right...

I dont like Wade so I'll just stay out of that one.

[bowdown]

Rajan Rondo is overrated. he might be quick but he had guys who could execute on his team first of all.

[Jackal]

For his age, Rondo isn't overrated. He needs time to polish his game (and find an offensive one).

But at 22 or so years old, starting pointguard of a team filled with vets and playing that calmly in the Finals? No, not overrated at all.

I'd be more inclined to call Vujacic overrated in that case.

Edit: Uhm, regarding the topic. Robert Horry over-rated? Sure. If you want to call him over-rated, go right ahead but there are only a handful of players that would that calmly step up to take such big shots let alone make them. Those kind of players aren't just run of the mill kind of players. Sure he wasn't the focal point of his championship teams but Robert Horry played an important role. Many may think that he's over-rated, but the man did what he was called upon to do.

Seriously though, just taking the shots he's taken would have others shitting themselves, forget the part about making them.

[Sauru]

i dont see how horry is overrated. people only talk about his clutch shooting in the playoffs, which he consistantly backs up. now if the talk was how he could lead a team to a title or even be a major player then call him overrated but i only see him talked about in the clutch.

yao is only overrated if you take the chinese opinion into consideration. if you talk to people here in the states you might think he is underrated lol

also rondo won a ring when all he heard the entire season was that he was gonna cost the celtics the ring. the man had intense preasure on him and he came through. he deserves some spotlight now. also i dont see people talking about him that much anyway so where do you get overrated from?

[NovU]

i rooted for wade from his day #1 in nba, but i gotta admit, he became somewhat overrated in a sense how he was praised by the medias and stuff.

i never thought this way before, but now i think kobe is overrated now. u know why.

[havasufalls]

This list makes no sense at all.

Yao is the the best player in the league at his position or #2 next to Dwight. I know there aren't many quality centers at this time but I think he could hold his own versus any era of centers. Not saying he would destroy them but he would hold his own.

Horry, Battier, and Marion most of the things they do aren't recorded on the stat sheet.

Wade is the craziest of them all. For one the man was playing hurt last season as you can tell in the Olympics now that he is healthy. And Wade did not start off with Shaq on his team. His rookie season he did help the Heat into the playoffs and out of the first round. And they gave the pacers a good run in the second round. This all in his rookie year without shaq.

[Andrew]

Their criteria does seem a bit off. To be truly overrated, popular opinion of them would have to peg them as being much better than they actually are and I don't think a lot of people are calling Shane Battier one of the best players in the league. As I said before, that's not what his selection to Team USA was based on since they're not really doing the Dream Team approach anymore.

[benji]

Battier, and Marion most of the things they do aren't recorded on the stat sheet.

Marion has regularly put up some of the best statistics in the league. And Battier as noted, only if you use meaningless stats.

[Laxation]

Its funny reading the comments of the article.

The gist is: 'Lucky this writer remained anonymous, because otherwise he would never get a job anywhere else. This list is bullshit.'

And my favourite: "even his family should be ashamed"

[Carmo]

For a player whose consistency and fundamentals are constantly praised, he shoots a miserable 43 percent from the field

Good thing that well over half his shots are three-pointers, meaning he shoots the equivalent of 54% for players who only take two-pointers. Not as great as his 57% the season before, but still miles from "miserable" no?

I wonder who they consider the top five underrated to be.

Maybe he should take two-pointers then? Missing a three is the same as missing a two.

[Lamrock]

But when you make a three, you get 1.5 times the points. If you can shoot 3's at least 67% as well as you can 2's, then it is the better option, no?

[Sauru]

i will kill that avatar

[Lamrock]

I know, isn't it great?

[Indy]

Anyone who calls Yao overrated has no idea what they are talking about.

That avatar really pisses me off for some reason too.

[cyanide]

Well, for Shane, he's great on the defensive end, so they don't really take that into account.

That avatar makes me really tense.

[Pirrimarzon]

Well, for Shane, he's great on the defensive end, so they don't really take that into account.

That avatar makes me really tense.

+1

Don't look at his stats, look at his play

[kevC]

Or, look at his stats too because if you're looking at the right ones you'd know he's brilliant.

[Drex]

I'd guess the right thing would be "don't look at his height". People automatically think that being 7'6 makes you the best basketball player in the world.

[Lamrock]

I thought we were still talking about Shane?

[Fcuk Orlando]

Tracy McGrady is waaay overated . hes never made it to second round when hes had teams that are capable of doing so. Hes noot really clucth and can't take over a game.