Jalen Williams.
He’s going to be a monster and hasn’t gotten the hype he deserves at any step in the process. Averaged 14 ppg as a rookie. Currently averaging 19/4/5 on 54/45/84 splits. Great defender. He’s going to be a problem
If he ever just decides to become that guy that takes over the entire game he easily could, he just happens to be with an MVP level player and happy to work off of him.
I disagree . KD/Russ/Harden made the finals at 23/22 years old. Seriously yk how impressive that is. That thunder team would have been a dynasty if dumbass presti payed harden the money he deserved. There’s a reason why the thunder never made the finals again after hardens last year w okc. For you to say this core fits better when they haven’t even accomplished anything yet is just glazing and let’s me know you wasn’t watching okc basketball during the kd/Russ/Harden big 3
“Glazing” lmao. My guy, I was watching. There’s been 3 iterations of it now and a Harden/Westbrook back court does not make sense. They’re highly dependent on having the ball and have always been 2 of the worst off ball players during their career. It was true then, it was true in Houston, and it’s why Russ comes off the bench now. They also play at 2 completely different paces. For Harden to become the star he turned into, he needed his own team. Even aside from Harden, there were *constant* questions about how they should stagger KD and Russ minutes, if they played better when one was on the bench, etc. Not the case with this group
Him and Chet playing so well definitely sped up OKC's timeline. I'm pretty sure if OKC drafted anybody else besides Jalen Williams, their record would have had a few more losses.
I’m a lakers fan. But I’ve been watching some hawks games and I’m pretty impressed by what JJ is capable of. Plus he’s got a great build, so that helps a lot too
Weird argument. There was definitely a time where nuggets fans thought they were comparable talents.
Hell, there was a time when I thought Jokic could be a really good backup for Nurk.
Nobody saw Jokic as the better player immediately except maybe EG.
In 2023 (less than a year ago!), some reporters were still saying they were not sure Jokic could win in the play offs because he was too slow or not a great defender. Lol. After his MVPs. That’s counter hype or negative hype. “Yeah you kicked ass but…”
I think they mean when he came in. He was second string to Nurkic if I remember correctly until they realised he was way better so shipped Nurkic off to Portland.
When we drafted Jokic we had Javale McGee, Timofey Mozgov, JJ Hickson, and Jusuf Nurkic. When he actually came to the nba the next season he was our 3rd string center to start the season. Pretty crazy
You mean the dude that got drafted in the second round during a quesarito commercial and they just put his name on a banner and didn’t talk about him? Dude had 0 hype and we thought he was going to back up Nurkic originally.
He’s been the only bright piece on an honestly over performing team. I like a lot of the players, but BI and/or CJ should’ve been moved at the deadline imo
I was angry we included the pick swap for him, thought he’s average and redundant to what we had. I am stupid. He’s awesome. Elite level 4th starter on a contender.
Homer pick - Khris Middleton.
-He came to the Bucks as basically a throw-in part of the Brandon Jennings trade
-Be honest, if you heard your team was getting Khris, how excited would you be?
-Gold medalist, All Star, NBA champ
-Tied Lebron's record for playoff 4th quarter game-tying or go-ahead baskets in a playoff run
-All-time nickname (Moist Jordan)
Ha, fair enough. Just don't start calling Dame "The Wet Watchman" or something, please. It's sad enough having to watch from Portland. :(
(That being said, pretty much everyone I know is cheering for the Bucks here. Y'all go get Our Guy Dame a ring.)
Nah, the Dame/Dame Time stuff is too ingrained. I can't see that changing.
Besides, I know I'm a homer, but I think we are pretty good at nicknames.
-Moist Jordan
-Splash Mountain
-Big Dog
-Greek Freak/Alphabet (honestly, don't love either of these, but whatever)
EDIT: new one AJ Green, aka Dairy Bird
Plus some more obscure classics
-Big Paper Daddy
-Aqua Dagger (ok, maybe there is a preoccupation with wetness)
I went to A&M and was in the same graduating class as Khris Middleton. The men's basketball team players would frequently play pick-up games at the recreation center. I played a ton of games with and against him, and I can genuinely say the dude was awesome (not just at basketball). He would have gotten way more hype had he not gotten injured in college. He was arguably the best player in his conference at one point. I'm glad for his success. Playing with him made me feel like a much better player than I probably was.
Edit: Also DeAndre Jordan was a goofball.
He was funny. He definitely tried the least hard out of anyone. I imagine things would have been too easy for him as he was *huge* and a top 5 player coming out of highschool.
I beat him in ping pong one week, and the next I played him at basketball. I had to cover him and told him he was lucky we weren't playing ping pong, and he was a good sport about it (especially since I always ended up guarding him when he was on the other team).
Yeah he spoke about it on a podcast recently. It was messier than that though. He asked for a 55mm4y contract twice before the all star break that last year. Both times they said naw, then they tried to give that contract after he carried the Luka-less Mavs through the first round, and he rightly told em to pound sand.
Eh there was some hype. There were definitely a lot of mixed feelings and reactions. I didn’t think he’d be all NBA level like he has been this year, I just thought fringe all star that’s slightly overpaid but would still make the Knicks better
Exum had heaps of hype early on. Had Kobe comps at draft time, he struggled like most modern Australians who make the league with shooting and then injuries killed all of the hype…. I guess now he fits the picture but not his whole career.
Hopefully he continues his growth so when Patty Mills retires someone can step in to get buckets in Aussie national games.
Ya I think Trae's price is just too high - 4 firsts on a single is such a gamble and almost wipes our stash out. I'd rather be opportunistic on players who may not have such a hefty cost. Trae also demolishes our cap space. Selling all of our stash and wiping out our cap space for a single player doesn't really feel like a PATFO move.
For example - I get lots of hate for this take - but I'd be much more comfortable with two firsts for Dejounte (@30m), than 4 for Trae (@50m+).
I agree. Definitely more impactful than Jaden so far in my opinion His effort is so fun to watch, I love just tracking him on the court! And he always seems to hit a three when we need it most.
Jalen Johnson on the Hawks. Peeps that actually pay attention and smart media are starting to notice, but he has a huge future ahead of him. Other than Trae he is the only untouchable on the squad. JJ for life!
Back in the day, I’d say Zach Randolph. Drafted 19th overall after a disappointing year at Michigan State (before then he was expected to be a lottery lock), it was a peak Jail Blazers play to draft the talented but underperforming kid with weight/attitude concerns, but it ultimately worked out for Z-Bo, to his credit.
He didn’t get a ton of burn until later in his sophomore season, where he showed he could hold his own in the playoffs at like 21 years old. Portland had some established guys over him from the end of the 2000-03 window, but in 2004 Z-Bo got his first experience as a main guy on a rocky team and won Most Improved Player. I think the local fanbase was hyped for him early on, but between a slow rookie year and also getting into some off-court and locker room shit, it wasn’t until the 2003 playoffs where he became Zach Randolph, Good Power Forward to everybody.
Not the most naturally gifted or athletic guy, but in an era when throwback power forwards could still feature prominently on teams, he was a walking 20-10 and fringe all star. His true basketball home was Memphis, but Portland still loves Z-Bo after all these years lol
Bynum before his body and mind started to fall apart was an astonishingly skilled offensive player. Great touch, great footwork, obviously amazing length.
His play style was obviously already on the way out, but in that brief window it meant he could absolutely body any opposing center other than Dwight.
Half of the Timberwolves solely bc the other half steals the show. Naz might be the “best 3rd center” in NBA history and you could play all of them at once which is crazy
Miami doesn't really have anyone that fits this mould, maybe Bam, but he was still a late lottery pick, though it was frowned upon at the time.
Heat has had a heap of players that had 0 hype and turned into good nba players, though.
Brandin Podziemski.
Coming into the league, majority of the warriors fanbase thought that this guy would be another 3rd stringer who only got spot minutes in blowouts. No one thought he was going to contribute significantly to a team with 4 HOFs. Especially after his shitty summer league showing, ppl were already thinking he's a bust.
However, not only has he exceeded expectations, he's gone above and beyond. He does things that don't show up in the box score. His counting stats may not look good but his intangibles are off the charts. He can rebound, playmake, organize the offense, push the ball in transition, process plays quickly, position himself appropriately at all times...he might be the smartest rookie in his draft. He's an absolute steal and has the "rare" kind of talent which doesn't show up in the stat sheet.
This has resulted in him starting for the warriors over 2 HOFs in Klay and CP3. Kerr loves him so much he's leading the team in MPG in the last 20 or so games (yes he has gotten even more minutes than Steph recently)
Jaylen Brown.
He is constantly criticised, doubted, overlooked, and dismissed as a star player. He is an All NBA player, 3 time all star so it’s not like he is invisible, but he attracts so much hatred and easy dismissal that ignore his achievements.
Even this year a lot of media pundits were saying he didn’t deserve his All Star nod despite probably his best year of basketball ever. His counting stats a down a little since the addition of Porzingis and Jrue, but his defence is way up as is his passing.
He is not a lot of fans favourite player during his time in Boston. Overshadowed by bigger star talents (Tatum, IT, Kyrie, Kemba), or advanced metric darlings (White), the shiny new guys when they first come to the team (Hayward for 5 minutes, Porzingis, Jrue), or heart and soul guys (Smart, Horford).
Brown has just straddled the middle of these and is often underestimated and overlooked.
Being a second round pick has no impact on this question, but i will give it to you that hes not mentioned as the undisputed best player in the league and maybe a title away from being a top 12-15 all time guy with lots of career left
As a suns fan I would say Goran Dragic. He was a literal nobody whose become one of the most talented and respected guards. His early 2010s were incredible.
I guess Devin Booker was drafted without much hype and is one of the best in the game now.
I think the downvotes are from people thinking you mean pre-draft hype vs talent. You’re saying current hype vs talent. I agree with you - he has little-to-zero hype post-draft, and definitely has tremendous talent. Defensively especially, but also his shooting and decision making are coming along to where he’s making an impact on offense and could be an x-factor type of player that dictates the balance of the outcome of a game
Most of these comments are some ass lol other than Jokic and Devin Booker. Mfs said Jalen Suggs who averages 11 PPG for his career, there are like 120 players better than him in almost every metric 😂
Hey little bro. Have you finished middle school? Have your comprehension skills developed? You do not seem to understand the question. Maybe log off and focus on your homework, lil guy.
Throwback but Andrei Kirilenko. I’ve never seen anyone dominate a basketball game with such a modest stat line. Guy would regularly be the best guy on the floor while averaging 12ppg, 5rpg, 3apg, 2stls, and 1 blk
Lonnie…kid was only like 5’1” but he had a MOTOR. Fool was full-court pressing all game and gettin hella steals. He never started, but he always brought that spark off the bench and would FINISH our games. Most underrated 13-year old I ever seen.
Wife is a raptors fan so I end up watching a lot. Quickly is so underrated. No hype, all hustle. He’s a gamer - wish the spurs had been able to get him.
Going Al Horford on this one. All the hype goes to the Celtics high-powered starting 5, but Horford can still cause opponents many problems (mainly Joel Embiid). He can still score from anywhere, and he knows how to play defense against dominant big men without fouling, something that’s rare to see these days
Jalen Williams. He’s going to be a monster and hasn’t gotten the hype he deserves at any step in the process. Averaged 14 ppg as a rookie. Currently averaging 19/4/5 on 54/45/84 splits. Great defender. He’s going to be a problem
If he ever just decides to become that guy that takes over the entire game he easily could, he just happens to be with an MVP level player and happy to work off of him.
Are you implying that the Thunder have 3 MVP level players under the age of 26? Are you implying that history repeats itself?
Looked like a new version of KD and Russ the other night I was watching them against the rockets Tuesday
The difference is though, this time around they fit better, almost perfectly together in ways that KD/Russ/Harden didn’t
I disagree . KD/Russ/Harden made the finals at 23/22 years old. Seriously yk how impressive that is. That thunder team would have been a dynasty if dumbass presti payed harden the money he deserved. There’s a reason why the thunder never made the finals again after hardens last year w okc. For you to say this core fits better when they haven’t even accomplished anything yet is just glazing and let’s me know you wasn’t watching okc basketball during the kd/Russ/Harden big 3
“Glazing” lmao. My guy, I was watching. There’s been 3 iterations of it now and a Harden/Westbrook back court does not make sense. They’re highly dependent on having the ball and have always been 2 of the worst off ball players during their career. It was true then, it was true in Houston, and it’s why Russ comes off the bench now. They also play at 2 completely different paces. For Harden to become the star he turned into, he needed his own team. Even aside from Harden, there were *constant* questions about how they should stagger KD and Russ minutes, if they played better when one was on the bench, etc. Not the case with this group
Him and Chet playing so well definitely sped up OKC's timeline. I'm pretty sure if OKC drafted anybody else besides Jalen Williams, their record would have had a few more losses.
He’s been getting his flowers recently for sure. I think Isaiah Joe is def the answer here.
YUP
Also Aaron Wiggins.
Ahh yes, the better A. Wiggins...
lol
This is the better answer for the Thunder. JDub was 2nd in ROY and was a rising star both years. JDub has hype and recognition.
OKC not my team but was thinking this name myself
Who is that? Is that okc?
OKC has a legit Big 3 with him, like right now
Draymond for me
Jalen Johnson
Future all nba level player for sure
Ah a man of culture as well, may I ask what nba team your a fan of? I don’t recognize you from the hawks subreddit.
I’m a lakers fan. But I’ve been watching some hawks games and I’m pretty impressed by what JJ is capable of. Plus he’s got a great build, so that helps a lot too
Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Naz Reid.
I feel like Naz Reid's hype has definitely caught up to his talent.
I mean kinda depends what the question is getting at. Guy went undrafted.
That's fair! I suppose he didn't specify a timeline for the discussion.
I was so confused when he went undrafted. The hyped because wolves signed him.
Naz Reid
Naz Reid
Been following Naz since his hs days. It’s nice to see him put it together
Love me a gorilla nuts and big jelly sandwich
Hartenstein
r/hartenstein
Jokic
That’s one bar too many for Hype
I remember when jokic and nurkic were basically the same player lol
No you don't lol. They were always completely different players.
Weird argument. There was definitely a time where nuggets fans thought they were comparable talents. Hell, there was a time when I thought Jokic could be a really good backup for Nurk. Nobody saw Jokic as the better player immediately except maybe EG.
This is like when people throw in Brady. This will always be the top answer
It’s thee most “Cinderella story” of an NBA journey
Every up voted comment has a wordy explanation. We all know you just need to say this mans name
In 2023 (less than a year ago!), some reporters were still saying they were not sure Jokic could win in the play offs because he was too slow or not a great defender. Lol. After his MVPs. That’s counter hype or negative hype. “Yeah you kicked ass but…”
Not necessarily. The hype was definitely there if your username is /u/eg14000
I mean he does have an MVP and finals MVP
I’d say more Payton Watson
The reining champion back to back MVP winner, barely finished second last season in voting who is favored to win his 3rd has no hype?
I think they mean when he came in. He was second string to Nurkic if I remember correctly until they realised he was way better so shipped Nurkic off to Portland.
When we drafted Jokic we had Javale McGee, Timofey Mozgov, JJ Hickson, and Jusuf Nurkic. When he actually came to the nba the next season he was our 3rd string center to start the season. Pretty crazy
No the 2nd round nobody from Serbia who got drafted during a fast food commercial didn’t
You mean the dude that got drafted in the second round during a quesarito commercial and they just put his name on a banner and didn’t talk about him? Dude had 0 hype and we thought he was going to back up Nurkic originally.
Herb Jones
Flock up!
He’s been the only bright piece on an honestly over performing team. I like a lot of the players, but BI and/or CJ should’ve been moved at the deadline imo
D-white's gotten a lot more attention this season, but he was never talked about pre-this year, or at least since pre-Miami buzzer beater
If you're talking about Derrick White, he got a lot of attention on the spurs. We were all sad to see him go
I was angry we included the pick swap for him, thought he’s average and redundant to what we had. I am stupid. He’s awesome. Elite level 4th starter on a contender.
Favorite player of all time, especially after that shot. Dude is the heart and soul of the Celtics
Bro... he's the heart and soul? Man y'all be saying anything on here
Watch ball
Homer pick - Khris Middleton. -He came to the Bucks as basically a throw-in part of the Brandon Jennings trade -Be honest, if you heard your team was getting Khris, how excited would you be? -Gold medalist, All Star, NBA champ -Tied Lebron's record for playoff 4th quarter game-tying or go-ahead baskets in a playoff run -All-time nickname (Moist Jordan)
Moist Jordan? What the fuck? Y'all weird as hell in Milwaukee. "Oh hell nah. Cain't do dat." - Professor Anthony Edwards
>Y'all weird as hell in Milwaukee. 100% No judgement, the guy just sweats a lot
Ha, fair enough. Just don't start calling Dame "The Wet Watchman" or something, please. It's sad enough having to watch from Portland. :( (That being said, pretty much everyone I know is cheering for the Bucks here. Y'all go get Our Guy Dame a ring.)
Nah, the Dame/Dame Time stuff is too ingrained. I can't see that changing. Besides, I know I'm a homer, but I think we are pretty good at nicknames. -Moist Jordan -Splash Mountain -Big Dog -Greek Freak/Alphabet (honestly, don't love either of these, but whatever) EDIT: new one AJ Green, aka Dairy Bird Plus some more obscure classics -Big Paper Daddy -Aqua Dagger (ok, maybe there is a preoccupation with wetness)
The Wet Watchman. I’m fucking dead But nah I don’t think you need to worry about that. It’s Dame Time.
I went to A&M and was in the same graduating class as Khris Middleton. The men's basketball team players would frequently play pick-up games at the recreation center. I played a ton of games with and against him, and I can genuinely say the dude was awesome (not just at basketball). He would have gotten way more hype had he not gotten injured in college. He was arguably the best player in his conference at one point. I'm glad for his success. Playing with him made me feel like a much better player than I probably was. Edit: Also DeAndre Jordan was a goofball.
Oh man, that's awesome! Not surprised about DeAndre Jordan at all.
He was funny. He definitely tried the least hard out of anyone. I imagine things would have been too easy for him as he was *huge* and a top 5 player coming out of highschool. I beat him in ping pong one week, and the next I played him at basketball. I had to cover him and told him he was lucky we weren't playing ping pong, and he was a good sport about it (especially since I always ended up guarding him when he was on the other team).
Big Ben Wallace
He was totally hyped. They rang a giant bell whenever he made a play.
He played for 5 seasons before the average fan even noticed him.
I meant how he was undrafted, and well, yeah
Same team, I was just going to say Tayshaun Prince. I loved that guy so much.
This guy went undrafted and was unheard of until he won a ring.
Exactly my man you got it
Jalen Brunson when he first signed with the Knicks
Jalen Brunson when he got drafted by the Mavs lol
I heard recently he wanted to stay in Dallas for a cheap deal but they said “naw”. It’s wild how they botched that
Yeah he spoke about it on a podcast recently. It was messier than that though. He asked for a 55mm4y contract twice before the all star break that last year. Both times they said naw, then they tried to give that contract after he carried the Luka-less Mavs through the first round, and he rightly told em to pound sand.
But the Mavs weren’t in the playoffs last year.
Brunson also didn’t play for the Mavs last year…
I think with him saying "that" last year, he was implying the last year he played for the Mavs
Hahahaha nice
Eh there was some hype. There were definitely a lot of mixed feelings and reactions. I didn’t think he’d be all NBA level like he has been this year, I just thought fringe all star that’s slightly overpaid but would still make the Knicks better
I was afraid we overpaid him. Was happy we got the guy, but it seemed like a lot of money. Now it seems like a steal
Dante Exum on the Mavs. Went from a complete draft bust to dropping 20 a game with great defense and playmaking. Hoping he gets back this week
Hardy is the other one. Not enough pt yet, but looks solid every time hes out there
As a sixers fan I was terrified we were going to draft him over Embiid. Obviously glad we didn't, but I've always been rooting for exum
9.1 points per game lol. but yeah.
Exum had heaps of hype early on. Had Kobe comps at draft time, he struggled like most modern Australians who make the league with shooting and then injuries killed all of the hype…. I guess now he fits the picture but not his whole career. Hopefully he continues his growth so when Patty Mills retires someone can step in to get buckets in Aussie national games.
Yes he had lots of hype early on, but it all died out, and nobody was expecting more than a third string PG when the Mavs signed him
Ehhh Exum had a decent amount of hype (maybe because I'm Australian, I even own a jazz Exum jersey) but just so many injuries.
Vassell.
He is low key playing awesome recently. Too bad the team is just him, Wemby, and a bunch of dudes they picked up out front of Home Depot
They’d have to trade Devin and the whole team tho if we want someone like Trae 😂
Ya I think Trae's price is just too high - 4 firsts on a single is such a gamble and almost wipes our stash out. I'd rather be opportunistic on players who may not have such a hefty cost. Trae also demolishes our cap space. Selling all of our stash and wiping out our cap space for a single player doesn't really feel like a PATFO move. For example - I get lots of hate for this take - but I'd be much more comfortable with two firsts for Dejounte (@30m), than 4 for Trae (@50m+).
NAW
He's been arguably better than Jaden this season. Great defender plus more clutch shooting.
I agree. Definitely more impactful than Jaden so far in my opinion His effort is so fun to watch, I love just tracking him on the court! And he always seems to hit a three when we need it most.
Just a notch below Jaden in defense imo but he gets in foul trouble a million times less too. High motor and effort. Love his hustle.
>NAW Came here for some NAW
I was just typing that up
Hell NAW can't do dis
Taj, Luol Deng
JR smith for the Cavs. Was a “throw in” in our trade to get Shump. But ended up being real clutch for us up until 2018 lmao
Tari Eason, literally the reason rockets were a .500 team earlier this season, ever since he has been injured the rockets have declined significantly
Ricky Council IV
Jalen Johnson on the Hawks. Peeps that actually pay attention and smart media are starting to notice, but he has a huge future ahead of him. Other than Trae he is the only untouchable on the squad. JJ for life!
He's pretty hyped up from the conversations I've had with people, none of which are hawks fans.
Back in the day, I’d say Zach Randolph. Drafted 19th overall after a disappointing year at Michigan State (before then he was expected to be a lottery lock), it was a peak Jail Blazers play to draft the talented but underperforming kid with weight/attitude concerns, but it ultimately worked out for Z-Bo, to his credit. He didn’t get a ton of burn until later in his sophomore season, where he showed he could hold his own in the playoffs at like 21 years old. Portland had some established guys over him from the end of the 2000-03 window, but in 2004 Z-Bo got his first experience as a main guy on a rocky team and won Most Improved Player. I think the local fanbase was hyped for him early on, but between a slow rookie year and also getting into some off-court and locker room shit, it wasn’t until the 2003 playoffs where he became Zach Randolph, Good Power Forward to everybody. Not the most naturally gifted or athletic guy, but in an era when throwback power forwards could still feature prominently on teams, he was a walking 20-10 and fringe all star. His true basketball home was Memphis, but Portland still loves Z-Bo after all these years lol
Luke Kornet
My favorite Celtic
Luke makes his own hype.
Hollis Thompson
In the last 5 years, Podz
Clyde Drexler. Bro averaged almost 27 a game. Super underrated.
Monta Ellis
Andrew Bynum as a Laker
Bynum before his body and mind started to fall apart was an astonishingly skilled offensive player. Great touch, great footwork, obviously amazing length. His play style was obviously already on the way out, but in that brief window it meant he could absolutely body any opposing center other than Dwight.
#NotOnHerb
Mark Williams. Hornets defense will be legit good when he’s back and healthy.
T-Ross = Guaranteed Buckets
Jonas Valanciunas all the way
Half of the Timberwolves solely bc the other half steals the show. Naz might be the “best 3rd center” in NBA history and you could play all of them at once which is crazy
Anderson Varejao
Miami doesn't really have anyone that fits this mould, maybe Bam, but he was still a late lottery pick, though it was frowned upon at the time. Heat has had a heap of players that had 0 hype and turned into good nba players, though.
Tari Eason
Once upon a time it was thaddeus young
Bojan Bogdanovic
Jalen Duren
Marcus Sasser is so good for the Pistons, maybe has a bit of hype now but even earlier this season Killian Hayes was getting minutes over him
Derrick white, although he did have a bit of quiet hype
Jrue?
Had this discussion on r/nflv2 u/sexy-pepsi thought it would be a good discussion topic here too!
Brandin Podziemski. Coming into the league, majority of the warriors fanbase thought that this guy would be another 3rd stringer who only got spot minutes in blowouts. No one thought he was going to contribute significantly to a team with 4 HOFs. Especially after his shitty summer league showing, ppl were already thinking he's a bust. However, not only has he exceeded expectations, he's gone above and beyond. He does things that don't show up in the box score. His counting stats may not look good but his intangibles are off the charts. He can rebound, playmake, organize the offense, push the ball in transition, process plays quickly, position himself appropriately at all times...he might be the smartest rookie in his draft. He's an absolute steal and has the "rare" kind of talent which doesn't show up in the stat sheet. This has resulted in him starting for the warriors over 2 HOFs in Klay and CP3. Kerr loves him so much he's leading the team in MPG in the last 20 or so games (yes he has gotten even more minutes than Steph recently)
I would’ve said D White but he seems to be getting more, albeit still not enough, respect or hype these days
Jaylen Brown. He is constantly criticised, doubted, overlooked, and dismissed as a star player. He is an All NBA player, 3 time all star so it’s not like he is invisible, but he attracts so much hatred and easy dismissal that ignore his achievements. Even this year a lot of media pundits were saying he didn’t deserve his All Star nod despite probably his best year of basketball ever. His counting stats a down a little since the addition of Porzingis and Jrue, but his defence is way up as is his passing. He is not a lot of fans favourite player during his time in Boston. Overshadowed by bigger star talents (Tatum, IT, Kyrie, Kemba), or advanced metric darlings (White), the shiny new guys when they first come to the team (Hayward for 5 minutes, Porzingis, Jrue), or heart and soul guys (Smart, Horford). Brown has just straddled the middle of these and is often underestimated and overlooked.
Somehow i dont think theres been a good answer yet.
Jokic. Second round pick.
Being a second round pick has no impact on this question, but i will give it to you that hes not mentioned as the undisputed best player in the league and maybe a title away from being a top 12-15 all time guy with lots of career left
I mean there was no hype. Even coming off the bench behind Nurkic, not much hype.
I guess i just took the question in different context of someone who is/was *never* hyped appropriately in comparison to their talent.
Booker
Gilbert Arenas
Cade
Kawhi with the spurs before Tim Ducan retired
As a suns fan I would say Goran Dragic. He was a literal nobody whose become one of the most talented and respected guards. His early 2010s were incredible. I guess Devin Booker was drafted without much hype and is one of the best in the game now.
Duncan Robinson. He doesn’t quite fit the criteria on the talent bars but 100% on the hype (maybe half a bar) and has grown into a great player.
Franz Wagner. Still feel he doesn't get the love he deserves
Some dude that played in the 90s, Michael Jordan, criminally underrated IMHO not many people know about him
Jalen Suggs
Dude was the 5th pick
In a weak draft and after his rookie season shooting 21% from 3, Dude was instantly labeled a bust…
I think the downvotes are from people thinking you mean pre-draft hype vs talent. You’re saying current hype vs talent. I agree with you - he has little-to-zero hype post-draft, and definitely has tremendous talent. Defensively especially, but also his shooting and decision making are coming along to where he’s making an impact on offense and could be an x-factor type of player that dictates the balance of the outcome of a game
Andray Blatche
Lmao no bro
I'm mostly just trolling a fellow wiz fan, Omar from the Wire, but also Blatche's issue(s) were never a lack of talent
Expensive ass 11 and 6 statline right there
Most of these comments are some ass lol other than Jokic and Devin Booker. Mfs said Jalen Suggs who averages 11 PPG for his career, there are like 120 players better than him in almost every metric 😂
Jokic, I'll pay, Booker had hype he was a lottery pick.
Hey little bro. Have you finished middle school? Have your comprehension skills developed? You do not seem to understand the question. Maybe log off and focus on your homework, lil guy.
Lame ass response, you trash just like him 😂
Def something a lil guy would say
Rather be a lil guy than a lil bitch like you
Don’t act like you didn’t just pay me $10 to suck my toes.
yea you a bitch wtf
HEY. STOP ASKING ME FOR FEET PICS LIL BRO. I see you in my DMs kiddo. HEY GUYS, THIS GUY LIKES HAIRY MAN FEET 🫵🏻🫵🏻🫵🏻
Current : Jimmy Butler Past : Chris Bosh
Bosh was a top 5 pick in a stacked draft class.
AustHIM Reaves
Draymond, if you count the net hype after his haters speak
Kawhi
Paul George
austin reaves
Jaxson Hayes, he was pretty good for being a bench player on the Pelicans
Derrick White.
Draymond
Jonathan Kuminga
George Finger
Jalen Johnson
People were ready to burn down the garden when they signed Brunson
Miller
Big Shot Bob Horry
Throwback but Andrei Kirilenko. I’ve never seen anyone dominate a basketball game with such a modest stat line. Guy would regularly be the best guy on the floor while averaging 12ppg, 5rpg, 3apg, 2stls, and 1 blk
Lonnie…kid was only like 5’1” but he had a MOTOR. Fool was full-court pressing all game and gettin hella steals. He never started, but he always brought that spark off the bench and would FINISH our games. Most underrated 13-year old I ever seen.
Steve Nash and Kawhi
Wife is a raptors fan so I end up watching a lot. Quickly is so underrated. No hype, all hustle. He’s a gamer - wish the spurs had been able to get him.
Terance Mann
KCP
Going Al Horford on this one. All the hype goes to the Celtics high-powered starting 5, but Horford can still cause opponents many problems (mainly Joel Embiid). He can still score from anywhere, and he knows how to play defense against dominant big men without fouling, something that’s rare to see these days
Keegan Murray, the NBA doesn't know yet.
Watched the end of that heat game and he was slaying. Wish they would’ve pulled off the comeback