NBA players get paid millions each year to play basketball. For that amount of money, it isn’t unreasonable for the club owners and fans to expect at least a decent level of performance, if not outright brilliance. After all, these are supposed to be the best players in the world. Yet, some of them seem like they have missed the profession entirely and continue to make us wonder who thought it was a good idea to let them into the world’s best basketball league. Here are our picks of the 16 most overrated players in the NBA today.
16. Julius Randle
The recent New Orleans Pelicans’ acquisition may cause the team’s GM to regret his decision. It is still unknown how will Randle, a player who can’t shoot and doesn’t like passing the ball, will fit with Anthony Davis.
15. Devin Booker
Devin Booker is an excellent offensive player, who scores consistently against most opponents. However, his defense is atrocious, and while he may score 25 each night, this guy will concede 30 easily.
14. Jamal Murray
Hailed as the next James Harden, Jamal Murray has a long way to go to start fulfilling that prophecy. A combo guard forced to play point guard does have a lot of potentials, but so far, the potential is all we saw from him.
13. Kyle Kuzma
The confidence and scoring made Kyle Kuzma one of the Lakers; fans favorite player. His defense is still lacking though, and while Lebron James can help him improve his game, the question remains how long Kuzma has to actually start playing on both ends before he ends up on a trading block.
12. Jayson Tatum
The Boston Celtics’ rising star Jayson Tatum may have made a highlight reel with his dunk over The King, but Boston ended up losing that series, in part due to his inconsistent shooting.
11. Paul George
One of the biggest names in the last year’s free agency ended up almost a flop. Paul George’s contribution to Oklahoma last year was disappointing. Hopefully, he will improve this year, now that Carmelo is gone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9lSM1pyvSc
10. Jordan Clarkson
With Lebron gone to Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers face a bleak future. Jordan Clarkson, who was a part of the package that was supposed to help The King reclaim the throne, ended up as a disappointment.
9. Jusuf Nurkic
Portland resigned Jusuf Nurkic for $12 million a year. Considering other salaries, that doesn’t seem like much for a quality center until you scratch the surface. His lack of lateral speed makes him a liability of the defense, something other teams in the playoffs will be quick to take advantage.
8. Reggie Jackson
After sensing years trying to get past Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma, Reggie Jackson finally got his chance in Detroit. Unfortunately, all he has managed so far is to choke big time.
7. Karl-Anthony Towns
The recent dust-up in Minnesota has revealed some shocking truths about their young players, especially Karl-Anthony Towns. Does he truly possess the dedication needed to succeed on the level everyone expects him to? Time will tell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOhalFOK_a4
6. Zach LaVine
Flashy on the court, Zach LaVine mostly puts up empty stats. He doesn’t affect the game, at least not in the manner the Bulls need him to, yet the team has extended his contract, showing faith in the athletic player.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_69Ev6W55I
5. DeAndre Jordan
A true monster under the rim, DeAndre Jordan owes much of his success to the playmaking abilities of Chris Paul. He now has Milos Teodosic, another excellent point guard, but plagued with injuries. Left on his own, Jordan isn’t the threat he can be when guards feed him great passes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtieAgR4CVg
4. Blake Griffin
Another athletic power forward who can’t defend the rim, shoot threes or even stay healthy enough to play more than 60 games per season. And now he is entering his twilight years. Detroit have saddled themselves with his $140 million contract for the next four years, but they are yet to see any return on that money.
3. Eric Bledsoe
Eric Bledsoe is nearing the end of his prime years without much to show for. His playmaking abilities aren’t on par with other top point guards in the league, and his shooting is nothing to write home about.
2. Dennis Schröder
Once projected to be the face of the franchise in Atlanta, Dennis Schröder lack of court vision and poor shot selection will probably see him sitting on the bench in Oklahoma.
1. Andrew Wiggins
The biggest news surrounding Andrew Wiggins was his trade from Cleveland to Minnesota for Kevin Love. Since then, he has rarely appeared on front pages, and we are still waiting for him to actually do something with his career.
