Not as Good as You Think
Gil (photo. Tim Tadder)Just as some players don’t get the credit they deserve, some players get a little too much love. Call it overrated or overhyped, but these guys aren’t as good as you might think:
Rasheed Wallace — The UNC product settles for threes and fadeaway jumpers when he could be a monster in the paint. He has the tools to be an elite defender but gets torched more than occasionally. He always seems to get hurt in big games, giving him a built-in asterisk if he doesn’t perform. And he’s never been the best player on a team that actually won anything. Now did I just describe Everyone’s Favorite Target, Vince Carter, or ‘Sheed, who fits the Vince description perfectly.
Gilbert Arenas — When he’s on-fire, Gilbert can score like few others in the League. But when his shot isn’t falling, he’s murder for his own team. And sometimes when his shot is falling he’s bad for his own team because he thinks he can make anything. Consider this: If you want to call Arenas a point guard, would you take him over CP, Deron, Nash, Baron or Billups? If you say he’s a two, do you take him over Kobe, Wade, Iverson, Roy or T-Mac? Would you even take a healthy Arenas over Monta Ellis right now? Gilbert is great, but he’s not a Top-10 talent like some people make him out to be. (If Gilbert reads this and averages 35 points a game and wins MVP next year, I want my motivational speaker’s cut.)
Mike Bibby — Some people still haven’t caught on that ’06-08 Bibby isn’t the same player as ’00-02 Bibby. Getting smoked by Baron Davis and Tony Parker is one thing, but Mike’s gotten done up by Beno Udrih and Earl Watson recently as well. (Watson dropped a 23-10-10 triple-double on Mike’s head.) For a point guard who’s thought of as a solid floor leader, Bibby has some games where he only seems interested in getting buckets for #10.
David Lee — I’m sorry, but I don’t get New York’s whole love affair with Lee. I know the Knicks fans haven’t had a lot to get excited about as far as the team’s future, but Lee is seriously limited offensively (his jumper dents rims) and he isn’t anyone’s lockdown defender. He’ll come off the bench and get some rebounds and he plays hard, but the fact that I’ve heard dozens of people say he is the Knicks’ best player is insane.
Danny Granger — Because he’s young, puts up impressive numbers (18.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and the Pacers are never on TV, a lot of people think Granger is the future of the Indiana franchise. But just like Andre Iguodala, Granger would be better off as the 3rd guy on a good team than the 1st guy on a bad team.
Amare Stoudemire — He’s added some range to his jumper this year. Great. But other than flying through the lane for dunks off of the pick-and-roll (and now Shaq drawing defenders away), what else is there to Amare’s offensive game? And defensively he can be just as bad as Nash. Again, great player, but not as great as he’s often purported to be.
-->
March 7th, 2008 at 11:34 am
hoopsguru says:
I would like to nominate Michael Olowakandi.
March 7th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Celts Fan says:
The whole summary on Gil is why I don’t have him as one of my top 5 or so PGs. He’s still really, really good though (offensively at least) and has the heart of a winner in the, “I’ll prove EVERYONE that says ANYTHING about me wrong to the point they’ll be embarrassed,” mindset that he shares w/ guys like Jordan and Kobe. You know you never need to worry about him “showing up.”
good call on David Lee, but that’s probably more an indictment on NYK than that he’s really their best player (maybe their best player at actually performing the roll he’s supposed to be performing. If that’s what people mean, that may be accurate.) He’s a really good energy guy off the bench though. As long as that’s his roll, he’s GREAT at it.
March 7th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Celts Fan says:
does anyone actually think the kandi-man is any good hoopsguru?
you have to think he’s actually good to be “Not as good as you think”
March 7th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
YallAllReadyKnow says:
yea mophuckers. im bizzack.
everyone not named jordan who came out of unc is a puss. sheed wallace aint no different. he funny, but he goes soft against the better players at his position
gilbert is not overrated. nigga was drafted in the 2nd round. and can you name 10 pg’s in the league you rather have than him? no. or 10 sg’s you rather have? no. maybe you can name 5, but you’d be reaching if you name 10 and you know it. when he’s playing against your favorite team with the game on the line…you are shook when the ball is in his hands. that is why he is not overrated
mike bibby was never shit. never eva.
david lee is good for a lil white boy with no athletics. and still…how hard is it to be the best player on the knicks anyway? anyone of my boys or even dudes in the dime office can walk on to the knicks next yr
danny granger is was and will never be shit. he should be lucky if hes the 3rd best player on any team
yall trying to shit on stat? i don’t get it. 1st line yall dissin sheed for standing outside, then laast line yall dissin stat for not moving outside. whatyall want the bigs to be? make ya mind up fools
March 7th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
GEE... 109...Been pulling caperrrrs says:
LOL computer class time in highschool again YallAll?
Missed you yesterday when class was over or when your trailerpark lost the wi-fi connection.
Welcome back.
March 7th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Kobeef says:
Where in the HELL is YAO on this list????
Yao is the guy who created the phrase “not as good as you think” as evidenced by his team possibly getting better without him.
March 7th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
YallAllReadyKnow says:
gee
little nigga…why you keep talking to me?
you prick
March 7th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
hoopsguru says:
Apparently the Clips, Twolves and Celts all thought Kandi was good for something at some point in his career….after all he was a #1 pick………..
btw, dude may in fact be a bigger bust than Krappy Brown!
March 7th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
YallAllReadyKnow says:
kwame brown in nice
yall dont even know yet
u try being the #1 pick and ball with jordan
or go to lala land and ball with kobe and phil jax.
who would you perform?
he nice. yall just dont know yet.
wait til he lands on a team like nj with a wing scorer and a young pg. kwam will shine and yall naysayers gonna jump on the sack then
March 7th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Steven says:
Good call on ‘Sheed. Unlike Iggy, Granger, and Lee, ‘Sheed could be the MAN on any team, but prefers to be best 3rd option. He flat-out refused to be the man in Portland which was frustrating ’cause he’s so much more talented than Brain Grant, but at least Grant played hard every night.
I think Mr. CTC plays high too much and just zones out and gets lazy, also has anyone else noticed how “soft” he plays against his friends?
March 7th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Bill Cosby says:
YallAllReadyKnow….you need to open your mind. The use of n-word is not a positive word, in any use. It degrates the whole black community. We fought had hard to educate ourself in past generations to escape words like this. Plaese respect the black culture.
Gil – 2nd round pick. pass expectations
Wallace – ahh…i think he likes to make the game interesting for himself a.k.a making it tougher the it has to be.
Lee – anyone without a ‘story’ and a work ethic looks good.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
YallAllReadyKnow says:
bill cosby
nigga, u aint the police of me. so back off bitch. go suck ur jello puddy pops and make more illegite lil coons.
work on ur own speech:
“degrates” or did you mean degrade. dumbass nigga.
“we fought had hard…” you aint fight shit and this sentence dont even make sense. stupid nigga.
“Plaese..” you spell check nigga.
…now, since i have addressed this lame, can we get back to ball talk…
March 7th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Prof. TX says:
There’s no way a 20-10 guy like Yao belongs on this list. How much more do you want from him? People set his ceiling unreasonably high, but he’s at least the #2 center in the game.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
SWAT says:
honestly kid it makes me laugh to see that you are not just special in english class but i am now convinced that you are in the down syndrome gym class. That’s the only explanation i can gather if think kwame brown is nice. and it trips me out how you of all people are trying to correct someone on sentence fragments. like i said yesterday the web lets fools and ignorance be on full display…i guarantee you say our word like that in my face or call me a coon and i would glady do 20 to life for beating your ass!
March 7th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
doc says:
Sheed is a fuckin beast Austin just a Sheed hater.If somebody gives Sheed work he gives it right back and he WAS THE REASON the D got they chip, you motherlovers dont remember shit if yall dont like it. The Pistons had the same 50 win team for 2 or 3 years in a row until Sheed came and pushed them over the top. And he came at your neck Bill. HA!
March 7th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
SWAT says:
How about ricky davis though…he’s not as good as his ego leads him to believe. and there’s no way in hell YAO is on this list.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
Personally, I’d rather have a healthy Gil than Iverson, Roy and Ellis. None of those guys can dominate a game like Gil can with the exception of AI but rarely anymore.And Tmac doesn’t have the longevity that Gil has at 26.Think about arenas in that cavs series 2 years ago. If he can get back to health he is top 5 in both categories PG and SG.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
K-Dizzle says:
Sheed and Amare overrated?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t Sheed usually step up for the comp? Overrated means not livin up to they hype and Sheed been doin it. Like Barkley said, if he turned it on and left it runnin, he’d be great. Still don’t mean dude’s overrated.I feel like this too many j’s argument is old. If you watch Pistons games, the offense is usually Chauncey murderin opposin points in the post sprinkled with some midrange while Rip is usually runnin curls for midrange j’s. Sheed pullin out his defender away from the paint actually benefits the team and his defense on the other end is top 5 in the league. The next time Vince plays d, please post that.
How is Amare overrated? 1st team all-NBA,former ROY, perennial all-star, until this half of this year was guardin centers when he’s a 4; has improved his jumper out to daamn near 3 point range,Olympic team member, runs the floor like a guard and steps up huge in the biggest games. This is haterism at its loveliest, but with no merit
March 7th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
bsteezy3 says:
Good call on DAvid Lee. I like him, but…(reread the title). Good explanation for Gilbert. He sure is good when he’s on though. You guys are wrong about Amare though.
March 7th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Dennis Castro says:
Can we put Melo on this list? I’ve already stated my case about him.
How about Joe Johnson? Dude isn’t a leader, and he found out the hard way that leaving a good situation to be the man when you’re incapable of being the man isn’t a good look.
Dirk is starting to make this list for me too. I feel like he settles for jumpers way too much when he could be getting buckets big time down on the block.
March 7th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
sonicsaint says:
Melo, Ricky Davis, Antoine Walker, Stephon Marbury, Luol Deng, Ben Wallace, and Zach Randolph should all be on this list…. also I completely agree with STAT being overrated
March 7th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
AKA O says:
don’t really agree danny granger there’s nothing wrong with being a great 3rd option those are the most important players that can bring your team from a playoff contender to a title contender
March 7th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
VQ says:
LOL YallAllReadyKnow, lay off Bill Cosby you didnt have to go there with the jello pudding pops lol.
March 7th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Kobeef says:
YAO is first on this list by a mile. The only way you don’t agree is if you are one of the people who over-rates his abilities.
He gets killed by Old Shaq, Andrew Bynum, Amare, Dwight, Chandler, Camby, etc, etc. yet people regularly refer to him as the best Centre in the league. He is skilled and fills the low-post nicely…but if you can be replaced by a 40 year old Mutumbo and your team doesn’t miss a beat – that says something.
March 7th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Ian says:
austin
wait isnt that sheed comment what i said about vince to the haters?
sheed is OVERRATED hes worse than what people say of carter because it would easier for sheed to dominate games since hes a low post player but he gets 13 and 7 whatttt
at least vince can get 20 5 5 without sweating
arenas super OVERRATED and people think hes the shit puh please
amare overrated
but u missed carmelo
March 7th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
Ian says:
k dizzle
amare is overrated because he SHOULDNT be a all nba first team
this is just like ben wallace all over again
March 7th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
jz_smoove says:
THIS AUSTIN BURTON FELLOW IS OVERRATED. THIS DUDE IS GETTING ANNOYING, AND ANNOYING AND SOMEHOW GETS EVEN MORE ANNOYING THAN THE LAST ARTICLE THAT HE WRITES. AM I ALONE IN THIS?
DIME: CAN HIS SORRY OVERRATED ASS!!!!
PS. PLEASE
March 7th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Celts Fan says:
ya Ian, only the exact opposite (Ben = amazing defensively, useless on O, Amare = amazing offensively, useless on D)
sonicsaint,
Melo (doesn’t play much D, but is one of the best pure scorers in the NBA, so I think you’re wrong on that), Ricky Davis (who rates him highly?), Antoine Walker (ditto), Stephon Marbury (ditto for this year, I think people are finally realizing he’s a good stats/bad team guy), Luol Deng (i mean, if people look at him realistically, he’s a GREAT 2nd or 3rd option, but he’s not turn down $50+mil good), Ben Wallace (after the past 2 years, no one’s over-rating him anymore!), and Zach Randolph (should’ve last year, this year, people are lumping him in w/ Eddy Curry cuz they share the same trainer, but the difference is, Randolph has heart and dude can play… offense anyway)
March 7th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Jim says:
QFT, Austin.
And also…I am willing to take bets that YallAllReadyKnow bears a stronger resemblance to Lee than anyone else on this list.
March 7th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
mavs all the way says:
come on jz_smoove…
props to austin, keep up the good work…
can’t we all just get along? drama….
March 7th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
jnuh says:
sheed is the biggest douche bag in the league.
anyone that willingly sabotages himself & his team that frequently with technical fouls immediately puts him on a list of also rans. couple that with everything else that’s been said & you’ve got your captain of the all-head case team…
March 7th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
word says:
man Amares been making 3s in games, his offence was good before Shaq,I agree with his D can be horrible though and he should have no excuse for that.
I do agree with the Agent 0 statement which is why I hope he wakes up and sees his team capabilities and learns to pass the rock.
March 7th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
PJ310 says:
How about Steve Nash, besides Dirk Nowitzki he’s the only MVP to be a liability on the defensive end of the floor, he gets carved up by everone from Monta Ellis, it got so bad against the Spurs that they put him on Bruce Bowen and even Bowen still got buckets, but oh yeh i forgot how wholesome he is so that makes up for it.
March 7th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
tealish says:
This is actually a good article. Wow! I even agree with every player you’ve listed except for Sheed.
The only thing overrated about him is his AllStar selections which buff up his resume. But consider he’s a C in the East which is kind of an automatic lock. And sure he shoots fadeaway threes and 20foot left handed jumpers, but this is the regular season. Come post-season, this guy is game.
March 7th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
tealish says:
Oh and add Kobe to this list.
I’m not saying he isn’t one of the two best players if not the best player in the L right now, but whenever I hear him being compared to MJ I just want to puke.
Anyone, I mean anyone – rapists included – are deemed overrated if mentioned in the same breath as the GOAT.
March 7th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
K-Dizzle says:
you’re an idiot…check that ho’s drawsand tell me kobe was the only one that day.
If your argument don’t pertain to on the court, then bounce to a different spot
March 8th, 2008 at 3:07 am
karan says:
kobe scored 81 points
no, he’s not overrated
March 8th, 2008 at 6:39 am
YOUNGFED says:
Tealish QFT dude 81 points in 3 quarters = overated how?
March 8th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Austin Burton says:
Who scored 81 points in three quarters? Kobe scored 62 in three quarters against the Mavs earlier in the season before the 81-point game.
I think some people read “overrated” as “bad,” which isn’t true. Example: I love the movie “Superbad,” but I think it’s overrated. When it came out everyone was like “It’s the greatest comedy ever, a true classic, etc., etc.” Again, great movie, but not THAT great. Therefore, it’s overrated.
March 9th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
todd says:
Great list. I love GA — the walk-away buzzer beaters, the great personality, etc. — but he’s not as good as eryone thinks he is. Some of his numbers last year actually took a drop from his numbers the year before that (especially the fg%). And he’s the type of guy that will shoot his team out of the game when he’s cold.
David Lee is an energy guy, period. Marbury’s more talented than him.
Amare kills on O, but he’s too soft on D. Don’t be foorled by his bpg. And everybody’s wondering why Marion’s so pissed when D’Atoni get on his ass instead of Amare’s
March 9th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
kowtz says:
Amare = KMart ver 2.0
Take away Nash/Kidd and he ain’t shit…
March 10th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Juanito says:
So Sheed is overrated? How many players on this list have rings? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Sheed is the consummate teammate. Sure he COULD be a #1 star if he ‘played up to his potential’, but his game is multifaceted, and perhaps his ego just doesn’t crave the limelight like some others. Fact is, he turned a good team into a championship team, and has kept them at elite level for the better part of the last 4 seasons. No one else on this list has done that.
Hater…
March 12th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
t-sweezy says:
nevermind all the Sheed hating going on, he and everybody else is used to it. he got his ring, he plays on the best team in the league , and DOSENT get 20 and 10 everynight cause the TEAM is balanced, and besides his minutes are down due to the killer bench and young studs in DET. how can he be overrated when the team is better with him on the floor?
you wanna talk about overrated, try steve nash. sure this guy can shoot a little and throw alleyoops to high flyers, but championships are won with “D”. if he’s sooo good, and a two time MVP, how come he couldnt lead him team to the ‘CHIP. ohhhh thats right they have to go through the spurs, who i think can play a little “D”.