We just went over which players should have been higher on Sports Illustrated and their Top 100 List, now it is time to go over which players should not have been rated as high as they were on the list. Every year, this list creates a frenzy with its results. However, no one is perfect and sometimes, the rankings seem to be off by just a bit. Either that or one will read about a player and then say to themselves “Wait, he’s that high!?” Without further adieu, let’s get into the five NBA players who were overrated on SI’s list coming into this season.
Honorable Mention: Paul Millsap (Sports Illustrated Rank 43/100)
As a Nuggets fan, it kills me to even think of Millsap being in this discussion. However, him getting a spot above D’Angelo Russell on the list makes one at least raise an eyebrow. It was not the 43rd ranking which is a big deal rather than being exactly one spot ahead of a guy who had such a big impact for a young Brooklyn Nets team last season. A player who now will keep the Golden State Warriors at least afloat in the competitive Western Conference until Klay Thompson returns. Fortunately for Denver fans, he does not crack the top five of this list. His defensive presence is extremely vital to the Nuggets’ front-court. He recorded his best defensive rating (106) in a Nuggets’ jersey last year and also tallied 1.2 steals per game.
5. Jusuf Nurkic (Sports Illustrated Rank 78/100)
Nurkic may have gotten his season cut short due to a gruesome injury, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has been overrated since he became a Portland Trail Blazer. Sure, he puts up decent numbers like last year when he tallied 15.6 points per game and 10.4 rebounds per game. However, he still has a tendency to get bullied by the premier bigs. Bigs such as Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid rather than step up to the challenge. Not to mention, his maturity is still a big question mark and one could argue his uptick in production since he got to Portland is a benefit of playing with a star-studded back-court consisting of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Some notable players Nurk is ranked higher than are Serge Ibaka, Julius Randle, and Patrick Beverley.
4. Otto Porter (Sports Illustrated Rank 57/100)
In Otto Porter Jr., ‘s defense, anyone who is going to be one spot ahead of Klay Thompson was going to be dealt with a heap of criticism. Porter has started to finally find his niche in this league. As Sports Illustrated put it, he is “starting to show some creative flourish.” After all, he did average a career-high 17.5 points per game, though he was traded to a struggling Chicago Bulls team who was in desperate need of another scorer.
However, there is still a good chance we will see Klay return by playoff time. With the advances in medical technology and such, there is little to no doubt that the second Splash Brother will bounce back and show that he is still one of the best superstars in today’s league. The fact that Otto Porter and others are ranked higher than Klay is still mind-boggling. Especially when we will eventually see Thompson return this season unlike his former teammate, Kevin Durant.
3. Andre Iguodala (86/100)
Iggy is no longer the former Finals MVP or the All-Star from his Philly days that we all knew. Last season was one of his most forgettable years. Iggy shot a putrid 58.2 percent from the free-throw line to go along with a defensive rating of 109. The sixth man who is counted on to be a defensive presence has been showing signs of slowing down the past couple of years. The one positive is that Iggy has embraced his role in Golden State’s dynastic squad which is a good thing. Especially since he is nothing more than a quality, veteran, role player now, though his spot on this top 100 list after last year is questionable.
2. Al Horford (18/100)
Horford is a quality vet that any team could utilize in today’s league. He is crafty and is an All-Defensive Team member and five-time All-Star for a reason. Unfortunately, his best days are behind him. Not to mention, Horford is going to have a limited role on a young and fiery 76ers squad. Horford is one of the more underrated free-agent signings from the summer. However, his being ranked in the top 20 is a head-scratcher. Just some names who Horford is ranked ahead of include Blake Griffin, Kemba Walker, and new teammate, Ben Simmons. All of whom made the All-Star Game last season whereas Horford was simply a quality starter for the Boston Celtics.
1. Anthony Davis (6/100)
Now, there is no denying the talent Davis possesses. He is going to make the Lakers a much better squad with his presence alone. The Brow is a career 26 point and 12 rebound guy after all. After the fiasco which was last season for Davis, it still seems pretty disrespectful to put Davis in the top 10. Especially being above the likes of Paul George, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Damian Lillard. Those four players led their squad to the playoffs and also play a lot more, even Embiid who is known to have a history of missing games.
Last season, the Brow only played 56 games due to injury and some Pelicans’ conspiracists will argue, him quitting on the team to force his way to the Lakers. Like Sports Illustrated said, “all he had to do was hold his team hostage.” Davis’ achilles heel has always been his durability. He has not played over 75 games yet in his career. Pairing him with an aging LeBron James does not look good on paper in this area, regardless of how great they are. Especially when you take into account the newest superstar duo in Los Angeles, the Clippers with PG13 and Kawhi Leonard.
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