5 under 5 over
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 3:04 pm
With all the draft buzz and free agency possibilities I thought I would see who the 4 most underrated players in the CSL are today and why they are quietly helping their teams win. As well as 4 overrated players who seem to have value despite not helping generate wins.
5 underrated
1. Trey Burke
The Hawks had a fantastic season getting 50 wins and pushing some of the elite teams in the East during the playoffs. Many will look at Exum Whiteside and Holiday as the key players around this Hawks transformation but there is one player who has flown under the radar this year, Trey Burke. In 22 minutes he is averaging 10.7 points, 3.4 assist and 0.9 steals per game hitting a career best 48% from the field. When you have someone like that backing up Holiday and Exum it means the second unit can flow when they sit.
2. Jordan Clarkson
In a league starved of decent point guards who can defend and shoot from range as well as have a positive impact on setting the team’s tempo Jordan Clarkson has been quietly picking up wins and stats to help keep the Trailblazers moving to a solid 50 win season. Putting up a solid stat line of 16.9 points, 4 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 33 minutes per contest, shooting 47.3 % from the field and 45.7 % from three-point range.
3. Tim Quarterman
Quite possibly my favourite wing 6th man in the league. I don’t quite know why this guy is not starting for Golden State. He can score incredibly well (46% 11 points in 18 minutes) and he is an average defender. When you have a start 2 in Durant and Harden someone like Quarterman should be a no brainer because he simply hits open shots.
4. James Young
Denver has undergone a Cinderella style flip this season. Moving from a lottery bound team to a western conference powerhouse in just one short season. Yes drafting Tatum and trading for Wall and Drummond has put the Nuggets over the top. But do not forget the 4th and final move they made acquiring James Young before the deadline. A lost man on a lottery bound LA Clippers team Young has been possibly the best 6th man in the league this year putting up a 16 points 3.8 assists 1.1 steals stat line with 45% FG he has been doing a bit of everything with the second unit, not only that but he has been forcing 2 turnovers a game and his efficiency rating has been 3rd highest on the team. There will no doubt be free agency teams circling around him come free agency but for a player who was left for dead on the Clippers he is showing that he can put up numbers on a winning team.
5. Moe Harkless
There seems to be a slight theme with the Clippers finding underrated players. Which if this is anything to go by it means LA could finally be relevant sooner rather than later. Cast aside as a guy with a crazy contract of 11 million per year Harkless has been stuck on a Clippers team all season. But proving his versatility he has shown signs of stellar defence form the wing (90% stop 1.7 turnovers forced) and maintained his solid scoring output (12 points, 42%) despite being forced to jack up double the 3’s he has ever had to in a season. I doubt it will be long before someone bites and takes a look at him given the contract length shortening and his 2 way game.
5 overrated
1. Draymond Green
With this list there are always going to be a lot of marmite guys, players who you either love or hate them and with Draymond Green you certainly have that. Some GM’s will say he is a star and the best player on the Grizzlies whilst other will simply say he does nto add any value. I am unfortunately with the latter, for a start the guy cannot shoot (40%) and does nothing else but rebound and block. Yes his PA/SF is ok at 0.9 but I wonder how much of that is to do with Greens defence and more a simple case that the Grizzlies have Biyombo and Zeller buttoning down the post. For a guy who is earning £12m for the foreseeable future I would expect far more from him if the Grizzlies are to fight for a playoff place next year.
2. Nerlens Noel
Another player with an insane contract based on his performance. His PA/Sf is 1.0 which is never a great start if you are a centre. Yes Noel can shoot ok when called upon but for a player earning £17m a year you need to bring more to the table than simply a bit of shot blocking and rebounding. No doubt someone will fall in love with his blocking ability again this offseason and he will be moved on from the Bucks who have the far more competent Jonas Valanciunas sitting in the wings.
3. Robert Covington
The Orlando Magic are a perculiar team. They have bucked the trend of playing a natural point guard and are rebuilding around a young scoring core of Wiggins and Jackson. But there is one player who I feel is a bit overrated, Robert Covington. He is coming off his worst shooting season since he entered the league 4 seasons ago (10 points, 38% FG) and worst defensive stopping rate ever (70%), it is very lucky that the Magic are only paying him the average player salary of £5m which means he is a bit more bearable. But as a guy they plan to build around with Wiggins and Jackson Covington will need to make some further steps forward to bring this team back to the playoffs.
4. Tyler Ulis
When you cannot play defence as a point guard you are always going to be in trouble. If you can play at an acceptable level and bring additional qualities on offence such as range of ball handling you can be passable. Unfortunatel Tyler Ulis’s defence is just that bad he is the worst net negative in the league for a guard outside of Stockton (45% stop), yes we know he can shoot ok and is a decent ball handler but that defence is so bad it ruins anything. Which is probably the reason he ended up on the clippers after failed attempts by Denver and Houston to keep hyping him up. But teams are still swung by his offensive abilities that someone will likely overpay to get him and his £7m contract.
5. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
A 50 win team with an overrated player, I must be going crazy right? Wrong, yes the Hawks have been phenomenal this year but this has very little to do with KCP. His defence is not bad with plus 90% stops and 2 turnovers forced but it is on the offensive side of the ball that he is overrated by some margin. When I talk to GM’s they say how KCP is a greta defence and 3 guy. Yes the defence is right but the 3, no way. This year he shout a miserable 36% from deep a near career worst not the kind of numbers you want from a guy who needs to hit open 3’s from Exum’s driving. Even worse is the fact he is earning £15m a year!
5 underrated
1. Trey Burke
The Hawks had a fantastic season getting 50 wins and pushing some of the elite teams in the East during the playoffs. Many will look at Exum Whiteside and Holiday as the key players around this Hawks transformation but there is one player who has flown under the radar this year, Trey Burke. In 22 minutes he is averaging 10.7 points, 3.4 assist and 0.9 steals per game hitting a career best 48% from the field. When you have someone like that backing up Holiday and Exum it means the second unit can flow when they sit.
2. Jordan Clarkson
In a league starved of decent point guards who can defend and shoot from range as well as have a positive impact on setting the team’s tempo Jordan Clarkson has been quietly picking up wins and stats to help keep the Trailblazers moving to a solid 50 win season. Putting up a solid stat line of 16.9 points, 4 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 33 minutes per contest, shooting 47.3 % from the field and 45.7 % from three-point range.
3. Tim Quarterman
Quite possibly my favourite wing 6th man in the league. I don’t quite know why this guy is not starting for Golden State. He can score incredibly well (46% 11 points in 18 minutes) and he is an average defender. When you have a start 2 in Durant and Harden someone like Quarterman should be a no brainer because he simply hits open shots.
4. James Young
Denver has undergone a Cinderella style flip this season. Moving from a lottery bound team to a western conference powerhouse in just one short season. Yes drafting Tatum and trading for Wall and Drummond has put the Nuggets over the top. But do not forget the 4th and final move they made acquiring James Young before the deadline. A lost man on a lottery bound LA Clippers team Young has been possibly the best 6th man in the league this year putting up a 16 points 3.8 assists 1.1 steals stat line with 45% FG he has been doing a bit of everything with the second unit, not only that but he has been forcing 2 turnovers a game and his efficiency rating has been 3rd highest on the team. There will no doubt be free agency teams circling around him come free agency but for a player who was left for dead on the Clippers he is showing that he can put up numbers on a winning team.
5. Moe Harkless
There seems to be a slight theme with the Clippers finding underrated players. Which if this is anything to go by it means LA could finally be relevant sooner rather than later. Cast aside as a guy with a crazy contract of 11 million per year Harkless has been stuck on a Clippers team all season. But proving his versatility he has shown signs of stellar defence form the wing (90% stop 1.7 turnovers forced) and maintained his solid scoring output (12 points, 42%) despite being forced to jack up double the 3’s he has ever had to in a season. I doubt it will be long before someone bites and takes a look at him given the contract length shortening and his 2 way game.
5 overrated
1. Draymond Green
With this list there are always going to be a lot of marmite guys, players who you either love or hate them and with Draymond Green you certainly have that. Some GM’s will say he is a star and the best player on the Grizzlies whilst other will simply say he does nto add any value. I am unfortunately with the latter, for a start the guy cannot shoot (40%) and does nothing else but rebound and block. Yes his PA/SF is ok at 0.9 but I wonder how much of that is to do with Greens defence and more a simple case that the Grizzlies have Biyombo and Zeller buttoning down the post. For a guy who is earning £12m for the foreseeable future I would expect far more from him if the Grizzlies are to fight for a playoff place next year.
2. Nerlens Noel
Another player with an insane contract based on his performance. His PA/Sf is 1.0 which is never a great start if you are a centre. Yes Noel can shoot ok when called upon but for a player earning £17m a year you need to bring more to the table than simply a bit of shot blocking and rebounding. No doubt someone will fall in love with his blocking ability again this offseason and he will be moved on from the Bucks who have the far more competent Jonas Valanciunas sitting in the wings.
3. Robert Covington
The Orlando Magic are a perculiar team. They have bucked the trend of playing a natural point guard and are rebuilding around a young scoring core of Wiggins and Jackson. But there is one player who I feel is a bit overrated, Robert Covington. He is coming off his worst shooting season since he entered the league 4 seasons ago (10 points, 38% FG) and worst defensive stopping rate ever (70%), it is very lucky that the Magic are only paying him the average player salary of £5m which means he is a bit more bearable. But as a guy they plan to build around with Wiggins and Jackson Covington will need to make some further steps forward to bring this team back to the playoffs.
4. Tyler Ulis
When you cannot play defence as a point guard you are always going to be in trouble. If you can play at an acceptable level and bring additional qualities on offence such as range of ball handling you can be passable. Unfortunatel Tyler Ulis’s defence is just that bad he is the worst net negative in the league for a guard outside of Stockton (45% stop), yes we know he can shoot ok and is a decent ball handler but that defence is so bad it ruins anything. Which is probably the reason he ended up on the clippers after failed attempts by Denver and Houston to keep hyping him up. But teams are still swung by his offensive abilities that someone will likely overpay to get him and his £7m contract.
5. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
A 50 win team with an overrated player, I must be going crazy right? Wrong, yes the Hawks have been phenomenal this year but this has very little to do with KCP. His defence is not bad with plus 90% stops and 2 turnovers forced but it is on the offensive side of the ball that he is overrated by some margin. When I talk to GM’s they say how KCP is a greta defence and 3 guy. Yes the defence is right but the 3, no way. This year he shout a miserable 36% from deep a near career worst not the kind of numbers you want from a guy who needs to hit open 3’s from Exum’s driving. Even worse is the fact he is earning £15m a year!