What a journey it’s been so far for Livingston. He’s been through everything terrible a player could go through in his short career, but he’s bounced back. Still, people don’t think of him as a quality point guard in the league. Livingston was the best point guard on the Brooklyn Nets last season, regardless of whether anyone noticed or not. He was better than Deron Williams, and it wasn’t that close in my opinion. Livingston is a much better defender and rebounder than Williams and most point guards around the league for that matter.
Livingston is underrated because he’s not the prototypical point guard. You can’t plug him in looking for a scoring burst or for him to take over the game. His best assets are his size and his passing ability. He’s great at getting guys involved, but if he’s not playing with good players, like he has his whole career, it’s hard for him to stand out. If a team is looking for a backup point guard or a cheap starting point guard, Livingston should be their number one option.
As a Blazers fan, I’m crossing my fingers that Portland is able to snag Livingston in free agency. Surrounded by shooters for the first time in his career, Livingston would shine. Portland is the perfect fit for him.