NBA: The 23 most underrated players from the 90s to present day

NBA NEew York Knicks Allan Houston Credit: Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport
NBA NEew York Knicks Allan Houston Credit: Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport
8 of 12

Carlos Boozer, Forward (2003-15)

Teams: Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers 

Career best stat line: 21.1 points, 8 rebounds, 55% FG (2007-08) 

Most Bulls fans and young NBA fans, in general, remember Boozer from his days in a Bulls uniform, but given his age, his game was also completely different by then: after his first season, he settled for too many mid-range jumpers and fadeaways, as opposed to playing down on the block.

In Utah, however, he would predicate his game inside-out and did most of his work in the post. Although he was around 6’6 or 6’7 without shoes and had a short wingspan, his strength made up for his deficiencies. Boozer made the all-star team twice in 2007 and 2008 and unlike during his tenure in Chicago, in a Jazz uniform, he was a consistent 20 and 10, especially come playoff time.

Luol Deng, Forward (2009-present) 

Teams: Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves 

Career best stat line: 18.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 52% FG (2006-07)

In Chicago, Deng was a good player his first couple of seasons, under Skiles and Del Negro, but when Tom Thibodeau came walking through the door, Deng’s career flourished. Not only did he make the Eastern Conference all-star team twice, in 2012 and 2013 – one of those years was when the offense ran primarily through him, while Rose rehabbed and was out for the season – but he was tasked with defending the opposing team’s best wing scorer.

He led the league in minutes, under Thib’s Bulls a couple of times, which probably led to his rapid decline, but overall, there’s no denying he’s had a very solid NBA career.