Most Overrated: The NBA Top 5
In this article Lefty will examine the top 5 overrated players in the NBA: Lets get started!
5. Joe Johnson: The Atlanta Hawks sure did sign him to a ridiculous contract and while this wasn’t his fault, Joe Johnson didn’t deserve Kevin Durant or Lebron James money. Johnson shouldn’t even be an all star in the league. Case in point: Rajon Rondo was named as Joe Johnson’s injury replacement in last season’s all star game. I mean seriously? Rondo should have had his spot in the first place. Joe Johnson is a solid far above average player but he isn’t a leader or player that you look to build a team around. He isn’t going to lead the Brooklyn Nets to the promised land but he will help sell tickets. That’s what he was brought in to do as well as to aid in retaining Deron Williams.
4. Dwight Howard: Dwight Howard is the greatest center in the NBA but only because he is currently playing in a weak era for big men. If Dwight played in the 1980′s he would never have started in an all star game. He could never have competed with Patrick Ewing, David Robinson,Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone,etc. Dwight would have been more on par with Kevin Willis. There isn’t much distance between Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. Their stats for last season were not that far apart. Bynum could possibly he the better center if he was the number one option on his team. Dwight is headed in the wrong direction in his career, he pulled a LeBron yet Dwight doesn’t seem to have a clue where he wants to take his talents. His mind seems to change daily. If Dwight is wearing a Magic uniform to open the 2012-13 NBA season, it is going to be a train wreck in Orlando.
3. Carmelo Anthony: He doesn’t play any defense nor does he make his teammates better. The true greats of the game played both ends of the floor. Melo seemed invisible at times last season. He is on the wrong team and would probably have been better off staying with Denver. The Knicks have improved and look good on paper but their pieces never seem to fit very well together. The sad thing is Carmelo is capable of being the best player in the NBA, he is that talented. The years are passing Melo by and he has yet to make any real noise in the playoffs.
2. Blake Griffin: He dunks, that’s about it. He is like Shaq, except not all that good. Blake seems like a nice guy and is an exciting popular player who is very marketable. He will put fans in the seats. Still, he desperately needs to add more to his repertoire. Blake is not better than Kevin Love and should not have started in the all star game. Apparently, that’s the result of letting the fans vote. Blake has alot of work to do on both ends of the court if he wants to be considered a great player in this league. He will need skills to fall back on once his athleticism has run it’s course.
1. Dwyane Wade: This simply isn’t 2006 and the biggest problem is Wade was never as good as people made him out to be in the first place. His first ring came with a very talented roster, players such as Shaq, Udonis Haslem, Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, James Posey, Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning,etc. Now he has won another with his current Miami Heat team. Sorry Kids, Wade is not the 2nd or 3rd greatest shooting guard of all time. His game is on the decline and his body is falling apart. He has been often injured and missed many games over the last several seasons. Wade simply isn’t going to age like Michael or Kobe. We have seen the best of him and while he can still deliver great performances they will become less frequent. The Miami Heat aren’t going to win “Not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7″ titles because Wade doesn’t have that many seasons left as an elite player and LeBron can’t do it by himself. He already tried.
Lefty is a Featured NBA Writer of the Los Angeles Clippers for Rant Sports. Join me at Lefty’s Sports Debates
