NBA: Current top 5 most underrated players

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When a player doesn’t get enough credit for his talent, he is called “underrated”. These players have all made it to this list primarily based on their 2012-13 season and how much they have improved from their 2011-12 season.

Anderson Varejao

Anderson Varejao #17 of the Cleveland Cavaliers

Varejao is a veteran in every sense of the word. He’s 30 years old, has played with the Cavaliers since 2004, has played through the LeBron James era and is now their key Centre/Power Forward. One of the main reasons he has not received enough credit is that he has been forever over-shadowed, first by James, then for a brief while by the legendary Shaq. Another reason is his injuries. In the past three seasons he has played only 81 games.

However, in the games he has played, he has made a huge impact. During the 2012-13 season, he averaged 14.1 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 3.4 APG (which is incredible for a guy his size) and 1.6 SPG. Varejao, at full fitness is a true phenom around the paint, especially while rebounding. He’s big, he’s physical and he’s athletic. It’s somewhat saddening that the only award he’s received so far is spot on the All-NBA second defensive team during the 2010-11 season.