5 most underrated players in the upcoming NBA season

When would you call a player underrated?A player fits the MO of an under-rated player when his contribution to the team’s performance on the court is overlooked time and again. However, at the same time the team cannot win on a consistent basis without him. Obviously being named to more than one All-Star Game or All-NBA team, it would be hard to say that the player was being overlooked.For over 5 years running Josh Smith was at the top spot of this list but this time around he isn’t even in the top 5. This past season with the Denver Nuggets was a complete disaster for Smith. It was more of a roster selection mistake made by the team management and Smith rather than the latter’s game going on the decline. With two big men in Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe, Smith had to play the Small Forward position in the starting position, a spot on the floor he is not accustomed to playing.With the new season just about five weeks away and the training camp a week, here are the five most underrated players heading to the coming season:

#5 Danilo Gallinari

 

Danilo Galinari

An established European baller Danilo Gallinari’s true potential was utilised once he was forced to switch cities from New York to Denver being part of a blockbuster three-team trade deal involving the Minnesota Timberwolves which eventually brought Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony to the Big Apple.

Although the Nuggets had lost Anthony midway through the season of 2010-11, they still registered an incredible regular season next year recording 50 wins in an offense system that centered around Gallinari’s game. He is an incredible perimeter shooter for a player of his height nonetheless it isn’t very surprising given his European background.

Returning from an ACL injury this season he might take a while to find his groove but his contribution and importance to the Nuggets is invaluable. It is almost a given that he will be a major part of the franchise’s future plans.