Kirk Hinrich, Chicago
It's hard to say Hinrich is underrated, considering he was a lottery pick two years ago. Still, Hinrich has proven to be one of the steadiest point guards in the league, and he's done it without many growing pains. His tough defense (he was 12th in the league in steals in '04-05) and reliability at the point (he was 11th in the league with 6.4 assists per game) has given the Baby Bulls a true floor leader.
Drew Gooden, Cleveland
Playing alongside LeBron James in Cleveland has rejuvenated Gooden's career. In 2004-05, Gooden quietly had career bests in almost every category and became one of the league's top rebounders (13th overall, statistically). More importantly, Gooden played in all 82 games (starting 80) to give the Cavs – along with Zydrunas Ilgauskas – one of the league's more underrated frontcourts.
Tayshaun Prince, Detroit
Prince has benefited greatly by starting his career in Detroit under Larry Brown. By playing in the team-first atmosphere, Prince has been allowed to blossom in his role as one of the league's best defenders (he was voted sixth-best defender recently by league GMs). Still, Prince managed to average 14.5 points last season and shot 48.7 percent from the field -- not bad for a guy known for his defense.
Jeff Foster, Indiana
On a team with hothead Ron Artest, scorer Stephen Jackson and all-everything Jermaine O'Neal, it’s no wonder Foster fails to get the hype he deserves. Sure, his numbers are nothing to get excited about (7 points, 9 rebounds per game), but Foster is a rock-solid center, playing tough interior defense and hitting the boards with little fanfare.
Udonis Haslem, Miami
If you thought Haslem was overlooked last year alongside Shaq and Dwyane Wade, he'll virtually disappear this year with the additions of Antoine Walker and Jason Williams. Still, while those players were filming ads for shoe companies, Haslem was quietly doing the dirty work in Miami, averaging 10.9 points and 9.1 rebounds last season.
Caron Butler, Washington
Butler had his best season last year in L.A., averaging 15.5 points and 5.8 rebounds, but still was shipped to Washington. In doing so, the Lakers traded away one of their best defenders and rebounders. The Wizards are glad to have him, and maybe now that he's out from Kobe Bryant's shadow the 6-7 small forward can start to make a name for himself in a young, athletic lineup that could make a push in the playoffs.
Jason Richardson, G.S.
In a recent survey of NBA GMs, the Warriors were picked as the team that will be most improved in 2005-06. If that's the case, Richardson might start to get some credit he deserves. Richardson has improved steadily in his four-year career, and had his best season in 2004-05, averaging 21.7 points while shooting a career-best 45 percent from the field. With Baron Davis joining him in the backcourt, don't be surprised if J-Rich starts to get a little more publicity this year
Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers
You'd think playing in L.A. would bring some nice exposure, but when you're a Clipper, you seem to get overshadowed by the other L.A. team. That might be the case with Brand, who is quietly one of the most dependable low-post players in the NBA. In his six seasons, Brand has consistently averaged about 20 points and 10 boards while hitting around 50 percent of his shots. Still, the former No. 1 pick has only one All-Star appearance, which came in 2002 when he filled in for an injured Shaquille O'Neal.
Chris Kaman, L.A. Clippers
Dubbed "The Big Silly" by a Clippers announcer, Kaman is far from silly on the court. Kaman, a third-year center out of Central Michigan, has proven to be a load on the blocks. His interior passing and rebounding will only improve as he gets more playing time, but don't expect to see any jumps in the scoring column, especially on a team with gunners like Corey Maggette and now Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley. (BAHAHAHA sorry had to laugh at this one)
Andrei Kirilenko, Utah
Kirilenko does it all for the Jazz, but playing in Utah hasn't helped AK47 get much attention outside of Salt Lake City. The lanky Russian has become one of the league's best all-around defenders, leading the league in blocks in 2004-05 (from the small-forward position, no less). It's hard to say any All-Star is underrated, but Kirilenko deserves any hype he gets.
Al Harrington, Atlanta
Since being selected with the 25th pick of the 1998 draft straight out of high school, Harrington has steadily become a solid starter in the league. While in Indiana, Harrington and fellow preps-to-pros product Jonathan Bender often struggled to see playing time, but now the 6-9 forward is a leader for a young Hawks team. Harrington is in a contract year, so his low-post skills and good work ethic should finally get some respect from others around the league.
