ESPN NBA Rank: Most Underrated players

ESPN released their annual top 100 NBA players, severely underrating some of the biggest stars in the sport. It’s not the specific player’s fault when they are underrated; the media, fans, and other players doing the rating deserve the blame. I will be highlighting the most egregious rankings and giving the range each player belongs in. It’s important to note that this ranking predicts how good each player will be in the 2022-23 season.

Anfernee Simons at 91

Simons took a massive leap in the 2021-22 season, doubling his PPG and APG totals. Simons averaged 17 PPG and shot over 40% from 3 on eight attempts per game. The 23-year-old should only continue to improve, and Damian Lillard’s return to the backcourt should make his load more manageable. He’ll still get his opportunities with Portland trading both CJ McCollum and Norman Powell last season. Simons already is better than Mike Conley, Malcolm Brogdon, and Jordan Clarkson; veterans ranked above him.

Ben Simmons at 76

Simmons missed all of the 2021-22 season but was an All-Star and DPOY finalist when he last played. So to rank him outside of the top 50 feels like a stretch, let alone down at 76. I would take Simmons over aging point guards like Russell Westbrook and Kyle Lowry, who ranked higher.

De’Aaron Fox at 54

Fox dropped 20 spots in ESPN’s rankings which seems excessive. His overall numbers were down last season, but he played some of the best basketball of his career after the Sabonis trade. Fox averaged 28 PPG in 13 games with Sabonis (23 PPG for the season) and should be a top 50 player this season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at 48

Shai is one of the most versatile guards in the league. His 3PT shooting did regress significantly, but he still impacts the game as a playmaker, scorer, and positional rebounder. Shai is currently better than McCollum, Maxey, and VanVleet ranked above him. He is a borderline top 30 player, not a fringe top 50.

Darius Garland at 46

Garland is one of the best playmakers in basketball. Gaining an All-Star shot creator in the backcourt should only elevate his game. Like Shai, Garland is also a borderline top 30 and honestly projects to be better than Chris Paul this season, who ranked 21st.

Zion Williamson at 40

Granted, Zion has only played one full season, but in that season, he was one of the league’s most dominant players. He was an All-Star that season yet ranks below Scottie Barnes, Evan Mobley, and Cade Cunnigham, all rookies who haven’t met the heights Williamson has reached. Zion is better than all three and projects to be better this season.

Kyrie Irving at 33

Leaving Kyrie Irving outside of your top 25 is a basketball crime. It took Kyrie only 29 games to hold the record for most points scored in a game last season. He has averaged 27 PPG over the previous three seasons and is one of the most efficient guards. Kyrie ranked only one spot ahead of Marcus Smart and below Andrew Wiggins and Jrue Holiday.

Trae Young at 16

Trae Young continues to get slighted, particularly when you compare him to his peers around his age group. Young has been a more productive and impactful player than Ja Morant and Devin Booker, who cracked the top 10. Karl-Anthony Towns ranked three spots ahead of Trae, which also makes no sense. Trae can match or even exceed their scoring production while being in a different stratosphere as a playmaker (Ja is at least somewhat in the conversation, though).

Kawhi Leonard at 12

Kawhi Leonard is yet another player coming off a season-long injury and significantly underrated. Kawhi was a superstar when we last saw him and put up monster numbers in the 2021 playoffs. He belongs in the same group that LeBron, Tatum, and KD are ranked, firmly in the top 10.

Stephen Curry at 5

The Stephen Curry disrespect continues at ESPN. From Max Kellerman’s anti-clutch narratives, FMVP snubs, and his consistent omission in best-in-the-world talks, Curry still needs more respect on his name. Curry should be closer to number one than number five on this list. Despite an underwhelming regular season for his standard, he was incredible in the postseason. He led the Warriors to another championship and his first FMVP. We can expect the greatest shooter to shoot even better from 3 next season because his 38% on 12 attempts was a career-low.