Most underrated: Jazz forward Millsap isn't run-of-the-mill
By Ken Berger | CBSSports.com Senior Writer Follow KenWe all know about Kobe, LeBron and K.G., not to mention Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh and Dwight Howard. The list goes on and on. Stars get the endorsements and sell the majority of the tickets in the NBA. Stars sell the game.
There would be no game to sell, however, without role players. There would be no championship talk in Houston without Luis Scola and Carl Landry. The Lakers wouldn't be 21-3 if not for Trevor Ariza. The Spurs wouldn't be looking like the Spurs again without someone hitting 3-pointers in bunches -- someone named Matt Bonner.
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| At this rate, Jazz power forward Paul Millsap won't be underrated much longer. (AP) |
On all the lists, one name kept showing up: Utah's Paul Millsap.
"That shows that all the hard work I put into it is paying off," Millsap said Wednesday night after his 13th consecutive double-double in a 103-92 victory over the Nets. "Coming out of college, they really didn't look at me like that."
Ah, there it is. To qualify for my All-Underrated list, you have to play with a chip on your shoulder. Upon hearing the honor I was bestowing upon him, and why, Millsap was pleased to learn that many of the GMs who passed on him in the 2006 draft are realizing the error of their ways. The Jazz stole Millsap midway through the second round, with the 47th pick.
"Now coming into the league, working hard, and doing the kind of things I've been doing," Millsap said, "I'm getting a little recognition right now."
Millsap's minutes are up dramatically in his third season, but only because starting power forward Carlos Boozer has missed the past 15 games with a strained left quadriceps tendon. Once Boozer comes back, Jerry Sloan is going to have to find minutes for Millsap. Knowing what Sloan demands -- constant effort and rebounding -- he'll find them.
"It's hard to stop a person who's going after rebounds every play and running the court really hard," Millsap said. "It's hard to contain that."
Hard to keep him on the bench, too.
With 32 points and 10 rebounds Monday night against the Celtics and the longest current double-double streak in the league, Millsap is starting to get some pub -- so much, in fact, that he might not appear on a list like this a week from now. A more permanent place in the spotlight could be coming as soon as next season, when Boozer has a $12.7 million player option he has already decided to decline.
In the third year of his rookie deal, Millsap is the lowest-paid player on the Jazz at a bargain-basement $798,000. When Boozer is seeking a raise as an unrestricted free agent next summer, Millsap will be fielding offer sheets as one of the top unrestricted free agents on the market.
"I try to keep it in the back of my head, try not to think about it right now because it's a long season," Millsap said. "Anything can happen."
Millsap didn't come out of nowhere; it just seems that way. At Louisiana Tech -- same college as Karl Malone -- Millsap became the first player in NCAA Division I history to win three consecutive rebounding titles. His 8.8 rebounds per game this season include 3.4 at the offensive end, and his 91 offensive rebounds rank fourth in the league, behind Andris Biedrins, Howard and Emeka Okafor.
"I grew up watching basketball, watching some of the greatest rebounders play, like Dennis Rodman," Millsap said. "My tactic is a little bit different. I just go after the ball every play and never give up. ... I try to get inside position and try to block the guy out and back him out as far as possible. And next, it's just timing. There's guys who can jump a whole lot higher than me. I just try to time the ball."
Timing is everything -- for Millsap and the other nine players who made my All-Underrated Team:
2. Kevin Martin, SG, Kings: The word is out about Martin, but the Kings' smooth-shooting guard still deserves to be here. He's stuck on an awful team, in a tiny market, and was on a tear before hurting his ankle. Unfortunately for him, Martin will be under the radar for years to come with a contract that extends through the 2012-13 season.
3. Jason Maxiell, SF, Pistons: Evidently, Maxiell is underrated on his own team, having endured his first DNP-CD since 2006-07 on Dec. 9 against the Wizards. His numbers don't jump out (6.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks), but he's only playing 17 minutes a game. Over 40 minutes, his boards translate to 11.2, and as one GM said: "He can impact the game at both ends of the floor -- shot blocker, toughness, defender, and knocks down the 15-foot jump shot."
4. Carl Landry, PF, Rockets: Based on per-minute efficiency, one of the most effective interior players in the league. According to NBA.com, Landry had the highest shooting percentage in the league (.646) close to the basket last season. He's a high-energy player and a fierce interior defender who can also defend the perimeter in a pinch. Most impressively, he doesn't turn the ball over. His numbers are down slightly this season, which is to be expected with the addition of Ron Artest to the Rockets' rotation.
5. Ronnie Brewer, SG, Jazz: A steals machine (2.0 per game), Brewer could be a Bruce Bowen in the making -- with better offensive upside. His name consistently comes up in the discussion of who gives opponents' best offensive player fits. His shooting numbers are down this season; he hasn't developed 3-point range and is a mediocre free-throw shooter (.689) for a perimeter player. But he's a potential lockdown defender and a terror in transition. Tell everyone who hasn't heard; that'll keep you busy.
6. Ramon Sessions, PG, Bucks: His numbers and playing time are down significantly after logging 44 minutes against Cleveland on Nov. 29. But when he was getting floor time, Sessions showed his upside as a scorer, distributor, and dependable floor leader -- as evidenced by his nearly 3-to-1 assist-turnover ratio. On a per-minute basis, his production is comparable to two guys named Williams -- Mo and Deron.
7. Luis Scola, PF, Rockets: The only reason he isn't higher on the list and didn't come up more often among the GMs I surveyed is that the word is out: Scola is one of the most efficient players in the league at doing the little things that contribute to winning. Scola is so valuable as an offensive rebounder and high-percentage shooter that he's relegated Artest to a bench role -- at least while Ron-Ron is battling a sore ankle. As his post defense becomes more refined, Scola's value -- and impact -- will continue to increase.
8. Trevor Ariza, SF, Lakers: The Lakers are starting to realize how valuable Ariza is when he's healthy. He does everything James Posey did for the Celtics last season -- except make 3-pointers. But with the Lakers trying to model themselves after Boston on the defensive end, Ariza's overlooked contributions are invaluable. His points come pretty much in transition and on the boards, but Ariza's defensive impact could allow Kobe Bryant to get a breather now and then and save his sweat for the Celtics.
9. Matt Bonner, PF-C, Spurs: Bonner has been elevated to the starting center spot, but Gregg Popovich will have to turn to Kurt Thomas or Fabricio Oberto when the Spurs need a defensive presence in the post. That said, Bonner has emerged as a dead-eye 3-point shooter (.477), proving that he is, in fact, much more accurate than he showed last season (.336). He's hit at least one 3-pointer in nine straight games and is doing a decent job rebounding.
10. Brandon Bass, PF, Mavericks: Another in the mold of undersized big men making an impact with their versatility, like Millsap, Landry and Maxiell. Bass was a breakout performer once he finally got some minutes last season, and he's continued to contribute on the glass, by getting to the line and hitting 82 percent of his free throws, and with deceptively solid mid-range shooting.
Honorable mention
Note: This doesn't mean the players above are necessarily better than this group -- just more underrated.
Arron Afflalo, Pistons; Tony Allen, Celtics; Andris Biedrins, Warriors; Jordan Farmar, Lakers; Jeff Foster, Pacers; Matt Harpring, Jazz; Devin Harris, Nets; Amir Johnson, Pistons; Anthony Johnson, Magic; David Lee, Knicks; Mike Miller, Timberwolves; Zaza Pachulia, Hawks; Leon Powe, Celtics; Anderson Varejao, Cavaliers.
