Overrated and underrated - professional basketball players - Abstract

Jeff Ryan

Here are 10 NBA players who aren't worth their press clippings and 10 others who deserve recognition for their on-court skills

Overrated

Patrick Ewing, Knicks. His prediction of an NBA title has become as much an annual tradition in New York as the New Year's Eve party in Times Square. And speaking of dropping the ball, that's just what Ewing did at crunch time in Game 7 of the 1994 Finals against Houston. After scoring four points at the start of the fourth quarter, the usually shot-happy center didn't even shoot again until he missed two jumpers in the final three minutes.

In the four postseasons since, the Knicks have departed in the second round. With Ewing on the shelf for most of last year, New York's offense actually ran more smoothly. Ewing was a high-profile negotiator for the players union during the lockout, leading former Knick Charles Oakley to quip that it's too bad the big guy has never led his team with the same kind of passion.

Matt Geiger, 76ers. He's skilled at only one thing and that's rebounding. Regardless, the 76ers acted as though he was the second coming of George Mikan when they signed him to a six-year, $51 million contract. That's an incredible $8.5 million a year for a center who has averaged a whopping 8.6 points during his career, gets fooled repeatedly on defense and whose only claim to fame is that he broke Shaquille O'Neal's thumb in '95.

Penny Hardaway, Magic. He is one of the sport's premier talents, but something is missing. Often, that something is Hardaway, who has sat out 86 games the past two seasons. Though he should be the brightest star in Orlando this side of Mickey Mouse, Hardaway hasn't been happy for a long time, and his mood has fouled the air inside the O-rena. Hardaway was widely believed to have played a role in the ousting of coach Brian Hill, and the point guard welcomed new coach Chuck Daly to town by second-guessing some of Daly's strategy.

If Hardaway is so smart, maybe he ought to consider serving as player/coach. Let's see what kind of job the coaching half of him can do when the playing half is wearing street clothes and bandages.

Juwan Howard, Wizards. The former "Fab Five" member can't do it all himself, but since he has been in Washington, the Bullets/Wizards have done absolutely nothing (three playoff games in four seasons). With Chris Webber gone to Sacramento, this is now Howard's team. How will he respond? Like the budding star who averaged 22.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in '95-96? Or like the screw-up who pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated in '96?

Larry Johnson, Knicks. Compared to the incredible contracts that have been handed out in the wake of his, LJ's $8 million-a-year deal looks like a steal. It sure is, but it's Johnson who's pulling off the heist. Instead of filling the team's need for a second superstar who can complement Ewing, Johnson has been a role-playing bust, averaging only 14 points and 5.4 rebounds as a Knick. On top of that, his surly attitude helps set the tone in one of the NBA's most unfriendly locker rooms.

Alonzo Mourning, Heat. He epitomized the self-centered player of the '90s during last year's first-round playoff series against New York. Ignoring his importance to his team, he foolishly got into a fight with old nemesis Larry Johnson in Game 4 and was serving his suspension when the Heat lost by 17 in the deciding fifth game. Mourning has averaged good numbers for his career (21 points, 10 rebounds) and he's a solid defender, but there's still too much Georgetown thug in him.

Says TNT analyst Doc Rivers, "His mind-set is what's holding him back."

Nick Van Exel, Nuggets. When he's on his game, he can drive defenses batty, but he feuded with Lakers coach Del Harris and proof of Van Exel's true worth to L.A. was Jerry West's refusal to keep him in town.

Van Exel is inconsistent, his shot selection is questionable and he has never assumed the role of a floor leader the likes of John Stockton, Gary payton or Stephon Marbury. When a languid Lakers squad was swept by Utah in the playoffs, Van Exel averaged 4.8 points and 2.7 assists below his regular-season averages.

David Robinson, Spurs. "The Admiral" is such a classy guy and consistent regular-season performer that much of the press is reluctant to run him aground. The fact is, however, that he has never been a postseason force because he doesn't play a big man's game. Robinson's forte is the jumper, and in the more physical postseason game, he isn't aggressive or mean enough to take control of a series.

His MVP season of '95 was tainted when Hakeem Olajuwon trampled him for 35.3 points per game in the Western Conference Finals. And in last season's conference semifinals, he frequently disappeared in the fourth quarter as the Spurs were bounced by Utah in five games.

Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers. One of the 50 greatest players in NBA history? Blasphemy! Sure, his thunderous dunks set off car alarms in the Great Western Forum parking lot and Shaq is king of the put-back layup, but have you ever seen an offensive "force" who's so utterly clueless outside the paint? Let's also not forget his sickly 52 percent from the free-throw line last season. Shaq can dominate 3 1/2, quarters, then he becomes a complete liability when he's repeatedly fouled in the last five minutes.

Chris Webber, Kings. Last year, Webber was stopped for speeding and later charged with resisting arrest and possessing marijuana. Is he worth the hassles? Well, when a former Rookie of the Year with so much promise has already played for three teams in his first six seasons, that sends up a red flag the size of a circus tent. Webber is only 25, so there's plenty of time to lose the underachiever label, but where does doing so rank on his priority list?

"Webber has the potential to be the best player in basketball," says Rivers. "He has a great body, tremendous quickness and he can jump and score. Talent spills out of him, but he lacks commitment."

underrated

Antonio McDyess, Nuggets. He doesn't get the credit he deserves; his dunks get plenty of air time on SportsCenter, his rebounds and blocks go unnoticed. It hasn't helped his profile to have played on a woeful Denver team during his first two seasons and on a Phoenix squad that was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by San Antonio last year. It was McDyess, however, who led the Suns in scoring (17.8) in their four postseason games. And he was seventh in the NBA in field-goal percentage during the regular season.

Ron Harper, Bulls. He was a 20-point scorer his first eight years as a pro, but age, bum knees and the presence of two all-time great scorers in the lineup changed his role soon after he arrived in Chicago in '94. Harper's defensive prowess played a huge part in the Bulls' last two championships. In the NBA Finals of '97 and '98, Harper's long arms and great sense of anticipation frequently choked off Utah's passing lanes and disrupted the rhythm of Stockton. And yet, despite his efforts, Harper has never made the NBA All-Defensive Team. A true injustice.

Allan Houston, Knicks. Quiet guys are easy to overlook, and Houston is a calming force on a team full of tightly wound characters. He was a huge disappointment in '96-97, his first season in New York, but his improved play was the main reason the Knicks didn't unravel during Ewing's absence last year. No longer part of an offense that had to run every play through Ewing, Houston flourished. He combined perimeter sharpshooting with a previously unseen willingness to take it to the hoop and the result was an 18.4 scoring average.

"If you're talking about shooting guards with a live dribble, you mention him in the same breath with Mitch Richmond," Rivers says. "Houston's one of the top options in the game with five seconds left because he always gets off a good shot."

Mark Jackson, Pacers. Too many behind-the-back passes, "shimmy shake" celebrations and other camera-craving antics have earned Jackson a well-deserved reputation as a hot dog, but it has overshadowed the fact he can cut the mustard. Sure, he's too slow to defend against the quickest point guards, but he's a superb playmaker with excellent court vision.

Theo Ratliff, 76ers. Ratliff is a well-kept secret because he hasn't put up any eye-popping numbers yet, but he finished second in the league in blocked shots last year (258) and fourth in blocks per game (3.15). Splitting time between Detroit and Philadelphia last season, Ratliff averaged career highs in points (9.9) and rebounds (6.7).

"He's not the prototype center because he can run the floor," says Hall of Fame coach and ESPN analyst Jack Ramsay. "He has the potential to be a good one."

Latrell Sprewell, Knicks. All right, so you can't get his choking of Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo out of your mind. That's the point. That ugly incident is anyone thinks of when they hear Sprewell's name, and yes, that's all his fault. But the misbehavior and apparent lack of remorse detract from an outstanding all-around game. Sprewell is a 20-point scorer and particularly underrated defender who never grabbed a headline until he grabbed his coach's neck.

Rik Smits, Pacers. He has been plagued by injuries and eclipsed on his team by the spotlight-luring Reggie Miller, but the soft-handed Smits is a key ingredient on a Pacers team that was five points from reaching the NBA Finals last year and is an early favorite to get there in '99.

"He's not a flashy center, and he's playing at a time when there are many good big men--Olajuwon, Robinson, Shaq," Rivers says. "Smits is never mentioned in that top tier, but he belongs there because he's probably the best shooting big man out of all of them."

Rod Strickland, Wizards. "He may be the best penetrator in the league," Ramsay says. "If you're looking for a play-making point guard who penetrates and creates, you can't do much better. Strickland's underrated, though, because of his attitude."

Strickland hasn't just burned bridges in his 11-year career, he has nuked them. Last year, he was making more noise with his play than with his mouth, but then he went and got into a fight with teammate Tracy Murray. Despite leading the NBA in assists, Strickland failed to make the All-Star team. Recognition may eventually come, but it will have to come fast. He turns 33 in July.

Rasheed Wallace, Trail Blazers. Unless your name is Bill Walton, you're never going to command much media attention playing in a small market like Portland. Just ask Clyde Drexler.

East Coast writers have all but forgotten Wallace since he left Washington for Portland in '96, but they should pay attention. He possesses a get-in-your-face, rattle-the-rim, talk-some-trash style, and he's not intimidated by anybody. He has shown continuous improvement in his three-year career.

Says Hall of Famer and Celtics TV analyst Tom Heinsohn, "Wallace has exceptional skills, but the most impressive thing about him is that he plays very hard every night."

Jayson Williams, Nets. You're looking at a prime example of why New Jersey will never lure top. free agents to the Continental Airlines Arena. If Williams didn't deliver entertaining quotes, he wouldn't get any press.

For a while, even coach John Calipari didn't recognize Williams' value, letting a personal distaste for Williams' candor color his opinion of the player's worth.

Williams is a tenacious rebounder (13.5 over the past two seasons), a positive locker-room influence and one of the league's hardest workers. If he played just eight miles to the east--Madison Square Garden--he'd be one of Gotham's most beloved sports heroes.

Jeff Ryan is a writer based in New York.

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