NBA

Poll of the Day: Who is the NBA's most underrated player since 2000?

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CJ McCollum, Andrei Kirilenko, Andre Miller

Every day here on NBA.com we'll introduce a new Poll of the Day. We want to hear from you - THE FANS! - on the biggest topics, debates and discussions. Check back every day for poll results and a new question!

Your votes have been tallied and CJ McCollum has been declared the most underrated player of the last two decades. 

Here are the top vote getters:

Final Voting Results
Player Pct Vote
CJ McCollum 25%
Andrei Kirilenko 19%
Andre Miller 10%
Michael Redd 8%
Kyle Lowry (write in) 7%
Al Jefferson 7%

Six-time All-Star Kyle Lowry's popularity as a write-in candidate defied our initial parameters as we limited the original field to players who made no more than one All-Star team. In our eyes, anyone selected to participate more than once at least received enough buzz beyond one season to be consistently appreciated for their standout efforts. Clearly, that same perspective was not shared by all!

The great thing about it? There's no right or wrong answer!

OTHER POLLS: Most clutch player in NBA history | Most likely to score 70 points

Here's how several members of our Global NBA.com voted.

Leandro Fernández, NBA.com Argentina (@FernandezLea): Andrei Kirilenko.

Throughout the entirety of the 2000s, Kirilenko always remained somewhat of an enigma when trying to assess his true value. He may not have risen to prominence while playing with the Utah Jazz, but Kirilenko was the epitome of hard work on the basketball floor. Rebounds, assists, blocks, steals ... he did a little bit, and sometimes a lot, of everything. He led the league in blocks in 2004-05 and averaged over two per game five times with the Jazz.

In the 681 games he played with the Jazz, he had averages of 12.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.0 blocks in 30.8 minutes.

Beyond the numbers, he was a king of the intangibles and an excellent defender who may have simply been ahead of his time. In today's NBA where versatility trumps all, Kirilenko would have been worth his weight in gold. 

Kyle Irving, NBA.com Canada (@KyleIrv_): I know I'm breaking the rules by choosing a multi-time All-Star, but I'm going with Deron Williams.

Yes, he was a three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA and an two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, but how many guards would you rattle off from the late 2000s before you'd get to Williams?

Lost in the greatness of other legendary guards like Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Tony Parker, Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Tracy McGrady and even a young Dwyane Wade or Brandon Roy, you could argue Williams' resume could've been even more decorated. He didn't even make the All-Star team in one of the seasons he was voted All-NBA!

Williams averaged close to 20 points and over 10 assists per game for four-straight seasons from 2007-11 and only had two All-Star bids to show for it during that timespan. He helped put the Utah Jazz back on the map and don't even get me started on that double-crossover.

Alex Novick, NBA.com Global Editions (@ANov_SN): Quick, name the only player other than David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon to average at least two blocks and two steals per game over a full season. How many guys would run through your mind before arriving at a guy nicknamed “Crash,” who accomplished the feat in 2005-06?

Yep, Gerald Wallace was an absolute force on the defensive end for the Charlotte Bobcats and was quietly one of the best two-way players in the league from 2005 to 2011. During that time Wallace averaged 17.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 blocks while shooting 48 percent from the field; compiling a nice highlight reel in the process thanks to some elite athleticism. This culminated in his only All-Star nod in 2009-10, averaging 18 and 10 while leading Charlotte to its first playoff appearance since the franchise was rebooted as the Bobcats six years prior.

Wallace earned his nickname by hustling all over the floor, making him one of the easiest to root for and most unheralded stars of this century’s first 20 seasons.

Juan Estévez, NBA.com Argentina (@JuanEstevez90): Mike Conley.

Yes, he's suffered through somewhat of a season-long slump. Yes, he's certainly entering the twilight phase of his career. But when I think of underrated players from the past few decades, Conley is the first to come to mind. He's a far better point guard than results of the popularity contest that is All-Star voting might lead you to believe.

Sure, part of the reason for no All-Star appearances is the misfortune of spending his entire career in a loaded Western Conference, but even so, it is striking that a player who was a pillar of the best historical era of the Memphis Grizzlies does not have greater recognition. His deflated starts are somewhat a byproduct of the grit and grind style of play that's defined Memphis basketball for the entirety of his prime.

But at the end of the day, we are talking about a player who averaged 18.1 points and 6.0 assists between 2013 and 2019 , who commanded a highly competitive team during those years and who always impacted the bottom line.

His play during his most recent postseason appearance back in 2017 serves as a reminder that when it was necessary, Conley could flat out dominate as a scorer: 24.7 points, 7.0 assists, 49% from the field and 45% on 3s in a hotly contested series against the San Antonio Spurs.

The views expressed here do not represent those of the NBA or its clubs.

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