When fans watch the NBA, they have a tendency to start comparing players to each other. That leads to an assessment of the individual talent of any given player. Sometimes, fans or even NBA analysts across the association tend to overrate players.
All NBA players are great at basketball, but not all players have the strengths and abilities they are sometimes perceived to have. Here are the three most overrated NBA players right now.
Rudy Gobert
Rudy Gobert is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner. He is regarded as one of the top shot-blockers and defenders in the NBA. His defense is so highly coveted by teams that one team decided to offer a huge package for him this offseason.
The Minnesota Timberwolves traded the equivalent of five first-round draft picks for the three-time All-Star. The trade was believed to have inflated the price of other stars this offseason, such as Kevin Durant.
When it comes to Rudy Gobert’s value, you have to consider that his rim protection is really the only valuable asset he brings to the table. To be fair, he is one of the best at that particular skill, but his skills beyond shot-blocking are not anything special. Although he has been improving, he is an average offensive player at best.
What makes Rudy Gobert an overrated NBA player is actually the extent of his defensive ability. More than a few times, opposing teams have been able to gameplan around Gobert’s shot-blocking ability by utilizing a small-ball lineup and spacing the floor. That often spelled defeat for Gobert and the Jazz. If teams can gameplan around your only useful asset, then how useful is it really?
Tyrese Maxey
Tyrese Maxey had a breakout year last season, and he has the potential to develop into a solid young star in the NBA. However, he is not quite there yet, and he has much more to prove. That hasn’t stopped his fans from pushing the narrative that he is already an All-Star level talent.
The success of the 76ers last season was often dictated by how aggressive Maxey was, in addition to the health of Joel Embiid. If Maxey was ready to score, then opportunities would open up for other players. This was seen in the first few games after James Harden was traded to the 76ers.
Maxey was still aggressive and therefore productive, so Harden was able to benefit from this by finding open shots for his teammates, as well as for himself.
If Maxey is less aggressive, he will disappear in the offense, which was also seen at times. Shot selection is going to be a key factor for Maxey next season. He needs to learn what shots to take and when the right time is to take them.
Jayson Tatum
Let’s be abundantly clear; Jayson Tatum is a true star in the NBA and he is one of the best all-around players in the league.
However, it has reached the point where he has become a little too overrated by his fans.
Some fans are under the impression that Jayson Tatum is going to win multiple MVP awards and multiple championships during his career. Tatum is still young and has the chance to do all of those things, but he does not appear to be that type of player.
Although he has reached the Conference Finals multiple times and the NBA Finals once, he still has not led the Celtics to an NBA championship, so he should not be talked about as if he has already done so. The ceiling for Tatum is high, but we should be cautious before we place expectations on him that compare to some of the greatest NBA players of all-time.
The main reason he is overrated is due to his inconsistencies on the basketball court. Every player is entitled to a few off-nights, but it seems to happen far too often for Tatum. If you need evidence of this, look no further than the 2022 playoffs. It seemed like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would alternate every night who was going to have a good night and who was going to struggle.
His inconsistency carried into the NBA Finals, where he struggled nearly every game and failed to lead his team when they needed him. Tatum still has potential to grow, but he has more to learn before he should be talked about the same way we talk about some of the all-time great NBA talents.
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