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2019 All-NBA Underrated Team

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Another season of the NBA has come and gone, and another season has seen many players not get the recognition they deserve. And just like last year, I'm going to give my picks for who I think are the most underrated players at each position. The rules of this are simple

  1. No all-stars from this season
  2. No players who made an All-NBA team (All-Defensive and All-Rookie are still eligible)
So with that out of the way, this is my 2019 All-NBA Underrated team.


Point Guard: Mike Conley

I've already talked about how Mike Conley was underrated two years ago, and the case is still the same. After missing the majority of the previous season following multiple injuries, Conley was able to bounce back in a big way and posted the best stat line of his career. For the season, Conley averaged a career-high 21.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 44% from the field and 36% from three-point range. The Memphis Grizzlies still had a disappointing season, going 33-49, but the presence of Conley was certainly felt, with the team improving by 11 games from the previous year without him. Now on the Utah Jazz following a trade, Conley is going to be playing alongside two borderline all-stars in Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. It's not the most star-studded trio in the league, but that team has potential, and Conley is the most unsung of them.

Honorable Mentions: Jamal Murray, De'Aaron Fox

Shooting Guard: Jrue Holiday

Easy choices for the shooting guard spot would be the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, or Zach LaVine, but if we're looking at players who don't get the recognition they deserve, Jrue Holiday comes to mind for me. While the New Orleans Pelicans have been a team in turmoil for the last couple of seasons, Holiday has been quietly putting up the best numbers of career, even better than when he was an all-star in 2013. This past season, Holiday averaged a career-highs in points (21.2 per game), rebounds (5 per game), and steals (1.6 per game) while also averaging 7.7 assists per game, shooting 47% from the field and 33% from three-point range, and being named to the All-Defensive 2nd team. While his future with the Pelicans in the post-Anthony Davis era is uncertain, wherever Jrue Holiday goes he can be a big help.

 Honorable Mentions: Buddy Hield, JJ Redick

Small Forward: Danilo Gallinari

Danilo Gallinari has spent the majority of his career as a solid player, but not quite someone you'd put in consideration for an all-star selection. In recent years he's been able to put up numbers that could potentially get him in that conversation, but injuries have cut those seasons short. This season, however, Gallinari was able to stay healthy and put up the best numbers of his career. For the season, Gallinari averaged career-bests across the board, putting up 19.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting a career-best 46% from the field and 43% from three-point range. The Los Angeles Clippers were able to exceed expectations this season, making the playoffs and taking the defending champion Golden State Warriors to six games in the first round, and a big part of that success was due to Gallinari. Now on a rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder team, it will be interesting to see if the team keeps him around for the future. If not, I predict Gallinari can make an impact wherever he goes.

Honorable Mentions: Bojan Bogdanovic, Kelly Oubre Jr.

Power Forward: Julius Randle

A lot of people have poked fun at the New York Knicks and Julius Randle this summer. After all, this was a team whose fan base had been hyping up the additions of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and Zion Williamson, only to end up with none of them. That being said, Julius Randle was not a bad signing. I'd argue that it was one of the better low-key signings this off-season. After playing solid basketball while having underwhelming shooting numbers early in his career, Randle has come into his own the past couple of seasons, and this past year saw him post a career-best stat line. For the season, Randle averaged 21.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 52% from the field and 34% from three-point range. Even with the likes of Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday on the roster, Randle proved to be a strong scorer that can provide for a team. The Knicks are about as big a dumpster fire as you can get in the NBA, but having a 24-year old Randle on their roster is a big help and could be a key piece to their future.

Honorable Mentions: John Collins, Kyle Kuzma

Center: Clint Capela

This offseason, the Houston Rockets took advantage of Paul George's trade to the Los Angeles Clippers and traded Chris Paul to the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder for Russell Westbrook, pairing him with James Harden in the backcourt. Whether or not a duo of two ball-dominant players notorious for stat padding will gel together is something we have yet to see, but on paper, the Rockets are boasting two former MVP winners in the prime of their careers. There is, however, one player on the roster who is constantly overlooked, and that's Clint Capela. While he disappointed in the playoffs this year, Capela's been a strong center for the past few seasons, and this year he posted the best stat line of his career. For the season, Capela averaged 16.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 65% from the field. Despite his strong play, Capela doesn't get the recognition he deserves, and he was rumored to be part of a deal to add Jimmy Butler to the Rockets. However, he's still in Houston. Based on the way he's played over the last two seasons, Capela deserves to be recognized as one of the league's best young centers.

Honorable Mentions: Jusuf Nurkic, Domantas Sabonis

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