In the second to last installment of overrated position players, TGH is taking a look at power forwards.
The game of basketball is starting to speed up, and the role of a power forward isn’t what it used to be. Now, forwards are looked to be able to shoot and spread the floor.
Disclaimer: When mentioning these players, it doesn’t mean they’re bad players. A lot of factors go into being overrated, whether it’s stats, team success or more.
Let’s get into the list.
Kristaps Porzingis
Ever since his rookie season and time in New York, Kristaps Porzingis just hasn’t been the same.
Back when he was drafted in 2015, boos echoed in the Barclays center as the Knicks pick was announced. In 72 games in his rookie year, Porzingis made his name know, through highlight put-back dunks and more.
When he came to Dallas in 2019, what seemed like a good move hasn’t paid off for the Mavericks. The amount of injuries Porzingis has dealt with since his ACL tear in 2018 is lengthy. Some of those injuries include knee, nose, heel, ankle and back injuries. Some of those injuries have happened multiple times.
Because of all the setbacks, Porzingis hasn’t been able to be the same player. As a result, the Mavericks have suffered the consequences as well.
Porzingis, once a player with a lot of promise, has now turned into one of the most overrated power forwards in the league. Injuries could be to blame, but the bottom line is, Porzingis isn’t the same.
Blake Griffin
Since his days in LA and playing for “Lob City”, Blake Griffin has become somewhat of a forgotten man. Dunk contest winner and six-time all-star are about the best accolades on his resumé.
One thing that working for him is that he signed with the Brooklyn Nets a few weeks ago. He’ll finally have an opportunity to get a ring. Something that he failed to do when he played for the Clippers.
As for why he’s overrated, it’s more so because he’s declined in talent as he’s gotten older. Since joining Detroit in free agency in 2017, he had one standout year. The year he was an all-star in 2018-19, he played 75 games and averaged close to 25 points.
Since then, played 59 total games in three seasons for Detroit. He averaged career lows in those years and he’s completely fallen off the map.
Not to mention, a guy who’s known for dunking, just got his first dunk for the Nets the other night; that was his first dunk since 2019.
Griffin has completely fallen off the map. A player who’s 32 years old should be in the latter years of his prime, but Blake is further down that road than the average player.
Draymond Green
Including Draymond on this list was tough, because he’s never been a huge stats guy. His impact on the court has been more than stats. He’s a leader, and he was a top defender in the league several years ago, something that doesn’t show up on stat sheets.
But ever since the Warriors’ Finals runs over the last several years, Green has somewhat fallen off as well. He hasn’t been selected to an all-star game since 2017-18 and he’s averaging his second lowest points per game of his career.
One important thing to note is that what Draymond does bring to the court usually translates to wins. The Warriors haven’t been winning like they’re capable of. They’re in ninth place in the West with a 22-21 record.
With everything Green has already accomplished in his career, it can possibly earn him a future hall of fame spot. Being on this list might not even matter in the long run, but he’s definitely been underplaying his potential this season.
Even though it was a difficult decision, Green had to be included in this list.
All stats were taken from ESPN.com and basketballreference.com.
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