The Five Most Underrated Primes in NBA History
Basketball is a sport chock full of legends. Michael Jordan was a transcendent athlete, becoming a literal idol to millions of people during the 90s. LeBron James has since inherited that role, becoming the most famous and widely known celebrity in the NBA since Jordan. Still, throughout NBA history there have been plenty of elite players who have been forgotten and swept under the rug, for reasons unknown. Today, I present to you the Five Most Underrated Primes in NBA History.
#5: Dwyane Wade, 2005–2010
In 2022, four years after Dwyane Wade rode off into the sunset, the majority of people remember him for being LeBron James’ sidekick on those Heatles super-teams in the early 2010s. Wade was a solid contributor on those teams, averaging 22/5/5 on 50% shooting while maintaining his underappreciated defensive prowess, but he wasn’t anywhere close to what he was just a few years prior as the lone face of the Heat franchise. Wade’s stretch of dominance from 2005 through 2010 was something so great, that the only other player on his level during that time at the shooting guard position was the late great Kobe Bryant.
Wade officially entered his prime as a 24-year-old in his third season in the NBA in 2005–2006. He was an All-Star the year prior, but this was a tremendous improvement in every way. Wade was a scoring machine who was able to do a little bit of everything at a high level, giving Miami a true superstar to build around as they neared title contention. While averaging 27 points per game, Wade was a great passer and defender as well. Although his turnover volume was quite concerning during those early years, it made sense when realizing just how much he had the ball in his hands.
During the 2006 Finals, Wade put on a performance for the ages. Some Mavericks fans may say it was rigged, but after falling into a 2–0 hole, Wade ended up scoring 42, 36, and 43 points in three consecutive games, taking a commanding 3–2 series lead. During those three games, Wade took more free throws than the entire Mavs roster! In Game 5 he went 21–25 from the line, leading Miami to a 101–100 win in OT. However, he saved his best for the close-out Game 6. In Game 6, Wade scored 36 points, grabbed 10 boards, dished out 5 assists, and notched 4 steals and 3 blocks. Those Herculean final four games all resulted in Heat wins, giving them their first title in franchise history.
Fast forward to 2008–2009, the best year of Dwayne Wade’s career. For starters, Wade led the league in scoring with 30.2 PPG to go along with 7.5 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks. He finished in the top-4 in:
- MVP voting (3rd)
- Steals/SPG (2nd)
- PER (2nd)
- WS (4th)
- oWS (4th)
- ws/48 (4th)
- BPM (3rd)
- oBPM (2nd)
- dBPM (4th)
- VORP (4th)
As you can see, Wade was at or near the top of the NBA in virtually everything. He was a terrific scorer, defender, and passer, making the 1st Team All-NBA as well as 2nd Team All-Defense. Unfortunately at this point, not many people remember that version of Dwyane Wade. Nobody remembers the unstoppable scorer. Nobody remembers the relentless defender. We only remember him as LeBron James’ sidekick, even if that’s the furthest thing from the truth.
#4: Moses Malone, 1978–1986
It’s hard for me to fathom how many people have forgotten, or simply don’t even know, the greatness of Moses Malone. During the late ’70s and ’80s, he was “The Guy” in the NBA. He was the superstar who was above everyone else during that time. Yes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still a dominant force in the league, but during those nine years, Moses won not one, not two, but three MVP Awards!
Malone was drafted to the ABA in 1974–75, and he instantly became a star in his rookie year. But after the league folded in ‘76, Malone didn't do anything of note for a few years. Then he made his way to Houston, and in 78–79 at the age of 23, Malone averaged 25 points and 17 boards nightly on 54% shooting, finishing 4th in oBPM and 5th in VORP. Moses led Houston to the best offense in the NBA while placing on the All-Defensive 2nd team, but unfortunately, the Rockets fell in the first round to the Hawks.
He was fantastic in 1980 and 1981, making the All-NBA second team twice while averaging 27 points and 14 rebounds, plus over a steal and a block per game on 51% shooting. He led the 40–42 Rockets to the Finals in 1980 where they fell to the Super Celtics and Larry Bird in six games.
In 1981–1982, Malone went nuclear. He averaged 42 minutes per game, a league-high mark that year. He also averaged 31 points per game, somehow not leading the NBA, but he did claim the rebounding crown for the third time in four years with over 14 rebounds hauled in per game. Moses led the league in WS and oBPM, winning his second MVP in four years. Unfortunately for the Rockets, they traded him for Cauldwell Jones and a first-round pick before the 1982 season. As you can tell, it didn’t turn out well for Houston.
Over the next three seasons in Philly, Malone won an MVP, made 1st team All-Defense, won a ring, and averaged 24 points and 14 rebounds next to Dr. J in a deadly Sixer lineup.
#3: George Gervin, 1977–1982
Before Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant ever reached the NBA, there was George Gervin, the greatest scoring wing of all time. He was the smoothest player to ever live, and he scored as well as anyone in NBA history up until his retirement. Gervin was an ABA mainstay up until his 24th birthday, but he left his mark as a member of the Spurs. Between 1977 and 1983, Iceman led the NBA in scoring three times, scoring 29.2 PPG on 51% shooting during those six years.
In both the 1978 and 1979 seasons, Gervin finished second in MVP voting while making 1st team All-NBA. He led the NBA in scoring in both years, as well as finishing in the top ten in WS, PER, oBPM, oWS, oBPM, and VORP. He may have been the purest scorer in NBA history, but Gervin was also an all-around threat, as he averaged three assists and nearly two steals during both campaigns. The Spurs had the best record in the league in ’77 but fell to the underdog Bullets and Wes Unseld in the playoffs. In the following year, the Spurs went 48–34 but fell just short in seven games against the Bullets in the ECF.
In 1980, Gervin put together his best season as a pro. He averaged an astounding 33.2 points per game on 52% shooting, finishing third in MVP voting. Gervin was still a good defender, solid rebounder, and okay passer, giving the Spurs a bona fide superstar leader. He made the All-NBA 1st team, and although the Gervin was getting better, the Spurs were getting worse. They finished 41–41, losing in the first round.
Over the next two years, The Iceman continued to score at a historic rate, averaging a combined 30 PPG, leading the league in scoring once more. He was the NBA’s best scoring threat before Michael Jordan. George Gervin changed the game forever, and he should be remembered for his incredible basketball accomplishments.
#2: John Havlicek, 1969–1972
When most people think of the legendary Celtics teams of the ’60s and early ‘70s, they instantly drift towards Bill Russell. And that is fair, after all, Bill was the most recognizable face of them all back in the day. He and Wilt got all the headlines while players such as John Havlicek starred in “supporting” roles. Hondo was much more than just the second fiddle to Bill Russell. He was the de facto scoring leader on some of those later teams and also was one of the better passers in NBA history as a 6”5 SG/SF hybrid.
For the first seven years of his career, Havlicek was a good but not great player for the Celtics. Yes, he was a key cog during those title runs, but he was also nowhere close to the top-20 player of all time that we think of him as today. During those years, Havlicek averaged 19 points, six rebounds, and a little over three assists. He was a difference-maker but still wasn’t even close to fulfilling the lofty potential he would be just a few years later.
By1969 Bill Russell was gone, and that was when Havlicek started to build his legacy. He averaged 24 points per game while snagging eight rebounds and dishing out seven assists per night, putting up LeBron James-Esque stats. Unfortunately, Boston struggled without Russell and went 36–46, missing the playoffs.
In 1970–1971, Havlicek took his game to a level nobody thought he could reach. He put up some insane numbers and managed to lead Boston to a winning record, albeit not a playoff berth, averaging a ridiculous 29/9/8 while playing 45 minutes a game! He was well into the positives in both offensive and defensive win shares, although win shares are not a very accurate representation of one’s play.
The next season too, Havlicek averaged 27/8/8. He was a statistical monster, and his all-around game was better than nearly everyone else’s. He was procuring triple-doubles at a high rate, and with the help of Dave Cowens, the Celtics went 56–26 and were in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they got bounced in the second round by the Willis Reed-Walt “Clyde” Frazier duo and the Knicks.
During his prime, John Havlicek averaged elite all-around numbers while being the number one option on the NBA’s most historic team. Although he wasn’t the driving force behind a winning team, his feats are still highly impressive nonetheless.
#1: Alex English, 1982–1988
Alex English was the premier scorer of the 1980s. You can quote me on that. He scored more points than any player during that decade. More than Larry, Moses, MJ, Bernard King, anyone. He was the undisputed supreme scorer of his era.
Not only was he a volume scorer, but he was extremely efficient as well. During his top 3 scoring seasons, his field-goal percentages were 50.4%, 50.3%, and 53.1% respectively. He wasn’t like the players of the past who were scoring 25 points on 40% shooting. Throughout the 80s, the Nuggets had the most explosive offense in NBA history up until that point, while unsurprisingly owning the worst defense in NBA history as well. In 1981–1982, Denver averaged 126.5 points per game while giving up 126 points per game. English averaged 25/7/5 with over a steal and a block on great efficiency. That type of MVP-caliber stat line was the norm for English in the 80s.
The following season, English led the NBA in scoring while finishing sixth in MVP voting. He averaged over 1.4 steals and blocks per game but still didn’t make an All-Defensive team. I know this doesn’t come even remotely close to telling the whole story, but Giannis is averaging 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game right now. English averaged 1.4 and 1.5 respectively in 1982–1983 to little fanfare.
The best offensive comparison I can think of for Alex English would be 2021–2022 Demar DeRozan. They are both high-volume scorers who are deadly from the midrange. English put up 28+ points and 5+ assists on a nightly basis while DeRozan is doing much of the same, averaging 28 points and five assists on 51% shooting. English‘s stats were comparable to some all-time greats (no, I’m not calling DeRozan an all-time great), even if they were inflated by those incredibly fast-paced Nuggets offenses. Plus, he put up those stats consistently for many seasons.
From 1982–1989, English averaged 27.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on 51% shooting. Most people remember the 80s for Bird, Magic, and Dr. J. I think it’s time they remember Alex English too.
Thank you all for reading!
