People do things to get noticed. No matter how humble a person is, being noticed and recognized for what they do makes him or her feel great. However, some people don't get noticed. They could be the most important player on their team, yet no one takes notice because he isn't scoring 30 points each night. Is it right? No. Does it happen? Yes. The purpose of this article is for me to enlighten you on some of those players that don't get the recognition they deserve. A couple players pop into my head right away: Jose Calderon, Leandro Barbosa, and Gerald Wallace to name a few. But there is one player you all seem to be forgetting.
The player I am referring to is Mike Dunleavy. I can bet that four out of every five people reading this article aren't even sure which team he plays for (the Pacers). I bet almost none of you realized that he averaged 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists this year. His efficiency is +18.93, which is higher than Michael Redd, Luke Walton, and Leandro Barbosa. He has also played in all 82 games for Indiana and, although their record wasn't very good, he was extremely important to the team.
According to 82games.com, the Pacers score 9 less points for every 100 possessions that Dunleavy isn't on the court. He also steps up in the clutch nicely and is a good ball-handler and passer. The five best lineups the Pacers have used this season (stat-wise) have all involved Dunleavy. He would be a great asset to any team in the League, yet he is never mentioned among some of the NBA's top players.
Now, I will briefly address the underrated players that others have mentioned. How does a guy that averages only 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists while playing roughly around half the game get mentioned as underrated? Luke Walton's average stats and little playing time is not without reason.
Leandro Barbosa is a very good scorer off the bench for Phoenix, but he doesn't give them much else out on the court. In fact, the Suns score 6 more points every 100 possessions when Barbosa is NOT in the game. Phoenix is terrible when he's running the point in place of Steve Nash.
Michael Redd is one of the best scorers in the League. (I'm not quite sure if he's underrated or not though.) However, the Bucks are a lousy team with or without Redd in the game as he tends to look for his own shot too often. In the clutch, he isn't even shooting 40% from the field.
In conclusion, the League's Mr. Underrated is undoubtedly Mike Dunleavy. He is their most valuable player who helps the team in more ways than just putting points on the board. To not discuss him among the NBA's top players is ridiculous because he is one. Don't forget it's only his fifth year in the pros and will get better as his career progresses.