Mitch Richmond..The most underrated player ever?

TimoCruz · Post #1 » by **TimoCruz** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 4:19 am

I was watching a couple mitch richmond videos online today. Since the day I began watching basketball I always knew he was a great player and never got the respect he deserved. But I came across a comment on a video that suggested that he was the most underrated player of all time. I started thinking of all the different players that were underrated and I could'nt figure out anyone as underrated in nba history as him. Am I right..or am i just missing something.

here are some vids to ponder over..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=strS0G2PCBk&feature=feedrec_grec_index[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIH07X12M2Q&feature=related[/youtube]

Post #2 » by **Wolfay** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:53 am

I forgot where I read this, and I don't even know if it's true or not, but I read that Michael Jordan said that Mitch was the hardest guy he ever had to defend. He could pretty much do it all offensively. The Kings may not have been very good at the time, but fans were guaranteed to get a show from Mitch, and he gave me many great memories watching him as a kid.

I still proudly wear my #2 Mitch Richmond jersey around town and at Kings games.

Winsome Gerbil · Post #3 » by **Winsome Gerbil** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 6:02 am

I guess that depends on what you think he actually was. If you think he was a HOFer...no. He was just off that pace. He was the super strong/steady guy, but he lacked the extra spark of the true greats. He was that hardworking grinding guy who has the great GPA not because he's the smartest guy, but just because he works so hard. Had to respect him as a great player, but not a historical one.

I will say however that I always thought he was a MUCH better player than Reggie Miller (who is likely to get in based on heroics (which should count) and longetivity (which shouldn't)) and in most years, Joe Dumars as well (who is in largely on the basis of being on two title teams). So I guess he could have been one of those lower tier HOF guys that doesn't necesarily belong if he'd been more lucky with where he played, but he was still a step back from the Drexlers and Jordans and Kobes and Wades.

Philly KDub · Post #4 » by **Philly KDub** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 6:16 am

Mitch Richmond was such an entertaining player to watch. He was one of my favorites in the 90s even though he never got the respect that he deserved. Richmond, Hardaway, and Mullin of the early 90s Golden State team coached by Don Nelson were great offensively. Too bad they couldn't get over the hump due to lack of defense. Richmond was just unfortunate that he played on mediocre to average teams in his career. At least he was on the cover of NBA Live 96 or 97

Dr Positivity · Post #5 » by **Dr Positivity** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 6:17 am

He's right up there. Him and Hal Greer maybe

Philly KDub · Post #6 » by **Philly KDub** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 6:21 am

Dr Mufasa wrote:He's right up there. Him and Hal Greer maybe

How about Bernard King and Adrian Dantley? Those guys could just score whenever they wanted and nobody could stop them. I feel like they were afterthoughts when it comes to discussions about the 80s

Egg Nog · Post #7 » by **Egg Nog** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 6:29 am

Ron Harper was super underrated too.

People remember him as MJ's overshadowed 4th-option point guard, but the guy averaged 23/5/5/2.5stl/1blk as a rookie.

ComboGuardCity · Post #8 » by **ComboGuardCity** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:07 am

Mengke Bateer is the most underrated player ever. He led the Spurs to a championship.

JerkyWay · Post #9 » by **JerkyWay** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 11:03 am

Yeah, he's definitely one of the more underrated guys...He was better than Joe Johnson and on par with Manu and B-Roy. Always liked him.

The others:

Ed Macauley (dude was just as efficient as many today's stars and he was doing it in the pre shot-clock era when most guys could barely shoot 40% from the field - Mikan struggled to do it. His peak TS% was 56.3.

Bill Sharman - I know he's top 50 player but many people don't know he was in the top 5 in FG% almost every year during the 50s - that's huge for a guard.

Vern Mikkelsen - Rodman of the 50s.

Larry Foust

Chet Walker

Lou Hudson

If we're not talking about Greg Oden's grandchildren:

Elmore Smith - this guy has the highest-ever DRTG, by far.

Paul Westphal

Billy Paultz

Gus Williams

Larry Kenon

Joe Barry Carroll

Micheal Ray Richardson

Paul Pressey.

Cedric Maxwell

Doc Rivers, but as a player. :wink:

Buck Williams.

Kevin Willis

Kendall Gill

Glenn Robinson - just because I've heard about him as of bust. His career isn't far behind Grant Hill's, if we're talking about 94' draft class.

Brian Grant.

Other than that, I feel like some still don't give enough credit to Nate Thurmond.

Walt Bellamy...No matter how lazy he was or how much he was ballhoging - the guy was just flat-out dominant in his early years on Packers/ Zephyrs/ Bullets and remained solid the rest of his career.

20MexicanosIn1Van · Post #10 » by **20MexicanosIn1Van** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 1:06 pm

I think you might be right on calling Mitch Richmond the most underrated player ever. Other guys in contention such as Bernard King and Adrian Dantley get mentioned on this board and on TV every once in a while ("Adrian Dantley definitively needs to be in the HOF!") and they played before Mitch Richmond. Mitch Richmond retired less than 10 years ago and he still barely gets mentioned. I'm not saying other guys mentioned in this thread aren't underrated, just that Mitch Richmond is more underrated.

Among my friends, Hakeem Olajuwon is absolutely the most underrated. They never gets mention him when we talk about '90s players and all-time greats even though he's a top 10 player of all time.

thierry · Post #11 » by **thierry** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:12 pm

Vince Carter

Post #12 » by **slick_watts** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:19 pm

He played on bad teams for a long time and was a lockout casualty, never the same after it. I think he's rated just fine by most people, he's just so forgettable because his prime was wasted.

jaypo · Post #13 » by **jaypo** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:42 pm

2nd best 2 guard in the league behind MJ for years.

I have him above Miller strictly because Miller was the kind of guy that would run into a player's back and fall down to get the refs to call a foul. Richmond was all budiness and no BS. I loved him as a player. I'm glad he got a ring with the Lakers. He deserved it.

druggas · Post #14 » by **druggas** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 3:59 pm

He played when there was no Sports Center, and when he finally got to a team that could highlight his career (Lakers) he seldom got off the bench.

dlts20 · Post #15 » by **dlts20** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 3:59 pm

Mitch was a beast even though we were dumb for trading a young big in Webber for him. However, he's not the most underrated of all time. His teams no doubt sucked but he still shouldve got more wins in his career if he was that great of a player

JamesNaismith · Post #16 » by **JamesNaismith** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 4:07 pm

jaypo wrote:2nd best 2 guard in the league behind MJ for years.

With Drexler, Miller and Kobe all in the league sometime throughout Jordan's era; idk if that's an accurate statement.

BUT the fact that he's even considered right behind them is a testament to him being underated.

JordansBulls · Post #17 » by **JordansBulls** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 4:54 pm

Philly KDub wrote:
Dr Mufasa wrote:He's right up there. Him and Hal Greer maybe

How about Bernard King and Adrian Dantley? Those guys could just score whenever they wanted and nobody could stop them. I feel like they were afterthoughts when it comes to discussions about the 80s

JerkyWay · Post #18 » by **JerkyWay** » Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:06 pm

Kobe? He wasn't even close to Mitch when Jordan was still playing. I'm not talking about Wizards Jordan, of course. I would take Richmond over any Drexler's year post-1992 except for 1994-95.
Mitch was better than Reggie.

JordansBulls · Post #19 » by **JordansBulls** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 4:45 am

JerkyWay wrote:Mitch was better than Reggie.

Not in the playoffs

Vindicater · Post #20 » by **Vindicater** » Sat Jul 30, 2011 3:23 pm

JerkyWay wrote:Yeah, he's definitely one of the more underrated guys...He was better than Joe Johnson and on par with Manu and B-Roy. Always liked him.

ANd all of a sudden Mitch Richmond is overrated...

Better than Joe Johnson?

Ok sure... how many times did Mitch Richmond make the playoffs?