10 most overrated players in NBA history according to ChatGPT

12/19/2024 12:18 PM

Mixing sports and artificial intelligence is all of the rage these days. When it comes to basketball discussions, NBA fans love to consider the most overrated players of all time. These are players who were given a lot more credit than they deserved. We here at ClutchPoints certainly have our own opinions on who has been overrated throughout NBA history, but we decided to ask ChatGPT who the most overrated players ever are. So, check out the gallery to see the conclusions that AI came to and the justifications that we here at ClutchPoints think back up these rankings.

1. Carmelo Anthony

ChatGPT’s summary: While Anthony is undeniably one of the best scorers in NBA history, his lack of playoff success and defensive shortcomings have led some to argue that his overall impact on winning has been overrated.

Analysis: Being ranked as the most overrated NBA player ever might seem harsh, but there is a justification for it when it comes to Carmelo Anthony. This also does not mean that Anthony was a bad player; he just might not have had as impressive of a career as many would say. Of all of the players on the top 10 scoring list all time, Anthony is one of only two without a championship to his name.

Unlike Karl Malone, though, Anthony never even reached the NBA Finals. Additionally, although it is impressive that Anthony scored 28,289 career points, it is fair to question his defensive effort. At times throughout his career, like in his matchups against Kobe Bryant, Anthony would turn things up on defense, but more often than not he didn’t seem to care about the less glamorous side of the ball game, and that is unacceptable for a superstar.

On top of all of that, Anthony was even limited as an offensive player, despite that being his calling card. Anthony was clearly a fantastic scorer, but he provided next to nothing as a passer/playmaker. These limitations seemingly hurt Anthony the most when it came to having playoff success as the top option. Number one players have to be able to do everything for their team for them to truly find sustained success.

2. Russell Westbrook

ChatGPT’s summary: Known for his explosive athleticism and triple-doubles, critics point to his inefficiency, high turnover rate, and struggles to adapt his game to complement other stars as reasons for being overrated.

Analysis: Russell Westbrook is actually having a resurgence of a season with the Denver Nuggets, but it is fair to look at his post-Oklahoma City Thunder days and claim that he was overrated because of what he did when he was with the Thunder. Westbrook struggled to contribute to winning or adapt to the modern game with all of the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, and Los Angeles Clippers, at least to the degree that he thrived on the Thunder.

Even during his time in Oklahoma City, it is fair to question how Westbrook came to his big numbers. Westbrook won an MVP because his stats were jaw-dropping, but many think that he stat-padded to record such huge statistics and so many triple-doubles. For example, Westbrook would often be out of position just to ensure a rebound, or he’d give up an open shot to try and chase an assist. Westbrook did have some team success early in his career, but the Thunder certainly took a noticeable step back after Kevin Durant left the team and Westbrook was promoted to the position of top dog.

With all of the high-flying highlights that come with Westbrook, so do a lot of lowlights. Horribly bricked mid-range shots and unnecessary turnovers have become all too familiar with Westbrook in recent seasons, and although he plays at 110% all of the time, that sometimes comes back to bite him in the butt.

3. Dwight Howard

ChatGPT’s summary: Once a dominant defensive force and rebounding machine, Howard's career declined rapidly after his peak years in Orlando. Some argue his inability to develop a reliable offensive game and his issues with team chemistry tarnish his legacy.

Analysis: Dwight Howard stuck around for a long time in the NBA. The legendary center played in 18 seasons, in fact. However, his prime wasn’t all that long. Things started to go downhill after he left the Orlando Magic after his age-26 season, both in terms on court production and the drama that seemed to follow him.

While rebounding and defense were the things that made Howard great, he wasn’t as dominant as a scorer as some might remember. He was a physical presence inside, but he only averaged greater than 20 points per game four times, none of which occurred outside of Orlando. A lack of a jump shot and an inability to develop a league-average free throw rate hurt him on the offensive end.

4. Tracy McGrady

ChatGPT’s summary: McGrady was a phenomenal scorer and an electrifying player. However, his lack of playoff success and injury-plagued career led some to question if he was truly as impactful as his talent suggested.

Analysis: Tracy McGrady is one of the biggest what-if situations in NBA history. He is widely regarded as one of the best scorers ever, as evidenced by when he scored 13 points in 33 seconds in an electrifying comeback effort, but he simply couldn’t stay on the court because of injuries.

McGrady only played in 938 games over a 15-year career, and injuries really sapped him of his explosiveness and athleticism. Even more so, injuries robbed McGrady of a chance to make a big impact in the postseason. Despite the frequency that McGrady was forced off of the court, he is still talked about with a lot of the other elite scorers in NBA history. He is even discussed in “what-if” dialogue at a disproportionate rate in comparison to some of the other most talented players who weren’t able to reach their potential because of injuries, such as Brandon Roy and Greg Oden.

McGrady formed one-half of electric duos that included Vince Carter (Toronto Raptors), Grant Hill (Orlando Magic), and Yao Ming (Houston Rockets), but his teams were never able to become as unstoppable as expected. In fact, his teams struggled to make much noise in the playoffs at all.

5. Blake Griffin

ChatGPT’s summary: Griffin’s highlight-reel dunks and early career success made him a household name. Yet, some believe his game never evolved sufficiently to justify the hype, especially considering his struggles with injuries and defense.

Analysis: Blake Griffin is not ranked here as one of the most overrated NBA players ever because he was just a dunker. He was much more than that, as the power forward had advanced playmaking and ball-handling skills for someone at his position. However, he was another player whose playoff production never matched the regular season hype.

Additionally, a lack of a jump shot in an era where long balls were becoming more popular hurt Griffin’s long-term production. The mesmerizing dunks were memorable, but it is hard to remember much else about Griffin’s career.

6. Chris Webber

ChatGPT’s summary: An exceptionally talented big man, Webber's playoff shortcomings and his role in controversial moments (like the infamous timeout call in college) have led some to view his career with a more critical eye.

Analysis: If this was my list, I probably would have put Chris Webber in the underrated section rather than calling him overrated, but there certainly is a case to be made for the power forward being overrated. Webber was the first overall pick in 1993, and he was immediately traded from the Orlando Magic to the Golden State Warriors.

He actually only played one season in Golden State before he was moved again, this time to the Washington Bullets. Webber wasn’t a draft bust when you look at his career as a whole, but the start of his career was far from ordinary for someone considered a star. Although he had success with the Bullets, he actually isn’t even predominantly known for his time with that team, either. Instead, Webber’s best years came with the Sacramento Kings. The Kings enjoyed their best era ever with Webber leading the way, but they were still the Kings nonetheless, and Webber only made it past the second round once in Sacramento.

7. Amar’e Stoudemire

ChatGPT’s summary: A dominant force alongside Steve Nash in Phoenix, Stoudemire's lack of defensive prowess and struggles to stay healthy have caused some to view his impact as limited compared to the hype.

Analysis: Amar’e Stoudemire burst onto the scene and put up numbers right away on a great offense with the Phoenix Suns. He had one of the best point guards ever (Steve Nash) feeding him the ball, but Stoudemire wasn’t able to find the same amount of success he once he no longer played with Nash, forcing some to believe he was a product of great point guard play.

Additionally, injuries really took over during the back half of Stoudemire’s career. Plus, although the power forward was a great offensive player, he was lacking on the defense end, and his teams struggled in the postseason because of this.

8. Allen Iverson

ChatGPT’s summary: Iverson is an icon and a legendary scorer, but critics point to his inefficiency, defensive liabilities, and challenges in leading teams deep into the playoffs as reasons for considering him overrated.

Analysis: Allen Iverson is an icon and all-time NBA great. He changed the culture in professional basketball, but even more so, fans loved him because he had the heart of a lion. Iverson put up massive scoring numbers despite often being the smallest guy on the court. What fans will forget, though, is that it took an extremely high volume to score as much as Iverson did.

The former number-one pick is one of the most inefficient superstars ever. In fact, he was a career 42.5%, and he only made 31.3% percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Iverson also had his fair share of limitations on the defensive end. He was a high steals-per-game guy, but that was often a result of gambling and occasionally giving up easy buckets.

9. Yao Ming

ChatGPT’s summary: Yao's international impact and unique skill set for his size made him a global star. However, his injury-shortened career and limited playoff success have led some to argue that his NBA legacy is somewhat inflated.

Analysis: Yao Ming made the All-Star Game in all eight of his NBA seasons, but he only played eight years, and a lot of those seasons were injury-plagued. The 7-foot-6 center was a great player for the Houston Rockets, but he simply wasn’t on the court as much as most all-time greats are.

Ming only played in 486 career games. He was a dominant big man, but only for a short period of time, which justifies his status as one of the most overrated NBA players ever.

10. Derrick Rose

ChatGPT’s summary: Rose's MVP season was spectacular, but his subsequent injury woes and inability to return to that level of play have led some to argue that his career as a whole is often viewed through rose-colored glasses.

Analysis: Derrick Rose was on the trajectory to become one of the best NBA players ever. Instead, his career started on a downhill trajectory by the time he was 23 years old. At age 22, Rose became the youngest MVP ever in only his third season, but he injured his knee the following year, and he was never the same.

Because Rose lasted 15 years in the NBA (which is a testament to his resilience), his career numbers suffered greatly. After his 2011-12 injury, Rose never played more than 66 games, and he played in fewer than 51 games in all but two seasons. Those factors, which are solely because of injury issues, make him arguably the worst MVP winner ever, and because of that, he has to go down as one of the most overrated NBA players of all time.

Rose was reliant on athleticism, and that was taken away from him. He was able to adapt his game and last longer than expected in the NBA, but he just wasn’t the same player post-injury.

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