The Most Forgotten Stars of the NBA

Chris Carlson - AP

1. Alex English (1976-1991) MIL, IND, DEN, DAL

Alex English is one of the best scorers to ever play in the league and the stats show just that. English currently resides at number 21 on the all-time scoring list, with a total of 25,613 points scored in his career. This puts him ahead of elite scorers such as Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, Dwyane Wade, and even Larry bird. English averaged over 28 points per game three separate times in his career and even won the scoring title in the 1982-83 season while averaging 28.4 points a night. Though his highest mark was 29.8 ppg in the '85/'86 season.

Along with all of his scoring accolades, English is also an 8-time all-star. He made three all-NBA teams during his 16-year career, is a Hall of Fame inductee, and his jersey is retired by the Denver Nuggets. While English may not have been dominant for 15+ seasons such as Kareem or Lebron James, his prime was as good as nearly anybody's. He is criminally underrated, which has led to him being one of the most commonly forgotten NBA stars.

2. Stephon Marbury (1996-2009) MIN, NJN, PHO, NYK, BOS

Marbury is one of the most underrated point guards to ever play the game and is discredited when being compared to other all-time great point guards due to his lack of accolades. Marbury was only a 2-time all-star and all-NBA player and never managed to win a ring in his career. Through the course of his career, 'Starbury' averaged nearly 19 points & 8 assists, better than a lot of HOF point guards such as Isiah Thomas, Gary Payton, and even Jason Kidd.

When people think of Stephon Marbury, they think of a flashy guard who was extremely entertaining, but also inefficient and did not play winning basketball. Yet, he shot 43% from the field and 33% from three. Those are not the greatest numbers but compared to guys such as Iverson and Russell Westbrook (who everyone reveres as all-time greats) he right on par with them. Marbury was such an exhilarating player to watch, it is a shame that he will soon be completely forgotten, at least in the United States.

3. Baron Davis (1999-2012) CHA, NOH, GSW, LAC, CLE, NYK

Much like Marbury, Baron Davis was one of the most breath-taking players in the league. He would pull a three right in your eye, then the very next play go and dunk on your center. Yet, it is as if Davis never stepped foot in the league. He rightfully is not mentioned amongst the all-time greats, but there is no reason that he is not brought up in hoops discussions more often.

Davis was a swiss army knife at point guard, he was solid in every category. Three-point shooting, mid-range, attacking the rim, and he could even strap down on defense occasionally. Davis has two all-star appearances, made one all-NBA team, and led the league in steals twice in his career. The 2003-04 season was Davis' break out year, he established himself as one of the best point guards in the league, averaging 23 points and 7 assists while also leading the league in steals. Davis is one of the flashiest players and one of the best point guards to play in the NBA, but his perceived inefficiency and lack of team success nearly removes him from NBA history books.

4. Joe Dumars (1985-1999) DET

In the late 1980s, the Detroit 'Bad Boy' Pistons were the scariest team on the planet, winning two championships in 1989 & 1990. Players credited with major success were Isiah Thomas, Dennis Rodman, and Bill Laimbeer however one player that is often overlooked is Joe Dumars. He was a key piece in both of those championships, providing court spacing with his reliable three-point shooting along with elite perimeter defending. Dumars was also on the league's first combo guards, with the ability to be a playmaker for his teammate but also get a bucket anytime he wanted.

Joe Dumars is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, and also made six all-star appearances, five all-defensive teams, and managed to make 3 all-NBA teams. Joe’s ability to shoot the ball efficiently and defend the best perimeter player night-in and night-out made the Pistons one of the greatest teams ever. Playing with so many great players has led to Dumars being thought of as more of a complementary player. That is simply not true, without Dumars the Bad Boy Pistons would never have won an NBA title.

5. Monta Ellis (2005-2017) GSW, MIL, DAL, IND

Before Steph Curry and Klay Thompson took over the NBA, an elite-level scorer by the name of Monta Ellis led the Golden State Warriors, yet people forget just how was. Ellis manned the backcourt, first alongside Baron Davis, then Steph Curry during his time in Golden State. Monta is often discredited due to his lack of team success and his empty trophy room. The only award Monta has ever won is the Most Improved Player award in 2006-07 after going from 7 ppg to 17 ppg and establishing himself as one of the best young scorers in the game at the age of 21.

Ellis managed to average over 20 ppg for 4 seasons in his career, including his best season in 2009-10 when he averaged 25.5 along with 2.2 steals. It was this season, as well as the succeeding one, that led Monta Ellis to be remembered as one of the greatest all-star snubs ever.

This may have been due to his teams' terrible record during those two seasons. Despite not being able to lift his team to success, he was still a top-notch scorer and a great combo guard.

- Connor Phillipo