Sports 4 Dorks

On Saturday, With Malice hosted the NBA’s ‘Unsung Player Day’ — a day for bloggers to recognize the players who toil and work hard, for little to no recognition. The response was great. Here’s a small sample of the underrated guys who got shown some love:

Leon Powe: "[Powe] pretty much defines the term "undersized power forward" but he’s never backed down from any matchup. The Celtics drafted the more recognizable Big Baby Davis, but Leon hasn’t given up his spot in the rotation. Much like KG, he never takes a play off and he plays tough team defense. Powe even scores more points per game (7.2) than James Posey and Tony Allen. […] He’s one of those guys that nobody thinks about until they have to play him in the playoffs and then they wonder how they let this guy be the difference in the game." — CelticsBlog

Jason Collins: "When Collins came over in exchange for Stromile Swift, many people questioned why a team would trade an athletic F/C capable of crowd-pleasing dunks and blocks for a far less mobile big man who gets confused with his equally non-descript twin brother constantly. Well, Collins showed his value to me within his first few games in Memphis when he began to do something that the Grizzlies hadn’t seen in quite some time. Quite simply, he told opponents: ‘No easy buckets.’" — 3 Shades of Blue

Steve Novak: "Like an old man easing into a warm bath, Novak is getting a better awareness of how to play the game. His value, at this point, comes mainly because he stretches out the floor. The Rockets’ offense is predicated on lots of half-court sets with their big men setting up the offense at the elbow or high post. Novak and his deadly three-point shot catches just enough attention when he fades into the corner." — Feet in the Paint

Paul Millsap: "Yet to miss a game for the Jazz, Millsap is more reliable than the delivery of the newspaper, mail, death, or taxes. Millsap could start for many teams in the NBA, yet Millsap must shift between small forward, power forward, and center to play behind a talented Jazz frontcourt. […] His consistent, physical play as a key role player for a championship contender earns him some much deserved credit." — Daily Basketball

Be sure to check out all of the unsung players picked over at With Malice, and let’s hear your selections (with reasons why) in the comments below. (My pick: non-NBA’er Julius Hodge. It’ll make sense soon enough.)