Like I mentioned previously, Rosen made the mistake of making some bold statements and not applying the necessary context needed to deliver his statements as good analysis. Without that context, we look at him like, “what is this old bat talking about?”

Let me fill in that context for you.

1. Chris Anderson: Why is he overrated? Because he gets a lot of unnecessary media attention thanks in large part to his tattoos, wacky hairstyle and self-promoting “Bird Man” antics. Is he good? No. He’s essentially Mikki Moore or Keith Closs with a whole lot of hype. There are numerous guys in the league who fill a Chris Anderson-type role. Do we see interviews with them? No. Are they in the press every day? No. Anderson was able to brand himself as this outlaw player. And the fans love it. Fine. But is he anything more than a big, warm body? No. This is Rosen’s point. And we should all agree because it’s the reality.

2. Gilbert Arenas: I’ve been saying it for years how Arenas is so incredibly inefficient as a basketball player. You and me can score 30 points if we take 30 shots. On top of that, he is a turnover machine. He has made a few big shots, but he’s mostly a choke artist. He’s Steve Francis all over again. He came in with hype, some personality, some excitement, and now, like Francis, he’s slowing withering out of the spotlight. Only his mouth keeps him semi-relevant. Rosen is right on Arenas.

3. Carlos Boozer: This one takes a little bit more understanding because it’s hard to call a big body, who can score, overrated. But the truth–and what Rosen means–is that Boozer isn’t worth the money and attention he is receiving. Rosen is saying Boozer is a bad investment. He does not play defense AT ALL. He is not a leader. He is hurt every other year. He screwed Cleveland over, and now he’s in the center of drama in Utah. The Jazz basically said, “we prefer Millsap.” So Rosen is saying, “this guy is worth $14 million a year? hell No… he’s not worth it… he’s not THAT good.” I also agree. Do any of us really see Boozer as someone who is going to lead his team to the Finals?

Chris Bosh: Pretty much the same argument as with Boozer. He’s going to be paid like he’s one of the top ten players in the league, and he’s not. Is he one of the ten most talented? Possibly. But again, is Bosh going to carry a team? No. Is he really going to be that sure-fire number one guy? It doesn’t look like it. He’s super, super, super soft. With his height and speed, he should be taking advantage down low, but instead he shoots these 16 to 18-foot jumpers. That’s what you’re going to pay your power forward $15 million per year to do? Play soft? Rosen isn’t saying he sucks. He’s just saying Bosh isn’t a franchise player. Do any of us think he is?

Marcus Camby: Ask a Denver Nuggets fan what he thinks about Camby. Yes, Camby has won some defensive awards, but that has come more so as a result of simply recording blocks. What I’m saying is, just because you average 3 blocks a game doesn’t mean you are a good defender (the fact he has appeared in only four all-defensive teams in 13 seasons proves this–although in fairness to Camby, he was often hurt). Camby has never been a difference-maker. I remember when the Knicks needed him in the playoffs, and he sat out with an injury he could have played with. He has always been a sissy. Can he fill a role? Sure. Is he useful? Sure. But Rosen isn’t talking about that. He’s saying this is a guy–the second overall pick in the 1996 draft–who never amounted to much but a role player who never won dirt. And he’s right.

Kevin Garnett: Great attitude. Team player. Good guy. Plays hard. Talented. Sure. We all love him. But the fact we love him has really protected him from receiving the scathing criticism he has deserved. We’re talking about the second highest paid player in NBA history. And the guy was always a loser until he got to the Celtics and won a title. But that’s not so much what makes him a loser. The fact he would always shrink when needed most makes him a loser. The fact he would defer to guys like Trenton Hassell in the closing seconds of games makes him a loser. He was in many ways, the cowardly lion. Now he won a ring in Boston and everyone wants to say, “oh, he didn’t have a supporting cast in Minnesota,” etc. I understand all that. But what Rosen is saying is Garnett was NOT good enough to elevate his teams, the same way guys like Shaq, Jordan, Kidd, Duncan, Hakeem, etc. did. Garnett was, by and large, a franchise role player, not a premier, carry a team on his back player. KG could not will his teams to victory. He’d go out and get his stats, and that’s where his contribution ended. It’s like Alex Rodriguez. He puts up the numbers so we call him the best in the game. But meanwhile, A-Rod never hits when it counts. That analogy/comparison pretty much summed up KG’s legacy up until he got a ring.

Al Harrington: He has skills but a ridiculously low basketball IQ. This is the guy who will launch a three when on a 3-on-1 fast break. He’s just dumb and careless with the basketball. He shoots a lot but is an average shooter. He is nowhere near as good as his 20 point per game scoring average last year suggests. Rosen is 100% right about Harrington. He’d be best-suited as a 6th or 7th man because he does nothing but try to score. You’ll see his $8 million per year salary drop after this season.

Stephen Jackson: Rosen is 100% right here. Jackson has thrived from the situation he has been in Oakland. Nellie gives those guys the green light to just go out and ball. Jackson will shoot the ball 20 times per game–often, with a hand in his face–and get his 20 points. But is that basketball? He’s basically Rip Hamilton minus the efficiency (that makes Rip great). Jackson averaged 4 turnovers per game last year. He’s another player who would be great as an energy scorer off the bench. Why do we talk about him as he’s one of the better off-guards in the league?

Brad Miller: He made $10 million last season. Yikes. He’s not terrible, but he doesn’t do what big man should do–rebound and defend. Rosen is right when he says Miller contributes mostly because he’s the afterthought on the court. Next year he’ll probably be switching teams for the sixth time in 12 years. Rosen is saying he’s not worth the attention. I agree.

Chris Paul: Like I mentioned before, this is the one guy I thought Rosen was particularly unfair about. Paul has his flaws but he’s also young and developing. Could he, if surrounded with better talent, lead his team to the Finals? I think so. But we haven’t seen that yet. I think Rosen’s beef with Paul is that the hype is premature. Also, the way the Hornets self-destructed last year down the stretch really says something really negative about Paul’s leadership. I mean, that team just gave up. Where’s the fire? The great point guards would have never let the ship go down like that. And if they did, they’d take the blame. Paul kind of looked around like the blame should have been put on someone else (maybe Byron Scott). But he’s young. He’s only 24. So maybe Rosen is expecting too much too soon? I don’t know. But what I think Rosen means is that if Paul is going to have his name mentioned with Kobe, Wade, LeBron, Howard, Duncan, etc.–as one of the best players–then he needs to play at the level those guys play at. I don’t think he does. The stats mean little… Stephon Marbury had career averages of 20 and 9 not that long ago. Does that make him good? Does that make him a Hall of Famer? No. You have to watch the guy play. I like Paul. Whether or not he’s overrated depends on how good you think he is and how much you expect from him. Rosen obviously thinks Paul gets too much credit. For me, I think the credit is warranted, but premature.

Since EVERY champion has a point guard leading the team, we only need to establish what defines ‘pipsqueek-sized’ to show how stupid this remark actually is…

Any guard under 6-2 190 is considered ’small’ for the NBA. Heck, solid boulders like Ray Felton, 6-1 198 are considered small by most NBA analysts and writers.

Okay, here’s the list I came up with.

Hall of Famer Bob Cousy was listed as 6-1 170… he was the league MVP in 57 and won what, NINE rings with the Boston Celtics?

KC Jones, also in the HoF was 6-0 200 and won 6 or 7 rings of his own.

Hal Greer, 6-2 175, also in the HoF, and also holding a ring for the 76ers.

Jerry West was only 6-2, Gail Goodrish 6-1, both Hall of Famers, and won a title together starting for the Lakers.

HoF Tiny Archibald had the name “tiny’ for a reason. He was 150 lbs and all of 6-0 nuthin. Think he got a ring playing for the Celtics? he did.

HoF Isiah Thomas was generously listed as 6-1 180. Two rings for the Bad Boys.

Avery Johnson, 5-10 175, Spurs

Jason Williams 6-0 170, Heat

Tony Parker 6-2 180 Spurs x 4

Rajon Rondo 6-1 170, Celtics

Chris Paul is the BEST small point guard since Isiah Thomas, and when he retires, he will be the best point guard no named Magic Johnson. His numbers already dwarf every point guard NOT named Magic Johnson.. In 4 seasons he sits 3rd on the assist per games, ranking ahead of Jason Kidd, Isiah Thomas, Oscar Robertson and Kevin Johnson. Paul has already cracked the top 200 in career assists (170th career, 24th active), and sits 800 just back of a top 100 spot, which he will eclipse by the end of just his FIFTH season. his 2.4 steals per game would rank him 3rd on the all-time list, ahead of Michael, Mookie and AI.

Paul has also accomplished something that only Oscar, Magic and Isiah accomplished… that is, averaging over 22ppg and 11ast a game.

To suggest he may never win a title with New Orleans is one thing, (clearly more a by-product of playing in a small market in an era of Kobe, SHaq and Tim Duncan in your division) but to suggest he is over-rated when his statistical accomplishments clearly suggest otherwise, just shows these haters just have nothing better to do with their time than try to generate traffic so they dont lose their job for being BORING-@#$ writers.

At first I thought this list was comprised of “paid too much with no rings to show” but then Allen Iverson would top the list, while guys like KG would most undoubtedly get mentioned, but saved for the title he most recently won. Obviously that is NOT the case here when KG and Stephen Jackson make the list.

I had to laugh when he started the list with Chris Andersen… ??? How is a bench reserve making 3mil a season considered OVER-rated? LOL!!

Arenas… for sure. 25ppg on .500 teams is over-rated. Baron Davis can join him.

Marcus Camby, 3-time defensive player of the year making 7mil a season on a division winner? LOL that is a bargain and a half!

Chris Bosh, one of 3 players capable of 22pts 10reb every season? Ludicrous.

Lol, KG is over-rated because he has 3 bad games out of SEVEN for an NBA title??? BWAHAHAHA! The guy was guarding Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, premier players in this league, and managed 20-10-3 for the month. LOL

Rosen was never on my radar, but working for Fox, has just demonstrated that his network is the most OVER-RATED spots overage in the business.

Boozer F/C Camby C/F Brad Miller C
KG PF C Anderson C/F
S.Jackson SF/SG Bosh PF
Arenas SG Harrington SF
Paul PG (insert PG) (insert scrub)

Trade a big for a couple of back up PG’s and you are set.(in a world with no cap that is)

2. Kevin Durant , Chris Bosh , Carlos Boozer , and Ron artest are also defenittly not over rated every single 1 of these players are stars in there own right , kevin durant being the one with the brightest future averaging somewhere around 25 ppg in his 2nd year in the nba.

3. Marcus Camby Al harrington Stephen Jackson Brad Miller cannot even be considered over rated because since when has anybody ever considered these players superstars? .. there not, there all really good role players who could help any contending team.

4.Gilbert Areanas could possibly be the only one named out of this entire blog that could be overrated , although i hope one day he wins because hes a tremendous talent and i am not a hater , it seems he hurts his teams more than he helps , only time will tell.

5. If anybody ever said kevin Garnett was over rated .. thats just a joke because hes been argueably the best power foward year in and year out . and was never really paired with stars untill as of late .

andddd 6. like somebody said up top .. there are more deserving players of the title overated! players that are good but have NEVER amounted too anything such as eddy curry , zach randoplh jamal tinsley and unfortunatley baron davis and allan iverson!=[ .. people shouldnt critisize players that were named on this list by rosen because they werent paired off with other stars .. because if they were they would acccomplish big things too!

CP3 – He has the best nuumbers of any point guard in the history of the game. Who can win with Peja along with a old and injured roster? Chris has the ball 90% of the game making plays for his teammates, you can’t expect him to go all out on defense.

re: CP3’s height — I covered two Hornets games last season, and had an opportunity to speak with Paul after both contests. I’m 5-11. He’s at least an inch taller than me.