The players who voted Alperen Şengün as the NBA's most overrated player are wrong

Players can be haters too. Alperen Şengün was just voted the most overrated player in The Athletic's annual poll. Tyrese Haliburton got the most votes last year, and we saw how that narrative got flipped on its head — he immediately led the Pacers to the NBA Finals.

Şengün won't have the opportunity to lead his squad on an improbable Finals run as the Luka Dončić-less Los Angeles Lakers tamed the Houston Rockets, but Şengün should be motivated by these results headed into next season.

Players' opinions on the game hold weight, but it's not the end-all be-all. Former players have cold takes on national television daily. They are experts playing the game, but some of the names on this year's overrated list are just silly — who rates Rudy Gobert higher than he should be?

It doesn't matter who the players vote overrated

Şengün was an All-Star replacement for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this season. You're telling me he's the most overrated player in the league when neither coaches, fans, nor players initially voted him into the All-Star Game? Who is overrating him?

When has Şengün been referred to as the best big in the league? Maybe players have a gripe with Şengün being compared to Nikola Jokić, but this year ended those talks for now.

Şengün got the "Baby Jokić" title due to his passing vision and filthy post moves. But he regressed as a paint finisher, and his defensive woes were on full display because these Rockets had championship hopes. An anonymous player hinted at Şengün's whiny demeanor playing into his overrated ranking.

I'd push back and claim stars that don't whine to refs are more noticeable than those who do. Now does Şengün complain while not getting back on defense? Yes. But you would still need to be highly rated by the masses to be overrated. Who is putting Şengün in elite conversations? His own teammate definitely isn't putting him there (allegedly).

The same logic applies to Gobert, who was voted second-most overrated. Only 10 players voted for Şengün, while eight named Gobert most overrated.

It's a shame this teeny tiny section of anonymous NBA players gets to dictate the narrative on these good-to-great players. I wish guys would stand on it and put their names on record while dissing valuable players.

If anything, Rudy Gobert is underrated

Gobert had another locked and chained defensive year and was not a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.

Rightfully so. Victor Wembanyama won the award in September. Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson, who finished second and third, led historic defenses. They should have finished above Gobert. So again, who is rating Gobert so highly? He has four rightful DPOYs but has not won since 2024. Those past achievements shouldn't keep him in overrated water.

NBA Twitter also got on Gobert for that breakout Terance Mann performance in 2021 and Dončić's famous step back to send Dallas to the 2024 Finals. Dončić torches even the best perimeter defenders, and the Mann thing was a product of Gobert guarding the whole Clippers team. Luckily for Gobert, what he's done for us lately is outweighing his past shortcomings.

The narrative on Gobert is finally shifting (on the internet at least) after his masterclass performance in the first round. We have never seen Jokić so flustered and inefficient in the offs. Maybe he wasn't fully healthy, but Gobert played the biggest part in Jokić looking like that. Gobert's mobility at that size is nuts, and he's the most disciplined rim protector of this era.

Gobert could anchor the Minnesota Timberwolves to their third straight Western Conference appearance. If Gobert were regularly called one of the best players ever, I would get the pushback. He is limited as an offensive creator who does not take advantage of his size and has suspect hands at times.

But he is a Mount Rushmore-type defender, and everything backs that. Eyes, data, and results. Even the claim that he is food as a perimeter defender is nonsense.

Some all-time great players still didn't want to give it up to him when he clearly outperformed Jokić. Sure, Shaq is a generational hater, but his words impact the everyday fan who pushes the Gobert is overrated narrative. How can this be the narrative around your name, and you remain overrated? You have to be highly rated by most to be overrated.

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