These athletes are inflated and deflated

By McClatchey-Tribune

LOS ANGELES — It’s not so much who’s best or worst, but who doesn’t match the hype and who deserves some

The MVPs obviously stand out each season, and so do the All-Stars and the Pro Bowlers, and those with max contracts and seven-figure sneaker deals. While some of their teammates, those who never get off the bench, or play only on the third line or on the return teams, or those who are the players-to-be-named in deals, hardly matter.

And, yes, there are the one-night-only “stars,” who make the late-night video highlights, or whose brief exploits go viral on YouTube.

But the real heavy lifting, game in and game out, in professional sports is done by the more unheralded ones in the lineup every day. Those who help push the runs across, or make a key play that doesn’t turn up on the stat sheets, but are the athletic equivalent of a glue that helps hold teams together.

The Los Angeles Times’ columnists were asked to scour the rosters of their sports, football, basketball, baseball and hockey — 3,600 players in all — to uncover the talents who are overlooked, and those whose reputations far exceed their current skills.

Consider this a stocking stuffer of a sports list: Forty names in all, the five most overrated and five most underrated in each major sport (listed alphabetically). — Barry Stavro

Overrated

Jay Cutler; QB; Chicago Bears: Cutler hasn’t been bad, but he isn’t the second coming of Sid Luckman, as the Bears hoped he would be when they traded for him in 2009. When Cutler was injured this season, Josh McCown stepped in and didn’t miss a beat. So with Cutler’s contract expiring this season, the cash-strapped Bears are facing a big decision over whether to keep him.

Steven Jackson; RB; Atlanta Falcons: Jackson, who holds the St. Louis Rams’ franchise record for rushing yards, was supposed to be the missing piece for the Falcons, who were 13-3 and the NFC’s top seed in 2012. Instead, Jackson has simply gone missing. In fairness, he has been bothered by hamstring and toe injuries, but even when relatively healthy he hasn’t been the same player who rushed for more than 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons.

Trent Richardson; RB; Indianapolis Colts: Looking to establish a power running game, the Colts made a startling mid-September trade for Richardson — the third overall pick by Cleveland in 2012 — sending the Browns a 2014 first-round pick. By November, the Colts had benched Richardson for Donald Brown.

Matthew Stafford; QB; Detroit Lions: There’s no question Stafford can throw the ball. Picked first overall in 2009, he had the most prolific first 50 games in NFL history and has put up gaudy yardage totals the last three seasons. However, in Stafford’s five seasons, the star-studded Lions are 0-1 in the playoffs.

Mike Wallace; WR; Miami Dolphins: Wallace, among the most coveted free agents, signed a five-year, $60-million deal with Miami. He sleepwalked through the first two-thirds of the season and only recently has come alive.

Underrated

Vontaze Burfict; LB; Cincinnati Bengals: The once highly touted Burfict was a bust (with a lousy attitude) at the 2012 scouting combine and went undrafted. He had to plead for a chance in the NFL, and Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis finally gave him an opportunity. He leads the league with 157 tackles and the Bengals are playoff-bound.

Josh Gordon; WR; Cleveland Browns: Gordon is a budding superstar, and he is putting up huge numbers despite Cleveland’s constantly revolving door of quarterbacks. The Colts should have traded for him, not Richardson.

Robert Quinn; DE; St. Louis Rams: Quinn isn’t quite a household name, unless is it is a household of Rams fans, but he’s one of the best defensive players in the league. He’s an ultra-athletic pass rusher who has a chance to be the premier player at his position as his game continues to grow.

Alterraun Verner; CB; Tennessee Titans: The Titans wanted to play more aggressive press coverage this season, and considered demoting the 5-10, 186-pound Verner to third corner. Verner, a 2010 fourth-rounder from UCLA, stepped up in a big way and had an AFC-leading five interceptions through 12 games.

Danny Woodhead; RB; San Diego Chargers: The diminutive Woodhead, generously listed at 5-8, has carved out a spectacular career considering he was neither drafted nor invited to the scouting combine. Previously a reliable target for Tom Brady, he’s now a go-to guy for Philip Rivers.

— Sam Farmer

Overrated

Patrick Marleau; C; San Jose Sharks: His production with the Sharks is inarguable, but after so many years of so many talented teams falling short of the Stanley Cup finals, his leadership must be questioned.

Alexander Ovechkin; RW; Washington Capitals: He’s a great player individually, sure. But what have his Capitals won? Great players put teams on their backs. He hasn’t.

Dion Phaneuf; D; Toronto Maple Leafs: He was the players’ choice as the league’s most overrated player in 2012, and they ought to know. The burly defenseman faces intense media scrutiny as the Maple Leafs’ captain.

Brad Richards; C; New York Rangers: The Rangers passed on a chance to buy out Richards’ contract last summer. He’s having a decent season, but they might regret that they didn’t go through with the buyout. He’s just not worth the nine-year, $60-million deal they gave him.

P.K. Subban; D; Montreal Canadiens: Subban won the Norris trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman last season on the basis of his scoring, not his defensive play. Maybe there should be a separate trophy for highest-scoring defenseman because he isn’t an all-around impact player at both ends of the ice.

Underrated

Josh Harding; G; Minnesota Wild: Harding has ranked among the NHL leaders in goals-against average, save percentage and wins this season despite battling multiple sclerosis. The word “inspirational” is thrown around too easily, but he truly qualifies.

Anze Kopitar; C; Kings: Those who see Kopitar on a regular basis know how accomplished he is as a two-way player, but folks back East don’t see him enough to realize the extent of his skill. He should win the Selke trophy as the NHL’s best defensive forward.

Chris Kunitz; LW; Pittsburgh Penguins: Kunitz is overshadowed by his usual center — some guy named Sidney Crosby — but he’s steady, reliable and prolific. He already has his fourth straight 20-plus-goal season and is among the NHL’s top 10 scorers.

Brent Seabrook; D; Chicago Blackhawks: Seabrook often gets lost among the standouts on the Blackhawks — and is overshadowed by Duncan Keith — but he’s the kind of core defenseman every team needs and that successful teams must have.

Keith Yandle; D; Phoenix Coyotes: Yandle toils in relative obscurity but should open some eyes if he makes the U.S. Olympic team for the Sochi Games, as he deserves. The 27-year-old is a foundation player who handles tough minutes with ease.

— Helene Elliott

Overrated

Carmelo Anthony; F; New York Knicks: The points aren’t the point. Being a prolific scorer hasn’t helped Anthony win big since his days at Syracuse, and he certainly isn’t on the brink of anything special this season. The Knicks’ shocking downward spiral increases the likelihood he will sign elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent this summer. Odds are he won’t win a title at his next destination either.

Kevin Garnett; F; Brooklyn Nets: It may seem strange to consider a future Hall of Famer overrated, but that’s exactly what Garnett has been as part of the most expensive flop in NBA history. He’s averaging single digits in points for the first time in his career while making less than 40 percent of his shots. The typically mouthy Garnett is even losing the trash-talk battle, recently being sassed by New York’s Andrea Bargnani after Bargnani made a jumper in Garnett’s face.

Rudy Gay; F; Sacramento Kings: The high-volume, low-percentage shooter keeps getting traded because he just isn’t worth all the fuss, not to mention the $17.9 million he’s making this season. It doesn’t take an analytics whiz to realize that someone who shoots indiscriminately while making only about 40 percent of his attempts doesn’t hold much value. At least he’s smart enough to ban stat sheets from the locker room.

Kendrick Perkins; C; Oklahoma City Thunder: The only double-doubles Perkins is posting these days are games in which he gets two points and two rebounds. It’s hard to fathom why the Thunder didn’t use the amnesty provision on its biggest underachiever, saving the roughly $19 million he’s owed over the final two seasons of his contract. Coach Scott Brooks has smartly reduced Perkins’ playing time; could removal from the starting lineup be next?

Josh Smith; F; Detroit Pistons: Here’s guessing that the small forward who seems to gripe every year about being left off the All-Star team won’t have much to say when rosters are finalized this season. Smith has hardly lived up to the $54-milllion contract he signed with the Pistons, averaging fewer points than he has since his second NBA season. He’s also 0-2 against Atlanta, the team that must be feeling better every day about parting ways with its native son.

Underrated

Chris Andersen; F; Miami Heat: The Illustrated Man brings a lot more to the Heat than a body covered with tattoos. His hustle, rebounding and occasional scoring have energized a frontcourt that was woefully thin in those departments beyond starting center Chris Bosh. Perhaps never before has a player with such meager stats meant as much to a team vying for a third consecutive championship.

Wesley Matthews; G; Portland Trail Blazers: Most NBA fans know about the Trail Blazers’ All-Star (LaMarcus Aldridge), second-year sensation (Damian Lillard) and versatile small forward (Nicolas Batum), but Matthews’ name hardly resonates outside the Pacific Northwest. He is the shooting guard who went undrafted out of Marquette in 2009 only to become a shooting star in his fifth pro season. Matthews is Portland’s best three-point shooter and is the third-leading scorer on the league’s biggest surprise.

Jodie Meeks; G; Lakers: Long pigeonholed as a three-point specialist, Meeks has spread his wings as someone who contributes in a variety of ways. He’s obliterating his previous career highs in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage while also showing the ability to defend. The Lakers wouldn’t have endured Kobe Bryant’s early-season absence nearly as well without their scrappy shooting guard.

Chandler Parsons; F; Houston Rockets: He can shoot, rebound, defend, pass, handle the ball … wait, how was this guy a second-round draft pick again? Parsons is the Instant Krazy Glue that is holding the Rockets together upon their reentry into the orbit of the Western Conference’s elite. He can play both forward positions and provides a stabilizing presence that counterbalances the outsized personalities of Dwight Howard and James Harden.

Nikola Vucevic; C; Orlando Magic: Almost an afterthought in the Howard trade, Vucevic has moved to the forefront when it comes to the top young big men in the league. Sadly, the former USC star is generating little All-Star buzz despite averaging a double-double in points and rebounds, largely because he’s stuck on one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Vucevic continues to fight on, posting monster games such as his 30-point, 21-rebound effort against the Clippers.

— Ben Bolch

Overrated

Robinson Cano; 2B; Seattle Mariners: Cano was not the most popular player on his old team, and his new team signed him to sell tickets, prop up the television ratings and lead a baseball revival in Seattle. He’ll probably go 0 for 3, and he’ll wear the “$24- million man” label for the rest of his career. Great player, though.

Jim Johnson; P; Oakland Athletics: Johnson is the first closer since Eric Gagne to post consecutive 50-save seasons, but he is far from an elite closer. He lost eight games and blew nine saves, with more hits than innings pitched. The Baltimore Orioles just traded him in a salary dump. Can’t see the Atlanta Braves doing that with Craig Kimbrel.

Miguel Montero; C; Arizona Diamondbacks: Montero was in the news a lot last season — but, unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, more often for what he said than for what he did. He was the highest-paid catcher in the NL West but the least productive, based on WAR (wins above replacement).

Jose Reyes; SS; Toronto Blue Jays: His career started in a blaze of New York hype, but he never really developed into that perennial star shortstop. Reyes’ standout year — by far — was his contract year, and he is the face of spending follies by the Miami Marlins and Blue Jays.

Mark Teixeira; 1B; New York Yankees: Father Time and Mother Injury have caught up to Teixeira, who has become a shadow of the dominant player who finished 2008 with the Angels, then signed for $180 million with the Yankees. His OPS has declined for five consecutive seasons.

Underrated

Brandon Belt; 1B/OF; San Francisco Giants: NL MVP runner-up Paul Goldschmidt led all NL West first basemen in OPS. Who ranked second? Adrian Gonzalez? Todd Helton? Nope. It was Belt, who could turn into more of a left fielder for the Giants as Buster Posey turns into more of a first baseman.

Adrian Beltre; 3B; Texas Rangers: He gets lost beneath the A-Rod circus, the Miguel Cabrera hit show, the Manny Machado phenom alerts and the New York hype over David Wright, but Beltre is baseball’s best all-around third baseman. Arte Moreno’s biggest mistake might be stopping one year short of the contract necessary to get Beltre to Anaheim, where he wanted to play.

A.J. Ellis; C; Dodgers: Who else can call shutouts for Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw, throw out more runners than all-world catcher Yadier Molina, and write cogent columns of World Series analysis on a tight newspaper deadline?

Jordan Zimmermann; P; Washington Nationals: He is not the most famous pitcher on his team; that would be Stephen Strasburg. He is not even the most famous Zimmerman on his team; that would be third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, with one N. But, in a starting rotation with Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann is tops.

Ben Zobrist; 2B; Tampa Bay Rays: He is the epitome of the versatile player — plug him in anywhere and watch your team go. He has started games at every position but pitcher and catcher in his past five years with the Rays — and he has had a 20-homer season as a second baseman and as a right fielder. Bonus points for “Zorilla” nickname.

— Bill Shaikin

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©2013 Los Angeles Times

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