Los Angeles Lakers: JaVale McGee among 4 most undervalued centers in NBA

Los Angeles Lakers center JaVale McGee is among the most undervalued big men in the NBA. These three other centers join him in that distinction.

The NBA is filled with a lot of terrific big men nowadays, and the Los Angeles Lakers have one in Anthony Davis. Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets are also the cream of the crop. While those are the big names, there are few overlooked guys like JaVale McGee.

McGee will never be mistaken for a star center. The big man had a few inconsistent seasons, a few years filled with “Shaqtin a fool” moments. For years McGee made some bonehead plays on the court like turning the ball over while trying to play point guard or missing easy baskets inside.

This past season, McGee had arguably his strongest of his career. In his first year in LA, the center averaged 12 points, 7.5 rebounds, and two blocks in 22.3 minutes. It was the first time since 2012 that he averaged in double figures in points scored. To be fair it was McGee’s biggest opportunity since. Over the previous four seasons, he didn’t average more than 15 minutes.

This season he was more consistent than ever and was a reliable rim protector on defense. McGee ranked sixth in the league in blocks despite playing much less than the guys ahead of him. He also shot the ball incredibly well (62%) from the field. Yes, all of his baskets are usually layups or dunks, but it’s still impressive.

This season McGee will have a lot of help down low with the additions of Davis and Dwight Howard. There’s a realistic chance that McGee still starts like he did last season.

One can expect JaVale McGee to have a similar role to last year. Look for him average around 10 points and 8 rebounds in 20 minutes. At his price tag, he is quite the bargain.

Like McGee, the other players on this list are undervalued.