The term underrated is practically stamped all across sports and it can mean something different to really everyone. For a player to be considered truly underrated, he has to check off two things. He has to be largely unknown to casual sports fans who don’t live and die in the basketball world and his skills have to be generally under-appreciated by the informed. Here are five players that fit into those categories heading into the season.

Courtney Lee: New York Knicks

Knicks have a lot of question marks going into this season like can Melo stay healthy along with Derrick Rose and Joacim Noah? Courtney Lee can get to the rim, fits into any system, and more importantly knows his role. He’s good to play off the bench or as a starter. No one talks about him but Lee deserves better recognition for what he brings to the table on any given team.

E’twaun Moore: New Orleans Pelicans

Moore is just like Courtney Lee by how he knows his role on the basketball court. He proved last year in Chicago that he can shoot from beyond the arc and can play defense on the other end. He has hit over 40% from deep for the first time in his career and is averaging 1.5 steals. He’s a good defender who can shoot, slash, and make plays. He’s going to surprise people with his impact for the Pelicans this coming season.

Gordan Hayward: Utah Jazz

Now you are probably wondering how is one of the best players on Utah underrated? To this day I don’t know how Hayward doesn’t get more credit. Hayward never gets mentioned among the top small forwards in the league. He is a great defender, playmaker, and an efficient scorer for Utah all the time. Hayward is a free agent next summer and he needs to be at the top of everyone’s list. He can’t be the best player on a championship team but he can absolutely be the second best player.

Garry Harris: Denver Nuggets

Harris has learned to attack shooters on the catch instead of trying to contest the actual shot. He has found multiple ways to help on the defensive end of the floor. In his years at Denver he has added something new to his offensive game with every game he plays. He has also shot 35% from deep and despite only being 6’3 everything else about his game forecasts a promising season for Garry.

Patrick Patterson: Toronto Raptors

The way Patrick plays the big man position is very valuable. Patterson’s value is pretty high in the modern NBA. He is a very reliable stretch four who can hit from the outside and is athletic enough to contain perimeter players. He didn’t rebound great last year but it is still a strength of his. He helps spread the floor and can crash the offensive glass. He continues to be a great key guy for the Raptors and looks to be the same guy this coming season.