By Joe Kaiser

They are the guys that quietly go about their business while the superstars run up and down the floor and steal the limelight. They are the ones that do the dirty work, that contribute when it matters most, that step up when the game is on the line. They are the scrappers, the hustlers, the defensive stoppers, the dead-eye shooters. They are the league’s most underrated players. Here is a list of the NBA’s top 10 players who often fall under the radar:

10) Todd MacCulloch

The fourth-year center has one of the best pair of hands in the league. He makes up for his lack of athleticism with an uncanny ability to be at the right place at the right time under the basket. MacCulloch led the NCAA in shooting percentage for three seasons in a row, spanning from his sophomore year to his senior campaign at the University of Washington. Drafted in the second round by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1999, MacCulloch steadily improved his game over the course of two seasons under coach Larry Brown. He joined New Jersey last summer as a free agent and became the perfect complement to the team, averaging 9.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. His play led Jason Kidd to call him the best center he’d ever played with in all his years in the NBA. Traded back to Philly for Dikembe Mutombo in the offseason, Big Todd again will quietly go about his business in the land of the cheese steak.

9) Nazr Mohammed

Only 25 years old, this fifth-year center from Kentucky stepped up big last season when Atlanta’s starter Theo Ratliff missed all but four games due to injury. Mohammed, who came over from Philadelphia with Ratliff in the deal for Dikembe Mutombo during the 2001 season, played in all 82 games and was a monster on the boards in 2002. Though overplayed at times due to a lack of depth on the roster, Nazr went on to average 9.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest. When given a chance, the 6-10 big-man took care of business. Mohammed can handle the basketball well for a man his size, and plays steady defense whenever he’s in the game. The season is just starting, but already there is talk that Ratliff is still feeling pain in his surgically repaired hip. Don’t be surprised if Ratliff returns to the injured list, and if he does, don’t doubt what his backup is capable of.

8) Al Harrington

When the NBA season starts, this Indiana Pacers youngster will be just 22 years old. Not bad for someone who already has four years of NBA service under their belt. In fact, he’s a full 11 months younger than the team’s first-round pick this summer, Freddie Jones, who already is 23. In the time that Harrington has spent in the league thus far, he has taken advantage by improving his game considerably. At 6-9, he has tremendous height for the small forward that he is, and would start on most any team in the league. Pacers head coach Isaih Thomas likes using Harrington as the 6th man, a spark off the bench, but it won’t be long before this athlete forces the coach’s hand into inserting him in the starting five. Harrington played only 44 games in 2001-02 because of a season-ending ACL injury, but averaged 13.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and almost a steal per game in a reserve role. On a team full of young stars, this one may be the brightest.

7) Corey Maggette

One of the most explosive and athletic players in the league, Maggette still finds himself in a reserve role for the Los Angeles Clippers. He deserves to play at least 35 minutes per night with his defensive intensity and ability to slash to the rack on offense, but the abundance of capable players on the Clippers has kept him from getting considerable PT. In 2001-02, Maggette averaged only 25 minutes per game but still managed to pour in 11.4 points and grab 3.7 rebounds per night. An injury to starting small forward Lamar Odom will give the fourth-year player out of Duke an opportunity to begin the season as the team’s starter at the three. Don’t be surprised if Maggette’s hard work and hustle eventually replace Odom’s laziness and inconsistency on a more permanent basis.

6) Brent Barry

“Bones,” as they call him in Seattle, is not only a spark plug for the Sonics, he’s the best spot-up three-point shooter in all the NBA. When Barry has a chance to set his feet, he’s as close to automatic as they come; (see Dale Ellis). The 6-6 veteran shooting guard from Oregon State is the perfect piece to the Sonics’ puzzle for several reasons. For one, he’s about as versatile of a player as there is. He can bring the ball up the court to relieve Gary Payton of the duties, he can move up and play the three at times, and he can run the floor and dash to the bucket with the best of them. For two years now the Sonics have hoped that up-and-comer Desmond Mason would take command of the starting role at the two coming out of preseason, but thanks to Barry’s ability to make the team better when he’s on the court, it’s the 10-year vet who will retain the role when the season starts.

5) Malik Rose

When you hear about San Antonio, it’s often about the twin towers of Tim Duncan and David Robinson. It’s for good reason, both are legitimate Hall of Fame candidates. The person who all too often gets lost in the shuffle and overshadowed, though, is Rose, probably the last guy in the NBA who you’d want to pick a fight with. The seventh-year bulky veteran from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA is exactly the kind of player that every team needs. He’s the enforcer, the defensive stopper. Coupled with a solid offensive game around the basket, Rose is probably the league’s top sixth man on a yearly basis. In the 2001-02 season, he played in 21 minutes per game and averaged career-highs in points, with 9.4, and rebounds, with six. Rose is a very capable free throw shooter for a man his size, bettering 70 percent in each of the past three seasons. With David Robinson getting older by the second, look for Rose’s numbers to climb even more in 2002.

4) Bonzi Wells

He’s always mentioned in trade rumors. He’s the guy they could always deal to get better. But the fact is, few players in the NBA can score at will the way Portland’s Bonzi Wells can. Now in his fifth season out of little-known Ball State, Wells is well on his way to becoming one of the league’s elite players. His numbers have improved each season, but never were the advancements as drastic as a season ago. Bonzi’s averages jumped considerably. His points went from 12.7 to 17. His rebounds climbed from 4.9 to 6. His free throw percentage, from 66 to 74. Add to that an already impressive perimeter game – his career mark from behind the arc is 37 percent – and an ability to spread the ball – he averaged 2.8 assists in 2001-02 - and Bonzi has the complete game. He is the Paul Pierce of the west. It won’t be long before people start taking notice.

3) Ron Artest

Nobody in the NBA is a better defender than Artest. Other players like Gary Payton and Ben Wallace are commonly mentioned as the league’s best defenders, but neither work any harder or defend any better than Artest. In his fourth season out of Saint John’s, Artest came to Indiana in the trade last season that shipped Jalen Rose to the Chicago Bulls. While in Chicago, Artest developed into one of the fiercest competitors in the game. His suspect jumpshot has held him back from becoming an elite player, but nobody works harder than Artest, so it isn’t unlikely that he’ll straighten that out in the near future. A season ago, at the age of 21, he averaged 13.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. It’s hard to be any more well-rounded than that. Expect him to thrive in Indiana with a team full of athletic players who like to play D.

2) Robert Horry

Everyone knows about Robert Horry. It’d be hard not to by now. He is far and away the most clutch player in the NBA today. Forget Kobe. Forget Jordan. Forget Iverson. They say that ice water runs through the veins of a player like Horry, but for a man with five championship rings to his credit, he is cooler than ice. Teams with star players need contributors who know their role. Horry is just that. In Houston, he was the youngster who could penetrate the lane, shoot from the outside, and play defense while Hakeem took care of his business in the middle. In L.A., Horry is the spot up shooter who rarely gets the opportunity to shoot while Shaq and Kobe take care of that. But when the opportunity does arise, look out. A hand in his face, a tug at his jersey, none of it matters. This guy has tunnel vision. Though Horry carries with him a defense-first mentality, when his name is called to score rarely does he fail. He has the rings to prove it.

1) Cuttino Mobley

This guy will slice you, he will dice you, he will score on you whether you like it or not. While Stevie Franchise (Steve Francis) gets all the hype and attention in Houston, it’s his undersized counterpart who keeps filling it up without getting any substantial pub in the process. Few would know that Mobley, a fifth-year player from Rhode Island, actually averaged more points per game than Francis a season ago. Okay, so it’s only by one-tenth of a point, but Mobley’s mark of 21.7 is technically more than Francis’ 21.6. The left-handed Mobley doesn’t pretend to be a defensive threat. Nor does he pass the ball like most 6-4 players do. But at any moment, the guy can go off for 40 points much like another lefty, Nick Van Exel, used to do with regularity. Mobley rebounds fairly well, averaging 4.1 per game a season ago, steals at a high frequency, swiping 1.4 on average in 2001-02, and is among the league’s best both at the free throw line and from three point range. Now if only he could get some ink!

Joe Kaiser is an aspiring sports journalist from Seattle, WA. He can be reached at joe-kaiser@excite.com.