UConn Star Liam McNeely Turns Heads with Pick for NBA's Most Underrated Player
In a recent House of Highlights video, former UConn Huskies standout Liam McNeeley joined fellow NBA draft hopefuls to debate the league’s most underrated players. While many went with expected names, McNeeley’s pick stood out: Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon.
Who’s the most underrated player in the NBA? 👀😅 pic.twitter.com/kUmg2xfUtk
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) May 13, 2025
McNeeley acknowledged that “recency bias” may be a factor in his choice, but he made a compelling case nonetheless. With Nikola Jokić earning MVP acclaim and Jamal Murray rebounding from a rough 2024 postseason, Gordon’s impact is often overlooked. Yet, his clutch performances in this year’s playoffs are impossible to ignore.
In Game 4 of the first round, Gordon delivered the first game-winning dunk in NBA postseason history, helping the Nuggets tie the series after a demoralizing 34-point loss in Game 3.
Against the Thunder, he drained a game-winning three with 2.8 seconds left in Game 1, joining elite company like Robert Horry and LeBron James as one of the few players since 1998 to hit multiple game-winners in a single playoff run.
Then came Game 3, where Gordon sank another clutch corner three to tie the game with under 30 seconds left, helping Denver force overtime and ultimately secure a statement win.
Since arriving via trade in 2021, Gordon has quietly become the glue of a championship-caliber roster. He's never the loudest, but always essential. That kind of impact isn’t lost on McNeeley, who sees more than just highlights.
As McNeeley looks ahead to his own NBA journey, it’s fitting that he would admire a player like Gordon, someone whose greatness often hides in plain sight. If McNeeley can carve out a similarly underrated yet vital role on a title contender, he may end up being the kind of player prospects name as their inspiration.
Evan Dammarell is a credentialed, award-winning sports journalist who has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and the NBA for nearly a decade right off the shores of Lake Erie. His work has appeared on Forbes, ClutchPoints, SBNation, FanSided, Heavy, The Locked On Podcast Network, and Right Down Euclid, among others. Evan is committed to his vision to go beyond the scores and so much more so that every fan can always keep up with what’s going on with their favorite teams on and off the court.