Playoff Rondo.

Rajon Rondo loved it best when the lights were at their brightest.

The Boston Celtics acquired him in a 2006 draft-day trade from Phoenix, and he was a Second Team All-Rookie. Rondo won the starting job as a sophomore, and the Celtics loaded him with talent with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joining him and Paul Pierce. Boston won the championship that year, but although many credited the "Big Three", Rondo was at times their best player in the playoffs.

Rondo improved his defense and earned a Second Team All-Defensive slot after his 2008 playoff success. Afterwards, he went to four straight All-Star Games and was in the conversation as one of the top point guards in the league. Rondo won the steals title in 2009-10, coinciding with a First Team All-Defensive nod, which was the first of two. He then became a better distributor, winning back-to-back assists titles (2011-12 & 2012-13), and was an All-NBA Third Team Selection in 2011-12. Notably, Rondo also finished 10th and 8th for the MVP in those seasons and was the face of the franchise. Everything was going well for Rondo until he tore his ACL in January of 2013, and nothing was the same again.

Rondo returned a year later, but his traditional and advanced statistics were a little lower. Boston was struggling, and in December of 2014, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks to help them in their playoff run. Bluntly, Rondo did not help Dallas, and he was benched in the playoffs. Dallas did not want him, and Rondo's journeyman phase began.

He signed with Sacramento and won his third and final assists title (2015-16). Coincidentally, this was also his last season averaging more than 10 points per game. He played for Chicago, then New Orleans, then signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was now coming off the bench. Rondo could still light it up, but it was becoming less frequent. He helped them win the 2020 NBA Championship, and this was his last great moment in the sport. Rondo played two more years, playing for Atlanta, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers again, and Cleveland.

As good as Rondo was at his peak, his off-court issues could push him on the wrong side of the fence.

The 21st century has been a golden era for science fiction, with blockbuster hits like "Avatar" and "Inception" dominating the box office and capturing the public's imagination. However, beyond these well-known successes lies a treasure trove of underrated sci-fi gems that have significantly contributed to the genre with their innovative ideas, storytelling, and visionary outlook.

These films, despite their quality and creativity, may not have received the attention they deserved. However, most of the honourable mentions below have created a cult following. They can be compared to Live Blackjack Gaming Canada in terms of coolness and engagement, and deserve to be reviewed again. Here are the top ten underrated science fiction movies of the modern era.

1. Moon (2009)

• Synopsis: Summary: Sam Bell's job with Lunar Industries, which involves mining Earth's main energy source on the dark side of the moon, is almost over. Isolation begins to take its toll, revealing that the life he's living might not be his own.
• Why It's Underrated: Despite critical acclaim, "Moon" flew under the radar for many moviegoers. Its introspective take on solitude and identity, combined with Sam Rockwell's compelling performance, makes it a standout.

2. Coherence (2013)

• Synopsis: During a comet passing, a group of friends at a dinner party experience strange occurrences, leading to a mind-bending exploration of reality.
• Why It's Underrated: "Coherence" is a masterclass in low-budget filmmaking, using a simple premise to explore complex themes of quantum physics and parallel universes. Its narrative inventiveness is a rare find.

3. Primer (2004)

• Synopsis: Two engineers accidentally discover time travel. As they begin to experiment, they find that their actions have unforeseeable consequences.
• Why It's Underrated: Renowned for its technical accuracy and intricate plot, "Primer" is a film that rewards viewers with each watch, yet its complexity may have deterred a wider audience.

4. The Man from Earth (2007)

• Synopsis: Professor John Oldman's surprise goodbye party turns into a strange questioning when he tells his coworkers that he has a longer and stranger past than they can think.
• Why It's Underrated: This dialogue-driven film explores profound philosophical and existential questions, relying on ideas rather than effects—a rare approach that may have limited its mass appeal but enchanted those who discovered it.

5. Predestination (2014)

• Synopsis: A time-travelling agent embarks on a complex series of missions culminating in his final assignment: to stop the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time.
• Why It's Underrated: "Predestination" twists traditional time-travel paradoxes into an intricate narrative, boasting stunning performances, especially by Sarah Snook, yet it remains relatively unnoticed by mainstream audiences.

6. Upstream Color (2013)

• Synopsis: A man and a woman are pulled together by the life cycle of an organism that doesn't age. As they try to put together the broken pieces of their lives, their identities start to fade.
• Why It's Underrated: Shane Carruth’s follow-up to "Primer," "Upstream Color," is a visually stunning, deeply philosophical film that challenges its audience, perhaps too much for those accustomed to conventional narratives.

7. Annihilation (2018)

• Synopsis: A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply.
• Why It's Underrated: Despite critical acclaim, "Annihilation" struggled at the box office, possibly due to its challenging subject matter and visual abstraction. Its exploration of self-destruction and transformation is profoundly moving.

8. Under the Skin (2013)

• Synopsis: An alien in human form is on a journey through Scotland. The more she engages with humanity, the more her own world becomes distant.
• Why It's Underrated: Scarlett Johansson's performance is mesmerizing, and the film’s haunting, ethereal quality explores themes of humanity and alienation in ways that are both unique and deeply unsettling.

9. Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)

• Synopsis: Held captive in a specialized medical facility, a young woman with unique abilities seeks a chance to escape her obsessed captor.
• Why It's Underrated: This film’s hypnotic visuals and atmospheric storytelling create a unique sci-fi experience that defies easy categorization, contributing to its status as a cult classic rather than a mainstream hit.

10. Equilibrium (2002)

• Synopsis: In a dystopian future where emotions are deemed illegal and all forms of art are banned, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system of oppression he once upheld.
• Why It's Underrated: "Equilibrium" blends action-packed sequences with thought-provoking themes about free will and individuality. While it gained a modest following over the years, its impact on the sci-fi genre is often overlooked in favour of more widely recognized dystopian films.

The 21st century has witnessed a renaissance of sci-fi cinema, offering audiences a diverse array of thought-provoking and visually stunning films beyond mainstream hits. These underrated gems push the boundaries of storytelling, challenge conventional narratives, and explore complex philosophical concepts, often with limited budgets and without the support of major studios. It's essential to celebrate and revisit these overlooked treasures that enrich the cinematic landscape with their creativity and imagination.

Paul Millsap made history in college by becoming the first player to lead the NCAA in rebounds for three consecutive years. Despite his success in the Western Athletic Conference, the power forward from Louisiana Tech was not drafted until the 47th overall pick in 2006, which turned out to be a steal for the Utah Jazz.

In his first four years, Millsap played off the bench. However, in the 2010-11 season, he took over as the starting power forward. Over the next three years, he averaged at least 14 points, 7 rebounds, and a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of over 19, establishing himself as a complete power forward. With his stock rising, he signed with the Atlanta Hawks, where he went to every All-Star Game over the next four years and averaged 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Not only was this the best run of his career, but Millsap also led Atlanta to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016, where they were swept by Cleveland. That season, he finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, was a Second Team All-Defensive selection, and led the NBA in Defensive Win Shares.

Millsap signed with the Denver Nuggets in 2017, where he played for four years. However, as he aged, his performance started to decline. He closed his career in 2021-22 with stints in Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

Despite being a four-time All-Star, Millsap never received an MVP vote, which is something worth noting.

Lou Williams was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2005 straight out of high school. Although he didn't start in many games in Philadelphia, he soon became known for his ability to perform well as a bench player and is now considered by many to be the best Sixth Man over the last two decades.

Williams played for the Sixers for seven seasons before signing with the Atlanta Hawks, where he saw an increase in his playing time. In the 2014-15 season, he was traded to the Toronto Raptors, where he had his first season with over 15 points per game (15.5) and won his first Sixth Man of the Year Award. Williams then signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he continued to play well, but was eventually traded to the Houston Rockets during the following season.

After his time with the Rockets, Williams returned to Los Angeles, this time with the Clippers, where he won his second and third Sixth Man trophies. Williams exceeded 20 points per game during both campaigns, which is a remarkable feat. He played three more years before retiring, which also included a second run with the Hawks.

As of today, Williams holds the record for the all-time leading scorer with points off the bench, with 13,396. Although he will unlikely be elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, if there were a "Bench Hall of Fame," he would undoubtedly be a unanimous first-ballot entrant.