In the ever competitive arena of ranking players, here is another one to start the debates:
20. Gilbert Arenas. Gilbert is an explosive scorer but not a great team player or defender. His scoring has actually dropped three seasons in a row. Although, it may not be fair to include this season as it was tragically stopped after only eight games. Regardless, he is still an incredible talent that do anything with the ball at anytime.
19. Manu Ginobli. Very creative player who can drive to the hoop or shoot the three. It is unclear whether he can carry a team on his back without help (Duncan and Parker). His points, assists, steals, and rebounds are all up this year. Where does the improvement end? How about an end to the flops! But no matter how you feel about his "exaggerations" he is no doubt one of the most exciting players to watch in the game today.
18. Paul Pierce. Another scorer who can carry a team, but not an all-around great player. How about a drop in points and rebounds? Well, on an incredibly talented Boston Celtic team, it simply shows that Paul Pierce is ready to whatever it takes to win a championship. With his lower production has come a higher FG%, higher 3PT%, and higher FT%. Oh, yeah...plus 51 wins and counting.
17. Allen Iverson. Ultra quick tough player. One negative is no effort on defense. He is consistent, though, and with his new best friend, Carmelo Anthony, currently filling the 3rd and 4th spots on the league's scoring list, the Denver Nuggets are primed for a run into the playoffs. But, that is all dependent on that non-existent Denver defense.
16. Tracy McGrady. A scorer that is very athletic. Can be very clutch. And as 20 wins in a row can show you, and with many of those without Yao Ming, he CAN lead a team. Who thought the Houston Rockets would be in 3rd place in the Western Conference at this stage of the season. Well, Tracy McGrady thought so, and is proving this with his determination every game.
15. Baron Davis. Extremely strong point guard. Great leader and delivers in the clutch. And you better watch out if these Golden State Warriors make the playoffs. Remember last year!? Baron Davis will lead this team with emotion, scoring, and thunderous dunks. I think Andre Kirilenko is still laid out on the floor from last year's Dunk of The Year.
14. Dirk Nowitzki. A big guy who can play outside and inside. Can shoot and post up. A difficult guy to match up with. If he can get over the heartbreak of losing the Finals TWO years ago, he may be one of the most formidable forwards in the game. His skill is unquestioned. Only his mind. His assists, blocks, and defensive rebounds are up this year. Good for Avery Johnson! He took an offensive juggernaut and turned him into an all-round player.
13. Carmelo Anthony. A absolute superstar player. He can score in multiple ways. However, his defense is questionable. I'm not sure if AI's comments on toughness and defense several weeks ago helped or hindered the Nugget's run, but Carmelo sure took notice. His rebounding is significantly higher this year, and especially this past month. And I suppose you can't complain about this 24.4ppg and silky smooth approach to every shot, alley-oop, and behind the back pass.
12. Amare Stoudamire. A big man who can run the floor, and is lethal in transition. Deadly off the pick-and-roll. Jump shot much improved. Can be a defensive presence, especially now that Shaq-Daddy has rolled into town. It's almost scary how good Amare already is and how good he may be. He just shouldn't be able to do what he does with the size of this body: 6'10" and 245 lbs! The really scary thing now is that his blocks are up and his defensive rebounds are up. He's not staying at number 12 very long!
11. Carlos Boozer. Big man who controls the paint. Can score with both hands. This "kid" is only 26 years old, yet seems to have been around the NBA for years. His basketball maturity is incredible and with young Deron Williams, he is destined to do even better with time. Come playoff time I don't want to face his Utah Jazz.
10. Steve Nash. Great point guard with excellent vision. Always finds the open man. Also, very good three-point and free throw shooter. In a pregame warm-up recently, Steve Nash hit 37 3-pointers in a row. Yes, his shooting has improved, and when mixed with his knack for finding the open man, literally ANYWHERE on the court: "Beware Opponents". This guy is lightning quick and almost always makes the right decision with the ball.
9. Dwyane Wade. Off-the-charts explosion going to the rim. Can score in the lane. Very clutch and brings a lot of intensity. It's a shame Shaq turned 50 this year. Dwyane is getting better every year, yet has lost his big man to help draw the double and triple teams away from him. But I don't doubt Dwyane's ability to make do. He's still one the NBA's best pure scorers. It will just have to wait until next year. (Dwyane Wade is out for the season, as of March 10th with a left knee rehab).
8. Yao Ming. A very skilled big man. Has trouble staying healthy. One negative: not very fast. Strange thing to list for the number 8 man in the NBA, but his most important improvement this year - Playing a career high 37 mpg, yet dropping his fouls per game from 3.4 to 3.1. For Yao's presence to be felt, he must be on the floor. Not nursing foul trouble which seemed to plague him his first several seasons in the league. His rebounds and assists are up also this year, so he is slowly but surely getting better. (Yao Ming is out for the season, as of February 26th with a broken left foot).
7. Chris Bosh. An extremely athletic and long player. Can play inside and outside. Can run in transition. Can finish around the basket. It's too bad his team can't seem to solidly around him. It's also too bad he's stuck in the exposure-less Toronto limelight. It's no wonder Vince Carter left. Chris Bosh is so extremely talented, proving it every night with points, rebounds, blocks, and a contagious intensity for the game; yet no one gets to see him play. Chris - How about a Knick uniform?
6. Tim Duncan. A bunch of post-moves. Can score in a multiple of ways. An excellent defender. There's not much you can say about Tim Duncan. He's a quiet, yet deadly assassin. In a Tim Duncan sort of way! Before you know it, it's the third quarter, the Spurs are leading by 10 and Timmy has 20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. How did he do that!? He did it the same way he does it every night. With consistent, fundamental basketball. Can you say, "off the glass"? This season, he is averaging 19.9ppg. That's the second lowest output of his career. Lower even than his rookie season. But the Spurs are one game out in the West. Timmy doesn't care. We'll see them in the Western Conference Finals.
5. Chris Paul. Great leader and player. Outstanding numbers. Can get everyone else involved and also score himself. Very quick. Chris Paul is only in his third season, yet is in the middle of the MVP discussion (likely to lose to Kobe or LeBron) but the fact is, he truly deserves mentioning in the conversation. He leads the league in steals. He is second in assists to another pretty good point guard, Steve Nash. Among fellow point guards, he is number two in scoring (21.3ppg); number five in FG% (49%); number four in FT% (88.4%); and number four in rebounds (3.9rpg). Yeah, I'd say this young point guard is pretty good. Imagine what he'll do when Tyson Chandler reaches his potential and David West continues his improvement. A GREAT player with a very good team behind him. Look out NBA!
4. Kevin Garnett. Can defend with the best of them. Can score from all over the floor and has many offensive numbers. Great guy for team chemistry and brings intensity and desire to win. Boston is holding him back a little during the stretch run, although it seems they don't need a 100% Garnett to continue this current 10-game winning streak. However, the Celtics do want a fresh Kevin Garnett for the playoffs. So although his numbers may be slightly lower this year (thanks to his new friends Paul Pierce and Ray Allen), he's not complaining. They have the best record in the NBA and he's primed for a strong performance in the playoffs.
3. Dwight Howard. Athleticism is off-the-charts. Can control the paint. Can score in bunches near the basket. Overpowers defenders for dunks. Blocks shots and rebounds among the best in the league. Leads the league in dunks. Scares the boogeyman to sleep with his dunks. And Chuck Norris runs like a little girl from his dunks. Oh, and did you see the Slam Dunk contest? WOW... So other than his dunks ("run away, run away"), this monster of the hard court is blessed with a ferocious ability to rebound and block shots. He actually leads the league in rebounds this season in addition to his...DUNKS. If you're old enough to remember Shaq in his first few seasons, then you'll be delighted to hear that Dwight Howard is actually better at the same point in his career. He's more athletic and has more basketball sense at this relatively early stage in the game than Shaq. So watch out for Dwight Howard. Because if you don't, don't come crying to me when your entire family tree is DUNKED on.
2. Kobe Bryant. I know, I know. I'll get the "Kobe hater" label. But that said, Kobe can score by going to the rim, shooting the three, or anything in between. Can defend like no other. Competitiveness and desire to win are unmatched by any other player. His FG%, 3PT%, RPG, and steals per game are all up. And, guess what? His scoring is down. Yet, his Lakers are in first place in the West. And just a few months ago, he was wanting/not wanting/wanting/not wanting to be traded. Instead, Pau Gasol was invited to the party. And I think the party has just begun for these Lakers. Kobe has been in the league for 12 seasons now. He knows what it takes to win and has been through this many times before. And believe it or not, he actually might make a good team leader.
1. LeBron James. Can get to the rim even if double-teamed. Can score even if the other team focuses all of their defense on him. Shooting ability may not be as good as Kobe, but athleticism is through the roof. Is extremely fast, strong, and agile. Should be MVP. There's not much more to be said. His numbers are up this season in EVERY category. He still might not have much of a team around him (even after the trades), but that won't stop LeBron. Just ask the Detroit Pistons about last year's playoff debacle.
Debate the list all you want. But one fact remains strong: The NBA is back and as big as ever. These superstars bring excitement to every game and the playoffs this year could be the best in recent memory.
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5 months ago
Have you even watched Kobe play for the last 10 years? Kobe can get to the rim OR shoot a jumpshot with 2, 3, 4, 5 people on him...heck, with even 6 or 7 when his own team mate's in his way. Your justification for Lebron just gave away your ignorance for the game of basketball. Do you even know what almost every single coach in the NBA said? That nobody forces them to change their defense constantly and tailor it to a specific player except Kobe. Look at what Avery Johnson said for a most recent example, that they tried every single defensive measure on Kobe but he would just beat it. The only thing Lebron has on Kobe is his size and strength.
from 5 months ago
in recent bulls games, the bulls have been commended for slowing down lebron in second halves of games because they couldn't stop him with normal defense. but when they "slow down" lebron by playing more physical coverage and bigger players on him, he's scored 13 points in both second halves i believe of recent games against the bulls, they were told good job for holding a player to 13 points for a half.
5 months ago
Yikes! This list is rough. Are you basing this on your personal preferences or the actually ability of the players. You lost me when I saw T-Mac at 16. Don't get me wrong, I have my favorite players, but this list is pretty slanted.
from 5 months ago
I confess it was a rough idea. I just had some thoughts in my head and quickly wrote the article. It wasn't meant to be perfect.
from 5 months ago
Understood. It's just that writing a under-thought out article makes you appear iggnorant. (Trust me...I have done it too!) and I"m sure that you aren't. I would try to make sure that what you write is as complimentary to your knowledge as possible. It takes practice...I am still learning too.
5 months ago
This list is kinda ridiculous. You obviously really don't know what you are talking about if you have Carlos Boozer on the list without and ahead of Deron Williams.
Deron is by far the more superior player than Boozer. Deron's excellent play is the only thing that boosted Boozer's stats and got him into the all-star game. You take Williams off the team, the jazz don't make the playoffs. you take Boozer off however, and they are still in relatively the same position as now. he is too streaky of a player.
Another thing. What the heck is Gilbert doing on your list?! he hasn't even played half the season, and the team is doing better without him. I don't underastand where arenas came from.
5 months ago
This list is kinda ridiculous. You obviously really don't know what you are talking about if you have Carlos Boozer on the list without and ahead of Deron Williams.
Deron is by far the more superior player than Boozer. Deron's excellent play is the only thing that boosted Boozer's stats and got him into the all-star game. You take Williams off the team, the jazz don't make the playoffs. you take Boozer off however, and they are still in relatively the same position as now. he is too streaky of a player.
Another thing. What the heck is Gilbert doing on your list?! he hasn't even played half the season, and the team is doing better without him. I don't underastand where arenas came from.
from 5 months ago
Did you ever watch him when he was healthy?
He was pretty damn good.
from 5 months ago
Well I'm pretty sure what signifies being the best is doing amazing when you actually play. Not having everyone know that you can tear it up, but not being able to show it to us cuz you're hurt
5 months ago
This list is kinda ridiculous. You obviously really don't know what you are talking about if you have Carlos Boozer on the list without and ahead of Deron Williams.
Deron is by far the more superior player than Boozer. Deron's excellent play is the only thing that boosted Boozer's stats and got him into the all-star game. You take Williams off the team, the jazz don't make the playoffs. you take Boozer off however, and they are still in relatively the same position as now. he is too streaky of a player.
Another thing. What the heck is Gilbert doing on your list?! he hasn't even played half the season, and the team is doing better without him. I don't underastand where arenas came from.
from 5 months ago
I have to admit I haven't watched much Jazz basketball. But I think that big men are very important in that they control the middle of the court on both offensive and defense.
from 5 months ago
They are, that's true, but Booz isn't a defensive presence at all. And Deron just pads his stats cuz he is so good. Other than that and arenas though, I think your rankings are pretty good
from 5 months ago
Thanks for the compliment.
5 months ago
Paul Pierce is one of the best all-around players in the league. He's one of the best rebounders at his position. This season, he has proven that he can player defense. He gets his fair share of assists. Obviously, you don't know what you're talking about.
5 months ago
In a list of top 20 you have to include at least one of big 3 for the Pistons. So here you go.
4 1/2 Rasheed Wallace --- One of the most domanant big men in the game for the past 10 years.
8 1/2 Chauncy Billips --- One of the top floor generals in the game. His assist to turnover ratio has been tops for the past 3 years. And he is CLUCH
18 1/2 Richard Hamilton --- He can take over a game anytime he steps on the court, plus he is a great defender.
There now your list is complete
from 5 months ago
I was actually thinking about that. I ended up with opinion that they are more of a team, not individual great players.
5 months ago
Agent Zero? He hasn't even played this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
from 5 months ago
He is a threat to score 50 points anytime he is playing. As an offensive player, he is among the best in the NBA.
5 months ago
Lebron is an overrated ballhog, stat whore who pads his numbers by holding on to the ball for 90% of the time. He's all brute and muscle without the beautiful skills of basketball. I wouldn't be surprised if he's on Steroids. He is not the best basketball player, he is the best powerhouse player...huge difference.
He needs to involve his teammates more, and get his FG attempts to 5 less per game, at least. His assists are a natural result of holding the ball the entire time, and gets them by default. It's not a system offense. It's a run through LBJ ball-hog system. it's boring. And his defense is all passing lane gambles, and weakside blocks. His man to man defense is less than average STILL, and his lateral movement is worse now than his first season.
LBJ is NOT your MVP, nor the best player.
from 5 months ago
A damn' good ballhog........
5 months ago
divya is a 16 year old moron. it's obvious he has no fucking idea what the hell he's talking about. all he knows is loving lebron for no fucking reason, i mean take a look at his other article. these stupid teens (like this guy http://bleacherreport.com/users/4105-Joe_Willett) on bleacher report have got to stop writing a bunch of crap and get back to school to learn something before talking about a sport they don't know jack shit about
from 5 months ago
*sarcasm* Thanks a lot!
That aside, why don't you show some guts and register, then post your own rankings. Any coward can be Anonymous and say "You suck" to everyone else.
from 5 months ago
What does school have to do with sports. Are there any NBA 101 classes at your high school? Any Quarterback classes?
Are you kidding me? Are you freakin' kidding me?
By the way, I am pretty smart. Look at my grades and my classes. IF you actually knew who I was, and not making mindless comments.
from 5 months ago
i made it into a comment =) i guess #3 nba writer doesn't mean shit huh?
from 5 months ago
fuck it, i give up, kobe over lebron, i've seen plenty of hard evidence, go ahead you have converted me you anonymous people
5 months ago
You're justification for Kobe being #2 looks more like justifying him to be #1. He's a better shooter than LeBron, more creative, a MUCH better defensive player, can get to the rim just as easily, and he's on the best team in the NBA. You also neglect to recognize that Kobe is still the best closer in the NBA and the only reason he's behind LeBron in 4th quarter points is because he hs been sitting out a lot in the 4th, whereas LeBron plays plenty of garbage minutes.
from 5 months ago
LeBron is stronger, bigger, faster. He can jump higher. All around, LeBron is a much better athlete. He may be slightly less polished, but his physical traits set him apart.
5 months ago
lol divya does my comment annoy you? its obvious you have nothing to say cuz it's true. you know, i know, and everyone else who read your article knows what you write is shit and that i said the truth. any moron can be a writer on bleacher report and say "lebron should be mvp". loser
5 months ago
yep you're right lebron is bigger and stronger (they're almost the same speed and lebron definitely does NOT jump higher than kobe). but that's it man lebron's all size with no talent and kobe is all skill without size
5 months ago
hahahahahaha divya is way too funny. "oooooooo my grade's good" "oooooooo i do well in school so i must know something about basketball" "oooooo i'm a moron"
the fact that you can't even pick up that what i said is an insult but think that "school" has anything to do with the discussion here shows how moronic you are and that you need some maturing. what a lame kid
from 5 months ago
No, no, no. I'm just saying I'm not an idot.
5 months ago
Chris Bosh at 7?! Paul Pierce not an all-around great player?! HAHA!!!
I think you should put Greg Oden up there as 20A. He's played as many games this year as Arenas has.
5 months ago
Lebron - athleticism is through the roof, extremely fast, strong, and agile...
- these characteristics is just like wilt, shaq, dwight in their position.
Kobe - can score by going to the rim, shooting the three, or anything in between. Can defend like no other. Competitiveness and desire to win are unmatched by any other player.
- "can defend like no other"...Competitiveness and desire to win are "unmatched" ...hmmm..reminds me of the best player ever to play the game..so if ure not a hater how come kobe is not your #1 having these characteristics?..while im quite sure if MJ is still playing he would be your #1.
from 5 months ago
Wilt and Shaq have been DAMN GOOD. 99% of players would take Wilt's or Shaq's career in a heartbeat.
5 months ago
Who cares if LeBron is bigger, stronger and faster. Athleticism doesn't make you "the best". If it did, then we wouldn't be considering Steve Nash as one of the leagues best PGs and John Stockton wouldn't even be mentioned as one of the all time greats. It's the fact that Kobe has a better game right now. His jump shot is better, his defense is better, his freaking team is better and play in a much better conference. Kobe might not be the athlete LeBron is, but he is the better PLAYER right now. Maybe not in 3 or 4 years, but RIGHT NOW, Kobe Bryant is the best player in the NBA. If the only thing that LeBron can say he's better at is his god given athletic abilities, then he's not the better player, he's the better athlete.
from 5 months ago
Well said. This is one comment I have read that is right on the money. Good job mike
5 months ago
C'mon Anonymouses. If you're going to say something negative do it with style, not brash insults that anybody can throw around. And how about you get a real name and profile and write something of your own?
Divya - Keep writing. It's the only way to get better.
from 5 months ago
Thanks a lot.
5 months ago
it's no use. divya doesn't know anything about basketball, just don't listen to what he says.
from 5 months ago
Rip my opinion all you want, but these posts are absurd. Everyone makes mistakes, and is not always right. I may make mistakes, but to say I know nothing is wrong.
5 months ago
my mistake divya. im sure you know that the round thing the people use on the court is called a ball, and that they're trying to throw it into what is called a hoop. so yea, you do know something about basketball
from 5 months ago
Just lay off, okay? If you're not going to offer constructive criticism, just don't say anything.
If you want to rip Divya, back up your arguments.
Divya: from one high schooler to another, keep doing what you're doing, and ignore the pointless comments from the anonymous people.
Good work!
5 months ago
I'm hoping number 21 on this list was Andre Iguodala. While playing for a semi-awful Philly team, he is averaging 19.6 PPG, 5.6 REB, and 4.6 APG, all while being asked to step up as the new leader in the wake of AI, at the tender age of 24.
5 months ago
who said wilt and shaq weren't good? we're talking about SKILLS. are you telling me wilt and shaq were better than jordan? dream on. shaq had NO talent for basketball at all, just his huge body, but it didn't matter cuz he got the job done. the point we're talking about is who has better talent, and here jordan and kobe would own wilt and shaq and lebron in terms of skills, not who was "good" or "not good". you can be good with or without talent.
from 5 months ago
Size matters (in more areas than this.....).
If you are tall and score very easily with less technique, that doesn't take away from technique.
5 months ago
Great article, man. But what does Kobe wanting to be traded have to do with his ability as a basketball player?
from 5 months ago
Thanks a lot.
from 5 months ago
That was someone else who edited my article.
5 months ago
Kobe is 2? tim Duncan is 6? Chris Bosh over Amare and Nash?? Manu ginobli not in top 15?? are u kidding me?? wow, your article is just lost a lot of points. Today is Wednesday, and every Wednesday morning they come to pick it up, i guess they should do the same with this article.
5 months ago
"Size matters (in more areas than this.....).
If you are tall and score very easily with less technique, that doesn't take away from technique."
HOW STUPID ARE YOU DIVYA?
do you know how to read?
i fucking said it doesn't take it away from the player and i fucking said it gets the job done and i fucking said you can be good with or WITHOUT talent...and I FUCKING SAID THE POINT IS WHO IS MORE SKILLED
what the hell is all that school good for if you can't even learn how to read?
dumbass
from 5 months ago
Sorry if I misunderstood you.
I thought you meant something else.
5 months ago
u guys are terrible
5 months ago
No love for Vince?
4 months ago
HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT ABOUT CHRIS BOSH! TORONTO IS AWESOME FOR HIM.. HE HAS GREAT TEAMATES.. ADN ES... HE IS THE STAR... BUT DONT U DARE SAY HESHOULD BE ON THE KNICKS!!!!ewww... knicks.. lol... -.- still! :-$ shut up.
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