NBA Player Power Rankings: How the Titans Stack Up

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Each of basketball's titans is starting to figure out exactly how they stack up with one another, both in the overall landscape of the NBA and within the friendly confines of the NBA Player Power Rankings. 

These top 20 defensive studs and offensive magicians have all played fantastic basketball, and each one of them will continue to embarrass the opposition over the course of the 2012-13 season as they battle for supremacy. 

So, how do they stack up now? How have things changed since the last set of rankings? 

To find out, you'll have to read on. 

Injured Players

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As a quick housekeeping note, injured players are not considered for the star player power rankings. If a player is out for a prolonged period of time, he's automatically ineligible for the next 20 slides.

Therefore, Derrick Rose, Andrew Bynum and Dirk Nowitzki will not be appearing, although they would certainly make the cut if healthy.

Honorable Mentions

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LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, Portland Trail Blazers

Hopefully a sprained ankle doesn't keep LaMarcus Aldridge out for too long, because he's been playing fantastic and consistent basketball on both ends of the court for quite some time now.

 

Jrue Holiday, PG, Philadelphia 76ers

A soft-tissue injury kept Jrue Holiday out for two of the four Philadelphia 76ers games this past week, but he averaged 25.5 points and 8.5 assists per contest when he was in the lineup. 

 

Al Horford, PF/C, Atlanta Hawks

A four-game stretch of steady performances keeps Al Horford in the honorable mention section after he was knocked out of the No. 20 spot by Kyrie Irving, who vaulted him after returning from injury. 

 

Serge Ibaka, PF, Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant may steal the attention for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Serge Ibaka's incredible efficiency on offense and presence on defense have been immeasurably helpful to the cause in OKC. 

 

Joakim Noah, C, Chicago Bulls

It was a quiet week for Joakim Noah, who held steady with some well-rounded performances that helped steer the Chicago Bulls to a 2-1 record despite failing to generate headlines. 

20. Anderson Varejao (Previous Ranking: No. 15)

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Team: Cleveland Cavaliers

Position: C

Age: 30

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 13.8 points, 14.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.5 blocks, 1.5 steals, 21.99 PER

 

The return of Kyrie Irving has been good for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but don't tell that to Anderson Varejao. The floppy-haired big man is no longer the center of attention, and his scoring numbers have declined dramatically. 

Although he's still a terrific force on the boards, Varejao has averaged only 10.3 points per game on 40.5 percent shooting from the field. The lowlight of the week was undoubtedly an 0-of-9 brickfest in a loss to the Indiana Pacers. 

19. Deron Williams (Previous Ranking: No. 18)

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Team: Brooklyn Nets

Position: PG

Age: 28

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 17.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 0.5 blocks, 1.0 steals, 17.54 PER

 

Deron Williams helped the Brooklyn Nets to two wins over lower-tier NBA teams over the past week, but he didn't put up numbers that were too impressive. Instead, Joe Johnson stole most of the highlights. 

While D-Will is still having a great year with statistics that leave him on the fringe of the All-Star conversation, he isn't doing what we're used to seeing from him. 

18. Kevin Love (Previous Ranking: No. 8)

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Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

Position: PF

Age: 24

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.8 steals, 18.87 PER

 

Kevin Love is a top-10 talent. A top-five talent, even. 

However, it's impossible to rank him any higher until he's comfortable enough playing with his hand to shoot a decent percentage from the field. Love is incredibly involved for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he's been absolutely dominant on the boards, but he's also the not-so-proud owner of a 34.8 percent field-goal percentage. 

The return of Ricky Rubio will surely help with this, but Love must start to find some comfort in his own shot sooner rather than later. 

17. Marc Gasol (Previous Ranking: No. 17)

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Team: Memphis Grizzlies

Position: C

Age: 27

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 15.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, 0.8 steals, 20.74 PER

 

A string of good, but not great, performances leaves Marc Gasol as the No. 2 player in the power rankings for the Memphis Grizzlies. That's nothing to be ashamed about, though, as he still checks in with a featured spot. 

As is always the case, Gasol manages to contribute positively in so many ways that he can make a significant impact even when one facet of the game is giving him some trouble. Take the 99-94 loss to the Denver Nuggets, for example. 

Although the big man couldn't find his shot, he limited himself to 10 attempts in 37 minutes and focused on everything else. The end result was a great, well-rounded line: 10 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four blocks and three steals. 

16. James Harden (Previous Ranking: No. 16)

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Team: Houston Rockets

Position: SG

Age: 23

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 25.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.5 blocks, 1.9 steals, 20.97 PER*

 

At this point in the season, it's safe to say that defenders have learned to fear the beard when going up against the Houston Rockets. 

After sitting out against the San Antonio Spurs to let his ankle heal, James Harden resumed his torrid scoring pace. In his three games following the injury, the lefty shooting guard averaged 26.7 points per game on 41.8 percent shooting. 

However, his field-goal percentage doesn't provide an accurate representation of his efficiency. Harden thrives when drawing contact and converting at the charity stripe, something he's done early and often throughout the season. 

*While all per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Dec. 16, the PER is accurate as of Saturday, Dec. 15. 

15. Dwyane Wade (Previous Ranking: No. 13)

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Team: Miami Heat

Position: SG

Age: 30

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 19.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.5 blocks, 1.3 steals, 21.67 PER

 

I'd talk about the various injuries that plagued Dwyane Wade over the last week of action, but there always seem to be too many to recap. Let's just put it this way: At this point in his career, D-Wade is always playing through pain. 

That said, the demise of Wade is greatly exaggerated. Take his three-game stretch that sandwiched a loss to the Golden State Warriors. 

Wade averaged 17.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game on 65.6 percent shooting. Those numbers aren't vintage Wade stats, but they aren't half-bad either. 

14. Zach Randolph (Previous Ranking: No. 19)

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Team: Memphis Grizzlies

Position: PF

Age: 31

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 17.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 blocks, 0.8 steals, 20.49 PER

 

Zach Randolph has been on fire lately. 

In fact, he's now well above 50 percent shooting from the field, thanks in large part to a scorching 53.6 percent during the last month of the year. His embarrassingly low field-goal percentage at the start of the 2012-13 season is now nothing but a distant memory. 

And, of course, he's continued to dominate on the glass.

13. Kyrie Irving (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

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Team: Cleveland Cavaliers

Position: PG

Age: 20

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 23.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.3 blocks, 1.1 steals, 21.20 PER

 

The NBA is just better when Kyrie Irving is healthy and on the court. 

Even when he's wearing the black facemask, the second-year point guard is one of the best scorers in the NBA and certainly one of the most dynamic playmakers. If there's a player in the league with better handles, Irving is quickly closing that gap. 

And quite honestly, there might not be such a player. 

12. Dwight Howard (Previous Ranking: No. 10)

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Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Position: C

Age: 27

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 18.2 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.6 blocks, 1.1 steals, 20.76 PER*

 

Dwight Howard is still slowly rounding into shape, but some parts of his game are progressing faster:

Positive trend: Dwight Howard made all 3 of his FT's, & has hit 30 of his last 48 (63%) in the last 6 games. h/t @trevor_wong

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 17, 2012

Even with his insane rebounding figures, Howard hasn't looked like the D12 of old. He just isn't involved enough on either end of the court, and his lack of mobility is clearly affecting his ability to lock down the paint in the Staples Center. 

*While all per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Dec. 16, the PER is accurate as of Saturday, Dec. 15. 

11. Blake Griffin (Previous Ranking: No. 14)

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Team: Los Angeles Clippers

Position: PF

Age: 23

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.6 blocks, 1.4 steals, 22.33 PER

 

If you're still clinging to the misconception that Blake Griffin is overrated because he's fantastic at dunking the basketball, you might want to try watching a few more Los Angeles Clippers games. 

Griffin is becoming a much more dangerous basketball player during the 2012-13 season, with a solid mid-range game and an ever-evolving set of post moves. He's now averaging 18.2 points per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the field.

His per-game numbers might be down from the 2011-12 campaign, but that's partially a product of the Clippers' depth. Griffin is playing only 32.7 minutes per game through the first 23 games of his third year in the Association.  

10. Chris Bosh (Previous Ranking: No. 11)

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Team: Miami Heat

Position: PF/C

Age: 28

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 18.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 blocks, 0.7 steals, 22.38 PER

 

Chris Bosh continues to be the pivotal player for the Miami Heat. He might not put up the most glamorous stats on a nightly basis, but he's the guy who makes things happen for the Heat. If he's on fire, they are going to win. 

With a combination of a great finishing touch around the rim and a stellar shot from outside the paint, Bosh has been incredible offensively. This past week was no different, as the big man averaged 15.7 points per game while making 20 of his 32 attempts from the field. 

He's also continued to do a fantastic job limiting his turnovers. 

9. Rajon Rondo (Previous Ranking: No. 9)

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Team: Boston Celtics

Position: PG

Age: 26

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 12.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 12.7 assists, 0.3 blocks, 2.1 steals, 19.54 PER

 

Rajon Rondo's nine-assist outing against the San Antonio Spurs isn't really a concern. His inability to avoid turnovers is, though. 

After back-to-back games with seven cough-ups, Rondo is now averaging 3.9 turnovers per game. It's the continuation of a disturbing trend, as the talented floor general has seen this stat rise during each and every one of his seven seasons in the NBA. 

This trend is also not the result of more involvement in the offense. Per Basketball-Reference.com, Rondo has a 24.6 turnover percentage through the first quarter of the 2012-13 season, the highest mark of his career. 

8. Tony Parker (Previous Ranking: No. 12)

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Team: San Antonio Spurs

Position: PG

Age: 30

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 19.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 0.1 blocks, 0.9 steals, 22.73 PER

 

Tony Parker's terrific week began with the first triple-double of his career—27 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists against the Houston Rockets—but it didn't slow down after that. 

Although the French floor general might not have reached those double-digit benchmarks again, he did continue to put up solid showings against the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers before exploding against the Boston Celtics. 

Parker is most assuredly an elite point guard, even at 30 years old. 

7. Russell Westbrook (Previous Ranking: No. 7)

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Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Position: PG

Age: 24

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 20.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 0.3 blocks, 2.0 steals, 22.54 PER

 

Russell Westbrook struggled with his scoring this week, but he's become more than just a gunner who happens to play point guard. 

The talented UCLA product still averaged 11 dimes per contest during his two-game stretch and turned the ball over only five times total. Plus, he's continued to play defense that can only be described as much improved. 

Westbrook failed to play like the MVP candidate that he's been throughout the 2012-13 season over the past couple of games, but he's still been an elite point guard. 

6. Tim Duncan (Previous Ranking: No. 6)

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Team: San Antonio Spurs

Position: PF/C

Age: 36 

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 17.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.5 blocks, 0.8 steals, 24.99 PER

 

Tim Duncan is starting to decline a bit, although he's still enjoying a fantastic season at 36 years old. 

The big man had an incredible showing against the Utah Jazz, recording 22 points, 21 rebounds and six blocks to make it four times in his career that he'd topped 20 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks, but it was easily his best game of the last week. 

As a whole, The Big Fundamental averaged 13.3 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 3.3 blocks and 1.0 steals per game on 32.7 percent shooting over the four-game stretch during the past week. Those are still solid numbers, but they aren't even comparable to the ones with which he'd begun the 2012-13 campaign. 

5. Chris Paul (Previous Ranking: No. 3)

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Team: Los Angeles Clippers

Position: PG

Age: 27

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 0.0 blocks, 2.6 steals, 25.65 PER

 

Even though the Los Angeles Clippers keep winning games that Chris Paul is a huge part of, it's hard not to move the point guard below two guys who are just carrying their teams right now. CP3 is terrific, but he's greatly aided by the depth of his team. 

Although he's minimizing the turnovers and maximizing the dimes on a nightly basis, Paul still hasn't found the right rhythm on his shot quite yet. He shot 40 percent or worse in each of his three games during the past week.

4. Kobe Bryant (Previous Ranking: No. 4)

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Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Position: SG

Age: 34

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 29.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.2 blocks, 1.6 steals, 25.68 PER*

 

Kobe Bryant just continues to be a scoring machine and has now broken past the 30-point threshold in each of his last six contests. 

The crazy part is that he's putting up these numbers while maintaining efficiency, as he's still averaging 48.1 percent shooting from the field. His offense is certainly not the reason he stays at No. 4 despite moving past Chris Paul in the rankings.

Kobe was jumped by the new holder of the No. 3 spot because his defensive efforts can be described—if we're feeling generous—as lacking. 

*While all per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Dec. 16, the PER is accurate as of Saturday, Dec. 15. 

3. Carmelo Anthony (Previous Ranking: No. 5)

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Team: New York Knicks

Position: SF/PF

Age: 28

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.6 blocks, 0.9 steals, 26.13 PER

 

The New York Knicks were able to pick up a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers while Carmelo Anthony rested his hurt ankle. I'm not saying that to knock Melo down a peg, but rather to bring up the fact that it was upsetting we basketball viewers were deprived of even a single game of his offensive brilliance. 

Anthony kind of made up for it against the Los Angeles Lakers just a game earlier, though. His 22 points in the first quarter gave him one of the single most impressive showings in recent memory, especially as they came on 8-of-9 shooting. 

Oh yeah, there was that 45-point outing against the Brooklyn Nets, too. 

2. Kevin Durant (Previous Ranking: No. 2)

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Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Position: SF

Age: 24

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 27.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 blocks, 1.6 steals, 28.23 PER

 

It's a little bit scary what Kevin Durant can do when he's in takeover mode. 

During each of his two games during the past week—wins over the New Orleans Hornets and Sacramento Kings—the three-time reigning scoring champion came out gunning. He finished averaging 33 points per contest while shooting a jaw-dropping 61.8 percent from the field. 

As if that wasn't enough, the Durantula also knocked down 21 of his 23 attempts from the free-throw line. 

Durant is playing with borderline perfection on the offensive end of the court, save for a few sloppy turnovers.

1. LeBron James (Previous Ranking: No. 1)

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Team: Miami Heat

Position: SF/PF

Age: 27

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 25.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 0.7 blocks, 1.3 steals, 29.06 PER

 

LeBron James is the only player in the NBA to have scored at least 20 points in every single game played during the 2012-13 season thus far. 

He also hasn't missed more shots than he's made since an 8-of-20 showing against the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 17. 

That's not even fair, especially when combined with his passing brilliance, knack for pulling down boards and All-NBA defensive play.