Best NBA Players of the 00's

Joe Gerrity — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:55:47 -0500

As part of an ongoing series we will be looking at which player had the best decade. There were four stars who were in their primes during these years, all of whom had multiple all star appearances, MVP's, championships and too many accolades to fit in this little text box. I think most will agree that between Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, and Shaq we have covered the premier NBA players throughout the last decade. But who really was the best? To start with let's determine what makes a players the best of a decade. Big three statistics- Arguable the most useful indicator of a players accomplishments are his points (and how he got them), rebounds, and assists. They are totally 100% objective records of what happened. I'll take other stats into account, but only as part of broader discussion. Defense- This is one aspect of the game that really isn't always rewarded by typical statistics. Sure we can look at advanced plus/minus numbers, but I've always found my eye to be pretty reliable when judging a player's defensive merit. Titles- In order to be the best you really need to win. Although all of these players didn't win a title, with only five men on the court at a time, basketball is a rarity. A team sport, where one individual player can carry a team on his back. Awards- Just to keep things objective it's important to look at what professional sports writers thought about these guys throughout the decade. @Lebron fans- I can't in good conscience include him in the discussion for player of the decade since he missed four years of it and never won a title.

Begin Slideshow

Bleacher Report - Dirk Nowitzki

Best NBA Players of the 00's