LeBron James and the 10 Best Wingmen in the NBA

So what exactly constitutes being a "wingman?" Should LeBon James be considered a wingman?

A wingman can be either a shooting guard or a forward who plays on the wings or the corners of the court—usually a small forward.

A wingman's primary role is to score the basketball by slashing to the basket and knocking down threes. The elite wingmen can also defend the perimeter by bothering opposing players with their length.

So, now that we've gotten that out of the way, who are the best wingmen in the game today? Let's take a look...

Honorable Mentions: Danilo Gallinari, Shawn Marion and Lamar Odom

I went back and forth on the Denver Nuggets small forward Danilo Gallinari, but ultimately, he fell just short of making the cut.

Shawn Marion and Lamar Odom of the Dallas Mavericks were also considered, but they could not quite crack the Top 10.

10. Dorell Wright: Golden State Warriors

Dorell Wright (6'9", 205 lbs) of the Golden State Warriors beat out Danilo Gallinari of the Denver Nuggets for the No. 10 spot on our list.

Wright led the NBA in three pointers made last season with 194 while shooting 37.6 percent from behind the arc.

Last year was a breakout season for Wright; he played over 38 minutes per contest while averaging 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and three assists.  

He's gotten off to a slow start this season, averaging just eight shots per game after averaging 14 attempts last year.

If Wright doesn't get his shot attempts up soon, he won't remain on this list for much longer.

9. DeMar DeRozan: Toronto Raptors

DeMar DeRozan (6'7", 216 lbs) is off to a great start this season after averaging 17.2 points per game last season for the Toronto Raptors.

After two games, DeRozan is averaging 18.5 points on 55-percent shooting while chipping in with three rebounds, two assists and one steal per contest.

After playing over 34 minutes per game last season, DeRozan has played less than 28 minutes per night through the season's first two games.  

He'll likely need to see an increase in playing time in order to keep his place among the Top 10 wingmen in the league.

8. Gerald Wallace: Portland Trail Blazers

Gerald Wallace (6'7", 220 lbs) is off to a great start as the starting small forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 23 points per game—good for ninth in the NBA.

Playing in his 11th season, Wallace seems to be getting better with age. The 29-year-old small forward is contributing 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 66.7 percent from the field (16-of-24).

Wallace seems to have picked up right where he left off last season when he scored 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Portland's Game 6 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

7. Luol Deng: Chicago Bulls

Luol Deng (6'9", 220 lbs) is off to a hot start for the Chicago Bulls, averaging 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while playing nearly 40 minutes per night during the first two games of the season.  

Deng has been extremely efficient thus far, shooting 50 percent from the field (17-of-34) and 87.5 percent (7-of-8) from the free-throw line.

Deng has also been contributing on the defensive end with four steals and a game-saving block against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers on Christmas Day.

6. Danny Granger: Indiana Pacers

Danny Granger (6'9", 228 lbs) has averaged over 20 points per game for three straight seasons as a small forward for the Indiana Pacers.

Granger was named the NBA's most improved player in 2009 while also being named to the NBA all-star team.  

Although he's struggled with his shot in the early going (37.8 percent), he still managed to contribute 18.5 points and six rebounds while connecting on four of nine three-point attempts.  

If Granger can continue to have an impact on the defensive end (five steals and two blocks in two games), he'll remain on this list for the next few years.

5. Paul Pierce: Boston Celtics

Paul Pierce (6'7", 235 lbs) has yet to get his 2011-12 season underway due to a bruised right heel.

Although his scoring average continues to dip with age, Pierce is still a top-five wingman in the league when healthy.

Now entering his 14th season, Pierce has averaged 22.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game for his career.  

With nine all-star appearances, one NBA Finals MVP and one NBA title on his resume, Pierce is a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

4. Rudy Gay: Memphis Grizzlies

Rudy Gay (6'8", 230 lbs) was on his way to the best season of his career last year before it was cut short by a significant shoulder injury.

Gay averaged 19.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks during his 54-game season in 2010.

Fully recovered from his shoulder injury, Gay is off to a good start in 2011-12, averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds after the first two games of the season.

Perhaps the biggest all-star snub last year, Gay should be highly motivated this season to make his first all-star Team.

3. Carmelo Anthony: New York Knicks

Entering into his ninth season, Carmelo Anthony (6'8", 230 lbs) has averaged 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists during his NBA career.

Anthony has averaged less than 25 points just one time in the past six seasons and is right at the 25-point mark again this year, to go along with five rebounds and two assists.

A four-time all-star, Anthony was voted as the 12th best player in the NBA by espn.com during the offseason.  

2. Kevin Durant: Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant (6'9", 230 lbs) has won the NBA league-scoring title over LeBron James for two consecutive seasons. They set to do battle again in 2011-12.

Durant averaged 25.9 points per game during his first four years and is averaging 31.7 points through three games this season.  

He's off to a blazing start in 2011, shooting 56 percent from the field, 43 percent from the 3-point line and nearly 80 percent from the line.

Durant's list of accolades already include a Rookie of the Year award, two all-star appearances and two All-NBA first-team selections.

ESPN ranks him as the sixth best player in the NBA today, and he could jump up to No. 2 overall if he wins a title.  

1. LeBron James: Miami Heat

LeBron James (6'8", 250 lbs) is the best player in the world today and has an opportunity to go down as one of the top-five players in NBA history.

Let's take a look at what LeBron accomplished during his first eight years in the NBA:

—NBA Rookie of the Year

—Two-time MVP

—Seven-time all-star

—NBA scoring champ

—Five-time All-NBA first team

—Three-time All-Defensive first team

—Zero-time NBA champion

As soon as LeBron can put a "1" into that last column (likely this year), he will start to be considered among the game's all-time greats.