Top 10 NBA Players of Opening Week

It didn't seem like it was going to happen for a while, but we are now one week into the NBA season. As with every new season, certain players have shone, certain teams have looked sharp, while others have been disappointing.

It's definitely still the early days, and as we have seen time and time again, a fast start can often mean very little in the scheme of the entire season. But at the same time, it's better to be playing well than playing badly and there have certainly been some players who have risen above and stood out. This group includes some of the usual suspects, but we have also seen some good early season form from a few of the bright young stars in the league, making for an exciting few months ahead.

The following slides will count down 10 of the very best of these players, so without further ado, let the countdown begin.

10. Dwyane Wade

Despite playing second fiddle to LeBron James on the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade has had a very good start to the season and has been integral in the Heat's unbeaten start to the season.

He had a big game on Christmas Day, managing 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a performance that was every bit as important as LeVron's in an annihilation of last year's champions.

Since then he's been generally good, averaging 19.8 points, 5.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds, while also averaging 2.5 blocks and one steal on the defensive end.

But perhaps numbers don't best show Wade's contribution to this Heat team. His biggest weapon of all comes in the partnership he has formed with LeBron, making the duo virtually unstoppable.

And let's not forget, he's been doing this on a bruised foot.

As the season progresses don't be surprised to see Wade rise higher on this list. 

9. Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony finds himself in ninth place after some good scoring performances that see him averaging 25 points per game, putting him sixth in the league in this category.

He put up 37 points and grabbed eight rebounds on opening night to help his New York Knicks past the Boston Celtics in a thriller at the Garden.

A bad night in Oakland saw his numbers drop, but he played well in a losing effort against the Lakers in Los Angeles and had a good night that saw the Knicks past the Kings in Sacramento.

His team's record is just 2-2 which sees him slip, but keep in mind this includes a three-game road trip to California. They return home to play the Raptors on Monday.

8. LaMarcus Aldridge

Aldridge has led the way in a strong first week for the Portland Trail Blazers that has seen them go 3-0 to become one of three unbeaten teams in opening week.

He was outstanding in the season opener, delivering a strong all-round performance that saw him rack up 25 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks. The next night he backed it up by going for 24 and eight in a comprehensive win over the Kings, a performance which saw him shoot 66.7 percent from the field.

Three games in he looks good and will have to continue to do what he's doing if he is to fill the large hole left by Brandon Roy. With a good team surrounding him, Aldridge could well lead the Blazers deep into the playoffs come May.

7. Kevin Love

Things certainly look to be heading in the right direction in Minnesota. Despite a 0-3 record to start the season, the largest loss deficit they've had is four, which includes games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat.

Right at the heart of this has been Kevin Love, who has simply been a beast inside putting up 26 points per game and grabbing 14.7 rebounds per game. To go with this, he has averaged 3.3 assists while also recording a double-double in every outing.

His best performance came in a three-point loss to Milwaukee, where Love scored 31 points and grabbed 20 boards, recording the first 30-and-20 stat of the season.

Some may argue that it's easy to get inflated numbers on teams like the Timberwolves. But Love has been so good it's hard to ignore him and if he continues to play the way he is, don't be surprised to see the Timberwolves regarded much more highly than they have been in recent years.

6. Dwight Howard

The question on everyone's lips two weeks ago was where Dwight Howard would be playing come opening day. As it turns out, he hasn't gone anywhere, yet. Many questioned whether his performance would be affected by all the off-court drama. 

Well, we can safely say that Howard has been nothing short of brilliant so far this season and could have easily gone higher on this list.

His scoring so far has been down on last year, but on the boards there has been no one better, pulling in 17.5 per game, including two games where he topped 20 and one at 19. To go with this he is third in the league in blocks with three per game. Undoubtedly he has proven that he is still the premier defensive player in the league and is the odds-on favorite to win his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award.

His Magic went 3-1 with the only loss coming on the road to the Western Conference favourite Oklahoma City Thunder.

Which jersey he is wearing come season's end is still anyone's guess, but from what we've seen so far, Dwight will be worth a playoff berth to his team wherever he ends up.

5. Blake Griffin

It's hard to believe he's only in his second year in the league. Not since LeBron James has a player made such an impact so early in his career. And that perhaps best sums up Blake Griffin's form in the first 85 games of his NBA career.

With a handy offseason which saw the new "lob city" acquire a handful of new players including the MVP-calibre Chris Paul, big things were expected from the Los Angeles Clippers this season. 

But it has been the sophomore superstar, Griffin, that has turned heads in the opening week of the 2012 NBA season.

Offensively he has been as good as anyone in the league, seemingly getting to the hoop at will in each of his three performances which has saw him put up 28 points per game. To go with this he has managed 9.7 rebounds, making for a near double-double average.

His team has gone 1-2, but this includes losses to the two leading regular-season teams from last season, the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls. And remember, this team has been together for less than a month. Wait till Paul learns the way Griffin and his teammates play the game, and if Griffin can hold this sort of form, they will be tough to beat.

4. Kobe Bryant

Whether you love him or hate him, you can't deny Kobe Bryant has been a very good player for a very long time. And he has been quick to silence any talk that he is over the hill, starting the season in as good form as he's ever been in.

It was a shaky start for the Lakers, going 0-2 for their first two games, including a heartbreaking one-point loss to the Chicago Bulls. But as the Lakers tend to do, they came right and now find themselves at 3-2 at the conclusion of opening week, with Kobe leading the way.

So far this season he averages higher than his career averages in points, assists and rebounds, and was one assist off achieving his first triple-double of the season.

And it is this all-round dominance that sees one of the league's legends ranked so highly on this list. He's still scoring at a relatively consistent rate, but throw in 6.4 assists per game and we see a player capable of scoring as well as ever, while also being able to set his teammates up better than ever before.

Whether he remains this high on this list as the season progresses largely depends on the way his body holds up. But knowing Kobe, he will find a way and will continue to be a top player in the league.

3. Derrick Rose

The reigning MVP seemed to somewhat slip in preseason MVP predictions, but it hasn't taken him long to remind us all just why he was regarded as the top player in the NBA during the 2011 season.

His passing stats are up on last year, averaging 9.3 assists through his first four games while also putting up just over 20 points. And like Bryant, it is this ability to score and pass that makes him so difficult to guard, as seen by his ability to get to the hoop past some of the league's top defenders.

He hit a clutch bucket to give the Bulls a one-point win over the Lakers at Staples Center on opening night, but his best performance came on Friday night as he put up 29 points, dished out 16 assists and grabbed eight boards in a dominant performance against the Los Angeles Clippers, winning his duel with Chris Paul.

Some say the Bulls have what it takes to win it all this year. With a 3-1 record to start and Rose playing the way he is, they may well have a very good case.

2. Kevin Durant

As good as the other players have been, the top two were always reasonably clear. And unsurprisingly, Kevin Durant fills one of the spots, after a week of leading his Oklahoma City Thunder to an impressive 5-0 first week.

Once again he looks as though he will be the favourite to claim the scoring title, despite finding himself in second place at the moment. Four times he has scored 30 or above at a field-goal percentage of 54.7 percent. He has also rebounded well, grabbing seven boards per night while dishing out 4.2 assists.

His best performance came against the Dallas Mavericks, where he recorded a double-double and hit a three at the buzzer to help his Thunder to a two-point win.

But it is the record of 5-0 that remains the most impressive, and the fact that Durant has been such a key part of this record. Three of these wins have come against playoff teams from last year, in Dallas, Memphis and Orlando, making Durant's start to the season that much more impressive.

He will remain a very real contender for MVP, while his Thunder remain the best bet to win the Western Conference.

1. LeBron James

LeBron James tops the list of the best players from opening week. Like Kobe, he has his detractors, but also like Kobe, it is impossible to ignore how good he's been.

There's hardly been a flaw in his game, as he's scored, passed, rebounded and defended better than anyone in the league to lead a red-hot Miami Heat to a 4-0 record to start the season, three of which were on the road.

He leads the league in scoring, putting up 33 points per game with a field-goal percentage of 59.8, proving to be as unguardable as ever, seemingly scoring at will.

He also goes at 7.5 rebounds and seven assists per game, topping the efforts of any other player when looking at these stats together. Defensively he has been very good too, an area of his game that is often underrated as his offence is so good.

If he continues to play like this, King James may rule supreme once more as the league's top player, but more importantly may walk away with the championship ring that has eluded him for so long. Going by what we've seen so far, it would be hard to bet against either.