Ranking the NBA's 10 Best Players, so Far

It has been a weird NBA season to date.

Everyday some star player gets injured. The games are sloppy. Excuses abound. Thank the ugly lockout, which has finally passed. Also attribute it to not taking the offseason seriously enough.

Still, some NBA hoopsters have stood out. Mostly it's the ones expected to stand above the crowd, the elite of the league. In a few cases, such as that of the Minnesota Timberwolves' exciting rookie Ricky Rubio, there is the unexpected.

In any event, even though only a fifth of the NBA calendar has expired, it is enough time to evaluate the excellence presently being displayed. This article's purpose is to rank and salute the early excellence seen on the NBA's various hardwood floors.

Thus, herein are the NBA's top performers, selected in the order of their efficacy.

No. 10: Carmelo Anthony

Anthony, one of the two or three most unstoppable players in the league, has carried the Knicks on his back thus far, hitting last-second shots to win games, scoring bundles of points consistently and making a big effort to become more of a facilitator on offense.

His scoring average is in the top five at 25 points per game. Carmelo still needs to improve his defense, so that it lasts for four quarters. He also needs to move better on offense without the ball.

Still, he has handled the pressure of New York superbly, and he will be there whenever the Knicks decide to really get serious about winning a championship.

No. 9: Rajon Rondo

Rondo is the Celtics' best player this season, period. (Paul Pierce, even when healthy, has lost a little consistency.)

Rondo is always on the prowl, clogging the lanes, stealing and forcing his opponent into physical and mental errors. Furthermore, no one is really that much better than Rondo at running and finishing the fast break. Rondo leads the league in assists, at 10.2, on a team that has slowed down considerably from its prior dominating ways.

Mentally, Rondo is one of the top three toughest players in the league. He'll never back down from anyone, he's underrated and he keeps his scowl all game long.

Rondo is a definite All-Star.

No. 8: Kevin Durant

One of the leaders of the entire league, a sure Olympian, the reigning NBA scoring champ and someone who seems to exponentially improve his game moment by moment.

Even though he has to do deal with amateurish Russell Westbrook, Durant maintains an unflappable excellence.

“Durantula,” as he is known, is the reason his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, has the best record in their conference at 10-2. His team is not high-profile like the Miami Heat, but everyone knows Kevin Durant is one of the five best players in the league.

No: 7: Kobe Bryant

Bryant has recently, on the court at least, seemingly reconciled two divorces: One from his wife and one from his former Hall of Fame coach, Phil Jackson.

So Kobe Bryant apparently plans to co-exist with the self-inflated and unproven Mike Brown. To demonstrate his new attitude, Bryant has averaged nearly 40 points over his last five games. He leads the NBA in scoring at 31.2.

Nevertheless, Bryant has to show that all this scoring—rather than orchestrating—is what the Lakers need in the long run. Kobe manifestly believes he is still the best, and from this belief the Lakers can't help but benefit.

No: 6: Chris Paul

He does what he does more smoothly and confidently than any other NBA player.

He never panics about stats in a game. Paul is probably the finest player today at managing an NBA game. He is the reason the Los Angeles Clippers have a winning record. No Clippers fan is thinking about Eric Gordon now.

Paul has quickly founded a rapport with Blake Griffin to fashion “Lob City,” the league's most anticipated on-court show. Paul has a 10.0 assists average to place himself in the top three, but what’s more, he has refined, and is the key to keeping, a winning aesthetic sense in Clipper town.

No. 5: Blake Griffin

On nights when the Los Angeles teammates seem to languish in lackadaisical play, Griffin is always there.

This year, he is seeking to cement a superstar status, and he has so far succeeded, averaging 23 points and 11 rebounds. He is the settling force on the team facing increased expectations.

Griffin is intimidating, forcing defeated opponents into “hard fouls” and other weak pranks to try to throw him off his game. To no avail. Griffin is right now too powerful a force for 99 percent of his NBA adversaries to deal with.

Moreover, to elaborate, Griffin has special moves around the basket and can get to the rim with unbelievable quickness. He's a human springboard that has the Clippers, an historical joke in the NBA, very much on the rise.

No: 4: Dwight Howard

After a slow start, Howard has put forth his usual dominating presence, hiking his rebound average to 15 a game. He also currently averages 20 points per game. He has done all of this despite not wanting to be with the team he plays for, the Orlando Magic. His on-again, off-again trade demands are ear-ringing.

Last year, Howard averaged 22 points per game. He should average 25 PPG with his ability, while also maintaining his high rebound. If he had a better feeder from the guard position, he would already have reached such a scoring mark.

Howard is not really tall for a center at 6'11", but he is the self-described “man of steel.” He is “Superman.” But truthfully, he is as athletic as almost any center in history, aside from Wilt Chamberlain.

No team has an antidote for him in the low post. Look for more and more dominance as the season progresses.

No. 3: Derrick Rose

Although he came from that wild run-and-gun Memphis college system, Rose has shown himself to be a consummate team player.

He is probably the biggest difference maker, record-wise, in the NBA.

Rose could average more than his current 21.1 PPG, but he knows how important it is for him to be a general with this particular Chicago Bulls team configuration. Carlos Boozer cannot be counted on every night, so Rose has to get the maximum from the other starters, as well as take over at crucial moments.

Against the Celtics this past Friday, Rose manifested the versatile terminator he is by foiling the primary Celtics' rally with bursts and then dunks at the rim. He combined this with killer outside shooting.

Rose is so athletic he can get deep inside the paint whenever he pleases, which allows him to play at the superstar level. He is not the most compelling player in basketball, but he may be the surest thing out there.

No. 2: LeBron James

If there was an MVP award to be given after this season's first 12 games, LeBron would get it.

His demonstrated “new moves,” has added even more confidence to his demeanor on the court, and they have accented his standing as the NBA's best player. LeBron can pull up, back in and execute from within 15 feet of the basket with so much more efficiency. He couldn't do these things last year.

James is playing carefree and he is clearly Miami's No 1 option now, ahead of Dwayne Wade. On most nights he is near a triple-double. On defense, if not for Dwight Howard, he would win this award, too.

Alas, James has not improved his efficiency in the fourth quarter significantly enough.

In a recent loss to Golden State, LeBron did not take a shot in the fourth quarter. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, James made just 6-of-10 free throws in the fourth, and missed two crucial ones with 16.7 seconds remaining in the game.

Until James erases this flaw, he will not get the championship he seeks or make himself a top 10 player of all time. This fault in his game leaves him at No. 2.

No. 1: Kevin Love

While Kevin Love probably would lose out to LeBron James if an MVP were given out now, he would win a hypothetical NBA's most outstanding player award.

He is the NBA's most relentless force. He's probably the league's most consistent force as well.

And, he's adamant about these things. Recently, he even declared himself the NBA's "power forward."

Love leads the NBA in double-doubles: He has had one in every game. Although second in the league in rebound average at 14.7, he is the league's leading offensive rebounder with 5.0 per game, a testament to his relentlessness.. He is fifth in the league in scoring at 24.7.

Against strong opponents like Miami, Dallas and San Antonio, Kevin Love's stats get more impressive. His field-goal average rises above 52 percent, compared with his season's average of 46 percent.

The fact is, Kevin Love has been present more than any other player. It is evident that he took his offseason work more seriously than his colleagues (volleyball, etc.). Practically, he's second in the league in minutes played, but execution-wise, he is just always pressing his case on the court. There are no letdowns.

When he learns to assist better, and cut down somewhat on turnovers, he can be a league MVP.