NBA Player Power Rankings: Sorting out the Alpha Dogs

At this point in the 2012-13 NBA season, it's getting more and more clear which players are going to assert themselves as alpha dogs throughout the rest of the 82-game campaign. Many of the players that populate the latest edition of the NBA player power rankings have already done so. 

Now, how do these alpha dogs currently stack up? How have they risen or fallen since last week's edition? Which players have climbed into the ranks of the top 20 for the first time?

You'll find plenty of interesting shakeups, as well as some rankings that will surely provoke debate—which you should civilly take part in below in the comment section. Plus, there are three new entrants in the rankings, one making his debut at No. 9.

Note: Unless specified, stats are updated through Sunday, Nov. 25.  

Injured Players

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

Honorable Mentions

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers

A mainstay in the top 20 for some time now, LaMarcus Aldridge has now dropped out of the rankings and into the inaugural honorable mention slide. 

This season, he just hasn't been able to dominate on either end of the court. His solid defense has remained just solid, but the power forward's offense has taken a serious step backward. Aldridge is shooting only 43 percent from the field and turning the ball over more often than ever before. 

Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks

The lefty point guard has managed to improve during each and every season of his still-young NBA career, and the early goings of the 2012-13 campaign have proved to be no exception. 

Although Brandon Jennings is scoring at a lesser pace, he's made up for the difference by showing off some snazzy new passing skills. While keeping his turnovers per game steady at 2.2, he's averaging an impressive 7.5 assists per game for the Central Division-leading Milwaukee Bucks. 

Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors

Kyle Lowry's earth-shattering numbers have declined slightly in his return from a prolonged battle with an ankle injury, but he's still contributing across the board for the Toronto Raptors. Alongside the much-improved DeMar DeRozan, Lowry has become the true sparkplug for this franchise. 

With a 26.10 PER through his first seven games and averages of 18.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists, Lowry is making it pretty clear that he's enjoying his escape from the Houston Rockets.

O.J. Mayo, Dallas Mavericks

This shooting guard has apparently enjoyed having a fresh start, as he's excelled as the leading offensive option for the Dallas Mavericks in Dirk Nowitzki's stead.

Averaging 21.5 points on 49-percent shooting from the field, O.J. Mayo has flat-out thrived in the first season of his post-Memphis career. He's been particularly hot from downtown, as he's knocked down a scorching 53.2 percent of his attempts from behind the three-point arc.  

Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers

We're obviously dealing with a small sample size, but the absence of Kyrie Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers' lineup hasn't bothered Anderson Varejao's production too much. In the three games since the point guard was injured, Varejao has averaged 13 points, 17 rebounds, three assists and two steals per game. 

He's struggled with his scoring efficiency, but that should be expected after his import to the Cleveland offense shot through the roof. As long as he continues to provide constant energy and lead the league in rebounds per game, his value will still be readily apparent. 

20. Zach Randolph (Previous Ranking: No. 20)

Team: Memphis Grizzlies

Position: PF

Age: 31

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 16.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 blocks, 0.8 steals, 19.06 PER

For a while there, Zach Randolph's field-goal percentage was creeping back up toward 50 percent, but then he went on a mini-cold spell and shot 12-of-29 against the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers, dropping it back to 46.8 percent.

Really though, you have to nitpick to find too many flaws in Z-Bo's game this season. He's still been the primary provider of energy for the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging a sensational 13.6 boards per contest. 

19. Greg Monroe (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Team: Detroit Pistons

Position: C

Age: 22

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 16.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.9 blocks, 1.7 steals, 20.20 PER*

After another week of stellar all-around performances, Greg Monroe now has the pleasure of making his first foray into the rankings. He'll continue to climb if he can cut down his turnovers, currently sitting at just over three per contest. 

Seriously, though, if you haven't taken the time to watch a Detroit Pistons game, it's well worth enduring the horror show that is the Brandon Knight-Rodney Stuckey backcourt just to have the pleasure of watching this young big man do his thing on the court. 

*While the per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Nov. 25, the PER is only updated through Saturday, Nov. 24.

18. Nicolas Batum (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Position: SF

Age: 23

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 18.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.2 blocks, 1.7 steals, 20.54 PER*

It appears as though Nicolas Batum is finally starting to put it all together. During the first month of the season, he's looked like a bona fide All-Star forward while asserting himself as the best player on the Portland Trail Blazers, leaving LaMarcus Aldridge in the dust. 

Batum simply does it all on the court. His perimeter defense has been stellar and he possess the unique ability to score from the outside, finish around the rim, find teammates with ease and crash the boards like a true frontcourt member in the same game. 

*While the per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Nov. 25, the PER is only updated through Saturday, Nov. 24.

17. James Harden (Previous Ranking: No. 17)

Team: Houston Rockets

Position: SG

Age: 23

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.6 blocks, 1.7 steals, 21.56 PER

With the exception of James Harden's respiratory problems, not much has been able to faze the shooting guard with the best beard-and-mohawk combo in sports. 

Although turnover problems have occasionally plagued him, Harden has clearly established himself as the No. 1 option on the Houston Rockets, and he's a safe bet to average at least 20 points per game for the rest of the 2012-13 season. 

Just as importantly, Harden is gaining comfort alongside his new teammates, and the assists per game are slowly starting to climb. 

16. Deron Williams (Previous Ranking: No. 10)

Team: Brooklyn Nets

Position: PG

Age: 28

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 16.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 0.6 blocks, 1.0 steals, 18.81 PER*

Deron Williams is one of the most talented point guards in the NBA, but he's giving me no choice except to drop him down in the rankings. I could live with his scoring decline while his percentages remain constant, but a drop in both isn't working out so well. 

The Nets floor general is on a six-game stretch in which he hasn't topped 40 percent from the field, and he's now averaging just 16.7 points on a 40.7 percent clip that just barely beats basketball's version of the Mendoza Line. 

*While the per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Nov. 25, the PER is only updated through Saturday, Nov. 24.

15. Marc Gasol (Previous Ranking: No. 16)

Team: Memphis Grizzlies

Position: C

Age: 27

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 blocks, 0.6 steals, 20.78 PER

Marc Gasol simply continues to excel by doing both the big and the little things tremendously well. By now, we all know that the younger Gasol brother is a versatile seven-footer with incredible passing skills. Now he's adding a deadly free-throw shot to his repertoire. 

The Spaniard is a 73 percent shooter from the charity stripe over the course of his career, but he's knocking down freebies at a 90.2 percent clip during the 2012-13 season, bolstered by a 12-of-13 performance against the New York Knicks and then a string of 16 makes in a row. 

14. Dwyane Wade (Previous Ranking: No. 8)

Team: Miami Heat

Position: SG

Age: 30

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.9 blocks, 1.3 steals, 19.37 PER

Dwyane Wade has undoubtedly played like a great player this season—remember, use league-average standards when evaluating himself instead of the standards that this shooting guard has set for himself over the course of his career—but it's been fairly obvious that he hasn't been at full strength. 

Plagued by a parade of various ailments, Wade has still managed to be an extremely effective contributor to the Miami Heat's repeat efforts. He's playing good defense while contributing across the board on offense, just not to the same elite extent that we've come to expect. 

13. Chris Bosh (Previous Ranking: No. 15)

Team: Miami Heat

Position: PF/C

Age: 28

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 20.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 blocks, 0.8 steals, 24.76 PER

That's right, Chris Bosh has emerged as the second-best player on the Miami Heat this year. Maybe Dwyane Wade should take over and start filling the photobombing role now. 

With a ridiculously potent mid-range jumper and the smarts to know when to pull the trigger, this big man has emerged as one of the most efficient players in all of basketball. It's hard enough to average over 20 points per game, much less to do it while hitting 56 percent of your shot attempts.

12. Tony Parker (Previous Ranking: No. 13)

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Position: PG

Age: 30

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 17.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 0.2 blocks, 0.7 steals, 19.83 PER*

During the San Antonio Spurs' three-game win streak against Eastern Conference foes, Tony Parker has been absolutely unstoppable. That's the sort of thing that tends to happen when illness is no longer a problem.

Against the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors, the French floor general averaged (slightly aided by a double-overtime contest) a sickening 30.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game on 61.2-percent shooting from the field. While it wasn't enough for him to climb in the rankings because of some other developments, it definitely prevented more slippage down the ranks.  

*While the per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Nov. 25, the PER is only updated through Saturday, Nov. 24.

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

Team: Los Angeles Clippers

Position: PF

Age: 23

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.8 blocks, 1.2 steals, 20.01 PER

I finally had the pleasure of watching Blake Griffin play in person when he took on the Atlanta Hawks at the Philips Arena, and I was absolutely blown away by his 22-point, 11-rebound, seven-assist performance. 

It wasn't the highlight-reel dunks that did the trick, but rather his face-up game, something he's been showing off more and more as his career has progressed. Multiple times, he took a look at Zaza Pachulia and then either pulled up or spun and shot, banking it off the backboard for two points. And, most importantly, he looked perfectly at ease displaying this facet of his game. 

That's a terrifying development for the rest of the league. 

10. Tim Duncan (Previous Ranking: No. 18)

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Position: PF/C

Age: 36

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 19.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 blocks, 0.9 steals, 27.50 PER*

What Tim Duncan has managed to accomplish at 36 years of age is as impressive as anything across the Association during the 2012-13 season.

Obviously there's a lot of basketball left to be played, but Duncan's PER would set a career high if it remained at this lofty level for the rest of the campaign. He's averaging more points and rebounds per game than he has since the 2008-09 season and is on pace to shoot the third-best percentage from the field of his incredible career.  

*While the per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Nov. 25, the PER is only updated through Saturday, Nov. 24.

9. Kevin Love (Previous Ranking: Unranked)

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

Position: PF

Age: 24

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 24.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.3 blocks, 1.7 steals, 25.31 PER

Kevin Love's unexpectedly early return to the Minnesota Timberwolves almost made Twitter explode, and then the best power forward in the NBA clearly proved that he was worth all the hype. 

In his 2012-13 debut against the Denver Nuggets, Love didn't let the brace on his right hand affect him in the slightest. He struggled from downtown, but still posted 34 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals while immediately asserting himself as the focal point of the Wolves offense. 

Don't expect those type of numbers to occur with regularity, but his averages after three games might be fairly indicative of what his latest campaign will look like. 

8. Dwight Howard (Previous Ranking: No. 5)

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Position: C

Age: 26

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 18.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.7 blocks, 1.4 steals, 21.08 PER

Dwight Howard has managed to put up solid numbers, but he just hasn't been the dominant force that he was with the Orlando Magic. And it's not like D12 is out of his prime, either. Something just isn't clicking. 

Occasionally, the center seems unenthused about wearing purple and gold out on the court. Maybe he's tacitly uncomfortable in Mike D'Antoni's new system. Maybe he has some apprehension about his ability to fit in with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and the other longtime members of the Lakers. 

He's still dominant at times during the game, but something about Howard just seems a little off right now. 

7. Russell Westbrook (Previous Ranking: No. 9)

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder 

Position: PG

Age: 23

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 21.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 0.2 blocks, 1.6 steals, 21.86 PER

A more efficient scorer in recent days, Russell Westbrook is slowly starting to make enough shots to allow his field-goal percentage to creep up to a more respectable number. His shot from the outside, in particular, has started to click. 

However, the most impressive part of this young point guard's development has been his increased comfort passing the ball to his teammates. He's now actively looking to make plays for his teammates instead of treating facilitation as an obviously secondary option, and he has a career-high 8.4 assists per game to show for it. 

6. Carmelo Anthony (Previous Ranking: No. 7)

Team: New York Knicks

Position: SF

Age: 28

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 25.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.8 steals, 22.49 PER*

Though still a small forward in title, Carmelo Anthony has absolutely thrived while lining up as a power forward for the New York Knicks. That might give the Knicks some trepidation about how to handle Amar'e Stoudemire when he returns to action, but it's a terrific sign that Anthony has excelled in his new role.

Although turnovers are proving problematic for this well-rounded scorer, Melo's ability to put the ball in the basket has been quite impressive. And despite his focus on scoring, he's still managed to find his teammates standing open at least a few times per game.  

*While the per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Nov. 25, the PER is only updated through Saturday, Nov. 24.

5. Rajon Rondo (Previous Ranking: No. 6)

Team: Boston Celtics

Position: PG

Age: 26

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 13.7 assists, 0.0 blocks, 1.9 steals, 20.79 PER*

At this point, I wouldn't bet against Rajon Rondo recording 10 assists in a single game while wearing a blindfold against the Chicago Bulls' stifling defense. It's just becoming a little bit too easy for him to do so while he can actually see the floor. 

After recording 16 assists against the Orlando Magic, Rondo upped his streak of double-digit assists to a jaw-dropping 37 games (dating back to the 2011-12 season). Since the start of the 2007-08 season, Chris Paul, Steve Nash and Deron Williams are the only other players to have such a streak hit double figures. 

Paul's streak that currently sits in second place—one that took place in 2008 with the New Orleans Hornets—lasted just 12 games. 

*While the per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Nov. 25, the PER is only updated through Saturday, Nov. 24.

4. Chris Paul (Previous Ranking: No. 4)

Team: Los Angeles Clippers

Position: PG

Age: 27

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 15.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 0.0 blocks, 2.7 steals, 24.22 PER

Chris Paul's scoring hasn't been elite during the early portion of the 2012-13 campaign, but the other parts of his game most certainly have. And let's not get too carried away when criticizing CP3's ability to get it done himself, because he's still averaging 15.8 points per game on 44.7 percent shooting. 

With his constant shiftiness and incredible court vision, the league's best point guard is averaging nearly 10 assists per game while turning the ball over 2.4 times per contest. For the sake of comparison, Rajon Rondo is coughing it up 1.1 times more per game.

Of course, this is all while playing suffocating defense on the perimeter and constantly staying in his teammates' ears to fill the coach-on-the-court role.  

3. Kobe Bryant (Previous Ranking: No. 3)

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Position: SG

Age: 34

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 26.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.0 blocks, 1.4 steals, 26.10 PER

Kobe Bryant has never shot above 50 percent from the field during his illustrious career with the Lakers. In fact, his career high came in 2001-02 when he hit 46.9 percent of his shots. In recent years, his field-goal percentage has been declining, not improving. 

Well, throw all that out the window. 

Picking and choosing his spots more carefully through 14 games this season, The Black Mamba is averaging 26.9 points per game on 51.0 percent shooting.

Oh, and he's averaging more than a nickel of dimes per game in the process. 

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

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Position: SF

Age: 24

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 26.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.4 blocks, 2.0 steals, 27.04 PER

Kevin Durant hasn't quite made his way back onto the top of the scoring leaderboard, as he still trails Kobe Bryant by 0.4 points per game, but he's close to restoring the order in the basketball world. After all, everything just feels topsy-turvy when this reigning scoring champion isn't at No. 1. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder small forward did get his scoring juices flowing during a three-game stretch against the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 33.7 points per game on 42.6 percent shooting. He redeemed himself for that low percentage by drawing quite a bit of contact and converting from the charity stripe. 

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

Team: Miami Heat

Position: SF

Age: 27

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 25.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.0 blocks, 0.8 steals, 28.60 PER

LeBron James just continues to prove that he's the best player in basketball. As has been the case for a while now, there's a rather large gap between King James and the rest of the league. 

Efficiency is the name of the game for LeBron—sometimes, to a fault. For example, he's often displayed a certain hesitance to loft up a shot from behind half court at the end of a quarter, perhaps because he isn't willing to sacrifice precious points of his field-goal percentage for the slight chance that the Miami Heat score more points. 

That's about the only negative of his ultra-careful style of play. LeBron seems to play the game in slow motion, thinking everything through before it happens. That care reflects itself in his incredible numbers and the Heat's 10-3 record.