NBA Power Rankings: The Best 10 Players in the Eastern Conference

The Offseason free agent bonanza of 2010 is finally simmering down. We have been treated to tons of surprises as players have ended up in the most unlikely of places. Most of which have been Eastern Conference teams.

These new faces have reshaped the power structure of the NBA but mostly the Eastern teams. The top Eastern players at the start of the 2009-2010 season are no longer the same. Due to the development of players and player movement, the top talent in the East now has a new brand of dominance.

When thinking of the top players. One must logically evaluate individual skill set, ability to raise ones level amongst the top teams, and consistency.

Team success factors in slightly. However, a player should not be faulted for the lack of talent of his team and guys shouldn’t be overly praised for being on a successful team.

Things like potential and who we prefer to see at the top should be rendered useless.

Enjoy!

10. Gerald Wallace (nine year pro) (27-years-old)

Gerald Wallace is possibly thee most underrated player in all of basketball, not only the NBA. It seems as if he has been around the NBA forever. Yet many basketball fans aren’t aware of the man known to many as “CRASH.”

Last season he was rewarded for his continued growth as a player and leader of his Charlotte Bobcats. He was selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve. His selection was the first in the history of the Bobcats organization. And to think that the club mulled over trading the steady stud, talk about irony?

Wallace also helped the Bobcats achieve another first in franchise history as they earned a playoff birth.

The often injured Wallace also played a career high in games played as well as playing 70-plus games in back to back seasons for the first time.

Wallace brings a unique blend of hard work and seemingly no ego when he steps on the court. He’ all about the team and a lot of top tier guys could learn a lot from how he goes about his business.

He is not the kind of player that will dominate a game offensively on a night-to-night basis, but he will do the little things needed to garner a victory. A team will never be left wondering if Wallace gave his all.

He’s as versatile as they come, Able to defend the one through four positions, regardless of the player.

Wallace is coming off the most productive season of his career. Here’s a look at what he brings to a club on a nightly basis.

41 mpg

18 ppg

10 rpg

2 apg

2 spg

1 bpg

48% fg

78% ft

37% tp

9. Derrick Rose (two year pro) (21-years-old)

Derrick Rose is a young player on the rise. As the point man for the Chicago Bulls, he’s guided them two the playoffs in both his NBA seasons. This off-season the Bulls organization did everything they could to put him in a position of success for the next four-plus years.

Rose became a All-Star in only his second season and also won the NBA Skills competition.

Rose is arguably the most physically gifted athlete to man the point position since Steve Francis entered the league in 1999. Although Francis was a more complete player and competed on both ends of the court. Rose and his abilities aren’t far off.

He is gifted with blinding quickness, explosive leaping ability, and a well built frame. Rose often embarks on a never ending assault at the rim, which usually result in a highlight type play. He’s a difficult a cover as you’ll see at the point position. If rumors are true that he’s improved his deep shot, he’ll be an even bigger head ache for NBA opponents.

He’s developing into a very good leader even though he’s only 21 years of age. He also has a flare for playing big when the lights are at their brightest. He’s a tough nosed kid that isn’t afraid to get in there and put it all on the line.

His game still has holes in it, especially on the defensive end. Rose is gifted with all the tools needed to be the best defensive stopper at his position, but he has yet to even ascend into the top 10 defensive point-men at his position.

Hopefully he’ll be a lot better this season. Only real knock on him is that he tends to play down to the level of competition.

37 mpg

21 ppg

4 rpg

6 apg

1 spg

0 bpg

49% fg

77% ft

27% tp

8. Amar'e Stoudemire (eight year pro) (27-years-old)

Amar’e Stoudemire has taken his show to Madison Square Gardens, in New York. He helped carry the Phoenix Suns to the Western Conference Finals this past season. Yet he elected to join the New York Knicks rather than re-sign with the Phoenix Suns. Why? Your guess is as good as mean.

Stoudemire is coming off a season that witnessed him become an All-Star for the fourth consecutive season, and was his fifth overall. He was one of the most prolific offensive players after the All-Star break. He’s regarded in most NBA circles as the most difficult four-man to cover off pick-and-roll plays. He’s also one of the most difficult covers on the low-block.

Amar’e is a tremendous athlete at the four position. He’s extremely gifted offensively and equally aggressive on that end of the court. A lot will be expected of his talents this season. The Knicks will be expecting him to lift them up out of the Eastern Conference cellar and back into the playoff race.

However, that’s where the bus stops.

Stoudemire isn’t a fan of defense and lacks the focus and attention to detail needed for a player making $20 million a season. He should be ashamed of himself. He’s cheated his clubs for the last eight seasons. He has the physical gifts to be a dominant force on the defensive end of the court.

I doubt that he will change as a player, especially being that he plays for a coach who isn’t a practitioner of it. Stoudemire is often overrated as a player and now he will be overpaid also.

35 mpg

23 ppg

9 rpg

1 apg

1 spg

1 bpg

56% fg

77% ft

17% tp

7. Rajon Rondo (four year pro) (23-years-old)

Rajon Rondo came into his own this past season. He earned his first All-Star birth and guided his Boston Celtics squad to its third consecutive season of 50-plus wins in a season. It also would be the third consecutive season the Celtics would advance past the first round of the playoffs.

Rondo has now been apart of two NBA Finals in just four seasons in the NBA. He has displayed the kind of ability that makes many believe he’s the second-coming of Jason Kidd. I inclined to do the same.

His greatest gift as a player is his motor. Rondo is always moving and always giving effort, even when he doesn’t have the ball. Blessed with extraordinary speed and quickness, Rondo is also deceptively strong for a player his size.

He’s horrible at knocking down outside shots consistently but he excels at everything else. He’s arguably the best defensive guard in the NBA. He’s great in all facets of defense except shot blocking.

His offense game is inconsistent in regards to scoring, but that’s not why he’s on the floor. He’s one of the best at controlling game tempo. He’s also developed into an exceptional play maker, and is regarded as a top five player at the point guard position.

He’s also growing into one heck of a leader, on and off the court.

37 mpg

14 ppg

4 rpg

10 apg

2 spg

0 bpg

51% fg

62% ft

21% tp

6. Joe Johnson (nine year pro) (28-years-old)

Joe Johnson is one of those borderline really good- to-great players that seemingly goes unnoticed by the casual fan. He has the kind of ability and physical attributes that could propel him into the top 10 discussion in regards of best players. Only thing really holding Johnson back appears to be Johnson.

Joe Johnson the NBA version of Doctor Jackal and Mister Hyde. One night he’s this big bad something, and the next night he’s curled up in a corner some where not forcing the issue.

Johnson is an extremely versatile offensive player who really has no real weakness other than his own lack of aggressiveness. He has a post game, one of the best mid range games, can make the deep shot and is adapt at moving without then ball. He’s also a skilled set-up man that does a great job at keeping his teammates evolved.

Defensively, Joe can be a nightmare because of his size and athletic ability. He’s also a skilled rebounder. His only real problem is his motor and ability to motivate himself to be a factor on the defensive end of the court.

He’s coming off his third consecutive All-Star berth and fifth overall. His Atlanta Hawks also made the playoff for the third consecutive season. He just signed a new deal that should allow him to retire an Atlanta Hawk.

38 mpg

21 ppg

5 rpg

5 apg

1 spg

0 bpg

46% fg

82% ft

37% tp

5. Danny Granger (five year pro) (26-years-old)

Danny Granger is coming off a down year where he couldn’t seem to stay healthy long enough to make a difference for his club. When he was healthy, he was the eight most used player in the NBA; so clearly the Indiana Pacers organization got their money worth.

Granger would be a house hold name if he played on a winning club. He’s a lot like Scottie Pippen and the way a team can move him all over the floor offensively and defensively and still have him effect the game in a very impactful way. Those talents lead him to a All-Star berth in 2008-09.

Extremely versatile offensively, he can knock down the three pointer at a near 40 percent rate. He has a nice mid range stroke, can put the ball on the floor, and is adapt at putting the ball on the floor. His only real knock is his so-called lack of athletic ability. He’s also a very good freethrow shooter.

Defensively the man gets after it. He isn’t afraid of anyone and want hesitate to sacrifice his body. It’s a shame that his teammates don’t follow suit. If they did, he wouldn’t be home come playoff time every season since his rookie year.

Granger will be looking for a bounce back year and may be looking for a trade if his club doesn’t get off to a quick start.

37 mpg

24 ppg

6 rpg

3 apg

2 spg

1 bpg

43% fg

85% ft

36% tp

4. Chris Bosh (seven year pro) (25-years-old)

Chris Bosh is coming off his most productive season of his seven year NBA career. It was a season that witnessed Bosh finish fourth in the NBA in player efficiency, and was the second time in his career that he has finished in the top 10.

Now Bosh is set to display his talents as a member of the Miami Heat organization. He will be part of a All-Star trio that includes LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. If people though he was incredibly efficient this past season, wait till they see him in a countless one on one situations.

For the past four or five seasons, Bosh has been the best power forward in the Eastern Conference. And although Amar’e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer have taken up residence in the East, Bosh is poised to hold on to his status.

As versatile as it gets at the four position, Bosh excels at the perimeter as the game. He often relies on his feathery jumper and explosive first step. But he’s still very comfortable on the low block. It’ll be interesting to see if he’ll mesh well with setting picks for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade but that’ll be the least of his worries this season.

Defensively, Bosh has grown a lot over the years and may finally get the recognition he deserves. He excels at crashing the boards and using his quickness and length to gobble up rebounds. He’s a solid perimeter defender, both individually and team wise. Where he struggles most is his individual defense in the post. He lacks the needed bulk to be a real enforcer down low. Hopefully the Heat organization will be able to fill him out a bit.

The five time All-Star will finally be playing in front of an audience worthy of his talents. He has a lot to be motivated about this up-coming season and might have an even bigger season than his last one.

36 mpg

24 ppg

11 rpg

2 apg

1 spg

1 bpg

52% fg

80% ft

36% tp

3. Dwight Howard (six year pro) (24-years-old)

Dwight Howard is coming off a season where he led his Orlando Magic to a second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. He also was rewarded with his second consecutive defensive player of the year award.

The four time NBA All-Star will be entering his seventh season and is already the unquestioned best center in the NBA hands down. Sure some are better offensively than Howard but none match his overall dominance and impact on both ends of the court.

Often criticized for being to child-like, fun loving, and not having a complete offensive game, it’s as if folks don’t realize that he’s a 24-year-old young man. His pluses far exceed his few minuses.

Mainly due to his rare athletic abilities for a big man, Howard uses his massive stature to lead the way for his Orlando teammates. Sometimes he gets the raw end of the stick because NBA officials feel the need to even the playing field for his opposition.

Howard is an extremely underrated offensive player. I mean he’s basically a 20 point per game scorer while taking about 12 field goal attempts per game. You take him off the Magic and put him on a team with Steve Nash or Chris Paul and he gets 26-plus points easily.

He’s also an underrated passer and would average more than two assist if he was afforded more touches. Howard is also a tremendous offensive rebounder and usually gets four too six points off such plays.

Where Howard is most respected is on the defensive end.  His abilities are often over exaggerated to god like status. Howard is not always what he can be and often plays down from his full capabilities.

He has a poor habit of picking up cheap fouls but because his team is so fundamentally sound defensively, they rarely suffer because of it.  With that said, he is still the most productive center in the NBA and it’s highly unlikely that there’s another defender who has a bigger impact from a game to game basis.

Howard is still developing as a player. Should he ever get it, he could easily dominate the NBA for years to come. There aren’t many bigs that can match him from an athletic standpoint.

35 mpg

18 ppg

13 rpg

2 apg

1 spg

3 bpg

61% fg

59% ft

0% tp

2. LeBron James (seven year pro) (25-years-old)

Regardless of how you feel about LeBron James the person, it still shouldn't take away from how you feel about LeBron James the player. He is still the most difficult player to match-up with in the NBA.

For three consecutive years LeBron has lead the NBA in player efficiency. That means he’s been the most productive player in the entire NBA for three consecutive seasons. So love it or hate it, for all intended purposes, he’s as good as it gets.

Are there more mentally stronger players? Logically speaking? Yes!

But none of them can match his combination of physical gifts and basketball skills and etc. Never mind the fact that he has a pretty good basketball-IQ himself. It’s as if folks want to right him off because of his free agent decision.

LeBron excels at nearly every aspect of basketball. His only real flaw is his outside shooting, but that isn’t a big deal when one considers the fact that he is only 25-years-old.

He now will lend his talents to the Miami Heat organization for the next 6-plus years. Along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James will set out o put a strangle hold on the NBA for the next half decade, if not longer.

Crazy thing about all this, nobody is talking about how much better James will get under the Heat organization that has a reputation for getting the most out of star players. The man will enter the season with a chip on his shoulder and a Wade and Bosh at each hip to help guide his direction.

How can he do anything but succeed?

39 mpg

30 ppg

7 rpg

9 apg

2 spg

1 bpg

50% fg

77% ft

33% tp

1. Dwyane Wade (seven year pro) (28-years-old)

We have reached number one. And I know you're surprised...but reality trumps perception all the time.

Dwyane Wade is not only the best player in the Eastern Conference; he’s also the best basketball player in the entire NBA. And no I haven’t been drinking.

Next time someone tells you someone is better, ask them what is it that person does that Dwyane Wade can’t or doesn’t do.

For some reason, when people discuss Wade, all they want to talk about is how injured he has been or how poor his three point percentage is. They never focus on the fact that he get’s the job done…period.

What players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant accomplish statistically in 39-plus minutes, Dwyane Wade does in 36 minutes. That’s identical or better production in less time on the floor. He does all this while being undersized.

In the entire history of the NBA, only Michael Jordan has a higher player usage percentage…let that sink in. To understand what that means, you only need to look at where LeBron James ranks on the list (third place.)

Wade also finished second in player efficiency for the second consecutive season and like LeBron James has placed fourth or higher at least three times in his NBA career. To ignore what the man does is to be ignorant. No NBA player performs at a high level more consistently than Dwyane Wade. No player attacks the elite teams of the league like Dwyane Wade. And now, he finally has players that will spread the floor and command just as much attention as him.

Wade is a moment player and usually is at his best when the stakes are at their highest. This trait is what puts him head and shoulders above his peers. Not even the legendary Kobe Bryant can match the numbers that Wade has in regards to playoff numbers.

Wade is a complete offensive player, regardless of what you’ve been told. He can drive, work the mid-range game, go off from deep and set-up his for open looks. He has no holes in his game.

Defensively, he’s every bit as effective as he is on offense. For the past two seasons he’s been snubbed of the NBA First Team Defense. Another case in how Kobe Bryant is overrated consistently.

The one real problem with Wade is that he often tends to trust his teammates two often and tries to carry the burden of winning to often. His leadership skills are in need of work also because he did not handle the mentoring of Michael Beasley all that well.

With James and Bosh on board, Wade will once again have the audience befitting of his talents and skills.

The world will once again question “why haven’t we heard more about the man known as Dwyane Wade.”

36 mpg

27 ppg

5 rpg

7 apg

2 spg

1 bpg

48% fg

76% ft

30% tp