NBA Power Rankings: The Most Dangerous Offensive Weapon from Every Team
The current trend in the NBA is teams gravitating toward mashing stars together on one team to see if they can work out together and from a championship team. Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat nearly did that this year, but they were out-played by a compilation of players that we in the business I like to call a "team."
No word on whether or not this "team" thing will be catching on any time soon, but with the salary cap likely lowering within the next few months, it's likely that the largest number of superstars that could align themselves in one city would be (gasp!) two.
Regardless of whether you are one of these newfangled "team" dealies or a mash-up of superstars, every team has a guy that is the main offensive weapon, a guy that strikes fear into the hearts of defenders.
Every team has the one guy they rely on for a good hunk of their offensive production, without whom they would have trouble filling up the box score.
So I've taken a quick look over the league and picked a player on each team that is the main offensive weapon for each team in the NBA.
Atlanta Hawks, Joe Johnson
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After signing an indefensible maximum contract with the Atlanta Hawks that may handcuff them in the coming years (did I say may handcuff them? I meant will handcuff them), Atlanta expected to get the Joe Johnson they saw for the past five years.
What they got was one of the worst versions of Joe Johnson they have seen, but he was still a powerful offensive weapon.
He's a do-it-all type of player who can score for himself and create shots for his teammates, averaging around five assists for his career.
Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce
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Boston has many an offensive weapon, but most of them are offensive specialists who happen to be good at other things as well.
Ray Allen is a three-point shooter who can work his way into the lane and sink jumpers, Kevin Garnett is a low-post player who can fade out a bit and make some mid-range shots and Rajon Rondo is a tricky passer who can penetrate and score at the rim.
However, Paul Pierce can do many things on the floor, and he is good at them all. He can isolate, drive the lane, pull up and shooter a mid-range, long-range or three-point jumper. He can pass and is still equally viable in the transition game and half-court game.
Charlotte Bobcats, Stephen Jackson
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There aren't many more players that could even be considered candidates for the Bobcats' most dangerous offensive weapon.
Who else would I pick here? DJ Augustin? Boris Diaw? Tyrus Thomas?
There's nobody else, so congrats Jackson, enjoy this mention for what it is.
Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose
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Derrick Rose is one of the most impressive players in the NBA, but I won't sit here and gush over him, or I'll be labeled as a Rose fan-boy, something that I can definitely say I am not.
He is amazing in isolation situations, breaking down his opponent and forcing his way into the lane and making shots that I've only seen Steve Nash attempt in the past five years or so.
He's fun to watch and one of the best players in the game, and if you think otherwise then you are hard-headed and missing out on some impressive and fun basketball.
Cleveland Cavaliers, Baron Davis
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This may not be saying much for the Cavs, but Baron Davis is the scariest thing they have on offense, and it's not because the other team is afraid he'll get hungry and try to gnaw off one of their legs.
Davis is still a good passer and averaged the most assists of anyone still on the Cavs roster, but he also regained some offensive game when Blake Griffin reminded him why basketball is fun.
He was a great three-point shooter for the Cavs in the past year and also pulled off some vintage Baron Davis moves in getting to the rim.
Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki
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Does this one really need to be explained?
Dirk has the most unorthodox game I have ever seen, and he makes it look like everyone should be playing like him.
He can post up 90 percent of the players in the league at the free-throw line and then pull off a patented Nowitzki spin move and either drive in for a layup, kick it out to start the ball moving and get a wide open three for his teammates or go to his...well go-to move, the one-legged fadeaway.
Denver Nuggets, Arron Afflalo
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Denver evolved into a compilation of fast-paced, hot-shooting players over the last few months of the season, so it's hard to pick one guy that I would call the most dangerous weapon.
Ty Lawson is developing into a guy that looks like he could be a good starting point guard for six or seven years, but Arron Afflalo has a mixture of shooting and driving skills that make him rather dangerous on the offensive end of the floor.
Detroit Pistons, Rodney Stuckey
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Detroit has two types of players right now. They have old, overpaid veterans who need to be traded and young, promising players who need a better environment to learn the NBA game in.
They don't really have an offensive weapon that I would refer to as dangerous, but Stuckey is a decent three-point shooter and penetrator, so there is some danger factor in his game.
Golden State Warriors, Monta Ellis
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In about three years time Monta Ellis has gone from being an all-out chucker to being a somewhat efficient shooting guard.
Only 71 percent of his shots were jumpers, and he has an excellent ability to get into the lane for a guy his size, plus he is a streaky three-point shooter. When he gets that going, then you had better bet he will be making four or five threes in that game.
Houston Rockets, Kevin Martin
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If this man could develop some kind of defensive game, he would be a top-10 player in the league right now, but we'll have to settle for his dangerous offensive game for now I suppose.
Kevin Martin is absolutely disgusting in isolation situations, and when he gets some space for himself then he is putting up the shot and probably making it.
Aside from that, Martin is a decent passer, he's pretty good a finishing at the rim and he is excellent in a catch-and-shoot opportunity.
Indiana Pacers, Danny Granger
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One of the best players that is potentially on the move this summer, Danny Granger is your typical 21st century small forward.
He is a good athlete, can get to the rim off the dribble or without the ball. He can create his own shot or catch and shoot. He can draw contact and make free throws, and he is very good at making shots near the end of the shot clock.
While he may not be an elite small forward, he definitely has the tools to be very good on the right team.
Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin
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In just a year, Blake Griffin has become one of the most hyped rookies in recent memory.
He still needs to develop his post game a lot more, and if he could put together a good, consistent jump shot then he would be devastating, but he is still pretty good right now.
Griffin has a pretty little hook shot that he can get to go down most of the time, and when he gets to the rim, he absolutely demoralizes opponents.
Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant
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He's getting old but his offensive game is aging like wine and cheese, not milk and bananas.
Bryant is realizing that he is a bit slower and the game is impacting his body more in his later years (when is the last time you saw a thunderous dunk from Kobe?), and he is adjusting perfectly to that.
He is one of the best in the league in isolation with only 38 percent of his shots assisted on, plus he seems to become a better shooter when the shot clock is winding down.
Aside from that, I would argue that he is becoming a better passer, he is still an amazing shooter, he gets into the lane, draws contact and makes his freebies.
Memphis Grizzlies, Zach Randolph
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You could make the argument for Rudy Gay, but I think you have to go with Randolph for the Grizzlies after this year's playoffs.
Randolph is one of the few true clutch big men in the NBA, and while he is as athletic as a pile of dirty gym socks, he is as strong as their smell. He can back down almost anyone in the league and unleash a flurry of low-post moves on them, or he can just pull up and take a short little jumper.
He is also great at drawing contact with his wide body and can make the free throws he gets from that contact. Plus, he isn't a bad passer.
Miami Heat, LeBron James
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Nevermind what happened in the past week (it's hard to do, I know), but LeBron James is the most skilled player in the league. He may have been out-hustled by Brian Cardinal, out-muscled by Jason Kidd and out-smarted by JJ Barea, but he is still the best player in the league otherwise.
LeBron can get to the rim like nobody else, he is a decent three-point shooter and he is one of the best passing forwards in the history of the NBA.
James can also be clutch from time-to-time and when he feels like it he has a bit of a low-post game. He could score 35 points a game if he developed a low-post game, but here we are.
Milwaukee Bucks, Brandon Jennings
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The Bucks don't really have a single guy that accounts for a good portion of their offense, but I would argue because of his seemingly irrational confidence at times, Brandon Jennings is dangerous.
A streaky shooter and a decent passer, Jennings has many areas to work on in his game, but he believes that he is the best player on the court, and at times that can be the most dangerous player to play against because he is just crazy enough and juuuust talented enough to knock down a game-winner.
Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Love
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Kevin Love is an amazing rebounder, and on the offensive end of the floor, he is just the guy that can stretch out a defense.
He is a great three-point shooter for a big man, knocking down 41 percent of his shots, plus he can go down low and put his wide body into the lane and take up enough space to get some shots down low or inhale a ball off the offensive glass.
Love still needs all kinds of work on his low-post game, but for now, his team isn't going anywhere, so it's excusable.
New Jersey Nets, Deron Williams
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There is no question about this one.
Deron Williams is one of the best three-point guards in the game, and he shows it on both the offensive and defensive end of the court.
Williams is an amazing passer, an excellent shooter and quite good at getting to the lane, drawing contact and sinking his free throws.
New Orleans Hornets, Chris Paul
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Should I just copy and paste everything from the last slide? Because it goes for Chris Paul as well.
More than Deron Williams, however, Chirs Paul is a brilliant basketball mind (Williams is smart, but it's like comparing Will Hunting to Stephen Hawking) and can read every angle on the court.
Paul is arguably the best point guard in the game today, and the fact that he dragged his ragtag team to the playoffs without David West and gave the Lakers all they could handle proves that.
New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony
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Possibly the best scorer with the ball in the NBA today, Carmelo Anthony has an infinite number of ways to score.
Anthony is great off the dribble, he can catch-and-shoot, he can create space for his own shot, drive to the lane and attack the basket, get fouled and make his free throws, pull up for a jumper, shoot a three; you name it, he can do it.
Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook
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How, you might ask, can I pick Russell Westbrook over Kevin Durant?
First, Westbrook has been much better throughout his career at creating his own shot, he scores on plays where he is assisted to on just 18 percent of his scoring plays while Durant is assisted 62 percent of the time.
Then you have to take a look at how often Westbrook is fouled. He gets to the line less than Durant, but when it's averaged out Westbrook attempts 10.6 free throws per 48 minutes and Durant attempts 10.7, but Westbrook shoots a better percentage from the line.
Westbrook actually shoots more shots from less than ten feet as well, as 87 percent of Durant's shots are jumpers, while only 63 percent of Westbrook's are, with 33 percent being close-range shots compared to Durant's seven percent.
In the end, I would say Durant is the better offensive weapon, but Westbrook is more dangerous, as he is more unpredictable, a better free-throw shooter and a much better passer.
Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard
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Dwight Howard is what makes the Magic work on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor.
Howard is the nucleus demanding attention from defenders down low while the rest of his teammates roam about the three-point line and either wait until one of them gets open or feed the ball to Howard.
He needs to have some more decisive low-post moves, but he is much better than in years past and is truly the most dominant big man in the game.
Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Iguodala
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Andre Iguodala did something this year that should be respected by every basketball fan out there. Iggy focused on his defensive game and became one of the league's best defenders all at the expense of his offensive numbers.
He knew his teammates were getting better offensively, so he deferred more and let them grow more on that end of of the floor while he became a defender.
Meanwhile, he was still able to do Andre Iguodala things on offense himself, just in a bit of a lesser capacity in years past.
He's extremely athletic, he can pass, shoot, attack and dunk like a man possessed and is just really fun to watch in general.
Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash
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If Deron Williams is Will Hunting and Chris Paul is Stephen Hawking on the basketball court, then Steve Nash is Christopher Langan, the world's smartest man.
Nash is a once-in-a-generation type of offensive player who could run absolutely any type of offense that his team asked him to, and he would do it as good as or better than anyone else in the league.
If Steve Nash wasn't on the Suns then they would probably be the worst team in the league. With him they are a borderline playoff team, and that's definitely not because of his defense.
Portland Trail Blazers, LaMarcus Aldridge
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LaMarcus Aldridge made the jump this year from being a very good player to being a potential franchise player for the Portland Trail Blazers.
First, he developed a nice low-post game to play center for the Blazers this year, and he did a very good job with it, but he makes his money with his mid-range jumper. Aldridge's mid-range jumper is nearly indefensible, and somehow he makes it almost impossible to block.
Sacramento Kings, Marcus Thornton
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Marcus Thornton kind of came to Sacramento this year and stole the Kings' crown away from Tyreke Evans, but in the second half of last season, Thornton was just better than Evans.
Thornton is probably just as confident as Evans (both are very over-confident players), but that's a bit of a good thing because instead of having a 29 percent three-point shooter putting up bombs, they have a 36 percent three-point shooter.
Otherwise, Thornton can create his own shot just fine, he is a decent passer, and he has a jumper that just splashes into the net.
San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili
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You will see 100 more guys compared to Michael Jordan before you see one more compared to Manu Ginobili.
He is left-handed, which gives defenses fits, and when he gets the ball he does things that should be impossible for a nonathletic guy who is 6'6".
Manu can twist and contort his body in six different directions on his way to the hoop, jump, contort himself in six more ways, and just when you think he's going to put the ball up, he can kick it out to a teammate in the corner for an uncontested three.
Toronto Raptors, Andrea Bargnani
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He refuses to rebound but he's got an offensive game.
I'll never be convinced that he is a guy you can hang your hat on with any team, but he has some skills that can't be ignored.
Bargnani is as good a three-point shooter as many guards in the league, plus he can handle the ball pretty well and is good at getting to the line and sinking his free throws.
Utah Jazz, Al Jefferson
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Another all-offense, no defense center, Al Jefferson does it more with a low-post game and shots from 15 feet and in.
He does have a bit of a jumper, but he is best at either facing up a the basket or backing down his man and unleashing a spin move, jump hook or a little fadeaway kiss off the glass.
Washington Wizards, John Wall
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The best rookie of the 2010 draft class is coming along nicely on the offensive side of the ball.
Wall is lightening-quick, and when he gets past his man, he can easily pull up for a jumper, drive into the lane and get some foul shots or kick it around to an open man on the wing.
He is turning into something really special to watch and is giving them some hope out in Washington.
