50 Current NBA Players That Would Make Great Streetballers
In the thick of a nasty lockout, several high-profile NBA players have been displaying their immense talent on streetball courts—none more so than Kevin Durant, who recently dropped 66 points in a game at New York's famed Rucker Park.
After witnessing Durant's recent scoring outbursts on the playgrounds, it's interesting to speculate on others who would be fun to watch in that setting.
Here are the 50 who I think would be most entertaining on the streets (wouldn't it have been harder for me to name 50 NBA players who are not already oozing streetball?)...
Andy Bailey is on Twitter. Follow @_Andy_Bailey
50. DeMarcus Cousins
1 of 51DeMarcus Cousins has a hot head, but that might actually be a good thing on the streets.
49. Ron Artest
2 of 51His game may not be very streetball, but his attitude sure would make for some entertaining streetball.
48. Derrick Williams
3 of 51Williams is arguably the most exciting prospect coming into the NBA this year and would punish the rim as a streetballer.
47. Jrue Holiday
4 of 51Holiday is a young point guard with a decent amount of swag to his game. Perfect fit for streetball.
46. Rodney Stuckey
5 of 51Like pretty much every Piston on Detroit's roster, Rodney Stuckey was pretty stifled last season. Letting loose on the streets could be just the boost he needs.
45. Darren Collison
6 of 51Collison has the kind of speed and quickness that helps a lot of streetballers wow crowds.
44. Tony Parker
7 of 51Parker has been raised in the NBA as a Gregg Popovich-style point guard. It would be interesting to see his speed and quickness in a streetball environment.
43. Michael Beasley
8 of 51I know Beasley showed he might not have the head to play in a streetball setting when he recently shoved a fan in the face, but he has the skills and swag to dominate if he could ever get himself together psychologically.
42. Jeff Teague
9 of 51Teague is listed as a point guard in the NBA, but this guy is wired to score. I could see him posting 40-point games like Kevin Durant on the streets.
41. Chase Budinger
10 of 51One of the most athletic wings in the league, Chase Budinger would give fans plenty of high-flying dunks to cheer for.
40. Josh Smith
11 of 51Crowds would go crazy for Josh Smith's athletic ability. He'd have tons of exciting dunks and would block opponents' shots left and right.
39. Andre Iguodala
12 of 51Iguodala's high-flying dunks would be the biggest thing he'd bring to a streetball environment, but don't underestimate his handles and passing.
38. Dwyane Wade
13 of 51Wade's not the same electrifying player he was five years ago, but he would still light up streetball players like Christmas Eve.
37. Dwight Howard
14 of 51It would be pretty funny to see typical streetball players try to deal with Dwight Howard. He would look like an absolute giant in most streetball settings.
Howard's fun-loving attitude would make him an instant crowd favorite as well.
36. LeBron James
15 of 51LeBron is the most talented player in the world. The way he dominates the NBA would be nothing compared to what he would do to streetballers.
35. JaVale McGee
16 of 51You saw the kind of athleticism, creativity and swagger McGee has during this past season's dunk contest. Those are all great streetball attributes.
34. Kobe Bryant
17 of 51Kobe Bryant may not fit the psychological mold of most streetballers, but that's maybe what would make him great out there. His will to win at everything he does would make him a nightmare.
33. Tyreke Evans
18 of 51Evans does pretty much whatever he wants in Sacramento, so making the switch to streetball wouldn't be too tough for him.
32. Carmelo Anthony
19 of 51Carmelo Anthony's insane scoring ability would translate well to the streets, where very little real defense is even attempted.
31. Jason Terry
20 of 51"The Jet" would take off in a big way on streetball courts.
30. Rudy Gay
21 of 51Rudy Gay would soar over the competition on streetball courts.
29. O.J. Mayo
22 of 51In terms of natural talent, O.J. Mayo is one of the best combo guards in the league. He would completely dominate a less structured environment like streetball.
28. Jameer Nelson
23 of 51Jameer Nelson doesn't put up huge numbers in the NBA, but his size and style seem like solid fits for the streetball world.
27. Manu Ginobili
24 of 51With that "Euro Step," Manu Ginobili gets away with traveling quite a bit in the NBA. I don't think he'd get called for it on the streets either.
26. Russell Westbrook
25 of 51Russell Westbrook's shoot-first attitude hurts him as an NBA point guard but would be just fine in streetball settings.
25. Jonny Flynn
26 of 51After showing decent promise in his rookie season, Flynn wasn't given a chance to do much of anything last season. He can still have a solid career, and his speed would make him a nice streetballer.
24. James Harden
27 of 51James Harden not starting for the Thunder is pretty outrageous. He's clearly the best shooting guard on the roster and would dominate on the streets.
23. Serge Ibaka
28 of 51Serge Ibaka is a beast athletically and seems to have the kind of fun-loving attitude that would make him a crowd-pleaser on the streets.
22. DeMar DeRozan
29 of 51Soaring dunkers always translate to streetball pretty well. DeRozan is a rising star in more ways than one.
21. Amar'e Stoudemire
30 of 51Amar'e would finish in ways that would make any streetball court or venue go bananas.
20. John Wall
31 of 51Five years from now, I think John Wall could very well be the best point guard in the NBA. His speed and quickness are insane for a 6'4" player.
He would slice and dice streetballers to pieces.
19. Nate Robinson
32 of 51With his attitude, height and insane hops, Robinson would most definitely be a streetball crowd favorite.
18. Kemba Walker
33 of 51Kemba Walker grew up in New York and has a lot of streetball in his game already.
17. DeShawn Stevenson
34 of 51Over the years, DeShawn Stevenson has shown a serious competitive edge and flair for the dramatic. He's never been a big producer in the NBA but would be fun to watch as a streetballer.
16. James Johnson
35 of 51I grew up with James Johnson, and we played in high school together. He's had a relatively quiet NBA career so far, but you guys haven't seen him unleashed.
He has a ton of swag and streetball-like flair that would make him a blast to watch at Rucker or anywhere else.
15. Ty Lawson
36 of 51Ty Lawson brings a ton of excitement to the Mile High City with the Nuggets. He'd be electrifying as a streetballer.
14. Nick Young
37 of 51If John Wall and Nick Young stay together, they have the potential to become one of the most talented and exciting backcourts in the NBA.
13. Kevin Durant
38 of 51Kevin Durant has already been showing what he can do as a streetballer.
He looks pretty ridiculous out there, as he's at least four or five inches taller than everyone else and still playing his customary wing position. It's really not fair, but I can't blame him for owning these guys while he's not allowed to work at Thunder team facilities.
12. J.R. Smith
39 of 51J.R. Smith often looks like he's playing streetball as a member of the Denver Nuggets, so it's not too difficult to imagine him at Rucker Park.
11. Brandon Jennings
40 of 51Jennings seems like the perfect fit for the streetball game. He's quick, fast, explosive and has plenty of swagger.
10. Jimmer Fredette
41 of 51Jimmer Fredette was absolutely the best and most exciting college basketball player last year. His long-range bombs would get the crowd going as much as anything.
9. Stephen Curry
42 of 51Stephen Curry is one of the funnest players to watch in the NBA. Just two seasons into his career, and he's already shown that he can be one of the league's best point guards.
8. Deron Williams
43 of 51Deron Williams' crossover puts NBA defenders to shame. Imagine how streetball crowds and competition would react.
7. Derrick Rose
44 of 51This one's pretty obvious, right?
6. Jason Williams
45 of 51I'm not sure if he qualifies as "current," but Jason "White Chocolate" Williams would be a perfect fit for streetball.
5. Monta Ellis
46 of 51Monta Ellis is one of the most naturally gifted scorers in the world and possesses every tool needed to dominate a setting like streetball (speed, quickness, handles, explosiveness, etc.).
4. Blake Griffin
47 of 51Griffin found a way to throw down an insane number of dunks against NBA competition. He would bust loose for a big finish on almost every possession in the streetball world.
3. Rajon Rondo
48 of 51With his great ball-handling, passing ability and fake-outs, Rajon Rondo's skill set would be perfect for the streets.
2. Chris Paul
49 of 51CP3 is still arguably the best point guard in the NBA. He would crush streetballers.
1. Steve Nash
50 of 51Nash's handles, passing and general creativity with the basketball would make him a very exciting streetballer.
He makes NBA players look much better when he plays with them, so imagine what he'd do for streetballers. He could light up streetball defenders for 50 points if he really wanted to.
Most importantly, no one would give him crap for playing no defense.









