I have not posted in awhile, been pre-occupied with various things such as school, my Dad's 50th birthday party, and school some more. In light of the recent Carmelo Anthony trade to the Knicks (finally we can get on to focusing in on the stretch run towards the postseason), I have decided to formulate another list of rankings, which I love doing because of the debate that it creates. I am not going to do a breakdown of the trade, you can read that most anywhere else today. My brief take is that any time you can acquire a top level player you have to do it. The supplemental parts can be filled in time and this sets the Knicks up better in the long-term not as much this year. My list will be of the top 10 current players in the NBA today. I will be looking at factors such as postseason success, winning, regular season success, and how much value they add to their teams. Recent success will also be heavily considered as well.
So without further ado, my top 10 NBA players for the 2010-2011 season.
1. Kobe Bryant (age 32)- L.A. Lakers
Comments: 15 year in the league, still among the top scorers in the league. Has 5 championships, including the last 2. He still prone to selfishness but his teams are usually on top at the end. Phil Jackson gets a lot of credit for his molding of Kobe, much like he did with Jordan. He has logged a lot of minutes over his career including some deep playoff runs so we will see how his body holds up over these next few years.
2. Dwayne Wade (29)- Miami Heat
He gets the edge over his teammate because of his postseason success and because he got LeBron to come to him, not the other way around. He may have peaked statistically a couple of seasons ago, but still puts up around 25 ppg. He is a 7 time All-Star and has a Finals MVP on his resume where he was spectacular. He is such a tenacious player on offense, who is best skill is driving towards the basket and making those difficult shots, which leaves him vulnerable to injury. With LBJ now in town this should only help Wade as it lessens the offensive burden on him. Only flaw is his penchant for shooting too many 3's of which he shoots a low percentage (below 30%), other than that he is a really good player.
3. LeBron James (26)-Miami Heat
The best athlete this league has ever seen. 6-8 270 lbs and has the speed and power combination that is just not seen in this world. He is also the best regular season player on this list which should count for something. Appeared in 1 NBA Finals and lost to the Spurs. He should really just drive every time he gets the ball and not worry about shooting so many outside jumpers. If he wanted to commit to sitting down in the low block then he could really complete his game. He has gotten better on the defensive side of the ball and can lock down elite players on the wings. He is such an intriguing figure. It will be interesting to see how his career evolves with Wade in Miami. Can he be the man? Or will it be LeBron for 3 quarters and Wade taking over in the 4th quarter. We'll see. It will be exciting to watch.
4. Kevin Durant (22)-Oklahoma City Thunder
A pure scorer. An elastic man version of Tracy McGrady only better. He has limited playoff experience, only 1-7game series against the Lakers. Figure on his team continuing to progress through the rounds in the playoffs with the emergence of Russell Westbrook as a more than capable sidekick. The leading scorer in the league the last 2 seasons. He is a great teammate who is teammates seem to get along well with each other which helps fuel their winning ways. He is a guy who you want to pull for because of all the things he represents. Not flashy, humble, and hungry for wins.
5. Dwight Howard (25)- Orlando Magic
Reigning two time Defensive P.O.Y. 5 time All-Star, his teams win a lot of games. He has made 1 appearance in the Finals and another appearance in the conference finals. His teams have won over 50 games the past 3 seasons and are on pace to do so this season. He covers up for his team's defensive mistakes. He is averaging a career high in ppg this season at 22.8 and he continues to be a force on the boards averaging nearly 14 a game for the past 4 seasons. He is a liability down the stretch in games because of his poor FT shooting.
6. Carmelo Anthony (26)-New York Knicks
A pure, elite scorer who comes by his points pretty easily. A four-time All Star his teams have appeared in the playoffs every single season that he has been in the league, but have only advanced past the first round once. He should do well in D'Antoni's system in NY.
7. Deron Williams (26)-Utah Jazz
He tentatively holds the title of the best all around PG in a league that is full of quality ones. He is averaging a career high in ppg at 21.3 and is averaging right around 10 dimes a game. He is a decent outside shooter at 35% a game on 3's. His teams have been in the playoffs the last 4 seasons and all but 1 saw his team advance past the first round. A lot of credit should go to Jerry Sloan for the success of this team and I do not like how that situation ended with Sloan resigning a couple of weeks ago but with that being said, this is a dynamic PG and the tops in the league for now.
8. Dirk Nowitzki (32)-Dallas Mavericks
He just keeps plugging along in now his 13th season in the league. His teams always win and as a model of consistency he has averaged between 21.8 and 26.6 ppg every year since the 2000-2001 season. Prior to this season and excluding his rookie season the most games he had missed in a season was 6. He is a 38% career 3 point shooter. He won a MVP and has appeared in 10 All Star games. From 2000 on the fewest games his team has won in a season is 50. Again consistent excellence here. Probably would be best served as an elite number 2 option on a team, not quite an elite player but pretty damned close.
9. Derrick Rose (22)-Chicago Bulls
He has made the jump this season and is a strong candidate for MVP this season. He has gotten better every season that he has been in the league. He has worked diligently to improve his outside shooting, jumping all the way up to 35% on 3pt shots from 26 and 22% shooting his first 2 seasons in the league. Thus his ppg is at a career high of 24.9 a game, up 4 a game from last season. He has led a banged up team this year to the 3rd best record in the East. He has been dynamite in his brief playoff experiences.
10. Chris Paul (25)- New Orleans Hornets
A floor general. Some say very similar to Isaiah Thomas. Has led the league in assists and steals twice. Leads the league in steals this season. He can really shoot. 47.3% for his career, including 36.4% from 3. His last 2 seasons he has shot over 40% from 3. He makes his teammates better which is why he ranks where he does on this list. His health, especially his knees are a big concern going forward. How will he hold up? When he plays his teams win. When he does not play, they do not win. That to me is value.
Honorable Mentions- Pau Gasol, Amare Stoudimire, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook
Feel free to disagree, I am sure you do.
MB
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