Top 10 NBA Players

[Big Sexy]

The last few years ESPN has been ranking the top 500 players in the league before the start of each season. I'm going to list their top 10 below and just want to see who would make changes to that top 10 and what changes those would be.

ESPN's Top 10
1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Chris Paul
4. James Harden
5. Russell Westbrook
6. Stephen Curry
7. Dwight Howard
8. Kyrie Irving
9. Derrick Rose
10. Marc Gasol

My Top 10
1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Chris Paul
4. Russell Westbrook
5. Stephen Curry
6. Derrick Rose
7. Dwight Howard
8. James Harden
9. Marc Gasol
10. Tony Parker

I think 1-3 are an easy call and I didn't make any changes there. My first change was at number 4 where ESPN has James Harden. I think Harden is a tremendous player and definitely top 10, however, I think it's a little early to have him as high as number 4. I moved both Westbrook and Curry up a spot. I moved Derrick Rose from 9 to 6 as I think too much emphasis is being placed on him missing last season. Most had him as a top 5 guy before the injury and I think he will return to form this year. I kept Howard at 7 and then slotted Harden into the 8 spot. I moved Marc Gasol up one spot to 9 as he is still underrated and continues to challenge Dwight Howard for the title of best big man in the league. The only player I moved into the top 10 was Tony Parker. Like Gasol, he is one of the most underrated elite players we have in this league. The Spurs will always be known as Popovich and Duncan's team, but Tony Parker is now that teams superstar. The one player I dropped from the top 10 is Kyrie Irving. Irving is extremely talented and could move into the top 5 as early as next year but I can't have a player who has never won more then 24 games over guys like Derrick Rose and Tony Parker.

 

[Alastor]

According to those ranking the Thunder could have 3 of the top 5 players this coming season if they didn't trade away Harden last season? I call BS on that. Except for Irving I think I think they got most of it right. Players 3-10 can probably be in any order.

Here's my personal list

1. Lebron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Derrick Rose
4. Dwight Howard
5. Stephen Curry
6. Marc Gasol
7. Chris Paul
8. James Harden
9. Tony Parker
10. Carmelo Anthony

Added Parker and Melo in place of Westbrook and Irving. Too many damn guards. Westbrook is a great player but I can't drop Curry or Parker for him due to personal bias.

PS: Weird not seeing Kobe's name eh?

 

[jmt225]

1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Derrick Rose
4. Kyrie Irving
5. Stephen Curry
6. Paul George
7. Chris Paul
8. Tony Parker
9. Kevin Love
10. Blake Griffin

How people are ranking Dwight Howard so highly... I don't know. He was awful last year and is simply not that good. He'll never be a #1 caliber guy so he doesn't belong on any top 10 list.

Chris Paul is great, but people also overrate him. He's the Peyton Manning of the NBA... great regular season player, mediocre in the Playoffs.

James Harden is another one that's extremely overrated.

Carmelo Anthony is a mystery. It's a contract year, so you never know... he might pull a Albert Puljos on us. But then again, maybe he'll just remain as a one-dimensional scorer and nothing more. I'm betting on the latter at this point, especially on a team like New York where there's no true #2 guy.

Derrick Rose has looked awesome this preseason and is going to be on a warpath all season long. He might have an Adrian Peterson 2012 like season.

This will be Kyrie Irving's breakout year. I really believe in that kid and I think he's going to be spectacular all season long, and yes... he will get Cleveland in the playoffs this year.

Stephan Curry is most certainly NOT a one-hit wonder. His amazing play will continue into this season.

Paul George will live up to the contract he received this offseason.

People are sleeping on Kevin Love. If he's healthy, look out. I'd take him over Howard or either Gasol any day of the week.

And Blake Griffin's going to have the best season of his career. I think his all around game will be vastly improved and that we'll be seeing much more from him this year than just dunk highlights.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I think my head is not far off from JMT's

1. Lebron
2. Durant
3. Rose - totally biased but he's been very good and still showing explosion that I thought would be gone this pre-season.
4. Curry - he's got a shooting gift that makes everyone else's life easier and allows other guys to just play a role
5. George - I think he's the reason Indiana made it so far and was so competitve with Lebron
6. Carmelo - gets a lot of shit but he can score and play a couple of positions
7. Love (when healthy) - needs to get back to the rebounding machine he used to be
8. Paul - I can't put him higher until he has some more success
9. Parker - I just love the way he plays and his success is impossible to ignore
10. Bryant - because I would have left him off the list the past two years preseason and he would have proven me wrong.

A couple more notes:
- fuck Dwight Howard, he looked terrible last year every time I saw him. Maybe he just didn't care last year, but in that case fuck him more.
- I really haven't watched enough Marc Gasol or Kyrie Irving
- Westbrook probably should have been on my list. That team was not the same without him last year.
- Houston was fine last year and Harden was a big part of that but I don't think he is a top ten guy yet.
- the internet smark in me really wanted to add Kawhli (sp?) Leonard. I figure Popovich, Parker, and Duncan are going to turn that guy in to gold.

 

[JamJam]

1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Derrick Rose
4. Chris Paul
5. Carmelo Anthony
6. Steph Curry
7. Dwight Howard
8. James Harden
9. Tony Parker
10. Kobe Bryant

God, ESPN’s list sucks so bad. No idea how they left of Carmelo out of the top 10 and the same with Kobe. Sure Kobe is getting up there in age but c’mon, you can’t ignore the guy’s talent. They definitely ranked Harden too high and so with Curry. Both guys are phenomenal and I fully expect them to solidify their top 10-status in the next two seasons. But for now, this is the list I’m going with based purely on skill. Also, listing the third top player was a pretty hard thing to do but ultimately went with Rose because of how good he has looked in the preseason. If he gets back to the level he was playing before, then he'll deserve the third spot. I’ve left off Kyrie Irving, Marc Gasol, and Russell Westbrook. Each of those guys are talented in their own right, but top ten? Don’t think so but top 20 for sure.

 

[Alastor]

They probably left Kobe off the list because he suffered a career threatening injury at the tail end of his career that will limit his playing time this coming season and the injury probably mean he won't return as the Kobe we know.

As for Howard, I will defend him. His basketball skills might be horrible, he turns the ball over too many times, but you cannot deny his presence in most teams will lift the performance of those around him. Look if Roy Hibbert can be effective in the post season for the Pacers last year, a healthy, committed and more mobile Dwight can be for any team as well. Though Hibbert has more range and is probably more skilled on the offensive end. Even in Howard's worst season he still puts in the production.

I don't buy into the Kevin Love lovefest(pun intended) yet. He puts up huge numbers but his teams suck. Even now I would still take the declining Dirk Nowitzki over Love.

 

[Big Sexy]

I think you guys have Chris Paul way too low, especially since the only knock anyone really has against him is postseason success. That is a somewhat valid point, however, CP3 has gone to the playoffs in 5 of his 8 seasons. The only 3 times he didn't make the playoffs were his first 2 NBA seasons and then the 09-10 season when he missed half the year. He has still gotten to the second round twice and in the 2008 playoffs he and the Hornets took the Spurs to 7 games in the second round.

It's also highly hypocritical to place Paul low because of his lack of postseason success and then have guys like Derrick Rose, Steph Curry, and Kyrie Irving ahead of him. In the weaker Eastern Conference, Rose has gone to the playoffs 4 times and been knocked out of the first round 3 times. That's the same number of times as Paul. Also just like CP3, Rose only has 2 playoff series victories. His postseason success has been no better. Steph Curry was great this past postseason but it was also his first ever trip to the playoffs. And like I stated in my original post, Irving still has yet to lead his team to over 24 victories. Chris Paul to me is easily the number 3 best player in the NBA.

 

[Alastor]

I think you guys have Chris Paul way too low, especially since the only knock anyone really has against him is postseason success. That is a somewhat valid point, however, CP3 has gone to the playoffs in 5 of his 8 seasons. The only 3 times he didn't make the playoffs were his first 2 NBA seasons and then the 09-10 season when he missed half the year. He has still gotten to the second round twice and in the 2008 playoffs he and the Hornets took the Spurs to 7 games in the second round.

It's also highly hypocritical to place Paul low because of his lack of postseason success and then have guys like Derrick Rose, Steph Curry, and Kyrie Irving ahead of him. In the weaker Eastern Conference, Rose has gone to the playoffs 4 times and been knocked out of the first round 3 times. That's the same number of times as Paul. Also just like CP3, Rose only has 2 playoff series victories. His postseason success has been no better. Steph Curry was great this past postseason but it was also his first ever trip to the playoffs. And like I stated in my original post, Irving still has yet to lead his team to over 24 victories. Chris Paul to me is easily the number 3 best player in the NBA.

Personally I was in awe of Curry willing his team to victories/comebacks last year. And believe he can improve even more this year. And the guy can flat out shoot the 3s.

Paul's stock might have dropped last year because he didn't really outshine Mike Conley in their post season duel. They were more equals than what common perception might think the Clips had that position won hands down.

They are all great players here, there really is no right order of players after Lebron and Durant who are undisputed #1 and #2. If Rose comes back healthy and play like before his injury, he is the only realistic player that could challenge those two hence why I placed Rose above Paul or anyone else.

 

[Alastor]

Here's another top 10 list, this time from SI.com
http://nba.si.com/2013/09/20/top-100-players-of-2014-nos-10-1/3/

10. Carmelo Anthony F, New York Knicks
9. Kobe Bryant G, Los Angeles Lakers
8. Dwyane Wade G, Miami Heat
7. Dwight Howard C, Houston Rockets
6. Tim Duncan F/C, San Antonio Spurs
5. Russell Westbrook G, Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Tony Parker G, San Antonio Spurs
3. Chris Paul G, Los Angeles Clippers
2. Kevin Durant F, Oklahoma City Thunder
1. LeBron James F, Miami Heat

More food for thought. Shows how hard it is to rank players after #1 and #2.

 

[jimmybrion1984]

My list:
1. Michael Jordan - 260,734

2. Magic Johnson - 200,527

3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 173,266

4. Larry Bird - 162,401

5. Wilt Chamberlain - 160,882

6. Bill Russell - 144,907

7. Kobe Bryant - 135,663

8. Shaquille O'Neal - 104,365

9. Hakeem Olajuwon - 81,881

10. Tim Duncan - 59,361
Rank via espn.go.com

 

[JGlass]

How Dwight Howard is making so many lists baffles me. He's injury prone, he's coming off a bad year, he seems to struggle to develop chemistry, and he's been exposed as a terrible free throw shooter. Teams know that all they have to do is foul him underneath the basket, and chances are he's only walking away with one point. He's still a defensive presence, but he fouls too much and the center position is starting to see a bit of a resurgence in the NBA which will only make matters worse for Dwight.

Anyway, here's my top 10.

1. Lebron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Chris Paul
4. Stephan Curry
5. Carmelo Anthony
6. Paul George
7. Marc Gasol
8. James Harden
9. Kyrie Irving
10. Russel Westbrook

I left guys like Love and Rose off the list because who knows if they'll come back strong. I'll admit that I haven't been keeping up with preseason play so I don't know how they look, but I'm going to reserve judgement on that one.

My justification for ranking Anthony so high is because he basically is the Knicks. With Carmelo the Knicks are a top 5 seed in the East. Without him they don't have a snowball's chance in hell of making the playoffs. That's also my justification for putting Russel Westbrook at 10. Yes, the Thunder are a much better team with Westbrook, but they're still a playoff team without him.

I'm surprised only jmt has listed Paul George. Sure, he's only had one really great year, but you don't give Lebron his hardest challenge of the playoffs because of a fluke. Paul George is going to show us he belongs in the conversation for top players in the NBA.

 

[Big Sexy]

Paul's stock might have dropped last year because he didn't really outshine Mike Conley in their post season duel. They were more equals than what common perception might think the Clips had that position won hands down.

CP3 was hands down better then Conley in that series. Paul just got no help from the Clippers other top guys while Conley got great series from Gasol, Randolph, and Tony Allen. CP3's stats were better across the board with the exception of assists per game. The main reason for that was because no other Clippers could make a shot. Conley only shot 41% from the field in the series while Paul put up 23 ppg on over 53% shooting.

How Dwight Howard is making so many lists baffles me. He's injury prone, he's coming off a bad year, he seems to struggle to develop chemistry, and he's been exposed as a terrible free throw shooter. Teams know that all they have to do is foul him underneath the basket, and chances are he's only walking away with one point. He's still a defensive presence, but he fouls too much and the center position is starting to see a bit of a resurgence in the NBA which will only make matters worse for Dwight.

I'm surprised only jmt has listed Paul George. Sure, he's only had one really great year, but you don't give Lebron his hardest challenge of the playoffs because of a fluke. Paul George is going to show us he belongs in the conversation for top players in the NBA.

The thing with Dwight Howard is even though he is coming off arguably his worst season as a pro, he was still either the best or second best big man in the game last season. He is now in a much better situation this season and should be fully recovered from the back injury that also plagued him last season.

With Paul George I just need to see him do it for more then one year before I can make him a top ten guy. He went from a good young player to a star almost overnight and I think we sometimes get carried away with one good season or one great playoff run. Just look at his teammate Danny Granger. George's play last season was almost identical to Granger the two prior seasons and now Granger wouldn't even be in most guys top 50.

 

[Alastor]

CP3 was hands down better then Conley in that series. Paul just got no help from the Clippers other top guys while Conley got great series from Gasol, Randolph, and Tony Allen. CP3's stats were better across the board with the exception of assists per game. The main reason for that was because no other Clippers could make a shot. Conley only shot 41% from the field in the series while Paul put up 23 ppg on over 53% shooting.

Not disputing that CP3 was better than Conley. But the belief going in was the gap in the PG position was huge towards the Clips but Conley was hanging with CP3 during that series.

 

[Big Sexy]

Not disputing that CP3 was better than Conley. But the belief going in was the gap in the PG position was huge towards the Clips but Conley was hanging with CP3 during that series.

So because Conley played well CP3 loses stock? I guess that means LeBron shouldn't be the number one player in the NBA because Paul George "hung" with him in the Eastern Conference Finals. Paul outplayed Conley, the Grizzlies were just a better team then the Clippers.

 

[Alastor]

So because Conley played well CP3 loses stock? I guess that means LeBron shouldn't be the number one player in the NBA because Paul George "hung" with him in the Eastern Conference Finals. Paul outplayed Conley, the Grizzlies were just a better team then the Clippers.

All I'm saying is he isn't the undisputed 3rd best player you claim him to be. He isn't even the undisputed top PG anymore in the stacked PG position. I would say both teams were evenly matched, Clips had the depth but the Grizz had the size. Conley vs CP3 doesn't sound the same as Paul George vs Lebron.

 

[Big Sexy]

All I'm saying is he isn't the undisputed 3rd best player you claim him to be.

I said "to me he is easily the third best player." I have also backed that statement up especially when it comes to the group of you who have Derrick Rose at number 3. However, I have yet to see any argument as to why people have Rose at three and why most have him multiple spots ahead of CP3. The only undisputed guys on this list are LeBron at one and Durant at two.

 

[Alastor]

I said "to me he is easily the third best player." I have also backed that statement up especially when it comes to the group of you who have Derrick Rose at number 3. However, I have yet to see any argument as to why people have Rose at three and why most have him multiple spots ahead of CP3. The only undisputed guys on this list are LeBron at one and Durant at two.

Personal Bias? The last post season might have affected our views on a few players. It was one of the more exciting post seasons in recent years. And yeah the only undisputed players are those two.

 

[Alastor]

So like almost half a season has gone now. Curious to see how many of your personal rankings differ from the start of the season. I have to admit, my rankings were terrible.
Old ranking:
1. Lebron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Derrick Rose
4. Dwight Howard
5. Stephen Curry
6. Marc Gasol
7. Chris Paul
8. James Harden
9. Tony Parker
10. Carmelo Anthony

New Ranking
1. Lebron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Chris Paul
4. Paul George
5. Stephen Curry
6. Kevin Love
7. Tony Parker
8. Dirk Nowitzki
9. James Harden
10. Lamacus Aldridge

Since the season started I have changed my mind on almost my entire list except the top 2. Bolded the dropped/added names. I am pretty bad at this ranking stuff.

Players Added:
Not a fan of Lamacus Aldridge's offence, and I think Dirk can do better in the same role even now but I can't deny his positive impact on Portland this season. Speaking of Dirk, he has been excellent this season, quietly being the efficient scorer while co-piloting a Dallas team without defence with Ellis into playoff contention . Kevin Love is again having a great season in personal stats. Paul George is a star now that he improved his offence.

Players dropped:
Derrick Rose was horrible even before his current injury again. I think he can no longer be the same player again. Dwight Howard is still the best Center in the league but I think others have overshadowed him so far this season. Gasol got hurt. And Carmelo is still having a very good year but others have been better and his team has really fallen.

Outside picks:
I think Anthony Davis can break into the top 10 list if the Pelicans can start winning. He is so fun to watch with his size and skill set. Of course Wade and Bosh from the Heat will always have a chance to get into the top 10 and can rightfully claim to be better than some names on most lists but they will always be overshadowed due to sacrificing stats in a team of 3 superstars.

 

[Big Sexy]

My Old Ranking
1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Chris Paul
4. Russell Westbrook
5. Stephen Curry
6. Derrick Rose
7. Dwight Howard
8. James Harden
9. Marc Gasol
10. Tony Parker

New Ranking
1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Chris Paul
4. Stephen Curry
5. Russell Westbrook
6. Kevin Love
7. Paul George
8. James Harden
9. LaMarcus Aldridge
10. Dwight Howard

My top 5 stays basically the same with just Curry and Westbrook changing spots. I still have Harden at 8, I moved Dwight Howard down to 10, and then I have 3 new additions. Kevin Love has come back from his injury last year and is better then ever. Paul George is showing he wasn't a one hit wonder and has the Pacers with the best record in the NBA. LaMarcus Aldridge has always been very good but he has made the leap into the top 10 with his impressive play for a surprising Portland team.

The three I dropped from the top 10 were Rose, Marc Gasol, and Tony Parker. I had Parker at 10 and he is still a great player, I would probably put him at 11. Derrick Rose didn't look good upon his return and now is injured again. Marc Gasol has still been good, just not top 10 material.