Best in the game (NOW)

[sdot_thadon]

I might be a bout to start a war here, but i wanna know who you think is the top player in the league. This usually starts arguments in the studio with my homeboys, because i say Kobe is #1 with Lebron slightly beneath him, not that they disagree with Kobe but they despise King James. Lebron will be top really soon, but for now its KB24.

[---]

My List:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. Kevin Garnett
4. Dwyane Wade
5. Tim Duncan
6. Dirk Nowitzki
7. Allen Iverson
8. Paul Pierce
9. Elton Brand
10. Tracy McGrady

Just Missed: Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Shaquille O'Neal, Gilbert Arenas, etc.

[sdot_thadon]

You think KG is still up there, he was kinda off last year, no? I say:

1.Kobe
2.Lebron
3.Wade/Nowitzki
4.Wade/Nowitzki
5.AI
6.Duncan
7.Pierce/Brand
8.Pierce/Brand
9.T-MAC
10.KG

KG and T-MAC fell down my list because last season didn't prove anything for either one of them.

[---]

yea KG was off last year, but he still has the ability to be the best in the game at any given time

[jerry]

1Kobe
2Lebron
3A.I.
4Duncan
5Wade
6Carter
7Pierce
8TMAC
9Dirk
10KG

[KIG1]

1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. D Wade
4. Dirk Nowitzki
5. KG
6. AI
7. Paul Pierce
8. Tim Duncan
9. T-Mac
10. Brian Scalebrine

[Fitzy]

1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. D Wade
4. KG
5. Duncan
6. Tim Duncan
7. Paul Pierce
8. AI
9. T-Mac
10. Nowitzki

[Indy]

Wow, what a new interesting unique topic.

[Matthew]

Wow, what a new and interesting way to criticise a thread.

1. Kobe.
2. Wade
3. Lebron
4. Dirk
5. Marion
6. Brand
7.KG
8. Nash
9. Duncan
10. Pierce

[funk99]

Wow, what a new and interesting way to criticise a thread.

1. Kobe.
2. Wade
3. Lebron
4. Dirk
5. Marion
6. Brand
7.KG
8. Nash
9. Duncan
10. Pierce

Finally someone put Wade above Lebron. My List:

1. Kobe.
2. Wade
3. Lebron
4. Duncan
5. .KG
6. Brand
7. Marion
8. Pierce
9. Dirk
10. Nash

[Indy]

Wow, what a new and interesting way to criticise a thread.

True, point taken. OK, I'll indulge.

1.) LeBron James
2.) Kobe Bryant
3.) Dwyane Wade
4.) Kevin Garnett
5.) Elton Brand
6.) Dirk Nowitzki
7.) Tim Duncan
8.) Allen Iverson
9.) Tracy McGrady
10.) Steve Nash

[Matthew]

Lebron ahead of Kobe? Brand ahead of Dirk? Care to offer any reasoning? ...

[Gundy]

1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. D Wade
4. Dirk Nowitzki
5. KG
6. AI
7. Paul Pierce
8. Tim Duncan
9. T-Mac
10. Brian Scalebrine

Sneaky. T-mac ahead of Scalabrine, wtf?

You think KG is still up there, he was kinda off last year, no? I say:

1.Kobe
2.Lebron
3.Wade/Nowitzki
4.Wade/Nowitzki
5.AI
6.Duncan
7.Pierce/Brand
8.Pierce/Brand
9.T-MAC
10.KG

KG and T-MAC fell down my list because last season didn't prove anything for either one of them.

Speaking of down years, Tim Duncan was kind of shitty last year for TD standards. I think KG is better than Tim Duncan. Sometimes, I think KG could get like 30 ppg if he wanted to. My list is pretty much the same as Flite_23's except D-Wade is better than KG imo.

[DatYellowGuy]

Lebron ahead of Kobe? Brand ahead of Dirk? Care to offer any reasoning? ...

Kobe is selfish and Nowitzki chokes in the playoffs.

[Matt]

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Kevin Garnett
3. Tim Duncan
4. Allen Iverson
5. Shaq

[Gundy]

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Kevin Garnett
3. Tim Duncan
4. Allen Iverson
5. Shaq

No Lebron or Wade in the top five, interesting.

[Riot]

How excatly did Kevin Garnett fall off last year? 21.8ppg, 12.7rpg and lead the league in efficency isn't good enough? His team had an off year but that doesn't mean he did. Plus, he was playing on two bad knees which caused him to be benched at the end of the season.

Garnett also shot a career high in FG% (over 52%). The guy is not losing his skill...it's just his team isn't that good anymore. He is an unselfish superstar in terms of shots on the floor. Most of you forget that he only takes about 16 shots a game which is a very small amount for a superstar. The fact that he gets over 20ppg on a very small amount of shots can be amazing.

Is Garnett better than Kobe right now? Probably not. However, Garnett is very much still a top five player in this league. He can dominate a game defensively, offensively and on the glass. You are mistaken if you think he is washed up.

[Matthew]

Lebron ahead of Kobe? Brand ahead of Dirk? Care to offer any reasoning? ...

Kobe is selfish and Nowitzki chokes in the playoffs.

You are asian, so whats your point? Kobe carries his team, and its "selfish". Lebron does the same thing, and its the second comming of michael jordan. Dirk (as much as i hate him) single handedly lifts the mavs past the defending champs in game 7 on the road, gets them to the finals and he "chokes" in the playoffs, compared to brand who has been to one nba playoffs and beat the worst 3 seed in the last 10 years.

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Kevin Garnett
3. Tim Duncan
4. Allen Iverson
5. Shaq

Good list if you're still in 2001. Shaq isnt top 15 worthy, how can you even say he's better than his own teamate wade? I think someones a bit butthurt by last years playoffs.

How excatly did Kevin Garnett fall off last year? 21.8ppg, 12.7rpg and lead the league in efficency isn't good enough? His team had an off year but that doesn't mean he did. Plus, he was playing on two bad knees which caused him to be benched at the end of the season.

Garnett also shot a career high in FG% (over 52%). The guy is not losing his skill...it's just his team isn't that good anymore. He is an unselfish superstar in terms of shots on the floor. Most of you forget that he only takes about 16 shots a game which is a very small amount for a superstar. The fact that he gets over 20ppg on a very small amount of shots can be amazing.

Is Garnett better than Kobe right now? Probably not. However, Garnett is very much still a top five player in this league. He can dominate a game defensively, offensively and on the glass. You are mistaken if you think he is washed up.

He's still in alot of peoples top 10, so i dont know why you're getting so fired up. The jury is still out on him dominating offensively though.

[Fitzy]

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Kevin Garnett
3. Tim Duncan
4. Allen Iverson
5. Shaq

No Lebron or Wade in the top five, interesting.

i think thats fair enough though, wade and lebron are still developing

[Matthew]

Are you kidding? Fair enough to include shaq ahead of lebron and wade right now?

[nets4life]

1) Lebron
2) Kobe
3) Wade
4) Nowitzki / Garnett
5) Nowitzki / Garnett
6) Arenas
7) Iverson
8) Brand
9) Duncan
10) Nash

[Matt]

Are you kidding? Fair enough to include shaq ahead of lebron and wade right now?

Shaq still draws the automatic double team.....come to think of it i'd put Nowitzki @ the 5, forgot about him.

[Matthew]

Most post players draw a double team. Wheres yao in your list if thats the main criteria?

[Gundy]

Are you kidding? Fair enough to include shaq ahead of lebron and wade right now?

Shaq still draws the automatic double team.....come to think of it i'd put Nowitzki @ the 5, forgot about him.

C'mon man, Dwayne Wade definitely showed hes better than Dirk in the playoffs. Dirk is a brilliant offensive player during the regular season, but in the playoffs he showed he is soft and a choker.

[Matt]

Dirk had an excellent playoff series.....especially against the Spurs. The only relatively weak series was against Miami in which he could have used more of a helping hand from teammates not named Jason Terry.

As for Wade, his brilliance was helped by the fact that Shaq was constantly double teamed (which rewarded the whole team) and that touching Wade was illegal.

Overall, Nowitzki is a better offensive player who makes smart decision with the ball. He's improved his defense, and his rebounding too.

Wade needs to cut down the TO's, play better man-to-man D, until then Nowitzki is higher on my list.