Fox Sports.com/Sporting News - "Top 50 Players in the NBA"

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These list always amuse me???

Top 50: Da Kid shall lead them

Sean Deveney / The Sporting News
Posted: 3 days ago

1. Kevin Garnett, PF, Timberwolves

2. Tim Duncan, PF, Spurs

Speaking with reporters last week, Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders raised a scary notion. Remember the Kevin Garnett you saw last season, the one who averaged 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists, earning himself the MVP award? Well, if Saunders is right, Garnett is going to be better this year. Garnett spent the summer working on his ability to put the ball on the floor, a tough thing for a 6-11 guy to do. But Saunders says that, with NBA refs vowing to whistle defenders for contact during dribble-drives, Garnett should be able to sucker opponents into giving him free trips to the foul line.

"That's something he wanted to improve upon," Saunders says. "And then he's also worked on his back-to-the-basket game, as far as his jump hook. He amazes me every year because he always comes back better."

Garnett can't get much better than he already is, which is precisely why he is sitting at the top of the Sporting News' list of the 50 best players in the NBA. Not only is he enormous and strong, he is a potent shooter from 15 feet, an unselfish high-post passer and an intense, imposing defender. Last season, four Timberwolves had arguably the best years of their careers, thanks to playing with Garnett. Perhaps a few more trips to the free throw line are in order, but that seems to be picking nits. Scouts and personnel men across the league agree that Garnett is the NBA's top player.

"He's the best in the league, no question," says one Western Conference scout. "And I think the gap between him and everyone else is getting bigger."

"Everyone else" starts with Garnett's biggest rival, Spurs power forward Tim Duncan, who is No. 2 on the list. The one-on-one battles between Garnett and Duncan are epic, and Duncan's intelligence and stoic efficiency on both ends of the floor are remarkable. But overall, Garnett has nudged past Duncan in a few key ways. Duncan is the better post defender, but Garnett is so long and athletic that he can defend the high post and pick-and-rolls better. Garnett also is a more versatile offensive player -- his ability to dribble and drive is a dimension Duncan does not have. And Duncan's foul shooting, which has always been an unknown, was a career-worst 59.9 percent last season.

Duncan is only 28 and was bothered by ankle and knee injuries last season -- good health could boost him back to MVP form. But for now, Garnett has staked out his status as the league's best player. And who knows? He might get better.

The next-best things

3. Shaquille O'Neal, C, Heat

4. Kobe Bryant, SG, Lakers

5. Tracy McGrady, SG, Rockets

6. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Mavericks

7. Yao Ming, C, Rockets

Age, free throw shooting and foot injuries have watered down Shaquille O'Neal's dominance, but he still has a lot going for him. He has slimmed down, remains the most powerful guy in the league and has a variety of post moves that the Heat plans to exploit.

Just below Shaq is a reminder of what could have been -- egos separated O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, who should have won more than the three championships they brought to L.A. The top NBA duo now plays in Houston, where Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming soon should rank as the best at their respective positions. McGrady is behind Bryant at shooting guard for now because he needs to show he can be a clutch player on a winning team, like Bryant has, and because he needs to show that last season's half-hearted effort is behind him. McGrady can address those problems this season. At center, Yao improved defensively last season and expects to be more aggressive offensively this year. He's an excellent passer but has not had much chance to show it with the Rockets. That should change.

The other player in this grouping, Dirk Nowitzki, lost his favorite running mate, point guard Steve Nash, in the offseason, but the Mavericks still will play the uptempo pace that allows Nowitzki to display his athleticism and scoring ability, which is unmatched among 7-footers. His defense always has held him (and the Mavs) back, but for the first time in his career, he will be playing next to a legitimate two-way center, Erick Dampier.
 
Whither (or wither) Jermaine?

8. Jermaine O'Neal, PF, Pacers

9. Andrei Kirilenko, SF, Jazz

10. LeBron James, SG, Cavaliers

11. Elton Brand, PF, Clippers

12. Peja Stojakovic, SF, Kings

13. Ray Allen, SG, SuperSonics

14. Paul Pierce, SG, Celtics

Jermaine O'Neal gets the benefit of the doubt for now, but there are plenty of reasons to foresee Andrei Kirilenko and LeBron James passing him on the list this season. Kirilenko plays in Utah for a lottery team, so few have been exposed to his talents. But those who watch him regularly know he is the best all-over-the-court defender in the game, as adept at guarding the post as the perimeter. It's rare to have his defensive skill at age 23, and though he needs to handle the ball better and be a bit more consistent with his shot, Kirilenko will be Utah's top offensive option.

James can challenge O'Neal because he has unmatched raw athletic skills. He was forced by Cavs (mis)management to play point guard for much of last season, but he will be on the wing for the rest of his career. Expect James to blossom further -- but that comes with a caveat. Remember that sports drink commercial where James swishes jumpers from 80 feet? That has no basis in reality. James is a subpar outside shooter, and that must change for him to reach Kobe-McGrady status on the perimeter.

While Kirilenko and James rise, O'Neal is coming into an important season. He was a brutal shooter last season, hitting only 43.4 percent of his attempts, too low for a post player. But O'Neal is an excellent help defender and rebounder -- he just needs to cut back on the contested jump shots and learn to use his passing skills. He is a 46.5 percent career shooter, so we can assume last season was a fluke.

If his shooting continues to sag, O'Neal even could slip below Elton Brand, one of the league's unluckiest players. Brand started his career with the monumentally bad Bulls and now is with the ho-hum Clippers. Such obscurity keeps Brand from stardom, but he is an efficient post scorer and rebounder.

A shoot-off between Peja Stojakovic and Ray Allen would be a thing of beauty, but defense keeps them out of the top 10. Another wing man, Paul Pierce, has been in a rut, but an uptempo game plan and the Celtics' addition of Gary Payton to handle the ball should reinvigorate Pierce.

Sam vs. the world

15. Sam Cassell, PG, Timberwolves

16. Ben Wallace, C, Pistons

17. Allen Iverson, PG, 76ers

18. Steve Nash, PG, Suns

19. Baron Davis, PG, Hornets

20. Jason Kidd, PG, Nets

21. Carmelo Anthony, SF, Nuggets

22. Michael Redd, SG, Bucks

23. Ron Artest, SF, Pacers

24. Stephon Marbury, PG, Knicks
 
Jason Kidd has a bad knee and a bad attitude. And when he shoots, it often looks as if he is heaving a cinder block -- he made only 38.4 percent of those heaves last season. Nash is quick as a hiccup, a great shooter and an excellent passer. But, at 30, he is wearing down and always has been easily overpowered defensively.

Both Baron Davis and Stephon Marbury are shot-happy point guards who need work. Marbury must become less predictable with his ballhandling and shot selection and get back to the pick-and-roll game, which might be tough if the Knicks replace sweet-shooting power forward Kurt Thomas with bruiser Mike Sweetney. Davis must improve his shooting from the 3-point and free throw lines, tamp down his ego and cut his turnovers.

That leaves an odd choice for league's best point guard: Sam Cassell, who turns 35 this month. Cassell is no defensive stalwart, and the back injury that pulled him from the playoffs and sank Minnesota's Finals hopes is a huge concern. But Cassell has been put into a perfect situation in Minnesota, and he has taken advantage of it. Playing with Garnett allows Cassell to alternate between primary ball distributor and jump shooter, and coach Flip Saunders is crafty enough to exploit Cassell's skill. Latrell Sprewell helps make Cassell's defense passable. In his first season with the Timberwolves, Cassell shot 48.8 percent, hit 39.8 percent of his 3-pointers and had his best assist numbers in three seasons. He even managed to wrangle 4.1 trips to the foul line per game, a nice number for someone who does not drive to the rim. If Cassell stays healthy, the Timberwolves could be in for a championship run.

The other player to watch in this group is Carmelo Anthony, who showed himself to be a top-tier scorer as a rookie. But too often, he was bullied by defenders and forced bad shots. He has good passing and rebounding skills; he needs to use them to make himself a better all-around player.
Forward thinking

25. Pau Gasol, PF, Grizzlies

26. Richard Jefferson, SF, Nets

27. Dwyane Wade, PG, Heat

28. Lamar Odom, SF, Lakers

29. Carlos Boozer, PF, Jazz

30. Kenyon Martin, PF, Nuggets

31. Corey Maggette, SF, Clippers

32. Shawn Marion, SF, Suns

33. Zach Randolph, PF, Trail Blazers

34. Amare Stoudemire, PF, Suns

When talking about a potential contract last week, Zach Randolph told reporters in Portland, "There has to be a fair number there somewhere. All I know is, they gave (Pau) Gasol a maximum deal. I think I'm better than Gasol." We beg to differ, young fella. This section of the list includes a gaggle of talented young forwards (oh, and Dwyane Wade), and Gasol is at the top. He is a polished scorer capable of shooting 50 percent from the field, gradually is improving as a rebounder and is only 24. Gasol's defense has been questioned, but he got better when he raised his intensity level last season, and it's difficult for him to defend without a true center next to him. Gasol will rank higher on this list once he starts getting more playing time than the 31.5 minutes per game he got last season.

Kenyon Martin also got a maximum contract, so perhaps that is where Randolph should focus his comparisons -- Martin is an excellent defender, but he's not the dominant rebounder you might expect and lacks an offensive post game. He is outpaced by Carlos Boozer, who is not as good defensively but has a better knack for scoring, rebounding, shooting and moving without the ball.

The two interesting guys on this part of the list are the young power forwards -- Randolph and Amare Stoudemire -- who have the potential to land in the top 15, provided they make major improvements. Randolph has enormous offensive skill and shooting range for a 270-pounder and can become a great big man if he decides to do two things great big men do -- pass out of double-teams and play a little defense. Randolph is clueless on both counts, which indicates he has yet to begin taking either seriously. Stoudemire is only 21 and battled a sprained ankle last season but still showed he is too quick for opposing big men, averaging 20.6 points. Stoudemire needs to complement that athleticism with a midrange jumper.

 
Champs rule

35. Rasheed Wallace, PF, Pistons

36. Erick Dampier, C, Mavericks

37. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C, Cavaliers

38. Chauncey Billups, PG, Pistons

39. Michael Finley, SF, Mavericks

40. Richard Hamilton, SG, Pistons

Let's talk Pistons. Note that Ben Wallace rates No. 16 on our list because of his defense, and the next Piston is Rasheed Wallace at No. 35. But we also have Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton in this group, with Billups getting the nod over Hamilton because of ballhandling, long-range shooting and defense. Note also that Tayshaun Prince comes in at No. 50. Though no Piston is in the top 15, all five of the starters rank in the top 50. How's that for depth?

There's also a pair of centers here, Dampier and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the first centers on the list after Wallace at No. 16 -- further evidence that the middle is the toughest spot on the floor to fill.

A King or a joker?

41. Vince Carter, SG, Raptors

42. Mike Bibby, PG, Kings

43. Brad Miller, C, Kings

44. Andre Miller, PG, Nuggets

45. Steve Francis, PG, Magic

46. Chris Webber, PF, Kings

You have to run through three other Sacramento players before you wind up at Chris Webber, an indication of how far the Kings star has slipped in the past couple of years. Give him credit for coming back from knee surgery despite pain last season, but one must wonder if Webber ever will regain his top form. His numbers have been on a steady decline and, at 31, there is slim hope for a revival. Brad Miller is a better all-around player than Webber, and Stojakovic and Mike Bibby are more consistent offensive options. Webber can be useful as a rebounder, ballhandler and midrange shooter, but he should be the third offensive option for the Kings.

If Webber's ranking is a disappointment, the rankings of Vince Carter, Andre Miller and Steve Francis probably are, too. Carter is 27 and is out of excuses. He has earned his reputation for softness, and his refusal to go to the rim and take advantage of his athleticism is baffling. Miller is three years removed from leading the league in assists, but his skills are more suited for a shooting guard than a point guard. Francis, like Carter, carries a superstar reputation (and contract) but has not lived up to it. He struggled last season, when Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy tried to get him to play more like a point guard. Francis does not have the court vision and passing skill to play the point, though.

Coaching challenges

47. Gilbert Arenas, PG, Wizards

48. Jason Richardson, SG, Warriors

49. Rashard Lewis, SF, SuperSonics

50. Tayshaun Prince, SF, Pistons

Gilbert Arenas and Jason Richardson will be good tests for their coaches because they have the talent to be better than they are. Wizards coach Eddie Jordan did not have much chance to work with Arenas (who suffered a nasty abdominal injury) last season, but Jordan has been trying to get Arenas to use his head more -- an uncertain proposition for the flighty Arenas thus far in his career. Arenas' speed and scoring ability are undeniable, but he needs to be more patient and use his big men. Like Arenas, Richardson is very athletic and has the potential to be a go-to player, but coach Mike Montgomery must make it clear that Richardson needs to play defense and learn to be an offensive cog, not the whole machine. Rashard Lewis has great shooting skill for a 6-10 wing, but he, too, should rank higher on this list. He seems to lack the intensity to raise his game, though.

Finally, we have Prince, who proved during the playoffs something folks in Detroit had been saying all last season: He is among the top defenders in the game.

Sean Deveney is a staff writer for Sporting News. Email him at sdeveney@sportingnews.com.
 
Richard Jefferson is up there waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too high.
 
brad miller should be higher. i don't understand why peja is so much lower when dirk, when they are basically the same ( all shoot, little rebounding, not much D, althougth pejs is better defensivly then dirk) . AK 47 got ROBBED. he should be top 5. i'd take him over t-mac any day of the week, dirk too for that matter.

give me duncan over garnett. duncan has the jewlery.
 
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LeBron James the 10th best player in the NBA? :rolleyes: He barely cracks top 25 in my book. Barely. At his position (which is now SF), he's no where near AK or Artest, still well behind Peja, and it could be argued that Marion, Jefferson and Odom are all about as good as him.
 
Evenstar said:
brad miller should be higher. i don't understand why peja is so much lower when dirk, when they are basically the same ( all shoot, little rebounding, not much D, althougth pejs is better defensivly then dirk)...
Click to expand...
Nowitzki has proven that he can do at least five things better than Stojakovic:

1. Post up
2. Create his own shot
3. Rebound
4. Block shots
5. Perform in the playoffs
 
I can't believe that L.James is that high up.... I understand that the kid has talent, but as far as I am concerned he has not proven enough yet to put him up there in the rankings......sorry!
 
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
Nowitzki has proven that he can do at least five things better than Stojakovic:

1. Post up
2. Create his own shot
3. Rebound
4. Block shots
5. Perform in the playoffs
Click to expand...
I will agree with you on 3 of the 5. Nowitzki is not a good post up player does not have a real good ability to create his own shot(a fall-away jump shot with his back to the basket is not my idea of creating your own shot).
 
Ryle said:
I will agree with you on 3 of the 5. Nowitzki is not a good post up player does not have a real good ability to create his own shot(a fall-away jump shot with his back to the basket is not my idea of creating your own shot).
Click to expand...
If you watch him much in games against the Kings you can actually see that he does have significant postup ability against smaller players. He just isn't terribly effective with that against full size PFs or a PF size SF like Peja. But it is a weapon he can break out when being guarded by a gnat. Something I really REALLY wish certain of our Kings frontliners had in their arsenal. You don't have to be Hakeem in there. Just be able to overpower the bugs when they get inside your shirt. Dirk can do that.
 
I like Tim over KG anyday. I don't see why so many people give him the nod.

Wallace should be higher (12-13), Gasol too (22), Kirilenko lower (11) and Artest higher (18). Unless he is basing the ranking on more than previous year's performance, Cassell should be higher.

Brad Miller should be higher, you could argue Peja should be lower (15).

And the line 'King or joker' was pretty clever. It's funny that there are 3 Kings under that line, and any fool knows which one is being insulted.
 
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Oh yeah, and Shaq IS better than KG. Last year, no. Career? Yes. This year? I predict yes.

He's looked great in the preseason, and if he is as motivated as everybody is claiming, he is he best player in the league. KG is prettier, but Shaq is much more dominant. If I had to give the opposing team KG or Shaq in a playoff series, I would give them KG. Shaq is just so demoralizing. Having 3 of your guys defenders dunked on (and the foul) to end a mini-run and silence the crowd is MUCH worse than a fade-away 20-footer.
 
Well I don't think anyone will compleetly agree with anyones 1-50 rankings, but it is nice to see 4 of ourstarters there regardless of where you think they may actualuy belong on the list. I hope Webber is paying a lot of attention to all the press he is gettinga nd generating... ought to be a motivater.
 
Ryle said:
I will agree with you on 3 of the 5. Nowitzki is not a good post up player does not have a real good ability to create his own shot(a fall-away jump shot with his back to the basket is not my idea of creating your own shot).
Click to expand...
He can post up thats for sure, however not against the centers that he is matched up most of the time. He can post up SFs and thats his position anyways, he has a very good handle and can dribble drive creating a shot or getting foul call. That imo is good enough for creating his own shot, plus he is very good shooting the ball that the defense cannot allow distance and he utlizes it very well.

If post up is considered as posting up shaq or duncan then he cannot, the same can be said about gary payton who was supposed to have a good postup game. He can post up Pgs but not centers, or MJ could post up the SGs but not the SFs and above.
 
But that list anyhow doesnt make sense, bron is 10 ;) LOL
I think they create this list by way of popularity for most players rather than actual talent and impact on the floor, sure he does well in the espn games ;)
 
What I'd like to see is one of these listed revisited after the season is over!

The creators never do that, usually because they aren't right very often -

I may have problems with WHERE some people are listed, but all in all I think the right players are on the list... There are a certain number of NBA players who are head and shoulders above the rest of the NBA players. And our Kings starters comprise 4 of the top 50. I think that's pretty impressive, just as Celt pointed out.

:D
 
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