Your top five NBA players....(whatever the criteria)

[sunsfn]

Do you really think Wade is that good after only being in the league for two years? Top 10 player list? Wow, not sure of that. There are lots of players to consider.

 

[Joe Mama]

Ravaged with injuries? The only one that was out for a significant amount of time was Kobe. And the team was actually worse when he came back. The reason for their poor record was Rudy T's retirement and Kobe's inability to make his teamates better.

Odom played in fewer games than Kobe Bryant last season. Brian Grant missed 13 games, Devin George was already out for most of the season. Medvadenko missed half the season. I believe it was the injuries to Odom and Kobe Bryant that hurt them the most though.

"Ravaged" was probably a little strong. Sorry.

Joe Mama

 

[Arizona's Finest]

ok number one everything else being even you go with the size (hence the fact that you only see one gueard in my top 5. number two the lakers were not necessairly "ravaged" by injuries but they were the 6th seed before Kobe went out with an injury (his wrist i think) in that time tomjanovich stepped down and the lakers world went down into flames. If you remember at the start of the season we were the most dominating team in the league and they played us twice, to a stand still. with nothing of note beyond kobe.

and this tmac argument is ridiculous. Ok jplay i love all the stats you gave that tmac is a better player....but he had yao ming occupying the middle. yao is a stiff but he demands attention. you cant just look at last season and say" oh well b/c kobe and KG missed the playoffs they are less of players now/ Please like i said in my initial argument, look at what tmac did when he was all by his lonesome that last year in Orlando.....plus the guy plays defense only when he has the inclination. Plus he has yet to get out of the first round. If you put that rockets team around kobe they go to the second round no doubt. I cant understand this discounting of championships however. What else do you want in a player besides the guts to step up when your team needs it most. Thats why rings and playoff performance needs to be the highest held criteria. Tmac has done some amazing things in this league but to put him in your top 5 is a joke. Show some heart when it counts and we'll talk.
As for Nash in the top 5???? Is this a Suns message board or something??Hes in my top 15 but you cant be a dang turnstile and be considered one of the ten best in the league. I know it seems like im contradicting myself because he was serindipitous in the playoffs scoring and feeding but he just gives away to much at the defensive end for me to give him top 10 credit. Plus you have heard once and you'll hear it again. Everything else being equal you go with the size. No question about it. Iverson has done about all you can with his frame ( he might be the greates 6 foot player of all time) and style of game and you can see how many rings hes got. But i like the discussion so i am glad its not like we all agree.

 

[BigDavis75]

This T-Mac vs, Kobe atgument is bad. I'll give you one point why T is better, remember how good Penny was with Shaq? Remember how good Penny was w/o Shaq?


1. Shaq
2. Duncan
3. Iverson
4. Garnett
5. King James

 

[PhxGametime]

Tim Duncan F/C
Amare Stoudemire F/C
Kevin Garnett F/C
LeBron James G/F
Dwyane Wade G

Shaquille O'Neal C
Steve Nash PG
Ray Allen SG
Jermaine O'Neal F/C
Manu Ginobili SG
Lamar Odom F
Baron Davis PG
Shawn Marion F
Joe Johnson G/F


The Top-8 are automatic... injuries aside, I'd like to have B Davis as my 3rd PG, and every team needs a PG with size (JJ) while he adds the ability to defend 3 positions and top notch shooter. The team needs one flopper and I took the best flopper

I like Lamar Odom's and Shawn Marion's ability to play the 4/3, Odom is solid all-around player and gives the a PG at the 4 with shooting ability. Marion is my favorite player

Jermaine O'Neal was the next best bigman - Dirk can't pay D at all and that's not something I'd like from bigman... Amare is 1st Team All-Defense team compared to him and outside of 3PT shooting, Amare shoots well enough for my liking and will take the ball to hoop with domination (Dirk please).



It sucks leaving out Kirilenko but maybe he's not as good as I thought? Iverson, Bryant, and McGrady are top tier talent but I'd prefer my bigman to be selfish (if I had to choose) and Iverson really isn't a PG. Plus I have never liked Kobe and while McGrady is 1 of mah favorite players (he's on the freaking Rockets)... I also like Jefferson but he did struggle last summer and Marion is a better complimentary player. Ben Wallace REALLY struggled at the Team USA games and he just can't score. I could add Elton Brand but who'd I drop? If only Larry Hughes could shoot

 

[Arizona's Finest]

ARGHHHHH.....Your point on why tmac is better is because of penny hardaway in orlando? are you serious....?How many rings did shaq get with penny? Penny had knee problems and is/was never the player kobe is. I was the biggest orlando/penny fan as a kid but watching NBA basketball you pick stuff like this up....try it some time. I have an even even better question....everyone wants to put dwayne wade as a 5-7 player but no one wants to discount the fact that he plays w/ shaq....


Yes, Shaq makes people better. Yes Shaq is the most dominant force in basketball. Hes played quite a bit of time w/o both kobe or phil though (about 5 seasons in orlando and 1 w/ the heat) and for being such a force he doenst have a title w/o either of them. I agree shaq made kobe better. I also agree that kobe made shaq better. Everyone has such short term memory....Remember eveyone being in agreeance that Phil won b/c he had the two best players in the league? they were not talking about shaq and devean george.....Its very invogue to bash kobe but (and this is coming froma die hard suns fan) i am plenty worried that Kwame is going to develop and the lakers will be a force for the forseeable future. Not overly worried but i dont want to see their roster get any better...

 

[BigDavis75]

Your point is well taken but just look at the past season and Kobe playing with a decently strong supporting cast and then getting injured and bombing out of a playoff spot. T-Mac still made the playoffs with little supporting cast. I' ll give you Yao but to say he was a large part is hogwash. I agree with you on Kwame though, it will take him some time to grasp the Triangle O, but he is being taught by the best coach in NBA history and fills a position of need for the Lakers.

 

[goldseraph]

I'm going by George Obie's standard - which would be the 5 most prized players if I were an NBA owner and we were redrafting all players. This is
taking into consideration age.

Duncan
Garnett
Lebron
Amare
D. Howard

 

[MastersofCombat]

1. Amare - I would start with him considering where everyone else is in age. This guy is going to be the greatest player inthe NBA over the next 10.

2. Tim Duncan - matched up against amare he was neck an neck but amare was the bigger man when the match was over. That being said yes Tim did get the hardware and the nations respect.

3. Kevin Garnett - Still just so dominate

4. Lebron James - He is the king and rising

5. Kobe Byrant - dont have a lot of good things still to say except he is still one of the best.