The Best Player in the NBA is . . .

[banditbdl]

Boring or not, its Duncan and I really don't think it is all that close right now. IMO the Best Player should be defined as the guy who gives you the best chance to win the Title. To do this you have to be able to dominate individually and elevate your teammates level of play just by being on the court.

Duncan is just so damn solid, he's an excellent, excellent defender, very good rebounder, and his post game opens up all the cutting lanes for Parker and Ginobli and all of Bowen's 3s. I've thought the last 2-3 yrs. the best player debate has come down to KG and Duncan, with the difference being Duncan's more productive game in the post. KG has a glaring tendency to settle for jumpers and fadeaways that Duncan avoids by taking it down to the middle. KG catching the ball too far out and settling for the outside shot has killed a mediocre Twolves team multiple times down the stretch in close games this year.

Kobe and TMac are no where close to the best player in the NBA. You can't be the best player in the NBA playing the 2 or 3 unless you make your teammates a lot better (i.e. Jordan, Magic, Bird) and neither of these guys makes their teammates much better at all. Neither of these guys seem to "get it" and I'm thinking they never will.

Shaq of course is too old.

Nash is a great QB, but he's gawdawful at D.

AI deserves serious consideration cuz he can make his teammates better and is a force on both ends.

LeBron is on his way, but not there yet.

Dwayne Wade is very good but is another little guy that doesn't make his teammates better enough.

The title is Duncan's until LeBron or another young guy comes up to take it away from him.

[Isura]

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Boring or not, its Duncan and I really don't think it is all that close right now.

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I agree.

Not the biggest fan, but it's Duncan. I think an inside player gets more billing than a perimeter guy, cuz great post players can do more for their teams. There are a few exceptions, but I would build a team around Wilt rather than one around MJ. There's no perimeter guy in the game today that is so dominant that he outshines the best post players. This could change w/ Lebron in a few years. Watch this guy develop. I couldn't have imagined a player like him.

By position 1 to 5:
AI, Kobe, Bron, TD, Shaq

KG (who will never win it) over everyone other than TD. This guy does everything and does it really well.

Best guard is Kobe. CWebb has helped AI bump up his FG%, and Kobe gets tougher defensive assignments.

[Bulldog]

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I have no clue. I was thinking about this a little while ago and I couldn't come up with any clear names.

Shaq definitely isn't the Shaq of old.

Kobe might be the best perimeter player, but I have reservations about annointing him until he stops jacking up crazy shots at ill-advised times. (I'm a huge Lakers/Kobe fan btw.)

Tracy McGrady is pretty good, but disappears a lot.

Steve Nash is the reigning MVP and he's fun to watch, but there is no way he's #1.

Allen Iverson is awesome, especially now that he's learned to pass effectively. But he doesn't feel like the one.

Lebron is a beast . . . who plays zero defense.

Dwayne Wade needs a jump shot.

Tim Duncan can do it all, but he's just so boring.

Who is the one? And why?

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Iverson, over the last 60 games or so (going back into the end of last season)

It's not Garnett. Duncan plays the same position, and is much better.

Should be Kevin Arnett, no G in his game.

[Aytumious]

Garnett is the most skilled considering his size and has one of the best overall packages of talent and freakish athleticism ever to enter the league. Duncan, however, is a better player because of his superior understanding of the game.

I think that within a year or two Lebron James will be considered the best in the league. The guy is unbelievably skilled, but he needs time to mature into a leader and a winner.

[johnnybeef]

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I think that within a year or two Lebron James will be considered the best in the league. The guy is unbelievably skilled, but he needs time to learn how to play D

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FYP

[Clarkmeister]

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I think that within a year or two Lebron James will be considered the best in the league. The guy is unbelievably skilled, but he needs time to learn how to play D

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FYP

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Do you even watch the NBA? Suggesting LBJ doesn't play D is pretty ridiculous.

[johnnybeef]

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I think that within a year or two Lebron James will be considered the best in the league. The guy is unbelievably skilled, but he needs time to learn how to play D

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FYP

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Do you even watch the NBA? Suggesting LBJ doesn't play D is pretty ridiculous.

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Your statement is ridiculous. I would lay odds that no one who posts here has seen Lebron play more than I have (I went to high school at Akron Hoban, St V was our rival.) LB was a great defensive player in high school, but that is like saying that Chip Reece would do well in a 4/8 limit holdem game. Lebron has a keen eye for the passing lane which enables him to make many steals that others are not capable of, but the fact of the matter is that LBJ is currently an average NBA defender. This will change with time, but how much so will ultimately determine how he ranks up with MJ imo.

[Aytumious]

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I think that within a year or two Lebron James will be considered the best in the league. The guy is unbelievably skilled, but he needs time to learn how to play D

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FYP

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I agree his overall defensive game isn't where it needs to be. But even if he only becomes an abovve average all around defensive player and maintains his very high steals rate he will be the best in the league simply because the rest of his game is so advanced. Provided his production massively outweighs what he gives up -- which is already the case -- he will have to be considered one of the best -- if not the best -- players in the league.

Roland Ratings