ESPN ranks NBA players, 1-500

As always, a few surprises. At least to me anyway.

Chris Paul is 4th, ahead of Durant, Dirk and Kobe, and even the MVP Rose.

Rondo #17, the highest rated Celtic.

Al Horford #25??

Marc Gasol #26, too high. The seem to put a really high premium on Centers.

#45, David West, too low

#s 107-109, Jamison, Stuckey and Beasley all seem to low to me. I don’t really care for Beasley, but I also don’t think there are 108 players ahead of him.

#119, poor Bobcats. The highest rated Charlotte player was DJ Augustin.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7116977/nba-player-rankings-1

I believe that’s the lowest rated top player in the league, by a good distance. The next lowest I could find was Cleveland, with Varajao at ~86. But they also have two other players rated before 119. That’s just terrible.

How are they going to become successful?

After watching Dirk last year, how can you not have him top 5?

And Melo is to low. Nash and Griffin are to high (although they are 2 of my favorite guys in the league).

My top 5 would be Lebron, Durant, Dirk, Rose and Melo. I would maybe swap out Rose for Howard.

I would have Dirk, Wade, Durant, Howard, Paul my top five. Maybe not that order but def. those players. Dirk is nearly unstoppable. We all know what Wade brings. Durant is probably the best pure shooter in the NBA. I only put Howard in here because he is the most dominant big man in the league on both ends of the floor. Paul because he is one of the best on offense and defense. You need a steal, pick and roll, three, free throw, he can give it to you.

I don’t have Lebron because when you are that gifted…you have to prove yourself. I have hated that guy from day one when he was known as the “king” and has not done anything. Regular season and scoring titles don’t get you anything.

[quote=“sportsman1417, post:4, topic:25792”]I would have Dirk, Wade, Durant, Howard, Paul my top five. Maybe not that order but def. those players. Dirk is nearly unstoppable. We all know what Wade brings. Durant is probably the best pure shooter in the NBA. I only put Howard in here because he is the most dominant big man in the league on both ends of the floor. Paul because he is one of the best on offense and defense. You need a steal, pick and roll, three, free throw, he can give it to you.

I don’t have Lebron because when you are that gifted…you have to prove yourself. I have hated that guy from day one when he was known as the “king” and has not done anything. Regular season and scoring titles don’t get you anything.[/quote]

lololololol

lololololololol

lololololol

Wait, you’re being serious?

lololololololol

[quote=“Powerbait, post:5, topic:25792”][quote=“sportsman1417, post:4, topic:25792”]I would have Dirk, Wade, Durant, Howard, Paul my top five. Maybe not that order but def. those players. Dirk is nearly unstoppable. We all know what Wade brings. Durant is probably the best pure shooter in the NBA. I only put Howard in here because he is the most dominant big man in the league on both ends of the floor. Paul because he is one of the best on offense and defense. You need a steal, pick and roll, three, free throw, he can give it to you.

I don’t have Lebron because when you are that gifted…you have to prove yourself. I have hated that guy from day one when he was known as the “king” and has not done anything. Regular season and scoring titles don’t get you anything.[/quote]

lololololol

lololololololol

lololololol

Wait, you’re being serious?

lololololololol[/quote]

So you’re saying Dan Marino, Warren Moon, and Roman Gabriel were worse quarterbacks than Eli Manning, Brad Johnson, or Trent Dilfer?

Are you asking me that?

[quote=“9erken, post:2, topic:25792”]I believe that’s the lowest rated top player in the league, by a good distance. The next lowest I could find was Cleveland, with Varajao at ~86. But they also have two other players rated before 119. That’s just terrible.

How are they going to become successful?[/quote]

Yeah, it’s pretty bad. On average, every team has about 4 players ahead of the Bobcats top rated player. They have to hit a home run with their lottery pick this year.

Lebron’s a tough call. He’s definitely a top 5 player to me. But at this point Wade, Dirk and Kobe are all better closers than Lebron. I’d probably have:

  1. Wade
  2. Dirk
  3. Kobe
  4. Lebron
  5. Durant
  6. Howard

[quote=“Normmm, post:9, topic:25792”]Lebron’s a tough call. He’s definitely a top 5 player to me. But at this point Wade, Dirk and Kobe are all better closers than Lebron. I’d probably have:

  1. Wade
  2. Dirk
  3. Kobe
  4. Lebron
  5. Durant
  6. Howard[/quote]

Derek Fisher is a better closer than LeBron, what does that have to do with how good of a player someone is?

[quote=“Powerbait, post:10, topic:25792”][quote=“Normmm, post:9, topic:25792”]Lebron’s a tough call. He’s definitely a top 5 player to me. But at this point Wade, Dirk and Kobe are all better closers than Lebron. I’d probably have:

  1. Wade
  2. Dirk
  3. Kobe
  4. Lebron
  5. Durant
  6. Howard[/quote]

Derek Fisher is a better closer than LeBron, what does that have to do with how good of a player someone is?[/quote]

Are you really trying to say that Fisher was the top option on those Laker teams, or even top 3? Kobe carried those teams to championships, not Fisher.

[quote=“Powerbait, post:10, topic:25792”][quote=“Normmm, post:9, topic:25792”]Lebron’s a tough call. He’s definitely a top 5 player to me. But at this point Wade, Dirk and Kobe are all better closers than Lebron. I’d probably have:

  1. Wade
  2. Dirk
  3. Kobe
  4. Lebron
  5. Durant
  6. Howard[/quote]

Derek Fisher is a better closer than LeBron, what does that have to do with how good of a player someone is?[/quote]

Going on talent alone then I don’t see how anyone tops Lebron even though I hate him.

If you are looking at a complete player though you have to look what a player brings all 4 quaters, when his team is winning, when his team is losing, what kind of a leader he is and plenty more. I think Lebron’s body of work thus far says he is behind a few other guys who are less talented than he is.

I say he is behind (in no special order):
Kobe
Dirk
Durant
Wade

Then Lebron

Next group
Melo
Rose
Howard
Nash
Paul

Next group
The guy handing out programs

Next group
The ball boys

Next group
Adam Morrison
Sean May

Talent wise, its undeniable that Lebron is a top 5 talent. Its the intangibles he gets points deducted on. His heart and toughness will probably always be questioned even if the heat end up winning a few rings. Its the price you pay when you call yourself the king though

I get a kick out of these conversations every time. It is seriously funny to me.

LeBron went to a team with Bosh and Wade and was clearly the best player on the team. Wade is considered a top 5 player and he’s not on LeBron’s level in any facet of the game.

[table][tr] [td]GM[/td] [td]PPG[/td] [td]RPG[/td] [td]APG[/td] [td]FG%[/td] [td]FT%[/td][/tr] [tr] [td]79[/td] [td]26.7[/td] [td]7.5[/td] [td]7.0[/td] [td].510[/td] [td].759[/td][/tr] [tr] [td]76[/td] [td] 25.5[/td] [td]6.4[/td] [td] 4.6[/td] [td] .500[/td] [td].758[/td][/tr][/table]

[quote=“Powerbait, post:14, topic:25792”]I get a kick out of these conversations every time. It is seriously funny to me.

LeBron went to a team with Bosh and Wade and was clearly the best player on the team. Wade is considered a top 5 player and he’s not on LeBron’s level in any facet of the game.[/quote]

Closing matters. That’s all the rational people in the conversation are saying. If all games had the same meaning, LBJ would be head-and-shoulders above everyone else; however, since playoff games and in particular the Finals matter more, LBJ HAS to be dinged. If you’re not dinging LBJ for his performance in the playoffs, you’re just as irrational as the haters.

LBJ beat the Bulls, DWade was nonexistant in that series.

So while I agree that LeBron had a bad finals, he is the reason they got there. Wade certainly wasn’t carrying the team in the Finals either. LeBron is better than DWade. If he goes to any other team, he would be the best player on the team. He is the best player in the game.

The best are always judged on how the do when the spotlight is the brightest. He has a tendency of coming up short when it matters the most.

He’s the most talented guy in the league, bar none. But it isnt crazy to think that there are other guys people would take over him.

The best are always judged on how the do when the spotlight is the brightest. He has a tendency of coming up short when it matters the most.

He’s the most talented guy in the league, bar none. But it isnt crazy to think that there are other guys people would take over him.[/quote]

Of course it isn’t crazy. He isn’t the first player I would take if I were trying to win a title. I would go for a center first, then a PF, then a PG. Controlling the paint typically wins titles.

No, sorry- I thought I had quoted the original.