Just for fun, I'm ranking my favorite current NBA players by position. Note that this is a strict personal preference and may or may not be related to the players' performance.
Point Guard
1. Jason Kidd, Mavericks
If you know me well, you should have guessed it without a doubt. Mr. Triple-Double, excels on both ends, and a pure PG. Alright, he's 35, and has lost at least a step since the knee surgery and he's never been a good shooter. But who can be more exciting to watch at fastbreaks? Plus, he's the first PG that I have been closely following since his rookie season, and his unique size and rebounding power coupled with his superb court vision and the ability to throw flashy alley-oops has intrigued me for years. And remember the turnaround of the Nets in 2001-2002 season? Yes, history and sentimental reason counts.
2. Steve Nash, Suns
Mr. Nice Guy, grand representative of our beloved B.C. Again, a traditional pure PG, who focuses on passing, and when needed, he could drain his deadeye 3s. A year-after-year 90% FT shooter. He is the very reason why the Suns is so exciting and entertaining. Who doesn't love the Suns? What else do you want? I rank him below Kidd simply because he is not as good in defense (which I put much emphasis) than Kidd. But in fact his defense is underrated.
3. Jose Calderon, Raptors
I started to love him when he was with my fantasy team last year. Great stats, seldom makes mistakes, and is as reliable as a Toyota. I love his stable and no-nonsense approach. Nothing flashy, but just an extremely effective guard. The problem is, he does not have the star power to be an all-star. At least not yet. Give him one or two more years, and we will be talking about one of the greatest PGs ever in Toronto. Oh, did I mention the Canada-connection counts? Yes, I'm a Raptor fan too.
4. Chris Paul, Hornets
Everybody loves CP3. He can score, dish and attack the basket. He is the best PG in the league and nobody could argue. He is the major reason of the success of the Hornets right now. But somehow I never sit comfortably about his flashy plays. And from my point of view, he always looks for scoring first than passing. And he has an ugly jersey.
5. Tony Parker, Spurs
As a scoring PG, he's never my preferred PG. But he is a Spur, and that says it all.
Shooting Guard
1. Manu Ginobili, Spurs
OK, he's a Spur. Period. Plus, he is one of the most exciting players to watch. He is so clutch that he always plays his best in the playoffs or elimination games. His ability to play point is another big factor. He is very versatile, shooting, slashing, passing, defending, stealing, and yes, flopping. His resume for his country Argentina is even more impressive. Did I mention that he won both the NBA Championship (3 times) and the Olympic Gold Medal? You got me.
2. Joe Johnson, Hawks
JJ is the guy who can play at 1, 2, and 3. He can effectively run offense as PG and he is one of the most versatile scorers in the league. He was already a high profile talent when he was in Phoenix, but he really excelled after he joined Atlanta, piling up impressive stats. His ability to hit clutch shots was never mentioned by the press. Oh, disclosure of interest: I have had him in my fantasy team for two consecutive years. The only short fall is his relatively weak defense. Also, I criticized him severly when he chose to go to Atlanta for more money and bigger role, instead of staying in Phoenix and win a title or two with Nash.
3. Ray Allen
Jesus Shuttleworth. Love his smooth-as-silk shooting. Love his ability to finish the basket. He has one of the quickest release in the league. Yes, he is poor in defense. But he's been a star since "He Got Game" and he still has the ability to throw down 30 pts any given night. Yes, he has regressed somewhat nowadays. I pick him largely due to historical reason. But he will always be Jesus Shuttleworth in my mind.
4. Anthony Parker
One of the most underrated players in the league. He is a poor man's Ginobili. He can shoot, pass, slash, and he is one of the best defensive SG in the league. You won't be awed by his plays, but this guy is athletic and hustles all the time. He's the unsung hero of the Raptors, though his stats never show. BTW, I had him in my fantasy game two years ago as a sleeper.
5. Dwyane Wade
He is simply unstoppable. He won the 2006 Championship for the Heat, not Shaq. Granted, he faked fouls in order to go to the line, but every time he drives the line, almost for certain he will either get points or go to the FT line. Plus, he is alsy OK on offense. And he was simply the best player in the 2008 Olympic team.
Small Forward
1. Caron Butler, Wizards
He's a low profile player who could do it all. He plays hard every game. I seldom like wing players but if I have to pick, Butler is the man. Too bad he always plays under the shadow of Agent Zero. I believe he would have been a bigger star had he joined other teams.
2. Shane Battier
Talking about no-nonsense, meet Mr. No-Nonsense. Normally I don't like Duke products, but thi guy is just the perfect glue guy. He is tough and a top notch defender. He never complains about anything: starting or not, give up offnse in order to focus on defense, you name it. He is actually more important to the Rockets than any of T-Mac, Yao or Artest.
3. Richard Jefferson
I started to like him when I was closely following the Nets back in 2001. Yes, the year J-Kidd moved to NJ. RJ is also a versatile wing who is athletic, can drive and shoot, and plays earnest defense. He is an unselfish player who can score when needed. His passing skill is underrated. Of course, he has benefited greatly by playing along with J-Kidd during his first 7 years of his career. Things have never been the same since the departure of Kidd and now RJ is in Milwaukee. But he plays hard and never mail in any games.
4. Gerald Wallace
Talking about filling the stat sheet, he's just a poor man's Matrix. This guy is fearless and always plays it all out each game. That's why he often gets injured (concussions). But he is a rare talent that he can score while at the same time grab a lot of rebound and makes a lot of steals and blocks. The only problem is he is not a scorer, and I doubt he will be an All-Star. Well, he's never played meaningful minutes for a title contender, he's still too early to judge him on that.
5. LeBron James
Nobody questions his talent and potential. At 6'8" and 250 lb, he is a combination of power and speed. He is bascially unstoppable one-on-one and then he has the PG's vision. He will likely go for triple double for the season. Watching him play is an enjoyable experience. But you guys should know why I hate him. He speaks too much, and always wants to be a prima donna. Vowing to be a global icon, vowing to average 22-10-10, openly flirting with Nets' co-owner Jay Z, wearing Yankee hats to attend an Indians' playoffs home game against the Yankees, all the hype...
Power Forward
1. Tim Duncan
4 championships, 2 times MVP, 3 times Finals MVP, 4 rings, 1 time All-Star MVP, 10 times All-Star, 11 times All-NBA, 11 times All-Defense Team, Rookie of the Year, Naismith Player of the Year (college), Mr. Fundamental, Mr. Low Key, genuine team leader. Anything you want to add?
2. Kevin Garnett
I didn't like KG in the past, simply because I'm a TD fan. But nobody could deny KG's good spirit, his intensity, his talent and his competitiveness. It was entirely Kevin McHale's fault for not being able to gather enough talents to help KG in Minny. Dare I say going to Boston is the best move of McHale for KG. OK, KG is not clutch, it's a gone conclusion. The Celtics got PP and Ray Allen to play at clutch time and KG could simply defer to the second best man role, a perfect role for him. Love his defense and his leadership. You will never find another player who is more enthusiastic and energetic than Da Kid.
3. Chris Bosh
I've watched him play in person in Toronto back in 2005. I was immediately impressed by his good footwork and overall fundamentals. He is soft but he is no doubt very competitive. An extremely skilled player that can score when given the chance. Defense is not first class but by no mean bad.
4. David West
West used to be an underrated player but now that the Hornets are in such a high profile, David West is no longer underrated. Still, he is a workhorse. He was widely unnoticed when he entered the league, but he worked his butt off to achieve such a status in the league. He has good body balance and can score anywhere within 20 ft. He is not physically gifted, but he continues to be a 20-10 threat any given night. Of course, he's benefited from playing with CP3, but nobody should ignore or deny his effort.
5. Josh Smith
Josh Smith is an amazing talent. He is probably the most athletic PF in the league. He is tall, long, quick and strong. Granted, his skills are limited, esp. scoring. His defense is beautiful to watch (can you imagine defense can be beautiful to watch?) and he is a team player. It is hard to find such kind of unselfishness in the young guns.
Center
1. Yao Ming
Who doesn't love Yao? He is tall, strong, talented, and he has good character. His hook shots are becoming also unguardable nowadays, and he shoots FTs well. Extremely unselfish, even to a point that the teammates have to beg him to be more selfish. Although his defense is questionable, nobody will not be scared when driving the lane to meet him. Oh, and yes, he is by far the best Chinese player playing in the NBA ever.
2. Dwight Howard
Another good character guy. Super funny and playful. The Superman Dunk is already a classic. I met him in Macau during the preseason game and he was very nice to all us fans. Love him! But when he's on the court, he dominates. He is strong and powerful. His two weknesses? FT and defense. Watched him getting burnt time after time during the Olympics. When he could master those two areas, he will be truly unstoppable.
3. Tysan Chandler
He had a stormy start of his career after being drafted stright out of high school. Leaving Chicago turned out to be the best move for him. He immidately transformed into a defense specialist a la Camby since coming to New Orleans. And his scoring is up too, thanks to all the alley-oop passes from CP3. But he is in general a nice guy and work hard. He will never be remembered as one of the great centers, but nonetheless fits in perfectly for the young Hornets team.
4. Al Horford
As an undersized rookie, Horford played tough and alomost averaged a double-double last year. He is still learning his game but you know this guy will be a work horse sooner rather than later. While big men normally requires more time to mature, I am waiting for him to get used to the pro league and gradually develop his offensive skills. He would, of course, be better off to play at PF though.
5. Chris Kaman
Hulk Hogan Jr? People always recall his strange haircut or his fierce outlook, or even he "deflection" to Germany, but they seldom talk about his game. He is one of those rare true low post centers. He rebounds and blocks shots like crazy, but he can also flat out score. His is actually very entertaining to watch. I wish some elite teams could get him out of the Clippers purgatory.
Point Guard
1. Jason Kidd, Mavericks
If you know me well, you should have guessed it without a doubt. Mr. Triple-Double, excels on both ends, and a pure PG. Alright, he's 35, and has lost at least a step since the knee surgery and he's never been a good shooter. But who can be more exciting to watch at fastbreaks? Plus, he's the first PG that I have been closely following since his rookie season, and his unique size and rebounding power coupled with his superb court vision and the ability to throw flashy alley-oops has intrigued me for years. And remember the turnaround of the Nets in 2001-2002 season? Yes, history and sentimental reason counts.
2. Steve Nash, Suns
Mr. Nice Guy, grand representative of our beloved B.C. Again, a traditional pure PG, who focuses on passing, and when needed, he could drain his deadeye 3s. A year-after-year 90% FT shooter. He is the very reason why the Suns is so exciting and entertaining. Who doesn't love the Suns? What else do you want? I rank him below Kidd simply because he is not as good in defense (which I put much emphasis) than Kidd. But in fact his defense is underrated.
3. Jose Calderon, Raptors
I started to love him when he was with my fantasy team last year. Great stats, seldom makes mistakes, and is as reliable as a Toyota. I love his stable and no-nonsense approach. Nothing flashy, but just an extremely effective guard. The problem is, he does not have the star power to be an all-star. At least not yet. Give him one or two more years, and we will be talking about one of the greatest PGs ever in Toronto. Oh, did I mention the Canada-connection counts? Yes, I'm a Raptor fan too.
4. Chris Paul, Hornets
Everybody loves CP3. He can score, dish and attack the basket. He is the best PG in the league and nobody could argue. He is the major reason of the success of the Hornets right now. But somehow I never sit comfortably about his flashy plays. And from my point of view, he always looks for scoring first than passing. And he has an ugly jersey.
5. Tony Parker, Spurs
As a scoring PG, he's never my preferred PG. But he is a Spur, and that says it all.
Shooting Guard
1. Manu Ginobili, Spurs
OK, he's a Spur. Period. Plus, he is one of the most exciting players to watch. He is so clutch that he always plays his best in the playoffs or elimination games. His ability to play point is another big factor. He is very versatile, shooting, slashing, passing, defending, stealing, and yes, flopping. His resume for his country Argentina is even more impressive. Did I mention that he won both the NBA Championship (3 times) and the Olympic Gold Medal? You got me.
2. Joe Johnson, Hawks
JJ is the guy who can play at 1, 2, and 3. He can effectively run offense as PG and he is one of the most versatile scorers in the league. He was already a high profile talent when he was in Phoenix, but he really excelled after he joined Atlanta, piling up impressive stats. His ability to hit clutch shots was never mentioned by the press. Oh, disclosure of interest: I have had him in my fantasy team for two consecutive years. The only short fall is his relatively weak defense. Also, I criticized him severly when he chose to go to Atlanta for more money and bigger role, instead of staying in Phoenix and win a title or two with Nash.
3. Ray Allen
Jesus Shuttleworth. Love his smooth-as-silk shooting. Love his ability to finish the basket. He has one of the quickest release in the league. Yes, he is poor in defense. But he's been a star since "He Got Game" and he still has the ability to throw down 30 pts any given night. Yes, he has regressed somewhat nowadays. I pick him largely due to historical reason. But he will always be Jesus Shuttleworth in my mind.
4. Anthony Parker
One of the most underrated players in the league. He is a poor man's Ginobili. He can shoot, pass, slash, and he is one of the best defensive SG in the league. You won't be awed by his plays, but this guy is athletic and hustles all the time. He's the unsung hero of the Raptors, though his stats never show. BTW, I had him in my fantasy game two years ago as a sleeper.
5. Dwyane Wade
He is simply unstoppable. He won the 2006 Championship for the Heat, not Shaq. Granted, he faked fouls in order to go to the line, but every time he drives the line, almost for certain he will either get points or go to the FT line. Plus, he is alsy OK on offense. And he was simply the best player in the 2008 Olympic team.
Small Forward
1. Caron Butler, Wizards
He's a low profile player who could do it all. He plays hard every game. I seldom like wing players but if I have to pick, Butler is the man. Too bad he always plays under the shadow of Agent Zero. I believe he would have been a bigger star had he joined other teams.
2. Shane Battier
Talking about no-nonsense, meet Mr. No-Nonsense. Normally I don't like Duke products, but thi guy is just the perfect glue guy. He is tough and a top notch defender. He never complains about anything: starting or not, give up offnse in order to focus on defense, you name it. He is actually more important to the Rockets than any of T-Mac, Yao or Artest.
3. Richard Jefferson
I started to like him when I was closely following the Nets back in 2001. Yes, the year J-Kidd moved to NJ. RJ is also a versatile wing who is athletic, can drive and shoot, and plays earnest defense. He is an unselfish player who can score when needed. His passing skill is underrated. Of course, he has benefited greatly by playing along with J-Kidd during his first 7 years of his career. Things have never been the same since the departure of Kidd and now RJ is in Milwaukee. But he plays hard and never mail in any games.
4. Gerald Wallace
Talking about filling the stat sheet, he's just a poor man's Matrix. This guy is fearless and always plays it all out each game. That's why he often gets injured (concussions). But he is a rare talent that he can score while at the same time grab a lot of rebound and makes a lot of steals and blocks. The only problem is he is not a scorer, and I doubt he will be an All-Star. Well, he's never played meaningful minutes for a title contender, he's still too early to judge him on that.
5. LeBron James
Nobody questions his talent and potential. At 6'8" and 250 lb, he is a combination of power and speed. He is bascially unstoppable one-on-one and then he has the PG's vision. He will likely go for triple double for the season. Watching him play is an enjoyable experience. But you guys should know why I hate him. He speaks too much, and always wants to be a prima donna. Vowing to be a global icon, vowing to average 22-10-10, openly flirting with Nets' co-owner Jay Z, wearing Yankee hats to attend an Indians' playoffs home game against the Yankees, all the hype...
Power Forward
1. Tim Duncan
4 championships, 2 times MVP, 3 times Finals MVP, 4 rings, 1 time All-Star MVP, 10 times All-Star, 11 times All-NBA, 11 times All-Defense Team, Rookie of the Year, Naismith Player of the Year (college), Mr. Fundamental, Mr. Low Key, genuine team leader. Anything you want to add?
2. Kevin Garnett
I didn't like KG in the past, simply because I'm a TD fan. But nobody could deny KG's good spirit, his intensity, his talent and his competitiveness. It was entirely Kevin McHale's fault for not being able to gather enough talents to help KG in Minny. Dare I say going to Boston is the best move of McHale for KG. OK, KG is not clutch, it's a gone conclusion. The Celtics got PP and Ray Allen to play at clutch time and KG could simply defer to the second best man role, a perfect role for him. Love his defense and his leadership. You will never find another player who is more enthusiastic and energetic than Da Kid.
3. Chris Bosh
I've watched him play in person in Toronto back in 2005. I was immediately impressed by his good footwork and overall fundamentals. He is soft but he is no doubt very competitive. An extremely skilled player that can score when given the chance. Defense is not first class but by no mean bad.
4. David West
West used to be an underrated player but now that the Hornets are in such a high profile, David West is no longer underrated. Still, he is a workhorse. He was widely unnoticed when he entered the league, but he worked his butt off to achieve such a status in the league. He has good body balance and can score anywhere within 20 ft. He is not physically gifted, but he continues to be a 20-10 threat any given night. Of course, he's benefited from playing with CP3, but nobody should ignore or deny his effort.
5. Josh Smith
Josh Smith is an amazing talent. He is probably the most athletic PF in the league. He is tall, long, quick and strong. Granted, his skills are limited, esp. scoring. His defense is beautiful to watch (can you imagine defense can be beautiful to watch?) and he is a team player. It is hard to find such kind of unselfishness in the young guns.
Center
1. Yao Ming
Who doesn't love Yao? He is tall, strong, talented, and he has good character. His hook shots are becoming also unguardable nowadays, and he shoots FTs well. Extremely unselfish, even to a point that the teammates have to beg him to be more selfish. Although his defense is questionable, nobody will not be scared when driving the lane to meet him. Oh, and yes, he is by far the best Chinese player playing in the NBA ever.
2. Dwight Howard
Another good character guy. Super funny and playful. The Superman Dunk is already a classic. I met him in Macau during the preseason game and he was very nice to all us fans. Love him! But when he's on the court, he dominates. He is strong and powerful. His two weknesses? FT and defense. Watched him getting burnt time after time during the Olympics. When he could master those two areas, he will be truly unstoppable.
3. Tysan Chandler
He had a stormy start of his career after being drafted stright out of high school. Leaving Chicago turned out to be the best move for him. He immidately transformed into a defense specialist a la Camby since coming to New Orleans. And his scoring is up too, thanks to all the alley-oop passes from CP3. But he is in general a nice guy and work hard. He will never be remembered as one of the great centers, but nonetheless fits in perfectly for the young Hornets team.
4. Al Horford
As an undersized rookie, Horford played tough and alomost averaged a double-double last year. He is still learning his game but you know this guy will be a work horse sooner rather than later. While big men normally requires more time to mature, I am waiting for him to get used to the pro league and gradually develop his offensive skills. He would, of course, be better off to play at PF though.
5. Chris Kaman
Hulk Hogan Jr? People always recall his strange haircut or his fierce outlook, or even he "deflection" to Germany, but they seldom talk about his game. He is one of those rare true low post centers. He rebounds and blocks shots like crazy, but he can also flat out score. His is actually very entertaining to watch. I wish some elite teams could get him out of the Clippers purgatory.
2 comments:
I think you will only change your pick of PG and C after Kidd and TD are dead =)
no la. maybe two ro three years later i may be picking Derrick Rose instead of J-Kidd.
as for TD, hmm, so far i haven't found any good successor. how about that Oden kid? interesting.
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