Friday, June 12, 2009

Who is 3rd Best?

Lebron, Kobe.... Kobe, Lebron....does it matter? It's obvious that they go 1-2 as the NBA's best.
The real question is, who is 3rd best?

In my opinion it comes down to a brief list of players:
  1. Dwight Howard
  2. Tim Duncan
  3. Carmelo Anthony
  4. Chris Paul
  5. Dirk Nowitzki
  6. Dwayne Wade

Here's the case for each of these players:

  1. Dwight Howard (Magic): 20.6 ppg, 13.8 rpg, 2.9 bpg
  • 3-time all star
  • 3-time all-nba team selection
  • 2-time all-defensive member
  • 2009 defensive player of the year
My take: Howard is one of the most dominant inside defensive presences in the NBA. He still lacks the inside post game to really be a great center. Currently, he is 24 years old and should develop to be a better offensive player which will compliment his dominant defensive prowess. His main weaknesses include his inside post moves and his free throw shooting.


2. Tim Duncan (Spurs): 19.3 ppg , 8 rpg, 1.2 bpg
  • 4-time NBA champion
  • 3-time NBA Finals MVP
  • 2-time NBA MVP
  • 11-time All Star
  • 12 All-NBA teams
  • 12 All-defensive teams
--> What else can you really add about this future hall of famer commonly known as the big fundamental? He's so fundamentally sound it's incredible. Unfortunately, it seems he's on the downside of his career. At this point, it's hard to say he's the 3rd best player in the NBA.


3. Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets): 22.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.4 apg

  • 3 time NBA All Star
  • 3 time All-NBA 3rd team
--> Melo really made a case for himself in this current NBA playoffs. He raised his scoring average to 27 ppg. It is an interesting coincidence that his best year occurred when Chauncey Billups joins the team. Was this post-season a fluke or a sign of great things to come?


4. Chris Paul (Hornets): 22.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 11 apg

  • 2 time NBA All Star
  • 1 time All-NBA 1st Team
  • 1 time All-NBA Defensive First Team
  • NBA Rookie of the Year
---> Chris Paul really made a name for himself in 2008. Paul brought the New Orleans Hornets to the conference championship and really showed off his spectacular playmaking skills and leadership. His assists per game really speak for itself. On the negative side, Paul's Hornets lost in the 1st round this year to the Nuggets. Isn't a great player supposed to elevate his team to a higher seed and moreover, a 1st round win?


5. Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks): 25.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.4 apg
  • 8-time NBA All-Star
  • 4-time All-NBA 1st Team
  • 3-time All NBA 2nd Team
  • 2-time All-NBA 3rd Team
  • 1-time NBA MVP

--> Nowitki is the most skilled big man in the NBA. He has unbelievable range for a 7 footer. Nowitzki led the Mavs to an NBA Finals appearance and has been a great player in the NBA for years. On the other hand, Nowitzki has never lead the Mavericks to a NBA Championship.


6. Dwayne Wade (Heat): 30.2 ppg, 5 rpg, 7.5 apg
  • 1-time NBA Finals MVP
  • 1-time NBA Champion
  • 5-time NBA All Star
  • 1-time All-NBA 1st Team
  • 2-time All-NBA 2nd Team
  • 1-time All-NBA 3rd Team
  • 2-time All-NBA Defensive Team
-->Flash has been one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA the past decade. His knack for the basket is uncanny and he has already won an NBA championship. He's an ultra talented guard who has the potential to win more championships. Negatively, his only championship came as the team's 2nd option (after shaq). Can Wade lead a team to a championship? This is a question he will have to answer for years to come.



The Bottom Line:
  • It's incredibly difficult to decipher which player is 3rd best. I think the best way to decide who is the best player is to imagine yourself as General Manager of a franchise who needs to win for the next 5 years. Next, you must decide who you'd like to start your team with. When I put myself in this scenario, I would begin my team with Dwight Howard. It is extremely difficult to find big, dominant big men and Howard is already a star. The next player I would choose would be Chris Paul. Paul has unbelievable skills and can make everyone around him better.
  • My NBA Top 5: (1) Lebron (2) Kobe (3) Howard (4) Paul (5)Nowitzki


what do you think?
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7 comments:

  1. Avi KJune 12, 2009 at 5:10 PM

    I'd put Melo higher after these playoffs. He had a higher FG %, ppg, and assists than his career avg and he showed that he can play clutch D.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJune 12, 2009 at 9:14 PM

    Chris Paul far and away is the third best. Simply what he can do for a team is beyond what any of these other guys can. Melo is lost without Billups and Duncan has aged too much. In a few years Howard will be the best player in the NBA. Yes better than LeBron. Current ranks..

    1. Kobe
    2. Lebron
    3. Paul
    4. Howard
    5. Wade

    ReplyDelete
  3. Avishai RosensteinJune 12, 2009 at 9:18 PM

    Wow, Howard better than Lebron? That's a bold statement!

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJune 12, 2009 at 9:21 PM

    PF/C > than SF simply put Howard is in a more difficult to be great position. Not to mention the Magic beat the Cavs. That is no knock on Lebron at all. Simply it is a statement of how great Howard will be. Should be wild in the East!

    Sixers have no chance lol :(

    ReplyDelete
  5. Avishai RosensteinJune 12, 2009 at 11:13 PM

    I agree with Centers being harder to find than SFs but Lebron is a special case. He could play any position ranging from PG to PF.

    You're right about the sixers. Unless they make a lucky draft pick, their is no way they'll be going anywhere deep in the playoffs in the near future.

    ReplyDelete
  6. eli choJune 12, 2009 at 11:55 PM

    1.lebron
    2.kobe
    3.howard
    4.wade
    5.paul

    based on players being able to take over the game and being the x-factor for their team.
    Nowitzski? c'mon ... this guy chokes so much and has one decent game.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Porn MasterJune 16, 2009 at 12:01 AM

    On Howard, assuming he will develop an inside game is not a certainty. Furthermore his current success happens to be built upon not having t. o have faced Garnett and Cleveland being that shitty outside of #23. Additionally, his post game is relieved by playing with some of the best shooters in the association. I'll give it to Paul for his ability to be a catalyst and then to Wade number four.

    ReplyDelete

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