Monday, October 31, 2011

My Top 50: 10 - 6

ESPN, SLAM and a variety of basketball media outlets have been slowly unveiling their lists of the top current basketball players. The theory is a countdown to the start of the 2011/12 NBA season, which was scheduled to start November 1st, but lockout negotiations are ongoing to say the least. ESPN did a top 500 list, and made it interactive over twitter with the hashtag #NBArank, and SLAM's messaging boards have topped 500 comments for the Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose pages.

While these outlets were generating buzz, I was becoming inspired.

Who really was the best?

Everybody has an opinion, so I've gathered some of the best of them and grouped it with other relevant information. Each player is listed with relevant rankings from various trusted basketball outlets, statistical information for the top 5 categories (pts, reb, ast, FG%, FT%) and an indication if they finished in the top 10 in another category like blocks, 3FG%, or turnovers.

I also looked at advanced statistical measures such as PER, Net Production, and Simple Rating which are relatively explained in the links.

For some players, certain ranking systems do not apply, and are simply not listed.

In all, this was an attempt to be unbiased, to gather and reflect on existing sources, and ultimately form an educated opinion that is at once objective, and also completely my own.

SLAM's list is for "projected production in the upcoming '11/12 season," and this means that steady regular season production is a factor. The good teams have always paced themselves, and Kobe could still go for 30, but he knows he doesn't need to. Plus, you're speculating on fantasy and future.

My list is based on right now. If the lockout were to end, and instead of a season all we got was a Finals. Who would you pick to lead your team? Who could have the most impact in just a series, when all the chips are down?

Please engage me on this, I want to hear your thoughts. No list is permanent, and subject to change.

Wed October 26: 50 - 41
50 - Andrew Bogut
49 - Nené
48 - Marc Gasol
47 - Andrew Bynum
46 - Lamar Odom
45 - John Wall
44 - Tyson Chandler
43 - Carlos Boozer
42 - Al Horford
41 - Gerald Wallace
Thurs October 27: 40 - 31
40 - David West
39 - Jason Kidd
38 - Josh Smith
37 - Stephen Curry
36 - Joachim Noah
35 - Eric Gordon
34 - Kevin Garnett
33 - Tim Duncan
32 - Tony Parker
31 - Al Jefferson
Fri October 28: 30 - 21
30 - Ray Allen
29 - Kevin Martin
28 - Tyreke Evans
27 - Andre Iguodala
26 - Rudy Gay
25 - Danny Granger
24 - Monta Ellis
23 - Kevin Love
22 - Joe Johnson
21 - Manu Ginobili
Sat October 29: 20 - 16
20 - Zach Randolph
19 - Paul Pierce
18 - Steve Nash
17 - Chris Bosh
16 - LaMarcus Aldridge
Sun October 30: 15 - 11
15 - Rajon Rondo
14 - Pau Gasol
13 - Russell Westbrook
12 - Blake Griffin
11 - Amar'e Stoudemire
Mon October 31: 10 - 6
Tues November 1: 5 - 1
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10
Deron Williams
-       ESPN rank 9 (8.98)
-       SLAMonline rank - 10
-       CBS rank 44 (76.79)
-       2k12 ranking 9 (90)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -14.9
-       Player Efficiency Rating #20
-       Sports Illustrated #7
-       PSD Top 10 - #9
-       Eye on Basketball #16
-       360special All-Time rank - 79
-       20.1 pts, 4.0 reb, 10.3 ast, 43.9 FG%, 84.5 FT%
-       2010/11 Season 5th Most Turnovers


Deron Williams has been at the centre of the best point-guard debate for the better part of the past decade, in a see-saw battle with Chris Paul. Newly crowned MVP Derrick Rose threatens this debate, and now it's a three horse race. Deron Williams' upper hand on Chris Paul was that his leadership and size allowed him to make up for a lack of speed or athleticism. Don't get me wrong, Deron can dunk but it doesn't define his game like the dunking of Rose or the quickness of Paul. Deron is just a solid point guard, and one that will get a boost to his star power when his Nets move into Brooklyn. He already made waves this summer by being the first big NBA name to ink an overseas deal during lockout limbo, and he should continue to develop his individual game and image. Regardless of his reputation for steady play and 10.3 assists per game (more than Rose or Paul), he also had more turnovers than both of them. Deron Williams is an elite player and a competent floor leader that make him top 10 NBA talent.

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9
Carmelo Anthony
-       ESPN rank 12 (8.42)
-       SLAMonline rank - 9
-       CBS rank 11 (88.51)
-       2k12 ranking 8 (91)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -17.6
-       Player Efficiency Rating #16
-       Sports Illustrated #20
-       PSD Top 10 - #10
-       Eye on Basketball #15
-       360special All-Time rank - 56
-       25.6 pts, 7.3 reb, 2.9 ast, 45.5 FG%, 83.8 FT%
-       Net Production #9



Carmelo Anthony is an elite scorer that has always been his team's centre of attention since entering the League as LeBron's destined, and more proven rival coming off a freshman season NCAA championship at Syracuse. In 2003 LeBron was picked first, and Carmelo was picked third by the Denver Nuggets, forming a Darko death sandwich. Always a contender in Denver, the Nuggets never reached the Finals. Melo was criticised for not having a 'complete' game, and lacking determination and ability on defense. While the other three all-stars from his draft coalesced on the Heat, Melo courted the Knicks and flirted with the Nets. When the dominoes fell, Melo was in New York, ready to revive MSG as a central hub of basketball entertainment rather than a disconnected, directionless, mess of a team as they had been for the Naughts. As seen at the end of the South Beach All-Star Classic, when the game is on the line, Carmelo is one of the players you have to watch. He can obviously score well, and his 7.3 rebounds per game is more than Dirk, Durant, Wade, and Marc Gasol. He is as productive as his ranking, and his efficiency is high, but could be better. As a face of the NBA, he's just a step back from the highest tier of stardom, and that will come with proven success.
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8
Chris Paul
-       ESPN rank 4 (9.68)
-       SLAMonline rank - 8
-       CBS rank 16 (85.52)
-       2k12 rank 4 (93)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -3.8
-       Player Efficiency Rating #6
-       Sports Illustrated #6
-       PSD Top 10 - #4
-       Eye on Basketball #8
-       360special All-Time rank – 64
-       Simple Rating – 10.5 (9th)
-       15.8 pts, 4.1 reb, 9.8 ast, 46.3 FG%, 87.8 FT%
-       2010/11 Season Steals #1
-       Estimated wins added – #7 – 18.3


Chris Paul is the best point guard in the NBA, or at least the likeliest candidate to inherit that title. Some would argue him higher up this list due to his ability to run a team and play at a competitive level that Isiah Thomas called "a whole 'nother level." He is extremely quick, regularly leads the NBA in steals, and is usually close to assists leaders as well. This past season he dished 9.8 assists (less than Deron Williams and Steve Nash), yet scored only 15.8 points (almost ten points behind Derrick Rose). He still adds the seventh most wins, is the sixth most effective player, and had the ninth highest simple rating in an off-year for him statistically. The point guard is quickly becoming the most competitive and celebrated position in the game, as teams move to more perimeter-oriented games, and Chris Paul is arguably the best of them.
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7
Derrick Rose
-       ESPN rank 8 (9.27)
-       SLAMonline rank - 4
-       CBS rank 6 (90.51)
-       2k12 rank 6 (92)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -5.5
-       Player Efficiency Rating #9
-       Sports Illustrated #9
-       PSD Top 10 - #8
-       Eye on Basketball #5
-       360special All-Time rank - 69
-       25.0 pts, 4.1 reb, 7.7 ast, 44.5 FG%, 85.8 FT%
-       2010/11 Season 8th Most Turnovers
-       Net Production #8
-       Estimated wins added – #5 – 19.0

Derrick Rose excelled faster in his career than he does off a hard cross-over. Still under his rookie contract with the Chicago Bulls, the former #1 pick and Rookie of the Year won the MVP award in just his third season in the NBA. I had a debate over twitter with @AndrewGordonNBA about why Rose deserved MVP over LeBron, and we agreed to disagree. Rose led the Bulls to the best record in the NBA without Wade or Bosh, the Bulls would be worse off without Rose than the Heat would be without LeBron, and Rose is the heart and soul of his city. The Bulls also finished first place in the East, just ahead of the Heat, winning 62 games to Miami's 58. Some of the credit should go to new coach Tom Thibodeau for molding the Bulls into a championship team. Derrick Rose has become a bankable star in the NBA, and the league's youngest ever MVP. With his size, skill, and athleticism combined with his strength and unmatched speed, he is a new, unstoppable breed of point guard. Rose added the fifth most wins, and had high production and efficiency rankings, but was shut down by a Miami defense that made him into a shooter and took away his driving lanes. Rose is young enough to still have some weaknesses, and once he rounds out his game he'll never finish out of the top 5 in my rankings again. He's not the point guard that Paul, Williams, Rondo, or Nash are, but he's a better basketball player  than any of them right now and one of the best overall players in the NBA today.
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6
Kevin Durant
-       ESPN rank 6 (9.62)
-       SLAMonline rank - 2
-       CBS rank 2 (93.9)
-       2k12 rank 6 (92)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -1.3
-       Player Efficiency Rating #7
-       Sports Illustrated #8
-       PSD Top 10 - #7
-       Eye on Basketball #7
-       360special All-Time rank - 25
-       27.7 pts, 6.8 reb, 2.7 ast, 46.2 FG%, 88.0 FT%
-       Net Production #4
-       Estimated wins added – #4 – 19.9


The young Thunder's playoff run was an exciting preview of young talent that will be on an All-Star level for the next decade. Kevin Durant has a hall-of-fame type of talent. His long 6'9" body has a 7'5" wingspan that allows him to get shots up over any type of defender. He is quick, can handle the ball remarkably well, and has now led the league in scoring two years running. The first time KD led the league in scoring he became the youngest player to have ever completed the feat at 22 years old. His summer barnstorming tour since the onset of lockout fever have elevated his status to basketball chosen one. His 66 points at Rucker Park legitimated his credibility as a transcendant NBA talent. He's taking over the NBA, and is one of the best scorers the game has ever seen, but he's a few steps away from getting my vote for one single series impact. I'll take Kobe over KD, Dwight gets the nod because of defense, Dirk proved himself in the playoffs, Wade's talent shows up in advanced statistics, and LeBron has the size and strength that is opposite to Durant's silky smooth touch. One thing is certain, Durant can score. He also produces, and adds wins at a top-5 rate, and is the seventh most effective player according to PER. He's the highest picked player in fantasy basketball right now on Yahoo because LeBron and Wade suck up each others' stats, Kobe chills until playoffs, Dwight kills your team with free-throws, and Dirk doesn't get the stats you want out of a big man. Kevin Durant is a sublime talent and if his off-season success translated to NBA action, be sure he will dominate for years to come.


Sunday, October 30, 2011

My Top 50: 15 - 11

ESPN, SLAM and a variety of basketball media outlets have been slowly unveiling their lists of the top current basketball players. The theory is a countdown to the start of the 2011/12 NBA season, which was scheduled to start November 1st, but lockout negotiations are ongoing to say the least. ESPN did a top 500 list, and made it interactive over twitter with the hashtag #NBArank, and SLAM's messaging boards have topped 500 comments for the Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose pages.

While these outlets were generating buzz, I was becoming inspired.

Who really was the best?

Everybody has an opinion, so I've gathered some of the best of them and grouped it with other relevant information. Each player is listed with relevant rankings from various trusted basketball outlets, statistical information for the top 5 categories (pts, reb, ast, FG%, FT%) and an indication if they finished in the top 10 in another category like blocks, 3FG%, or turnovers.

I also looked at advanced statistical measures such as PER, Net Production, and Simple Rating which are relatively explained in the links.

For some players, certain ranking systems do not apply, and are simply not listed.

In all, this was an attempt to be unbiased, to gather and reflect on existing sources, and ultimately form an educated opinion that is at once objective, and also completely my own.

SLAM's list is for "projected production in the upcoming '11/12 season," and this means that steady regular season production is a factor. The good teams have always paced themselves, and Kobe could still go for 30, but he knows he doesn't need to. Plus, you're speculating on fantasy and future.

My list is based on right now. If the lockout were to end, and instead of a season all we got was a Finals. Who would you pick to lead your team? Who could have the most impact in just a series, when all the chips are down?

Please engage me on this, I want to hear your thoughts. No list is permanent, and subject to change.

Wed October 26: 50 - 41
50 - Andrew Bogut
49 - Nené
48 - Marc Gasol
47 - Andrew Bynum
46 - Lamar Odom
45 - John Wall
44 - Tyson Chandler
43 - Carlos Boozer
42 - Al Horford
41 - Gerald Wallace
Thurs October 27: 40 - 31
40 - David West
39 - Jason Kidd
38 - Josh Smith
37 - Stephen Curry
36 - Joachim Noah
35 - Eric Gordon
34 - Kevin Garnett
33 - Tim Duncan
32 - Tony Parker
31 - Al Jefferson
Fri October 28: 30 - 21
30 - Ray Allen
29 - Kevin Martin
28 - Tyreke Evans
27 - Andre Iguodala
26 - Rudy Gay
25 - Danny Granger
24 - Monta Ellis
23 - Kevin Love
22 - Joe Johnson
21 - Manu Ginobili
Sat October 29: 20 - 16
20 - Zach Randolph
19 - Paul Pierce
18 - Steve Nash
17 - Chris Bosh
16 - LaMarcus Aldridge
Sun October 30: 15 - 11
Mon October 31: 10 - 6
Tues November 1: 5 - 1
15
Rajon Rondo
-       ESPN rank 17 (8.19)
-       SLAMonline rank - 15
-       CBS rank 70 (72.21)
-       2k12 rank 14 (85)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -26
-       Sports Illustrated #27
-       Eye on Basketball #22
-       10.6 pts, 4.4 reb, 11.2 ast, 47.5 FG%, 56.8 FT%
-       2010/11 Season Steals #2
-       2010/11 Season 7th Most Turnovers

Rondo stole my heart when he came back from that gruesome dislocated elbow in the playoffs to be the player of the game, and inspire and lead the Celtics to a big playoff win over Miami. Rondo is a great player, and can lead a team like maybe none else. Some have questioned if Rondo's defensive prowess has overshadowed his weak offensive game, and that the Boston Celtics system has made him the player that he is. Rondo is an excellent defender, evidenced by his league second place in steals. On offense, Rondo has not been given the assignment of scoring, instead setting up his Hall Of Fame teammates, and ended the season second in the league in assists. Rondo is the youngest member of the Celtics, and the highest rated on my top 50.

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14

Pau Gasol
-       ESPN rank 11 (8.53)
-       SLAMonline rank - 13
-       CBS rank 7 (89.61)
-       2k12 rank 12 (86)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -9.4
-       Player Efficiency Rating #11
-       Sports Illustrated #10
-       Eye on Basketball #9
-       360special All-Time rank - 81
-       18.8 pts, 10.2 reb, 3.3 ast, 52.9 FG%, 82.3 FT%
-       Estimated wins added – #8 – 17.9

I feel like this is a bit high for Pau actually. But then again his offensive game as a seven-footer is almost unrivaled in the NBA other then Dirk. Other sources have him even higher than this. He's not quite a 20-10 guy, but he could surely stretch it if he had a good season. He adds wins, and is efficient beyond this rating. And besides, his supposed weakness, and lack of rebounding is laughable when you see Raptors fans drooling at his 10.2 rebound per game. Any fans really are just hating Pau because they know he's that good. And as far as international competition goes, he's pretty much the general of the Spanish team, the USA's primary competition. It may be just the lingering stink from the Lakers playoff run that makes me half-doubt him, but he'll prove me wrong.
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13

Russell Westbrook
-       ESPN rank 15 (8.24)
-       SLAMonline rank - 12
-       CBS rank 13 (86.87)
-       2k12 rank 10 (88)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -13.0
-       Player Efficiency Rating #8
-       Sports Illustrated #12
-       PSD Top 10 - #13
-       Eye on Basketball #14
-       21.9 pts, 4.6 reb, 8.2 ast, 44.2 FG%, 84.2 FT%
-       2010/11 Season Steals #4
-       2010/11 Season Most Turnovers
-       Estimated wins added – #8 – 17.9

I rank Russell Westbrook ahead of Rajon Rondo because independantly of team situations, I believe Westbrook is the better overall player. That is not to say he is better that Rondo at playing point guard, because Rondo has flourished as a pass-first All-Star. Westbrook, meanwhile wants to break out as an individual and dynamic offensive talent. He definitely has the offensive ability with 21.9 points per game last season, and 23.8 in the playoffs, and he is extremely athletic. He can get all the way to the rim with his explosive leaping ability and has a penchant to posterize unsuspecting, flat-footed defenders, even good ones. Advanced stats show that he is the eighth most efficient player in the NBA, invaluable for a point guard who is questioned for his decision-making. He gets steals at a fair clip, but it doesn't balance out his league-leading turnover rate. Still, Westbrook adds 17.9 wins? That's pretty impressive, like this guy should continue to be.
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 12
Blake Griffin
-       ESPN rank 10 (8.78)
-       SLAMonline rank - 14
-       CBS rank 3 (91.24)
-       2k12 rank 14 (85)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Average Pick -18.7
-       Player Efficiency Rating #15
-       Sports Illustrated #14
-       Eye on Basketball #10
-       22.5 pts, 12.1 reb, 3.8 ast, 50.6 FG%, 64.2 FT%


Blake stormed through the NBA in his delayed rookie campaign, and captured the attention of even non-fans. Blake is as exciting a player as I've ever seen, but he still needs to round out his offensive arsenal. His offense isn't even as pretty as Pau's or as skilled, but he gets by with pure, out-of-this-world athleticism.  Oh, and dunks. Did I mention dunks? Yeah, lots of dunks. But also a surprisingly solid 22.5 and 12.1 for a Rookie of the Year. And a Dunk Contest win. I don't think he's top 10 in the NBA right now, I think a good defender in a playoff series could limit his effectiveness. That being said, not many can contend with a flying 6'10", 250 pound jackhammer. Blake, just get better at the little things so the purists aren't forced to whine about something they actually love.
 
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 11

Amar’e Stoudemire
-       ESPN rank 13 (8.39)
-       SLAMonline rank - 11
-       CBS rank 8 (89.36)
-       2k12 rank 10 (88)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -15.1
-       Player Efficiency Rating #12
-       Sports Illustrated #19
-       PSD Top 10 - #12
-       Eye on Basketball #11
-       360special All-Time rank - 66
-       25.3 pts, 8.2 reb, 2.6 ast, 50.2 FG%, 79.2 FT%
-       2010/11 Season Blocks #7

 Amar'e was a tough cut out of the top 10. He's an offensive force, but it's too easy to cite his injury-riddled career as haven taken the most explosive element of his game. Amar'e's dunks were Blake Griffin before Blake Griffin. As a strong, athletic, bouncy, Rookie of the Year power forward with the ability to grab a quarter off the top of the backboard, Amar'e defined his early career as the punchline to MVP Steve Nash's symphony. But Amar'e has carved his own niche on the Knicks, and is an exciting player to have in New York. He's also the kind of talent that has the starpower to recruit teammates (see; Anthony, Carmelo). He's about as efficient as his ranking here, he can score in bundles, he gets blocks at a fair rate, and has shown to be clutch in late-game situations. Amar'e could grab more than 8.2 rebounds per game, goodness, Blake outrebounded him by 3.9 per game. But Stoudemire has the playoff experience and leadership quality that should make him a top 10 player in the NBA. He falls just short.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

My Top 50: 20 - 16

ESPN, SLAM and a variety of basketball media outlets have been slowly unveiling their lists of the top current basketball players. The theory is a countdown to the start of the 2011/12 NBA season, which was scheduled to start November 1st, but lockout negotiations are ongoing to say the least. ESPN did a top 500 list, and made it interactive over twitter with the hashtag #NBArank, and SLAM's messaging boards have topped 500 comments for the Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose pages.

While these outlets were generating buzz, I was becoming inspired.

Who really was the best?

Everybody has an opinion, so I've gathered some of the best of them and grouped it with other relevant information. Each player is listed with relevant rankings from various trusted basketball outlets, statistical information for the top 5 categories (pts, reb, ast, FG%, FT%) and an indication if they finished in the top 10 in another category like blocks, 3FG%, or turnovers.

I also looked at advanced statistical measures such as PER, Net Production, and Simple Rating which are relatively explained in the links.

For some players, certain ranking systems do not apply, and are simply not listed.

In all, this was an attempt to be unbiased, to gather and reflect on existing sources, and ultimately form an educated opinion that is at once objective, and also completely my own.

SLAM's list is for "projected production in the upcoming '11/12 season," and this means that steady regular season production is a factor. The good teams have always paced themselves, and Kobe could still go for 30, but he knows he doesn't need to. Plus, you're speculating on fantasy and future.

My list is based on right now. If the lockout were to end, and instead of a season all we got was a Finals. Who would you pick to lead your team? Who could have the most impact in just a series, when all the chips are down?

Please engage me on this, I want to hear your thoughts. No list is permanent, and subject to change.

Wed October 26: 50 - 41
50 - Andrew Bogut
49 - Nené
48 - Marc Gasol
47 - Andrew Bynum
46 - Lamar Odom
45 - John Wall
44 - Tyson Chandler
43 - Carlos Boozer
42 - Al Horford
41 - Gerald Wallace
Thurs October 27: 40 - 31
40 - David West
39 - Jason Kidd
38 - Josh Smith
37 - Stephen Curry
36 - Joachim Noah
35 - Eric Gordon
34 - Kevin Garnett
33 - Tim Duncan
32 - Tony Parker
31 - Al Jefferson
Fri October 28: 30 - 21
30 - Ray Allen
29 - Kevin Martin
28 - Tyreke Evans
27 - Andre Iguodala
26 - Rudy Gay
25 - Danny Granger
24 - Monta Ellis
23 - Kevin Love
22 - Joe Johnson
21 - Manu Ginobili
Sat October 29: 20 - 16
Sun October 30: 15 - 11
Mon October 31: 10 - 6
Tues November 1: 5 - 1

20
Zach Randolph
-       ESPN rank 20 (8.12)
-       SLAMonline rank - 19
-       CBS rank 13 (86.87)
-       2k12 rank 23 (83)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -31.4
-       Player Efficiency Rating #13
-       Sports Illustrated #13
-       Eye on Basketball #12
-       20.1 pts, 12.2 reb, 2.2 ast, 50.3 FG%, 75.8 FT%

All of the sudden, Z-Bo is a top 20 player. A consistent 20-10 guy, he played fantastic in last years' playoff run with the Grizzlies. He is so strong down on the low block he can force his way to rebounds. He also shoots high percentages and has the thirteenth-highest PER.
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19
Paul Pierce
-       ESPN rank 21 (8.12)
-       SLAMonline rank - 21
-       CBS rank 20 (83.03)
-       2k12 rank 29 (82)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -30.3
-       Player Efficiency Rating #30
-       Sports Illustrated #15
-       Eye on Basketball #27
-       360special All-Time rank – 50
-       On-Court Team Production #4 (+10.2)
-       Simple Rating – 11.1 (7th)
-       18.9 pts, 5.4 reb, 3.2 ast, 49.7 FG%, 86.0 FT%

Paul Pierce is a clutch performer, and holds the title as LeBron's greatest nemesis, but this doesn't always show up through the regular stat lines.The advanced stats show Pierce has the seventh best simple rating, a combination of personal and team overall production, and when he's on the floor his team produces an average of +10.2 points which ranks him fourth in the NBA. He doesn't have the physical abilities of Durant, LeBron, Dwyane or Dwight, but he has a ring.
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18
Steve Nash
-       ESPN rank 14 (8.33)
-       SLAMonline rank - 20
-       CBS rank 30 (80.31)
-       2k12 rank 19 (84)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -34
-       Player Efficiency Rating #22
-       Sports Illustrated #18
-       Eye on Basketball #20
-       360special All-Time rank – 28
-       Simple Rating – 10.8 (8th)
-       14.7 pts, 3.5 reb, 11.4 ast, 49.2 FG%, 91.2 FT%
-       2010/11 Season 6th Most Turnovers

For the record, I still think Nash is the best *pure point guard in the league. If I want one guy to run my team's offense, it's Nash. There are other players who are better defenders (Rondo), and scorers (Rose) but Nash plays the PG role the way we expect all PGs to play. At 37 years old, he still led the League in assists, and likely has the highest floor awareness in the NBA. His defense has always been suspect, but his 40-50-90 percentages from the floor have always been reliable, and last year he finished with the eighth highest Simple Rating. Should Nash find his way out of Phoenix, he could be higher on this list next year.
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17
Chris Bosh
-       ESPN rank 24 (7.97)
-       SLAMonline rank - 17
-       CBS rank 24 (82.62)
-       2k12 rank 36 (80)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -42.7
-       Player Efficiency Rating #33
-       Sports Illustrated #22
-       Eye on Basketball #23
-       360special All-Time rank – 100
-       On-Court Team Production #3 (+10.5)
-       18.7 pts, 8.3 reb, 1.9 ast, 49.6 FG%, 81.5 FT%

As the third wheel in the Miami triangle, Bosh averaged respectable numbers that would have been closer to his usual 22-10 if he didn't have to share the ball so much. Bosh's production often goes unnoticed, and he is a lightning rod for Heat hate and general criticisms. Advanced stats show that while Bosh is on the floor he improves his team's on-court production by 10.5 points, more than LeBron (9.7) or Wade (9.8) do. Nobody is on Wade and LeBron's level for starpower, and Bosh shouldn't be expected to be so, but he's a talented player that spaces the floor with his jump-shooting ability and provides Miami with an inside weapon. If he grabbed 1.7 more rebounds per game, this discussion would be different.
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16
LaMarcus Aldridge
-       ESPN rank 23 (7.98)
-       SLAMonline rank - 18
-       CBS rank 9 (89.28)
-       2k12 rank 23 (83)
-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -19.7
-       Player Efficiency Rating #18
-       Sports Illustrated #11
-       Eye on Basketball #13
-       21.8 pts, 8.8 reb, 2.1 ast, 50.0 FG%, 79.1 FT%

LA rose up the charts significantly this past season, posting solid numbers and making an injury-riddled Blazers team relevant. His place above Chris Bosh on this list reflects his current situation, which allows him more freedom to be the face of the franchise, like Bosh had in Toronto. People are so used to valuing his underratedness that they may overrate LA, a strange paradox for sure, but he continues to improve and the future will tell if this ranking was a mistake or an indication of more to come.