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 7^th 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.

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 (7^th)

-       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 (8^th)

-       14.7 pts, 3.5 reb, 11.4 ast, 49.2 FG%, 91.2 FT%

-       2010/11 Season 6^th 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.

My Top 50: 30 - 21

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
Sat October 29: 20 - 16
Sun October 30: 15 - 11
Mon October 31: 10 - 6
Tues November 1: 5 - 1

30

 

Ray Allen

-       ESPN rank 35 (7.27)

-       SLAMonline rank - 48

-       CBS rank 31 (79.97)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -53

-       Sports Illustrated #48

-       Eye on Basketball #49

-       360special All-Time rank - 34

-       16.5 pts, 3.4 reb, 2.7 ast, 49.1 FG%, 88.1 FT%

-       2010/11 Season Total 3’s #5

-       2010/11 Season 3P% - #2

A Ray Allen jumpshot is one of the hardest plays to defend in basketball. He comes off that screen, curls, cradles the ball, sets his feet perfectly, rises effortlessly, and strokes it. The ball often makes a splashing noise as it sinks into the hoop. This one weapon makes him a top-30 player, because he deploys it with veteran savvy and historic percentages.

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29

Kevin Martin

-       ESPN rank 42 (6.98)

-       SLAMonline rank - 45

-       CBS rank 27 (81.64)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -35.3

-       Player Efficiency Rating #19

-       Sports Illustrated #42

-       Eye on Basketball #32

-       23.4 pts, 3.2 reb, 2.5 ast, 43.6 FG%, 88.8 FT%

-       2010/11 Season Total 3’s #3

Kevin Martin is a weapon from deep, and scored 23.4 points per game last season. He's also incredibly efficient. Often he is left out of "best player" talks because he's been in the shadows of an underperforming Kings team and an imploding Rockets team. Regardless, he's a man you wouldn't want to leave off the scouting report.

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28

Tyreke Evans

-       ESPN rank 47 (6.82)

-       SLAMonline rank - 27

-       CBS rank 132 (62.69)

-       2k12 rank 36 (80)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -56

-       Sports Illustrated #36

-       Eye on Basketball #50

-       17.8 pts, 4.8 reb, 5.6 ast, 40.9 FG%, 77.1 FT%

-       2010/11 Season 10^th Most Turnovers

-       22 years old, played only 57 games in 10/11

'Reke was coming off a Rookie of the Year season, but injuries forced him into a sophomore slump. After averaging at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in his freshman year in the L, he dropped off slightly, but looks to be in good health now and should dramatically improve his offensive output this coming season should he move to the SG position with the Kings' drafting of Jimmer Fredette.

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27

Andre Iguodala

-       ESPN rank 34 (7.29)

-       SLAMonline rank - 34

-       CBS rank 55 (74.73)

-       2k12 rank 14 (85)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -44.9

-       Sports Illustrated #30

-       Eye on Basketball #30

-       14.1 pts, 5.8 reb, 6.3 ast, 44.5 FG%, 69.3 FT%

Iggy ended up this high on the list for playing aggressive defense. He brings the kind of intensity on both ends of the court that I would want to have on a team with Championship aspirations. He hustles and rebounds, AND scores. Though his distance shooting could use some improvement, Iguodala makes up for it with exciting cuts to the rim and above defenders.

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26

Rudy Gay

-       ESPN rank 27 (7.48)

-       SLAMonline rank - 26

-       CBS rank 105 (67.28)

-       2k12 rank 12 (86)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -23.6

-       Sports Illustrated #28

-       Eye on Basketball #35

-       19.8 pts, 6.2 reb, 2.8 ast, 47.1 FG%, 80.5 FT%

Rudy Gay has enormous talent and a growing offensive game. He sank winning shots over Toronto and Miami last season before suffering a shoulder injury that forced him to the bench in a suit during his teams' historic first-round upset of the Spurs. Without him. His reputation took a hit. People actually said Gay's injury helped the Griz prevail, and that the team was better without him. Rudy will show them just how wrong they were.

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25

Danny Granger

-       ESPN rank 36 (7.26)

-       SLAMonline rank - 24

-       CBS rank 23 (82.71)

-       2k12 rank 33 (81)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -24.7

-       Sports Illustrated #51

-       Eye on Basketball #38

-       20.5 pts, 5.4 reb, 2.6 ast, 42.5 FG%, 84.8 FT%

-       2010/11 Season Total 3’s #6

I always thought Danny Granger was great. Like Iguodala but a little taller and with a much better range on his shot. Like Rudy Gay but more with a more solidbuild, and more dependable three-point range. But, recently, I have heard him called a "ball-hog" and a "chucker." Still, he's an offensive force that can lead a team and ranks in the top half of my top 50.

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24

Monta Ellis

-       ESPN rank 41 (7.05)

-       SLAMonline rank - 23

-       CBS rank 10 (88.89)

-       2k12 rank 23 (83)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -17.4

-       Player Efficiency Rating #43

-       Sports Illustrated #44

-       Eye on Basketball #39

-       24.1 pts, 3.5 reb, 5.6 ast, 45.1 FG%, 78.9 FT%

-       2010/11 Season Steals #3

Monta Ellis scores quite well, but much of it is the result of the Golden State Warriors free-wheeling offense. He started taking his game to another level this past year and proved his worth when everybody was ready to cast him aside for Steph Curry. Monta plays hard, and is one of the quickest guards in the league. He's a positional tweener that gets crucified for scoring when he should "play the right" way and focus on distributing. On a good team, Monta could break down defenses and set up teammates, or score when needed, and come up with the steal on defense.

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23

Kevin Love

-       ESPN rank 16 (8.20)

-       SLAMonline rank - 16

-       CBS rank 12 (87.88)

-       2k12 rank 33 (81)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -5.2

-       Player Efficiency Rating #4

-       Sports Illustrated #21

-       Eye on Basketball #18

-       20.2 pts, 15.2 reb, 2.5 ast, 47.0 FG%, 85.0 FT%

-       Net Production #6

-       Estimated wins added – #10 – 16.7

This guy got a lot of love in this years' rankings, thanks to his hustle and rebounding prowess. He's still undersized, listed at 6'10", but made a big leap after his historic double-double streak and 30 point/ 30 rebound game. He's efficient and productive, and adds wins, but he only takes the easy shots. And he grabbed all these stats on the League's worst team. For now, Love seems to be a dependable, solid player, but not the face of a franchise.

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22

Joe Johnson

-       ESPN rank 32 (7.33)

-       SLAMonline rank - 22

-       CBS rank 49 (75.93)

-       2k12 rank 19 (84)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -51.7

-       Sports Illustrated #32

-       Eye on Basketball #44

-       18.2 pts, 4.0 reb, 4.7 ast, 44.3 FG%, 80.2 FT%

Joe Johnson was an All-Star starter in 2010, and has averaged at least 20 points per game for the five seasons previous to 2010/11. JJ saw his numbers dip and his team fall short against the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Johnson is as anonymous as a top-tier player gets in the NBA, but his talent is undeniable.

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21

Manu Ginobili

-       ESPN rank 18 (8.16)

-       SLAMonline rank - 28

-       CBS rank 38 (78.3)

-       2k12 rank 14 (85)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -34.2

-       Player Efficiency Rating #17

-       Sports Illustrated #16

-       PSD Top 10 - #11

-       Eye on Basketball #19

-       360special All-Time rank – 61

-       On-Court Team Production #2 (+10.7)

-       Simple Rating – 11.3 (5^th)

-       17.4 pts, 3.7 reb, 4.9 ast, 43.3FG%, 87.1 FT%

-       Net Production #7

-       2010/11 Season Total 3’s #7

It seems like people don't really know where to rank Ginobili right now. He's the best player on an aging team that were upset as the number one seed in last years' playoffs, and these types of lists often celebrate new, exciting talent that is "rising up the charts." Realistically Manu could be much higher than this. The advanced ratings show his value on the court, and in a clutch situation I want the ball in his hands.