Raptors Recap; December 26 @ Cleveland

Game 1- @Cleveland (W 104-96 / 1-0 / streak W1) Monday December 26, 2011


Background
The Cavaliers and Raptors are both teams trying to rebuild after the departure of their franchise player. A year and a half after the Heat's Big Three came together in Miami, both Toronto and Cleveland have restocked with an interesting and somewhat promising collection of youth, but no overt team direction other than building for the future.
The Cavaliers debuted Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, the first and fourth picks respectively in the 2011 NBA draft, while the Raptors trotted out some new free agent acquisitions for the first time, but will wait a season for Lithuanian draft pick Jonas Valenciunas who is still under contract in Europe.
For both teams, winning this season doesn't make much sense strategically. A mediocre season resulting in a mediocre draft pick would stunt the rebuilding process of either team. This leaves these teams in an uncomfortable paradox where they are still trying to pander to an expecting audience. This season is about developing young talent, seeing which players can develop chemistry with others and within their respective coaches' systems, and keeping an eye on the future.

Outcome
The Raptors looked like the more cohesive unit on this night, played some aggressive defense, and held off the Cavaliers with a 104-96 victory in Cleveland.

Key Matchup
Irving got off to a rough start, while Calderon proved his veteran savvy over the young prospect. Calderon finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists and only 1 turnover, while Irving went for 6 points and 7 assists. Calderon also looked more comfortable running the team's offense as he found open looks and often connected with James or Amir Johnson cutting through the paint. Irving struggled to find ways to assert himself and will need time to adjust to the NBA after a stunted training camp and pre-season.

Raps Review
The Raptors won with balanced scoring, seven players had at least ten points led by Calderon and DeRozan with 15 points apiece. Outside of Bargnani and DeRozan, the Raptors will need other players to step up and score throughout the season so this game bodes well for the Toronto offense. The Raptors also shared the ball and every player except Jamaal Magloire finished with at least 2 assists. Sharing the ball led to good offense including 7-for-7 shooting for Ed Davis. DeRozan was the finisher in this game, scoring 6 straight points partway through the fourth quarter.

José Calderon; the mad scientist

Welcoming New Raptors

The free agency frenzy is still in full tilt, with rumors constantly flying about when and where Chris Paul and Dwight Howard are going. Here, in Raptorland we weathered the storm in quiet fashion. The current Raptors roster is progressing towards success, built on young and developing talent. With the Raptors most recent draft pick, #5 overall, Jonas Valenciunas staying in Europe for the upcoming 2011-12 season this is a Raptors team clearly looking to the future. Might as well hunker down and endure another season of ongoing progress and an imaginary light at the end of it all. This does not mean the Raptors will tank the season, but having a high draft pick in the stacked 2012 draft is definitely in the Raptors plans. This being said, this offseason was about stability, veteran leadership, filling in the personality guys around new Head Coach Dwane Casey's defensive philosophy, and exploring team identity, all while maintaining financial flexibility going forward. Bryan Colangelo did a pretty good job sticking to the plan. Without further ado, meet the new Raptors!

Rasual Butler
- 6'7, 205 lbs, Small Forward
- 5.0 points, 1.9 rebounds per game for the Clippers last year. Finished season in Chicago
- 32 years old, entering his 10th NBA season
- Butler is a player known for his three-point shooting and his career 36% from deep should help the Raptors who broke their NBA-record streak of "games with at least one three-pointer" last year. Toronto used to be an excellent shooting team, but were among the league's worst last year with 29th most 3s made, and the league-worst three-point percentage of .316%. He's a larger wing player at 6'7" and he'll help the Raptors depth at SF, plus he once guest-starred in a Trina music video.

Aaron Gray
- 7'0, 270 lbs, Centre
- 3.1 points, 4.2 rebounds per game last year for New Orleans
- 27 years old, entering his fifth NBA season
- Aaron Gray gives the Raptors size and strength in the middle and can help shift Bargnani to his preferred power forward position. He has started in just 25 games in his career, but don't be surprised if he fits into the Raptors starting lineup on occasions this year. He's the seven-footer the Raptors have lacked and his physical presence should help the Raptors in areas where they struggled last season including blocks (26th in the NBA) and defensive rebounds (27th).

Pictured with fellow newb Anthony Carter

Jamaal Magloire
- 6'11, 265 lbs, Centre
- 1.9 points, 3.4 rebounds per game last year for Miami
- 33 years old, entering 12th NBA season
- Magloire is a Toronto native, and the first Canadian player that the Toronto Raptors have ever employed, which I find hard to believe. Nicknamed "Big Cat," Magloire made the 2004 All-Star team after averaging 13.6 points and 10.3 rebounds, and is the only Canadian not named 'Steve Nash' to ever be named an NBA All-Star. He'll be a fan-favourite as well as introduce toughness to the team. He already gave DeRozan a solid hit in practice. In limited minutes he will be able to play centre alongside Bargnani and allow Andrea to roam as he likes to do. A solid acquisition, on a one year contract.

Anthony Carter
- 6'1, 190 lbs, Point Guard
- 4.4 points, 2.3 assists per game last year for New York
- 36 years old, entering 13th NBA season
- Carter is a guy that won't sell a lot of jerseys in Toronto (also, his surname is Carter) but he will bring work ethic, solid defense at the guard position, leadership and overall experience. After going undrafted out of the University of Hawaii, Carter has bounced around from team to team. As a career third guard he won't mind playing behind Calderon and helping Bayless develop. If the Raptors ship Calderon out, for whatever reason, Carter will play a more significant role on the court. Off the court, he's allowed to attend coaches meetings and aspires to coaching after he retires, which bodes well for the Raptors who now have a coach on the floor.

Gary Forbes
- 6'7", 220 lbs, Small Forward
- 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds per game last year for Denver
- 26 years old, entering his second season in the NBA
- Forbes was the last signing for the Raptors and only came into the picture when a deal for Mickeal Pietrus fell through. He was a restricted free agent, and Denver had the right to match Toronto's contract offer and keep him, but they decided to let him walk. He will provide depth on the wing at Small Forward where the Raptors need it. Born Panamanian, Forbes has played in Venezuela, the Philippines, Italy, and Israel and broke into the NBA last year spending 25 games with the Denver Nuggets. He has potential and upside, and probably caught the Raptors' eye when he scored 39 points to lead his country to a victory over Canada in this summer’s FIBA Americas Championship tournament. Forbes is also internet-famous for scoring 78 points in a pick-up game this summer, including 13 threes which is good news for the Raptors.

Raptors Free Agency 2011

This upcoming free agent banquet will have to be scarfed down quickly as training camps and free agency open simultaneously on December 9 this year. This means teams will scramble to make moves to complete their teams, either for the quick fix and a chance to win now, or to set them up with a quality player for the long run. The Raptors should be in the latter category. While Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams have created most of the buzz this offseason they are not actually free agents for another year. Here's the best out there for the Raptors, as I see them. The Raptors would be best suited not to over-spend on a class of free agents this year, as mediocre improvement now should be sacrificed in favor of the continuation of the youth rebuilding the team has been fairly successful at in recent years. The Raps would be best signing an unrestricted free agent outright rather than trying to outbid a team on a restricted free agent, where their current team is allowed to match the bid and keep their player. Players I have listed are realistic signings and within our price range, not just dreams.

Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents

Point Guard

Veteran backup/ mentor to Jerryd Bayless - Anthony Carter, Earl Boykins or Carlos Arroyo
If they part ways with expensive and volatile Jose Calderon, they'll need someone behind Bayless.
I like Anthony Carter at this spot.

Unexploited talent - Sebastian Telfair.
Still has a talent level that hasn't translated into NBA success and could shine if given the opportunity. Worth the risk for the right price.

Well... one of them ruled the world

Shooting Guard

Bench depth - Roger Mason
The guy can shoot, has been deep in the playoffs with some good Spurs team and can bring a winning mentality.

Future power - Chris Douglas-Roberts
CDR is still just 24 and averaged 9.8 ppg as an occasional starter on the Nets two years ago. Still lots of upside here at a discounted price. At 6-7 he could play SG or SF, and probably challenge James Johnson for the starting SF spot.

CDR as a teammate of Derrick Rose in Memphis, dunking on Kevin Love

Small Forward

Three-point threat - James Jones
Last years' All-Star game Three Point Shootout Champion he could provide the three-point stroke that the Raptors used to employ so well, but somehow lost last season.

An added threat from deep like James Jones would help space the floor

Potential talent to develop - Al Thornton or Ime Udoka
Thornton's been on some bad teams, Udoka on some good ones. Both would appreciate any court time the Raptors could give them to showcase their talents.

Power Forward

Instant fan attraction - Yi Jianlian
This guy hasn't shown much in the NBA and the Raps are already pretty crowded at the position. I just don't see them going for Chuck Hayes or Troy Murphy when they already have Amir Johnson, Ed Davis and probably Andrea Bargnani at this position. Yi would be a fan-favourite in the metropolitan city and if he surprises we're golden, if he disappoints we didn't lose too much.

Yi, as pictured here with Olympic teammate Yao Ming

Centre

While we wait for Jonas Vanenciunas - Tyson Chandler
He's definitely too expensive, but impatiant Raps fans already have to wait a year for Jonas to arrive on the roster after being drafted 5th overall in this past summers' draft. And it will probably take years before he's fully acclimatized to the NBA. Chandler would be a great fit if he brings defensive mentality and intensity and allows Bargs to slide over to the PF spot. Valenciunas is insurance.

Chandler played excellent defense against Dirk while on the Hornets, then joined him to win a championship

Less expensive options - Aaron Gray or Jamaal Magloire
Gray is younger and a big body (and I'd love a "GRAY" raptors jersey so, yeah, I'm biased), while Magloire would probably love to end his career in his hometown of Toronto.


Restricted Free Agents

If the Raptors are going to blow the load and try to buy a player away from his team, here are some logical spending sprees, for the most part these guys' teams would be crazy to let them go;

Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons – $2.8 million – Restricted ($3.9 million Qualifying Offer)
-penetrating powerful point guard. Should stay in Detroit.

Nick Young, Washington Wizards – $2.6 million – Restricted ($3.7 million Qualifying Offer)
-part of the Wizards youth movement, he can definitely score in bunches.

Marcus Thornton, Sacramento Kings – $0.8 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer)
-made huge improvement in Sac-town and should have many suitors

Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers – $2.9 million – Restricted ($4.0 million Qualifying Offer)
-tons of upside, could be the reason the Sixers let Iguodala go. Will stay in Philly

Luc Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee Bucks – $0.9 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer)
-probably the most available of the bunch, could be valuable in the Raps rotation

Jeff Green, Boston Celtics – $4.5 million – Restricted ($5.9 million Qualifying Offer)
- "I can really f**king play this game, man" he says. Green needs a platform to shine and it hasn't been in OKC or Boston. He'd be great in Toronto, but don't expect him to slip away from the Celtics who gave up Perkins and lots of Ubuntu to get him.

Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies – $3.6 million – Restricted ($4.5 million Qualifying Offer)
-most sought-after FA after Nene. He's not going anywhere.

DeAndre Jordan, L.A. Clippers – $0.9 million – Restricted ($1.1 million Qualifying Offer)
-big, talented, jumps out of the gym. Perfect compliment to the Blakeshow. Staying a Clipper (which may not be such a bad thing anymore)

*thanks to Hoopsworld for all of the free agent contract info
http://www.hoopsworld.com/2011-nba-free-agents/

Top 10 Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2011-12 NBA Season

Now that the NBA is tentatively back, let's remember all the reasons we missed it most.

10. Kevin Durant's continued rise
- nobody made more of an offseason impression than KD. Now that he's back on NBA courts will he take over the league and continue his momentum?

9. The Mavericks attempt to defend their title
- there will be no asterisk on the 2012 title and everybody is gunning for the championship like every other year. How will the rock-solid champs respond?

8. Players return from overseas
- the flood of players back from overseas will showcase the varying experiences and skills players have picked up across the big salty. Players with opt-out clauses that is... how will teams whose players signed overseas contracts without out-out clauses react to the loss of their players for the entire season?

7. The new Lakers
- after last years' playoff exit, Phil Jackson is out and Mike Brown is in. Does this mean Kobe will go for 32 per night? or will they deal Odom/Bynum for Dwight? if they get off to a slow start will they take dramatic action or maintain status quo?

6. New Raptors coach Dwane Casey
- in Raptorland we're still a year away from Jonas Valenciunas, and are still looking forward eagerly to next years draft. So basically the same as every year. But, the biggest change will be Dwane Casey's team philosophy and how that translates on the floor. Will the Raptors defense improve?

5. Could-be free agents
- guys on the bubble of free agency like Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Deron Williams could ride it out or try to force their way out like Carmelo did last year. Will the new restrictions under the new collective bargaining agreement keep them with their current teams, or do they even want to leave?

4. The Phoenix Suns
- there are many teams right now seemingly without a real direction sitting in the middle of the pack including Detroit, Atlanta, Denver and Orlando, but Phoenix intrigues me. Will they finally part ways with Steve Nash, and will he find a suitable playoff team to finally lead to glory?

3. Free Agency Frenzy
- with training camp and free agency opening simultaneously on December 9th, teams will be scrambling to pick up the pieces that could make all the difference this season. Who will make the big signings and who will wait it out?

2. LeBron and the Heat
- can LeBron finally shut up his critics? The guy (and whole team) gets more hate than he (they) deserves. If he can win a title and graciously accept it without rubbing it in his doubters faces he will show the class and professionalism they all lack. Stick it to 'em LeBron! And if he doesn't win it will be just as fun.

1. Christmas
- let's just get it started already! See you on Santa Day!

Lockout Thoughts

I've followed the lockout in depth, especially at all the crucial periods. I watched my twitter feed for seven hours during a Greyhound trip during one negotiating session, another time vigorously through class when the meeting passed through the 5pm "ultimatum" deadline, and again when the players announced they were rejecting the League's final proposal.

And I kept thinking, "something's got to give."
Or somebody.

But they never did. Both the owners and players are locked into a long debate. The league will never admit it was wrong, and it will never admit that they asked for too much, or were too harsh in their demands and ultimatums.

The players seemed destined to be the side to awkwardly "say sorry" and take the hit for both sides by taking a deal neither side was happy with. But in an argument that had gone so long the source of the bitterness was lost, the players instead showed their pride instead of bowing to an easier solution.
And really this should all be over by now.

If David and Billy got along, and the NBA and PA worked together and set their egos and personal agendas aside to create a better league they should have been able to put in at least a temporary (say, 2-year) deal that would save the season and allow the negotiations to continue behind the scenes without destroying the on-court product.

But that could never happen. Both sides have their heels dug in and are looking for leverage to "win" the lockout by not only getting the better deal, but making the other side suffer and make concessions.

 David Stern, Adam Silver, Billy Hunter, and Derek Fisher

The players and the owners could never have the same vision for the League they want to create,
underlining the negotiations is the nature of the League itself. Stern and many of the smaller-market owners want to create a league with more parity to allow all teams a chance to compete for championships. This is however, against the historic and fundamental nature of the NBA. The NBA has always been a league of dynasties, from the Celtics and Lakers of the 60s and 80s to the 90s Bulls, to the 2000s Lakers and Spurs. The NBA has never been about parity, and that is deeply rooted in the ability of its star players to dominate.

In basketball there are only five players on the court at any given time, less than any other major team sport, and it also lacks designated positional play where one player is only expected to do one thing. Rather, the opposite is true. A great basketball player is able to dominate the game by doing everything well, by being a rare combination of skills that allow them to play every position, defend every position, and be a triple-double threat.

A single player changes the dynamic of a game more than any other sport, so when LeBron decides to move from Cleveland, or Carmelo insists his way out of Denver, teams are at the will of their players. They have recognized recently through free agency and future impending free agencies that players control the league.

And owners don't like that.

The proposed new deal would help tie franchise players to a team, increase the length of contracts they are able to offer, and dramatically restrict player movement which puts the power back into the hands of the owners. It would also penalize the teams that go over the salary cap every year, and promote teams spending up to the cap to stay competitive rather than tanking the season and saving money while doing it.

In previous labour negotiations of past decades, the players fought for free agency which was granted to them. The players also fought for a fair share of the total revenue earned by the NBA. By the owners demanding players give up some freedom of movement, and asking them to change their share of the revenue from 57% for the players and 43% for the owners to a 50-50 split, the owners had everything to gain and the players little, other than a fair deal and their jobs.

If you can't hold onto a big name player, it takes savvy business decisions, promotion, investments, coaching and building a solid roster to succeed in a small market. The NBA itself is not struggling. It is highly successful and as popular and valuable as its ever been. Some teams are losing money, but overall the NBA is making lots of money no matter how they try to spin their financial situation. The new deal would bail out bad owners by giving them (among other safety nets) an amnesty clause to waive one player on their roster, somebody they made the mistake of overpaying.

There are many, many sub-issues including rookie contracts, draft age, drug testing, contraction, salary cap format, and a players retirement fund, but the fundamental debate is about who controls the league, and how the balance of power should be set.

Some people were thrilled to see the latest deal be rejected because it threatened the NBA that we love. This is the league with the crazy free agency, and trading deadline, the constant speculation of where the next superstar is going to bring their talent, and players dictating when and where they will be traded. While this league has been fun the past few years, it's agony for Magic fans now as it was for Cavs fans a few years ago. And no, it's not fair to watch Chris Paul valiantly struggle and not be able to win no matter what he does while stuck in a small market, but something has to change to allow teams like the Hornets to build around their star without worrying that he'll leave anyways. The league needs a little more parity to increase competition in a long regular season, and enliven teams that perennially visit the draft lottery.

This lockout is about the balance of power for the future of the league.
What kind of league do you want to see?
Are you loyal to a specific team, or a specific player?

A top-heavy league creates dramatic playoffs and Finals, but for the have-nots it's a hard experience to sell for fans hungry for success. The NBA is at an impasse and it's not just about money or player contracts, both sides are trying to reshape the game.

This lockout will last until the owners and players can find appeasement or at least a happy medium, and just get back to playing.

This lockout will last a long time.

My Top 50: 5 - 1

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
10 - Deron Williams
9 - Carmelo Anthony
8 - Chris Paul
7 - Derrick Rose
6 - Kevin Durant
Tues November 1: 5 - 1

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5

Dirk Nowitzki

-       ESPN rank 5 (9.67)

-       SLAMonline rank - 7

-       CBS rank 21 (82.89)

-       2k12 rank 14 (85)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -10.3

-       Player Efficiency Rating #10

-       Sports Illustrated #4

-       PSD Top 10 - #5

-       Eye on Basketball #3

-       360special All-Time rank – 16

-       On-Court Team Production #4 (+10.2)

-       Simple Rating – 11.2 (6^th)

-       23.0 pts, 7.0 reb, 2.6 ast, 51.7 FG%, 89.2 FT%

By virtue of his Mavs being crowned 2011 NBA champions, Dirk is the best player on the best team, and currently on top of the heap as far as winners go. Dirk has never been my cup of tea for many reasons I talked about in my blog where I drew a new NBA logo featuring the "Big Goose-step." Dirk was fantastic in the playoffs and showcased his efficient game and legendary shooting stroke. For a seven-footer, Dirk must be ranked as the games greatest all-time shooter. His main detractor has always been defense and rebounding, as well as suffering from the Euro stereotype of "softness" and flopping. While Dirk's 7.0 rebounds per game is not so legendary, it is serviceable. He'll never be an amazing defender, unlike Kobe who has been named to the all-defensive first team nine times. His most impressive advanced stat must be his fourth-highest on-court team production, and it's indicative of the impact that he has on the game overall when he's on the court. There is almost no way to defend a seven-footer that can shoot from anywhere on the court including from deep, and once won the all-star three point contest. Until someone dethrones Dirk as NBA champ during a season (whenever that comes), Dirk has to be in the argument for best player in the game.

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4

Kobe Bryant

-       ESPN rank 7 (9.40)

-       SLAMonline rank - 3

-       CBS rank 15 (86.68)

-       2k12 rating 3 (94)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -12.7

-       Player Efficiency Rating #5

-       Sports Illustrated #5

-       PSD Top 10 - #6

-       Eye on Basketball #6

-       360special All-Time rank – 3

-       Simple Rating – 10.1 (10^th)

-       25.3 pts, 5.1 reb, 4.7 ast, 45.1 FG%, 82.8 FT%

-       Net Production #5

-       Estimated wins added – #6 – 18.6

It wracks my heart to put Kobe so low, and I know what you're thinking, maybe he's actually overrated at the four spot, and really, Kobe arguments have become passé. For the past three years Kobe was on top of the basketball world, but is now in doubt. Just so it's clear, I'm a Kobe guy. He's my favourite player. Statistical measures cannot tell the whole story but they can indicate factors beyond just what you see on the court. For a couple of reasons I ranked Dwyane Wade above Kobe in these rankings, and I will explain in my Wade write-up, but I want to say "Don't doubt Kobe." Until the Lakeshow derailed in the playoffs last year, they were the favourite to win the title behind Kobe and the Phil-Jackson-double-triple-dynasty-destiny. Kobe is still an elite defender, and was named to the all-defensive first team at the age of 33 with 15 seasons under his belt for his ninth all-defensive team nomination. Net production, wins added, PER, and a tenth place simple rating do not look good for the case for Kobe to be #1, and he falls just short. Kobe also has a tendency to save it all for the fourth quarter or for the playoffs and doesn't put up the same numbers he used to on younger legs. As Kobe showed us in last years' all-star game, he's still the best player in the NBA when he wants to be, and he has mastered to game like nobody since Jordan.

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3

Dwyane Wade

-       ESPN rank 3 (9.72)

-       SLAMonline rank - 5

-       CBS rank 5 (90.9)

-       2k12 rating 2 (96)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -6

-       Player Efficiency Rating #3

-       Sports Illustrated #3

-       PSD Top 10 - #3

-       Eye on Basketball #4

-       360special All-Time rank – 20

-       On-Court Team Production #7 (+9.8)

-       Simple Rating – 13.0 (3^rd)

-       25.5 pts, 6.4 reb, 4.6 ast, 50.0 FG%, 75.8 FT%

-       Net Production #3

-       Estimated wins added – #3 – 21.3

Dwyane Wade has "3" written all over him. It's his jersey number, his rating for PER, net production, simple rating, and estimated wins added. After all that it's hard not to put him third on this list, and above Kobe who finished 5th in PER, and net production, 10th in simple rating, and 6th in wins added. Wade is a great defender too, quick and strong he often plays passing lanes and goes for steals, but is quick enough to get back into position. Kobe shot .320 from three-point range last year, while Wade shot only .298, both of which are poor by NBA standards. Where Wade is best is getting to the rim and creating contact. Wade is able to draw fouls and get to the line more than almost anybody in the league, can run a team, and is clutch when the situation calls for it.

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2

Dwight Howard

-       ESPN rank 2 (9.82)

-       SLAMonline rank - 6

-       CBS rank 4 (91.03)

-       2k12 rating 4 (93)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -7

-       Player Efficiency Rating #2

-       Sports Illustrated #2

-       PSD Top 10 - #2

-       Eye on Basketball #2

-       360special All-Time rank – 38

-       Simple Rating – 15.8 (1^st)

-       22.9 pts, 14.1 reb, 1.4 ast, 59.3 FG%, 59.6 FT%

-       2010/11 Season Blocks #4

-       2010/11 Season 4^th Most Turnovers

-       2010/11 Season Most Double-Doubles

-       Net Production #1

-       Estimated wins added – #2 - 22.7

If defense won championships, Dwight Howard would be his own dynasty. The winner of the past three defensive player of the year awards, Dwight changes the game on a fundamental level. He also changes it on a psychological level. Other players know he is lurking in the lane and if they think of driving into the post, there is definitely an intimidation factor in Dwight with the way he swats shots into the seats. As one of last in a dying breed of dominant seven-foot centres Dwight Howard is the only great pivot the league has, there's nobody to even argue is a better centre than Dwight.  His first overall simple rating shows his impact on the game, and he also leads the league in net production. Dwight could be ranked number one, but he has a fatal flaw. His scoring touch could better. Whether that's through developing post moves, extending his range, or pounding merciless defenders and not being embarrassed to be doing it so easily. He also needs to make his freethrows (said in a Stan Van Gundy voice). Dwight is consistent with double-doubles, gets his team wins, and scores at 59.3% from the field. He's also incredibly athletic. Dwight Howard can still improve on some key weaknesses and then nobody will be able to argue against the biggest and best player in the NBA.

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1

LeBron James

-       ESPN rank 1 (9.91)

-       SLAMonline rank - 1

-       CBS rank 1 (98.27)

-       2K12 rating 1 (98)

-       Yahoo 2011 Fantasy Draft Average Pick -2.2

-       Player Efficiency Rating (PER) http://es.pn/vSl9OX #1

-       Sports Illustrated (Zach Lowe) #1

-       PSD Top 10 - #1

-       Eye on Basketball #1

-       360special http://bit.ly/ngovCZ All-Time rank - 15

-       On-Court Team Production #9 (+9.7)

-       Simple Rating http://bit.ly/hjDCkV – 15.7 (2^nd)

-       26.7 pts, 7.5 reb, 7.0 ast, 51.0 FG%, 75.9 FT%

-       2010/11 Season Steals #10

-       2010/11 Season 3^rd Most Turnovers

-       Net Production #2

-       Estimated wins added – #1 - 25.7

LeBron's probably been the best individual talent for a few years now, but even in those two  years where he won MVP, people still gave the number one rank to Kobe because they knew that when playoffs rolled around, the Lakers were the team to beat. This rings vs stats debate is the hardest one to conquer, because if somebody is the best they have to win, right? This is why Jordan repeatedly is ranked as the best of all-time, and people laugh if you say Wilt's ungodly numbers make him better because he only won one championship. And Oh!, how LeBron hears it for not winning a championship. He's done pretty much everything else; Rookie of the Year, All-Defensive First Team, 2-Time MVP, All-Star game MVP, Olympic Gold (and bronze...) Medalist. But something was blocking his natural progression to NBA champion. Surely LeBron would have gotten there eventually with the Cavs, but it wasn't on the timeline that the NBA and fans had created for him, he had to win now or be forever mocked. He kind of had no choice, and this expediated his moving to Miami. As far as rings, Kobe's got LeBron (and everybody else) beat, but statistics show why Bron is the most dominant player in the game right now. First I look at PER and Wins Added, both number one ranked in the NBA, and he's second only to Dwight in Net Production and Simple Rating. But on the court, Dwight can't do it all like LeBron can, and that's what we look for in a "best" player. Once the championships come rolling in, there will be no debate.