CBS rankings has Monta Ellis at 17th and CP3 at 35th. Thats how much anyone should give a dam about those rankings. Tim Duncan is 38th. Just one of the worst lists I have ever seen.
Melo isn't a top 5 player either though. He might be a top 5 offensive player, although even that is sketchy IMO.
Lebron is the only one on that list who consistently plays defense, and that's coming from a Lebron hater.
Third spot is up in the air: CP3, Melo, Harden, Kobe, Rose, even Wade. All of those guys can take a team and singlehandedly turn them around/make them a team worth talking about.
Look at what they're measuring. CBS measured pts average--rebounds--assists--foul throws. The other listing was for TS percentage. Yeah, so maybe Ellis and CP3 are low in these categories. I think the NBA MVP award which is voted on by media and coaches is based on impact on team and league, not just statistics.
Harden is much better than Bryant. Harden can take a less talented team (which also had no time to gel) and put it in the playoffs. Kobe is struggling to put a team with 3 other HoF'ers in the playoffs.
I should say that I would agree with an assessment of James, Durant, Paul as the top 3 players. Tim Duncan is still criminally under-rated (not saying he's 4th best, just that he gets no credit for being perennially awesome).
Kobe is like 34 years old though. Kobe took Kwame Brown and Smush Parker to the playoffs that one year he should have won MVP. But any ways, before Kobe-haters flame me and make this into a "KOBE SUUUUCCKSAAH!" thread, I just want to reiterate that Harden does give plenty of effort on defense. He just makes mental mistakes, there is a difference.
Kobe's defense hurts his team as much as Harden on the Rockets. So it basically comes down to who you think is better on offense. Harden is more efficient and is a better more consistent playmaker.
The only good defender on that graphic is lebron. Kobe, harden, and Durant are by no means good defenders, and Melo plays defense like David Lee. Honesty there is such a huge gap between lebron and the rest of those players. I don't even like lebron but his skill set, and elite defense is a force to be reckoned with. There is a reason his team is on a historic win streak. Call me back when Kobe leads a bunch of scrubs to a NBA finals berth and/or wins a ring w/o a dominant big man and/or leads his team to a 25 game win streak. At this point lebron >>>>>> Kobe And Durant will never win as long as lebron is playing, its like Clyde and Jordan. The only thing harden has going for him is his age, its amazing that at 23 he is even in that company. We should be grateful to have him he can only get better!
Based on your own biased opinion? CP3 is still the better player so I could care less. Harden might have more value due to being younger and having no injury concerns but thats it.
