Who is the 4th best player in the NBA?

kvnzhangyay · Apr 12, 2014

I seem to be the only enthusiast of Anthony Davis haha

Top 5

1 KD
2 LBJ
3 CP3
4 Bearded dude
5 AD

Zergling · Apr 12, 2014

Harden's defense should knock him out of the top 5, and maybe even top 10

Yung-T · Apr 12, 2014

Corey Brewer

Alvin Choo · Apr 12, 2014

Voted others - Chris Paul as the 4th best player.

3rd best is Harden

fallenphoenix · Apr 12, 2014

you guys really overrate griffin. he has taken his game to another level this season, but 4th best? come on

pmac · Apr 12, 2014

Was it accidental that you listed Kevin Durant in Lebron's #1 spot?

el gnomo · Apr 12, 2014

According to a poll of 'various league executives, former and current players -- just about anyone with a link to the NBA who was willing to offer an educated opinion'...... it's Dwert.

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/67814918/lebron-james-leads-top-10-players-in-todays-game

full article for the lazies:

NEW ORLEANS -- June is when the NBA recognizes the best team in basketball and May is when the MVP award recognizes the player who had the best season. But when is the best player in the game announced?

Well, never. And the player or players in question are purely a matter of opinion, with a wide variety of factors and agendas tossed about to make an argument. That's why there are radio talk shows, internet chat rooms and whatnot, all designed to argue this and that without ever coming up with a consensus.

Here in New Orleans at NBA All-Star weekend, in preparation for the best pickup game you'll ever see, we polled various league executives, former and current players -- just about anyone with a link to the NBA who was willing to offer an educated opinion -- to get an idea of the game's best players today. And what we got were some surprises, some controversies and a rather reasonable top-10 list.

Before we tell who made the cut, let's discuss who didn't. There's no Tony Parker, a three-time NBA champ. Or Paul George, the unquestioned leader of the title-contending Pacers. Or Dwyane Wade, a three-time champ and former Finals MVP. Just a guess, but George's relatively fresh ascent perhaps had something to do with his snub. Parker has always been an under-the-radar player who nonetheless should be a Hall of Famer someday. And Wade's star is clearly fading based on injuries and maybe living in the shadow of LeBron James, so on some level his absence isn't a total shock.

The envelope, please:

1. LeBron James. Four time MVP, two-time champion, this was a unanimous choice by our voters, who weren't swayed by the Kevin Durant-is-closing-the-gap fever currently sweeping the league. "He's special," said Jerry Colangelo, the Team USA honcho, and that was the consensus description from everyone. LeBron is in his 10th All-Star Game and his first as a power forward, which means he has been an All-Star at three different positions, when you include small forward and shooting guard (interestingly, he actually might play center Sunday). It's that versatility that separates LeBron from Durant and the pack.

2. Kevin Durant. Everyone had LeBron No. 1 and everyone had Durant second. "He's probably the best shooter in basketball," said Dell Curry, high praise considering Curry is the father of Steph. Actually, LeBron currently leads all NBA players in true shooting percentage at 65.2, which factors in all shots from all spots on the floor. But still, point made; Durant is dangerous from everywhere as well. "He'll probably be MVP and he probably should be MVP," said Avery Johnson. Until and unless Durant gets that elusive championship, he'll likely remain vice president in this league, the guy mentioned in the next breath, Mr. No. 2. Which isn't exactly an insult.

3. Chris Paul. This is a mild surprise, but shows the level of respect Paul has in NBA circles. Rarely in the NBA does a player who stands 6 feet command such a large presence; maybe only Isiah Thomas (who was 6-1) and Allen Iverson and Bob Cousy held the same clout in their eras. The voters took more than actual performance into account; Paul was cited by one as being the best leader in basketball. "You hear about guys being the second coach on the team, the coach on the floor, but in his case that's actually true," said Johnson, known as the Little General with the Spurs. "Chris brings so much to the game." No one has averaged more assists over the last seven years than Paul's 10.7.

4. Dwight Howard. Him being No. 4 is probably a vote for being a big guy as much, if not more, than a vote strictly for Howard himself. Purely from a skills standpoint, Howard hardly belongs in elite company because he hasn't mastered (still) a reliable low-post game or even a comfortable mid-range shot, two weapons that served the game's greatest centers. And yet, Howard's defense and rebounding puts distance between himself and the next-best center, whomever that is. "He's a hard worker," said Hakeem Olajuwon, who trains Howard in Houston, and indeed, Howard has shown more of a willingness to put in the time, perhaps encouraged by having Olajuwon as a mentor and Kevin McHale as his coach. As much as he caused a furor by leaving the Magic and Lakers and even some resentment, those teams miss him greatly. That's the value of being an elite big man in a league of few.

5. Kobe Bryant. Really? This high? Still? Here's our first controversial choice. Kobe has played about five minutes this season, not enough to demonstrate how well he's come back from Achilles surgery. And he's 35. And … well, our voters evidently have great respect for his overall body of work and if this smells like a Career Achievement Award, who's to have a big problem with that? Remember, though, that before his injury last April, Kobe was still dangerous, still averaging 27 points and six rebounds and six assists, still the best player on the floor in almost any game that involved the Lakers. "He's still Kobe," said Joe Johnson. "Until he retires."

6. Tim Duncan. Karl Malone is big on Duncan, even here in Duncan's twilight. "He's the best center in the game if you classify him as a center, and the best power forward in the game if you classify him as a power forward," said the Mailman. While age and frequent games off have seemingly reduced Duncan's profile, nobody forgets Duncan was ready to be named Finals MVP had Ray Allen's three-point shot hit the rim in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last summer. As a player and a champion, Duncan is revered, even more than LeBron among our voters. "He should go down as one of the four or five greatest players of all time although I wonder if people will see him that way," said Malone. With all the recent talk about Mount Rushmore, shouldn't Duncan be in the discussion?

7. Carmelo Anthony. Lots of different opinions about Melo for this list. Those who weren't especially enamored with him didn't want to go on the record, and those who praised him did so with a bit of apprehension. Still, the object of the game is scoring, which Melo does better than anyone, and because of that, Melo made the cut. "You know that I like him," said George Gervin, and no surprise there, given that Gervin has four scoring titles. Big knock against Melo is the makes-teammates-better argument, since the Knicks are sucking eggs right now. But maybe it's true he simply doesn't have the surrounding cast. Time is running out, Melo is 30 and playing in unforgiving New York, perhaps even beyond this season. As a free agent, Melo said he'd take a hometown discount to re-sign with the Knicks provided they spruce up the roster.

8. Steph Curry. OK, so his father wasn't being completely unbiased when he cast a vote for his son, and yet others did, too, so it's OK. "I'm blessed to have him in the league, doing all the right things and helping his team the right way," said Dell Curry. "As a father, it means a lot." Curry is taking eight shots a game from beyond the three-point stripe and making 41 percent, an astonishing rate which tells you how much confidence he has when shooting from distance. But his level as a point guard is also on the rise, with Curry averaging nine assists to rank in the top five. "He's got the kind of fundamentals that you'd want to teach your son," said Chris Paul.

9. Dirk Nowitzki. Old man Dirk still generates much respect among his peers. He's 35 but the glow of his 2011 championship and the shine on his fallaway jumper are still evident. Maybe in another year or two he won't make the top 15, let alone top 10. Dirk is in his 12th All-Star Game and history might declare him the second-best foreign-born player of all time, after Olajuwon. But don't expect him to fall off the cliff abruptly. "Shooters are always the last to go," said Dell Curry.

10. Russell Westbrook. He's the only player on this list who wasn't voted to play in the All-Star Game or is actually in the All-Star Game. Of course, that's because of three knee scopes in 10 months, and everyone who voted for Westbrook fully expects him to return strong at some point this season. "He's so intense and such a great competitor, that those types of players don't let anything stop them," said Avery Johnson. Kevin Love, his college teammate, said: "It's kind of weird being at an All-Star Game or Team USA event without him." Strangely, by his absence for much of this season, Westbrook made it possible for Durant to get MVP, but not enough to make Durant No. 1.
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VBG · Apr 12, 2014

Kobe Bryant being 5 on the list does make less credible.

MystikArkitect · Apr 12, 2014

Duncan is 3rd not CP3.

Lebron, KD, Duncan, CP3, Beard.

slestack11 · Apr 12, 2014

1. Lebron
2. Durant
3. Griffin
4. Love
5. Cp3
6. Paul George
7. Harden
8. Russell Westbrook
9. Anthony Davis
10. Carmelo

This is based on who I think is the best player and not the MVP ranking which gives more weight to players on better teams. Westbrook would be higher on my list if it weren't for his knee.

slestack11 · Apr 12, 2014

VBG said: ↑

Kobe Bryant being 5 on the list does make less credible.
Click to expand...

Kobe and Dwight must be ranked based on their 2011 skills.

fallenphoenix · Apr 12, 2014

el gnomo said: ↑

According to a poll of 'various league executives, former and current players -- just about anyone with a link to the NBA who was willing to offer an educated opinion'...... it's Dwert.

http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/67814918/lebron-james-leads-top-10-players-in-todays-game

full article for the lazies:

Click to expand...

curry, westbrook and kobe over harden lolz

yummyhawtsauce · Apr 12, 2014

CP3 is wildly overrated and not #3. He has coasted on his commercial appeal and crappy state farm commercials for way too long. The fact is, no PG in this league is a top 5 player, they're just not impactful enough. CP3 is def top 10 though. Hell, going into the playoffs, I'd rather have russell westbrook than CP3.

qwertzy · Apr 12, 2014

right now 1 Durant
2 lbj
3 noah
4 before new year p.george,after al Jefferson or davis

slestack11 · Apr 12, 2014

yummyhawtsauce said: ↑

CP3 is wildly overrated and not #3. He has coasted on his commercial appeal and crappy state farm commercials for way too long. The fact is, no PG in this league is a top 5 player, they're just not impactful enough. CP3 is def top 10 though. Hell, going into the playoffs, I'd rather have russell westbrook than CP3.
Click to expand...

You must not have ever played organized basketball before. The point guard is responsible for running the plays (what little plays actually do get run in the NBA) and being an extension of the coach on the court. Do you also think the QB position is not impactful enough in the NFL?

CP3 is valuable because of his assist to turnover ratio. He is putting up all-time numbers in that ratio which greatly impacts the game. Additionally, the number of steals he gets adds to his value as it pertains to helping his team win games. There aren't too many players in the league that help their team win games more than CP3.

Karolik · Apr 12, 2014

yummyhawtsauce said: ↑

CP3 is wildly overrated and not #3. He has coasted on his commercial appeal and crappy state farm commercials for way too long. The fact is, no PG in this league is a top 5 player, they're just not impactful enough. CP3 is def top 10 though. Hell, going into the playoffs, I'd rather have russell westbrook than CP3.
Click to expand...

Do me a favor and look at the Clippers record before CP3 came to that team...Then look at the record after.

tmacfor35 · Apr 12, 2014

qwertzy said: ↑

right now 1 Durant
2 lbj
3 noah
4 before new year p.george,after al Jefferson or davis
Click to expand...

Hahahahah? That's serious?

Mr. Clutch · Apr 12, 2014

Take out Carmelo, Cousins, and Westbrook.

The rest are pretty close.

LosPollosHermanos · Apr 12, 2014

starting Casspi again...SMFH

tmacfor35 · Apr 12, 2014

Harden proves once again that he belongs in that third spot.

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Who is the 4th best player in the NBA?

Who is the 4th best player in the NBA?

Carmelo Anthony

DeMarcus Cousins

Stephen Curry

Anthony Davis

Blake Griffin

James Harden

Kevin Love

Dirk Nowitzki

Russell Westbrook

Other (Aldridge, George, Howard, Noah, etc.)

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Who is the 4th best player in the NBA?

Who is the 4th best player in the NBA?

Carmelo Anthony

DeMarcus Cousins

Stephen Curry

Anthony Davis

Blake Griffin

James Harden

Kevin Love

Dirk Nowitzki

Russell Westbrook

Other (Aldridge, George, Howard, Noah, etc.)

kvnzhangyay Member

Zergling Member

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