There was a poll like this done on a NBA message board. This is how it broke down... *edit* This ranking is for Top players if you wanted to win the title in 2007.
Seriously, given the attendance ranking stats for the last four seasons, no Houstonian on this board attempts to offer any explanation why the Rockets are one of the most watched road teams and the one of least watched home teams at the same time? http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?p=2542512#post2542512
If I'm building a new franchise with the goal of winning a championship, I gotta go: 1 Wade - young and makes those around him better 2 Bosh - young and a good talent now with upside to be great 3 Lebron - if goal is ticketsales - he's #1 4 Duncan - proven winner with few years to go 5 Nowitzki - skills, entering 'prime' 6 KG - boundless abilities and possibilities 7 Melo - good now with upside 8 Kobe - 'does not play well with others' - but tons o talent 9 Dwight Howard - young with endless potential 10 Nash - limited window o/w a guy to build around 11 Kidd - same as Nash 12 Brand - solid, but isnt go to lead a championship team 13 Amare - would rate high w/o health concerns 14 VC - drives ticketsales, but not necessarily championships 15 Pierce - good few years left, but hasnt shown leadership Yao would fall in 20-30 range, due to the China entanglements. If he was a US citizen w/o other obligations he climbs to the 10-15 range TMAC falls due to 20-30 due to health concerns NOT saying that is the order of current talent level, I'm saying 'to build on' Ill quantify my rankings by saying... In a 1on1 contest ill pick Bron allday, but i think hes yet to show that he can be a force without scoring, as Wade has. as for Bosh, he'd be a gamble at that spot, but i think hes all about potential upside, I think hell be the next KG. As for Yao, I hope Im wrong, but another couple years of splittin time with Rox and China obligations, I think will manifest in more potential injuries. wanted to put CPaul on the list, but i gotta see another season.
If you want to build for the future you have to go with the younger guys, so my top ten would be... 1. Lebron- come on now, he's the man 2. D-Wade- unbelievable in the playoffs last year 3. Dirk- unstoppable, got some time left 4. Kobe- hate him, but young, with championship experience 5. Carmelo- one level below lebron and d-wade 6. Yao- needs to prove last year before the injury was no fluke 7. Bosh- so young, so talented 8. Howard- not quite as talented as bosh 9. Amare Stoudamire- assuming last year's injury doesnt hold him back too much 10. Chris Paul- future best point guard in the league HM- Brand, KG, Nash, Marion, Kirilenko
Dude, you're really FULL OF SH_T! Why did you put Dirk on 5 then? Or you thought he was born in Texas? Get some common sense man! God... Also, name ONE, of many of Yao's injuries from playing with Chinese National Team. Are you a ROCKET FUN buddy? How come you don't know any history of Texas NBA teams? Or are you just trying soo hard to make a list and get some attention??
Dude, relax... Look, HUGE ROX FAN, and I hope YAO has a long and beneficial career, jus sayin, there's a fatigue factor, when pullin double duty. As a bigman, Yao does more poundin down low than Nowitzki and he's got a much bigger frame that I have to believe is more prone to injury. Let's be honest, Yao's not DREAM, he aint exactly 'light on his feet.' I think if Nowitzki's not feelin 100%, he can spend a few games out on the perimeter - Yao doesn't have that luxury, we need him downlow everynight. ...and Ben Wallace wouldnt make my top 25 - let alone top 10
You can say all the playoff stuff about Kobe, dwade, duncan and dirk, but it is way too early to sing the playoff praises of Lebron. If I remember correctly, he did not even make the playoffs until his third year. Yes he won a series, but he did it against a Wizards team with Gilbert and no one else, and did it playing an east coast schedule. Yao made the playoffs his second year against West coast competition and lost to a lakers team with shaq and kobe. If Yao was in the east coast, it would be playoffs every year. Dont get me wrong, Lebron is a great player. But the playoff success argument shoudnt be used to say he is better then Yao.
Lebron carried his team in the 1st round. He gave Detroit (who had been to the conference finals how many years in a row) all they could handle in the 2nd series. He has showed more leadership putting a team on his back in the playoffs than Kobe (who was #2 to Shaq when LA was doing damage), Yao or Tmac ever had. Tmac even played in the east when it was really crappy. I am sorry Lebron showed a ton this playoffs, and he is 22. The only guy better in performance and leadership in the playoffs was Wade (24), with perhaps secondary (equal) arguments from Duncan and Dirk. Kobe let his team lose 3 strait in the 1st round. Kobe is probably the most individually gifted basketball player right now. But he is 28 years old and can't seem to get a team of men to have his back. No one in their right mind you build a team right now with him over the 6 year younger (and probably superior team player) in Lebron.
To some degree, I'd agree. However they'd be a slight difference. 1. Lebron James 2. Kobe Bryant 3. Dwyane Wade--general consesus though Id have him behind Yao 4. Yao Ming 5. Dirk Nowitzki 6. Gilbert Arenas 7. Chris Paul 8. Chris Bosh 9. Dwight Howard 10. Carmelo Anthony
