The Quick Report 08.11.08: Who Is the Best Player?

Posted by Ben Quick on 08.11.2008

Potential candidates...

About a couple of weeks ago Paul Pierce mouthed off when he was asked if Kobe Bryant was the best player in the world. The quote was -

"I don't think Kobe is the best player. I'm the best player. There's a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don't cross that line but I have a lot of confidence in myself."

Now, there's nothing wrong with having confidence, but when you play in a league as talented as that of today's NBA, saying you're the best is a very bold statement. Paul Pierce absolutely upped his status in the playoffs last season, but one could very easily say that Pierce isn't even the best player on his own team. He looks a lot better this off season than he did a year ago, but he's still got a ways to go to be seriously considered as possibly the best.

Back when I wrote my Top 10 Players of All Time column a reader by the exquisite name of Guest#9670 suggested that I write a column about the Top 10 Players in today's NBA. I thought about doing that, but actually making that list is tricky. Do you select the players based off their talent right now or what they have accomplished in their careers so far? There's no doubt that Dwight Howard is the better center today than Shaq, but if we look at their careers, Shaq wins easily. So, when Pierce made his comments it got me to thinking. Which player is truly the best in the league today? Let's take a look at the candidates...



Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan is probably the best player in the NBA in terms of career achievements. He's been the most consistent winner in the league since Michael left the Bulls. While he's coming down out of his prime, he's still as effective as any big man in the NBA. His 2007-2008 stats of 19.3 ppg and 11.3 rpg still show him as one of the best bigs around, but also they don't inspire awe. I would say that even though he's not in his prime, he's still the best low post player overall. Tim Duncan has four rings, but some argue that there's a lot to say for the help of Robinson, Parker and Ginobili that Duncan has had. Still, he's been the cornerstone of the best team in basketball for the last decade.



Chris Paul

Last season Chris Paul had the best season a point guard has had in a very long time. That's saying especially a lot considering Jason Kidd and Steve Nash play the point as well. Chris Paul averaged 21.1 ppg and 11.6 apg in route to pushing a lottery team to the second seed in ultra-competitive Western Conference last season. In doing so, many have said that he overtook Steve Nash as the best point guard in the league. It's hard to argue with considering Steve Nash never posted numbers that high. Chris Paul does have some decent help with David West, Tyson Chandler and Peja Stojakovic, but so does Steve Nash with Amare Stoudemire, Grant Hill and Shaq. One good season may not warrant being placed in the "best in the league" discussion, but one great season doesn't hurt.



LeBron James

No player in the NBA today has done as much with so little as LeBron James has done over the last three seasons. His stats last season came to 30.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg and 7.2 apg! I would argue that no other player in the NBA had an as impressive stat line last year. In the three seasons that LeBron's Cavs have made the playoffs they have grossly overachieved. Whether it's carrying his team to the NBA Finals or pushing vastly superior teams to the limit, LeBron has shown that he is as much of a big game player as anyone in the league. He does have a few weakness in his game though. His free throw shooting is way to low at around 70% and his jump shot, despite being improved, still needs work. The real hold back for James is that the Cavs have yet to become truly an elite team. LeBron James does his best, but part of being the best player in the league is producing a true winner.



Steve Nash

Many people argued that in the last few years Steve Nash was the best player in the NBA. He was the player that made everyone around him better and was the main reason for the Suns becoming a contender. On the other hand, just as many people argued that it was Mike D'Antoni's system and that Nash was simply the beneficiary. Well, this next season will be the truth teller. D'Antoni is gone and it will be up to Nash to guide a lost team whose championship dreams have been crushed under the foot of Greg Popovich year after year. I tend to stand in the middle on the Nash debate. There's no doubt that D'Antoni's system helped make Nash the two-time MVP that he is, but I also think it was simply a good fit considering Nash's skills. Steve Nash was everything to the Suns, a team who left many of defeated foes in its wake. Steve Nash may very well have been the best player in the NBA the two years he won his trophies, but that was then and this is now.



Dwight Howard

I guess you could make an argument that Yao Ming is the best center in the NBA today, but I simply can't. In the last three seasons the guy hasn't even managed to play sixty games in one season. Yao's just too injury prone. Meanwhile, Dwight Howard has yet to miss a single game since coming into the league in 2004. Dwight's stat line last season is really eye popping to the tune of 20.7 ppg and 14.2 rpg, but as always, the stats only tell half of the story. Dwight Howard is far and away the most athletic center in the NBA. The problem is that he can't shoot free throws and he has as an under developed offensive game. Any given night you may see him go off for thirty points, and then the next he'll score eight. The best player in the league simply can't have hardly any nights like that. While he'll probably have serious competition in the following years from Greg Oden, Howard does seem to be improving each season and should be one of the best centers in the league for years to come.



Dwyane Wade

Three seasons ago in the playoffs Dwyane Wade was the best player in the league. He virtually single handily beat the Mavericks four straight times to bring the Miami Heat a championship, but then the next season he suffered an injury and not to mention a disinterested supporting cast. Ever since he suffered a separated shoulder in a game against the Rockets two seasons ago Wade simply hasn't been right. Many, me included, have claimed deja vu with Wade ala Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway. Well, in this year's Olympics Wade has looked very good. He seems to be trying to make a statement and one can only imagine he'll try to do the same in the NBA this next season. When he plays at 100% Wade is very capable of being the best player on the floor on any given night. He just has to get to 100% and stay there. The spot is his if he can take it.



Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant is just about everyone's pick for the best player on the planet. I have a hard time with calling him the best myself though. Kobe's no doubt the most talented player, but I've yet to see him do anything other than score that really sets him apart. Kobe scored 81 points a single game, and that can't be forgotten. Still, he can never quite fully pull ahead of the pack the way his talent would seem to allow for. As seen in his two chances of being the man on a championship team, against the Pistons and the Celtics, Kobe crumbled. Despite having arguably the more talented team on both occasions, Kobe failed to grab his first ring when being more than a sidekick. More than any player in the NBA, Kobe could be the best. In my opinion, no player has ever been so skilled offensively. Kobe can get his own shot no matter what kind of defense you throw at him. I guess the problem Kobe has the most is the ability to know when and how to score. Kobe always seems to try to take over or just go through the motions. He never seems to be able to find the middle ground.

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So, who's the best player in the NBA? My Answer is.... no one! In the 1990's Michael Jordan was the guy who filled all the categories. He was the guy who scored the points, made his teammates better and won rings. Today, no one player fills all of those categories.

Tim Duncan is the NBA's true winner, but he doesn't dominate games anymore.

Chris Paul is rising fast, but he's not quite there yet.

LeBron James is the most important player to his team, but he doesn't really win.

Steve Nash makes his teammates better, but he could never get past the Spurs.

Dwight Howard is the most physically imposing, but he has too many weaknesses.

Dwyane Wade was ripe for being the man, but he's been hurt.

Kobe Bryant is unbelievably skilled, but he just never crosses the finish line

Paul Pierce isn't only incorrect in calling himself the best player, but he's completely wrong. There's a lot of talent in today's NBA, but there's not one player who does everything better than all the other players. Who is the best player? There isn't one! Quite frankly, I think that's awesome!