Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

[X*Cell]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

1. Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
2. Chris Paul (Hornets)
3. Brandon Roy (Blazers)
4. Dirk Nowitzki (Mavs)
5. Kevin Durant (Thunder)
6. Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets)
7. Tony Parker (Spurs)
8. Deron Williams (Jazz)
9. Tim Duncan (Spurs)
10. Pau Gasol (Lakers)
11. Chauncey Billups (Nuggets)
12. Amare Stoudemire (Suns)
13. Kevin Martin (Kings)
14. Carlos Boozer (Jazz)
15. Steve Nash (Suns)
16. Monta Ellis (Warriors)
17. Manu Ginobili (Spurs)
18. Al Jefferson (Wolves)
19. Tracy McGrady (Rockets)
20. Ron Artest (Lakers)
21. Baron Davis (Clippers)
22. LaMarcus Aldridge (Blazers)
23. David West (Hornets)
24. Allen Iverson (Grizzlies)
25. Blake Griffin (Clippers)

[Moses Shuttlesworth]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

You guys are sleeping on Big Al.

[stizz]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

1. Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
2. Chris Paul (Hornets)
3. Brandon Roy (Blazers)
4. Dirk Nowitzki (Mavs)
5. Kevin Durant (Thunder)
6. Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets)
7. Tony Parker (Spurs)
8. Deron Williams (Jazz)
9. Tim Duncan (Spurs)
10. Pau Gasol (Lakers)
11. Chauncey Billups (Nuggets)
12. Amare Stoudemire (Suns)
13. Kevin Martin (Kings)
14. Carlos Boozer (Jazz)
15. Steve Nash (Suns)
16. Monta Ellis (Warriors)
17. Manu Ginobili (Spurs)
18. Al Jefferson (Wolves)
19. Tracy McGrady (Rockets)
20. Ron Artest (Lakers)
21. Baron Davis (Clippers)
22. LaMarcus Aldridge (Blazers)
23. David West (Hornets)
24. Allen Iverson (Grizzlies)
25. Blake Griffin (Clippers)

BTW I don't know if I would include him as he hasn't even played a proper NBA game yet.

[Moses Shuttlesworth]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

C'mon X, BG hasn't even played an NBA game yet and you're putting him in the top 25? I would put James Posey before him.

[chadskee]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

I don't mean to be a homer but...

Where is Al Jefferson?

[Bornindamecca]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

I sure as hell don't. Dude will be Top 5 in the conference soon enough, maybe even this season.

Mah man.

[ProjectRipCity]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

Roy>Mello

And no way Nash is below Billups

[Bornindamecca]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

What makes Roy definitively better than Melo?

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

With Roy and Melo IMO it's a case of preference. At this point it's whether or not you want a roughneck small forward who can fill it up and mix it up inside or a two guard who can play like a point guard as well as score in bunches.

Both can play defense equally for their respective positions.

I would personally take Roy just because in my view he can impact the level of play of his teammates a bit more than Melo can.

[DC]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

1. Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
2. Chris Paul (Hornets)
3. Brandon Roy (Blazers)
4. Dirk Nowitzki (Mavs)
5. Kevin Durant (Thunder)
6. Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets)
7. Tony Parker (Spurs)
8. Deron Williams (Jazz)
9. Tim Duncan (Spurs)
10. Pau Gasol (Lakers)
11. Chauncey Billups (Nuggets)
12. Amare Stoudemire (Suns)
13. Kevin Martin (Kings)
14. Carlos Boozer (Jazz)
15. Steve Nash (Suns)
16. Monta Ellis (Warriors)
17. Manu Ginobili (Spurs)
18. Al Jefferson (Wolves)
19. Tracy McGrady (Rockets)
20. Ron Artest (Lakers)
21. Baron Davis (Clippers)
22. LaMarcus Aldridge (Blazers)
23. David West (Hornets)
24. Allen Iverson (Grizzlies)
25. Blake Griffin (Clippers)

I am starting to think your lists are made for shock value

Blake?

Durant over Pau and Chauncey?

[JBH3]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

I am starting to think your lists are made for shock value

Blake?

Durant over Pau and Chauncey?

Just because Pau and Chauncey have played longer doesn't mean they get preference on any one person's list.

I think Durant is hands down the most talented of those 3. Billups, until Detroit, was pretty much a wash out/reclamation project.

Durant has improved exponentially between yr 1 and yr 2, and the sky is still the limit.

Pau never had such an upside. Chauncey somewhat did, but didn't prove it until 2002-03, after having spent 5 years in the NBA.

...and as for Griffin maybe he just sees some potential in the guy, and an ability to step in and be a force in the middle over guys like Nene, Mehmet Okur, and a slew of other veteran bigs in the West NOT in his top25.

I don't think that's so far off base to be considered "shock value". The book is out on most those guys I mentioned, and likely any other veteran that would've held down 25 whereas the #1 overall pick has, for all intents and purpose, endless potential at this point.

[DC]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

Just because Pau and Chauncey have played longer doesn't mean they get preference on any one person's list.

Actually experience has to be taken into consideration.

YES he does have the highest potential ceiling, but he is not better than either one of those dudes who have BOTH turned the new teams that they are on into legit title contenders. With one of them actually being the final piece to a team that has made it to the finals 2 years in a row. And I don't think the question was, "Who has the highest potential." It is asking the top 25 players in a conference. So RIGHT NOW, Pau and Chauncey should outrank Durant.

So again, because Pau and Chauncey have been doing it LONGER is a reason why I would rank them above KD.

And for the Blake comments; again he has not played a single minute. He doesn't deserve to be on the list at all.

[JBH3]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

Actually experience has to be taken into consideration.

YES he does have the highest potential ceiling, but he is not better than either one of those dudes who have BOTH turned the new teams that they are on into legit title contenders. With one of them actually being the final piece to a team that has made it to the finals 2 years in a row. And I don't think the question was, "Who has the highest potential." It is asking the top 25 players in a conference. So RIGHT NOW, Pau and Chauncey should outrank Durant.

So again, because Pau and Chauncey have been doing it LONGER is a reason why I would rank them above KD.

And for the Blake comments; again he has not played a single minute. He doesn't deserve to be on the list at all.

So until KD has a like supporting cast to make his team a perennial contender he's out of the conversation?

So there is essentially no means or way to establish Durant as being better than Gasol or Chauncey?

I'd say given where Durant is in his career he's already leaps and bounds ahead of Chauncey and just needs the benefit of good coaching and sizeable talent like Chauncey got in Detroit.

As for Pau, Durant is essentially him, albeit better and w/ more upside, but Durant is in the same situation Gasol was in when Gasol entered the league. Durant being on a young and budding team w/ an outside chance of becoming an 8th seed in the West (In this West, not Gasol's West).

EXCEPT...unlike Gasol, Durant has the ability to completely take over the game.

[KG]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

Very true DC.

I don't know if I can agree with Roy being over guys who have proven themselves in the league for years as well as in the playoffs (Xcell's).

As much as I like KD's game he hasn't proven ish yet compared to Chauncey or Pau.

What games has KD taken over? He's the posterboy for a guy who puts up crazy stats on a bad team ala Kevin Martin, he's just younger and more efficient. Gasol was in the same situation but led his team to the playoffs for a couple of years in Memphis.

I like KD's game but he has been annointed far to early on the OS board.

[DC]

Re: Top 25 Players out West-- Is KD top 12?

He is not completely OUT of the question but right now he can't possibly outrank two dudes that propelled their NEW teams into a higher stratosphere.

Again, I am not arguing that Durant is ON PACE to having a better individual career than both of those dudes, but the word PLAYER looks at more than just stats and skill set. You HAVE to take into consideration; winning mentality, experience, leadership. Durant is a young young man, he hopefully will gain all of those things over time.

But RIGHT NOW, he can't be placed ahead of two vets that are final pieces to championship puzzles.

EXCEPT...unlike Gasol, Durant has the ability to completely take over the game.

I agree, he has done what he is supposed to do in terms of leading that young team. In the future he will get his chance to take over games that matter. As of now, he hasn't gotten a chance to do that. Not saying it is any fault of his own, but he gets more credit when taking over IMPORTANT games.