I got this from a blogger named "Big D Bam" on the DallasBasketball.com boards. Although Mavs-centric, his rankings and explanations were pretty close to spot on imo, better than a lot of guys on ESPN. The only things I disagree with is putting Haywood at #1 on the center ranking. Wood should be #3 imo (that is still the highest a Mavs center would be ranked in quite a while)...and his description of 2010 Carmelo Anthony is off imo.
I know a more important question would be "who has the best 8 man rotation", but ranking the starting 5 is interesting. How would you rank the starting 5s in the West?
Big D: Despite having an obvious bias towards the Mavs, I tried to be as neutral as possible, taking into account possible match-ups, recent performance, and my interpretation of the stats.
Power Forward
1. Dirk Nowitzki (25.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 47.6 FG%, 1.1 BPG) The gold standard at the power forward position over the last several years with four first team All-NBA selections over the last five seasons, and a fifth soon to come, along with an MVP award in 2007. Recently passed George Gervin for 30th on the all-time NBA scoring list with 20,714 points and is on pace for his fifth 2,000 point season.
Faces criticism for wilting in the playoffs, despite having a higher career scoring average (25.5 PPG) than Kobe Bryant (25.0 PPG), Shaquille O’Neal (25.2 PPG), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (24.3 PPG), or Tim Duncan (23.3 PPG); having the eighth highest efficiency rating in playoff history (24.45); and being one of only five players in league history to average over 25 points and 11 rebounds in the postseason, along with Shaq, Hakeem, Elgin Baylor, and Bob Pettit.
2. Pau Gasol (17.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 51.2 FG%, 1.7 BPG) Helped transform the Lakers back into title contenders after coming over from Memphis, and shows his versatility by regularly moving between the power forward and center positions, something very few natural fours can do effectively. Competent but unimpressive defender, who is averaging a career-low 16.7 points per 36 minutes, but a career-high 10.9 rebounds.
Despite only shooting 44% over his last six games, he has recently become vocal about wanting more shots.
3. Carlos Boozer (19.3 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 55.0 FG%, 0.5 BPG) Easily the best post player and rebounder of the group, he is also a below average defender, who taller players have little difficulty shooting over and quicker players often get past. Inconsistent in everything except stats, like Gilbert Arenas he is an abnormal blend of hard-working overachiever and self-important malcontent.
4. Kenyon Martin (11.8 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 45.8 FG%, 1.1 BPG) Kenyon has developed a reputation as a defensive stopper over the last few years, but he is highly vulnerable against taller players with good midrange games. Dirk averaged 34.4 points and 11.6 rebounds on 53.3% shooting against him in five playoff games, and Gasol put up averages of 17.5 and 9.2 boards on 60.0% shooting in the Western Conference Finals.
Kenyon is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season while undergoing treatment for a partially torn patella in his knee. It is unknown when or if he will play in the postseason.
Small Forward
1. Carmelo Anthony (28.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 46.1 FG%, 32.6 3FG%) Under the influence of Chauncey Billups, Carmelo has evolved from a disinterested, me-first scorer, to a complete player, if one who is still prone to occasionally sleepwalk through the first three quarters of a game, such as the recent win at Minnesota. A solid, but unspectacular defender, who frankly doesn’t have to worry about facing other high level small forwards very often, and so can almost always win his match up simply by outscoring his counterpart, one has to wonder if he understands the limited window of opportunity he’s working with, surrounded by and relying on thirty-somethings like Billups, Martin, and Anderson, all of whom have struggled this season with injuries.
2. Shawn Marion (11.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 50.9 FG%, 15.4 3FG%) The most underrated addition of any team over the summer, he was mostly a footnote in stories about Shaq, Artest, and Richard Jefferson switching teams in the offseason. You think the Cavs, Lakers, and Spurs might want a do over? Shawn started slowly, struggling with nagging injuries and his place within the Mavs offense, but is averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds on 60% shooting over his last five games, all while playing tremendous defense.
3. Andrei Kirilenko (12. 2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 50.9 FG%, 30.2 3FG%) Kirilenko spent most of his career being pipe-cleaner skinny and awkward looking, but he put on 20 pounds of muscle over the offseason and is having his best season in years. Good enough defensively to make T-Mac pout openly to the media after being hounded into yet another playoff disappointment, but also injury prone and enigmatic enough to regress badly even while the team around him improves.
As tough as Kirilenko can be on the defensive end, without a defensive-minded big man behind him protecting the rim, all that hard work is likely to go to waste.
4. Ron Artest (11.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 41.3 FG%, 37.7 3FG%) He recently spent over five hours dying his hair gold, inscribing it with the word “Defense” in three different languages, then proceeded to play his worst game of the season at Orlando on national television (maybe he didn‘t get enough rest the night before). Artest idolizes Dennis Rodman, but lacks the Worm’s drive and incredible physical conditioning (at one point this season, he was asked by the Lakers to lose weight), and disrupts the Lakers offense by jacking up random poor jump shots, something Rodman would never consider.
He hasn’t been as disruptive in the locker room as many observers first predicted, but it’s difficult to say that he’s been an asset either.
Center
1. Brendan Haywood (9.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 56.6 FG%, 2.1 BPG) Earlier this season, Dwight Howard was asked to name the five best defenders in the NBA and ranked Haywood, a longtime division opponent, third. Haywood is also third in the league in blocks, second in offensive rebounding, and ninth in rebounds per game. He recently missed two games, after playing fewer than eight ineffective minutes in a third due to back tightness. In those three games, the Mavericks allowed 109.3 points against Sacramento, Chicago, and Minnesota. In all other games he has played in, including wins over top ten offensive teams LA, Orlando, Atlanta, and Phoenix, Dallas has allowed 93.9 points.
Playing a position that places a premium on defense and rebounding in the playoffs, Haywood is the best on this list at both by a respectable margin. He is also the most limited offensively, but still has the ability to finish at the rim, and with the exception of his early exit against Sacramento, is averaging a very respectable 10.5 points on 60% shooting since joining the Mavericks.
2. Nene (13.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 59.4 FG%, 1.0 BPG) Other than Amar’e Stoudemire, no big man in the league is more dangerous going to the rim. Like Amar’e, he doesn’t rebound or intimidate defensively the way someone with his size and athletic ability should. Broke out last season, the first since 2004 in which he started more than 42 games, after losing most of two entire seasons, first to an MCL tear in 2005, then to testicular cancer in 2007. Not a dominating shot blocker, but has very active hands and the ability to deflect and steal passes, then beat a transition defense down the floor for an easy basket.
Is averaging 15.3 points on 68.6% from the field over his last six games.
3. Andrew Bynum (14.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, FG%, 1.4 BPG) Bynum is clearly the most talented and physically gifted of the group, but his history of disappearing under pressure and flat out missing games can’t be ignored. He is regularly outfought for rebounds by smaller players, and is rarely trusted by Phil Jackson to finish out games. Was recently compared to 1980 number one overall pick Joe Barry Carroll, who earned the nickname “Joe Barely Cares” by putting up impressive but empty numbers while never fulfilling his immense potential.
Missed the Lakers’ 08 Finals run entirely with an injury, and was an extreme non-factor during the 2009 playoffs.
4. Mehmet Okur (12.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 43.9 FG%, 1.1 BPG) Outside shooter who is a very solid compliment to Carlos Boozer when his shot is falling, which it hasn’t been for most of this season. Is having his worse season since joining Utah after winning a title in Detroit in 2004, but has picked it up recently, averaging 18.3 points on 48.6% shooting over his last six games, five of them Utah wins.
Shooting Guard
1. Kobe Bryant (27.8 PPG, 4.8 APG, 45.9 FG%, 31.4 3FG%) Bryant currently has 25,486 career points, good for 13th in NBA history. If he stays healthy and continues to play at a high level (another 2,000 point season, which would by then be the eighth of his career), Kobe will finish next season as the sixth leading scorer in the history of the league. Assuming he plays for 6-7 more years, which would take him up to 38, Bryant will challenge Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in the history of professional basketball.
That’s about the third most impressive thing about him, which is saying something.
Over the last decade, Bryant has played in six of ten NBA Finals, winning four championships, and has earned 14 First Team All-NBA and All-Defensive team selections, one Finals MVP, two scoring titles (though he‘s led the NBA in total points four times), and one league MVP. Kobe is simply the best player of his generation, and will go down as one of the ten best players of all-time.
2. Caron Butler (16.9 PPG, 2.2 APG, 43.0 FG%, 27.1 3FG%) Butler has bounced around between Miami, LA, Washington, and Dallas during his career, but over the last three years he’s the only player other than LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to average over 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game in a single season, accomplishing the feat twice (07-08, 08-09). He is an active, hardnosed defender who has twice finished in the top five in steals per game, and is one of the only shooting guards in the NBA with the height and strength not to be overwhelmed by Kobe Bryant.
His numbers have been down significantly this year while playing in the circus-like atmosphere in Washington, but since missing two games with a minor knee injury and a bad reaction to medication, he’s averaging 18.9 points on 52% shooting, with 2 steals per game, many of them coming in the fourth quarter.
3. Arron Afflalo (9.0 PPG, 1.7 APG, 47.1 FG%, 45.1 3FG%) High level defender who has evolved into a three-point assassin (fifth in the league in 3FG%) while often being left alone on the offensive end. Relentlessly physical, he draws fouls at a high rate (over 5 per 48 minutes), but can afford to, knowing he’s going to split time with JR Smith.
4. Wesley Matthews (8.6 PPG, 1.3 APG, 47.8 FG%, 36.0 3FG%) One of the surprise members of the 09-10 rookie class (undrafted rookie free agent), he is a classic example of a four year college starter who fell through the cracks of the draft, having been passed over for less developed players with more “potential”. Averaging 10.0 points a game as a starter while playing high level defense.
Point Guard
1. Chauncey Billups (21.3 PPG, 6.2 APG, 43.8 FG%, 42.0 3FG%) Credit where credit’s due. Chauncey is a five time All-Star and former Finals MVP who’s having the best season of his career at 33 years old. He’s is a plus defender who is far more likely to make a game changing play late in games than he is to make a mistake, and can hit clutch shots with the best of them. The Nuggets had not advanced past the first round of the playoffs in fifteen years until he led them to the Western Conference Finals last year, his seventh consecutive year of leading a team into the third round of the playoffs, a record among point guards unmatched since the playoffs were expanded to a fourth round, and equaled in recent history only by Magic Johnson, who did it eight times between 1982 and 1989.
More than any other PG you can name, all Chauncey does is win.
2. Deron Williams (18.6 PPG, 10.3 APG, 47.8 FG%, 38.1 3FG%) Chris Paul gets better press, but he doesn’t have the raw physical presence of D-Will, and he’s never taken his team to the Western Conference Finals like Williams did in 2007. Deron is one of the top five passers in the NBA (over 12 assists per game since the All-Star break), who also happens to be a powerhouse at 6’ 3”, 210 pounds, and simply can’t be guarded by smaller guards down low. Just ask Derrick Rose, who he recently dismantled and sent back to the drawing board with 28 points on 11 of 15 shooting and 17 assists.
Maybe the most impressive thing about him is how he’s continued to lead his team through lineup controversies, trade rumors, injuries, and the crushing burden of expectation and comparison left behind by John Stockton.
The only possible knock on him is his defense, which is acceptable, but not great.
3. Jason Kidd (10.1 PPG, 9.4 APG, 42.8 FG%, 42.1 3FG%) The smartest player in the NBA, bar none. Whether it’s drawing a technical foul on Mike Woodson, who absentmindedly wandered out onto the court during a recent Mavs win at Atlanta (not to mention his awe-inspiring 19 point, 17 assist, 16 rebound performance), or transforming himself into one of the NBA’s most lethal three point threats (tenth in 3FG%, third in makes on the season) in order to make up for his declining athleticism, he‘s always four steps ahead of the competition.
At 36 years old, Kidd is somehow playing his best ball in years, is in top five in assists and steals per game, and during the Mavs winning streak, is averaging 13.6 points, 11.2 assists, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.4 steals.
4. Derek Fisher (7.5 PPG, 2.5 APG, 37.9 FG%, 35.6 3FG%) Fish has four times as many NBA championships as the three potential Hall of Famers above him put together, so who cares that choosing between them is like deciding on steak, lobster, venison, or day old Krispy Kreme donuts?
Like Robert Horry in 2006, Fisher might have finally crossed the barrier from fiercely competitive and valuable role player to over the hill veteran. Horry hung around for a couple of more years and picked up a seventh championship ring in 2007, One has to wonder if Fisher isn’t hoping to do the same thing.
I know a more important question would be "who has the best 8 man rotation", but ranking the starting 5 is interesting. How would you rank the starting 5s in the West?
Big D: Despite having an obvious bias towards the Mavs, I tried to be as neutral as possible, taking into account possible match-ups, recent performance, and my interpretation of the stats.
Power Forward
1. Dirk Nowitzki (25.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 47.6 FG%, 1.1 BPG) The gold standard at the power forward position over the last several years with four first team All-NBA selections over the last five seasons, and a fifth soon to come, along with an MVP award in 2007. Recently passed George Gervin for 30th on the all-time NBA scoring list with 20,714 points and is on pace for his fifth 2,000 point season.
Faces criticism for wilting in the playoffs, despite having a higher career scoring average (25.5 PPG) than Kobe Bryant (25.0 PPG), Shaquille O’Neal (25.2 PPG), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (24.3 PPG), or Tim Duncan (23.3 PPG); having the eighth highest efficiency rating in playoff history (24.45); and being one of only five players in league history to average over 25 points and 11 rebounds in the postseason, along with Shaq, Hakeem, Elgin Baylor, and Bob Pettit.
2. Pau Gasol (17.0 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 51.2 FG%, 1.7 BPG) Helped transform the Lakers back into title contenders after coming over from Memphis, and shows his versatility by regularly moving between the power forward and center positions, something very few natural fours can do effectively. Competent but unimpressive defender, who is averaging a career-low 16.7 points per 36 minutes, but a career-high 10.9 rebounds.
Despite only shooting 44% over his last six games, he has recently become vocal about wanting more shots.
3. Carlos Boozer (19.3 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 55.0 FG%, 0.5 BPG) Easily the best post player and rebounder of the group, he is also a below average defender, who taller players have little difficulty shooting over and quicker players often get past. Inconsistent in everything except stats, like Gilbert Arenas he is an abnormal blend of hard-working overachiever and self-important malcontent.
4. Kenyon Martin (11.8 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 45.8 FG%, 1.1 BPG) Kenyon has developed a reputation as a defensive stopper over the last few years, but he is highly vulnerable against taller players with good midrange games. Dirk averaged 34.4 points and 11.6 rebounds on 53.3% shooting against him in five playoff games, and Gasol put up averages of 17.5 and 9.2 boards on 60.0% shooting in the Western Conference Finals.
Kenyon is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season while undergoing treatment for a partially torn patella in his knee. It is unknown when or if he will play in the postseason.
Small Forward
1. Carmelo Anthony (28.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 46.1 FG%, 32.6 3FG%) Under the influence of Chauncey Billups, Carmelo has evolved from a disinterested, me-first scorer, to a complete player, if one who is still prone to occasionally sleepwalk through the first three quarters of a game, such as the recent win at Minnesota. A solid, but unspectacular defender, who frankly doesn’t have to worry about facing other high level small forwards very often, and so can almost always win his match up simply by outscoring his counterpart, one has to wonder if he understands the limited window of opportunity he’s working with, surrounded by and relying on thirty-somethings like Billups, Martin, and Anderson, all of whom have struggled this season with injuries.
2. Shawn Marion (11.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 50.9 FG%, 15.4 3FG%) The most underrated addition of any team over the summer, he was mostly a footnote in stories about Shaq, Artest, and Richard Jefferson switching teams in the offseason. You think the Cavs, Lakers, and Spurs might want a do over? Shawn started slowly, struggling with nagging injuries and his place within the Mavs offense, but is averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds on 60% shooting over his last five games, all while playing tremendous defense.
3. Andrei Kirilenko (12. 2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 50.9 FG%, 30.2 3FG%) Kirilenko spent most of his career being pipe-cleaner skinny and awkward looking, but he put on 20 pounds of muscle over the offseason and is having his best season in years. Good enough defensively to make T-Mac pout openly to the media after being hounded into yet another playoff disappointment, but also injury prone and enigmatic enough to regress badly even while the team around him improves.
As tough as Kirilenko can be on the defensive end, without a defensive-minded big man behind him protecting the rim, all that hard work is likely to go to waste.
4. Ron Artest (11.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 41.3 FG%, 37.7 3FG%) He recently spent over five hours dying his hair gold, inscribing it with the word “Defense” in three different languages, then proceeded to play his worst game of the season at Orlando on national television (maybe he didn‘t get enough rest the night before). Artest idolizes Dennis Rodman, but lacks the Worm’s drive and incredible physical conditioning (at one point this season, he was asked by the Lakers to lose weight), and disrupts the Lakers offense by jacking up random poor jump shots, something Rodman would never consider.
He hasn’t been as disruptive in the locker room as many observers first predicted, but it’s difficult to say that he’s been an asset either.
Center
1. Brendan Haywood (9.7 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 56.6 FG%, 2.1 BPG) Earlier this season, Dwight Howard was asked to name the five best defenders in the NBA and ranked Haywood, a longtime division opponent, third. Haywood is also third in the league in blocks, second in offensive rebounding, and ninth in rebounds per game. He recently missed two games, after playing fewer than eight ineffective minutes in a third due to back tightness. In those three games, the Mavericks allowed 109.3 points against Sacramento, Chicago, and Minnesota. In all other games he has played in, including wins over top ten offensive teams LA, Orlando, Atlanta, and Phoenix, Dallas has allowed 93.9 points.
Playing a position that places a premium on defense and rebounding in the playoffs, Haywood is the best on this list at both by a respectable margin. He is also the most limited offensively, but still has the ability to finish at the rim, and with the exception of his early exit against Sacramento, is averaging a very respectable 10.5 points on 60% shooting since joining the Mavericks.
2. Nene (13.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 59.4 FG%, 1.0 BPG) Other than Amar’e Stoudemire, no big man in the league is more dangerous going to the rim. Like Amar’e, he doesn’t rebound or intimidate defensively the way someone with his size and athletic ability should. Broke out last season, the first since 2004 in which he started more than 42 games, after losing most of two entire seasons, first to an MCL tear in 2005, then to testicular cancer in 2007. Not a dominating shot blocker, but has very active hands and the ability to deflect and steal passes, then beat a transition defense down the floor for an easy basket.
Is averaging 15.3 points on 68.6% from the field over his last six games.
3. Andrew Bynum (14.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, FG%, 1.4 BPG) Bynum is clearly the most talented and physically gifted of the group, but his history of disappearing under pressure and flat out missing games can’t be ignored. He is regularly outfought for rebounds by smaller players, and is rarely trusted by Phil Jackson to finish out games. Was recently compared to 1980 number one overall pick Joe Barry Carroll, who earned the nickname “Joe Barely Cares” by putting up impressive but empty numbers while never fulfilling his immense potential.
Missed the Lakers’ 08 Finals run entirely with an injury, and was an extreme non-factor during the 2009 playoffs.
4. Mehmet Okur (12.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 43.9 FG%, 1.1 BPG) Outside shooter who is a very solid compliment to Carlos Boozer when his shot is falling, which it hasn’t been for most of this season. Is having his worse season since joining Utah after winning a title in Detroit in 2004, but has picked it up recently, averaging 18.3 points on 48.6% shooting over his last six games, five of them Utah wins.
Shooting Guard
1. Kobe Bryant (27.8 PPG, 4.8 APG, 45.9 FG%, 31.4 3FG%) Bryant currently has 25,486 career points, good for 13th in NBA history. If he stays healthy and continues to play at a high level (another 2,000 point season, which would by then be the eighth of his career), Kobe will finish next season as the sixth leading scorer in the history of the league. Assuming he plays for 6-7 more years, which would take him up to 38, Bryant will challenge Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in the history of professional basketball.
That’s about the third most impressive thing about him, which is saying something.
Over the last decade, Bryant has played in six of ten NBA Finals, winning four championships, and has earned 14 First Team All-NBA and All-Defensive team selections, one Finals MVP, two scoring titles (though he‘s led the NBA in total points four times), and one league MVP. Kobe is simply the best player of his generation, and will go down as one of the ten best players of all-time.
2. Caron Butler (16.9 PPG, 2.2 APG, 43.0 FG%, 27.1 3FG%) Butler has bounced around between Miami, LA, Washington, and Dallas during his career, but over the last three years he’s the only player other than LeBron James and Kobe Bryant to average over 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game in a single season, accomplishing the feat twice (07-08, 08-09). He is an active, hardnosed defender who has twice finished in the top five in steals per game, and is one of the only shooting guards in the NBA with the height and strength not to be overwhelmed by Kobe Bryant.
His numbers have been down significantly this year while playing in the circus-like atmosphere in Washington, but since missing two games with a minor knee injury and a bad reaction to medication, he’s averaging 18.9 points on 52% shooting, with 2 steals per game, many of them coming in the fourth quarter.
3. Arron Afflalo (9.0 PPG, 1.7 APG, 47.1 FG%, 45.1 3FG%) High level defender who has evolved into a three-point assassin (fifth in the league in 3FG%) while often being left alone on the offensive end. Relentlessly physical, he draws fouls at a high rate (over 5 per 48 minutes), but can afford to, knowing he’s going to split time with JR Smith.
4. Wesley Matthews (8.6 PPG, 1.3 APG, 47.8 FG%, 36.0 3FG%) One of the surprise members of the 09-10 rookie class (undrafted rookie free agent), he is a classic example of a four year college starter who fell through the cracks of the draft, having been passed over for less developed players with more “potential”. Averaging 10.0 points a game as a starter while playing high level defense.
Point Guard
1. Chauncey Billups (21.3 PPG, 6.2 APG, 43.8 FG%, 42.0 3FG%) Credit where credit’s due. Chauncey is a five time All-Star and former Finals MVP who’s having the best season of his career at 33 years old. He’s is a plus defender who is far more likely to make a game changing play late in games than he is to make a mistake, and can hit clutch shots with the best of them. The Nuggets had not advanced past the first round of the playoffs in fifteen years until he led them to the Western Conference Finals last year, his seventh consecutive year of leading a team into the third round of the playoffs, a record among point guards unmatched since the playoffs were expanded to a fourth round, and equaled in recent history only by Magic Johnson, who did it eight times between 1982 and 1989.
More than any other PG you can name, all Chauncey does is win.
2. Deron Williams (18.6 PPG, 10.3 APG, 47.8 FG%, 38.1 3FG%) Chris Paul gets better press, but he doesn’t have the raw physical presence of D-Will, and he’s never taken his team to the Western Conference Finals like Williams did in 2007. Deron is one of the top five passers in the NBA (over 12 assists per game since the All-Star break), who also happens to be a powerhouse at 6’ 3”, 210 pounds, and simply can’t be guarded by smaller guards down low. Just ask Derrick Rose, who he recently dismantled and sent back to the drawing board with 28 points on 11 of 15 shooting and 17 assists.
Maybe the most impressive thing about him is how he’s continued to lead his team through lineup controversies, trade rumors, injuries, and the crushing burden of expectation and comparison left behind by John Stockton.
The only possible knock on him is his defense, which is acceptable, but not great.
3. Jason Kidd (10.1 PPG, 9.4 APG, 42.8 FG%, 42.1 3FG%) The smartest player in the NBA, bar none. Whether it’s drawing a technical foul on Mike Woodson, who absentmindedly wandered out onto the court during a recent Mavs win at Atlanta (not to mention his awe-inspiring 19 point, 17 assist, 16 rebound performance), or transforming himself into one of the NBA’s most lethal three point threats (tenth in 3FG%, third in makes on the season) in order to make up for his declining athleticism, he‘s always four steps ahead of the competition.
At 36 years old, Kidd is somehow playing his best ball in years, is in top five in assists and steals per game, and during the Mavs winning streak, is averaging 13.6 points, 11.2 assists, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.4 steals.
4. Derek Fisher (7.5 PPG, 2.5 APG, 37.9 FG%, 35.6 3FG%) Fish has four times as many NBA championships as the three potential Hall of Famers above him put together, so who cares that choosing between them is like deciding on steak, lobster, venison, or day old Krispy Kreme donuts?
Like Robert Horry in 2006, Fisher might have finally crossed the barrier from fiercely competitive and valuable role player to over the hill veteran. Horry hung around for a couple of more years and picked up a seventh championship ring in 2007, One has to wonder if Fisher isn’t hoping to do the same thing.
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