Non-bigs-
1. LeBron James- His power, all round skills, and big time leadership make him the best.
2. Kobe Bryant- Everything you could want in a wingman.
3. Dwyane Wade- Lacked only shooting range but could do everything else.
4. Kawhi Leonard- Another all around star.
5. Kevin Durant- Could score every way imaginable.
6. Stephen Curry- A nightmare to guard. All out motion combined with wizard-like handle and 30 foot range.
7. Jason Kidd- Had the all round game of MJ with the anticipation skills of Larry Bird.
8. Paul Pierce- The most underrated superstar of his generation.
9. Steve Nash- A mini Larry Bird. Always made his teammates play better than they actually were.
10. Ray Allen- A genius on the court. Clutch shooter supreme.
11. Chauncey Billups- Raised the level of play of his teammates. Versatile and reliable in the clutch.
12. Chris Paul- With the ball in his hands he is an all timer.
13. James Harden- Powerful and skilled warrior on offense.
14. Manu Ginobli- His lefty slants were unstoppable and his courage left us all in awe.
15. Klay Thompson- A rare two way wingman.
16. Tony Parker- A jet-setter who gradually matured into a fine point guard.
17. Giannis Antetokounmpo- Freakishly gifted with some holes in his game. Seems willing to improve weaknesses.
18. Shawn Marion- A jack of all trades. Could defend across multiple positions at the highest level.
19. Brandon Roy- He was brilliant. He could take over a game on offense while rarely forcing a shot or pass.
Bigs-
1. Tim Duncan- In the clutch he could always be counted on to get a score, stop, or rebound.
2. Dirk Nowitzki- His high release jumpers were unstoppable.
3. Pau Gasol- His versatility and smarts were key to two Laker titles.
4. Anthony Davis- Fundamental brilliance.
5. Yao Ming- Highly intelligent and skilled giant.
6. Kevin Garnett- His trademarks were defensive intensity and creative jump shooting.
Top five coaches-
1. Greg Popovich- Focused on defense. His in game adjustments were likely worth five points every game.
2. Steve Kerr- Put motion into Golden State's offense and deftly managed egos.
3. Rick Carlisle- Ideal bench side demeanor.
4. Erick Spoelstra- Another great Xs and Os guy and has shown he can manage the big egos.
5. Jerry Sloan- Highly competitive and very stubborn. Teams were always very disciplined.
Top five teams:
1. 96-97 Bulls- Among the best defensive teams ever. Hard team to run on due to elite transition defense. The triangle was run to near perfection and MJ was there to save them if it failed to generate a good look.
2. 97-98 Bulls- Still a great team for the above reasons. Rodman was slightly less effective on defense and the boards though.
3. 00-01 Lakers- Had the two best players in the league. The role players were reliable and the triangle maximized everyone's skills.
4. 99-00 Lakers- I rate them slightly behind the 01 team because Kobe was a bit more untamed here. Glen Rice jammed up the triangle too much and couldn't guard anyone. This team did not have Horace Grant's positive play on it.
5. 02-03 Spurs- They played precision defense and shared the ball on offense. Duncan and Malik Rose were a powerful inside duo and Bruce Bowen locked up the wing scorers.