Top 10 SF in the NBA (10-7)

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Same protocol as always. You are welcomed to put yours up as well. Also, I will be heading to Chicago for the next two days, so I won't be able to update the list for a couple of days. But i'll still comment etc.

 

Just missed it:

 

 

Nicolas Batum, SF, Portland Trailblazers

GP: 59 GS: 34 MPG: 30.4

13.9 PPG, .451/.391/.836, 57.5 TS%

4.6 RPG, 1.4 AST, 1.0 BPG

17.30 PER

 

Batum has massive potential, and is an emerging SF in the NBA with a very nice stroke from the 3-point line. He is more of a wing player, and the Trailblazers tried to mold him into a cutter, something he just doesn’t show the tenacity or the will to do consistently. He’s already demonstrated the ability to be a pretty good spot up jump shooter so moving forward, it will be interesting to see how much he improves. The reason he’s ranked outside of the top 10 is due to the fact that the guy ahead of him is because that guy is more capable of creating his own offense, and is a better passer. But Batum is 23 years old, and you expect that with age, and practice he will take that next step offensively and defensively and lead the newer age of SFs.

 

 

10. Danilo Gallinari, SF, Denver Nuggets

GP: 43 GP: 40 MPG: 31

14.6 PPG, .414/.328/.871, 56.3 TS%

4.7 RPG, 2.7 AST, .5 BPG

16.65 PER

 

Danilo Gallinari is another young up and coming player (like Batum), who unlike Batum has been slowed a little by injuries. He’s a guy who by the end of next year could fall off this list completely, or could continue rising due to his inconsistency. Regardless, the reason why he made it in the top 10 is because he has the potential to be a lethal offensive player. He has already developed the knack for getting to the foul line, a lot, and as his TS% shows he is a very efficient shooter. He also is starting to develop a better sense of knowing where his teammates are and getting them the ball when driving into the lane. Gallinari isn’t a physically gifted defender, and he isn’t all that good defensively, but he gets by on being a high hustle guy, and a hard worker. With time and experience you expect him to improve, what we do know is that the Denver Nuggets last year were at their best when he was on the court on the defensive side. Opposing offenses scored an outstanding six less points every 100 possessions with him on the court.

 

9. Gerald Wallace, SF, New Jersey Nets

GP: 16 GS: 16 MPG: 35.8

15.2 PPG, .416/.385/.859, 52.8 TS%

6.8 RPG, 3.1 AST, .7 BPG

15.51 PER

 

Gerald Wallace at 30 is no longer the great athlete when he was younger, putting up rebounds at a pretty amazing rate for a SF. But regardless, he is still one of the most versatile SF in the NBA capable of guarding the 3, the 2, and the 4 on smaller lineups. A very hard-nosed defender capable of giving almost anyone fits because of his grit. A willing and very capable unselfish passer and crafty with the ball coming off the dribble. Wallace is still capable of being a very good number three option on a great team due to his ability to shoot jumpers efficiently when given space to operate; he can play well off the ball, and draw fouls. He still does most of his work on the defensive side of the ball even at this point, but he is the type of player that makes any team better upon addition.

 

8. Danny Granger, SF, Indiana Pacers

GP: 62 GS: 62 MPG: 33.2

18.7 PPG, .416/.381/.873, 54.2 TS%

5.0 RPG, 1.8 AST, .6 BPG

18.66 PER

 

Granger is one of the few true scorers on the Pacers team, and is a player that has to score if the team wants to win. He knows how to use his frame to cause a hassle for the opposing defender which allows him to get to the line often. He also is capable of hitting the three when left open, and though he’s more of a streaky shooter. When Granger is on he is capable of scoring his points both inside and outside. His shot selection has always been spotty, and it probably will never change, he often settles too much for long two pointers and jumpers when there are better shots available. His numbers are also steadily regressing offensively, which is another reason why he’s on the wrong side of the top 5. Defensively he isn’t great, but he is a very good on ball defender capable of causing difficult shots due to his size, and grit. He isn’t anything special on defense though, and he isn’t the type to make the biggest amount of impact.

 

7. Luol Deng, SF, Chicago Bulls

GP: 54 GS: 54 MPG: 39.5

15.3 PPG, .412/.369/.770, 50.1 TS%

6.5 RPG, 2.9 AST, .7 BPG

14.16 PER

 

Deng is one of those defensive players that the PER system does not favor because it doesn’t take much defense in the equation. Deng is a jack of all trades, master of none on both offense and defense, versatile two way player. Defensively he just brings everything you could hope from an individual, from the will to defend, chasing guys off screens, closing out on shooters, chasing the pick and roll, and even defend the post against bigger guys. Offensively, like aforementioned, he isn’t an expert in any one part of his game but he is good enough on offense to be an asset as a starter. He can shoot from anywhere on the court at least average to above average, which allows for him to stretch the court for his teammates.

[Milla4Prez63 678]

I was scrolling down and was beginning to see Hedo's face and thought "Oh no he didn't" lol.

[BwareDWare94 723]

Luol Deng is not better than Danny Granger, man.

[RazorStar 4,025]

Lol Dung

[housemd 338]

My 10-7:

 

10. Danilo Gallinari

9. Gerald Wallace

8. Luol Deng

7. Rudy Gay

 

I'm curious why you put Deng ahead of Granger..

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

My 10-7:

 

10. Danilo Gallinari

9. Gerald Wallace

8. Luol Deng

7. Rudy Gay

 

I'm curious why you put Deng ahead of Granger..

I'm just not as high on him as other people. Id take Deng over him any day. Deng is a much better defender, a better distributor, rebounds at a higher rate. Granger can also be a black hole at times. Granger scores better, but not so much that I'd consider him a better player. My opinion at least (although the numbers do speak for themselves).

[BwareDWare94 723]

I'm just not as high on him as other people. Id take Deng over him any day. Deng is a much better defender, a better distributor, rebounds at a higher rate. Granger can also be a black hole at times. Granger scores better, but not so much that I'd consider him a better player. My opinion at least (although the numbers do speak for themselves).

 

I find Granger to be a pretty good defender when he has to be, but he's not a player who's going to try as hard against lesser one-on-one opponents.

[housemd 338]

I'm just not as high on him as other people. Id take Deng over him any day. Deng is a much better defender, a better distributor, rebounds at a higher rate. Granger can also be a black hole at times. Granger scores better, but not so much that I'd consider him a better player. My opinion at least (although the numbers do speak for themselves).

I think Granger is as good as a defender which he's shown doing a decent job guarding LeBron in the playoffs plus the guy has an enormous impact on the Pacers' team..

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

I find Granger to be a pretty good defender when he has to be, but he's not a player who's going to try as hard against lesser one-on-one opponents.

the same can be said about a pretty large group if players... Melo could easily be an MVP candidate if he cared more on defense, we see him destroy passing lanes at times with his defense.

 

But he doesn't do it enough in my eyes to where it can be a discussion.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

I think Granger is as good as a defender which he's shown doing a decent job guarding LeBron in the playoffs plus the guy has an enormous impact on the Pacers' team..

 

No doubt he did a pretty decent job of defending James for like 2 games in that series, but idk if that's enough for me to say they are on the same level...

 

Deng played almost 40 minutes a game on the best defensive team in the NBA. Most of that was due to what he brings to the game on defense. From leadership, to hustle, to individual and team defense, he brings a lot.

 

For me Deng is just the more complete player, and Granger doesn't score enough to really separate himself. Plus, Idk if Granger is even all that much of a reliable consistent scorer anymore. I agree that his impact is huge, but sometimes that can be overated at times.

[BwareDWare94 723]

the same can be said about a pretty large group if players... Melo could easily be an MVP candidate if he cared more on defense, we see him destroy passing lanes at times with his defense.

 

But he doesn't do it enough in my eyes to where it can be a discussion.

 

Truth be told, I don't even consider Melo a Superstar simply because of how uninterested he is in defense about 90% of the time. Legitimate Superstars dominate both sides of the ball. He is an elite scorer, but to me he's nothing more than a flashy player who can hit a game winner here and score 25-30 points. He is not good enough at anything else.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Alright yo, I'm back. lol.

 

6. Rudy Gay, SF, Memphis Grizzlies

GP: 65 GS: 65 MPG: 37.3

19.0, .455/.312/.791, 52.1 TS%

6.4 RPG, 2.3 AST, .8 BPG

17.83 PER

 

A rising star in the NBA, Gay is a player who is constantly improving, and last year continued his mini breakout. A creative finisher around the basket, Gay at his best is a threat to score from almost anywhere, and has an elite 10-15 foot fadeaway. He has developed a decent knack for being able to pass out of the halfcourt, and his rebounding is the area that has consistently gone up. Defensively he isn’t great by any means, but is a pretty good perimeter defender. He is Memphis’ biggest scoring threat, and he has hit a few clutch shots already.

 

The reason Gay makes it all the way up at #6 is because he's a special player with immense talent, and a complete scoring repertoire that is only possessed by a few players in the NBA. He has a lot of athleticism and you can see it every time he plays. But you have to take the good with the bad, Gay played worse this past season then he did the previous (almost a 9% dropoff in 3 point shooting), his basketball IQ, shot selection, mentality, and sometimes overconfidence hinders him, and could cause him to fall down the list. And while he has all the physical tools to be elite, he just doesn’t use them as he should, and often pulls up for jumpers. I’m not so high on Gay, and I honestly believe Deng to be the better player, but it’s the potential that Gay continued to show in the playoffs that has him ahead.

 

5. Andre Iguodala, SF, Denver Nuggers

GP: 62, GS: 62. MPG: 35.6

12.4 PPG, .453/.394/.617, 53.6 TS%

6.1 RPG, 5.5 AST, .5 BPG

17.64 PER

 

Offensively Andre plays more of a “point forward” position, averaging 5.5 assists, and assisting at a very high rate. Unfortunately, he can also turn the ball over often, but that is more due to his ball handling skills. Outside of that he is a very versatile offensive player, who isn’t exactly a master at any one aspect scoring wise outside of finishing at the rim. He isn’t a go to scorer, and he definitely isn’t the guy you want being your first, or sometimes even second option scoring. Lebron James in the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks offensively was the carbon copy of Andre offensively on a nightly basis, and that isn’t a good thing.

 

Defense is what gets Andre in the top 5, and it’s a part of his game that can be the best in the NBA at times. His on ball defense as well as his off ball defense are absolutely elite and are almost tied head to head to that of Lebon’s. He can guard any wing player, and has a knack sometimes for making the opposing player’s job offensively very difficult. In 2010-2011, his defense on the court was reminiscent of Revis in football, in that when he played up on some of the best offensively players, they would struggle to score and would turn the ball over often. Andre has the tools to be a great defender, and was the biggest reason for the success of Philly's defense outside of the coachign staff. Unfortunately, because his offensive production is so far behind he will never be a superstar, but I would take his defensive prowess and limited scoring over a lot of players in the NBA.

 

4. Paul Pierce, SF, Boston Celtics

GP: 61, GS: 61, 34.0 MPG

19.4 PPG, .443/.366/.852, 56.7 TS%

5.2 RPG, 4.5 AST, .4 BPG

19.78 PER

 

Arguably the Boston Celtic’s best two-way player, Pierce just misses the top 3. He is no longer the iso player he used to be, but Pierce has managed to do something that as a superstar, you should try to develop so that you don’t become less effective with age, the very deadly jumpshot. He is truly capable of hitting it from anywhere on the court, and on a team with inconsistent offensive players in Garnett, and Rondo, Pierce’s offensive is truly valuable. His efficiency is starting to decline, but he can still score. Pierce is also a very good passer, and a solid rebounder.

 

Defensively Pierce has become a very capable defender, especially in iso situations and one on one. What gets him here is the fact that his game is complete, even at his age. This past season compared to the one before that wasn’t his best, his field goal percentage, true shooting percentage, and three point percentages all dipped, as well as his defensive impact per possessions. But regardless, I’m not ready to drop him down any further until he truly starts regressing, or the younger guys get better.

[BwareDWare94 723]

I'm not a fan of Rudy Gay, either. He destroys so many possessions with bad shots or dumbass passes leading to turnovers. I'm not sure he's smart enough to meet his potential, and a lot of Memphis' players are like that. Take Marc Gasol, for example, who often keeps the ball down low before rising up for his shot in the post. So many turnovers because of poor basketball IQ.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

I'm not a fan of Rudy Gay, either. He destroys so many possessions with bad shots or dumbass passes leading to turnovers. I'm not sure he's smart enough to meet his potential, and a lot of Memphis' players are like that. Take Marc Gasol, for example, who often keeps the ball down low before rising up for his shot in the post. So many turnovers because of poor basketball IQ.

 

Really? I thought you were a fan of his. Lol.

 

I think it will be interesting to see how much freedom he gets to play this season after last post season.

[BwareDWare94 723]

Really? I thought you were a fan of his. Lol.

 

I think it will be interesting to see how much freedom he gets to play this season after last post season.

 

It's Mike Conley who needs freedom. If any Grizzly had a coming out party, it was him. Rudy Gay...I dunno, man. I just can't help but wonder if the presence of Shane Battier would have kept his bad shot selection in check. That's what this Memphis team lacks. A true leader. Now, I understand that Shane's no star, but I think that Memphis team plays OKC in the WCF if they'd have had a true leader who wouldn't let them underachieve.

[housemd 338]

My 6-4:

 

6. Danny Granger

5. Andre Iguodala

4. Paul Pierce

 

I told you our lists would be similar..

[56AceInDaPlace 110]

Obvious final three ,Melo, KD ,LBJ.

[housemd 338]

Since it's pretty obvious,my top 3 are:

 

3. Carmelo Anthony

2. Kevin Durant

1. LeBron James

[AL_Royalty 489]

I think Granger is as good as a defender which he's shown doing a decent job guarding LeBron in the playoffs plus the guy has an enormous impact on the Pacers' team..

Where was that impact on the offensive end in the playoffs? I used to really like the guy, but after his disappearing act at the end of last season, he took a BIG step back, to me anyway. He plays tough, but he showed that he's just not on the level that everyone thought he was.

[housemd 338]

Where was that impact on the offensive end in the playoffs? I used to really like the guy, but after his disappearing act at the end of last season, he took a BIG step back, to me anyway. He plays tough, but he showed that he's just not on the level that everyone thought he was.

Yeah,I know he choked in the playoffs and wasn't on the same level he used to be but let's not forget that the Pacers were #3 seed and I'm pretty sure that was because Granger leaded this team in a very good way and you could easily tell that his impact was huge..

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Where was that impact on the offensive end in the playoffs? I used to really like the guy, but after his disappearing act at the end of last season, he took a BIG step back, to me anyway. He plays tough, but he showed that he's just not on the level that everyone thought he was.

 

I think a large part of it had to do with the fact that he was guarding Lebron, or at lest attempting to. Plus, he did play through some injuries (I think). But I've already said that I don't believe he's on the level some believe him to be.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Anyways, we already know who the last three are, but I felt like going ahead and doing write-ups cause I love to do them and I'm bored at work... We'll start shooting guard tomorrow or something. lol.

 

3. Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks

GP: 55, GS: 55, MPG: 34.1

22.6 PPG, .430/.335/.804, 52% TS

6.3 RPG, 3.6 AST, .4 BPG

21.18 PER

 

Melo, due to his injury riddled past seasons has become a less popular “superstar” and some of his stats have taken a dip. But regardless, when healthy, he has probably the biggest and best offensive repertoire of any player in the NBA. He can score from so many different places in so many ways, and is versatile enough on offense to play a variety of positions, from SG, to PF. He does so with very little need for athleticism, which is a good indicator that unless his entire career gets decimated by injuries, he should be able to sustain his scoring prowess for a long time. Another area, outside of his scoring where he can be very dominant in is his rebounding. When needed, Anthony is very capable of grabbing rebounds at a very high rate, especially his offensively.

 

The obvious area of his game which Is a weakness, and holding him back from being in the same level as Lebron, KD, Wade, is his defensive effort. There is no doubt that Anthony has the potential to be a very good defender, but he just doesn’t put forth the effort. Defense is half of the game, and Anthony is nonexistent most of the time there, so it holds him back, and out of being a top 10 player. He tends to take a lot of shots, but he can actually be very efficient, and while sometimes, the triple jab step attempts to just launch off a random shot isn’t the best answer, it doesn’t hinder his team’s offense as much as one would believe.

 

2. Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder

GP: 66, GS: 66, 38.6 MPG

28.0 PPG, .496/.387/.860, 61.0 TS%

7.4 RPG, 3.5 AST, 1.2 BPG

26.39 PER

 

Kevin Durant is an offensive force, with a lot of room to grow. He is already the best shooter in the NBA, can score from virtually anywhere on the court, and at any point. Along with having a consistently deadly jumper, his 6’10” frame makes it close to impossible to stop, he forces a ton of fouls. Unlike a lot of scorers in the league though, Durant does it with, out of this world efficiency that matches/surpasses Dirk’s best seasons. When Durant runs around screens or posts up, the defense bends in his direction, creating driving lanes and space for cutters like James Harden to shift into open space for a scoring chance, and obviously Westbrook. His rebounding and assists have also consistently gone up, Durant is already on pace to be a top 15-20 player in NBA history.

 

Defensively he isn’t a top flight wing defender, but for obvious reasons he can be very good in iso situations. Offensively the only real area where KD needs to truly develop is a post-game, although he probably won’t be very reliant of what. Also, turning down on the turnovers, and improving his assist ratio could help him moving forward. His defensive instincts as well as team defense could use some work, his team played better defensively per 100 possessions while he was on the bench, and you could see from watching the series with the Heat. But as it stands right now, KD is already on track to be one of, if not the best player for the next 10+ years.

 

1.Lebron James, SF, Miami Heat

GP: 62, GS; 62, 37.5 MPG

27.1, .531/.362/.771, 60.5 TS%

7.9 RPG, 6.2 AST, .8 BPG

31.00 PER

 

This should come to a surprise to no one, Lebron James is the best player in the NBA, and he has been for a long time now. In the offseason before this past season, LBJ took some time off to work on his post-game to make up for his lack of consistent outside shot, and not being able to drive on everyone. And its cleared that it made a huge difference. Lebron James cut down on the three pointers (albeit he still takes one too many after a while) and picked up a very good post repertoire that improved with every game, and made the difference this year in the playoffs when teams tried to take away his cutting options. He’s a triple double threat every time he sets foot on the court.

 

Defensively James does get overrated at times, he is a great defender no doubt, capable of handling almost any position in the NBA. He’s the best player in the NBA, and after the season he just had, you could make the argument he’s the best by a very good margin.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

Durant is only ever on the bench when both team's benches are on the floor or when they're completely dominating the other by the second half, which skews that statistic. Durant is a much better defender than you ever give him credit for.

 

Nice job on these lists, though. Very fun to read.