BJORN 679 Posted July 31, 2014 (edited) Chernobyl, in all honesty my post was some what directed at DMac's list as he has Butler over Beal which I strongly disagree with. You obviously have Beal over Butler on your list but I can't agree with him being the best. lol Edited July 31, 2014 by BJORN Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ATL_Predator+ 1,196 Posted July 31, 2014 Chernobyl, in all honesty my post was some what directed at DMac's list as he has Butler over Beal which I strongly disagree with. You obviously have Beal over Butler on your list but I can't agree with him being the best. lol Not just a little bit of bias there? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241 Posted July 31, 2014 3. Dwyane Wade 19.0 PPG/ 4.5 TRB/ 4.7 AST/ 3.0 TOs 22.0 PER/ 59% TS/ 55% eFG Why he’s in the top 3: DWade decided to disown the three point line, which has helped him become one of the most efficient players in the league. His entire offense now consists of mid-range jumpers, and cutting it inside where he’s always excelled at scoring. There aren’t many players in the NBA who can move around without the ball like Wade can, especially when it comes to finding lanes to cut through. Defenses spend a lot of time trying to prevent him from running around as much as he does to get open looks to the basket, that’s a huge asset. He is also an elite passer as far as guards are concerned. He always knows where his teammates are and how to get them the ball. When it comes to on ball defense, even with his age, he still manages to do a great job. Why he isn’t higher: We saw the other side of the coin in the finals at times. DWade is in the decline, that still makes him better than a vast majority of players, but you wonder how much his health hurts him. Most of the issues with Wade outside of health and age is just about his demeanor, and how despite the fact he can do better, he tends to coast until his team needs him to step up. When he wants to, Wade is an elite defender, but those moments are becoming scarcer. 2. Goran Dragic 20.3 PPG/ 3.2 TRB/ 5.9 AST/ 2.8 TOs 21.4 PER/ 60% TS/ 56% eFG Why he’s in the top 3: May shock some people, but Dragic deserve every bit of praise, and then some. His efficiency is the kind that you only talk about when discussing the elite players in the league. Perimeter players who score 20+ points on 50% field goal are considered elite, and he does that. He gets his through transition offense, and operating the pick and roll in half court sets. He has improved as a jump shooter to the point now where he can come off screens and take/make jumpers. He’s improved his 3 pointer by almost 10%, in fact from two years ago, he’s improved his shooting from everywhere on the court. Hitting over 55% from the left corner on the 3, 55% from the middle beyond the 3 point line, and making over 65% of his shots from the inside despite his size. The Suns scored over 10 points more per 100 possessions with him on the court then off of it, that’s MVP worthy. And speaks volumes to not only his abilities as a scorer, but also as a passer. Both him and Harden are great passers, but of the shooting guards who started last year, only Stephenson had a higher assist rate, and he doesn’t turn the ball over as much as Harden despite having worse talent around him. Where he flops: I’ll come right out and say it, this is a bit of a knee jerk reaction from one season of great play. Dragic has always been a good player, fringe top 10 guy regardless of whether he played PG or SG. The chances that he’s back on top after next year are pretty slim. But this past season he took it up to another level. The question does come as to whether or not, this Dragic is here to stay, or if this was a fluky season. If this Dragic is here to stay, then the rest of the league is in trouble because he’s still just 28 years old. Defense is another area where there are question marks with Dragic. He isn’t awful, or a liability, but it isn’t an area worth writing home about. 1. James Harden 25.4 PPG/ 4.7 TRB/ 6.1 AST/ 3.6 TOs 23.5 PER/ 62% TS/ 53% eFG Why he’s the best: Harden is the textbook of efficiency in today’s NBA because of his game. DWade has become more efficient by cutting out the 3 from his game, Harden has kept his efficiency up by shooting threes and driving to the lane to draw fouls and get easy buckets. Hate on him for the flopping and exaggerating contact all you want, but it works, and teams fear him because of it. Averaging 25 points on almost 62% TS is incredible, and that’s mostly because of his godly .55 free throw rate. The Rockets are averaging almost 8 less points per 100 possessions when he’s not in the game. And if his three point shot and abilities to take it to the rim isn't enough, he’s an elite distributor. There aren't many more dangerous offensive players in the league then Harden. I’d argue that he’s more dangerous offensively then just about everyone in the league outside of Lebron, CP3 and KD. Despite his defense, and rarely inconsistent offense, his impact can’t be ignored. Where he flops: Both biggest areas are pretty obvious. It’s pretty hard for a guard to become an internet sensation because of his defense, but Harden has done it. He is a liability on that side of the ball, and there are over 70 SGs with a higher defensive value. Granted Harden’s problems on defense are more a result of not trying then they are physical limitations (like a Curry). He sleeps on defense, but we saw him in OKC play pretty good defense many times (against Kobe in the playoffs). Along with his defense, there is the issue that his game relies heavily on something that’s out of his control, and that’s getting foul calls. He’s great at picking up and selling contact, but should that fail, like it has in the playoffs on many occasions, you have a dark hole who loses interest in everything that doesn't include scoring. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ATL_Predator+ 1,196 Posted July 31, 2014 I take back everything positive that I have said in this thread....you disappoint me Joel... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cherry 1,302 Posted July 31, 2014 I had Dragic as a PG so Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241 Posted July 31, 2014 I had Dragic as a PG so He's a combo guard, but he's spent more time as a PG in the past. This past year he played almost exclusively as a SG, so I just stuffed him with them. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BJORN 679 Posted August 2, 2014 Not just a little bit of bias there? Ok after some thought, I don't strongly disagree. But I think Beal is the better overall player and it showed in the playoffs as he got the better of the head to head quite clearly. Same deal with Stephenson. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
