All-Decade Teams: Best NBA players of the 2010s

[Jvalin]

nba.com released its all-decade teams

(...) we've selected our own All-Decade team. Fifteen players were chosen by a panel of NBA.com and NBA TV producers and analysts. The players were split into three teams consisting of two backcourt players and three frontcourt players.

https://www.nba.com/all-decade-team-best-players-2010s









What do you guys think?

First thing that caught my eye: I don't like the fact that there is no legit big man in the first team, but maybe that's just me.

[18isGREATERthan72]

Lamarcus Aldridge seems random in comparison to the others.  I'd even put Horford ahead of him... I mean, Horford has been on a lot of winning teams in the past 10 years.

[slamtheking]

not much to disagree with for their lists.  I agree with you that the first team really is devoid of a real big man but out of those 3 teams, the only real 'big' is AD.   the one player I'd probably swap out is Kobe.  would look at who else played that decade that isn't listed but Kobe's best years were in the prior decade.

[Who]

No Klay Thompson.

No Draymond Green.

[Who]

How'd Carmelo get in?

He only had a couple of years. Fell apart his last few years in NYC and didn't impact winning then ... even before OKC and Houston.

[apc]

Carmelo? maybe in the previous decade.

[Who]

What do you guys think?

First thing that caught my eye: I don't like the fact that there is no legit big man in the first team, but maybe that's just me.

Yeah, that ticked me off too.

[Who]

Kobe shouldn't be there either. 3 years of strong play then terrible thereafter.

Also not sold on Wade. He started declining a two years into the decade.

[Who]

Is 3 years enough to get Giannis in?

1 MVP caliber year.
2 All-Star years.

[Moranis]

Kobe seems strange to me.  He only had 4 All NBA team appearances, had a season of just 6 games, and didn't play at all the last 3 of the decade.  I'd have probably put Lillard over him. 

Leonard on the 1st team also seems weird given he has only had 3 all star appearance and 3 all nba teams, though I have less issue with that as I'm not sure who I'd move ahead of him (none of the 3 front court players on the 2nd team are clearly more deserving). 

I'd probably also have Westbrook over Harden on the 1st team, given he did it for longer and it isn't like Harden has the team success that Westbrook doesn't (or the awards). 

[Who]

Lamarcus Aldridge seems random in comparison to the others.  I'd even put Horford ahead of him... I mean, Horford has been on a lot of winning teams in the past 10 years.

Yeah, I'd put Horford in there. Maybe Marc Gasol too.

[bdm860]

How'd Carmelo get in?

He only had a couple of years. Fell apart his last few years in NYC and didn't impact winning then ... even before OKC and Houston.

Getting the Knicks their only playoff series win in the last 20 years is a feat in and of itself, worthy of the highest honors.   


Seriously though, I'm okay with Kobe and Carmelo if we're looking at their accomplishments for the decade (apparently weighing heavily on All-Star games though, which I know is really fluff).

Carmelo '10-'19 only:
8x All-Star
2x 2nd team All-NBA
1x 3rd team All-NBA
1x scoring champ

Kobe '10-'19 only:
1x champ
1x Finals MVP
1x All-Star MVP
7x All-Star
4x 1st Team All-NBA
2x 1st Team All-Defense
1x 2nd Team All-Defense

Does anybody not on the team have that collection of awards?  Maybe Duncan or Dirk over Carmelo? Those rings certainly help.

[gouki88]

I wonder how different they'd look if Rose never got hurt

[slamtheking]

How'd Carmelo get in?

He only had a couple of years. Fell apart his last few years in NYC and didn't impact winning then ... even before OKC and Houston.

Getting the Knicks their only playoff series win in the last 20 years is a feat in and of itself, worthy of the highest honors.   


Seriously though, I'm okay with Kobe and Carmelo if we're looking at their accomplishments for the decade (apparently weighing heavily on All-Star games though, which I know is really fluff).

Carmelo '10-'19 only:
8x All-Star
2x 2nd team All-NBA
1x 3rd team All-NBA
1x scoring champ

Kobe '10-'19 only:
1x champ
1x Finals MVP
1x All-Star MVP
7x All-Star
4x 1st Team All-NBA
2x 1st Team All-Defense
1x 2nd Team All-Defense

Does anybody not on the team have that collection of awards?  Maybe Duncan or Dirk over Carmelo? Those rings certainly help.

Duncan and Dirk slipped my mind.  I'd put them on the lists in favor of Kobe and Melo

[Moranis]

Lamarcus Aldridge seems random in comparison to the others.  I'd even put Horford ahead of him... I mean, Horford has been on a lot of winning teams in the past 10 years.

Yeah, I'd put Horford in there. Maybe Marc Gasol too.

Aldridge is 6th in the decade in points scored and had more starts than any other front court player (according to the write-up).  He had 7 all star appearances and 5 All NBA Teams.  It wasn't in the article but he also had 3 top 10 MVP finishes.  For the decade he averaged 20.8 ppg.  Al Horford has never averaged more than 18.6 in any given season.  Horford has 1 All NBA Team (also has 1 defensive team) and 5 all star games (and has never received a MVP vote).  Gasol has the DPOY, but other than that is a significantly worse candidate than Aldridge. 

This just strikes me more as forgetting just how good Aldridge has been than anything else.  I guess that happens spending your career in Portland and San Antonio.