Author Topic: CBS Sports' Top 25 NBA Players of the 21st Century  (Read 340 times)

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Offline Donoghus

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CBS Sports? Top 25 NBA players of the 21st century:

1. LeBron James
2. Stephen Curry
3. Tim Duncan
4. Nikola Jokic
5. Shaquille O'Neal
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Giannis Antetokounmpo
8. Kevin Durant
9. Kevin Garnett
10. Dirk Nowitzki
11. Dwyane Wade
12. Chris Paul
13. Kawhi Leonard
14. Steve Nash
15. James Harden
16. Luka Doncic
17. Jason Kidd
18. Dwight Howard
19. Anthony Davis
20. Allen Iverson
21.  Tracy McGrady
22. Damian Lillard
23. Jayson Tatum
24. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
25. Russell Westbrook


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Re: CBS Sports' Top 25 NBA Players of the 21st Century
« Reply #1 on: Today at 02:38:51 PM »

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Why is Steph above Duncan and Jokic?

Re: CBS Sports' Top 25 NBA Players of the 21st Century
« Reply #2 on: Today at 02:40:06 PM »

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Shaq is a tough one. He only had 5 years of MVP level player and then a drop-off to All-Star level. Hard to rank him alongside guys who had 10-15 years of high level play in the 21st century.

Re: CBS Sports' Top 25 NBA Players of the 21st Century
« Reply #3 on: Today at 02:41:30 PM »

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I wouldn't have Giannis or Durant ahead of KG & Dirk. Not sure about being ahead of Wade either. Certainly Durant I wouldn't have ahead of Wade.

Re: CBS Sports' Top 25 NBA Players of the 21st Century
« Reply #4 on: Today at 02:44:26 PM »

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The back-end of the list is interesting.

Tatum ahead of Westbrook despite Westbrook winning an MVP and having longevity over Tatum. Even more interesting is Lillard over Westbrook. McGrady over Westbrook.

McGrady vs Tatum would be an interesting debate. Due to injuries, McGrady's years in the league should be comparable to what Tatum has done so far. So good apples to apples comparison. Same position as well.

Re: CBS Sports' Top 25 NBA Players of the 21st Century
« Reply #5 on: Today at 03:19:05 PM »

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1 LeBron
2 Duncan
3 Shaq
4 Jokic

I am happy with that top 4 and in that order.

5 KG
6 Kobe
7 Dirk
8 Steph
9 Wade
10 Giannis
11 Kawhi

I don't know what order to put these guys in but I rate them on the same tier. I am happy with Kawhi in last place due to his injury-shortened career.

I am keeping the same 25 players for simplicity's sake.

12 Durant (best of the rest)

13 Kidd
14 Nash
15 Harden
16 CP3
17 Dwight (short peak)

I am not sure how I would rank these 5 players but I have them in the same tier. I lean towards Dwight at the back end of the tier due to a shorter peak. I am not comfortable with CP3 - regular season warrior playoff pretender throughout his prime years. I lean towards him being behind both Nash and Kidd.

18 SGA (needs more years)
19 Luka (needs more years)
20 Tatum
21 Iverson

Iverson has an MVP and led his team to the Finals. That is more than the guys below him have done. Luka has a Finals and a WCF appearance but no MVP. Tatum has a Championship, Finals appearance and numerous long playoff runs.

SGA has an MVP and a title in the same season. That is why I have SGA top of this tier. The only players that can match that sort of resume are in the top 10. Perhaps SGA should be put alongside them. I don't know. I feel his resume is still a bit light to be put up there. Then again, how different is his resume to Kawhi's resume? Should SGA at least be ahead of Kidd, Nash, CP3, Dwight, Harden?

22 Westbrook
23 AD
24 McGrady
25 Lillard

None of these guys led their teams to much success. Westbrook and AD have good team success as a #2 option.


Update: Yeah, I am putting SGA up to the 2nd tier. I will put him at the bottom of the group behind Kawhi due to his small number of elite seasons thus far. An MVP and a title as best player is too much success to have him that low. So SGA up to 12th.
« Last Edit: Today at 04:54:09 PM by Who »

Re: CBS Sports' Top 25 NBA Players of the 21st Century
« Reply #6 on: Today at 04:35:11 PM »

Offline Roy H.

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Why is Steph above Duncan and Jokic?

With Jokic, I'm sure it's number of titles.

With Duncan, it seems like he's being punished a small bit for starting at the end of the last century, and winning one of his titles them.  Plus, perhaps Steph embodies a more "modern" game, which he is largely responsible for creating.


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Re: CBS Sports' Top 25 NBA Players of the 21st Century
« Reply #7 on: Today at 04:55:48 PM »

Online Moranis

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Durant should absolutely be ahead of Wade. Durant is arguably a top 15 player all time, certainly top 25 all time and ahead of Wade on every single all time list. He is ahead of both Dirk and KG as well on just about every all time list. He is a MVP and has 2 Finals MVP.  5 straight seasons of leading league in total points and currently 8th all time (and if he stays remotely healthy will be 6th at end of this season).  His 1st 12 years before he got hurt were absolutely insane. 

I think you could argue he should be 4th on this list behind only Lebron, Duncan, and Curry (that is the order I'd have those 3) especially given how much of Shaq's career was in the 90's.
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Re: CBS Sports' Top 25 NBA Players of the 21st Century
« Reply #8 on: Today at 04:59:21 PM »

Online Moranis

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To be clear, I wouldn't have Durant ahead of Shaq, Giannis, Kobe, and Jokic either, but i don't think it would be crazy.  I would have him next though ahead of KG, Dirk, etc.
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Re: CBS Sports' Top 25 NBA Players of the 21st Century
« Reply #9 on: Today at 06:14:31 PM »

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I don't think much of those 2 titles Durant won with Steph. Joining a Champ, a 73 win team. They won before Durant. They won after Durant. I don't view him as driving their success. I see him as piggybacking off of it. That is why I have Durant below those other guys.

I also dock Steph some as well. He has 2 good titles and then those 2 BS titles.

That is just me. That is how I view it.