Dwyer: 10 best NBA players of the decade

[Cman]

Here: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/The-10-best-NBA-players-of-the-last-decade;_ylt=AnT7W36ZnVfHTkeNnK1tjnI5nYcB?urn=nba,194287

The cliff notes:
1. Tim Duncan
2. KG
3. Kobe
4. Nowitzki
5. LeBron
6. Shaq
7. Jason Kidd
8. DWade
9. TMac
10. Allen Iverson

I'd say the one name on that list that really bugs me is TMac.  I really feel that you need to factor in the injuries -- you can't say he is a great player, when he plays, and then not count all the times he doesn't play because he is injured.  Not that TMac doesn't deserve to be in the conversation, but very good arguments could be made to put the following players ahead of TMac: Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Tony Parker.  In fact, a few of those names should be before Jason Kidd as well.  I am fine with the other names on the list.

[wdleehi]

I'm sorry but,


SHAQ 6th!!!!


4 rings.  6 finals appearances.  Most physical dominant figure.


He and Duncan are the clear 1, 2.  It is fun to argue which one is 1. 

[KungPoweChicken]

If is best players of the decade, why are they including James and Wade. Those guys haven't even played ten years yet. They should have to pick their fruit before they eat it, just like everyone else.


I'd, personally, rank them like this:

Duncan
Shaq
Kobe
Garnett
Iverson
Nowitzki
Kidd
Pierce
Allen
Nash

[Bahku]

I'm sorry but,


SHAQ 6th!!!!


4 rings.  6 finals appearances.  Most physical dominant figure.


He and Duncan are the clear 1, 2.  It is fun to argue which one is 1. 

I agree ... Shaq at 6th is a blatant travesty! And T-Mac?!? Come on!

[jambr380]

How does Nash not make the list? I know that his two MVPs are controvertial, but still, he had TWO MVPs- that is 1/5th of a decade. Outside of that, he has been an excellent player. You are right, TMAC is the obvious guy to drop out of the top 10.

[KCattheStripe]

Keeping the Big Aristotle out side the top 5 is just silly.

[CelticG1]

I'm sorry but,


SHAQ 6th!!!!


4 rings.  6 finals appearances.  Most physical dominant figure.


He and Duncan are the clear 1, 2.  It is fun to argue which one is 1. 

I agree ... Shaq at 6th is a blatant travesty! And T-Mac?!? Come on!

I actually think Shaq's number is about right here. It's the past decade and for the second half of this decade Shaq certainly hasn't been a top 10 player. For parts of the decade he was certainly the best player in the league but if you are talking about the past 10 years and productivity over that 10 years Shaq seems to be rated just about right here to me. Obvisouly if it was the decade from '95 to '05 he would certainly be rated at number 1 without question. Thats why guys like Duncan, KG, and Kobe top this list. I feel like for the past 10 years these guys have been consistently in an elite group. I think thats how this list should be based. It should be the elite players within this past decade who have maximized their value the most throughout those years. Basically some of these top guys (like KG) may have missed minimal time over this past decade but other than that has pretty much performed at an all time level. I don't think you can say that about Shaq for the second half of this decade at all. Obviously I don't think someone like TMac should be on the list whatsoever. Pierce has performed close to TMacs best season's but has been doing it the entire decade. Guys like lebron are rated about right i think because they haven't been here the whole decade as well, they could be ranked higher (as in 8,9, 10 or off the list) and i wouldn't really have a problem. I certainly could see how Nash could maybe be rated ahead of them, as well as some others.

I think these lists have been pretty good/interesting so far. Obviously I've disagreed with many picks, mostly when the celtics are not ranked at number one. But on a serious note i think these top 3 are pretty dead on

[xmuscularghandix]

Shaq should be higher, TMAC shouldn't be there at all, and Kidd could be higher as well.

[kozlodoev]

As I noted in another post, KD seems to be a bit bipolar: he ranks Pierce ahead of T-Mac on the Top 10 SFs list, but seems to do it the other way round on the Top 10 Players list.

I guess Yahoo just commissioned him to beget a pile of filler before the games start. But luckily we won't have to go through t his anymore -- preseason is under way.

[GKC]

As I noted in another post, KD seems to be a bit bipolar: he ranks Pierce ahead of T-Mac on the Top 10 SFs list, but seems to do it the other way round on the Top 10 Players list.

I guess Yahoo just commissioned him to beget a pile of filler before the games start. But luckily we won't have to go through t his anymore -- preseason is under way.

People need to read entire articles and pay attention in chats before flaming. He did say that Nash, CP3 and Paul Pierce were all in contention to take any of the 8-10 spots, and it was just difficult to choose (he rounds out the rest of the top players with Gasol, Ray, Elton Brand and Yao).

He said the hardest was excluding Pierce.

And for Pierce above Tmac for SF, but Tmac making the top 10 over Pierce, was due to the fact that Tmac played SG a lot of his career as well, and did not include Tmac playing SF in the top SF's list.

I for one agree with most of the list. It's hard to put Shaq up there when you realise how ineffective he was from 04 onwards. I mean, in the 04 finals, he was dominated by Ben Wallace...EVEN OFFENSIVELY (I personally thought Ben should have gotten the finals MVP over Chauncey)!

I like KD, and he gets too much crap just for writing his opinion (especially from the Kobe fanboys)

[CelticG1]

As I noted in another post, KD seems to be a bit bipolar: he ranks Pierce ahead of T-Mac on the Top 10 SFs list, but seems to do it the other way round on the Top 10 Players list.

I guess Yahoo just commissioned him to beget a pile of filler before the games start. But luckily we won't have to go through t his anymore -- preseason is under way.

People need to read entire articles and pay attention in chats before flaming. He did say that Nash, CP3 and Paul Pierce were all in contention to take any of the 8-10 spots, and it was just difficult to choose (he rounds out the rest of the top players with Gasol, Ray, Elton Brand and Yao).

He said the hardest was excluding Pierce.

And for Pierce above Tmac for SF, but Tmac making the top 10 over Pierce, was due to the fact that Tmac played SG a lot of his career as well, and did not include Tmac playing SF in the top SF's list.

I for one agree with most of the list. It's hard to put Shaq up there when you realise how ineffective he was from 04 onwards. I mean, in the 04 finals, he was dominated by Ben Wallace...EVEN OFFENSIVELY (I personally thought Ben should have gotten the finals MVP over Chauncey)!

I like KD, and he gets too much crap just for writing his opinion (especially from the Kobe fanboys)

I agree with most of what you are saying except im confused with your Tmac comment. Pierce was rated higher (ahead of TMac) on the small forward list and Tmac wasn't rated at all on the SG list. So KD is either saying that Tmac isn't a top 10 SG of the past decade or that he played more small forward/was a better small forward than SG. So i don't really see how that would give Tmac a better ranking. Also pierce has played SG for part of this decade as well putting up strong numbers.

[kozlodoev]

People need to read entire articles and pay attention in chats before flaming.

Believe it or not, I read the articles quite carefully: this is not clarified in the neither of the top 10 players, top 10 SFs or top 10 SGs article. You'd excuse me, but I can't be bothered to sift through hours of incoherent ramblings by random people who seem to be allergic to proper spelling and grammar just to watch KD's attempts to clean up after himself.

Pierce played a lot of SG himself. He might have been better at this position than McGrady ever was. So yeah, this still doesn't make any sense. Sorry.

[Roy Hobbs]

If is best players of the decade, why are they including James and Wade. Those guys haven't even played ten years yet. They should have to pick their fruit before they eat it, just like everyone else.


I'd, personally, rank them like this:

Duncan
Shaq
Kobe
Garnett
Iverson
Nowitzki
Kidd
Pierce
Allen
Nash

I basically agree with this list.  I'm not sure Ray belongs on the list, but given the criteria, it's hard to pick somebody who clearly jumps over him.  (For instance, I'd say Chris Webber, but he didn't play the entire decade).

I think I'd still put Lebron on the list, though.  Yes, he's only played part of the decade, but he's been the most dominant player in the NBA for most of that time.

[CelticG1]

If is best players of the decade, why are they including James and Wade. Those guys haven't even played ten years yet. They should have to pick their fruit before they eat it, just like everyone else.


I'd, personally, rank them like this:

Duncan
Shaq
Kobe
Garnett
Iverson
Nowitzki
Kidd
Pierce
Allen
Nash

I basically agree with this list.  I'm not sure Ray belongs on the list, but given the criteria, it's hard to pick somebody who clearly jumps over him.  (For instance, I'd say Chris Webber, but he didn't play the entire decade).

I think I'd still put Lebron on the list, though.  Yes, he's only played part of the decade, but he's been the most dominant player in the NBA for most of that time.

Just curious since it's seems like a few people agree on Shaq being number 1 or 2 just what your criteria is based on. Is it that he was just THAT dominant during the ealier part of this decade that it automatically puts him at 1 or 2? I feel like some of these guys (kobe, KG, and TD) could pretty much arguably be in top 5 discussion for every year of this decade, where Shaq definitely would be in the first half of this decade but certainly not the second half.

[Roy Hobbs]

If is best players of the decade, why are they including James and Wade. Those guys haven't even played ten years yet. They should have to pick their fruit before they eat it, just like everyone else.


I'd, personally, rank them like this:

Duncan
Shaq
Kobe
Garnett
Iverson
Nowitzki
Kidd
Pierce
Allen
Nash

I basically agree with this list.  I'm not sure Ray belongs on the list, but given the criteria, it's hard to pick somebody who clearly jumps over him.  (For instance, I'd say Chris Webber, but he didn't play the entire decade).

I think I'd still put Lebron on the list, though.  Yes, he's only played part of the decade, but he's been the most dominant player in the NBA for most of that time.

Just curious since it's seems like a few people agree on Shaq being number 1 or 2 just what your criteria is based on. Is it that he was just THAT dominant during the ealier part of this decade that it automatically puts him at 1 or 2? I feel like some of these guys (kobe, KG, and TD) could pretty much arguably be in top 5 discussion for every year of this decade, where Shaq definitely would be in the first half of this decade but certainly not the second half.

This decade, Shaq:

* has won 4 titles
* made it to the Finals five times
* has made the all-star game 9 times
* was Finals MVP three times
* was NBA MVP once
* finished in the top six in MVP voting six times
* led the league in FG% seven times

Shaq had one poor season, in 2008.  Otherwise, he's been a well-above average center for the entire decade, including an absolutely dominant one early on.  I do think he gets extra credit for being so dominating early in the decade, while savvy enough to still be an all-star later on.