"Guys who can be a number one option on a finals team"
Duncan
Dirk
Carmelo
Deron
CP3
So, does Paul Pierce belong on that list?
If not, are we just deluding ourselves that Banner 18 is in the near future? Or are we banking everything on Rondo making a quantum leap?
Interesting mention. I think the celtics of '08 and the celtics of next season will be more of a team effort to win a championship than relying on a #1 option. I think instead of "can be the number 1 option" it would be more appropriately (while verbosely) named "can be relied on as a number 1 option". Even Pierce said that down 2 at the end of a game that Ray should take the final shot, not him. Those guys on that list could win a title while refusing to defer to a teammate for the final shot (unless dishing out the necessary assist).
Otherwise, you'd have to technically include Chauncey Billups on that list too, right? It could be argued that Billups and Pierce were not the most important players on their teams. I'm not sure either could win a title on a team that they were undisputably the most important player. The players above could be. Although I don't necessarily put Deron in that list.
I'm glad someone picked up the bait here.
I think there's a certain amount of tautology behind these tiers. There's a "conventional wisdom" that there's only a handful of truly elite players, because they have been the best players on the most recent Finals contenders.
Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Deron Williams haven't even sniffed the NBA Finals, and yet they're given elite status. Why is that?
Perhaps the list above should be expanded to about 20, e.g. the best player/alpha dog for every single team in the NBA.
Neither has Kevin Durrant. Is he tier 2?
That's an excellent question, actually.
You'll have to ask someone who endorses the idea of these tiers for their rationale why Durant is ahead of Duncan or Dirk.
Deron Williams has never had as good a team as Paul Pierce had in 08 when KG was sniffing the end of his prime, or '10 when Rondo jumped into elite status. Williams also never played for a team that emphasized a team concept on defense quite like these Celtics.
I don't think Paul Pierce is capable of being counted on to be a #1 option night in night out like say Kobe is.
Kobe might not always score the most points, but 9 nights out of 10 he'll be right there, and he'll take the most shots.
Williams might also not always score the most points, but he facilitates the offense single handily in Utah a lot of the time, so its kind of the same thing.
Chris Paul and Carmelo are also in the same list for the same reasons as Deron (scorers, or scoring facilitators on a elite level)
Durant is a cut above because he's shown he can be a winner and lead the league in scoring, and he's only 21
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