Chris Paul is the best player in the NBA

[KGs Knee]

No he is not.

Furthermore, I'd bet money he never hoists a championship trophy.

[bfrombleacher]

No he is not.

Furthermore, I'd bet money he never hoists a championship trophy.

Who is?

I think Durant might be right now/in the near future.

[TheReaLPuba]

LeBron is clearly the best player in the league.

He's still putting up ridiculous numbers while being paired with Wade and Bosh and LBJ has raised his defensive game.

[GreenFaith1819]

I thought it was Lebron...


And why does Chris Paul crumble like a cookie when he plays against Rondo and BOS?

Lebron rarely does that....but Chris does.

[Army_of_One_Nation]

In my humble opinion, Durant is the best player in the NBA right now. Seems to be quite a very respectful person, as well.

[pearljammer10]

What makes Durant and Lebron better?

Besides Sportcenter highlights or the bandwagon media's opinions

almost everything

[guava_wrench]

Lebron is a talented player, but not a leader and not clutch
Durant still thinks Westbrook is his older brother

Thats why without question Chris Paul is the best in the league

Lebron is not clutch but Paul is? What has Paul done that Lebron hasn't? Do you remember the games Lebron played against Detroit to get the Cavs to the finals? Those were clutch. Let's see Paul carry a team that far.

I think Paul is incredible. But his failures aren't as public as Lebron's because Paul can't even get his teams to the big games where people actually watch.

[Senninsage]

Not a huge fan, but Lebron James is the best player in the NBA, without a doubt.

[relja]

Let's put it like this:

Chris Paul's stats are inflated because he playes on a team where the only other guys who have the will to fight and tke the innitiative in a game are Blake and the injured Chauncey.. He HAS to play like this in order the Clippers to win.. If he doesn't try hard who is? Foye? Bledsoe? DeAndre? Hell no.

He has a lot of skill and talent, but I concider Rondo to be slightly better at some times because he is more versatile and he manages almost the same stats on a team with 3 future hall of famers and a young athletic SG.

You got to put things and conditions in perspective when you compare players.

Besides:

[chambers]

The best player in the world is Lebron James. He is the complete basketball player. He can defend any position. Durant may be a better scorer but he doesn't facilitate, rebound or play defense as well as Lebron.

I'd put Lebron, Wade, Rose, Nowitzki all ahead of CP3. He's great, but he will never be the best.

Seems like so many people overlook defense in 'best player' arguments. Durant isn't even top 5, he's lingering around 6-8 somewhere. He is probably the best scorer in the league though.

[The One]

"If the Celtics embraced Flopping we would probably win more games."

Rondo and Pierce flop more than enough.  They are notorious for that weak stuff.

[alajet]

It has gotta be Lebron James.
He can defend, pass the ball, take shots, drive, get to the line, take over a game..
He's the complete package. You don't see him losing to his opposition going head-to-head.
To begin with, CP3 is non-existent against someone like D-Will, so, I really doubt if he could really be considered a clear-cut best PG in the league, let it be the best overall player.

 

[The One]

Furthermore, I'd bet money he never hoists a championship trophy.

You could say that about Howard, D Williams, Rose...the odds are on your side.

[Roy H.]

Durant may be a better scorer but he doesn't facilitate, rebound or play defense as well as Lebron.

I won't argue "facilitate". 

In terms of rebounding, though, the two were virtually identical this year, with Durant having a slight edge on defensive boards, and Lebron pulling down more offensive rebounds.

As for defense, Lebron's defense wasn't spectacular this year.  He ranked 108th in points allowed per possession according to Synergy Sports, which tracks all possessions.  Durant's defense actually ranked higher, as he allowed fewer points per possession and allowed a lower FG% to opponents. 

Durant was better guarding isolations, post-ups, spot-ups, and guys coming off screens than Lebron was.  I think there's a decent argument that Durant was the better defender this year, but at the very least, they were close to one another.

[chambers]

Durant may be a better scorer but he doesn't facilitate, rebound or play defense as well as Lebron.

I won't argue "facilitate". 

In terms of rebounding, though, the two were virtually identical this year, with Durant having a slight edge on defensive boards, and Lebron pulling down more offensive rebounds.

As for defense, Lebron's defense wasn't spectacular this year.  He ranked 108th in points allowed per possession according to Synergy Sports, which tracks all possessions.  Durant's defense actually ranked higher, as he allowed fewer points per possession and allowed a lower FG% to opponents. 

Durant was better guarding isolations, post-ups, spot-ups, and guys coming off screens than Lebron was.  I think there's a decent argument that Durant was the better defender this year, but at the very least, they were close to one another.

Fair points, but the numbers aren't compelling enough for me to change my mind just yet. To me, Lebron is a superior 1 on 1 defender and a better help/weak side defender. Perhaps I'm not being fair to Durant because Lebron has a stronger established history, and Durant is only beginning to build his defensive legacy or resume.

I guess if I were a coach, the question would be...who would you rather have guarding Carmelo Anthony or Paul Pierce in the playoffs?