Top players to build around.

[Eigild]

Top tier: LeBron, Durant
2nd tier: Rose, Howard, Love, Paul, Aldridge, Melo
3rd tier: Rondo, Westbrook, Harden, Griffin, G. Monroe, Cousins (I think Andrew Bynum is the bigger headcase)

Ignoring all players on the wrong side of the 30's

[Celtic#9]

1) Durant (younger than LeBron)
2) LeBron
3) Dwight
4) Rose
5) CP3
6) Irving
7) Love
Harden
9) Griffin
10) Anthony Davis

Honorable Mention - Cousins, Rondo, Bynum, Aldridge, Westbrook 

[get_banners]

i think rose and howard are question marks...it depends on how much their athleticism is hurt by their injuries. a handful of people suspected both would never be quite the same moving forward. if so...i think they go down the list a bit.

[Prof. Clutch]

When you say "players to build around" do you mean for the purposes of winning a championship or for putting butts in the stands?  Because I think that has to be taken into consideration as well.  For instance, I think Blake Griffin can draw fans but is he the type of player that you frame an entire team around to try to win a Championship?

[eugen]

For me the best player for CS will be Howard+Rondo, that will be ideal tandem. Plus experience of big 3: KG, PP + RA

[action781]

I don't think you can build a team around Kevin Love being your best player.  I think some of you who put Kyrie high on the list are pretty accurate.  I think Wade is falling out of the top 10 altogether after what he's done this postseason and considering his age.  Westbrook is climbing higher and higher on the list every day.

Tier 1:  Durant, Lebron, Dwight
Tier 2:  CP, Rose, Westbrook, Melo, Aldridge, Bynum
Tier 3:  Rondo, Irving, Griffin, Parker, D-Will

Anybody see Cousins becoming the next Rasheed Wallace (w/o a 3 pt shot?)

[Snakehead]

I don't think you can build a team around Kevin Love being your best player.  I think some of you who put Kyrie high on the list are pretty accurate.  I think Wade is falling out of the top 10 altogether after what he's done this postseason and considering his age.  Westbrook is climbing higher and higher on the list every day.

Tier 1:  Durant, Lebron, Dwight
Tier 2:  CP, Rose, Westbrook, Melo, Aldridge, Bynum
Tier 3:  Rondo, Irving, Griffin, Parker, D-Will

Anybody see Cousins becoming the next Rasheed Wallace (w/o a 3 pt shot?)

A couple things:

You really think Aldridge is that good?  I like him, but building around him over Rondo and Irving? idk about that.  And Kevin Love is certainly better, there's no way you can argue otherwise I don't get that.

And I don't get the Rasheed comparison with Cousins.  I don't know if I have a good comparison, but I do think he has Rasheed Wallace attitude if that's what you mean.  In his play style, he has a very unique combination of a bruising body and surprising skill.

I didn't get to watch the guy really play and I'm not saying he'll be anywhere near as great don't get me wrong, but Moses Malone comes to mind.

[looseball]

When you say "players to build around" do you mean for the purposes of winning a championship or for putting butts in the stands?  Because I think that has to be taken into consideration as well.  For instance, I think Blake Griffin can draw fans but is he the type of player that you frame an entire team around to try to win a Championship?

The goal of picking a player to build around would have to be to win a few championships.
In reality, that player could play any position, as long as he is durable and a leader on the court.  A "must requirement" is that he be able to take over a game in the 4th quarter by making plays on both ends of the court.  This would include scoring of course, but also some combination of assists, steals, rebounds, blocks, etc.
Although he doesn't necessarily have to score a ton of points, he has to be able to make his foul shots and make a game-winner when the situation warrants it.
That's my criteria, at least.

[Celtics18]

When you say "players to build around" do you mean for the purposes of winning a championship or for putting butts in the stands?  Because I think that has to be taken into consideration as well.  For instance, I think Blake Griffin can draw fans but is he the type of player that you frame an entire team around to try to win a Championship?

I was talking about players that you can build a winning basketball team around.  I wasn't concerned with putting butts in seats. 

[fitzhickey]

Not Blake, he's just a highlight reel player, no substance

[action781]

I don't think you can build a team around Kevin Love being your best player.  I think some of you who put Kyrie high on the list are pretty accurate.  I think Wade is falling out of the top 10 altogether after what he's done this postseason and considering his age.  Westbrook is climbing higher and higher on the list every day.

Tier 1:  Durant, Lebron, Dwight
Tier 2:  CP, Rose, Westbrook, Melo, Aldridge, Bynum
Tier 3:  Rondo, Irving, Griffin, Parker, D-Will

Anybody see Cousins becoming the next Rasheed Wallace (w/o a 3 pt shot?)

A couple things:

You really think Aldridge is that good?  I like him, but building around him over Rondo and Irving? idk about that.  And Kevin Love is certainly better, there's no way you can argue otherwise I don't get that.

Yeah, I like Aldridge's game a lot.  I can certainly argue that Aldridge is better than Love.  Look at their teams' records over the past two seasons:

Portland:  48-34, 28-38
Minnesota:  17-65, 26-40

Both were injured last season and missed the same # of games.  Both had fairly crappy teams around them last season.  Portland had a much better team in 2010-11, but was the supporting cast alone 31 wins better???

Aldridge is a player you can run a half court offense through efficiently.  I don't think Love is that kind of player.

I, personally, would prefer Aldridge.

[LarBrd33]

I've been trying to come up with a list of who might be the top NBA players to build around.

I don't think it's as easy as it may seem.  Obviously, the first thing to consider is talent and level of play, but the other factors, for me, are age, upside, proven performance, injury history, durability, and mental toughness and leadership. 

Anyway, here's mine (definitely, subject to change):

1.  Lebron James
2.  Kevin Durant  (I think these first two are fairly objectively hard to argue.  Who knows, they may be flip floppable, though, after these finals.)

This is where it starts to get harder:

3.  Rajon Rondo
4.  Dwight Howard
5.  Derrick Rose
6.  Chris Paul
7.  Kevin Love
8.  Dwayne Wade
9.  Russell Westbrook
10..  Deron Williams
11.  Blake Griffin
12.  LaMarcus Aldridge
13.  Tony Parker
14.  Kyrie Irving
15.  Ricky Rubio
16,  Marc Gasol
17.  Marcin Gortat
18.  Roy Hibbert
19.  Greg Monroe
20.  Danilo Galinari
21.  Rudy Gay

I'll stop there.  Now I'm just rambling.  I meant for this to be a top ten, but that was just too difficult so it turned into a top 21.  I don't have any approaching their mid 30s or beyond stars on the list for obvious reasons.

Did I miss anyone glaring?  Does anyone have huge issues with my list?  Let me know.   
 

Dude... You have Rondo 3rd? Srsly?

[LarBrd33]

FYI it depends on your definition of "building around".  Presumably the younger the talent, the better shot you have of "building around" that talent for the future... which is why I honestly would trade Rondo straight up for Kyrie Irving without hesitation.  Irving is 19 years old.  I look at it like this... if I'm the Bobcats (a team without any talent) would I rather grab Rondo (about to be 27 years old and is in his prime) and waste his prime on a bad team... or grab Kyrie Irving... and have the next 7 years to build a capable team around him hopefully having everything "come together" as Irving enters his prime.  

If we're just talking about "best players right now"... Obviously LeBron and Durant are 1 and 2... Rondo is definitely not 3rd.  

[Celtics18]

I've been trying to come up with a list of who might be the top NBA players to build around.

I don't think it's as easy as it may seem.  Obviously, the first thing to consider is talent and level of play, but the other factors, for me, are age, upside, proven performance, injury history, durability, and mental toughness and leadership. 

Anyway, here's mine (definitely, subject to change):

1.  Lebron James
2.  Kevin Durant  (I think these first two are fairly objectively hard to argue.  Who knows, they may be flip floppable, though, after these finals.)

This is where it starts to get harder:

3.  Rajon Rondo
4.  Dwight Howard
5.  Derrick Rose
6.  Chris Paul
7.  Kevin Love
8.  Dwayne Wade
9.  Russell Westbrook
10..  Deron Williams
11.  Blake Griffin
12.  LaMarcus Aldridge
13.  Tony Parker
14.  Kyrie Irving
15.  Ricky Rubio
16,  Marc Gasol
17.  Marcin Gortat
18.  Roy Hibbert
19.  Greg Monroe
20.  Danilo Galinari
21.  Rudy Gay

I'll stop there.  Now I'm just rambling.  I meant for this to be a top ten, but that was just too difficult so it turned into a top 21.  I don't have any approaching their mid 30s or beyond stars on the list for obvious reasons.

Did I miss anyone glaring?  Does anyone have huge issues with my list?  Let me know.   
 

Dude... You have Rondo 3rd? Srsly?

I might be reaching a little, but not by much.  Where would you put him?

[OsirusCeltics]

Top Tier = LeBron, Wade, Durant and Dwight

Second tier = the point guards. Melo. Maybe Harden.

Third tier = Rudy Gay, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge, most of the other high level bigs ... those types.

Ignoring the likes of Kobe and Dirk due to age.

I just don't think Wade belongs in the same conversation as the other ELITE players in the game anymore. I would laugh off a Wade for Rondo trade. He belongs somewhere in the mid-second tier after Rondo, Rose, and CP3.

To the OP, not a bad list, but I question your 17-21 selections, with the possible exception of Hibbert [Gortat??].

Lets not get carried away. A Wade for Rondo trade would instantly make the Celtics championship contenders and the favorite to win the title