Who are the "franchise players" in the NBA?

[PhoSita]

List of the most productive players this season

At this point in time, which players in the NBA do you think qualify as "franchise caliber"? For this discussion, let's define that as "can be the best player on a team that has a legitimate shot to make the Finals."


To me, it looks like there are maybe as many as 10-12 players that qualify. 

I have no idea what to make of the Parker / Leonard / Duncan trio on the Spurs.  That team is definitely good enough to go all the way, yet no one player stands out statistically.  I guess you have to give the nod to Timmy.

[fitzhickey]

Lebron, KD, CP3 and Melo are the lock in guys. Surround them with a decent team and they will certainly give you a chance.

I feel like the rest are a tier below, like:
Harden, Curry, Dwight, Joakhim Noah, Love, Dirk etc. Those guys can't carry a team as single-handedly as easily as the guys above.

San Antonio is really different. It's a super team effort that they spread it all evenly.

[PhoSita]

I'm not sure if Dwight and Dirk are on that level anymore.  I think they're both in the "really great 2nd banana" category now.

Noah and (Marc) Gasol are borderline for me.  I'm not sure exactly what to make of Kevin Love.  I'd like to see him on a team other than Minnesota with some decent players around him and see how he fairs.  Not sure if he belongs in the top tier of franchise players or the second tier (with guys like Noah and Gasol).

[jambr380]

Anthony Davis should absolutely be in the discussion. I understand he still has a couple of seasons to go before he is leading his teams deep into the playoffs, but he is probably the most valuable chip in the NBA today. Paul George should probably also get a mention.

This thread actually comes at a good time - I was recently thinking about how lackluster the star players are compared to those of the 80s and 90s. Maybe I am just getting old.

[fitzhickey]

Anthony Davis should absolutely be in the discussion. I understand he still has a couple of seasons to go before he is leading his teams deep into the playoffs, but he is probably the most valuable chip in the NBA today. Paul George should probably also get a mention.

This thread actually comes at a good time - I was recently thinking about how lackluster the star players are compared to those of the 80s and 90s. Maybe I am just getting old.

Agreed about Davis. This time next year he will be well and truly in the conversation

[BigAlTheFuture]

Anthony Davis should absolutely be in the discussion. I understand he still has a couple of seasons to go before he is leading his teams deep into the playoffs, but he is probably the most valuable chip in the NBA today. Paul George should probably also get a mention.

This thread actually comes at a good time - I was recently thinking about how lackluster the star players are compared to those of the 80s and 90s. Maybe I am just getting old.

Yep. Davis for sure. George not so much. Don't think he's there yet. I would take Harden over him.

[PhoSita]

Anthony Davis should absolutely be in the discussion. I understand he still has a couple of seasons to go before he is leading his teams deep into the playoffs, but he is probably the most valuable chip in the NBA today. Paul George should probably also get a mention.

Anthony Davis would already be on my list.  He's been that good this season.  Paul George is borderline.



Here's my take (numbers are for groupings, not ranks)


1. LeBron, Durant

2. Paul

3. Griffin, Curry, Harden, Davis

4. Duncan

5. Love, Carmelo

6. Noah, M. Gasol, George, Parker, Westbrook

7. Dirk, Dwight, Aldridge, Dragic, Cousins, Wall



I'm not sure where the list really stops -- after level 4, 5, 6, or 7.

[Quetzalcoatl]

What are you all going on about?  Paul George is 23 and is averaging 21.7 ppg, 6.8 rbg, 3.6 assists and 2 steals on .426/.361/.871 shooting and is leading the NBA in defensive win shares.  I would take him over Kevin Love a hundred times over.  It's not like there is any real offensive powerhouse next to him either - I think that Stephenson is the #2 scorer on that team and he's averaging about 14 points a game.  George is getting double teamed and still lights up elite teams. 

[2short]

Only three franchise players IMO.  Maybe two and a half.
Lebrun James & Kevin Durant
Just below Kevin love.

Then....no order James harden, Tim Duncan (only due to age is he not currently a franchise player)
Chris Paul, Anthony Davis, Paul George, lemarcus Aldridge.....
Forgot Carmelo, mostly because I don't like him but he's in this tier as well

[PhoSita]

Only three franchise players IMO.  Maybe two and a half.

Unless you think there are only two, maybe three teams in the NBA with a legitimate shot at making the Finals (or all the players who could lead such a team are concentrated on two / three teams), this can't be.

[PhoSita]

What are you all going on about?  Paul George is 23 and is averaging 21.7 ppg, 6.8 rbg, 3.6 assists and 2 steals on .426/.361/.871 shooting and is leading the NBA in defensive win shares.

George is a really nice defender, but he's still a bit too easy to force into inefficient scoring nights for me to comfortably label him as a "franchise" guy at this point in time.

The NBA is a scorer's league, at the end of the day, so it's a lot harder to be a defensive superstar with a hit-or-miss offensive game than the other way 'round.

[2short]

Only three franchise players IMO.  Maybe two and a half.

Unless you think there are only two, maybe three teams in the NBA with a legitimate shot at making the Finals (or all the players who could lead such a team are concentrated on two / three teams), this can't be.

Franchise player to me is the one guy you can build a championship team around.  I think San Antonio has a great shot at winning it all without a real franchise player.   I don't think the label has anything to do with the teams they are on or that teams chances this year

[PhoSita]

Only three franchise players IMO.  Maybe two and a half.

Unless you think there are only two, maybe three teams in the NBA with a legitimate shot at making the Finals (or all the players who could lead such a team are concentrated on two / three teams), this can't be.

Franchise player to me is the one guy you can build a championship team around.  I think San Antonio has a great shot at winning it all without a real franchise player.   I don't think the label has anything to do with the teams they are on or that teams chances this year

So you think only a team based around LeBron or Durant could win a title at this point in time?  I think that's defensible, but I disagree.  I think there are a handful of other players who lead a team to victory against a Lebron or Durant team in the Finals, given the right supporting cast and circumstances.

I understand that you're suggesting that there are "franchise players" and then there are "really good teams" that have a deep collection of talent (e.g. the Spurs this year, perhaps, or the 2004 Pistons).  But I think the term "franchise player" could be applied a bit more liberally than you would have it.

In any case, for my purposes we're talking about players who could be the best player on a team with a legitimate shot at making the Finals.

[Celtics18]

Only three franchise players IMO.  Maybe two and a half.

Unless you think there are only two, maybe three teams in the NBA with a legitimate shot at making the Finals (or all the players who could lead such a team are concentrated on two / three teams), this can't be.

Franchise player to me is the one guy you can build a championship team around.  I think San Antonio has a great shot at winning it all without a real franchise player.   I don't think the label has anything to do with the teams they are on or that teams chances this year

So you think only a team based around LeBron or Durant could win a title at this point in time?  I think that's defensible, but I disagree.  I think there are a handful of other players who lead a team to victory against a Lebron or Durant team in the Finals, given the right supporting cast and circumstances.

I understand that you're suggesting that there are "franchise players" and then there are "really good teams" that have a deep collection of talent (e.g. the Spurs this year, perhaps, or the 2004 Pistons).  But I think the term "franchise player" could be applied a bit more liberally than you would have it.

In any case, for my purposes we're talking about players who could be the best player on a team with a legitimate shot at making the Finals.

That's a strange definition of "franchise player."  To me, there are only two legitimate franchise players in the NBA right now:  James and Durant (maybe Paul).

But, there is a whole host of players who could potentially be the best player on a contender if they had the right guys around them. 

Paul George, Lamarcus Aldridge, Tim Duncan or Tony Parker, James Harden or Dwight Howard, maybe Blake Griffin are all guys who could end up being on the latter list this season (it would be awesome if the thirty-seven year old Paul Pierce could help put himself on that list--not likely, but not impossible).

[bballdog384]

The first Celtic is Brandon Bass at 101

Hopefully I'm wrong and missed someone