NBA: Analysis of Sports Illustrated’s top 100 NBA players (1-10)

We have now reached the top 1o … a group of the league’s best. What sets these players apart from one another is so minute that there will be a never-ending debate about this group of players. To see a full list of 100-11 please click below.

100-76

75-51

50-41

40-31

30-21

20-11

Now … let’s continue

10. Tony Parker (PG, San Antonio Spurs)

Maybe the resurgence of Tim Duncan sparked a resurrection in more than one Spurs player, because Tony Parker sure had one heck of a season last year. The five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA player has become the reason they continue winning as Duncan’s career comes to an end (and Manu Ginobili as well, if the playoffs are any indication). Parker has averaged in the area of 20 points and seven assists a night the past two years (19.1 ppg, 5.3 apg for his career) and has morphed into a dark horse candidate for MVP votes for parts of the last two seasons. Yes, he is injury prone. But he has become a much improved mid-range shooter to supplement his floaters and layups and his passing has become a strength when it was once nearly a weakness. Remember back to the playoffs last year? How many times did Parker single-handedly keep the Spurs around? Before he was injured it looked like they may pull off the upset. Is he a product of the Spurs’ system or simply a master technician, capable of running the system to near perfection? Either way, a healthy Parker means a high rating on this list for at least another year. Despite Parker proving that he can compete with the league’s best night after night with amazing consistency, it is very difficult for me to put him at the No. 4 spot … he simply does not belong there. But I will show Tony Parker the respect he deserves and give him the No. 10 ranking.

 9. Tim Duncan (C, San Antonio Spurs) 

Get up. No, seriously. Get up. Whether you’re in your cubicle or on the bus or in your living room, get up and give Tim Duncan the standing ovation he deserves. Last season for Duncan was simply incredible and it was proof that he can hang around in the league for however long he wants. Year after year we all think that Duncan’s skills and stats will decline but he continues to show us all why he is called The Big Fundamental. Duncan is simply ageless and his resurrection of last season was inspirational while leading the Spurs to the NBA Finals. Can he continue to amaze or will father time finally catch up to him? With history on Duncan’s side, I’d bet on the Spurs being as good and intimidating as ever. The best power forward to ever play earns the No. 9 spot.

8. Russell Westbrook (PG, Oklahoma City Thunder)

Could Russell Westbrook emerge as the best point guard in the NBA by the end of the 2013-14 campaign? Right now, there are still two floor generals ahead of him. I don’t think I’m spoiling anything by telling you right now that they’re Derrick Rose and Chris Paul. But given the fact that Westbrook has improved each and every year of his career, surpassing that trinity of point guards is not outside the realm of realistic possibilities. He’ll have to overcome the meniscus injury and sharing the ball with Kevin Durant, but a massive defensive improvement could do the trick and leave him as the No. 3 player in the NBA. Westbrook hunkered down more often during the 2012-13 season, but he still has a long way to go thanks to his penchant for ill-advised gambles. The Thunder will have to do without Westbrook for a small portion of the season as he is recovering from surgery on his previously injured knee. As one of the most explosive players in the NBA, Westbrook is an irreplaceable asset to the Thunder, as we saw in the 2013 playoffs. Westbrook earns the No. 8 spot.

7. James Harden (SG, Houston Rockets) 

Last season we all saw just exactly what James Harden can do when he is given the ball and permission to shoot where and whenever he wants to. Last season Harden averaged 26 points per game (almost 10 points better than his last season with the Thunder), five rebounds and six assists per game. How SI saw him outside the top 10 is beyond me. Harden isn’t far behind the league’s best, though, which is particularly impressive given how successful he was in redeeming points out of unfavorable situations last season. Houston’s offense was so simple that a halted pick-and-roll sequence would often come without contingencies, leaving Harden to create something off the dribble with the shot clock on his back. He managed by drawing fouls on a ridiculous 16 percent of his isolation possessions. Harden is one of the most explosive players in the league and has one of the most intimidating offensive games as he can score from anywhere on the floor. Harden, complemented by Dwight Howard thisseason, should thrive by having another star with him on the court. James Harden comes in at No. 7.

6. Derrick Rose (PG, Chicago Bulls) 

Do you hate Rose for taking a year off? In my opinion, no. Rose’s greatest asset is his phenomenal quickness, speed and agility. Was he probably 100 percent and could have played come playoff time? Sure, but when your mind isn’t ready then you’re more reluctant to make those quick motions and may end up re-injuring yourself in the process. When your job is based on your body, can you really blame a guy for making sure he’s 100 percent? Assuming Rose is healthy, he should be better than ever. A year of shooting should have improved his stroke (where he was already improving his 3-pointer). Sure, he gambles a little on defense, but the three-time All-Star and one-time MVP averages 21.0 points, 6.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds for his career and has looked, at times, like he might challenge our No. 1 point guard for the top spot. If he returns to his same physical ability and improves at the same rate offensively, Rose should overtake CP3 in a few years. But for right now, considering no one has seen him play a game in the NBA in nearly 17 months, I can’t rate him any higher than No. 6, but to have him outside the top 10 is simply criminal and ignorant, SI.

5. Carmelo Anthony (SF, New York Knicks)

Can you imagine what would happen if Carmelo Anthony suddenly started playing good defense and passing the ball to his teammates with more frequency? It is quite possible, that with all of the offensive weapons the Knicks have, Melo could average a career high in assists, which shouldn’t be too difficult seeing as he would only have to average four per game. And if that does come to fruition, the small forward will also start shooting the ball more efficiently. It won’t be a positive for New York if ‘Melo wins a second scoring title in a row. The Knicks need for him to become more of a facilitator and stop taking bad looks. He’s fully capable of making those changes, but I’m a bit more hesitant to predict a similar improvement on the less glamorous end of the court. Anthony is still one of the premier scorers in basketball and he’s an underrated rebounder for his position as well. Just a few slight changes to his style of play and we could be talking about him as a true top-five player. He may be in possession of the second-best jumper in the league, second to Stephen Curry. If Melo can change his game and become more of a team player and a distributor, the Knicks could certainly make a title run. The question is will he do it? At the moment, Carmelo Anthony ranks at No. 5.

4. Chris Paul (PG, Los Angeles Clippers) 

The standard that all point guards are judged by. I can spend hours talking about Paul simply because he is so dominant. No point guard has come near his level of production or gotten the most out of his team like Paul has. The reason Doc Rivers is in L.A., heck, the reason the Clippers are relevant in L.A., is because of CP3. (If you don’t think either of those are correct, you haven’t watched enough basketball.) Chris Paul gets whatever he wants in L.A. If he said, “I want pink uniforms or I’m leaving,” team owner Donald Sterling makes the change. Simply put, Paul has been the most efficient point guard the last few years; think back to the New Orleans-Los Angeles Lakers playoff series of a few years ago, where a clearly not full strength Paul still punished the Lakers  over and over. He had a triple-double in three quarters one game and had 33-14-7 in Game 1! For his career, Paul has averaged 18.6 points, 9.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals. The six-time All-Star nearly won the MVP award in 2007-08. He has led the league in assists twice and steals per game five times. He is also a five-time All-Defensive team selection. At the age of 28, Chris Paul is in his prime and it’s evident in his orchestration of the so-called Lob City Clippers. Paul can beat you pretty much anyway you can think of: off the dribble, driving to the hoop, from downtown. But what makes him so special is that he uses his offensive threat to get everyone else involved in the offense, evident by the career years players often have once they join his team. Right now, there is no better point guard in the NBA than Chris Paul. That is why he is the No. 4 player on this list.

3. Kobe Bryant (SG, Los Angeles Lakers)

Ranking Kobe Bryant at No. 9 is simply disrespectful and at this point I challenge the SI writers on their basketball competence because this simply makes no sense. I understand that Kobe is still recovering from a ruptured Achilles, something that will likely keep him out of the season opener on Oct. 29 against the Clippers, but Bryant is still one of the league’s top players and has been since his arrival in the league in 1996 as a teenager. Kobe singlehandedly willed the Lakers to a No. 8 seed while they struggled desperately from injuries to Pau Gasol, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard all season, not to mention a mid-season coaching change (well, can you really call it “mid-season”?). Last season Kobe averaged 27.3 points (two points above his career average), six assists (his highest since 2004) and 5.6 rebounds per game. He finished last season with a PER of 23.1, which ranks second among shooting guards and his points per game average ranks third in the league, just 1.4 points behind league leader Carmelo Anthony. At 35 years old these numbers are simply mind-boggling. Kobe seems to be ageless and it is rumored that Kobe is thinking about playing two or three and possibly four more years. Get it together SI; Kobe Bean Bryant earns the No. 3 spot.

2. Kevin Durant (SF, Oklahoma City Thunder) 

Is this the year that Kevin Durant takes over for LeBron James as the No. 1 player in the world? Probably not, but it is possible. We aren’t going to see a decline from the incumbent, but Durant is still only 24 years old. There’s the potential for another massive leap in production and it would have to come in two areas. Durant is already established as the best scorer in basketball. Only he and Larry Bird have ever truly competed for a scoring crown while shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from downtown and 90 percent from behind the 3-point arc and Durant could end up going 52/42/92 this year without surprising anyone. It’s defense and facilitating that could still use some work. Durant took strides in both areas last year, but he’s still too turnover prone when passing the ball and his defense doesn’t blow anyone away. He must establish himself as a true stopper in order to challenge LeBron. Essentially, Durant can’t be a target of the offense. The other team must actively try to avoid attacking him in order for him to take that next step. Again, it’s highly unlikely, but it’s possible that we see that type of improvement over the course of just one season from this MVP candidate. Plus, why not add to Durant’s list of second place finishes. Kevin Durant earns the No. 2 spot.

1. LeBron James (SF, Miami Heat)

We hold these truths to be self evident.

Let the debating never end …

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