Four current Spurs earn Sporting News honor

[duncan228]

Four current Spurs earn Sporting News honor (http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2009/11/30/daily27.html)
San Antonio Business Journal
by W. Scott Bailey

A panel of more than 100 current NBA players, coaches, Pro Basketball Hall of Fame members and other basketball experts has named four San Antonio Spurs to Sporting News’ list of the 50 greatest players in the NBA today.

Spurs forward Tim Duncan is ranked 5th on the prestigious list and guard Tony Parker is ranked 13th.

Other Spurs standouts, Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson, are ranked 22nd and 46th, respectively.

Sporting News is owned by American City Business Journals and is a sister publication to the San Antonio Business Journal. Its panel, which included such NBA greats as Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, selected Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant as the greatest player in the league today. Bryant beat out Cleveland forward LeBron James for the No. 1 spot, receiving 62 first-place votes — 28 more than the Cavalier All-Star.

“I think what we’ve seen from Kobe in the last two, three years is that he has become an incredible leader,” says former Lakers great Magic Johnson about Bryant. “That was the only thing he had to do that was left on his resume.”

The Spurs are one of only two NBA teams to place four players on the Sporting News list. The other is Boston.

Five teams — the Charlotte Bobcats, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors — failed to get a single player on the Sporting News list.

The Top 20:

1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
2. LeBron James, Cavaliers
3. Dwyane Wade, Heat
4. Dwight Howard, Magic
5. Tim Duncan, Spurs
6. Chris Paul, Hornets
7. Kevin Garnett, Celtics
8. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
9. Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
10. Paul Pierce, Celtics
11. Steve Nash, Suns
12. Deron Williams, Jazz
13. Tony Parker, Spurs
14. Brandon Roy, Trail Blazers
15. Yao Ming, Rockets
16. Shaquille O’Neal, Cavaliers
17. Pau Gasol, Lakers
18. Chris Bosh, Raptors
19. Amare Stoudemire, Suns
20. Chauncey Billups, Nuggets

*********************

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-nbastopplayersallsta&prov=tsn&type=lgns

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141030

[bobby4germany]

The Top 20:

1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
2. LeBron James, Cavaliers
3. Dwyane Wade, Heat
4. Dwight Howard, Magic
5. Tim Duncan, Spurs


The top 5, now thats a dream team! :hat

[5in10]

San Antonio Business Journal
by W. Scott Bailey

...I'm sure there's no bias here...

[lebomb]

Carmelo should be higher than Garnett and possibly Dirk and Paul................... IMHO

[spursfan09]

San Antonio Business Journal
by W. Scott Bailey

...I'm sure there's no bias here...


Did you see who was included on the panel? And this is from the Sporting News.

[sa_kid20]

San Antonio Business Journal
by W. Scott Bailey

...I'm sure there's no bias here...

What are you talking about? He didn't make the list :lol



A panel of more than 100 current NBA players, coaches, Pro Basketball Hall of Fame members and other basketball experts has named four San Antonio Spurs to Sporting News’ list of the 50 greatest players in the NBA today.

[benefactor]

lol Howard #4

[5in10]

Guess I should read more before I open my mouth...I still dont see Jefferson as a top 50 player though.

[TDMVPDPOY]

that list is base on rep...fuck that

[Galileo]

What a joke, Kobe is not # 1. I'd say Lebron and Duncan are the two best players.

[HarlemHeat37]

There's not much of an argument for Duncan being ahead of Kobe, so no..

[BillMc]

I assume the 'greatest today' means their skills/level of play at this exact moment? Because if you take their whole careers in focus Duncan is probably #1, though there will be those who make cases for Kobe and Shaq. LBJ is great as is Wade, but no way they're the greatest active players. LBJ hasn't even won a single Finals game. Tim's won 16.
And Howard?????

But, yes, at this exact moment Howard is playing great, LBJ is a monster, and Wade and Kobe can put up points like nobody else.

That said, if they were all young and the same age, and you had some magical draft, Duncan goes #1 over all the rest. You get offense, defense, leadership, coach-ability, and stability for his whole career. Young Kobe was a pain in the ass, old Shaq is a pain in the ass. Though LBJ and Wade (especially) have been pretty consistent and professional, I must admit.

I now leap off the soap box! :)

[TIMMYD!]

That only shows you how good Tim is even in his 12th season.

[spursncowboys]

Carmelo should be higher than Garnett and possibly Dirk and Paul................... IMHO

+1
4. duncan
5. melo
6. dirk

[duncan228]

That only shows you how good Tim is even in his 12th season.

13th. :)

[YoMamaIsCallin]

Props to this panel for ranking Amare as low as they did, and Duncan as high as they did! Looks like they actually know something about basketball.

[TD 21]

lol Howard #4

Hard as is it to believe, I couldn't agree more with that sentiment.

Duncan is still better than Howard, as is Paul. After that, I could understand ranking him 6th, but no higher than that. He's not a great basketball player; he's a great athlete who happens to play basketball.

[quentin_compson]

If this is about the best players right now, there's no way LeBron isn't #1 in my opinion. But I guess Kobe winning the title and getting the Finals-MVP has a lot to do with that.

Billups should be higher, as should a healthy Manu. Since he hasn't been that healthy as of late, it's alright though.

No Kevin Martin, but Villanueva and Gay/O.J. Mayo? Don't know 'bout that ...

Still a decent list in my opinion. And Duncan at #5 is a sign that he's still playing at an amazingly high level, considering his age and "mileage". :toast

[TIMMYD!]

Hard as is it to believe, I couldn't agree more with that sentiment.

Duncan is still better than Howard, as is Paul. After that, I could understand ranking him 6th, but no higher than that. He's not a great basketball player; he's a great athlete who happens to play basketball.

Howard doesn't possess many skills, but he has athleticism.

[ffadicted]

13th. :)

lol 228 never misses an opportunity :lol

Dwight does not deserve top 5, and good job picking Kobe as 1

[Russ]

LaMarcus Aldridge isn't on the list? Andrew Bynum is on the list?

[duncan228]

LaMarcus Aldridge isn't on the list? Andrew Bynum is on the list?

Bynum at #50.

SN’s TOP 50 PLAYERS

1. Kobe Bryant, SG, Lakers
2. LeBron James, SF, Cavaliers
3. Dwyane Wade, SG, Heat
4. Dwight Howard, C, Magic
5. Tim Duncan, PF, Spurs
6. Chris Paul, PG, Hornets
7. Kevin Garnett, PF, Celtics
8. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Mavericks
9. Carmelo Anthony, SF, Nuggets
10. Paul Pierce, SF, Celtics
11. Steve Nash, PG, Suns
12. Deron Williams, PG, Jazz
13. Tony Parker, PG, Spurs
14. Brandon Roy, SG, Trail Blazers
15. Yao Ming, C, Rockets
16. Shaquille O’Neal, C, Cavaliers
17. Pau Gasol, PF, Lakers
18. Chris Bosh, PF, Raptors
19. Amare Stoudemire, PF, Suns
20. Chauncey Billups, PG, Nuggets
21. Kevin Durant, SF, Thunder
22. Manu Ginobili, SG, Spurs
23. Jason Kidd, PG, Mavericks
24. Tracy McGrady, SG, Rockets
25. Joe Johnson, SG, Hawks
26. Derrick Rose, PG, Bulls
27. Ray Allen, SG, Celtics
28. Gilbert Arenas, PG, Wizards
29. Ron Artest, SF, Lakers
30. Vince Carter, SG, Magic
31. Danny Granger, SF, Pacers
32. Baron Davis, PG, Clippers
33. Devin Harris, PG, Nets
34. Ben Gordon, SG, Pistons
35. Al Horford, C, Hawks
36. Carlos Boozer, PF, Jazz
37. Nene, C, Nuggets
38. Rajon Rondo, PG, Celtics
39. Andre Iguodala, SG, 76ers
40. Josh Smith, PF, Hawks
41. Rudy Gay, SF, Grizzlies
42. Hedo Turkoglu, SF, Raptors
43. Lamar Odom, SF, Lakers
44. Shane Battier, SF, Rockets
45. Elton Brand, PF, 76ers
46. Richard Jefferson, SF, Spurs
47. O.J. Mayo, SG, Grizzlies
48. Charlie Villanueva, PF, Pistons
49. Michael Redd, SG, Bucks
50. Andrew Bynum, C, Lakers