Top 50 players: Lean and hungry Shaq back to No. 1
Sept. 29, 2004
By Mike Kahn
SportsLine.com Executive Editor
www.sportsline.com/nba/story/7734598
NBA training camps open next week, we have made our way through the positions, so it's time to anoint the top 50 players.
Understand that where they are positioned might not reflect how they were ranked when compared to others at their position. There's a reason for that. In the top 50, versatility is a lot more important; it's vital to have players capable of making an impact in a number of different ways.
So our No. 1 player? Based on overall impact, it makes sense to put Shaquille O'Neal as the top player after a two-year absence.
The Diesel is highly motivated again after getting traded to the Miami Heat, and that's no slap at Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett; clearly they are right there when it comes to overall impact.
To put it mildly, there are probably 25 more players who could have been on the list ... but that's all part of the fun, isn't it?
The 2004-05 SportsLine.com top 50 NBA players:
1. Shaquille O'Neal, Miami Heat: To quote Dan Aykroyd from the Blues Brothers, the big fella is on a mission from God. They will challenge in the East.
2. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs: One of the best fundamental 7-footers of all time, he would be effective with his eyes closed. The Spurs should win the West.
3. Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves: A truly unique superstar, he took a step further last season; the Timberwolves will challenge the Spurs big-time.
4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: The best open-floor player in the game and one of the best ever. With Shaq gone, now we'll see if he can carry the team.
5. Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana Pacers: His great season was marred by a knee injury late. He's definitely moving to superstar level, but how high can he go?
6. Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets: The nightmare of last season's flop in Orlando is history, and now we'll see if his talent blends with Yao Ming.
7. Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers: His little body finally gave way last season, but now he's moving to point guard, which should make him even better.
8. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks: The Mavs and Dirk backslid last season, but it should be only a bump in the road for one of the truly great scoring big men.
9. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets: Seemingly every week, Yao became more comfortable as a dominating figure. It should be even more apparent with McGrady on the floor with him.
10. Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons: Nobody is more emblematic of why the Pistons won the le than Big Ben. He is the prototype blue-collar player who sets the tone of every game.
11. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics: All the transition of a year ago made life miserable for him, but they should be better and could challenge for the division.
12. Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets: The only real prototype point guard left, he would be higher were it not for a serious knee surgery.
13. Baron Davis, New Orleans Hornets: His body has been battered, and he showed physical toughness, but the mental toughness to lead and win is still in question.
14. Peja Stojakovic, Sacramento Kings: He is the best pure shooter in the game and a better rebounder than people think, but his postseasons need to improve.
15. Elton Brand, Los Angeles Clippers: Because he plays for the Clippers, nobody seems to notice he is a great scorer, rebounder, decent shot-blocker and one of the best teammates around.
16. Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz: His offensive game is still coming because he is versatile with the ball, but defensively he is one of the best players in the game. A stat man's dream player.
17. Rasheed Wallace, Detroit Pistons: He proved what all of his former employers already knew -- he's a great teammate in all facets.
18. Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers: A little more investigation reflects he really was a problem for the Pacers in the playoffs, and it's a shame because he is the most talented small forward of all.
19. Chris Webber, Sacramento Kings: His numbers were up and down as he lumbered around after knee surgery. His mouth, again, has him in trouble. This is a key season for him to prove he's still a superstar.
20. Ray Allen, Seattle SuperSonics: Ankle surgery, a poorly constructed team and the need for a new contract all have created questions about where this former All-Star is in his career.
21. Vince Carter, Toronto Raptors: Even more so than Allen, Carter has to prove he remains among the best players in the game and has to quite whining about the organization in the process.
22. Kenyon Martin, Denver Nuggets: Now that he has the big bucks and he's playing in the big boys' conference, we'll see how good he really is.
23. Shawn Marion, Phoenix Suns: His name blew through the trade winds all summer, but he's back, and despite his unorthodox game, consistently productive scoring and on the boards.
24. Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons: He could be higher, but he struggled most of last season until the Finals. If he's going to be a star, this is the season he will make his mark.
25. Stephon Marbury, New York Knicks: Last season was disappointing in so many ways, yet he's still young enough to prove he should be considered a superstar.
26. Steve Francis, Orlando Magic: Almost precisely the same comments that apply to Marbury fit Francis, but being on a new team with a completely different style coach should help.
27. Zach Randolph, Portland Trail Blazers: A 20-point, 10-rebound guy in his first season as a starter screams talent, but he has a long way to go maturity wise to be an elite star.
28. Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers: He kept raising his level of play all last season, and now he'll be on his third team in three seasons. We'll find out how much he has grown up.
29. Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies: He could be ranked much higher, and if he continues to raise his game, he'll be top 15 next year. But not until he is dominant night in and night out.
30. Richard Hamilton, Detroit Pistons: The new NBA roadrunner with the killer mid-range game keeps coming on. Like backcourt partner Billups, he's on the verge of breaking out.
31. Mike Bibby, Sacramento Kings: Some might believe he should be ranked higher. It's just hard to tell with all of the Kings, who was most disappointing as they failed to get to the conference finals again.
32. Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards: Last season's best sixth man, he now has a chance to help a young and talented team sneak up in one of the weakest divisions in NBA history.
33. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs: He was fabulous until Game 3 of the conference semifinals, then the roof caved in. He's still only 22, so he'll keep getting better.
34. Sam Cassell, Minnesota Timberwolves: He's coming off an All-Star season -- the best of his career -- but his body broke down, and he's going to be 35, so it's hard to tell how much he has left.
35. Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks: He became an All-Star last season as one of the best shooters in the game and should continue to improve on a young team that's only going to get better.
36. Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz: He continued to improve all of last season and became a star in his own right. Just how much Zydrunas Ilgauskas and LeBron James had to do with that, well, we'll find out now.
37. Brad Miller, Sacramento Kings: Once again, Miller was exceptional until the All-Star break, then his body went into revolt. They need him for the full season.
38. Jamaal Magloire, New Orleans Hornets: Another first-time All-Star, they'll need more from him offensively now that Jamal Mashburn is out for the season. But most believe he has topped out.
39. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs: Like his teammate Parker, he's just keeps getting better. And leading the Argentina to a gold medal only helped his confidence and maturity.
40. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns: The Suns overpaid to get Nash back through free agency, but they needed a leader and he's a great fit. But he has been wearing out the past few seasons and is approaching 31.
41. Richard Jefferson, New Jersey Nets: Lots of people are split on R.J., but he always plays good defense and runs the floor well. He needs to be more dependable on the offensive end.
42. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers: He stunningly exceeded his billing as a rookie, now we'll see what he can do for an encore. Losing Carlos Boozer as a teammate hurts him a lot.
43. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets: Like James, he exceeded expectations, but he has hit a lot more bumps along the way the past year and needs to prove he can handle the responsibility of being the star he professes to be.
44. Latrell Sprewell, Minnesota Timberwolves: Spree proved he's still a big-game player in so many ways during the playoffs, but like his partner Cassell, age is catching up and it's hard to tell how many he has left.
45. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat: Now that he has the Big Diesel in the middle, it should help elevate his game even more. But he still needs to be playing shooting guard instead of the point.
46. Corey Maggette, Los Angeles Clippers: A lot of people might not want to give him his due because he's on the Clippers, but he keeps getting better every season playing next to Brand.
47. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland Cavaliers: Some might put him higher, but for a player of his size and talent, he is too inconsistent, particularly on the defensive end and on the boards.
48. Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns: Another one of the bright young stars in the game, he's only 21, and he will be playing a lot of center instead of forward when the Suns go into their track-team mode.
49. Michael Finley, Dallas Mavericks: He backslid last season, again with injuries. And with the young guys around him, it will be interesting to see what happens to his minutes and productivity.
50. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards: He suffered through an abdominal injury last season, but he truly is on the brink of s om, and with Jamison at forward, it will help.
Also under consideration: Antoine Walker, Atlanta Hawks; Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets; Gary Payton, Boston Celtics; Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks; Al Harrington, Atlanta Hawks; Theo Ratliff, Portland Trail Blazers.
Kahn has to be one of the dumbest sports writers in the world. How on earth did Manu Ginobli become better than Cassell, LeBron, Melo, Wade or Amare. Suddenly Shaq is the best player in the game even though you haven't seen him play this season? These aren't supposed to be predictions, are they?
How in the can Tony Parker be rated higher than Sam-I-Am??? Sam Cassell made Second Team All NBA last year, while Parker hasn't even come close to getting an All Star game sniff.
12. Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets: The only real prototype point guard left, he would be higher were it not for a serious knee surgery.
ouch kidd sure is falling fast
Doesn't really matter if Cassel made an all star team last year. He is talking about the present and Cassel's body is beat down.
Kaster,
Probably when he won an Olympics, leading his team there, while Melo, Lebron, etc. were whining over playing time/buried on Larry's bench...
Always plays good defense? I lost count on how many times he gave up the baseline in Greece, that isn't good defense.. Richard Jefferson, New Jersey Nets: Lots of people are split on R.J., but he always plays good defense and runs the floor well. He needs to be more dependable on the offensive end.
More dependable on offense? Like being able to make something besides a dunk? No ...
i disagree about nash being lower than parker, i think they should both be rated higher than marbury, remeber how parker torched marbury in the playoffs, and i think that Carmello was better last season than Lebron
he played on a team with similar role players in a tougher confrence, made the playoffs , an had more ppg and rpg than lebron.
i was thinking the same thingShaq is the best player in the game even though you haven't seen him play this season?
Ben Wallace is top 10
Shaq has been praised for the kind of player he COULD (or should) be since his career began. It's never been for what he actually DOES on the court, so why shouldn't that apply to preseason rankings as well?
How many times have we heard "When he wants to turn it on, he's unstoppable"?
Shaq HAS been a force in previous years. He earned it IMO. He nearly got the scoring le the year David dropped 70 on the clips, and he beat up the league for a few years there on the way to 3 championships.
Kobe did his part, but Shaq was the central reason they won it all when they did, and the central reason they didn't when they faltered.
His decline was the main reason the Lakers didn't go all the way this year; if he finds the fountain of youth a la 99-00, the league is in a world of pain.
Until his knee goes out :moon
Leading to an Olympic Gold means nothing in the NBA game. A different style of ball.
Must be Rasho and Bowen then that are catapulting the Spurs to the number one spot in the rankings. Either that or Duncan is the greatest player ever.
Yeah it's different, it's better! That's a funny thing to say considering that team USA couldn't win gold. I mean if the USA dominated everyone again you might have a point about NBA ball being a better style, but they didn't win. They were taught a lesson about team work and heart. These are the things I feel are seriously lacking from USA basktball. Gino was one of the BEST players in the Olympics PERIOD. I would have loved to see him play for team USA. He just brought everything they lacked to the table.Leading to an Olympic Gold means nothing in the NBA game. A different style of ball.
But you are right, a gold medal means nothing in an NBA game. The skills to win that medal is what means something.
Useruser666 :eyebrow
Tracy McGrady & Yao Ming...will be the best 1, 2 punch in the NBA...
Funny how nobody sees this coming....
It all will depend on Tracy and his willingness to conform in the "Van Gundy" system. I see it working well early but sooner or later Tracy will show his true colors and become selfish. I just think that last year was very telling and showed alot about his mental makeup and willingness to put his team first. Talented but confused is Mcgrady!
It will be interesting to see how Yao-McGrady pans out. It could be an incredible, lethal combo. Like Coach said, it's pretty dependent on McGrady's willingness to conform.
I never agree with Kahn. This guy is so mixed up I don't even know how he got that job. This list is not even close to right I think I can make a better list than him. I can't believe he has Francis th cancer higher than Bibby a top 5 PG in the league. Francis isn't even a top 10 PG in the league. Not to mention he starts off wrong by putting Shaq at #1. Kahn please step down.
I would also like to add that 10 members of the US Olympic squad are on this list as well, so why would it be so hard for Kevin to believe that Ginobili is actually deserving of credit. He, being the only member of Argentina's squad to make this list was the leader that led his team past the USA (again, with 10 of its members on this list)
I'm pretty excited to see how these two do together. I'm not a rockets fan by any means, but I like both guys, and that's a combo that could last for quite awhileIt will be interesting to see how Yao-McGrady pans out. It could be an incredible, lethal combo. Like Coach said, it's pretty dependent on McGrady's willingness to conform.
Yao/Tmac: Two of the most overrated players in the NBA on the same team. Not good for the Rockets. Nor is it good for the Rockets that they gave away all of their best defenders, except Jackson. My sympathy to Coach Van Gundy.
I've always liked Yao and I think he shows the type of willingness to put team first that could make him very special. The concern I have is McGrady being so dominant with the ball offensively that Yao becomes more of a garbage guy who clogs the lane, defends, rebounds and becomes second fiddle. If given the chance he could be a guy they could run the offense through in time. I think this combination works well early. I can see this becoming a soap opera down the road one day with Tracy crying that Yao and the "Van Gundy" system are holding him back. Either way it will be a great rivalry once again.
It could be great or it could go down in flames....
However in the past 2 superstars who hate each other on a team with no depth be succesful. Houston could be a big player in the future of the league..
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