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http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...PERDiem-091231
4. Shaquille O'Neal
I have some misgivings about putting him this low because of his astronomic peak value: For the first three years of the decade, he was one of the three greatest players in history. The rest of his decade, however, wasn't nearly as impressive.
He won another championship and made four more All-NBA first teams, but he wasn't as durable (missing at least 15 games six different times) or as consistent (loafing through his last year and a half in Miami) as the other players on this list. He should have been first, in other words, but I can't put him higher than fourth.
Bryant
3. Kobe Bryant
Bryant is unquestionably the most memorable player of this decade, not to mention the most watchable. He's not the best, though. He won one MVP award and four rings, but was only the lead dog on one of the championship teams, and in terms of PER he has more in common with Nowitzki than the other players in the top five.
Though it's been common to hear people say he's the best player in the league, thumb through his résumé and it's hard to pinpoint a single season in which you could prove that was true. Subjectively, one can also say he didn't understand how to constructively channel his insatiable compe iveness until the final two or three years of the decade.
That he outranks Shaq and all but two other players is a testament to his consistency -- including seven top-5 MVP finishes -- and tenacity. Few star guards have defended better, especially in big moments. He made the All-Defense team every year but one.
Garnett
2. Kevin Garnett
Unfairly lampooned for not leading a deeply flawed Minnesota team past the likes of L.A. and San Antonio, Garnett showed what he can do with some better help around him after he was traded to Boston. He led the league in PER in back-to-back seasons in Minnesota, but didn't get a single MVP vote the second year because his supporting cast was so bad.
In Boston, he proved his defensive dominance by leading one of the greatest defensive teams in history to a le. He made the All-Defense team every year of the decade, was a first-team pick eight times and won the defensive player of the year award in 2008; had he been traded to Boston a few years earlier he probably would have won the award a few more times.
Since I presume I'll need to defend this ranking to the larger world, I'll add two more facts. First, it will no doubt shock readers to learn that Garnett's career playoff PER is better than Bryant's and, in fact, ranks in the top 10 in post-merger history; his primary shortcoming in Minnesota wasn't a lack of mettle in the clutch, it was that he couldn't fire Kevin McHale. Second, recall that the one time this decade Garnett and Bryant met as the alpha males on their respective teams, Garnett's side rolled.
Duncan
1. Tim Duncan
Perhaps the unsexiest superstar in league history, Duncan proved monotonously, predictably, devastatingly effective while earning two MVPs, three championships, seven first-team All-NBA selections, seven first-team All-Defense nods, and seven top-5 MVP finishes. He won at least 53 games every year of the decade, and no player this decade won a le with anywhere near as little help as he had in 2003; only one teammate averaged more than a dozen points, 20-year-old Tony Parker at 15.5.
Duncan didn't have any stratospheric seasons, but he consistently played at an MVP level the entire decade. For several players above I recounted how many MVP-contender seasons they had; in Duncan's case, it was all of them. Nobody writes flowing prose about him because of how he played, but there's only one choice for Player of the Decade.
[You can argue about 2-4 but there is NO DOUBT Duncan ruled the decade as not only the best at his position but the best of all.]
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Last edited by Rummpd; 12-31-2009 at 04:38 PM.
+1
Timmy you are the man!
Duncan: Player of the Decade
This seems like a complete no-brainer to me.
I personally think Tim is very sexy
Garnett is ranked too high though. Congratulations, Tim!!!!!!!! (although you really don't care)
Kobe is easily # 2..
Garnett #2? WTH?
LeBron/Wade/Shaq >>>>>> KG
A lot of hate for a player who has averaged 20 pts, 11 rebs, and 4.3 ast over his entire career. Especially since he's a former MVP and the anchor of a championship-level defense.
shaq? duh. lebron? arguable. wade? wth? no!
This is why I love Hollinger and most people hate him..he doesn't try to be like the others..he uses his formula and his advances stats are actually very accurate, especially when it comes to individual players..he admits that PER shortchanges passers(so PGs generally have lower PERs) and he admits that it doesn't really tell you anything about a player's defensive ability..it's a box score stat, and a great one at that IMO..
While I disagree and think Kobe should be the #2 player of the decade, I have to agree that Kevin Garnett at his peak was a better player than Kobe Bryant..
The thing with Kobe that is hilarious..he's maybe the ONLY player that doesn't get as much support from the advanced metrics as other superstars..almost every other top guy in NBA history is supported by regular stats, advanced metrics, AND accolades..Kobe is the ONLY guy off the top of my head that doesn't fit in, which is why you see so many of his fans on stats..well, unless those stats are convenient to help Kobe in an argument, then they'll obviously use them..
Kobe is by far the biggest beneficiary of revisionist history that I've ever seen in ANY sport..I was a ing NBA fan before he hit his prime, I'm pretty sure I remember what was actually happening in the NBA at the time..MOST people thought that Shaq, Duncan and KG were better than him during that time, he really didn't have a great argument..NOW when people talk about, some have the balls to say that Kobe has been the best player in the NBA since the 3-peat years LOL..
his accolades don't support him as player of the decade, the advanced metrics don't support him AT ALL as player of the decade..the only thing he has going for him is the memorable moments factor..that really is the only thing he has going for him in the argument vs. Duncan..
Outstanding post. I couldn't agree more...all I hear now is "Bryant has been considered the best player for years", which is not true. It's like everything that happened between O'Neal leaving the Lakers and Gasol being donated to them has been wiped from the memories of many who cover/follow the league. It's sickening to hear.
Three Championships? (+ 1)
I count four.
Then you'd be wrong.
spur fan is so defensive he's making strawman now.....where has fin ever claimed dirk>duncan?
Take it easy, spur fan.
I get it now, of the 4 little gold trophies I have on my Spurs tribute shelf one doesn't get toasted to tonight during Auld Lang Syne time
The are you talking about. He is the only guy I would let do me with no vaseline
I haven't really ever considered the 2003 le as being one where Tim didn't have much help. Although they were young with Parker, Ginobili, Stephen Jackson, Malik Rose, Devin Brown and Speedy Claxton, they also had David Robinson, Bruce Bowen, Steve Kerr, Danny Ferry, Steve Smith and Kevin Willis. Let's not forget Jimmy Chang and Mengke Bateer!
Just because the averages per game for everyone but Duncan and Parker were fairly low, that team didn't need to score. They held their opponents to .427 FG% and only 90.4 ppg. I realize what Hollinger looks at, so I do understand his slant on it.
i agree his ranked to high, i have him at leasts 3rd of 4th just behind shaq/kobe......only reason KGs stats and per is high, he spent most of his career playin on a 1-man team where he did everything
duncan was the most consistent by far, and did the most with the least help, and came from a 'tiny' market , hated franchise (unlike LA when they are helped along by the league and adored by the media/world, get any free agents they want), so Tim Duncan = MASTER
2000's =
The Duncan Decade
Fitting that it ended with a 30 point beatdown.
Btw, here's the starting lineup for the first game on Jan 4 2000:
Avery Johnson
Mario Elie
Jaren Jackson
Tim Duncan
David Robinson
could you IMAGINE what Duncan could have done had he had lineups/help like kobe's had?? could you IMAGINE if Duncan was a Laker, surrounded by prime Shaq/horry, gasol/bynum/odom/artest ...he would win 68wins a season and 8 straight Championships.
Good read.
They were weak by championship standards though..technically, it would probably be impossible to win a le without a good/great supporting cast..so in comparison to the majority of the le teams in NBA history, it was a weak supporting cast..to be fair, the compe ion was fairly weak as well in comparison..
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