NBA positional rankings with explanations

This topic is like beating a dead horse, but with certain players emerging in the playoffs, and others regressing, I wanted to re-address the topic.

PG

1) Chris Paul – still the NBA’s most clutch and competitive point man..Average 20 points, 9 assists, 4 boards, and 3 steals on the year, you didnt realize his #’s were that good did ya?

2) Derrick Rose – his athleticism, explosiveness, and go-to ability in the clutch lands him just barely behind CP3 on my list

3) Deron Williams – D.Will started off the season slow and shooting poorly but his game picked up towards the middle of the year and he began to kill it (21, 9, and 3 for the year)

4) Rajon Rondo – what an unbelievable playmaker for somebody who isnt a consistent shooter…not many impact a game like Rondo can

5) Russell Westbrook – his ability to get to the bucket and finish lands him in the top 5. plus, his competitive spirit is extremely impressive.

honorable mention for top 5: Tony Parker, Steve Nash

SG

1) Kobe Bryant – for a while there I thought D Wade had passed him up but after this phenomenal season for Kobe, after 16 NBA seasons, cant argue that hes still the best SG

2) Dwyane Wade – hasn’t really embraced the role of Robin to bron’s Batman this year. His shooting has been worse than suspect but his ability to still score is hard to argue with

3) Eric Gordon – EG is a beast, and is only turning the corner. Hopefully the Hornets can put some more around him to get him to the playoffs

4) James Harden– I don’t think anyone out there disagrees with the notion that Harden is one of the best and most versatile guards in the NBA…even as a 6th man

5) Joe Johnson– A quiet assassin, Johnson constantly hits big shots in the playoffs, he may not be as athletic anymore but hes a knock down clutch shooter

honorable mention for top 5: Monta Ellis. Manu Ginobili

SF

 1) LeBron James- the game’s best overall player, as evidence with his 3rd MVP, lets see how improved he truly is having to close out Indy without Bosh

2) Kevin Durant- probably the best pure scorer in the league, Durant’s youth and humble way of going about his business makes him so popular

3) Carmelo Anthony – can still absolutely put the ball in the hole and in the right system, is one of the leagues best players

4) Paul Pierce– one of my favorite players, this fearless veteran may not dominate physically but his willingness to compete and ability to hit big shots is unrivaled

5) Andre Iguodala – not a #1 option but he’s one of the top do-it-all type players in the game, and has become the definite leader of a solid playoff team

honorable mention for top 5: Danny Granger, Rudy Gay, Luol Deng

PF

1) Kevin Love – He is an inside/outside threat like we haven’t seen in a long time. You cant average 26, 13, and 2 and not be heavily considered the best at your position

2) LaMarcus Aldridge – Aldridge was an MVP candidate 2 years back, and I imagine had things gone well for Portland this year, he would have been considered again this year

3) Dirk Nowitzki – the best Euro to ever play in the NBA, dirk is still great but averaged less points and boards this year than his career averages

4) Pau Gasol – his heart has to be questioned, but when hes consistent and focused, he can still score with the best of em

5) Blake Griffin – can’t really score besides dunks, put-back dunks, and alley-oop dunks but he still manages 20 and 10 so you can’t really fault him.

honorable mention for top 5: Josh Smith, Chris Bosh, Zach Randolph

C

1) Dwight Howard – Still the game’s elite center. When you have a guy dominant on defense like D12 is, it’s just a pure luxury when he can also get you 21 a game on offense

2) Andrew Bynum – his mindset and mentality are still really controversial to me, his body language and behavior are often questionable but the guy is huge and offensively gifted

3) Kevin Garnett- you may be questioning this, but please dont.. here’s why… he’s 35 years old and in the postseason this year he’s averaging 19.5p, 10.8r, 1.9b, 1.9a and 1.3s

4) Marc Gasol- very skilled big man who brings it night in and night out and provides Memphis with a very reliable center

5) Tim Duncan– thought about putting Hibbert here, but Duncan had better stats, was on a better team and is still a better player so it didnt make any sense

honorable mention for top 5: Al Horford, Roy Hibbert, Marcin Gortat, Tyson Chandler, Al Jefferson, DeMarcus Cousins