[wrectorParticipant]

My friend and I had a debate over which position is most barren of elite talent. He said Center, but I believe its SGs. So we compiled a list of all the elite players for each position, and according to our list SG had less elite talent.

Which position do you believe lacks elite talent?

Also, what SGs or Centers do you consider elite players for their position?

[TyroberParticipant]

Shooting guards for sure imo.

Centers might not have a lot of elite talent, but have quite a few above average talent.
Howard, Gasol, Hibbert, Bogut, Duncan, Horford, Gasol, Nene, McGee, Chandler, Noah, Lopez, Jordan.

Shooting guards have
After Kobe, Wade, and Harden what all do you really have? Joe Johnson, Monta Ellis, Klay Thompson, Iggy? List of shooting guards gets real thin in hurry.

[TyroberParticipant]

Shooting guards for sure imo.

Centers might not have a lot of elite talent, but have quite a few above average talent.
Howard, Gasol, Hibbert, Bogut, Duncan, Horford, Gasol, Nene, McGee, Chandler, Noah, Lopez, Jordan.

Shooting guards have
After Kobe, Wade, and Harden what all do you really have? Joe Johnson, Monta Ellis, Klay Thompson, Iggy? List of shooting guards gets real thin in hurry.

[bennydabullParticipant]

SG depth may not be as bad as you think…

Kobe Bryant
Dwyane Wade
James Harden
Monta Ellis
Joe Johnson
Manu Ginobili
Klay Thompson
Kevin Martin
Jamal Crawford
JR Smith
OJ Mayo
Eric Gordon
Demar Derozan
Arron Afflalo
Wes Matthews

[raybeasParticipant]

of those guys don’t start for their team.

[raybeasParticipant]

of those guys don’t start for their team.

[wrectorParticipant]

To me, an elite player is someone you can build around as the centerfold of your team. Realistically, I see 3 maybe 4 out of that list. Even then…you have Kobe with a ruptured achilles, Wade who is declining and is now facing some sort of issue with his knee, Ginobili is also declining (had the worst fg% of his career, lowest scoring output since his rookie year). Elite SGs are waning in the NBA.

[CAROLINA BLUE NICKParticipant]

I agree. So how many Centers would you consider elite compared to Shooting guards in the NBA?

[wrectorParticipant]

Its difficult to answer because of all of the injuries – so i’ll compare them barring injury

SG
James Harden
Kobe Bryant
Dwyane Wade
Eric Gordon

Center
Brook Lopez
Dwight Howard
Andrew Bynum
DeMarcus Cousins
Roy Hibbert
Greg Monroe
Al Jefferson

I’m sure I’ll catch flak for putting a few of those centers up their, but they could be built around and featured as the centerfold of a team. Some guys I had trouble leaving off the list are Monta Ellis, Andre Iguodala, Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Marc Gasol.

[CAROLINA BLUE NICKParticipant]

I actually like your list, I forgot all about Al Jefferson actually as well. Would you not consider Paul George or Joe Johnson elite?

[wrectorParticipant]

Paul George has been playing SF all year – if he switches back to SG then yes, I would consider him an elite SG. I don’t know how I missed Joe Johnson…that’s another tough one…I think he could be considered elite. Next season will really prove his status though if he can stay healthy, as the Nets will have a year under their belts as a team.

[wrectorParticipant]

Paul George has been playing SF all year – if he switches back to SG then yes, I would consider him an elite SG. I don’t know how I missed Joe Johnson…that’s another tough one…I think he could be considered elite. Next season will really prove his status though if he can stay healthy, as the Nets will have a year under their belts as a team.

[CAROLINA BLUE NICKParticipant]

Valid point on Paul George. I even brought that up in my post about him. I guess we can agree to disagree then lol. I said it was 50/50 in that there are about the same elite Centers as their are shooting guards but I gave the edge to Shooting guards being more elite simply because you find more shooting guards you can build around. Kobe, Wade and Harden have proven that they can lead their teams to the playoffs being the man. Eric Gordon has yet to do that but people still consider him elite. One could argue is has been injury prone but if he can’t play how can you consider him elite? And if Gordon can be considered elite why can’t Monta Ellis or Demar Derozan considered elite? Kevin Martin comes off the bench for the Thunder but so did James Harden. Did that make him less of an elite player when he was with the Thunder? Kevin Martin was the man for the Kings and the Rockets and proved he was one of the best scorers in the NBA. So why can’t he be considered elite? That’s why i said there are more elite shooting guards than their are big men. It takes a special big man to build a team around and there aren’t many in the leauge that you can do that with in my opinion.

[CAROLINA BLUE NICKParticipant]

Valid point on Paul George. I even brought that up in my post about him. I guess we can agree to disagree then lol. I said it was 50/50 in that there are about the same elite Centers as their are shooting guards but I gave the edge to Shooting guards being more elite simply because you find more shooting guards you can build around. Kobe, Wade and Harden have proven that they can lead their teams to the playoffs being the man. Eric Gordon has yet to do that but people still consider him elite. One could argue is has been injury prone but if he can’t play how can you consider him elite? And if Gordon can be considered elite why can’t Monta Ellis or Demar Derozan considered elite? Kevin Martin comes off the bench for the Thunder but so did James Harden. Did that make him less of an elite player when he was with the Thunder? Kevin Martin was the man for the Kings and the Rockets and proved he was one of the best scorers in the NBA. So why can’t he be considered elite? That’s why i said there are more elite shooting guards than their are big men. It takes a special big man to build a team around and there aren’t many in the leauge that you can do that with in my opinion.

[wrectorParticipant]

The only reason I included Eric Gordon was because I said barring injury. I don’t believe he can be elite with all the injury issues. DeMar DeRozan is on the verge of being elite, hes probably one of the most underrated players in the league right now. Monta Ellis was elite 2 years ago, but he’s starting to become a chucker. His percentages have decreased over the past two seasons. Kevin Martin was elite in his prime, and the fact that he is the 6th man for Thunder now doesn’t take away from Harden because they are at two very different points in their career. James Harden was/is blossoming into the best SG in the league while Kevin Martin is coming off of his prime, even though he’s only 30.

[wrectorParticipant]

The only reason I included Eric Gordon was because I said barring injury. I don’t believe he can be elite with all the injury issues. DeMar DeRozan is on the verge of being elite, hes probably one of the most underrated players in the league right now. Monta Ellis was elite 2 years ago, but he’s starting to become a chucker. His percentages have decreased over the past two seasons. Kevin Martin was elite in his prime, and the fact that he is the 6th man for Thunder now doesn’t take away from Harden because they are at two very different points in their career. James Harden was/is blossoming into the best SG in the league while Kevin Martin is coming off of his prime, even though he’s only 30.

[CAROLINA BLUE NICKParticipant]

I actually like your list, I forgot all about Al Jefferson actually as well. Would you not consider Paul George or Joe Johnson elite?

[wrectorParticipant]

Its difficult to answer because of all of the injuries – so i’ll compare them barring injury

SG
James Harden
Kobe Bryant
Dwyane Wade
Eric Gordon

Center
Brook Lopez
Dwight Howard
Andrew Bynum
DeMarcus Cousins
Roy Hibbert
Greg Monroe
Al Jefferson

I’m sure I’ll catch flak for putting a few of those centers up their, but they could be built around and featured as the centerfold of a team. Some guys I had trouble leaving off the list are Monta Ellis, Andre Iguodala, Joakim Noah, Al Horford and Marc Gasol.

[CAROLINA BLUE NICKParticipant]

I agree. So how many Centers would you consider elite compared to Shooting guards in the NBA?

[wrectorParticipant]

To me, an elite player is someone you can build around as the centerfold of your team. Realistically, I see 3 maybe 4 out of that list. Even then…you have Kobe with a ruptured achilles, Wade who is declining and is now facing some sort of issue with his knee, Ginobili is also declining (had the worst fg% of his career, lowest scoring output since his rookie year). Elite SGs are waning in the NBA.

[bennydabullParticipant]

SG depth may not be as bad as you think…

Kobe Bryant
Dwyane Wade
James Harden
Monta Ellis
Joe Johnson
Manu Ginobili
Klay Thompson
Kevin Martin
Jamal Crawford
JR Smith
OJ Mayo
Eric Gordon
Demar Derozan
Arron Afflalo
Wes Matthews

[CAROLINA BLUE NICKParticipant]

Good question. Honestly, I think it’s 50/50 but I will say there are less great big men, than their are shooting guards. The reason I say this is because there are a lot of great athletes at the center position. But being athletic doesn’t mean you are skilled. Like Charles Barkely likes to say ” People are so quick to say oh man that guy can run and jump. Well so can a deer.” You also have a lot of guys that are naturally power forwards, playing the 5 position because of this new “small ball” era. For example, Al Horford to me is a power forward. Even though he plays the 5. Greg Monroe plays the 5 but to me when the Pistons start playing Drummond, he will play the power forward position. Larry Sanders is another guy that plays the center position sometimes for the Bucks due to his defesnive ability but to me he is a power forward. Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett have been playing the Center position for a while now but they are both naturally power forwards as well. Shooting guards main objective is to score. You have point guards that play like two guards but due to their height they are basically forced to play the pg position. Guys that I consider elite for the Center position are in no particular order

1)Dwight Howard
2)Marc Gasol
3)Brooke Lopez
4)Roy Hibbert
5)Andrew Bynum (When Healthy is an elite big man)
6) Demarcus Cousins
7)Joakim Noah

This is my list because from a production standpoint, these big men to me are the best. Some could argue Tyson Chandler but I think Chandler is usually up there by default due to the lack of talented big men. I would be more than happy to have him on my team but I would take those guys over him.

Now for the shooting guard position you have in no particular order

1) Kobe Bryant
2) Dywane Wade
3) James Harden
4) Eric Gordon
5) Paul George ( I think if the Pacers didn’t have Granger, he would be playing the 3. But ever since he has been in the league he has played the 2guard position)
6) Monta Ellis
7) Joe Johnson
8)Demar Derozan
9)Ray Allen (Even though he is getting older and coming off the bench for the Heat, If he was still with the Celtics I still think he would be considered a top 10 shooting guard.)
10)O.J. Mayo
11) Klay Thompson

These are just some shooting guards off the top of my head that I think are all star caliber players. Some have even made the all star team. The big men I listed have as well other than Cousins. I would be interested in seeing who you consider elite bigs to compare our list. A lot of guys that are considered centers I feel wouldn’t play the 5 if there were better big men in the league. So you have a lot of good power forwards playing the center position so it looks like there may be more better bigs than shooting guards. But to me, there are way more better shooting guards than big men. Even the all star ballot took centers off the voting position because there aren’t any good ones lol

[CAROLINA BLUE NICKParticipant]

Good question. Honestly, I think it’s 50/50 but I will say there are less great big men, than their are shooting guards. The reason I say this is because there are a lot of great athletes at the center position. But being athletic doesn’t mean you are skilled. Like Charles Barkely likes to say ” People are so quick to say oh man that guy can run and jump. Well so can a deer.” You also have a lot of guys that are naturally power forwards, playing the 5 position because of this new “small ball” era. For example, Al Horford to me is a power forward. Even though he plays the 5. Greg Monroe plays the 5 but to me when the Pistons start playing Drummond, he will play the power forward position. Larry Sanders is another guy that plays the center position sometimes for the Bucks due to his defesnive ability but to me he is a power forward. Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett have been playing the Center position for a while now but they are both naturally power forwards as well. Shooting guards main objective is to score. You have point guards that play like two guards but due to their height they are basically forced to play the pg position. Guys that I consider elite for the Center position are in no particular order

1)Dwight Howard
2)Marc Gasol
3)Brooke Lopez
4)Roy Hibbert
5)Andrew Bynum (When Healthy is an elite big man)
6) Demarcus Cousins
7)Joakim Noah

This is my list because from a production standpoint, these big men to me are the best. Some could argue Tyson Chandler but I think Chandler is usually up there by default due to the lack of talented big men. I would be more than happy to have him on my team but I would take those guys over him.

Now for the shooting guard position you have in no particular order

1) Kobe Bryant
2) Dywane Wade
3) James Harden
4) Eric Gordon
5) Paul George ( I think if the Pacers didn’t have Granger, he would be playing the 3. But ever since he has been in the league he has played the 2guard position)
6) Monta Ellis
7) Joe Johnson
8)Demar Derozan
9)Ray Allen (Even though he is getting older and coming off the bench for the Heat, If he was still with the Celtics I still think he would be considered a top 10 shooting guard.)
10)O.J. Mayo
11) Klay Thompson

These are just some shooting guards off the top of my head that I think are all star caliber players. Some have even made the all star team. The big men I listed have as well other than Cousins. I would be interested in seeing who you consider elite bigs to compare our list. A lot of guys that are considered centers I feel wouldn’t play the 5 if there were better big men in the league. So you have a lot of good power forwards playing the center position so it looks like there may be more better bigs than shooting guards. But to me, there are way more better shooting guards than big men. Even the all star ballot took centers off the voting position because there aren’t any good ones lol

[BasketballJunkie224Participant]

center position w/o a doubt…..all those guys u named noah,mcgee,horford…are they really elite players? no. SG’s IMO have the most elite talent out of any position

[BasketballJunkie224Participant]

center position w/o a doubt…..all those guys u named noah,mcgee,horford…are they really elite players? no. SG’s IMO have the most elite talent out of any position

[BasketballJunkie224Participant]

besides there are so many tweeners and that makes the SG position expand….the nba is comprised of 3 positions, PG Scorer/Wing, and Big Guy. the scorer/wing can be considered as a 2gaurd in many(not all) but many cases, like if lebron who plays power forward sometimes could be considered a 2gaurd if he shot all the time and based his whole game on scoring. it gets tricky but SG have a lot of depth in the league

[BasketballJunkie224Participant]

besides there are so many tweeners and that makes the SG position expand….the nba is comprised of 3 positions, PG Scorer/Wing, and Big Guy. the scorer/wing can be considered as a 2gaurd in many(not all) but many cases, like if lebron who plays power forward sometimes could be considered a 2gaurd if he shot all the time and based his whole game on scoring. it gets tricky but SG have a lot of depth in the league

[prophetmeirParticipant]

Well the Center position is transforming so people such as kevin garnett and chris bosh could be considered centers at this time. dirk also played center for sometime as well. With taht being said the 2 guard position looks thin

[prophetmeirParticipant]

Well the Center position is transforming so people such as kevin garnett and chris bosh could be considered centers at this time. dirk also played center for sometime as well. With taht being said the 2 guard position looks thin

[kmp07sParticipant]

Center definitely has more depth of talent, while SG still has elite guys that you could consider franchise players.

But after Kobe, Harden, Wade its literally guys that you might not even want on your team.

I mean someone else had Eric Gordon 4th, and as a Hornets fan I hope we trade that guy for anything. In that mix is just a bunch of overpaid guys/guys who don’t really play winning basketball.

So I think C gets the edge in overall talent, but SG still has the elite talent.

[kmp07sParticipant]

Center definitely has more depth of talent, while SG still has elite guys that you could consider franchise players.

But after Kobe, Harden, Wade its literally guys that you might not even want on your team.

I mean someone else had Eric Gordon 4th, and as a Hornets fan I hope we trade that guy for anything. In that mix is just a bunch of overpaid guys/guys who don’t really play winning basketball.

So I think C gets the edge in overall talent, but SG still has the elite talent.

[goldie92689Participant]

Talk to me about Damarcus when he starts shooting .475% from the field, Until then he is an underutilized Box of Tools

[wrectorParticipant]

He was only 1/100 of a percent from attaining that this season. He’s a weekly psychologist visit away from reaching his potential.

[wrectorParticipant]

He was only 1/100 of a percent from attaining that this season. He’s a weekly psychologist visit away from reaching his potential.

[goldie92689Participant]

Talk to me about Damarcus when he starts shooting .475% from the field, Until then he is an underutilized Box of Tools

[Author]

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