[valentine]

After I posted the Top 25 post and got negatives…me and a amigo sat down and watch some ball. I asked him a top 10. He asked me for my top 10 right now. I said

James
Bryant
Paul
Wade
Nash
Dirk
Melo
Durant
Roy
Howard

I believed this was the perfect combination of players in the NBA. Other then Durant, each player have 3 or more years of experience. I believe these are the only 10 players in the NBA who if you built around them- You can probably win a championship. There are a 5 who just missed the cut ( Johnson ,Pierce, D.Williams, Duncan and Parker).

What do you think? Am I getting close? Do you agree on my statement?

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I don’t think Howard is a top ten player. He’s not better than Tim Duncan.

[llperez]

my list: (as of right now)

1-Lebron James
2-Kobe Bryant
3-Dwyane Wade
4-Chris Paul
5-Tim Duncan
6-Dirk Nowitzky
7-Brandon Roy
8-Kevin Durant
9-Steve Nash
10-Carmelo Anthony

[rtbtParticipant]

llperez22, that’s a great list!

I’m trying to remember if it was you or tezo83 who liked Greg Oden over Durant as the number one choice. Anyway, I see that you put Durant in your top ten and I’m wondering if you thought Oden would be there if he were healthy.

[Clyde-Glide10]

Right now..Duncan is aging pretty fast although his numbers a good.

[llperez]

i said that at the time of the draft oden should have gone number 1. A dominant big is hard to come by and the injuries were kind of hard to forsee. I have loved durants game since i first saw him in the McDonald’s game and he blew me away. But I also thought oden was gonna be a major difference maker, and a center who can control the paint on both ends, even if they don’t become great offensive players, goes a very long ways in building a title contnder.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I like that list too. I think Melo should be higher. In my opinion, he’s no lower than 5th. I can’t argue with the list though.

That was me who said I’d have taken Oden over Durant with the number one pick. It’s hard to say whether or not Oden would be a top ten player in the league right now IF healthy. He and Durant are in two different situations. Durant was drafted to a team in rebuilding mode. He came in and was instantly the man. Oden came to a team that was on the rise and already had two all-stars in the making. Roy has emerged into a superstar.

I have no doubts in my mind that IF healthy… Oden would be a top 25 player in the NBA though.

[llperez]

duncan is not gonna be top 5 on an mvp list or during an 82 game season, but when he needs to turn it up(playoffs) there is not a big man i would take over duncan. He impacts the game in ways that go beyond the box score.

[rtbtParticipant]

llperez22, so that was you who liked Oden over Durant? By the way, I saw the very same McDonalds game and couldn’t believe how great Durant looked. That’s kind of eerie since I rarely watch those games because they play zero defense.

Anyway, I don’t think you answered my question. If Oden remained healthy, do you think he could make it into your top ten?

[rtbtParticipant]

tezo83, so both of you liked Oden over Durant. Hmmmmmmmm, interesting.

OK, we all seem to agree that Durant belongs in the list of the top ten players in the league. And tezo83, you believe Oden would only be a top 25 player. Does that in any way change your opinion on who Portland should have taken? I’m guessing you still like Oden going number one.

[llperez]

if oden was healthy, no i do not think he would be in my top 10. He would be all-star caliber though. Durant would be ranked higher, but it does not mean that you still necessarily take him over oden assuming oden would be healthy. A big man is harder to come by then a great wing player. Of course, it’s all relevent to who they have around them. Oden would obviously need more help then durant but he could be the differnce between a title or not, assuming you could get a all-star perimiter guy. Meanwhile, there is no gaurantee that durant will ever win in the playoffs without a dominant big. Big men really are that important and harder to come by.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

At the time… I don’t know too many people who didn’t like Oden over Durant. I can almost guarantee you that every GM would’ve selected Oden over Durant. Nobody could forsee Oden’s injuries. That’s something you just can’t predict.

Like I said… Both players got drafted to two different teams headed in two completely directions. If the Blazers would’ve drafted Durant, how do you know he would be a top ten player today considering Roy and Aldridge were already on the team? Roy is a superstar in his own right.

Even though Portland only needed Oden to defend and rebound, I still feel like he’d be a top 25 player IF healthy. If he was drafted to a team where he was the man… Maybe he could be a top ten player. Who knows? It takes bigs a little longer to develop, but I have no doubt that Oden would be one of the top players in the league… Eventually a top ten player.

[rtbtParticipant]

I was one of those guys before the draft who said Portland should take Durant because I always believed he would be the better player in the long run. And that’s my philosophy, go with the better talent as opposed to selecting by position [center].

However, this is one time where I felt the decision was so close there was no clear cut, obvious choice. If Oden was perfectly healthy he may have been just what Portland needed to get over the hump.

But just as you asked if Durant would be a top ten player if he were drafted by Portland, I would ask how or why you are so confident that Oden would become one of the top players in the league if he were healthy. At one time I thought Oden was a future star, but now I’m not so confident about that. At this point in time, no one knows for sure about Oden. I just happen to think Durant was more of a sure fire choice to become an elite player.

That brings me way back to the Bowie vs Jordan choice. I thought that was the classic no brainer, take the elite talent [Jordan] over the position guy [Bowie]. Unlike Oden, who was a big time star at Ohio State, I always felt Sam Bowie was nothing more than a slightly above average center. Even though I had no idea Jordan would become one of the greatest players of all time, I was very confident he would be much better than Sam Bowie.

[seecocoaballParticipant]

Brandon Roy?

[seecocoaballParticipant]

He not better than Joe Johnson.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Lol… So I take it you watched Sam Bowie and Michael Jordan during college? You’re an old guy! I’m going to start saying “yes and no sir” to you lol.

IF healthy… I think Oden would be a top player in the league based on his defensive and rebounding ability. I don’t think he’d be a top offensive player like Durant (Due to Roy, Aldridge and the fact it’s going to take him some time to develop offensively), but his athleticism, power and strength could get him 15 points per game. I think he could be averaging 15 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3 blocks. Add in 60% field goals and 70+% from the free-throw line. I think he’d be in competition with Dwight Howard as the top defensive center in the league.

Not to mention I think he’d have Portland competing for the top spot in the Western conference. I really think Roy, Aldridge and a healthy Oden could compete for a championship in the near future.

[rtbtParticipant]

Putting aside his injuries, it appears as if Oden’s developed a confidence problem in the NBA. He’s a very conscientious guy and I think Oden feels the pressure of performing at a level that merits being the number one choice in the draft. Of course I could be dead wrong on this one but that’s my impression from afar.

And yes, I did watch MJ at North Carolina [LOL].

[llperez]

well, some of those mental weaknesses of oden’s could be accounted towards his injuries. In any case, if you choose durant and we choose oden, right now you would be looking like the smarter gm.

and i do not think joe is better then roy although it is close and I’m a big fan JJ’s.

[quinceyhodges]

most people had oden although i wasn one of them but his injuries was a concern especially with the fact he is a big man and there were reports about constant knee problems. durant is/was the better pick. i said it then i’ll say it now and ill say it years from now with oden healthy or unhealthy. another dc/maryland product

[marcusfizer21Participant]

It’s sad to see Dwight Howard not included in the Top 10. Last yea, he should have been on that list but this year has been so-so… He has been acting like an inconsistent rookie… There will be times where he’ll get 30 and 16 followed by 8 and 9… I agree that he isn’t a Top 10 guy now but I hope to see him get back to where he once was…

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

See… This is why I call you out. You throw out false information just to prove your point. There were never any reports about Oden having “constant knee problems” before his first knee injury in the NBA. He NEVER had knee problems during high school or Ohio State. He’d never even been injured up until he injured his wrist late during his high school career. He’d never missed any games in his playing career until he missed games at Ohio State due to having surgery on his wrist. Once again… I don’t know where you’re getting your information lol.

rtbt… Sir lol… Even though Portland already had two very good young players in Roy and Aldridge, the pressure of the franchise was placed on Oden’s shoulders before he was even drafted. I got to attend an open gym at Lawrence North High School to watch Oden and Lamarcus Aldridge work out and Aldridge kept teasing Oden calling him “franchise”. During open gyms with Portland, Roy said he thought Oden would dominate from day one. Not too long ago, Roy admitted that he probably wouldn’t have developed into an all-star/superstar so fast if Oden had been healthy. The expectations on Oden were enormous. From his peers, teammates and fans.

He was expected to take that franchise to the next level. He was expected to be that once in every generation type big man. He was embraced by a lot of the past greats like Bill Russell, David Robinson and Bill Walton. The expectations were high, but due to injuries… He hasn’t been able to meet those expectations and feels like he let people down. Put ANY young player in Oden’s situation and their confidence would be shook some too. What I see is the fact that his spirits are high and he bounces back. That says something about his character. He’s not sulking, distancing himself from the team and gaining 40 pounds. He’s talking positive and already focused on trying to return this season.

[Toronto16Participant]

Lebron James is NOT better than Kobe.

[the I in winParticipant]

1-Lebron James
2-Kobe Bryant
3-Dwyane Wade
4-Brandon Roy
5-Chris Paul
6-Carmelo Anthony
7-Kevin Durant
8-Deron Williams
9-Dirk Nowitzki
10-Chris Bosh

[knicksfreakParticipant]

How is Brandon Roy the #4 player in the NBA? There is no way. I agree with cocoa that Joe Johnson is a better player than Roy.

1. Lebron
2. Kobe
3. Wade
4. Melo
5. Paul
6. Nowitzki
7. Bosh
8. Johnson
9. Nash
10. Durant

[Clyde-Glide10]

Lebron is better then Kobe

Brandon Roy just made my top 10….he’s overrated on alot of people’s top 10

[JNixonParticipant]

1. Lebron James
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Dwyane Wade
4. Chris Paul
5. Carmelo Anthony
6. Steve Nash
7. Kevin Durant
8. Dwight Howard
9. Brandon Roy
10. Dirk Nowitzki

[MrWoLeeParticipant]

1. LeBron James
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Chris Paul
4. Dwyane Wade
5. Carmelo Anthony
6. Kevin Durant
7. Steve Nash
8. Dirk Nowitzki
9. Dwight Howard
10. Brandon Roy

[Author]

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