2013-14 NBA Player Rankings

[mugiwara]

BEST NBA POINT GUARDS
1) Chris Paul
2) Russell Westbrook
3) Derrick Rose *Depending if he comes back as expected
4) Deron Williams
5) Kyrie Irving

first poster to not put Curry in the top 5

[Nero Tulip]

first poster to not put Curry in the top 5

He also didn't put Parker, who should probably be number 1 at this point. Best mix of skills, athleticism and decision making of any point guard.

[BlackWhiteGreen]

first poster to not put Curry in the top 5

I think the rest of those players have an argument over Curry though, it's not like he's a top 5 lock.

[Doranku]

2013-14 NBA Player Rankings

Rank the top 5 players at each position. And add a comment about each player. Remember, don't just rank players based on last season. Think of this upcoming season. Some players got older. Some got healthier. Some changed teams for the better (or worse). Etc. And remember, offense is only half the game. Defense matters. If you want to rank more than 5 guys for some/all positions, go for it.

BEST NBA POINT GUARDS
1) Russell Westbrook - most dynamic scorer, most heart, insane athleticism. Obviously, his decision making is questionable but if I'm in a playoff series and I'm looking for a PG, I want this guy every day of the week.
2) Chris Paul - honestly might drop down to third after Curry. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now but if he isn't able to lead this Clippers team to the WCF finals, I don't see any argument for him over guys like Westbrook and Curry.
3) Steph Curry - extremely efficient and explosive scorer, had a huge breaking out party in the playoffs last year. I expect him to continue in riding that wave and improving other areas such as his defense and ballhandling/playmaking
4) Kyrie Irving - insane handles and clutch play for a kid his age. It's unfortunate that Bynum will likely never suit up for this Cavs team because if he was healthy, I could see Kyrie taking this team to the next level.
5) Derrick Rose - no idea how he will be after returning from his injury, but I'll be generous and put him here at #5. Lost a lot of respect for the guy over the course of last season, but if he can come back and play close to 2011 form, all will be forgiven.

BEST NBA SHOOTING GUARDS
1) Kobe Bryant - even with the Achilles injury, I'm very confident that Kobe will again be the best SG in the league next year. Dude is a warrior, and with the new way that the surgery is done it seems like a re-injury is very unlikely. Hell, dude might even benefit from the extra rest that he'll have gotten in the off-season.
2) James Harden - I expect he'll face some growing pains with Dwight. Dwight's attitude along with the fact that their games don't really fit together all that well make it very likely that they'll experience some stumbling early on. Still, though, I don't see how Wade can beat out Harden for the #2 spot with all of his nagging, lingering injuries that will probably plague him the rest of his career.
3) Dwyane Wade - pretty much 3rd by default as there is a huge drop-off in SGs after the top 3. I expect more injuries, more games being missed, and another lost step from Wade next season. His reckless play early on in his career is catching up to him.
4) Klay Thompson - again, huge drop-off from the top 3. However, with the Warriors getting another year of experience under their belt along with adding another great perimeter player in Iguodala, I can see Thompson flourishing in Mark Jackson's offense.
5) Ellis - With Ellis playing alongside Dirk, I can see him having a reemergence of sort. He was ho-hum with the Bucks, but that was probably a result of playing with another chucker in Jennings. Then again, he could also be OJ Mayo 2.0 for the Mavericks and suck dick, who knows. Slim pickings at the SG spot in today's game..

BEST NBA SMALL FORWARDS
1) LeBron James - no explanation needed
2) Kevin Durant - will continue to live in LeBron's shadow. Very unfortunate for him having his prime coincide with LeBron's, but hopefully he takes a different approach this year than he did last year. He needs to stop trying to model his game after best buddy LeBron and focus on what he's best at: scoring the basketball. Let Westbrook handle the all-around play.
3) Carmelo Anthony - I think he's better than people on this site give him credit for, but he really needs to step it up as a playmaker. Just watching the Knicks is brutal; their entire offense is literally a Melo or JR iso. For the most part, though, he plays well against his superiors.. he just needs to find a way to utilize the rest of his team effectively. Not all his fault, obviously. Those guys need to take it upon themselves to improve.
4) Paul George - I really don't see the hype in this guy. Can't see him ever passing either Bron, Durant, or Melo. I know he's young, but I think he's already peaked. Don't see him improving much from last year. I expect to see more improvement from guys like Stephenson and Hibbert.
5) Iguodala - I think he fits with this young Golden State team incredibly well. Curry will get him some easy buckets, and his perimeter defense will be a great addition for the Warriors. I expect one of Iggy's best seasons this year from an efficiency/impact standpoint.

BEST NBA POWER FORWARDS
1) LaMarcus Aldridge - The Blazers have improved their roster quite a bit in the off-season, and I see LA having a huge season next to an improved Lillard. Dude has all the offensive tools to be a stud at the PF position, however he does need to work on his rebounding and toughness.
2) Pau Gasol - Like someone else said, I see Pau Gasol having a big year. With no Howard (or any other big men for that matter), Pau will be able to exclusively go to work on the low block where he is best at. He was phenomenal at the end of last year after returning from injury, and I think he'll be even better after having a long off-season to rehab and get healthy.
3) Dirk Nowitzki - Another PF with an improved team that I see working to his advantage. We all know what Dirk is capable of, and if he's healthy this year, I can see him bouncing back after an injury-plagued 2013 and returning as one of the top PFs in the league. Really interested to see how him and Ellis coexist together.
4) Zach Randolph - More based on merit than anything. Dude got exposed big time last year against the Spurs. Just doesn't seem to have the maturity required in order to fully utilize his talents. Timmy D and the Spurs defense gave him fits and it was hard to watch how visibly frustrated he was during that series. Hard to think anything maturity-wise changes in the upcoming year given how many years he's already been in the league.
5) Kevin Love/Blake Griffin - Wouldn't have a problem with either one here. Both put up empty/hollow stats and play no defense. They know how to fill up a box score sheet, though.

BEST NBA CENTERS
1) Marc Gasol - Probably the only big man in the league who has a refined offensive game coupled with elite defense besides Duncan. Also a great passer. He has improved every year so far with the Grizzlies, and I expect that trend to continue.
2) Timmy Duncan - the old man still has it as he proved last season. I think he's going to come back next year with a vengeance after missing that point blank shot to tie the game in Game 7. The motivation will definitely be there, and even despite his age, a motivated Timmy D is still one of the best big men in the game today.
3) Dwight Howard - as I mentioned earlier, there will be growing pains in Houston for both Dwight and Harden. And with Dwight, who really knows what you're going to get? A bad start to the season could spell doom for the Rockets given how sensitive and defensive Howard gets with the media.
4) Joakim Noah - Noah was fantastic last year in Rose's absence. Assuming that he is healthy next season, I could easily see him overtaking Dwight for the #3 spot with his intensity, defense, and added opportunities that Rose will create for him.
5) Roy Hibbert - Dude showed signs of being great against the Heat last year. Big body, superb ability to catch, turn, and finish down low in traffic, and his defense is only improving with experience. Another center who has the potential move up in the rankings past a guy like Dwight.

[Sakkreth]

This is getting ridiculous with ignoring of TP... At this point I'd put him number 1. ISH always underrated him, but this is getting rather disrispectful.

[Da KO King]

So no one is going to list Rajon Rondo?

[FatComputerNerd]

So no one is going to list Rajon Rondo?

He has become ridiculously underrated. I said the same thing in another thread where people were ranking PG's recently.

[chips93]

there are too many good pgs, so a bunch get 'underrated'

really the depth of the position is underrated

its no insult, to say a guy is only the 8th best pg in the league, he could still be a top 25 player

[andremiller07]

there are too many good pgs, so a bunch get 'underrated'

really the depth of the position is underrated

its no insult, to say a guy is only the 8th best pg in the league, he could still be a top 25 player

This being a average PG right now in the NBA, pretty much means your an above average player overall. The position is just insanely stacked and the top 5 and top 10 change after every game pretty much.

[Bigsmoke]

Curry might fvck around and be #1

I would take him over Westbrook actually.

[kkb_12]

Power Forwards:

1] David West
2] Dirk Nowitzki
3] LaMarcus Aldridge
4] Chris Bosh
5] Kevin Garnett

[The JKidd Kid]

PG
Paul- Best PG in the league
Westbrook- Great all around PG, will only improve
Williams- People just don't want to accept that he's back
Rose- Hopefully he stays healthy, he's here
Curry- I expect him to improve his assist numbers now that Jack is gone

SG
Kobe- Still best SG
Wade- Another player people are hoping will drop off
Harden- Overrated, but SG is shallow
Iggy- Jack of all trades
Johnson- Great all around SG with size

SF
Lebron- Obvious
Durant- Obvious
Melo: 3rd or 4th best scorer in the league
George- Great defender and rebounder but inconsistent on offense
Peirce- One of the most versatile players in the league

PF
Kevin Love- Stretches floor, good post game, tenacious rebounder
Smith- Best defender, ball handler and passer at the position
Aldridge- Great pick and pop and post game
Garnett- GOAT defensive anchor and great post game and jumper
Randolph- Great post game and rebounder

C
Howard- Obvious
Gasol- Great defender, post game, passer and jump shot
Duncan- Great defender and post game
Hibbert- Same as Duncan
Noah- Great rebounder, defender and passer

[HarryCallahan]

BEST NBA POINT GUARDS
1) Tony Parker
2) Derrick Rose
3) Russell Westbrook
4) Steph Curry
5) Kyrie Irving

BEST NBA SHOOTING GUARDS
1) James Harden
2) Kobe Bryant
3) Dwayne Wade
4) Joe Johnson
5) Danny Green

BEST NBA SMALL FORWARDS
1) LeBron James
2) Kevin Durant
3) Carmelo Anthony
4) Paul George
5) Paul Pierce

BEST NBA POWER FORWARDS
1) Tim Duncan
2) Dirk Nowitzki
3) Lamarcus Aldridge
4) Kevin Garnett
5) David West

BEST NBA CENTERS
1) Marc Gasol
2) Andrew Bogut
3) Joakim Noah
4) Dwight Howard
5) Roy Hibbert

[Wavves]

BEST NBA POINT GUARDS
1) Chris Paul
2) Tony Parker
3) Russell Westbrook
4) Derrick Rose
5) Steph Curry

BEST NBA SHOOTING GUARDS
1) Kobe Bryant
2) James Harden
3) Dwayne Wade
4) Joe Johnson
5) Andre Iguodala

BEST NBA SMALL FORWARDS
1) LeBron James
2) Kevin Durant
3) Carmelo Anthony
4) Paul George
5) Paul Pierce

BEST NBA POWER FORWARDS
1) Lamarcus Aldridge
2) Dirk Nowitzki
3) Blake Griffin
4) Kevin Garnett
5) Kevin Love

BEST NBA CENTERS
1) Dwight Howard
2) Tim Duncan
3) Marc Gasol
4) Joakim Noah
5) Roy Hibbert

[Grinder]

My rankings are based on who I think will be the best this year.

BEST NBA POINT GUARDS
1) Chris Paul
2) Tony Parker
3) Rajon Rondo
4) Derrick Rose
5) Russell Westbrook

BEST NBA SHOOTING GUARDS
1) James Harden
2) Dwyane Wade
3) Kobe Bryant
4) Joe Johnson
5) Bradley Beal

BEST NBA SMALL FORWARDS
1) LeBron James
2) Kevin Durant
3) Carmelo Anthony
4) Paul George
5) Andre Iguodala

BEST NBA POWER FORWARDS
1) Kevin Love
2) Dirk Nowitzki
3) Blake Griffin
4) Chris Bosh
5) Lamarcus Aldridge

BEST NBA CENTERS
1) Dwight Howard
2) Tim Duncan
3) Marc Gasol
4) Pau Gasol
5) Joakim Noah

- That PG position was tough. Leaving out Deron, Irving, Curry, and Wall shows you how stacked that position is right now.

- We need more star SGs to come through the pipeline ASAP.

- Watching Paul Pierce last season was painful at times.

- I think Kevin Love is in for a big season IF he's finally healthy.

- Demarcus Cousins is my darkhorse pick to break out this season.