Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 at 11:57 am  |  112 responses

Top 50: Chris Bosh, no. 17

The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players.

by Lang Whitaker | @langwhitaker

I had lunch one afternoon during the NBA Finals with a sports media person who doesn’t primarily follow the NBA. As soon as we sat down, the first thing he asked me was, “What do you think about Chris Bosh?”

Because Chris Bosh stepped forward with Wade and Bron, he was considered part of the Big 3, at least during that introductory press conference/celebration. But Bosh never seemed to fit in, as an aesthetic or as a personality. He hung out in the Hamptons before the season started. He read books in his locker before games. Wade and Bron did their press conferences together, while Bosh went dolo. When the Heat lost a late-season game and Spoelstra said there were tears in the locker room, Bosh was fingered as a likely suspect. When the Heat lost the NBA Finals to the Mavericks, YouTube lit up with videos of Bosh appearing to cry on his way to the locker room.

As the ‘10-11 NBA season moved along, it became apparent that Chris Bosh wasn’t Wilt or Russell. Which we all knew going in, of course. He was always just Chris Bosh, a dude with a nice step-back jumper and a great pump-fake, who played better facing the basket than he did down under the rim. It wasn’t clear exactly what the Heat were looking for when they signed Bosh, but they should’ve known what they were getting: Bosh left Toronto as the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, so he’d done this before.

So I found it somewhat telling that when I sat down for lunch with a person who knows a thing or two about sports, it wasn’t LeBron or Wade or Dirk or Cuban that they asked about, but it was Chris Bosh. My answer to the question? I don’t know Chris Bosh personally, but I like anyone willing to speak their mind, choosing truth, sometimes even to his own detriment. I like people who are so invested in whatever it is they’re doing that they could be driven to tears when they can’t succeed. I like people who seem to be concerned with exercising their minds by doing things like—gasp!—reading.

What we know is this: Bosh will give you about 19 and 8 every night. Yeah, he might have some 1-18 games, but on the whole he usually shoots about 50 percent. He gets to the line a few times, bothers some shots inside, mostly stays out of foul trouble.

And that’s about it. Maybe if Bosh avoided the media at all costs and refused to say anything, we’d think he was just some stoic guy who was consistent and one of the better power forwards in the NBA. Maybe if he hadn’t signed along with LeBron and Wade but had instead showed up a month or so later, we’d think he was a perfectly competent piece of the puzzle for the Heat, but not the post lynchpin some expected him to be. Or perhaps he’s just too honest or willing to reveal too much.

For all as we know about Chris Bosh and who he is, to truly appreciate him, maybe what’s most important is having an understanding of just who Chris Bosh will never be.

SLAMonline Top 50 Players 2011
Rank Player Team Position Pos. Rank
50 Luol Deng Bulls SF 8
49 Andrew Bogut Bucks C 7
48 Ray Allen Celtics SG 9
47 Marc Gasol Grizzlies C 6
46 David West Hornets PF 15
45 Kevin Martin Rockets SG 8
44 Andrew Bynum Lakers C 5
43 Brandon Jennings Bucks PG 11
42 Lamar Odom Lakers PF 14
41 Gerald Wallace Blazers SF 7
40 Brook Lopez Nets C 4
39 Joakim Noah Bulls C 3
38 Carlos Boozer Bulls PF 13
37 Kevin Garnett Celtics PF 12
36 Eric Gordon Clippers SG 7
35 Tony Parker Spurs PG 10
34 Andre Iguodala 76ers SG 6
33 Al Jefferson Jazz PF 11
32 Al Horford Hawks C 2
31 Stephen Curry Warriors PG 9
30 Tim Duncan Spurs PF 10
29 Josh Smith Hawks PF 9
28 Manu Ginobili Spurs SG 5
27 Tyreke Evans Kings PG 8
26 Rudy Gay Grizzlies SF 6
25 John Wall Wizards PG 7
24 Danny Granger Pacers SF 5
23 Monta Ellis Warriors SG 4
22 Joe Johnson Hawks SG 3
21 Paul Pierce Celtics SF 4
20 Steve Nash Suns PG 6
19 Zach Randolph Grizzlies PF 8
18 LaMarcus Aldridge Blazers PF 7
17 Chris Bosh Heat PF 6

Notes
• Rankings are based solely on projected ’11-12 performance.
• Contributors to this list include: Maurice Bobb, Shannon Booher, David Cassilo, Bryan Crawford, Sandy Dover, Adam Figman, Jon Jaques, Eldon Khorshidi, Ryne Nelson, Doobie Okon, Ben Osborne, Quinn Peterson, Dave Schnur, Abe Schwadron, Dan Shapiro, Irv Soonachan, Todd Spehr, Tzvi Twersky, Yaron Weitzman, DeMarco Williams and Ben York.
• Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

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  • Yesse Posted: Oct.12 at 12:03 pm
    Really?

  • UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER Posted: Oct.12 at 12:05 pm
    UH OH. THIS MIGHT BE LIKE AN OLD POST UP COMMENTS SECTION

  • bashmo Posted: Oct.12 at 12:07 pm
    I think Chris Bosh played excellently last season considering that he plays with Lebron James and Dwyane Wade, and shot around 50 percent from the field. Less touches obviously means less points. Man is still a hell of a ball player and has time to improve still.

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.12 at 12:08 pm
    18n9 as a 3rd wheel …as the main guy he would avg no worst than 22 n 10 with the same shootin percentages …he would have more victories than Griffin,Westbrook,or Love as the franchise player ..so u can make a case he too low

  • UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER Posted: Oct.12 at 12:09 pm
    HE DOES NEED TO GET THE BALL A LITTLE MORE.

  • dev0 Posted: Oct.12 at 12:11 pm
    That’s right. People give him flack, but I’d take him back in Toronto any day. His footwork is incredible for a big man and he stretches the defense to allow Wade and LeBron to do their thing in the lane and get to the rim. He’s more valuable than most people think; look at this as evidence – http://www.82games.com/1011/ROLRTG5.HTM

  • niQ Posted: Oct.12 at 12:14 pm
    I know I already said this but, Blake Griffin made one hell of a leap into the standings…

  • lawlow Posted: Oct.12 at 12:15 pm
    better than Z-bo and L.A?? no freakin way

  • Marx Posted: Oct.12 at 12:17 pm
    The write up is dead on. As someone that dreads through Raptors seasons every single year, he has never changed to be honest. Outside of scoring and putting a lil bit of muscle going into the 2009 season he aint changing. He is good and at times a game changer but for the most part a second level all-star. he will never be voted in by fans as a all star and will never honestly be consistently be “the guy”. he gets you a few wins but never a title. But with that i think that at times he was underutilized in Miami and spo needs to check out some old Raps tapes. to rely and Bosh to rebound all the time is friggin stupid and they need to invest in a rebounder/low-post scoring to right the ship

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.12 at 12:27 pm
    Wow.
    Kevin Love better not be on this list AT ALL.
    No way he’s better than Randolph, Aldridge OR Bosh.
    Seriously!

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 12:29 pm
    Told you Slam would have him as a top 5 PF. smh

  • Showtime Posted: Oct.12 at 12:33 pm
    I still take bosh over love…and also no playing d-fence or rebounding amare. He top 15 to me.. He not better than Dirk but him and gasol is neck and neck with that face up finesse game.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 12:38 pm
    CB’s better than LA but not better than ZBo.
    Let’s start with LA. CB’s a better rebounder, better defender, better scorer, slightly better mid-range shooter and better from the line while LA’s a better low-post player and more durable.
    This list confuses me. It states that “rankings are based solely on projected ’11-12 performance”. If that’s the case, why is CB ranked ahead of two players that are go-to guys on their respective teams and will undoubtedly have better numbers than him?

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 12:43 pm
    I know Gasol struggled in the Playoffs but he’s still better than Amare/Bosh/BGriff. Add that to the fact of a new coach emphasizing more of an inside-out game for the Lakers, I could see him improving on his ’10-11 season (as long as Kobe’s on board).

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 12:43 pm
    Aldridge is a better defender. I don’t see how anyone thinks Zach Randolph is better then Aldridge, someone needs to explain that to me. Doesn’t make any sense at all.

  • Showtime Posted: Oct.12 at 12:53 pm
    Most people are using the rule of eye.. they really didnt see the work of LA , he’s that quiet 23 & 10. And with all the noise memphis made in the playoffs, so that why they perceive him to be better cause he was the face of the griz when rudy got hurt and out played an aged tim duncan and probably the 3rd best front court defense in OKC.. but he not better list should have been. 1.Dirk.2.gasol.3 Bosh 4.LA.5. Griffin 6.Zack 7.Love 8. Amare

  • chingy Posted: Oct.12 at 12:55 pm
    Z-Bo should be higher than both of LA and Bosh. And K-Love should be below all three. And I’d put Griff just ahead of K-Love behind these three guys. Rmb Griff has done it for a year only. Guys will start to get familiar with his game and adjust and play to his weaknesses. Let’s see how he does before we appoint him the best thing since toilet paper.

  • chingy Posted: Oct.12 at 12:57 pm
    Showtime, OKC with the 3rd best front court defense? What’s the other two?

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 1:00 pm
    Milwaukee, Chicago, LA & Boston all played better D in the front court. (Yes even Boston, without Perkins) Ibaka is a great help defender, great. But he is just average on the ball. Perkins knees were shot last season, gotta give him credit for even playing, but he was anything but an elite defender.

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.12 at 1:02 pm
    @Chingy – probably Chicago and Boston.

  • Showtime Posted: Oct.12 at 1:07 pm
    Umh yea 4 got about Milwaukee, but yeah chicago and the L.A. but i wouldnt put boston Aged Garnett and hobbled J Onealor kristic vs Ibaka and Hobbled perkins , i just got with the younger Garnett still does his thing but eeeh i see why u can go that way.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 1:08 pm
    nbk, apart from defense and mid-range, what other areas is LA better than ZBo in? ZBo’s a superior rebounder, scorer,and low-post threat. They are equals in terms of efficiency and getting to the line.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 1:14 pm
    How is ZBo a superior scorer? They score at the same rate, with the same %.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 1:19 pm
    The difference between the 2 in terms of effectiveness is purely defensive. Each team (Memphis & Portland) are reliant on having each player in the game on offense. 7 less points per 48 minutes without Zbo, and 9 points less per 48 minutes without Aldridge. But defensively, the Grizzlies are actually .1 Point Per 48 minutes better without Randolph, while the Blazers are 6.0 Points Per 48 minutes worse without Aldridge on defense. That’s a 7 point swing per 48 minutes without Randolph for Memphis and a 15 (do you see that big giant number) point swing for Portland without Aldridge.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 1:24 pm
    Because he’s avg. around 21ppg for the past 5 seasons and avg. close to 24ppg in 06/07 while this is LA’s first season avg. 20+ppg. I know he’s been playing next to BRoy for the past few season but facts is still facts. ZBo’s a better scorer (I didn’t say superior, that was for his rebounding).

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 1:28 pm
    No Zach Randolph is a more accomplished scorer. Aldridge just averaged 21.8 a game for 81 games, Randolph has topped that number just once, 5 years ago. Aldridge is getting BETTER, Randolph at best, is not getting any worse. This is a projection for next season, not a lifetime achievement list.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 1:30 pm
    Everyone agrees that LA’s the better defender, so what are you arguing about? When I mentioned “efficiency”, it was strictly on the offensive end.

  • BAWSE Posted: Oct.12 at 1:30 pm
    ZBO is lower than Chris Bosh? Are you serious. This man sucks. He was with a Toronto team and couldnt make the EASTERN CONFERENCE playoffs the past year with Dwade single handly leading his last place Heat team ( the previous year) to the playoffs. Chris Bosh is the true version of a numbers guy. Very rarely have I seen him dominate. He SHOULD NOT BE A TOP 20 PLAYER. Slam dropped the ball on this! Game 6 the third best player on the team in the 4th quarter was Chalmers after D wade and Haslem ( Lebron chocked and hid along with Chris Bosh). Chris Bosh is just a above average jump shooting big man who isnt a major factor.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 1:34 pm
    Of course LA has a higher PPG avg because he took damn near 2 more shots from the field than ZBo. Portland offense revolves around LA while ZBo has a little more competition for touches in Memphis (Gay/Gasol/Mayo/Conley).

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 1:37 pm
    Outside of Offensive Rebounding Rate their offensive efficiency is the exact same.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 1:38 pm
    Per Minute they score at the exact same rate as well. on the exact same amount of shots. (15.9 Per 36 minutes for Aldridge, 15.8 Per 36 Minutes for Randolph)

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 1:39 pm
    You do know that Wade had 17pts in GM6, 1 less than Mario Chalmers?

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 1:43 pm
    Please, don’t go the Lakeshow route and start using those “per 36min” stats to validate your point, please! LA played 3more mins, so of course his FGA will be similar to ZBo’s (who played 36mpg) in a “Per 36min” context.

  • MUBWAR Posted: Oct.12 at 1:44 pm
    wooow really? love is then zbo la n bosh? okkkk

  • SwissArmyKnife5 Posted: Oct.12 at 1:46 pm
    Z-Bo is a better than LA it’s not even close. I want somebody to name me one post player that can guard Zach…Take your time not going happen dude is a monster. I think he gets knocked because of his past, but all I know is Z-BO gave everyone one he played the blues in the playoffs. LA doesn’t come close to rebounding like Zach, and I’m not even going waste my tiime explaining why he’s better than Bosh.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 1:47 pm
    I used there actual numbers but you brought up that Aldridge shoots more shots….which is only because of the minutes he played. You can’t discount PER 36 minute numbers if you are going to speak out against Aldridge’s 2 more shot attempts per game. He plays 3 more minutes. Pick one or the other man. Either way, Aldridge is literally identically productive on offense, and way way way better on defense. (He is a better defender then Bosh as well, that’s what I was originally saying)

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 1:47 pm
    nbk, that’s why I said they are “equals” in terms of efficiency.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 1:49 pm
    offensively they are equals in everything but rebound rate.

  • SwissArmyKnife5 Posted: Oct.12 at 1:51 pm
    Zach tells Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka that they can get the bozack as he wheels and deals on ‘em so nasty that their teammate, Kevin Durant, is left with the clear idea that Zach’s the best power forward in the League (KD’s words, not mine…well, my words, too). I guess Kevin Durant saying that you’re the best means nothing right. I don’t here any stars saying that about LA, or Bosh.

  • SwissArmyKnife5 Posted: Oct.12 at 1:54 pm
    Zach is one of maybe 10 NBA players who can go into Unstoppable Mode. He’s got more moves down low than any player in the game and the featheriest touch at the cup, to boot. Plus he can J you from 18 to 22 feet. Yeah, that’s unfair. He renders squads helpless. AND he’s getting those huge mitts on a slew balls that clang off the rim. KLove? Please. KLove couldn’t wash Zach’s jock strap. In fact, while we’re at it, Chris Bosh and LaMarcus Aldridge can hop in the backseat, too. Zach’s more unstoppable and he’s not soft. Blake Griffin? That’s a joke, right? One day, sure. Right now, the young fella’s game is Similac and you know Zach’s is straight Remy. Check his head-to-heads with Love, Aldridge, Griffin and Bosh. They don’t want it with Zach. They know that. He knows that. Do you know that? Hey SLAM you said it best.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 1:55 pm
    KD hadn’t played Dirk the playoffs yet. Or Bosh, KG, Duncan, Stoudemire, Griffin, or Love. All the other top 10 PF’s in the NBA. He has only played Pau Gasol outside of Randolph, and Gasol crushed the Thunder.

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.12 at 2:03 pm
    ZBo better to me on Offense …based on when he gets it goin my team gon be n fair trouble …he gon demand the ball each time down ..we have to double n so on …Aldridge if he havin a big game cuz he makin ALOT of jumpers he dont have enuff fear factor for me…but he did step up his inside game last yr though

  • For Real Posted: Oct.12 at 2:04 pm
    What?!?!?
    All I have to say is this article is more about feeling sorry for Bosh than it is his talent, he is not better than the last 3 PF’s.

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.12 at 2:04 pm
    foul not fair…smh

  • Allenp Posted: Oct.12 at 2:30 pm
    Nobody is upset with how Amare is ranked? I mean, honestly that is as puzzling as the Kevin Love stuff to me.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 2:33 pm
    me 2, but I’m waitin to go off on Amar’e's page. He’s a knick now, lots of crazies probably going to be on that post talking about how he is the king of the world. So ya know, I’m lookin forward to that argument.

  • Armando Posted: Oct.12 at 2:36 pm
    OK… the “better as the main guy” argument has its flaws. Bosh was better as the main man on the Raps than Love as the main man on the Wolves… but who are the other players on those teams? I’d say any of the Raptors teams sans Bosh would’ve whupped ’10-’11 wolves ass… But it’s close between these PFs anyway… Bosh is a funny dude, soft but nonetheless a good player. Suitable 3rd wheel. IMO Aldridge will be a better player next season. @Swiss, I partially agree with you… but name one post player Randolph can guard (I know, but I just had to)… No 1 is Dirk, 2-7 is close. I’ve said Griffin, Gasol, LA, Amar’e, Z-Bo, Love, Bosh, in that order before (Griffin because he might blow up Karl Malone in NBA-Jam style and put up crazy stats as EG improves and the clips go sth like 41-41).

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.12 at 2:37 pm
    To me, Amare being ranked this high is not nearly as crazy as Kevin Love.
    That is just bananas to me, that a cat who can’t lead his team to 25 wins is somehow a top 5 PF and at least a top 16 player in the NBA.

  • LakeShow Posted: Oct.12 at 2:41 pm
    I would take K-Love over Amare…
    1.Dirk
    2.Pau
    3.Z-Bo
    4.LA
    5.Bosh
    6.Love
    7.Amare
    IMO

  • Showtime Posted: Oct.12 at 2:48 pm
    From the way the list is shaping up .In the top 10 they’res 3.Sf>Lebron>KD>Mello They’re 2.Pg Cp3>Rose They’re 2. Sg wade>kobe One Center Dhoward and 2.Pf Dirk>Gasol. So the next group is steady diet of Pf and Pgs. me thinks griffin will be way to high 11. as well as Amare probably 14. Love probaly go 15 i thinking next spot is westbrooks or rondo.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 2:53 pm
    I’ll tell y’all, Slam put DRose at 12 last season and I didn’t think he deserved it. They gonna put Blake Griffin in a similar spot, and a lotta people are gonna trip. But he might actually outplay that spot, if Rose is any indication.

  • SwissArmyKnife5 Posted: Oct.12 at 2:59 pm
    @Armando lol you’re right Z-BO can’t guard anybody bro, but he’s a monster on offense.

  • LakeShow Posted: Oct.12 at 3:06 pm
    I’m not mad where ever SLAM puts Griffin. Kids a straight up beast. Deserves what ever spot out side the top 10 they give him.

  • niQ Posted: Oct.12 at 3:12 pm
    @nbk, if Griffin starts blocking shots on the regular then I’ll be a true believer!

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 3:21 pm
    Lakeshow, you tripping. Amare is a terrible defender but he’s better than KLove. Apart from rebounding, Amare is better at everything else. It’s not even close between the two. Amare at least kept the Knicks in the playoff picture while KLove’s Wolves have been in the cellar longer than a bottle of 1811 Chateau d’Yquem.

  • LakeShow Posted: Oct.12 at 3:37 pm
    K-Love grabs twice as many boards as Amare. He is a better passer. Better shooter. Slightly worse defender. I stick by my answer. Amare has gone down in my books every year for the last 3. Ya’ll are just sooo shocked by these PF rankings. We do realize that the talent gap is not large at all between LA, Z-Bo, Amare, Bosh, Love. It’s more a matter of preference at this point. Tell me why Amare is better? He scores a couple more points and blocks a shot or two more a game. Fantastic. I’ll take Love by a smidge.

  • Slick Ric Posted: Oct.12 at 3:55 pm
    Chris bosh is better than z-bo,lamarcus and Love, Lamarcus is starting to become vastly overrated by the people, he had a nice year last year and probably should of been a all-star but he wasnt that damn good.

  • Caboose Posted: Oct.12 at 3:57 pm
    Lets recap: Randolph and Aldridge are both better than Bosh. In between ZBo and LA, it’s a toss-up, take either the matchup problem or the defender. Bosh is better than Love. Love’s stats are inflated and Bosh’s are depressed. Defense is the difference. In short, Slam’s rankings are wrong.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 4:10 pm
    KLove is not a slightly worse defender, he’s a vastly worse defender. At least STAT attempts to challenge shots unlike Love who rather give up an open shot to grab a rebound. He’s a better shooter from deep but Amare’s the better mid-range shooter and better finisher.
    Switch Love with Amare and I guarantee the Wolves win more than 17gms.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 4:16 pm
    I wouldn’t call Amar’e a vastly better defender then Love. Amar’e tries to get help side blocks to the detriment of his team. Its why he is the heavy minute big who gave up 31 and 31 & 33 and 15 to Kevin Love. Kevin Love also went for 23 and 22 in 30 minutes against the Knicks 2 years ago.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 4:18 pm
    The anecdote about 2 years ago was against the Suns* my bad. Was just showing Love always dominates against Stoudemire

  • chingy Posted: Oct.12 at 4:23 pm
    STAT is way too high on this list. He and Zbo are the same in terms of all offense, little to no defense. And you can argue Zbo’s offense is better than Amare’s.

  • chingy Posted: Oct.12 at 4:24 pm
    About the KLove vs Amare…part of playing defense is also rebounding. And KLove >>>> Amare on the boards.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 4:30 pm
    When you’re a vastly better defender than Love that means you’re still a bad defender. Both guys are terrible defender, so I don’t even know why we are arguing about defense when it comes to Amare/Love.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 4:48 pm
    hahaha valid

  • jarrett Posted: Oct.12 at 5:16 pm
    Wow Slam… huge letdown with these power foward rankings. Bosh over LA at ZBo ??? Cmon Man. Kevin Love better than All three?? Yo Slam, pass me whatever your smokin

  • unf*ckwitable Posted: Oct.12 at 5:17 pm
    Cosign Enigmatic at 12.27

  • jarrett Posted: Oct.12 at 5:19 pm
    LakeShow, you’re out you mind too homie. When Kevin Love shows up on an MVP list, then he can be considered better than Amare

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Oct.12 at 6:01 pm
    Forget Chris Bosh, Blake Griffin is in no way, shape or form, better than Zach Randolph and Lamarcus Aldridge this point in their careers. Ridiculous hype. He had a great rookie campaign but his team record shows he is still miles behind LA and ZBo.

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.12 at 6:06 pm
    No, his team record shows the Clippers are miles behind the Blazers and Grizzlies.

  • what Posted: Oct.12 at 6:08 pm
    Z-Bo as the #1 option just took his team one round farther than Bosh ever did as the #1 option. Z-Bo > Bosh

  • ai come back Posted: Oct.12 at 6:32 pm
    thank you teddy the bear how is noone else realizing that blake griffin is ending up ridiculously high

  • Armando Posted: Oct.12 at 6:46 pm
    @Teddy. I wouldn’t say miles behind. I still think Griffin will have a monster year and that the clips will improve vastly. They have a nice core of players. Last season, yes Randolph was arguably the third (maybe even the second) best four in the league, and he, not LA, was the worst snub at the ASG. That being said, as good as Randolph is on O, he’s worse than Nash on D, Tony, Shane and to a certain degree Marc masks his flaws somewhat which has taken away some of the focus on that end. And although he’s “the man” on a good team, it is just that, a good team. He has been the man before, but he has never had this good teammates. I agree that Love is too high, and probably Amar’e as well. The remaining 16 predicted:
    16. Love (too high)
    15. Westbrook
    14. Rondo
    13. Stoudemire (too high)
    12. Gasol
    11. Griffin
    10. Williams
    9. Anthony
    8. Paul
    7. Rose (top 7 are close)
    6. Durant
    5. Bryant
    4. Nowitzki (why should he start regressing now, after his best season, arguably no 1. at the moment, and might just belong anywhere from 1-8 come june).
    3. Wade
    2. Howard
    1. James (I don’t like it, but I think he’ll end up at no. 1, and that he might back it up as well… I’m a Kobe guy)

  • Shifty Posted: Oct.12 at 6:50 pm
    This whole list is f@#ked, no way is chris bosh in the top 20, same with K Love and blake should of been around 20th or something, LA id better then Z Bo in terms of the all round stats he fills out but Z Bo is a beast in the post and clearly everyone at Slam has been under the influence of something while writing top 25

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.12 at 6:57 pm
    Oh man, if Kobe doesn’t make the top 3 all the Kobe stans are gonna go nucking futs!
    Should be fun!

  • Slick Ric Posted: Oct.12 at 6:58 pm
    1.Dirk
    2.Amare
    3.Pau
    4.Griffin
    5.Bosh
    6.Zach
    7.LA
    8.Love
    9.who cares

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 7:00 pm
    Zbo was only the #1 option because Rudy Gay got hurt.

  • Megatron Posted: Oct.12 at 7:00 pm
    what??? how the eff is kevin love better than bosh, LA, and Z-bo ??? insane!

  • MUBWAR Posted: Oct.12 at 7:02 pm
    well he should’t enigmatic. James is 1 fallowed closely by Wade, Durant and Howard. Kobe deserves number 5 this upcoming season. no hate

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 7:09 pm
    but there will be. I bet even more of the Kobe love – list hate is going to come in the LeBron thread, or even Wade. Sh*t happens every year.

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.12 at 7:12 pm
    I can’t wait for Rose to come up just so I can see how many peeps changed their tunes from last year and how many will still be singing “overrated”.
    Personally, long as he’s top 10 and a top 3 PG I really don’t care where he falls.

  • Off The Backboard Posted: Oct.12 at 7:12 pm
    Based on playoff performance, Bosh fits in well at 17. He played very well in the Finals and was the second best player for the Heat when they needed him the most, which is not something I can say for their other newly acquired franchise player.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 7:42 pm
    Bosh was the second best player in every series but Philadelphia. You can’t say that about retained players on the Heat either.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 7:44 pm
    The heat don’t sniff the Finals without “their other newly acquired franchise player”. So there you have it.
    BGriff deserves all the hype he’s getting and then some. When was the last time a rookie forced coaches to stay up late at night to adjust their defensive gameplan. He basically dominated without understanding the nuances and mental aspects of the game yet he was the only player in the L to avg. 22/12/4.
    He’s a better individual player than LA/Love/ZBo/CB in his first season. Scary ish.

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.12 at 7:54 pm
    Among active NBA players, probably only Tim Duncan had a more dominant rookie season than Blake Griffin did.

  • T-Money Posted: Oct.12 at 8:01 pm
    Others have said it already but really not feeling the rankings for KLove and STAT.

  • Allenp Posted: Oct.12 at 8:21 pm
    He wasn’t a real rookie!
    Lol

  • Everynowhere Posted: Oct.12 at 8:39 pm
    klove is not better than bosh now but the list is projecting on who will have the better season. blake griffin is a beast, wait till he gets a consistent jump shot (sounds like the argument for lebron i know). kobe should be 4-7 and not ahead of durant. <— I'm not a kobe hater. i have nothing but respect for what he has done in his career. he's about to enter his 16th season with a resume that nearly every player would be envious of. However he's also too old, and no amount miracle treatments can turn him into his former self.

  • DukeFromDeep Posted: Oct.12 at 8:56 pm
    Thank-you Jtaylor. What is all the hate on Griff? Seriously, I was a Clipper hater too, but then League Pass showed me that Gordon/Griffin and Jordan can actually ball. I saw them beat LA LAKERS/Heat/Bulls/Spurs. Griffin is only a rook but what is his ceiling? Kid has game. Nice looking jay, good feet on the block, athletic, rebounds and did I say DUNKS, man, kid is the best I have ever seen. Clipps to make the playoff this year!

  • Off The Backboard Posted: Oct.12 at 9:11 pm
    @JT – Sure, but they don’t sniff the Finals without Wade either – it events out. However, when all 3 were needed in the Finals, only two of the Big 3 showed up.

  • Off The Backboard Posted: Oct.12 at 9:11 pm
    *evens out

  • Off The Backboard Posted: Oct.12 at 9:12 pm
    And BG is the real deal. I would already chose him over CB any day.

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.12 at 9:23 pm
    Actually, they did. Wade struggled just as bad as (Bron in the Finals) vs the Bulls in the ECF, they only difference being Bron/Bosh were able to finish the deal vs CHI while Wade/CB failed to vs DAL.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 9:29 pm
    ^ Truth

  • nbk Posted: Oct.12 at 9:42 pm
    yeah cosign AllenP. Life is a lot different when your a millionaire paid full-time to take care of your body and get better at basketball, then it is at any point before that. Griffin should not have been even eligible for rookie of the year imo

  • Heals Posted: Oct.12 at 11:45 pm
    Wow Rajon and KLOve in the top 16, didn’t see that coming til a couple days ago. Crazy how we all watch the same game (some teams more than others), but see players much differently…

  • JD Posted: Oct.13 at 12:01 am
    aww man – u can’t tell me that Bosh is ahead of LMA -_-

  • KH10 Posted: Oct.13 at 1:45 am
    I’ve got a lot of respect for Lang, but this is a terrible article and a terrible spot for Bosh.

  • Joey E. Posted: Oct.13 at 1:45 am
    i think slam is going to have dirk ahead of kobe

  • KH10 Posted: Oct.13 at 4:37 am
    My favorite thing about the top 50 is that it makes no sense, I mean that in a good way.

  • stayweird38 Posted: Oct.13 at 8:10 am
    Damn AMARE STAT is gunna be 16 haha watch but its all good as long as MELO AND DROSE are ahead of QUEEN JAMES ! HAHA

  • stayweird38 Posted: Oct.13 at 8:41 am
    1 DERRICK ROSE
    2 MELO
    3 KOBE
    4 DWAYNE WADE
    5 KEVIN DURANT
    6 DWIGHT HOWARD
    7 LEQUEEN JAMES
    8 DIRK
    9 Chris Paul
    10 AMARE STAT
    11 BLAKE GRIFFIN
    12 RAJON RONDO
    13 WHITE TRASH DERON WILLIAMS
    14 PAU WEAK BOY GASOL
    15 LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE
    16 KEVIN LOVE

  • stayweird38 Posted: Oct.13 at 8:49 am
    REALISTICALLY REALISTICALLY REALISTICALLY
    1 KOBE
    2 LEQUEEN JAMES
    3 DWAYNE WADE
    4 DERRICK ROSE
    5 DWIGHT HOWARD
    6 MELO
    7 DIRK
    8 KEVIN DURANT
    9 CHRIS PAUL
    10 RAJON ROND
    11 AMARE STAT
    12 WHITE TRASH DERON WILLIAMS

  • Max Posted: Oct.13 at 11:10 am
    No way KLove and Stat are better than ZBo LA, or even BO$H!

  • Jer Dawg Posted: Oct.13 at 11:58 pm
    Hmm… Interesting. I always thought Chris Bosh is incredibly skilled. He’s under utilized in Miami because of those two ball hogs and he’s just kind of not used properly. Although I really thought him being a 3rd fiddle would just be great. Play his arse off on D, drop a few 15 foot Js, plenty of lobs, and lots of wins. This past season I really saw him as a guy that needs to touch the ball a lot. Which shouldn’t be his role on this team. Playing off the ball with no pressure is a really easy way to play hoops. Pass, move, and shot. But, everyone is different.

  • Ra Posted: Oct.14 at 2:48 pm
    bosh sucks

  • Rainman Posted: Oct.14 at 7:43 pm
    *shouldnt have been ranked ahead of Steve Nash* *shouldnt have been in the top 20, ahead of Aldridge and Z-Bo* i thought this list was about a players talent AND his value to a team? he’s a 3rd string player on his team, ur telling me he’s more valuable than the guys listed above to their teams? u gotta be kidding me…

  • Rainman Posted: Oct.14 at 7:48 pm
    btw im From Toronto, i’ve watched him his whole career, he’s a 22 and 10 guy, but he’s not a winner, he’s not a leader at all, he’s a better fit as a number 2 guy, but too good to be a number 3 guy, which is why he lost a bit of respect from me, cuz didnt he say “why cant i be the main guy on the team?” during free agency? then went on to be a 3rd wheel… again, in terms of value and skills both, gimme Nash ahead on this list, Aldridge ahead on this list, and Randolph ahead on this list.

  • Rainman Posted: Oct.14 at 7:50 pm
    hmm maybe not ALdrige now that i think about it…they’re really neck in neck, but Aldridge can lead a team, clealry as he’s proven, so nvm, Aldridge>Bosh.

  • dinosaurs Posted: Oct.15 at 5:35 pm
    this is a terrible write up. he is 17 on the list, and being discussed with almost comic disregard for anything that he does well (better then 33 names so far). it sounds like you are writing about a rookie bust while trying to lightly applaud his quiet side. terrible

  • the bugg Posted: Oct.17 at 1:10 am
    how can you justify having him ahead of randolph and aldridge? or anyone else on the list for that matter?

  • 3kings Posted: Oct.30 at 12:49 am
    hes been a 20 10 player and will continue to be. good player hands down

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