September 1, 2008 8:00 am  |  155 Comments

SLAMonline Top 50: Kevin Martin, no. 49

The definitive ranking of the best players in the NBA today…

by Emry DowningHall

Quick question for you: What do Glen Robinson and Kevin Martin have in common?

Robinson’s career is generally remembered for questionable shot selection and a basic lack of interest in the defensive stance, so fans of Martin may be thinking, “not much.”

However, both Martin and Robinson are guilty of snatching a nickname that was already established for another player in the League.

In Robinson’s case, the victim was the tinted shades wearing, box out machine, Antoine Carr, also known as the original Big Dog. Though Carr was a 16-year vet, his lack of status prohibited him from putting up too much of a fight for the moniker.

Martin’s case is a little different. To my knowledge he doesn’t refer to himself as “K-Mart,” but the fact that his first name begins with a K, and his last name starts off with Mart, the situation is somewhat unavoidable for the catch phrase obsessed sports fan.

This was first brought to my attention by a SLAMonline reader who commented on one of my fantasy columns, asking if it was fair to refer to Kevin Martin as K-Mart, since Kenyon is now a shadow of his former self.

Look, if you feel compelled to compare guys to bargain department stores, be my guest, but I’m not recommending it. Kevin Martin deserves better.

Though the name David Thorpe might not jump off the page, he’s very well respected in the professional basketball community. Thorpe is the executive director of pro training at IMG Academies in Florida. One of his first clients was Kevin Martin, who started training with him after his sophomore season at Western Carolina. Thorpe’s business is basketball, and he’s on record saying Martin is by far the hardest working athlete he’s ever been around.

A lot is made about the way Kevin Martin shoots the rock. For a pure shooter, Martin’s stroke is truly unorthodox, and while you wont see him endorsing any Better Basketball videos – somewhere JJ Reddick exhales – you can’t argue with the results -24 points per game, 86% free throw, 40% 3-pointers last season.

Out of high school Martin was largely ignored by college coaches who figured his slim build would prevent him from making an impact on the next level. Martin attended Western Carolina where he went on to become the fourth leading scorer in school history. The Kings hoped to boost their offensive punch, and took-on Martin in 2004 with the 26th pick in the draft.

Martin has always been extremely thin. He’s listed at 6 foot 7 inches and 185 pounds, making him susceptible to blowing away during high winds. However, just like Kevin Durant at no. 50 on this list, Martin’s max bench press fails to define his basketball ability.

His selection as the 49th player on SLAMonline’s Top 50 is a result of his lethal scoring ability, and his potential as an elite swingman in the NBA. Though getting buckets comes naturally to Martin, describing him as a guy concerned with scoring 30 every night would be inaccurate. His shots come within the offense, and his scoring ability is super efficient.

At times I feel like NBA public relations officials go out of their way to paint guys as model citizens or overall just good people. In the case of Kevin Martin, it seems to be real talk. And while his humble demeanor wont shoot him up this list, his outstanding commitment to improving his game will. Though I’m comfortable with his selection at no. 49, I doubt he would be, and he might put up 500 extra shots today as a result.

Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

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This story is filed under: Blogs, I Say Butter, You Say Parquet, NBA, SLAMonline Top 50

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  • Gerard Himself Posted: Sep.1 at 8:09 am
    Kevin Martin should be in this year’s 3-point competition, dag nabbit. Where was he last year?

  • BOOGIEMAN Posted: Sep.1 at 8:10 am
    FIRST

  • Boing Dynasty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:15 am
    Watching Kevin Martin Shoot 3’s is like watching white people dance.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:17 am
    @Gerard-nope. Wouldn’t mind seeing him though. Kevin Martin! Yeh, I agree with this. thorough stuff Emry, nice work on the fantasy as well btw.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:18 am
    gross Boing. really inappropriate. Worse than Dwight or Chuck Hayes shoot freebies? Shaq has some obscure gracefulness to his work at least.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:22 am
    Thing is with Kevin, he’s not a fully fledged star but he’s going to be the man now that Artest is here in Houston. He’ll ( in my books) always be like Monta Ellis in their star(iness). Martin is just below that Iggy, Rip Hamilton level of ’star’ for me. Just an opinion though.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:23 am
    http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/08/the_large_hadron_collider.html this is what the USA should be building. Coool. But we’re all going to die. Damn frogs.

  • Moose Posted: Sep.1 at 8:23 am
    Are they just gonna reveal one at a time every three days?

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 8:25 am
    he can ball and just flat off drop off on you. He deserved to be #49. Lang, please put Wallace somewhere on the list.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:28 am
    Yeh thats injustice if Gerald Wallace isn’t on the list. Doubt they’ll let us know anyways BET. wow that got moderated pretty quick. thanks :)

  • andrew Posted: Sep.1 at 8:30 am
    Hot dang. I wish I had a girlfriend so I wouldn’t be sitting around waiting for slamonline updates. Actually, I do have a girlfriend. And I’m still here.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 8:33 am
    I just linked to SLAM TOP 50 post from Nov 22 2006. Godamm!!! sorry but some of these pics were whack! 30. Kirk Hinrich, 38. Sam Cassell ! 49. Darko Milicic !!!!!! and you guys had bargani at 46, one ahead of smooth

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:34 am
    Well, I’ve been told by a higher authority that Yao Ming will be no.6 so thats that. Antione Carr was good for that one game for Utah against the Bulls in 97/8. He had something like 14 points and a few boards backing up Karl Malone. Greg Ostertag was playing as well lol.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 8:37 am
    girlfriends are overrated, they want you to take them out and pay for everything, then say you ain’t do anything for them. Girls i gone out with have been more of a bitch than melo,put em in the traffic i say

  • James The Baller Posted: Sep.1 at 8:37 am
    I agree with Money lol that sh1t is terrible. Kobe number 1, paul 2 … Lebronze 7 or 8 i was thinking?

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:39 am
    Money, not sure whether you were aware but Hinrich was pretty good entering the 06-7 season and Cassell had just been mr. big balls for the clippers in the 2nd round against the suns so he was on top of his game. Darko was a mistake though. Josh Smith was a highlight factory ( and it was entering just his third year) he didnt have a jumper ( he still doesn’t really) or multiple dimensions to his game apart from athletic ability, also, the Hawks sucked. Really badly.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 8:40 am
    yeah they wont let us know but if it doesnt happen i will be angry.

  • Gerard Himself Posted: Sep.1 at 8:41 am
    Are people still calling LeBron LeBronze? Weird.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:42 am
    Nah LeBron could be no. 1 this year I think considering that Kobe has help on the Lakers this year and Bron is just so damn good. But Kobe, LeBron, Paul will be the order. Wade shouldn’t be top 5 purely because the Heat suck and he hasnt played full strength in the NBA for over a year. Olympics be damned.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 8:42 am
    Hurst, i was aware hinrich was good, but still not that good. you are possibly right bout cassel but smooth was still better than bargani

  • Allep Posted: Sep.1 at 8:42 am
    The most underrated part of Kevin Martin’s game is his ability to get to the free throw line. With blazing speed or a crazy handle, Martin has developed a knack for initiating contact on his drives through body leans and slight feints. Corey Maggette has a similar talent, but his is almost built on brute physical ability. Martin, on the other hand, just has a great sense of angles and how to get other players our of position so they are forced to foul. Plus, he sells all contact.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:45 am
    kinda like a Manu mixed with a Barbossa then. Is that supposed to be Allenp? Bargnani should NOT be there though.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 8:45 am
    Calling him LeGold sounds like he is a european chocolate bar

  • James The Baller Posted: Sep.1 at 8:46 am
    Bronze Bronze hopefully isnt number one but considering how much SLAM rides his jock.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:47 am
    He was 19. Give it a rest. He’s won 2 more olympic medals than you or I ever will.

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 8:48 am
    Interesting rank for him, i see him slightly higher because of his ability to score a bunch of points from allover the court. Guess he doesn’t really make his teammates better, but he’ll get there. Martin always reminds me of Ellis from Golden State, same physique, similar blazing speed, same knack for the spectacular point (although Ellis is the way better dunker).

  • James The Baller Posted: Sep.1 at 8:51 am
    i might get a couple

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:51 am
    Same as what I said saber…

  • James The Baller Posted: Sep.1 at 8:51 am
    :D

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 8:54 am
    @Hursty. You think we are gonna die cause of the hadron collider under Switzerland/France? Hmm, colliding particles etc. and creating forces unknown by simulating black holes and lord knows what, ON THE PLANET…. Yeah i’d say the poop is about to hit the fan. Ah well, at least we’ll finally understand the beginning of creation…before we end it. Why the hell am i living in Switzerland right now?

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 8:55 am
    Hursty, sorry man, didn’t read all your comments before posting mine on K-Martin. Consider my comments redundant.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:55 am
    In what event/sport James?

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:58 am
    No, its better that you said that on your own. It doesn’t mean Im on my own opinion wise and that we agree without having to just read someone else’s comment and go ‘ Hey, I’ll earn internet brownie points by saying this’ or whatever. RE: the Hadron Collider, we are all fu*ked though. You do realise this?

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 8:59 am
    proper fu*ked. It’s like Oppenheimer times a million.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 9:00 am
    Just reading some of the comments on the site below the picture though is hilarious. And they have crossed wires on the first photo about 9 O’Clock. Oops.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 9:00 am
    darksaber,you do any skiing over there?

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 9:01 am
    OK fellas have a good one. Im out.

  • James The Baller Posted: Sep.1 at 9:02 am
    In basketball my son

  • James The Baller Posted: Sep.1 at 9:02 am
    peace hursty

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:02 am
    Any Einstein’s or experts in the field of physiques commenting here today? Someone please explain to me why not much is being written about the dangers of Franco/Swiss scientists messing with the sheer fabric of existence? Can they really truly create a controllable black hole etc?

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 9:02 am
    Money, you really should check the link, friggin amazing.

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:03 am
    Hi Money. Naah, i tried when i got here, but moved quickly over to snowboarding. Can’t say i’m an expert though.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 9:03 am
    what link?

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:04 am
    Oh jeez, i misspelled “physics”. Lame-o.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 9:04 am
    @Saber- absoultely fu*king not. The French built Frankenstein and the US copied it. Same as Pineapple Express. Anyways, Im out for good this time. I think :)

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 9:04 am
    where abouts do you go, ima mad keen freeskiier

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 9:05 am
    The one around comment 10 Money.

  • James The Baller Posted: Sep.1 at 9:08 am
    is that sh1t real?

  • James The Baller Posted: Sep.1 at 9:09 am
    In lamens terms, what is it going to do?

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:12 am
    Money, i’m a big fan of the Davoser Slopes. And there’s a lovely small resort area not about an hour from where i live called “Mälchseefrutt”. 3, 4 slopes, not too difficult, lots of possibilities to go off the ski slopses for some freeriding. But really, with a good winter, the whole country has enough great slopes to discover.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 9:12 am
    create a black hole and the world should collapse on itself

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:13 am
    James the Balla: Teddy-The-Bear isnt here, so you might not want to post till it comes so you can make love to it via posting.

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:14 am
    Oh and Ryne (and Lang)… sorry for drifting off topic to comment on particle accelerators and Snowboarding. i’ll get back to the topic at hand eh? That Kevin Martin sure can take a beating in the Nba. what with him being skinny and so on…har har har

  • scott Posted: Sep.1 at 9:14 am
    Personally I think this is a bit low for Martin. I got him at #39 on my list. Martin is the most valuable player on Sacramento now that Ron Ron is in Houston. There is no way there is 48 players better then Martin in the league. I am appalled!

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 9:14 am
    you ever been to verbier, i am thinking of doing a season there in my uni break

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:16 am
    scott, your list sucked

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:18 am
    Money, i haven’t actually, but student colleagues of mine used to love going there, especially the girls. Go check it out.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 9:18 am
    scott, he might be number 1 in sactown but there are still easily 48 players better than him

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 9:18 am
    Rip a hole in the universe. At least, theres a 0.001% chance of that occuring. Yes it’s real. Look at the bottom picture and you realise how fu*king huge it is. There are other projects going on around the world, but people dont tend to draw attention to the end of the world. But really, its expected to slow time or something because the particles of the atoms are colliding at horrendous speeds ( something like 5 trillion times the speed of light). The problem is that they dont know WHAT is going to happen and there are varying degrees of success. Look at the cog thing as one of the last pictures. Its a fraction of only one stage. There are over 200 buildings devoted entirely to that construction and the major ‘thing’ is over 27 km ( 17 miles long) and goes in a circle to create some suction pull for the beams to ‘move’. Thats about all I know anyways.
    But you wanna know whats the most fu*ked up thing is? The cost so far is 18 BILLION EURO’S and thats double what they thought it would be and that number is expected to TRIPLE by projects end. Anyways, 18 billion Euro’s is the equivalent of 10 days of the USA’s occupation in Iraq alone.

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:20 am
    :-) 10 DAYS? Surely you jest, Hursty.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 9:21 am
    Im out for good this time. I’ve already hijacked this post by Emry for long enough.

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:23 am
    Hmm can’t remember filling out my tax forms these last few years and seeing a “would you like us to use some of your hard earned money to build the ultimate DOOMSDAY machine for you, sir” box to be checked on it? 18 Billion! Damn. So if there’s an official one going on, you bet the US/Russians/japanese are working in secret on their (probably weopanized) version.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 9:24 am
    i thought u were out, dont you have school tommorrow

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:24 am
    But an interesting hijack it was, bye Hursty.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:26 am
    48 players better than Kevin Martin in no particular order: Paul Pierce, Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace, KG, Ray Allen, Zytrunus Illalskus (the tall white guy in Clevland), Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Micheal Redd, Hedo Turkologo, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson, Micheal Beasly, Kevin Durant, Shawn Marion, Derrick Rose, Steve Nash, Amare Stodumire, Allen Iverson, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Elton Brand, Shaq, Yao, Andrew Bogut, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Manu Ginobilli, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Stephen Jackson, Jamal Crawlford, Tyson Chandler, Rudy Gay, Andre Igudalla, Chris Bosh, Jermaine O’Neal, Al Jefferson, Andre Miller.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:27 am
    also i put Kevin Durant on their by mistake, so i guess either David Lee, Jeff Green or Emeka Okafor could take his place

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:27 am
    oh and one last off note topic, ENTOURAGE IS COMING BACK IN A WEEK. LET’S HUG IT OUT, BIAATCHES! So that’s it, back to the NBA.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 9:28 am
    I do Money. Im leaving now. :) But really, 18 billion does seem too high. Someone needs to check that and PLEASE prove me wrong. PLEASE. Peace.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:28 am
    and Hursty, if the world ends i would have already done everything and everyone on my ‘to do’ list so i could care less.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:30 am
    have fun doing whatever it is you do hursty. My people of the great land of america have the day off (Labor Day!!!!!!!!!!)

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 9:30 am
    go with Lee

  • scott Posted: Sep.1 at 9:30 am
    BETCATS & Money why no love for Martin? Just because his game isn’t pretty doesn’t mean Martin isn’t effective or valuable to his team.

  • scott Posted: Sep.1 at 9:32 am
    BETCATS Jeff Green or David Lee better then Kevin Martin. You are a funny man.

  • Matt Caputo Posted: Sep.1 at 9:32 am
    He can flat out score and thats what counts in the L. Emry, call me when you get a chance.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 9:32 am
    Scott, i think he is a great player, but like BET just showed you, there are 48 better players than him in the L atm

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:34 am
    david lee is far better than kevin martin

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:34 am
    jeff green maYBE not

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:35 am
    Personally i think we David Lee has the potential to be better, or let’s say more important to a team than Kevin. You know he has serious talent, and heart, but sadly with “he who shall not be named or acknowledged” yanking his minutes around in NYC these past few seasons, we haven’t gotten to see his breakout season yet.

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 9:35 am
    wouldnt say far better, they play diff positions but when Lee gets his this year, they will be on par

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:40 am
    whenever lee was given a chance, he delivered. All Kevin does is score. Lee is a scorer, rebounder, defender of the paint, and heart & hustle. Watch that tip in v. my Bobcats, he is clutch too.

  • Allenp Posted: Sep.1 at 9:41 am
    David Lee isn’t even close to kevin martin. Call me when he actually develops a midrange jumpshot or post moves and decides that defense isn’t something he’s allergic to.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:42 am
    kevin martin’s grandpa just past away. You need to type http://www. for the link to work.
    zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080901/OBITUARIES/809010337

  • Darksaber Posted: Sep.1 at 9:43 am
    Yeah, that tip in over G-Wallace was sweet. absolutely no time left on the clock and he outjumped one of the best leapers in the league for the buzzer beater. Great move (and kinda lucky too, but hey, that’s sports.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:43 am
    AllenP must never have seen David Lee play.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:44 am
    zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080901/OBITUARIES/809010337 RIP Kevin Martin’s grandpa died today.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 9:44 am
    you need to type in http://www. for the link to work

  • Bdubbz Posted: Sep.1 at 10:07 am
    david lee is all about defense you idiot

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 10:14 am
    yeah Bdubbz is right but that issue has been resolved.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 10:15 am
    alright fam i got things to do and girls to do so i will return later

  • Majic Posted: Sep.1 at 10:22 am
    Thats my sac kings right there, kev’s a top notch player deserves to be higher in this list and will be

  • Majic Posted: Sep.1 at 10:23 am
    Thats my sac kings right there, kev’s a top notch player deserves to be higher in this list and will be in the future

  • Emry DowningHall Posted: Sep.1 at 10:51 am
    Thanks for the feedback fellas. I could see Martin a bit higher if you consider his scoring ability to be truly elite. He could also be lower if you plug in that he plays in SAC and may never make an All-Star game… though I think he will at some point. When I was researching the article it was crazy how many stories came up about Martin being a good guy. I had heard David Thorpe gushing about him for years now but it really went far beyond that…

  • Simone Lawy Posted: Sep.1 at 10:58 am
    1= kobe , 2=cp3 , 3=kg , 4=lbj … … getting help doesn’t mean you’re not a good player, jordan get’s lot of help from pippen and rodman, and he still remain on top, Lbj still has a long way to go…

  • Allenp Posted: Sep.1 at 11:00 am
    I’ve seen David Lee regularly get abused in the post and consistently get into foul trouble tryhing to play post defense. I think he was only second to Eddy Curry as far as fouls per game last year, and Curry’s numbers were inflated by his offensive fouls. I notice none of you disputed my comments about Lee’s lack of an offensive game besides putbacks and hustle points. Why, after three or four years in the league, hasn’t Lee developed either a dependable post move or a mid range jumper? Those are your options as an NBA power forward, you need one of those two things. YOu all are mistaking hustle for good defense. Lee consistently is out of position on rotations and regularly fouls to make up for this. Kevin Martin has a complete offensive game that and can get to the free throw line nearly 10 times per game. He needs some work on this handle, but has already shown the ability to work well off of screens and take advantage of mismatches. Not to mention he shots from range and is very good finisher. David shouldn’t even be in this discussion and the fact that he is shows that either Slam readers are poor assessors of basketball skills, or have fallen victim to “Hustling White Guy” blindness. Either one could be true.

  • matt the jazz fan Posted: Sep.1 at 11:37 am
    cosign allenp also david lee gets the benefit of the “only person trying hard ont he knicks” vote

  • matt the jazz fan Posted: Sep.1 at 11:38 am
    “on the” knicks works better

  • scott Posted: Sep.1 at 12:08 pm
    Kevin Martin reminds me of a young Reggie Miller.

  • AB_40 Posted: Sep.1 at 12:27 pm
    26 or 27 points p game this season. and reggie miller was just nasty he had an attitude I don’t see that with kevin martin

  • Thomas Posted: Sep.1 at 12:41 pm
    I don’t like him but I’m not gonna say that he isn’t a good player. I just think he gets penalized because he plays for a horrible Sacramento team.

  • Joel O's Posted: Sep.1 at 12:54 pm
    Martin’s gonna turn out all right. But the success of the Kings over the next coupla years is gonna dictate how we remember him. If they can revive the franchise and somehow compete in the West, he’ll get the chance to show just how good he is and the Reggie comparisons will make sense. But if the Kings suck for the next decade and he keeps putting up those numbers, he’ll just become this millennium’s version of Mitch Richmond.

  • Joel O's Posted: Sep.1 at 12:57 pm
    Actually the Kings have a very good young backcourt, if they keep em together another year of two they’re fine in that department. But their frontline is horrible, old and slow.

  • DP Posted: Sep.1 at 1:33 pm
    I think a lot of this ranking has to do with the fact that Kevin was injured for a bit of the season. the stats do not lie and 24 a game I know was top ten in the L last year. But he needs to better other parts of his game like defense and getting people involved. This is his team and like Joel said how the Kings do the next couple of seasons will show what kind of player Martin really is. I like his game though and I like the selection. Two Kevins in a row that can score more than a mothalover but need to improve in everything else. play wit it.

  • H to the Izzo Posted: Sep.1 at 1:37 pm
    “Hustling White Guy Blindness”=Bullsh*t.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 1:38 pm
    dp: has that hurricane gustav messed you up yet?

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 1:39 pm
    Joel: spencer hawes would beg to differ.

  • H to the Izzo Posted: Sep.1 at 1:40 pm
    BET:Just on the ‘old’ part,that is.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 1:43 pm
    exactly. but i am still searching for the white spencer hawes

  • Tyler Posted: Sep.1 at 1:54 pm
    This list is terrible! 1st=Antoine Walker, 2nd=Erik Dampier, 3rd=Shane Battier. Lebron and Kobe belong in the 20’s at least. hahahaha.

  • DP Posted: Sep.1 at 2:05 pm
    Naw BET, we chillin right now. But everybody and they mama from New Orleans to the Gulf Coast is coming down to Jackson and renting the hotels out. Yesterday some lady from the NO came in Kroger and stole some pampers for a little kid that was rocking some damn Jordan XX3. Now if they can afford the J’s, why take the pampers away? stupid sh*t. Uh oh, spoke too soon, winds are starting to blow. Is my power bout to go?

  • DP Posted: Sep.1 at 2:06 pm
    What’s up with this Spencer Hawes obession? Will he be top 50 potential by the end of the season? I think Donte Greene has a better shot at that one.

  • DP Posted: Sep.1 at 2:09 pm
    I guess we won’t start busting heads until we get into the top 30.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 2:12 pm
    i love spencer hawes because he is the player least deserving of a roster spot (besides Aaron Gray) and least deserving of being a 1st round pick in the past. So i am looking for the ‘whiter’ less atheletic, slower, clumsier version.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 2:14 pm
    this is 100% of topic but i got a Knicks UNK fitted hat yesterday. it has the Knicks logo everywhere. And it was made by UNK (that brand everybody wore in like 05) so i am going to bring sexy back, and it was $2!!

  • Teddy-the-Bear Posted: Sep.1 at 3:32 pm
    @ BETCATS: Shut up about Gerald Wallace already. Him better than Kevin Durant and/or Kevin Martin? You’ve got to be kidding, son. He will NOT make top 50, and if he does, it will have been a non-sober mistake. No player from the Bobcats, besides Jason Richardson (and that’s a very, VERY slim maybe) should make top 50. So please, stop already.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 3:58 pm
    !

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 3:58 pm
    Teddy The Bear, since your lover James the Balla isnt here to protect you let me tell you something. If you think that Gerald Wallace isnt in the Top 50, then the reason you were born has been a non-sober mistake by 2 people in a hotel room. Did i ever tell you that if i had change for a $20 i would have been your daddy? Wallace is one of the Top 5 Small Forwards in the East and top 12 in the NBA, but cool you can have your opionon. Just keep my name out your mouth and keyboard. IF you decide not too and you, James the Balla, and all the pixies you gather at Urban Outfitter want to come at me, fine. Im like Chris Matthews B!tch, Lets play hardball.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 4:05 pm
    and if you think that Kevin Durant or Kevin Martin are even able to carry G-Force’s jock strap, i advise you to make sure that weed you are smoking is not laced with PCP or something else.

  • Teri Mah Posted: Sep.1 at 4:13 pm
    1. Kobe
    2. Lebron
    3. Healthy Wade
    4. CP3
    5. KG
    6. HealthyGilbert Arenas (most underrated player ever)
    7. Deron Williams
    8. Allen Iverson (2000-2005 Possibly number 1)
    9. Yao
    10. Amare
    11. Melo
    12. Pierce
    13. Boozer
    14. T Mac
    15. Duncan (Hes Aging)
    16. Baron Davis
    17. Nash
    18. Ray Allen
    19. Tony Parker
    20. Chris Bosh
    21. Brandon Roy
    22. Chauncey Billups
    23. Elton Brand
    24. Stephen Jackson
    25. Joe Johnson
    26. Michael Redd
    27. Turkuglo
    28. Caron Butler
    29. Jose Calderon
    30. Antwan Jamison
    31. Jason Kidd
    32. Rasheed Wallace
    33. Rip Hamilton
    34. Manu Ginobli
    35. Pau Gasol
    36. Lamar Odom
    37. Jermaine O’neal
    38. Rashard Lewis
    39. Vince Carter
    40. Kevin Durant
    41. Andre Igoudala
    42. David West
    43. Al Jefferson
    44. Rudy Gay
    45. Monta Ellis
    46. Luis Scola
    47. LeMarcus Aldrige
    48. Andre Miller
    49. Jason Richardson
    50. Kevin Martin

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 4:14 pm
    3 out of 5 stars

  • Jose Posted: Sep.1 at 5:02 pm
    @ teri=
    i question turkuglos postition along wit calderon and wheres dwight howard at .oter than that
    its a good list.

  • nano Posted: Sep.1 at 5:04 pm
    Martin’s a very good scorer, maybe even excellent since he can score from all depths and gets to the line a lot but what else does he do? He’s not much of a passer or a defender and with his one-dimensionality, I never watched many Sacramento games and thought he was a force. When you add up all the number of plays he makes, from defensive ones like taking a charge, steals, staying in front your man to primary and secondary assists and then scoring, I think the sum is less than other elite perimeter players. He’s sort of a Corey Maggette with a better outside shot, a upper third tier player.

  • Moose Posted: Sep.1 at 5:14 pm
    i agree, gerald wallace definitely has some of the most pure athleticism in the league. but i dont think that he’s crackin the top thirty, or even forty.

  • Moose Posted: Sep.1 at 5:29 pm
    1. Lebron
    2. Kobe
    3. Chris Paul
    4. Kevin Garnett
    5. Dwyane Wade
    6. Deron Williams
    7. Dwight Howard
    8. Carmelo Anthony
    9. Gilbert Arenas
    10. Amare Stoudemire
    11. Yao Ming
    12. Tony Parker
    13. Paul Pierce
    14. Ray Allen
    15. Steve Nash
    16. Allen Iverson (getting older every year . . .)
    17. Baron Davis
    18. Tim Duncan
    19. Chris Bosh
    20. Tim Duncan
    21. Brandon Roy
    22. Tracy Mcgrady
    23. Carlos Boozer
    24. Elton Brand
    25. Michael Redd
    26. Joe Johnson
    27. Chauncey Billups
    28. Stephen Jackson
    29. Manu Ginobili
    30. Rip Hamilton
    31. Rasheed Wallace
    32. Hedo Turkoglu
    33. Lamar Odom
    34. Andre Iguodala
    35. Pau Gasol
    36. Monta Ellis
    37. Al Jefferson
    38. Rudy Gay
    39. David West
    40. Caron Butler
    41. Jermaine O’Neal
    42. Jose Calderon
    43. Jason Kidd (he slips far because of last year with the Mavs)
    44. Kevin Durant
    45. Vince Carter
    46. Rashard Lewis
    47. Gerald Wallace
    48. Kevin Martin
    49. Andre Miller
    50. Rafer Alston

  • Moose Posted: Sep.1 at 5:31 pm
    forgot to say: i left rookies off the list because they haven’t proven themselves yet. but i’m sure that i could at least add rose, beasley and oden to this list after their first years.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 5:31 pm
    man Im not getting any other articles or links on the slam homepage. Whats going on?

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 5:40 pm
    what i severyone talking about! gerald wallace is way better than kd. durant might have a greater statistical year this year than wallace, but who else is going to get it done on OKT. If Wallace played for thunder he would kill it

  • Money Bill Williams Posted: Sep.1 at 5:42 pm
    me either hurst, either no one wants me to read basketball during breakfast or gustav is affecting the greater sydney area

  • tealish Posted: Sep.1 at 5:52 pm
    49 is too low. When the list is done, there would be at least 5 players ranked higher that are Kevin Martin’s inferior.

  • Dallas J Posted: Sep.1 at 6:28 pm
    no Dirk? leave it to the pros guys.. terrible lists.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 6:53 pm
    Moose and Money Bill are good peoples

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 6:58 pm
    Dallas, dirk and J-Kidd both dont get love because we all hate the Mavs. Dirk does play with balls for the first 47 minutes though, but that last 1 minute is when you keep the ball out of his hands

  • the truth 34 Posted: Sep.1 at 7:22 pm
    @ BETCATS: why are they good peoples?

  • Moose Posted: Sep.1 at 7:38 pm
    which is the minute that counts, BETCATS.

  • The Last Kings Fan Posted: Sep.1 at 8:03 pm
    Shockingly enough, I think Martin should be higher up on the list. But I wouldn’t classify Kev as a “pure shooter”, he slashes and gets to the line way too much (more than nine attempts a game)

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.1 at 8:03 pm
    AH its cos of labour day in the USA

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.1 at 8:06 pm
    and their is a big @ss hurricane hitting the coast right now husty

  • B. Long Posted: Sep.1 at 9:01 pm
    Good spot for Kevin. He was one of those players I thought would either be slept on or overrated on the list considering everybody is sleeping on the Kings until they move to Vegas, including the Maloofs.

  • Harris Posted: Sep.1 at 11:38 pm
    Terrible list. First of all, this writer didn’t even spell J.J. Redick right. This site has no credibility. Come on over to the dark side…

  • Harris Posted: Sep.1 at 11:41 pm
    To continue the previous comment: Second of all, why are you people leaving Dirk off the list completely? He is a top 5 player with lousy support around him. He is Bosh with more of an outside game. His shooting makes the game easier for all of his teammates, and he’s incredibly efficient. Click on my name for more NBA analysis.

  • NZ Baller Posted: Sep.2 at 12:06 am
    This is bullsh*t, he clearly should have come in at 48.

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: Sep.2 at 12:58 am
    A straight-up trade of David Lee for Kevin Martin would be amazingly stupid for one team—and not the Knicks.

  • RV Posted: Sep.2 at 1:18 am
    about the lists in the comments: someone left dwight Howard off their top 50 completely….Y’all are rating deron too high and Yao too low…Rafer #50???

  • KA Posted: Sep.2 at 2:56 am
    im trying to get over somebody saying dagnabbit on slamonline.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.2 at 4:07 am
    bah. Thats why Im not getting into it. Yet.

  • Hursty Posted: Sep.2 at 8:02 am
    Hey SLAM can you let us know when each edition will be posted for the countdown please? Thanks.

  • TADOne Posted: Sep.2 at 8:15 am
    Kevin is extremely underrated in the league.

  • ciolkstar Posted: Sep.2 at 10:42 am
    Kevin Martin = Kid n Play ( or Houseparty)
    ^^^^
    To resolve the “K Mart” nickname issue

  • ciolkstar Posted: Sep.2 at 10:43 am
    And Boozer was ranked #13 on somerones’ list. Are you serious? Plus, Duncan down around #20? Utter foolishness.

  • BETCATS Posted: Sep.2 at 11:34 am
    !!!!!!!!

  • mitch Posted: Sep.2 at 5:29 pm
    yay something good about the kings.

  • mitch Posted: Sep.2 at 5:29 pm
    yay something good about the kings.

  • Fresh Posted: Sep.5 at 1:55 pm
    its good that Kevin Martin made the list. but he shouldnt be much lower on the list

  • telmona Posted: Oct.9 at 4:50 am
    Completely underrated. Martin doesn’t get much love because he’s playing on a bad team, has only emerged the past 2 seasons, isn’t an ESPN highlight whore and plays a position where there a lot more well known players than him who are not necessarily better, or by much. Kid is only 25 and is a total gym rat. Barring injury, he should move up this list with relative ease.

  • NBA’s most overlooked : EveryJoe - Sports News - Tech Reviews - Entertainment - Life Tips for EveryJoe Posted: May.1 at 12:02 am
    [...] 185lb Western Carolina alum has averaged better than 20ppg. For most of the past two seasons K-Mart has been the man in Sac-Town, but he’s become somewhat of a secret because the Kings’ [...]

  • Computers ! » NBA’s most overlooked Posted: May.1 at 2:35 am
    [...] 185lb Western Carolina alum has averaged better than 20ppg. For most of the past two seasons K-Mart has been the man in Sac-Town, but he’s become somewhat of a secret because the Kings’ [...]

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