The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players.
by Cub Buenning
Carmelo Anthony is largely to blame for me having any kind of job at SLAM. Six years ago, when the Denver Nuggets were taking the 19-year-old out of Syracuse University with the NBA Draft’s third pick, I was simply a Denver-area middle school teacher and coach, having just finished my seve
nth year in the classroom. Yes, I had started (on a whim) covering high school sports that previous fall for the local weekly papers in the western Denver suburbs, but I was in no way, a writer.
Carmelo Anthony made me one. For the past half-dozen years, I have been able to see the youngster grow from a precocious teenager, to a misunderstood burgeoning star, to now finally a seasoned veteran and a devoted father. He has, once again, made basketball in Denver relevant and with last year’s addition of local hero, Chauncey Billups, Anthony might finally have arrived as one of the world’s most complete basketball players.
No longer just content to put the ball in the basket, Melo has gone from a myopic scoring machine to an all-around contributor on both sides of the court. From a shot-chucking triggerman to someone that will rebound, defend; distribute all while still getting his requisite 20-plus a night, usually in a win. (Although, amongst all this “team-first” mumbo-jumbo, Melo tied the NBA record last December for points in a quarter when he poured in 33 in the third quarter of a win over Minnesota. Just so you know.)
Last year’s trip to the Western Conference Finals proved that “team above self” will bear the most fruit, even in a star-centric, isolation-dominate game. Anthony gave up several points in the box score in favor for playing deep into the postseason. He may be one of the few players to not make an All-Star team in the same season that he was named to an All-NBA team. (Oddly enough, a feat he also “accomplished” in 2006.)
That summer of 2003, Melo graced our magazine’s cover for the first time. His face was soft and his ‘rows were in full bloom. His words were young and naïve but focused on basic things.
“Eighty-two games, that’s a long time. It’s gonna be a long season, man.” Melo told our Khalid Salaam. “I don’t know, people talk about hitting the rookie wall. I’m gonna try and do my best and pace myself.”
Four years later, the now veteran of both professional and international play was finally back glaring at us off the newsstand. This time his words sounded different, like he had moved into a different realm of focus.
“I think I can get a lot better, it’s more mental,” Anthony told our Ryan Jones. “It’s my fourth year in the League and I see what the NBA is about, what the game is about.”
And now this summer, leading into what will be his seventh season, we have been granted the Baltimore-native’s fourth cover (there was also the smiling combo cover with Allen Iverson in between). He has seen it all: from the grind of staying healthy through the regular season to prolonged first-round postseason failures to being just seconds away from advancing the professional promise-land.
“I think it gets easier each year, because your confidence builds, you get smarter, you get that experience,” Melo mentioned while speaking with Lang Whitaker. “Me, being able to do what I did in the playoffs and building off that, going up against the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, smelling it, being just two games away from the NBA Finals. We want it now. We want it.”
And although this is truly my first ever Melo-specific assingnment and now seem to spend most of my time these days pontificating about the college game and the draft, the past six hoop seasons have all culminated with the chance to cover the NBA Playoffs and watch the best of the best, or at least in this case, the seventh of the best.
Thanks, Carmelo.
Notes
• Rankings are based solely on projected ’09-10 performance.
• Contributors to this list include: Jake Appleman, Brett Ballantini, Russ Bengtson, Toney Blare, Shannon Booher, Myles Brown, Franklyn Calle, Gregory Dole, Emry DowningHall, Jonathan Evans, Adam Fleischer, Jeff Fox, Sherman Johnson, Aaron Kaplowitz, John Krolik, Holly MacKenzie, Ryne Nelson, Chris O’Leary, Ben Osborne, Alan Paul, Susan Price, Sam Rubenstein, Khalid Salaam, Kye Stephenson, Adam Sweeney, Vincent Thomas, Tzvi Twersky, Justin Walsh, Joey Whelan, Eric Woodyard, and Nima Zarrabi.
• Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive
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Melo > Durant at this current stage. Durrant’s sole reason for being ranked so high is the fact he could drop 30+ a night in the L, but then again, so can Melo even if he doesn’t have the same arsenal of attacking skills. COnsidering that Melo’s by far the more rounded player at this time, including his intagibles such as mental benefits (i.e. decision making, from more years in the L, and leadership, from being a vet etc) all of which goes on top of their highly similar scoring ability.
And about the other post. Very true. Kobe has had a mean Jumper since he entered the league, and he worked on it so much that he basically has the best jumper in the L. Yeah I know Ray Allen has a pretty jumper. But Kobe can average 30 from his. Ray Allen has now slowed down a bit and plays with more HOF’ers.
Now this is my opinion of when people say “Lebron has a solid shooting touch”.
Everyone in the NBA basically has a solid shoting touch. Lebron has played enough basketball and has practiced enough, that if he shot underhanded between the legs, he would put baskets in. He isn’t the worst shooter in the league by far, he will hit shots. That’s not whatw ere saying. If you play basketball for 15 years and you are 25, your going to know how to shoot YOUR OWN shot. Check Reggie. So Bron’s shot does go in, it’s his own shot he has worked on. He is obviously going to hit them. But if you compare Kobe and Bron and they’re shooting capibilities … let’s just say Dirk, Kobe, Ray, maybe one or two other players, are in a league of they’re own.
So Tim Duncan HAS to be next lol.
Melo (Maryland natives have too much respect for each other)
im a celtics fan and i have no qualms saying that.
lebron is everyones loverboy atm, including the league. he was no way the mvp last year wade was the no doubt. if lebrons #1 in this top 50 ill loose a lot of respect for slam
he is on the decline… no way is he still top 6 in the NBA
turner: The one thing I hate more than Greek dude’s opinions is when people correct him with even worse opinions. Durant is not better than Dirk, not by a long shot.
I have to agree with Juk’s. Melo is good. But Dirk is really really good. Melo lost some love from me the last 2 years. Dirk had a very underrated year last year.
5. Dodge Challenger
4. Peter Griffin
3. Holly MacKenzie’s ass
2. Khloe Kardashian (clogs the lane well)
1. LeBron
1. Dirk is definitely better without a doubt
2. Deron Williams – I don’t know how he can still be this overlooked and underrated. It’s of the mind-boggling variety.
3. Manu (when healthy) I would rather have on my team. But I get why he was back in the high 20′s due to what’s in the brackets.
Because when you think about, guys like KG due to age and circumstances, aren’t going to produce better this upcoming year.
So yeah, it was also oversight on my part thinking 7 is outrageous. I guess he *is* top 7-10 material in this league today.
1.LeBron James
2.Kobe Bryant
3.Dwayne Wade
4.Chris Paul
5.Dwight Howard
6.Carmelo Anthony
7.Dirk Nowitzki
8.Kevin Durant
9.Deron Williams
10.Amare Stoudemire
1. Kobe
2. Lebron
3. DWade
4. Dwight
5. CP3
6. Timmy
Blazers are up.
2- Lebron
3- Dwayne
4- Dwight
5- Chris
6- Tim QUESTION: If you were picking 5 guys from the top 6 to run a game, who do you leave out? I can’t leave out Tim, his passing skills are too good. My five would be: PG: Paul
SG: Wade
SF: Bryant
PF: James
C: Duncan Sorry Dwight!
2. LBJ
3. Tim B. Dunkin (or shooting it off the glass)
4. DWade
5. Dwight (I am a beast, I can dominate virtually every other big man in the game today, but I am ineffective in tight games because I can’t shoot foul shots, I don’t have any polished moves, my range extends to 3 feet on a good day, and Shaq is going to cause me problems even at his age) Howard
6. CP3
Billups made Denver what it was last year, period. OK, Anthony has improved ; he is very strong despite a little belly, so his inside game is good ; he can shoot the ball very well ; but he is still quite erratic, you’re never sure wether he will score 40 points with 60% shooting or 12 points with 25%…
I don’t know if Durant deserves to be in the Top 10 neither, nor if he is better than Melo, but these two should compete for the tenth seed, whereas at least Dirk and Pau may be higher than them. But as always, when you’re American-born, you’re higher ! Now, it should be:
6. Duncan
5. CP3
4. Wade
3. Howard
2. Kobe
1. Lebron
Duncan is getting old, et I don’t know if he’s still a Top 5-6 player ; CP3 is soooo good and all, but his team sucks, so 5 seems logical to me. About the same for D-Wade, but Miami isn’t as weak. He could top Howard but Dwyane said he wouldn’t play his best ball ever this year, and Dwight wants to revenge SO MUCH. Kobe and Lebron are still the best players in the best teams, and really more interesting to see play than Howard.
Lebron should logically top Kobe since he is younger and will be better this year again ; since Kobe is involving Bynum more and will score less ; and since the Cavs are better too.
and maybe people say lebron isn’t a good shooter because his career average from 3 is 32 and FT is 74. They arent terrible (a la dwight), but they arent the numbers of a good shooter.
oh and just because people don’t happen to shower a player with platitudes, it doesnt mean they “hate” them.
Is it because of the ECF that people think Lebron doesn’t guard the best? Is that it?
He would seem to be the poster boy for the DLeague….
2.lebron
3.D wade
4.Melo
5.Duncan Point Blank!
Just sayin’……….
P.S Sorry about the rant, it’s late here in Oz and I just sank a couple of frothies.
And why didn’t he make All Defense 1st team last year. GGGRRRRRRR!
(I did, just thouht I’d remind ya’ll”……..)
Flash, MVP, 2009, oops 2010. Ha ha.
Game vs Bulls last year EASILY topped KObe and Lebrons outings vs the Knicks.
Oh, and he had a half decent game vs the Knicks him damn self.
Guy can score anyway he wants to and showed he can defend great players if he wants to (ahum black mamba) Saw on nba.com that he;s been working on his defense in the offseason. So his D is gonna be better this year. I think Melo will have a GREAT season . Car!meloooooooooo ANTHONY!!
Thanks, for proving the point, of, that sentence.
I, have always, ODed, on commas. Melo is gonna score 50 in a game before the new year.
2.dwade
3.lebron
4.melo
5.cp3 enough said , lebron is great but dwade is better than him, I woul put melo and Chris Paul over lebron ,but they haven’t had much playoff expierience. As far as skill goes melo and Chris Paul are far ahead of lebron.
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