Most people who know the game of basketball generally agree that the top three players in the NBA are Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James, although their order on the ladder is a point of contention.
After Wade, James, and Bryant the picture becomes a little murkier as there is no clear consensus on which two players round out the list of the NBA’s top five players.
Dirk Nowitzki, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Brandon Roy, and Chris Paul are all players who have received consideration as top five NBA talents, and there are more who could be added to the debate.
Out of all the players mentioned, the one recurring theme appears to be the number of shooting guards and small forwards that populate the list.
In fact, it’s reasonable to think a top five list of players could be comprised of only small forwards and shooting guards, and it would be capable of standing on its own merits.
Some observers consider Durant to be a member of the top five club, while Anthony and Roy have existed near the boundaries of that list for the past few seasons.
Williams and Paul are arguably the game’s top two point guards, but few people would place them among the NBA’s top three players, so one can assume that the most dominant players in the game are shooting guards and small forwards.
But which position reigns supreme in the NBA?
The NBA’s top three scorers last season were Durant, James, and Anthony, and the next three were Bryant, Wade, and Golden State Warriors’ guard Monta Ellis.
In terms of points, rebounds, and assists, which are three of the game’s most vital statistics, Durant, James, and Anthony once again sat atop the list.
James led the bunch with an average of 45.6 points, rebounds, and assists per game, while Durant was second with 40.6, and Anthony rounded out the top three with 38.0.
Wade was fourth in the combined category with 37.9 per game, followed by Bryant at 37.3, and the only other shooting guard to crack the top 10 was Ellis with 34.8 per game.
Statistics would suggest that small forwards ruled the NBA, but popular opinion and intangibles also have a place in the argument.
Some people base their opinion of a player on how much his performance contributed to the success of his team, while others rely on things like leadership qualities, instincts, and the ability to perform under pressure.
Players like Bryant and Wade have excelled in those categories, while James and Durant have raised questions based on their most recent playoff performances.
Durant’s 35 percent shooting effort from the field in his Oklahoma City Thunder’s first round playoff loss to the Los Angeles Lakers can be forgiven since it was his first experience on that stage.
Durant still managed to average nearly 30 points per game in that series, and the Thunder extended the eventual champion Lakers to a surprising six games.
James’ collapse against Boston in the second round of the playoffs is harder to explain, but the truth of the matter is James led a subpar Cleveland Cavaliers’ team to the NBA’s best regular season record for two consecutive years.
James was also awarded the NBA’s last two MVP awards for his efforts, which were well merited considering his ability to dominate a game from each statistical standpoint.
Wade was last season’s playoff scoring leader. Granted the Miami Heat’s stay in the postseason lasted only one round, but Wade gets credit for taking such a shabby team to the playoffs in the first place.
The Heat reached the postseason on Wade’s will alone, and next season he should be even better with fellow superstars James and Chris Bosh by his side.
Bryant is considered to be one of the best players of the last decade, and his last two seasons have ended as the NBA Finals MVP.
When people speak of the intangibles such as leadership, and the ability to confront pressure head on, it’s usually Bryant’s name that is mentioned first.
Bryant’s five career championships place him in a rare air, and he stands as the elder statesman of superstars in a league dominated by youth.
This debate is sure to get more interesting considering Wade, Bryant, and James play for the two teams who are favored to meet in next season’s NBA Finals, but even if that happens, the argument will likely live on.
If I were forced to choose the NBA’s dominant position, it would likely be shooting guard because Wade and Bryant are regarded as two of the top three players in the game.
But it’s just as easy, and perhaps more logical to give the nod to small forwards because of their statistical dominance of the game.
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