NBA parity: Wasn't the NBA supposed to be top-heavy this season?

The top tier of NBA teams was supposed to be vastly superior to all other teams this season.
Right?

I would run down the offseason moves made to improve the NBA's elite, but you know them all. Shaq to the Cavs, Vince Carter to the Magic, Ron Artest to the Lakers, yada yada yada. You know what happened. You know the rich got richer and the poor, well, they stayed just as poor.

But did they really stay so poor? Suddenly, it seems as if the NBA has parity. Out of nowhere, the poor somehow got themselves a little money. It's very early still, but what in the hell is going on in the National Basketball Association?

With most teams only about ten games into the season, all the teams thought to be championship contenders have at least three losses. The Lakers, Cavs, Magic, Celtics, Nuggets and Spurs all have at least three L's. Not only are they losing, but each team has looked surprisingly vulnerable at times. The Celtics look old, the Lakers look soft, the Cavs look unable to adjust to Shaq's presence, the Magic miss their PED-abuser and Hedo Turkoglu, the Spurs defense is swiss cheese; the list goes on and on. The cream of the crop has not been rising as quickly or as often as most NBA observers thought it would.

At this point in the season, the only teams with two losses are Phoenix, Atlanta, Miami and Milwaukee. Huh??? If you told me today that you would have predicted those four teams as the teams that would have the least losses at this point, you'd be either a) a liar, b) a genius, or c) a dumbass. And there is no other option.

The Hawks and Heat were expected to be in the playoffs, but just as mediocre four or five seeds and maybe even worse. The Suns and Bucks, meanwhile, weren't supposed to earn a sniff of postseason play. To be honest, maybe neither team will. Maybe their hot starts are just that, hot starts, and not in any way indicative of how the teams will perform the rest of the season.

But does it really seem like that? The Hawks have had the best start of any team, and I'm not just talking about their record. They smacked Denver, took it to Boston (in Boston), and have the third-best point differential in the entire NBA (behind Boston and Portland). They not only look young, athletic and skilled, but they look like a hungry team ready to take the next step into the NBA's upper-echelon. Before the season, I would have disagreed vehemently (aka tell you that you were on crack) if you told me the Hawks would be the best team at this point in the season, but they have been. It's true.

And if Atlanta hasn't been the best team, it's been the Suns. They also beat Boston in Boston, have scored at least 100 points in every game so far this season, and their two losses are to Orlando and L.A. (The Lakers, not the Clippers.) The Suns seemed poised to enter another year of lottery ping-pong balls, but instead have regained the look of an offensive juggernaut that can compete with any team in the league.

The Heat and Bucks have surprised, too, but it doesn't just end there. Houston's a bunch of ragtag role players and bargain-basement bums, but they look like a playoff team. Dallas is looking better than expected, is suddenly a defensive-minded ballclub, and has done most of it with Josh Howard down to injury. Indiana looks at least formidable, the Kings have somehow, someway won four straight games, Oklahoma City looks like it might be a year ahead of schedule, and New Jersey looks like a viable playoff contender. (Just kidding about the last one. New Jersey is bad. Historically bad, perhaps.)

Anyways, what I'm trying to say is this: The top teams aren't as good as everyone thought they were. We thought there would be five or six teams battling to win 60-70 games, we thought those five or six teams would be far better than any other team, and we thought parity in the NBA was dead. From what's happened so far in this NBA season, we were all wrong. Almost dead wrong. Parity is back, and it's coming from unexpected places.

Of course, tomorrow the Lakers could go on a string of 30 straight wins, or Rashard Lewis' comeback could spur the Magic to greatness, or the Celtics could drink from the Phoenix Suns' fountain of youth and become the team they looked like during the season's first five games. Hell, maybe they'll all start to look like the teams we expected before the season.

But for now, at least, parity is back. And it's actually been pretty fun.

Top Ten Power Forwards of All-Time: Is Tim Duncan #1?

As part of an on-going series, we are taking a look at the ten greatest players at every position. Today, we’ll take a look at power forward, where Tim Duncan has led a recent crop of outstanding power forwards. Over the years, the power forward position has transcended, from mostly limited, low-post players, to the point where most power forwards today are agile, long, skilled players with the ability to face up their man, post up, or shoot jump shots. Here’s a look at our ten greatest power forwards of all-time.

Honorable Mention:

Dave DeBusschere, Dennis Rodman, Robert Horry, Buck Williams, Amare Stoudemire, Horace Grant, Bob McAdoo

10. Jerry Lucas (1963-1974)

One of the greatest rebounders in NBA history, Jerry Lucas was the rare player who combined a soft shooting touch (17.0 points per game for his career) with brute physicality on the boards. Lucas is still the NBA’s fourth-best all-time rebounder, averaging 15.6 rebounds per game for his 11-year career. In the 1965-1966 season, Lucas averaged an insane 21.5 points and 21.4 rebounds, and was named to the All-NBA first team, one of his five selections to an All-NBA team. Lucas also played in seven All-Star games, and was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1963-1964. A great winner, Lucas was the first American player to win championships in high school, college and the NBA.

9. Dirk Nowitzki (1999-present)

It killed me to put this man on my list. First off, he’s never won anything. Secondly, he is a soft, 7-foot jump-shooter. Nonetheless, it’s impossible to argue with Nowitzki’s production. For his career, Nowitzki has averaged 22.7 points and 8.6 rebounds, including an MVP season in 2006-2007 (albeit maybe the least-deserving MVP of all-time after a dismal first-round loss to the eighth-seeded Warriors). In addition to being an extremely consistent performer, Nowitzki is an absolute matchup nightmare. For a 7-footer, his incredible shooting touch has never been replicated. Due to Dirk’s size, he can shoot over the top of anybody smaller than him, yet he is still agile enough to go by almost anybody his size. With his devastating skill set, it’s hard not to think Dirk could be even more productive than he already is, but he already is one of the top power forwards ever.

8. Dolph Schayes (1950-1964)

Dolph Schayes, a guy most youngsters won’t have even heard of, was one of the NBA’s earliest superstars. For fifteen years in the NBA, Schayes was the definition of consistency. He was a double-double machine, averaging double-doubles through each of his first twelve years in the league, and was named to the All-Star team all twelve of those years. In addition to being a twelve-time All-Star, Schayes was named to twelve All-NBA teams, including six first-team selections, and won the NBA championship in 1955 with the Syracuse Nationals. He averaged 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game for his career. Before researching for this article, I never would have put Dolph Schayes on the list, but his credentials speak for themselves.

7. Kevin McHale (1980-1993)

A Boston Celtics legend, Kevin McHale had a terrific thirteen-year career. Because of his great history of winning (McHale won three championships), the argument could probably be made that McHale should be higher on the list. However, he was never the best player on any of those championship teams, playing second fiddle to Larry Bird. Nonetheless, McHale had an incredibly productive career. Known for his incredible post footwork, McHale was a load to stop down low. At the same time, he was unbelievable on the defensive end of the court, where his quick feet and long arms gave him the versatility to defend both big men and guards. McHale averaged 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for his career, but the statistics alone understate his value to the Boston Celtics.

6. Elvin Hayes (1968-1984)

Elvin Hayes won the National College Player of the Year award in 1968, and didn’t miss a beat after being drafted into the NBA. For his first three years in the league, Hayes averaged over 28 points and 16 rebounds per game, a devastating three-year period of dominance. In fact, to this day Hayes is still the last rookie to lead the NBA in scoring. For his career, Hayes averaged 21.0 points and 12.5 rebounds, numbers that are deflated because he played into the twilight of his career, over the final two years of his career hardly resembling the player he once was. During his 16-year professional career, Hayes made 12 All-Star teams, six All-NBA teams, won the NBA Rookie of the Year, and took the Bullets to three NBA Finals, winning one of them.

5. Charles Barkley (1984-2000)

The “Round Mound of Rebound,” Charles Barkley was undersized vertically and oversized horizontally. Despite his unique, at least by NBA-superstar standards, physique, Charles Barkley was an incredible power forward. Amazingly, standing at only 6’6” (and that was his listed height, probably not his real height), Barkley was able to average 11.7 rebounds, to go along with 22.1 points. He was an 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA performer, and the 1992-1993 NBA MVP. While he never won a championship, he performed well in the playoffs, boosting his averages to 23.0 points and 12.9 rebounds. Additionally, on the 1992 Dream Team, arguably the greatest basketball team ever assembled, Barkley was the best player, leading the team by a large margin in scoring and finishing third in rebounding.

4. Bob Pettit (1954-1965)

If I was doing this list merely on per-game statistics, Bob Pettit would probably be #1. Averaging an astounding 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds for his career, Pettit won two MVP’s and made the All-Star game every single year he played in the league. He was a dynamic performer, and probably would have won a lot more titles (he won one) if he didn’t play in Bill Russell’s era. Pettit made the All-NBA team in each of his eleven years, and was a first-team selection for his first ten years.

3. Kevin Garnett (1995-present)

Kevin Garnett has been, for a long time, one of the NBA’s most productive players. Before last year, the only knock on Garnett had been that he had never taken his team late into the playoffs. Last year, though, Garnett turned the Celtics’ franchise around and led them to their 17th NBA title. Now, there is nothing holding him back from being named as one of the NBA’s top all-time power forwards. Garnett has posted career averages of 20.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists, winning one MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, and being named to twelve All-Star games along the way. Beyond his statistics, Garnett is one of the most intense players of all-time, bringing outstanding effort and unmatched desire every time he takes the court.

2. Karl Malone (1985-2004)

Karl Malone was one of the toughest players for me to rank. It was hard for me to rank a player this high who never won a championship. At the end of the day, though, Karl Malone was one of the most consistent, durable performers in NBA history, a guy who his team could always count on to contribute his career averages of 25.0 points and 10.1 rebounds. He was a fourteen-time All-Star, a two-time MVP, and a fourteen-time All-NBA player. His not winning a title is even somewhat excusable, as he played ruing the Jordan era, when the Bulls were hogging all the titles. He played the second most minutes in NBA history, and retired as the second greatest scorer in league history.

1. Tim Duncan (1997-present)

Though a lot of people may not appreciate his bland style, everyone has to respect Tim Duncan’s consistency and penchant for winning. Duncan has been a winner since his first year in the league, when he orchestrated what, at the time, was the largest single-season turnaround in NBA history. Since then, Duncan has led the Spurs to four championships, and been his eras greatest big man. Quietly, Duncan dominates on both ends of the floor. He kills opposing teams with his scoring and underrated passing offensively, and completely controls the paint on defense. Duncan has amassed incredible individual accolades along the way, including eleven trips to the All-Star game, two NBA MVP’s, twelve All-NBA teams and twelve All-Defensive Teams. By being so consistent and such a great winner, Duncan has left no doubt that he is the NBA’s greatest power forward ever.

Top Ten Shooting Guards of All-Time: Two Celtics Make the List

As part of Celtics Town’s running series of the top NBA players in history, I am writing a list of the top ten shooting guards of all-time. I think the top shooting guard should be pretty obvious (hint: it isn’t Sasha Vujacic), but the rest was very interesting to research and fill in. After the top three, there is a noticeable drop-off in talent, but even the guys at the end of the list and on the honorable mention list were great players. Without further ado, check out Celtics Town’s top ten shooting guards:

Honorable Mention: Reggie Miller, Pete Maravich, Earl Monroe, David Thompson, Dwyane Wade, Bill Sharman, Dave Bing, Dennis Johnson

The toughest guys to leave off were Miller, Pistol Pete, Monroe and Thompson.

I left Miller off because he never won a championship and his statistics are not enough to merit mention despite his lack of rings.

Pistol Pete had great stats, but was never known as a winner, dating all the way back to college, and his legend was greater than his performance.

Monroe was a good player, but his legend as “Earl the Pearl” exceeded his career accomplishments.

Thompson was brilliant during his time in the league, but drug problems limited his longevity.

Lastly, I fully expect Dwyane Wade to crack this list someday. As long as he continues his current play and doesn’t get hurt, he will soon be among the top ten shooting guards of all-time.

10. Joe Dumars (1985-1999)
I was originally going to include Reggie Miller in this spot, but Reggie’s slight advantage in individual statistics was not enough to overcome Dumars’ winning pedigree.
One of the toughest shooting guards ever, Dumars was a defensive specialist capable of shutting down elite scorers. On the other side of the court, Dumars was a solid, dependable scorer and one of the Pistons’ leading scorers his whole career (topping out at a career-high 23.5 points per game in 1992-1993.)

Dumars not only has more All-Star Game appearances than Reggie Miller, he also has more championships and more All-Defensive Teams, not to mention the 1989 Finals MVP.

Stats: 16.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists

Awards: six All-Star Appearances, 1989 Finals MVP, five All-Defensive Teams, one All-NBA Second Team, two All-NBA Third Teams

>9. Sam Jones (1957-1969)
A lot of you readers may shrug your shoulders and ask, “Why Sam Jones?” Well, I’ll tell you why.

First, he won more championships, ten, than any other player on this list. Now, you might say, “Yeah, but he rode Bill Russell’s coattails to all those championships.” Well I’m not going to argue that playing with Bill Russell had a little something to do with the number of championships Jones won, but I will tell you that Mr. Jones had a big part of those championships, too.

During the last four championships, Jones led the Celtics in scoring every year, including a career-high 25.9 points in 1964-1965 (and for a team that prided itself on offensive balance, 25.9 points was a huge average). Those years, Jones was beating out John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, Bob Cousy and Bill Russell to lead the Celtics in scoring.

So keep saying Sam Jones rode Bill Russell to ten championships. I’ll say Sam Jones is the most over-looked NBA star of all-time.

Stats: 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists

Awards: five All-Star appearances, three All-NBA Second Teams, ten championships

8. Hal Greer (1958-1973)
When I sat down to research for this feature, never in a million years did I envision including Hal Greer on my list. Hell, I barely even knew who he was.

When you look at his career, though, you really can’t leave him off. Greer was consistently good, appearing in ten straight All-Star Games and scoring at least 20 points per game in seven straight seasons. He was the second-leading scorer (to some guy named Wilt Chamberlain) on maybe the best team ever, the 1966-1967 Philadelphia 76ers that romped their way to a 44-4 start on their way to a 68-13 season and the NBA championship.

With that resume, it’s hard to grasp why I had never heard more about Hal Greer. He is truly one of the NBA’s forgotten stars.

Stats: 19.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists

Awards: ten All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA Second Teams, 1968 All-Star Game MVP

7. Ray Allen (1996-present)
Ray Allen has been a tremendously productive player throughout his time in the NBA, consistently being one of the league’s greatest shooters. Allen has been the best player on bad teams, the best player on good teams, and now he is a supporting player on a championship contender.

Through all his different roles, Ray has been able to adapt to his team’s needs. In Milwaukee, where Ray was surrounded by many capable scorers, he consistently averaged around 22 points per game. In Seattle, where Ray was needed to be a go-to scorer, he raised his play, averaging a career-high 26.4 points in 2006-2007. Now, with Boston, Ray has had to once again adjust, this time to become more of a role player. Well, he’s done just that, while occasionally showing the ability to explode for huge numbers.

Ray is one of the smoothest players ever to play basketball, a guy who operates in an incredibly calm manner at all times. Setting him apart from other players, he won a championship ring, and has for a long time been one of the league’s top shooting guards.

Stats: 20.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists

Awards: nine All-Star appearances, one All-NBA Second Team, one All-NBA Third Team

6. Allen Iverson (1996-present)
Because Iverson’s reputation has taken a hit lately with his inferior play for the Nuggets and Pistons, people forget how dominant AI was during his prime. I’ve even read stories claiming that Iverson’s 76ers teams would have been better if he hadn’t been on them.
Well, that’s the biggest bulls@#* I’ve heard in a long time. Not only would those teams have gone nowhere without Iverson (they’re second-best player was probably Aaron Mckie!), Iverson carried one of those teams all the way to the finals. In that year, 2001, Allen Iverson was unbelievable.

He put the Sixers on his back and almost single-handedly took a bunch of role players to the NBA finals (where they lost the the Lakers), and Iverson earned an MVP trophy for his efforts. While his recent play has been poor, there is no denying that Iverson, in his prime, was one of the best players in the NBA.

Iverson is widely known for his “We talking about practice” tirade, but he is a guy who worked his tail off every time he stepped on the court, at least during games. He is a great warrior, a competitor with a lion’s heart in his miniature (at least by NBA standards) body.

Stats: 27.1 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds

Awards: 2001 MVP, ten-time All-Star, 1997 Rookie of the Year, three All-NBA First Teams, three All-NBA Second Teams, one All-NBA Third Team, two All-Star Game MVPs

5. Clyde Drexler (1983-1998)
I had to pick Clyde over Iverson because of the one stat that matters most, championships. While Allen never won one, Clyde got his, winning in 1995 with the Houston Rockets. One of the NBA’s best finishers, Clyde “The Glide” Drexler had the bad luck of playing in an era dominated by another shooting guard, a guy you might know named Michael Jordan.

Clyde was a multi-dimensional player, a guy who could fill up the stat sheet in a number of ways, averaging 7.9 rebounds one year and 8.0 assists another. He was super-quick off the dribble, and was a tremendous finisher on the fast break due to his long strides and quick feet. If not for the presence of Jordan, Drexler would have been considered his era’s top shooting guard, and he caused fits to defenders trying to guard him.

His play was smooth and seemingly effortless, which, along with playing in an NBA that featured Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, is why he didn’t get a ton of credit for all his on-court production.

Stats: 20.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists

Awards: ten All-Star appearances, one All-NBA First Team, two All-NBA Second Teams, two All-NBA Third Teams

4. George Gervin (1972-1986)
George “The Iceman” Gervin is best known for his swooping finger roll finishes, but what is sometimes lost between all his soaring finger rolls is just how good he was. Gervin played ten seasons in the NBA and four more in the ABA, and was a prolific scorer throughout his career. During his two best seasons, in 1979-1980 and 1981-1982, he averaged 33.1 points and 32.3 points, respectively.

He could always put the ball in the hole, and his best years came while he was playing in the NBA. In fact, only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan have won more NBA scoring titles than Gervin’s four.

One of Gervin’s scoring titles is an amazing story: Early on the last day of the season, David Thompson scored 73 points, and Gervin entered his game knowing he needed at least 58 points to win the scoring title. Well, he did just that, hitting for 63 points and cementing his legacy as one of the NBA’s top scorers ever.

A little-known fact about the Iceman is that he actually played a year in Chicago with Michael Jordan. However, Jordan only played in 17 games that year, due to a broken foot. Just imagine what a fearsome tandem that would have been.

Stats: Overall (ABA and NBA): 25.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists NBA: 26.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists

Awards: 12 All-Star appearances, five All-NBA First Teams, one All-NBA Second Team, two ABA All-NBA Second Teams, 1980 All-Star Game MVP

3. Jerry West (1960-1974)
The number two all-time shooting guard was the toughest decision I had to make. It was either Kobe Bryant or the man I ended up leaving number three, Jerry West. Though I didn’t end up putting West in front of Bryant, “the Logo” had a hell of a career.

Known for stepping up his game in the playoffs, in 1965 West averaged more than 40 points for the entire postseason. That’s right, not just a game, or a series, but the whole postseason.
Additionally, West was a great passer. Everyone knows about his ability to score the basketball, but few basketball fans realize how good a passer he was, averaging 9.7 assists per game during the 1971-1972 season.

He had a knack for making a huge play when his team needed it, earning him the nickname “Mr. Clutch.” What basketball fan doesn’t know about his incredible, game-winning half-court buzzer-beater to win Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals by a single point?

West’s stats are actually better than Kobe Bryant’s, except for the one that truly matters – championships. West only won one title during his NBA career; granted, he played mostly during the Bill Russell era, when the Celtics won nearly every title, but, because the race was so close with Mr. Bryant, I had to hold his lack of championships against him.

Nevertheless, Jerry West was certainly one of the top three shooting guards of all-time, and a true legend in every sense of the word. Ironically, he made the trade for the Lakers to acquire the man who has surpassed West, in my eyes, for the number two spot.

Stats: 27.0 points, 6.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds

Awards: 14 All-Star appearances, ten All-NBA First Teams, two All-NBA Second Teams, five All-NBA Defensive Teams, 1969 Finals MVP (from the losing team!), 1972 All-Star Game MVP

2. Kobe Bryant (1996-present)
I have to admit, when I first did the rankings I had Kobe in third place behind Jerry West. After doing all the research, though, I decided that Kobe had to be second, just barely beating out West. The reasons?

Well, there are two huge reasons why Kobe gets the better of West. First, while their stats are very similar, Kobe has won three championships to West’s one. While winning might not be everything in determining a player’s greatness, when the race is so close it certainly has to be considered.

Also, Kobe has won an MVP trophy. While the MVP may not always tell who’s the best player in the NBA (Dirk Nowitzki comes to mind when thinking of an overrated MVP), it is a good indication of how dominant a player is. Kobe has been considered the best player in the league, or at least one of the top two or three, for a ten-year span. He has been great consistently, and is the most feared crunch-time assassin in the league.

Stats: 25.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists

Awards: 2008 MVP, 11 All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA First Teams, two All-NBA Second Teams, two All-NBA Third Teams, nine All-Defensive Teams, three All-Star Game MVPs

1. Michael Jordan (1984-1993, 1994-1998, 2001-2003)
This is as easy a choice as there is - It would be hard to find anyone to argue with me for picking Michael Jordan as the best shooting guard of all-time. Jordan completely transformed the game of basketball, starting the trend of super-athletic, multi-dimensional wingmen.
“His Airness” had the ability to single-handedly take over a game at both ends of the floor, and had an unbelievable killer instinct. An absolutely fierce competitor, Jordan scored a ton of points early in his career, but didn’t start winning championships until he learned to share the ball and pick and choose when he should dominate individually.
There’s not much I have to say about Mike, other than that I don’t think there is any debate that Jordan is the best shooting guard ever, and he’s widely regarded as the best player, too.

Stats: 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists

Awards: five MVPs, 1988 Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Star Game MVP, 14 All-Star appearances, 1985 Rookie of the Year, 10-time All-NBA First Team, one-time All-NBA second Team, six Finals MVPs

The NBA's Top Ten Power Forwards

Celtics news is still slower than Jerome James with two broken feet, so we’re going to continue the first annual Celtics Town positional rankings. A deep and talented position, today’s power forwards are led by perhaps the greatest power forward ever. And if you can’t guess who that is, then you’ll have to find out at the end of this article.

See our point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards rankings

Honorable mention

In no particular order: Lamar Odom (not consistent enough), Paul Millsap (just started to be a monster, could become one of the better PFs in the league), Luis Scola (Mr. Dependable), Antawn Jamison (Great stats. Okay – at best – teams)

10. Carlos Boozer

Battling injuries all season, Boozer only played 37 regular-season games last year. Still, he averaged his annual ho-hum double-double, putting up 16.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

Carlos can score with both hands on the block, and has a nice jumpshot that he shoots with a lot of arc. He’s a solid banger on the boards, and will post his normal 20 and 10 just about every night.

For anyone who thinks Boozer won’t come back strong from his injury – the man averaged 20.6 points and 13.2 rebounds a game in the playoffs. Each game is just another day at the office for one of the steadier players in the NBA.

9. Josh Smith

If basketball was all about athleticism, Josh Smith might be the best player in the world. At 6’9”, with a super-long wingspan and freakish vertical leap, Smith utilizes his athleticism very well on a basketball court. He blocks shots, gets out into passing lanes, and runs the wing on fast breaks.

But can you imagine if he ever decided to refine his game? Smith could be one of the most dominant players today if he could work on a legitimate face-up game with a 12-foot face-up jumper and a couple jab-step moves. As it is, he’s a great player and very valuable to the Hawks, but I can’t help but think, every time I watch him play, that he could be a lot better than he is.

8. Rashard Lewis

I saw Lewis destroy my beloved Celtics in the playoffs and I’ve got to tell you…performance-enhancing drugs must really work. All PED jokes aside, Lewis had a great postseason, letting everybody know just how valuable he is to the Magic and making some people even think, “Wow, Rashard Lewis actually deserves his contract.”

I still don’t think he’s worth $118 million over six years, but Rashard has earned a lot more of that money than I would have expected. He’s a tough player who can battle big guys down low but bring them outside on the other end. An absolute matchup terror for most teams, Rashard brought the versatility to Orlando that made them a special team.

7. David West

David West is kind of like the Sean Astin of the NBA – he goes about his business and compiles very solid statistics, but nobody thinks of him as a star. Astin was in five of the best movies of our generation (Rudy, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and The Goonies), but nobody thinks of him as more than a decent actor.

And West? He’s averaged at least 18 points and 8 rebounds over his last three seasons, helping the Hornets escape from obscurity to become a playoff mainstay in the Western Conference. Last year, when nobody talked about him at all, West quietly posted his best season ever, with 21.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. West hasn’t ever been a part of anything as memorable as Rudy, but he’s an underrated player who deserves a lot more credit than he gets.

6. Chris Bosh

Bosh has been a productive player for a long time, compiling statistics and playing in the all-star game for four consecutive years. On an individual level, Bosh might have had his best year last year, but his team struggled mightily to compete.

Bosh puts up great stats, but hasn’t found a way to consistently be part of a winner. As a star, those losses are at least partially his fault. He could be more highly rated based strictly on individual play, but every guy in front of him on this list not only shines individually but is a proven winner, as well.

5. Pau Gasol

The Big Poodle surprised me last year by coming back a little heavier, a little stronger, and a lot tougher. During the Lakers run to the finals, Pau proved to me what he never did in ’07-’08 – that he actually has a pair of balls. I always knew Pau was very talented offensively, with unfair skills for a 7-footer, but he always lacked, before last year, the drive and mentality to help his team win close, tough games. Not anymore – the new and improved Gasol is not only tough, he’s an NBA champion.

Gasol had such a great season last year that people might think I’m rating him too low on this list. Don’t get me wrong, I know Pau is a great player, one of the best in the league, and the Lakers are very lucky the Grizzlies decided to give him up for more or less nothing. But are you telling me the Lakers wouldn’t trade him straight up for any of the guys in front of him? If Pau was replaced by any of the top four on this list, the Lakers would have been a better team. That isn’t a knock on Pau, it’s just a testament to how good the top four players are.

4. Amare Stoudemire

A fluke eye injury last year ended Stoudemire’s season and Phoenix’s hopes of contending for a title. But Amare will be back, and something tells me he’ll be back very strong.

When healthy, Stoudemire is a physical force, with unrelenting drives to the basket and unmatched ferocity on his attacks to the hoop. Over the years, he’s also developed a reliable jumper, making him more versatile and adding a dimension to his game that will allow him to thrive even after his athleticism starts to recede.

Would Phoenix have won the title last year, had Amare stayed healthy? Probably not. But I’m willing to bet they would have made the playoffs, and I know there aren’t a lot of teams that wanted to play Nash, O’Neal and Stoudemire in the first round.

3. Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk’s had a rough offseason (to say the least), after his fiancée was arrested for fraud charges and then found to be pregnant. But Dirk, I’ve got a silver lining for you – she wasn’t that hot, anyways.

Dirk Nowitzki has been underrated since he was overrated and won the 2007 MVP. If that doesn’t make sense, I mean this…Dirk didn’t deserve to win the MVP, but after he won such an undeserved MVP and then proceeded to shit the bed in a first-round playoff loss, people have forgotten just how good Dirk is.

He is one of the most unstoppable players in the NBA, 7’1” tall with obscene touch on his jumper. His post-up turnarounds are more or less unblockable, meaning Dirk can get whatever shot he wants, whenever he wants it. He tends to settle too much for jumpers rather than using his size to overwhelm smaller opponents, but the results can’t be argued with. 25.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last year? Dirk is an assassin.

2. Kevin Garnett

Even coming off an injury, Kevin Garnett deserves to be this high on the list. While some guys on this list score more points than Garnett, nobody affects both sides of the court like KG.

An animal on the court, the most intense player in the league, and a vicious competitor, KG leads by example and he leads with his words. His arrival in Boston made the Celtics instant contenders not only because of his basketball talent, but also due to his immeasurable leadership and desire.

1. Tim Duncan

Some people may argue that Tim Duncan is washed up, that he’s no longer in his prime, that he’s finally begun the downward cycle at the end of every player’s career. But people have been counting Duncan off for years. Every year, it seems that people consider Duncan to be over the hill, but every year he returns and posts his normal solid year.

With the Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess signings, the Spurs are poised for a long playoff run in the West.

And Tim Duncan is the main reason why.

The NBA’s Top Ten Point Guards

Celtics news is still slower than Zydrunas Ilgauskas with an ankle sprain, so we’ve got to do some offseason columns to make the long and boring NBA dog days pass by a little faster. So we’re starting a little something that will be an annual rite of summer – the Celtics Town positional rankings, where we will rank the top ten players at every position. Without further ado, check out the point guards, where a young collection of talent is joining the old guard – no pun intended - to create a deep and gifted class of lead guards…

Honorable mention

In no particular order: Jose Calderon, Baron Davis, Jason Kidd (washed-up version), Jameer Nelson (I know he was an all-star, but his team didn’t seem to miss a beat when he was replaced by Rafer Alston), Sebastian Telfair (just kidding)

10. Rajon Rondo

Yeah, I know. This is a Celtics website, shouldn’t the constant triple-double threat and human blur be rated a little higher than he is?

In a word, no. The brilliance of Rajon Rondo’s 2009 playoffs has made people very high on young Rajon, and rightfully so, but it has also caused people to forget his often inconsistent play. Some nights, Rajon attacks the hoop, scoring himself and creating easy opportunities for everyone on his team. Other nights, he disappears and you forget why you ever touted him so highly.

Still, Rondo is a budding superstar and, if he ever gets a jumper, could become one of the NBA’s premier point guards.

9. Derrick Rose

Why do I take Rose over Rondo, especially after Rondo just averaged a near triple-double on him during round one?

Because I love the way he plays with poise and patience, but still has that explosive talent to get to the rim just about whenever he wants. With his high basketball IQ, Superman athletic ability and underrated midrange jumper, Derrick Rose should be a stud for many years to come.

8. Gilbert Arenas

Gilbert’s been injured for what seems like half my life, but I can still (vaguely) remember what his game’s like when he’s healthy. And it can be described like this:

The man can score for days. When healthy (and reports from Wizards camp say he has regained all his explosiveness), Arenas is, simply put, one of the NBA’s best scorers. Arenas is as strong as an ox, quick as a rabbit, and can shoot, too. The knocks against him – besides being as injury-prone as Evel Knievl - are that he hogs the ball or that he isn’t a true point guard. But 22.8 points per game for his whole career? The man can play, and would be higher on this list if he could prove that he’s healthy.

7. Mo Williams

This selection might be a little controversial, especially after Mo threw up a stinker against Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals, but Mo indisputably helped the Cavs win a lot of ballgames this year.

Williams has an uncanny ability to hit shots, whether those shots are threes, midrange jumpers, or floaters, and is a pretty good distributor who knows how to run an offense. Would the Cavs trade Williams straight up for any of the three guys behind him? Almost surely. But would they have been a better team last year, or even this coming year, with any of those three players? I’m not so sure.

6. Devin Harris

The Jason Kidd for Devin Harris trade hasn’t been bashed as much as it should have been. The Mavs traded away the better player, with a better contract, for an aging, washed-up, used-to-be superstar. When you mortgage your future while getting worse for the time-being, I’d say you made a pretty bad trade.

Harris is as fast as NBA players come, and can get to the rim against anybody. With his breakout season in 2008-2009, Harris proved to the league he’s ready to become the Nets’ leader. And with Harris running the show, the Nets are in good hands.

5. Steve Nash

Yeah, he’s getting old. Okay, he seems to give up big numbers to a lot of opposing point guards. But you want to know something? I would still take Steve Nash on my team any day of the week.

Nash makes every team he’s on better, with his great court vision, fantastic shooting, and unselfish play. For the small percentage of people who actually think Nash is overrated, just ask Shawn Marion, Quentin Richardson, or Tim Thomas what they think about his game.

4. Chauncey Billups

Mr. Big Shot is a winner, in every sense of the word. Seven straight Conference Finals berths, plenty of big shots along the way, and an ability to make everyone around him play better? Sounds like the quintessential point guard to me.

Chauncey may not be a true point guard in the traditional sense of the word – he doesn’t think pass-first all the time, takes some questionable threes, and doesn’t possess great court vision like some of the guys on this list – but, with Chauncey at the helm, a team will always feel comfortable heading into a game.

3. Tony Parker

It’s hard to be underrated when you have won three championships, a finals MVP, and are married to Eva F------ Longoria. Somehow, Tony Parker has managed that feat.

After his best individual season, with averages of 22.0 points and 6.9 assists, Parker shouldn’t be underrated any longer. His game is unique – what other 6’2” point guard makes a living off buckets in the paint? – but Parker has made his team better for a long time, and has been a huge part of the Spurs’ quasi-dynasty.

And he’s only made three all-star games? It’s about time Parker starts getting a little more credit where credit’s due.

2. Deron Williams

The most physically imposing point guard in today’s NBA, Williams would make a hell of a fullback. With his strength, explosiveness and surprising quickness, Deron can go by a defense, through a defense or over a defense. Williams has the keys to Jerry Sloan’s offense, and should for a long, long time.

1. Chris Paul

Is there any discussion over who is the NBA’s best point guard? When Paul is at the top of his game (and he’s there quite often) it seems as if he makes the right decision, the perfect basketball play, just about every time down the court. At only 6’0” tall, Paul is an assassin, a cold-blooded killer with eyes in the back of his head and motors on his feet.

When everything’s said and done, CP3 should go down as one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game of basketball.

Top 10 NBA Small Forwards of All-time

No. 1 Larry Bird

Bird averaged 24.3 points and 10 rebounds per game in his “Legendary” NBA career. LB had a wonderful collegiate career at Indiana State averaging 30.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per contest. Winning three separate player-of-the-year awards in college with two first team All-American selections, Bird was destined to be a good player at the next level. Some critics might have believed that he was not going to be able to dominate in the NBA because he was not the fastest, the biggest, or could not jump the highest, but Larry proved people wrong as he is most likely the consensus No. 1 small forward of all-time. He won three NBA titles with the Boston Celtics during the 80’s, which was no easy task playing against the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty in several NBA Finals. That was undoubtedly the biggest rivalry in NBA history. Larry Bird is one of the only players in NBA history to have won three consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player awards. Add that to the fact that he was a nine time All-NBA first teamer and a 12-time NBA All-Star and you have one hell of a player. Bird was known for his sweet stroke which helped him win three consecutive 3-point contests. He was also a member of the “Dream Team”, the best team ever assembled. This team stormed through the 1992 Olympics winning by over 30 points in almost every game.(They beat Puerto Rico by 28 in the quarterfinals) This “Legend” will always be known as one of the all-time greats as he, Magic and Michael truly revolutionized the game of basketball.

No. 2 Elgin Baylor

People do not understand how great of a player Baylor was. He was unable to win a championship in eight chances because he ran up against the greatest dynasty in the history of sports, the Boston Celtics. Baylor was the best player on the 2nd best team in the league in most of the years in his career. He does not have a single MVP in his trophy case because during his career Wilt Chamberlin won four and Bill Russell won another four. For his career Baylor averaged 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds. Those numbers are flat out ridiculous for a big man, let alone a small forward. He made 10 All-NBA first teams, add that to 11 all-star appearances and you should see why he is ranked at No. 2 on my list. This former No.1 overall pick of the NBA draft posted outstanding numbers at Seattle University. He averaged 31.3 points and 19.5 rebounds while shooting over 50 percent from the floor in his collegiate career. The most impressive thing that Baylor did in his career was score 61 points on the Boston Celtics in game five of the 1962 NBA Finals. Even though they lost that series it was one hell of a performance. In the 1960-1961 season he posted his best numbers averaging 34.8 points and 19.8 rebounds per game. Years and games like these show me that Elgin Baylor was the real deal and one of the greatest small forwards to play in the NBA.

No. 3 Julius Erving

In a close race for the 3rd spot on my list I chose to go with “Dr. J.” Erving would have been higher (probably No.2) on this list if he posted his ABA numbers in the NBA. In his collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts he put his school on the map as he averaged 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds for his career. Instead of joining the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972 and linking with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, Erving decided to sign with the Atlanta Hawks of the ABA. (That trio would have been the best of all-time in my opinion. It would have changed a lot of outcomes in the NBA throughout the 70’s.) He dominated in the ABA winning two championships and three MVP awards in five seasons. After five seasons in the ABA he joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 1975-1976. In his NBA career he produced 22 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. With that came 11 all-star appearances, one MVP award, and five first team All-NBA selections. He helped the Philadelphia 76ers win a championship in 1983, which to me solidifies his spot in my top 10. His ability to change games with his leaping ability is sometimes overlooked. He is one of the original “dunkers” in this league and players like Jordan, Wilkens, and Drexler emulated his game. The list of those who followed those guys is rapidly growing. Dr. J was truly a trend setter and his mark on the game of basketball will never be forgotten.

No. 4 John Havlicek

Hondo was one of the league’s true pioneers. He was not only a tremendous basketball player, but also a real class act. Havlicek was indeed a real winner in his career, winning eight titles with the Boston Celtics in the 60’s and 70’s. When any basketball fan hears the name Havlicek the sound clip from the 1965 NBA Finals probably rings out. The sound of “Havlicek steals the ball” is what I am referring to and this is one the most memorable sounds I relate to the NBA. For his career Hondo averaged 20.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Those numbers are excellent especially for a player who played on eight separate championship teams. I know he played with the likes of Bill Russell and Dave Cowens but Havlicek played a large role in securing those rings. He played an exceptional role in the 1974 championship when he was the NBA Finals MVP. Hondo was a 13-time all-star, four time all-NBA first team selection, and five time NBA all-defensive first team selection. He is the NBA’s ultimate “sixth man” as he provided a tremendous spark of the bench for the dynamic Boston Celtics.

No. 5 Scottie Pippen

Pippen was the ultimate sidekick in the NBA playing second fiddle to the greatest player to ever step foot on an NBA court. Pippen is one of the best players in the history of the NBA to not be drafted in the first round of the draft. Pippen was a 6’7 point guard that had triple-double written all over him. He could matchup defensively at four positions on most nights. Pippen lands on my list at No. 5 because of how he impacted games with his defensive presence. The Bulls dynasty is arguably the best we have seen so far and Pippen was one of the anchors. No one man team can win this many championships, especially not in the era that the Bulls were winning in. For his career, Pippen produced 16.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Those numbers might seem average but he played six years after his prime, really dragging his career averages down. However the list of accomplishments for Scottie Pippen goes up and beyond average. He won six titles with the Bulls in the 90’s, he made seven all-star appearances, he was a three time All-NBA first team selection, and most impressively he was an 8 time NBA all-defensive first team selection. If you add those credentials to the fact he was also a member of “The Dream Team” and was named to the 50 greatest players you can see why he ranks in the top five of my list.

No.6 Rick Barry

Barry was surely a talent deserving of at least the No. 6 rank that I am giving him. He is probably most known for his under hand free throw shooting technique (This technique helped make him the number three all-time free throw shooter, behind only Mark Price and Steve Nash). Barry was not just a great free throw shooter though; he was a tremendous talent that had an exceptional ability to score. Originally, he started off in the NBA, then moved to the ABA, finally moving back to the NBA. He won a title and a finals MVP in 1975 with the Golden State Warriors. He was an eight time NBA all-star, six time all-NBA first team selection, and was also selected as one of the 50 greatest players of all-time. For his career Barry averaged 23.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. In 1966-1967 he produced his best season averaging 35.6 points and 9 rebounds per contest. Barry is also the only NBA player ever to have three children play in the NBA.

No.7 LeBron James

Yes I did it; this man has already surpassed some of the NBA’s all-time greats. In six seasons, (should have been seven had the NBA let him enter the league after his junior year of high school) LeBron has lived up to all the hype. I know this may seem pre-mature to some, but looking at the candidates I had to select from, LeBron’s credentials were already better just six years in. For his career, he averages 27.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assist per game. His numbers are looking more and more like Magic’s and Oscar’s as time goes on. LeBron’s list of being the youngest player to achieve something goes on and on. (Most notable: youngest player to score 10,000 points) Already LeBron has one MVP, three selections to the all-NBA first team, five all-star appearances, one selection to the NBA all-defensive first team and a rookie of the year (Potentially the best rookie class of all-time). King James has made one of the biggest splashes in sports in recent memory. He has won an Olympic gold medal with the “Redeem Team” last summer in Beijing. The kid simply has serious credentials and with a couple more years at this level he will continue to pass players on this list and be considered a lock for the Hall of Fame.

No. 8 Dominique Wilkins

Originally I though that James Worthy was higher than Dominique but after much research I figure out that Worthy was just on a better team. “The Human Highlight Reel” earned his nickname by electrifying fans with monster dunks and vicious attacks to the basketball. When you look at his resume you do not see him winning titles, MVP’s, All-NBA first team awards or Olympic gold medals, but he played in the era with Bird, Magic and then Michael. For his career Wilkins averaged 24.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 17 NBA seasons. That is remarkable and it puts him amongst the all-time great scorers in this league. In 1988 dunk contest he and Michael Jordan put on a tremendous exposition of dunks that changed the game of basketball forever. Wilkins should have won. Check out the video and see for yourself: He was robbed by Michael’s home-court advantage. (The All-star game was in Chicago that year). Wilkins was a nine time all-star, one time All-NBA first team selection, and a one time NBA scoring champ. In 1996 Wilkins took his game overseas and absolutely went to work. He won a Greek Cup Championship, Greek Cup MVP, Euroleague Championship 1996, and won the MVP of the Euroleague Finals. At this time Dominique was 26 years old. In my opinion I believe Dominique was the biggest snub to the NBA’s 50 greatest players.

No. 9 Paul Pierce

When I made my initial list I also had Worthy in front of “The Truth” and their resumes are very close, but Paul surpassed him after the 2008 Playoffs. He was arguably the best player on a Celtics team that absolutely dominated the NBA in 2008. Although they struggled in the first two rounds of the playoffs due to matchup problems, “The Truth” was able to rally his squad and win number 17 for the Boston Celtics. Pierce has career averages of 22.9 points and 6.3 rebounds in 11 seasons. He was always a good free throw and three point shooter, shooting percentages of 79.8 and 36.6 respectively. He was the 2008 NBA Finals MVP and he has seven NBA all-star appearances. Pierce will have some more work to do in order to climb this list and with at least five more good years left in him, he is destined to at least jump one spot or two. Ultimately he will go down as one of the Celtics all-time greats and 20 years from now you will see the number 34 hanging from the rafters in between 33 and 35.

No. 10 James Worthy

“Big Game James” was his name for a reason as he was a part of three of the Los Angeles Lakers championship teams. Coming out of college highly-touted, he lived up to the hype. James is not higher on my list because he was never the best player on his team and in most cases he was just the 3rd best. He was a great player on a great team; however when you play with guys like Magic and Kareem it is easy to get overshadowed. For his career Worthy produced 17.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest in 12 years. He was a seven time all-star and one time NBA Finals MVP. He was never better than an All-NBA third team selection which shows me that he was nothing more than just a great role player. All the players I put in front of him on this list would have at least the same or better credentials if they had played on the teams he played on.

Honorable Mention:

Bernard King, Grant Hill, Adrian Dantley, Alex English, Toni Kukoc, Chris Mullin, Bill Cunningham, Detlef Schrempf, Bobby Jones and *Carmelo Anthony

The players on this list were very good players in this league. Some were obviously better than others but I felt that they all need some recognition. Grant Hill had he not got hurt would have been at least in the top five possibly the top three. The rest of the guys put up good numbers or were crucial to their teams winning titles. Carmelo Anthony made this list by being the best player on the 2008 “Redeem Team” leading USA basketball back to the top.

The NBA’s Top Ten Shooting Guards

Celtics news is still slower than Arvydas Sabonis in quicksand, and yesterday – as has been the pattern - the news was that there may be Marquis Daniels news in the near future. Due to the painfully slow nature of Celtics news, we’ve started a little something that will be an annual rite of summer – the Celtics Town positional rankings, where we will rank the top ten current players at every position. Without further ado, check out the shooting guards, where Michael Jordan established his throne and transformed a shooting guard’s role.

Honorable mention

In no particular order: Andre Iguodala, Michael Redd (without injuries, he’d be in the top ten), Tracy McGrady (prior to injuries, he was easily in the top five), Tony Allen (maybe in the top 100), Jason Terry

10. Ben Gordon

If scoring were the only criteria for a good shooting guard, Gordon would be a lot higher than number ten. The former UConn Husky can score, and score in bunches. He has little to no conscience but, for Gordon, that’s a good thing – he makes tough shots seem mighty easy, especially when he’s playing well.

Sadly, the game isn’t only about scoring, and other aspects of basketball, such as defense, rebounding, and passing, are where Gordon falls below the rest of the elite shooting guard competition. For a one-trick player, I’d say $58 million over five years is a little, maybe even a lot, too much. But he’ll certainly give the Pistons some scoring punch.

9. Richard Hamilton

The second position in the top ten, the second Detroit Piston. With Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon and Rip Hamilton all in the same backcourt, I don’t know how rookie head coach John Kuester will divvy out the minutes, but I do know this…

If Kuester decides to cut Hamilton’s minutes, he’ll be making a mistake. The long-time Piston does so many things well on a basketball court, and always seems to be in the right spot. He comes off screens as well as anybody in the NBA, scores efficiently, and is a very good defender, too. On top of all that, Hamilton’s a proven winner and a selfless player. Memo to Kuester: Just play Rip.

8. Kevin Martin

It must be hard for Martin, saddled in Sacramento without much (any?) talent surrounding him. I wanted to fault Martin for not winning enough, and then I looked at his roster: last year, Martin was flanked in the starting lineup by Francisco Garcia, Spencer Hawes, Jason Thompson and Beno Udrih. Martin would be better off playing with my grandmother and my three dogs.

Playing with the seriously talent-deprived Kings, it’s hard to blame all the losses on Martin - Michael Jordan couldn’t even have led that team to the playoffs. Martin has an ugly game - have you ever seen that jumper? – but gets the job done. Year after year, Martin raises his point totals while maintaining his efficiency. It’d be nice to see Martin with some decent NBA talent around him, but for now we’ll just have to say that Martin is one hell of a solid player.

7. Vince Carter

If basketball were all about talent, Vince Carter would undoubtedly be well on his way to the Hall Of Fame, and surely would be one of the best shooting guards of all-time. As athletic as any player ever to play in the NBA, Vince also possesses an advanced offensive game, with a nice three-point shot and above-average playmaking skills. It’s really too bad he has to have the heart of The Grinch.

Vince, for much of his career, has coasted through games, failing to exert his best effort and never reaching his vast potential. He’s had a great career, but one that nevertheless has left fans, analysts, coaches and teammates yearning for more. If he ever wants to change his legacy, his time with Orlando might be his last chance, but, for now, Vince Carter is an underachiever.

6. Ray Allen

The guys behind Ray may have scored more points last season, but were they helping their teams be championship contenders? Didn’t think so. Ray can still score the rock (in his last season before joining the Celtics, Allen scored a career-high 26.4 points), but has successfully sacrificed his game, just like the other members of the Big Three, to help Boston win games.

In Boston, Ray’s scoring totals are down, but he can still shoot the ball with the best of them, and has proven to be a better all-around player than advertised. Beyond his scoring, Allen’s defense has been pivotal in the C’s quest for championship 17, and now, championship 18. When his time in the NBA is over, Ray Allen will have a plaque in Springfield, MA, but right now he’ll have to settle for being one of the NBA’s best shooting guards.

5. Manu Ginobili

Manu Ginobili tends to get injured – a lot – and, even when he does play, he often comes off the bench. He doesn’t score as much as a lot of the other guys on this list, and doesn’t play as many minutes. So why is Ginobili rated so high?

Because he has been pivotal in three Spurs championship seasons and, when healthy, is their go-to guy in crunch-time. Last season, while the Spurs were getting hammered by an equally old and washed-up Dallas Mavericks team, Ginobili proved his worth just by sitting on the sidelines in street clothes.

Tim Duncan has been the Spurs’ best player for a long time and Tony Parker was arguably their best player last year, but Ginobili may be their most important. Gregg Popovich said about Ginobili, “He is an amazing competitor... one of the most unbelievable competitors I have ever seen.” And he’s right – Tim Duncan may be the Spurs’ best player and Tony Parker their floor general, but Manu Ginobili is their heart and soul.

4. Joe Johnson

It was really worth it when the Celtics traded Joe Johnson away for Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk, huh? Years later, after the Celtics found a way to swindle the Minnesota Timberwolves and win a championship, I can laugh about the trade, but for years that trade was proof of the Celtics’ inept front office.

Since that trade, Joe Johnson has been ho-hum in becoming one of the NBA’s best all-around players, a 6’7” 240 lb. package of skill and physicality. Johnson, in his ever-steady demeanor and play, has helped to transform the Hawks from laughingstocks of the NBA to a team banging on the door of championship contenders. Johnson, by all accounts, is a quiet person, but his game does a lot of talking for him.

3. Brandon Roy

Brandon Roy plays basketball seemingly effortlessly, with a smooth game that camouflages his world-class athleticism. Whenever I see Roy glide past a defender for an easy, and breathtaking, dunk, I never fail to be surprised. “How did he do that? He doesn’t even seem athletic! That came out of nowhere!”

But that’s how Brandon Roy plays. He lulls you to sleep with his smoothness, and then, in a flash, he’s by you and scoring a bucket. Roy has one of the most visually pleasing games in the league, and is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.

2. Dwyane Wade

An absolute wrecking ball with the ball in his hands, Wade is as relentless a basketball player as I’ve ever seen play the game, living by his commercial’s mantra “Fall seven times. Stand up eight.” Battling severe injuries, it often seemed like Wade’s glory years might be behind him, like the 2006 championship might have been the peak of Wade’s short but brilliant run at the top.

Instead, Wade stood up one more time, returning to the old Dwyane Wade and taking home a scoring title while leading an undermanned Heat team to the East’s fifth seed and a berth in the playoffs. Once again, Wade is one of the league’s best players, and a joy to watch for his tenacity, athleticism and bold competitiveness.

1. Kobe Bryant

There will never be another Michael Jordan. The NBA’s best player ever, Jordan was, perhaps, the most competitive man to ever play in the NBA, its most electric performer, and one of the best winners, too. All that said, Kobe Bryant has come as close as anybody else to reaching MJ’s superhuman level.

The most polished player in today’s NBA, Bryant has an array of moves unmatched by anybody else. He has the league’s best footwork and can get any shot he wants, whenever he wants. Often times, I find his shot-creating ability to be his greatest weakness as well as his greatest strength, as Bryant often settles for jumpers that mere mortals wouldn’t even think of attempting. Still, he manages to make a high percentage of those shots and remains, unquestionably, one of the NBA’s top two players.

With an unparalleled work ethic to go with his world-class athleticism, it’s no wonder Kobe Bryant has accumulated four rings, an MVP trophy and a couple scoring titles. There will never be another Michael Jordan, but Kobe Bryant has done a great job of attempting to match Jordan’s accomplishments.

The NBA's Top Ten Small Forwards

It’s time for part three of the first annual Celtics Town NBA positional rankings, the small forwards.

Honorable mention

In no particular order: Rudy Gay, Stephen Jackson, Tayshaun Prince

10. Josh Howard

A do-it-all type who excels at nothing but is good at almost everything, Josh Howard is always looking to get higher…on the Celtics Town positional rankings.

An odd stat about Howard: In 2008-2009, he was the second-best first quarter scorer in the NBA, with 7.6 points per first quarter (trailing only Lebron James). How can he be such a prolific scorer in the first quarter but tail to only 1.8 points per fourth quarter? That doesn’t make any sense at all.

Still, Howard is one of the more talented and productive small forwards in the NBA today.

9. Ron Artest

I’m not sure how much replacing Trevor Ariza with Ron Artest will help L.A. While Ariza was a role player who knew his niche with the Lakers and played it very well, Artest is less likely to willingly take such a backseat role to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. I don’t know if Artest’s poor shot selection and quirky – I’m being nice – behavior will fit in with L.A.

I do know, though, that his toughness will be welcomed with open arms in the city of angels. Even coming off an NBA championship, the Lakers are seen of as a soft team. About the Lakers during the ’08-’09 playoffs, Artest himself said, “Last year, what the Celtics did to them was more about manhood than basketball. They took their manhood. They took it right from under them.”

With Artest in the lineup, it won’t be as easy taking the Lakers manhood. Artest doesn’t have great shot selection and has a bit of a temper, but he’s a gritty and physical defender who’s as tough as they come.

8. Gerald Wallace

How does a guy who averaged 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals while shooting 48% from the field go almost completely unnoticed? By playing for a franchise that has never even made it to the playoffs, the Charlotte Bobcats.

If Wallace were on any other team, his all-around play and versatility would make him a star. Instead, he’s one of the most underrated players in the NBA, performing night in and night out with little fanfare.

7. Caron Butler

Another underrated small forward, Caron Butler was a late bloomer who has gotten better every year, developing into the all-star caliber player he is today. With Butler, Antawn Jamison and a presumably healthy (at least that’s what the Wizards are saying) Gilbert Arenas, plus an improved bench helped by the additions of Randy Foye and Mike Miller, the Wizards could be a darkhorse to contend for the East’s fourth seed.

And, when they do, don’t forget about Caron Butler. Often overshadowed by the looming shadow of the outgoing Gilbert Arenas, the quiet Butler keeps to himself and let’s his game do the talking. His unassuming mentality hasn’t helped him win over fans, but it hasn’t stopped him from being a hell of a small forward, either.

6. Brandan Wright

This is clearly a joke, but seriously, John Hollinger had Brandan Wright rated sixth (according to the stats) on his list of small forwards at the end of the year. Is Brandan Wright even a small forward? Do Hollinger’s stats take into account that Wright averaged a paltry 8.3 points and 4.0 rebounds last year?

When Brandan Wright is the sixth best small forward in the NBA, you may want to tweak your stats a little bit.

6. Danny Granger

After a breakout year in ’08-’09, Danny Granger firmly established himself as an NBA all-star. The Indiana Pacer has a bit of an old-school game – he isn’t flashy, doesn’t have great athleticism, and won’t wow you with most of what he does – but he just gets the job done. His team isn’t great, and has been mediocre for a long time, but that’s no reason not to appreciate everything Granger brings to the court every night.

5. Hedo Turkoglu

I had a tough time rating Turkoglu, for the simple reasons that he has a quirky game, doesn’t have great stats (16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists), and took a long time to become such a good player.

Still, it’s hard to argue with the fact that he was the go-to guy for an NBA Finals team, the fourth quarter assassin on a Magic team devoid of any other go-to guy. Turkoglu is a unique player – 6’10”, but skilled enough to handle the ball on a pick-and-roll and create offense for himself or for others. His stats aren’t off the charts by any means, but Turkoglu was worth more to his team than any player behind him on this list, and the Magic will really miss him next year (although 5 years and $53 million for a 30 year-old seconed-tier player might have been overspending).

4. Kevin Durant

The best young scorer in the league, Kevin Durant should win multiple scoring titles before his career is over. A smooth, talented and athletic 6’10” wingman, Durant can fill it up as well as just about anybody in the NBA. If the rest of the game were as advanced as his scoring, Durant would contend for next year’s MVP. As it is, he’ll have to settle for being the NBA’s most intriguing youngster.

Remember when it was a big deal that Kevin Durant couldn’t bench press 185 lbs.? I don’t care if Durant can’t bench press a feather, I’d want him on my team any day.

3. Paul Pierce

One of the NBA’s best small forwards for a long time, Paul Pierce is finally getting some recognition for being part of the NBA’s elite. For a long time, Pierce toiled on bad or mediocre teams, struggling to get his due while playing with such weak talent surrounding him.

What most people lost track of was that those teams would have been a lot worse without Pierce. Even the 24-58 team, the miserable ’06-’07 team that led to the Garnett and Allen trades, was 20-27 with Pierce. That record may not seem good, until you realize that Boston was 4-31 without him.

Even in the Celtics’ worst years, Pierce always made his teams far better by scoring timely buckets, rebounding like a bigger player, and playing underrated defense. It’s about time Pierce got his due, earning second-team All-NBA honors for the first time this past season.

2. Carmelo Anthony

Before this season, I wouldn’t have put Carmelo so high. He’s always been able to score but, before this past season, was unwilling to do the little things to help his team win. Defense was a foreign concept to Carmelo, who was more of a bull-fighter than a defender – you know, wave the red flag and let somebody by.

This past year, though? Carmelo turned himself into an all-around player. His scoring numbers were down further than they have been in years, but Carmelo had, in my eyes, his best season yet. He finally sacrificed some of his game for the good of his team, and turned the corner in becoming a force in this league.

For those of you who didn’t watch the Nuggets’ series with L.A., it was a treat to watch Kobe and Carmelo battle. Carmelo didn’t give up an inch in that matchup, demanding to guard Kobe when the game was on the line, fighting him for position on every play. If you saw that series, you know what the rest of the NBA knew throughout the whole season – Carmelo Anthony has arrived.

1. Lebron James

Surprise, surprise, King James is number one.

Lebron may not shake hands after a playoff loss, but he can do everything else on a basketball court. He’s built like a Mack Truck, drives like a Porsche, and kicks it into gear like Jeff Gordon in his prime. On top of that, he’s a fierce competitor, a great teammate and as good a passer as anybody in the NBA.

With such an enormous package of physical gifts and basketball talent, was there ever any doubt that Lebron James would be rated the NBA’s top small forward?