The Cap'n is a basketball fan

This post is clearly a degenerative imitation of Bill Simmons "The Sports Guy", who writes an annual column about the trade values of NBA players. I began writing this before he published his on Espn.com's Page 2. I recommend anyone truly interested in the NBA go ahead and read that. It will be helpful for comparison's sake, and you'll also get to see how much I copied everything about his rankings even the writing style

NBA Trade Values- 2005 Off-season

Now that the NBA has crowned its most recent champions – Congratulations to the Spurs and all of San Antonio by the way- it’s time to start thinking about the basketball hot stove. Judging from the potential free agent market it looks as though this off-season will be substantially quieter than last year. If you are looking ahead to the next year for your franchise (and there’s always a next year for every team, yes, even the Clippers) don’t expect to make a Suns or Bulls type leap based on signing major talent alone. So if we’re playing fantasy GM with the whole NBA you have to get some judgment of how all the players stack up against each other. So in the absence of anyone else’s authoritative opinion I have created my own list of the top 50 players based on their comparative trade value.

Before we go into the ratings we have to cover the rules. First, since I haven’t the time or the finesse to sort out just those players currently in contract from those who will enter the free agent market, I will simply treat them all as potential trades. Imagine that when Commissioner Stern walked out of the effective bargaining agreement he said “All teams’ rosters are frozen as of this date and from here on out, any two teams can swap one player for another straight-up with no cap ramifications.” Second, degrees matter. Some teams would never surrender the players at the top of this list even if the offer is for someone who could be better. Example, if someone proposed Kobe Bryant for Kevin Garnett straight up neither team would actually take that offer, but Minnesota would have to say “Dang as much as we want to we’ll have to pass on Kobe” while the Lakers will say “Kobe for KG, we’d be insane to accept that.” See, little degrees like that mean a lot for separating out the top of the list. Conversely some of the players are so close to each other on the bottom and middle of the list that they could be traded for each other in our imaginary league, but one of the teams could still feel a little happier for the change. Example, the proposed swap between Detroit and Philadelphia goes through, Rip Hamilton and Chris Webber trade places. The difference was that it took Philly all of five minutes thought to part with C-Dub while Detroit probably spent a few days shopping Rip around to see if they could get a better offer. Third, in instances where a player is well known to be underpriced or overpriced in his current contract, that will raise or lower his value respectively, but that tends to be a tie breaker rather than a major issue. Fourth, you have to consider the age of the player. Do you want Jason Kidd for five years, or Ben Gordon for ten. Finally and most importantly, this is not about who’s the better player, or who’s more dominant, or who an organization is loyal to. In my mind all front office decisions boil down to two points 1) Who’s going to win us the most games and titles? and equally important is 2) Who’s going to earn us the most money? So I made those my standards and followed the trades wherever logic took me.

And now the ratings in descending order (i.e. the player wouldn’t be traded for each player listed before him but would be traded for each player listed after him)…


Category F: Either way the phone’s not ringing

50. Grant Hill- Back in 1998 you would have said he had fallen significantly to reach this point, so it’s sad to note that this is actually quite a leap for him. He’s still a real asset to the Magic in term of revenue, and he did prove to have a positive impact on the team’s record when he played. So they wouldn’t trade Grant for just any old journeyman, bench stiff, or Atlanta Hawk. That having been said, I can see them giving up Hill for any player who has promise and some record for living up to that promise, which everyone below on this list has.

49. Jamal Magloire- I know he hasn’t been very productive, and it’s hard to believe that anyone would value him, but he is honestly New Orleans’ best player anymore. If they give him up they become the Bobcats minus the excuses. Essentially the Hornets will hold on to him unless another GM partakes of a little too much Bourbon Street action and offers them a solid player. Just like Hill, no one who currently has him wants to give him away, but no one who doesn’t have him is really interested.

Category E: Building blocks

48. Kirk Hinrich- On the Baby Bulls, he’s the leading scorer and a real on-court leader, on a contending team he’s a solid seventh man and good fourth option. Not exactly a glowing recommendation, but it has done enough to earn the attention of some. He may have officially supplanted Eddy Curry as “the closets thing the Bulls have to a veteran”, I’m still checking into that. In any case he can’t be any higher on this list when every other player is at worst a good sixth man or reliable third option.

47. Pau Gasol- I suppose you could credit the coaching, but the Memphis players have to be a least a little responsible for making the playoffs two years in a row while seated in the toughest division in basketball. Still he’s a defensive weak spot until he orders those “Dirk Nowitiski: How to Become a Tough European Player” instructional tapes.

46. Reggie Evans- Somewhere beneath Ray Allen’s career year, someone noticed that this guy was a key component of Seattle’s expectation defying season.

45. Jeff Foster- I may be overrating this guy, just because I love the nickname “Bananas Foster.” But c’mon doesn’t the Pacers’ entire season post-brawl prove that the every team member except Artest and O’Neal were underrated?

44. Chris Bosh- I have long been of the opinion that his value has been underappreciated, in the same rookie class as Wade, ‘Melo, and LBJ. I realize that hurts him on the market, but he’s a commodity to be watched if only because some clever team could clear a ton of cap and useless contracts on the Raptors in exchange for this promising sophmore.
While we’re on the subject of the sorry state of Toronto, and I won’t directly revisit it at any other point on this list, I just had to take a shot at Bob Babcock. I can’t help but think of him as the Elmer Fudd of the NBA and every other GM as Bugs Bunny. He must have made a bet with the Clippers ownership that he could put together a worse team than they could. He has to be doing this stuff on purpose.

43. Andre Kirilenko- He should be a franchise player for the Jazz, instead it looks like he’ll just become the next designated defender for somebody. Still, as Bruce Bowen proved you can get a lot out of a player with combination clampdown defense and robo-rebounding skills, especially if he’s a reliable scorer too. Of course Bowen has proven it and AK-47 only promises it so, he stays a building block for now.

42. Brad Miller- Yeah, sure it looks like the post-Webber Kings aren’t going to be nearly the title contenders they used to be, but aside from durability issues, Miller is a reliable big man who really stepped it up at the end of the season. I can think of about 13 teams in the Eastern Conference who would love to have that.

41. Richard Jefferson- Theoretically he could be much higher, but I have to deduct points for 1) playing his whole career with the best “makes his teammates better" player of the post-MJ era, and 2) his major injury clearly affected his mental toughness, and his ability to recover from this may be a serious question for GM’s. I do think his dedication to come back and get swept in the playoff does bode well. Also factor in that since his rookie season he has played more games and more minutes in each season than someone like, oh, let’s say, Shaq has played in any season since ’94. I’m not calling him an iron man, I’m just saying he may disprove that “Pac-10 players are soft” superstition.

40. Lamar Odom- The Lakers must realize that he is their only weapon after Kobe. So depending if they’re seriously in the “let’s rebuild for a championship” mode or the “we’ve decided to self-destruct for half a decade a la the Bulls after Jordan” mode, they can either treat him right and groom him for success, or dump him on the Trailblazers for more useless draft picks. Either way he can get them something they want.

39. Chris Webber- I know he lives his life under a cloud and he threw his latest franchise leader under a bus, like five minutes after getting eliminated in the playoffs, but hear me out. Philly will want to hold on to Webber unless they get a sweet deal. In the regular season his is good enough to draw some of the pressure away from the always overburdened and overgaurded AI, and Iverson’s health is essential to playoff success. The only problem is that only a few teams would be desperate enough to give up anything of value for this albatross.
P.S. In honor of Iverson being the Answer, I think Webber should officially be dubbed the Problem. For as much as the first is able to overcome staggering odds to achieve inspiring success, the second is capable of wrenching a heartbreaking loss from the clutches of victory.
P.S.S. Why hasn’t anyone ever tried offering Webber a contract where he earns all his cash and incentives in the regular season, then have a loophole saying they can cut him from their playoff roster and not lose the option to renew? I’m not kidding I think this is a sure way to secure home court for the playoffs, and then ensuring you only lose to better teams instead of whatever grudge some higher power seems to have with C-Dub.

38. Rip Hamilton- He’s a great scorer, and a solid team player, and a major element of the Piston’s two runs at a title, yes, that is all true. However, do you really think Detroit couldn’t find someone just as reliable from within twelve feet, who doesn’t go on headache inducing draughts in big games? Besides, he’s already one Dikembe Mutombo elbow away from the end of his career. The Pistons like him, but they won’t bet the farm on him.

37. Antoine Walker- I think he’ll keep NBA statisticians awake long into the night for years after he retires. I read a piece showing how his shooting woes should, in theory, kill his team. Somehow when he’s in green and white he’s just a solid winner. I say the Celtics are too scared of the Curse of the ‘Toine to just give him up again.

36. Peja Stojakovic- I doubt if he’ll ever create his own shot or improve the play of his teammates, but the Kings do love their Diet Kobe, and plenty of others want a taste.

35. Elton Brand- I almost want to label him as a full fledged franchise guy, simply because he’s talented and entertaining enough to sell tickets, and also complacent enough to play for the worst run franchise in basketball. His stats are good, and those who watch him play say he’s up there in terms of talent and ability. The two things dragging him down to this point are that no other franchise would seriously put their future on his shoulders, and no one can be called a franchise player for the Clippers. It’s one of those catch-22’s. The more valuable you are to the Clipps the more likely they are to trade you.

34. Baron Davis- After what he did to close out the season the Warriors desperately want to retain him, and other teams are giving him some serious thought. Which probably means one way or another, he doesn’t play more that 35 games next season.

33. Bruce Bowen- He’s become a desirable commodity on the market. I can see any other team dealing him away for oh, I don’t know, a high-schooler with “upside”, or whatever else passes for a common sense move in the current NBA. The Spurs are different though. With, their style of play they don’t win a title this year without some one who could shut down the Ray Allens and Rip Hamiltons of the league; they know that. Also can you see anyone at the Spurs really splitting up their 7-man rotation?

32. Tony Parker- You could switch him with B2, because I think they have equal market value and value to the Spurs. I give the Frenchman the nod, because there’s more demand for quality point guards. He would rank much higher on the list if he wasn’t less famous than his girlfriend, and hadn’t been tilting on the edge of premature career collapse for the second half of the season.

Category D: Borderline Franchise Guys

31. Emeka Okafor- I actually was surprised to rank him this low. In theory he’s the ultimate untouchable franchise guy, since he lead his team in scoring, is so far the face of the franchise, and has already won Rookie of the Year to give the Bobcats a little street cred. He has proven championship credentials, and was the locker room leader on a team that seriously defied expectations. Despite all that I ultimately come back to the fact that the Bobcats are so new that they could find a much more attractive franchise guy either in the next draft, or in a good trade. Carolina just has too many options to label any player as untouchable, but Okafor’s probably the closest thing they have.

30. Kenyon Martin- If I had to choose one power forward for the next ten years, I think K-Mart is a close second choice behind the obvious top dawg. He showed the same toughness with the Nuggets, that he made his name with in New Jersey, but his contract is way overpriced for anyone to want him that bad.

29. Michael Redd- What does it mean that the second most valuable free agent this year isn’t even in the top 25 most valuable players in the league? He’s good sure, and anyone who gets him will hold on tight, but I don’t know if he’s a for sure franchise player.

28. Steve Francis- The Magic can’t afford to lose him, and no other team could build a team around him alone. I think some of his rep is unearned, I mean he hasn’t killed a coach’s career the last few months, and he shows up every game, and he has true All-Star level game.

27. Joe Johnson- He gets seriously bumped up this list for halo effect from the other Suns, I know everyone else was impressed with his impact in the post-season, but I never saw the kind of production in his regular season numbers you expect in a must have guy.

26. Paul Pierce- He’ll be lucky if he makes this list next year, or maybe not since the only way he’ll still be some team’s franchise player is if he gets traded to a bad team.

25. Rasheed Wallace- His presence bumped the Pistons up from contenders to favorites in the title chase for the next few years. During the playoffs you just knew if he came to life on the offensive end the other team didn’t have a prayer. It’s just Detroit’s good fortune that he’s only their third most valuable player (which by the way is a sure sign Joe Dumars will inevitably capsize the franchise when he reaches to get value by trading ‘Sheed). I could even see him ranked a little higher if I didn’t still have that lingering doubt that someday somehow he was going to pull off a stunt that would go right onto NBA TV’s “Stupidest On Court Moments” gag reel.

24. Jason Kidd- It’s easy to say that the Nets want to dump his contract, but they would still have two other players with max money on their roster, and neither have had nearly the impact of Kidd. You just don’t lose with him on your court. If he can put together two more healthy years, than I think New Jersey will remain a threat in the East. But he’s already on the downside of his career.

23. Ben Wallace- I don’t know how you define dominance, but for me it’s the quality of a player to alter the dynamics of the game simply by his presence. That’s why I think Big Ben could be the most dominant player right now. Not every game, but sometimes, when he’s motivated and when he gets his head on straight. Its important to note that I don’t mean just defensively. If he can turn on his offense, then he puts the fear of Stern into his opponents, and everything opens up for his team. If someone had treated him seriously from the beginning of his career he could have been the next Bill Russell. Now I think he has to settle with being the next Walt Bellamy.

22. Ray Allen- The Ray Gun is most definitely the most desirable free agent, but he’s also the hardest to rate. He can have a huge impact on any game in which he plays, but he seems to be a little one dimensional. While every team wants a go-to point maker, he probably isn’t worth whatever money he’ll draw. Then again he does come with Dean Oliver’s seal of approval. I tell you what, if he has another year like this, I’ll bump him up to the top ten on next year’s list.

21. Steve Nash- I would value any defending MVP at a much higher level than the leagues GM’s will value Nash. His skills may be irreplaceable, but everyone will value other skill sets above his, which is sad because this league needs to encourage more exciting playmakers like our lovable Canadian.

Group C: Franchise Players

20. Robert Horry- Big Game Rob has played himself into the pages of NBA history, and the high end of this list. He’s actually the exception, in that I label him as having the same value as a player on which a franchise could plan its future, even though he’s too late in his career and not a strong enough overall player to be The Man on any team. The simple fact is he plays the most valuable role in basketball, and he is the best there is at the game right now. Consider the following items:
1) Of the four factors Dean Oliver identifies as critcal to the success of a basketball team, the most important is reliable shooting, especially in close games or in leagues with a high level of parity.
2) Since American basketball has become increasingly focused on “athletes” who focus most of their talent on “to the basket” type skills, specialist shooters are becoming an increasing rarity in the NBA. Something we saw demonstrated with sad certainty in the 2004 Olympics.
3) In the last twelve years (also known as a full 20% of NBA history) 11 of the twelve NBA champions have had either famed and now retired shooting specialist Steve Kerr or Robert Horry on their roster. Horry alone played on half of the teams over that stretch. Can you name any other player who’s presence on your roster says you have a 50% chance of winning the championship.
4) As of the end of this season, with Reggie Miller’s retirement and Horry adding his Finals Game 5 heroics to his resume. No one is a better clutch player in the league. NO ONE.
5) Aside from age, I cannot think of one disadvantage Horry has. He has had great chemistry on all sorts of teams, including the Soap Oprah Shaq and Kobe Lakers. He plays hurt. He’s rarely seriously injured. He has a calming presence in pressure moments on big games. He should be the single most desirable player, outside of the super stars.
6) He will never cost you the top dollars a super star will, but he will get you comparable results. If the GM’s of the league held a all inclusive draft, he would definitely go in the top ten.
Add all those up, and it says to me he’s a must have player. If only for one or two years, any team with a solid starting line-up would die to have him, and the shot at a title he brings.
An interesting debate started during the Finals about whether or not Horry belonged in the Hall of Fame. I think the evidence is clearly in Horry’s favor, but the debate was complicated, by a couple of wrinkles. First, there is no NBA hall of fame, or even a professional basketball hall of fame, The Basketball Hall of Fame is an all inclusive hall honoring player of both genders from around the world of both pro and amateur levels. This leads to the meaning of being a Hall of Famer so diluted, that no basketball fan can clearly define it any more. I don’t even think that the selection committees have a firm idea, which would explain why it seems easier for women’s college coaches to get in than memorable NBA stars. Second, in discussing the all-time greats of the NBA the arguments rarely recognize role players. Baseball and football and even hockey have much more differentiation between the demands of different players. Football fans seem to appreciate why a great lineman is as hall worthy as a great quarterback. Baseball’s hall honors the defensive specialist and relief aces right there with the great hitters. But, since all basketball players have the same basic purpose, they all get judged by the same standards, which isn’t always fair. It seems as if most basketball fans think you have to be an MVP type player to be enshrined. I like to reference the great Bill James’ proposed standards for the baseball hall of fame, where he creates different definitions for what makes a Hall of Fame player. With Horry, he qualifies on two counts. First, you could argue he is among the greatest clutch shooters of all time and during his career was only ever overshadowed by super stars. Second, he was a vital element on multiple championship teams. To me the Hall of Fame was meant to honor the players who made important contributions to their team or their league, but who may not have been an MVP, or flashy all-star. We don’t need a plaque in Cooperstown to remember who Babe Ruth was, but we might not remember Hank Greenberg without the Hall. In my opinion Robert Horry is a dead lock for the Hall of Fame. He’s the kind of player that should be honored in posterity. I just hope the voters agree.

19. Manu Ginobli- I know he’s older than you’d like your central star to be, but just look at how he can energize his teams. He is undeniably the kind of player that can turn lesser talent into a serious contender. So, the Spurs may get some team to give up one of the players listed below, just to get at the Argentinean’s intangibles.

18. Carmelo Anthony- Some people think he’s a disappointment already, because he didn’t have an instant Bird and Magic type impact. The thing is, I think he has. He has gotten to the playoffs two more times than LeBron James has, and has had better success against the West powerhouses than D-Wade. He may have some questions about his mental toughness, and off-court stability, but I think Coach Karl came into his life early enough, that, if those two stay together for a while, ‘Melo can still get on the right track. Any team with him on their roster will hold on to him for the sake of their future, even if he may not have the proven success of Dwayne, or the piggy bank quality of King James.

17. Jermaine O’Neal- He turned himself into a model player this season. When you combine the way he carried himself post brawl with his amazing on-court leadership and dedication and his already substantial talent and prowess, you have exactly the kind of player the Pacers will lean on to build their post-Reggie franchise into greatness.

16. Gilbert Arenas- He could easily bottom out in a big hurry and turn into just another head case with untapped potential, which is a shame, because he was finally learning how to really play basketball. The Wizards need him to be their future in a big way, but they have to watch out that an established team that can afford the risk, doesn’t outbid them the next time his contract is up.

15. Mike Bibby- He leads all other point guard’s in the league because he’s proven he can carry a team and he still has enough time and flexibility in him that he could still develop a multi-year project team like the Grizzlies into the real deal.

14. Ben Gordon- Oh man, once he learns how to play that way for thirty or more minutes, he’s going to become the most feared assassin in the NBA. There is no way his career doesn’t become something great.

Category B: Nearly Untouchables

13. Chauncy Billups- In case there was any doubt about who the Most Valuable Piston was, I think the NBA Finals proved it. No one else on Detroit’s roster seems able to control the tempo, create their own shot, change the momentum of a game, or make a big play without him on the court. Joe Dumars knows if he lets go of Billups he lets go of any chance of building a Pistons dynasty with the pieces he has left. I would rate him higher, but I’m a little worried, that like all the other Pistons he wouldn’t work in any other team’s chemistry.

12. Amare Stoudemire- I’m a little tired of the pundits going crazy about him. Sure he looks like he could be the most devastating offensive force in the NBA today. But come on, where was this dominance before Steve Nash shows up. I don’t believe he can make that kind of difference without a good supporting cast. The Suns are going to keep designing the offense to feed into his talents and his market value is going to keep rising, until all some other team makes some ridiculous offer for a player that will totally implode the second the world stops pampering him. Still, this list is more about perceived value than actual impact, so he has to be high up. I just want to warn whoever signs him after the Suns. You were probably promised the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain or something, but what you really got was a load of “upside” who’ value does a nose dive once he goes more than three feet from the basket. (I was considering going into a huge rant about “upside” here, but I’ve decided to let it rest at this: did anyone ever need to be reminded of MJ, Magic, or Bird’s upside? So then how can it mean so much?)

11. Allen Iverson- Even if I accept that his career is nearly over and he never delivered, he still ranks this high. Philly has nothing, without him. No wins, no ticket sales, nothing.

10. Vince Carter- Obviously his trade value shot through the roof with his performance after coming to New Jersey. I don’t attribute that to his level of play as much as the terrible passive aggressive mean streak he showed. His productivity number wise was great, but remember he was playing with Mr. I-Make-My-Teammates-Look-Way-Better-Than-They-Actually-Are, Jason Kidd. Not only was Kidd naturally going to do more for Vince than any of his old Raptor teammates, but he also was coming back from injury himself and desperate to make the playoffs. Nothing was going to stop Carter from playing monster ball after the All-Star break.
Sidebar- What’s Vince Carter’s new nickname? I might have been one of the few people south of the 49th parallel to like Air Canada, so I doubt Air Jersey will work out. If anyone has suggestions, I want to hear them.
The level of effort that Vince displayed once he was in a Nets jersey was freakish. I just assumed he lacked mental toughness, competitiveness, and ambition. In other words, I thought he was destined for the Clippers. It turns out he actually did lack motivation. I don’t know what it was he needed to get him going. It could have been he needed to live in the States, or he needed a competent front office, or another All-Star to relieve the pressure off his back. In any case I think this might have been one of the best acts of passive aggressive revenge in sports history (it still lags well behind the top pick Curse of the Bambino). He not only proved to the Toronto fans and front office that he really was a great player, and embarrassed them for ever buying a ticket to watch him play at half speed. He also set up a horrible situation for Toronto. When the last spot in the playoffs came down to the Nets and Cavaliers, it meant that the only way the Raptors could try to keep him out of the playoffs was to lie down to the Cavs on the last game of the season after they had finally gotten some sense of their identity back. That was a real gut blow to the city, which he made worse by getting into the playoffs anyway. I figure this has to rate at least 3.5 on Bill Simmons Vengeance Skill (which can be found on Espn.com’s Page 2).

9. Tracy McGrady- Kobe will have a real rival in the West from here on out. I realize he did more for the Rockets this year than Yao, which has earned him such a high spot. I give the edge to Yao though, because he has the better image (especially internationall) and has a few more years in him. If you want to flip their positions on this list you can go ahead. I just like someone who hasn’t developed yet, over someone who still has to overcome a reputation of underachievement.

8. Dirk Nowitski- Tough European + Mad Shooting Skills + Terrific Marketability + Consistent Contender = A must have for any team without a true untouchable

7. Yao Ming- As the NBA becomes an increasingly international entity, you can bet that Commissioner Stern will start transforming Yao into the biggest media sensation since Jordan. I really mean it. If Vegas offered odds on who the next Jordan would be (at least in terms of being the face of the NBA) I would make a ton of money off this. I have no doubt that Yao can carry a team on his back, I’m watching out to see if he can carry this whole misbegotten league into the Global Basketball Era.


Category A: The Untouchables

6. Dwayne Wade- The Heat would never give up D-Wade, never, ever, ever. But they wouldn’t give up Shaq either. In terms of impact on the game they’re pretty much equal, with Shaq being more dominant in the regular season, and Wade taking over as the impact guy in the playoffs. Future value is also a wash. While Shaq is definitely on the rather steep downside of his career, he’s got many more years in him before he becomes less valuable than the average center. Dwayne theoretically has many years in front of him, but shouldn’t we all be more cautious about him with the long term effects of his rib injury still unclear. So in the best debate on this list I have to rate Shaq higher simply because he’ll sell more tickets and merchandise.

5. Kevin Garnett- He has yet to disprove the widely reported theory that he can never be the best player on a great team. If his presence alone can’t guarantee you a place in the playoffs then he’s only ever going to be about as valuable as Charles Barkley. Still the opinion of anyone who ever has to play against him is that by himself he can destroy a team on any given night. I guess that just means that Sir Charles could have owned this league if he played today.

4. Kobe Bryant- I propose a two point test as to his trade value 1) Can you name three players in the league with more proven talent? 2) Can you name three players in the league who are better known? I think the answer for both of those questions is a solid no. In addition you have to put him pretty high up, because from the second Shaq left, L.A. was pretty much stuck with Kobe. Jerry Buss would become the laughingstock of the league and tick off half his fan base the instant he admitted he picked the wrong pony. Sink or swim, the Lakers have to entrust their future to Kobe. I do have to deduct some points for being a serious threat to ruin any franchise he lands on, and for his still unresolved image problems. I don’t think that actually changed his placement, because he’s still more valuable than those listed above him, and he doesn’t have much of a chance of topping out those listed below.

3. LeBron James- I’m a little tired of excuses. LeBron, you should be the number one player on this list from here until you retire no matter where you play. Get into the playoffs or the honeymoon is over.

2. Shaquille O’Neal- This is an official warning: from here on out anyone who calls Shaq the most dominating anything, will receive a punch in the kidneys from me. Shaq’s reign is over. He may still be highly valuable and the most marketable player in the league. For that I honor him with the number two rating. The most dominant title belongs to the number one player . . .

The Man

1. Tim Duncan- I could get really picky that Manu deserved to be the Finals MVP, but the fact remains that Timmy has won three titles and three finals MVP’s to match. That’s as many as Shaq and Magic, and more than everyone else save Jordan. Tim’s won championships before and after Shaq and Kobe’s three-peat. He was great before they took over, and he’s since out performed and outlasted that Lakers min-dynasty. It’ starting to look to me like Shaq took advantage of a narrow window of opportunity and some special circumstances to claim his success, while Tim Duncan is an absolute championship player. Throw in the fact that Duncan may be smarter than any other player, a better leader, and never disrupts the team’s chemistry, and I have to declare that Tim Duncan has been the best player of the post-MJ era. Whatever mojo San Antonio has keeping him there, they better pray it never wears out. It’s Duncan’s league, we’re just watching it.