There's a thread like this on RealGM debating whether or not Butler is a Top 10 player. I say he's on the outside looking in. Here are mine in no particular order. What are yours? LeBron Durant Giannis Harden Lillard Curry AD Westbrook Horford Oladipo Kawhi was Top 3 before he got hurt but I want to see what he looks like now before putting him back in the Top 10. And Cousins may never be the same so he isn't on the list either. Butler and Oladipo are close but Butler has injury and attitude problems and Oladipo was sensational on both ends of the court last season. Will be interesting to see what Grizzlies do this season. Could put Conley or Gasol near the Top 10. Simmons is near Top 10 as well. Embiid is Top 5 if he stays healthy but you can't count on that. Yet.
Lebron, Durant, Harden, AD, Curry, Giannis, Lillard, Butler, Kahwi, Westbrook. I dunno I have a hard time with the eastern conference players they almost a different game over there...
The NBA all star game should just be two teams of Western Conference all stars this year. The Eastern Conference all star team should have to play against the G League all stars. That would be a much more evenly matched game. BNM
Maybe? When he was playing Minnesota was pretty firmly in 3rd in the west last year, when he was out they were barely a playoff team.
Thats why they changed it last year. No more east vs west. Will it be Team Lebron vs Team Stephen again with Lebrons move to the Lakers?
The game may have been Team LeBron vs. Team Steph, but the voting was still by conference and 12 players from each conference were selected to play in the game. So no, there won't be a Team LeBron vs. Team Steph rematch. The two captains are the top vote getters from each conference. So, look for it to be Team LeBron vs. Team Giannis this year. My point was, due to an incredible disparity of talent between the two conferences, they should just do away with all star voting by conference (same for playoffs - top 16 teams, regardless of conference). It's going to be even more lopsided this year. With LeBron and DeRozan moving West, 12 of the 15 players who made the 3 All NBA teams now play in the Western Conference. The East is a joke. BNM
Yeah but everyone else was picked playground style so there western conference players on team lebron to make it fair
LeBron Durant Anthony Davis Curry Antetokounmpo Rudy Gobert Harden Chris Paul (when he's 100% healthy, which isn't often these days) Embiid Jokic
I am not gonna give you too much of a hard time, all of our lists will be different but theres a lot on here that I think could make for some interesting discussions. Interesting list.
Right, the game was fair, but the voting process wasn't. I want to see the 24 best players in the league play in the game, regardless of conference. BNM
Just say No to Westbrick - if he wasn't a 4th quarter moron, I'd probably think differently. But, he is, so he's not a top 10 player, at all.
I would say quite a few guys on my top 10 list have things I dont like about their games. WB is the epitome of hero ball to me, but his effect on the court is great.
Both good and bad. He's talented enough to get his team to the brink, but selfish and stupid enough to fuck it up. BNM
Yeah I think when they lost to the warriors after being up 3-1 that was more on KD than WB. I think youre right. I just hear the oh KD saw he couldnt win with WB as a reason why he left and I think KD is the one who really played bad those last 3 games...
KD missed some big shots in those games and many fans and members of the media tried to paint him as a choker. Westbrook also missed a lot of shots, missed FTs, committed stupid fouls and just had an absolute shit ton of turnovers when the games were on the line. The difference is people expected Durant to make the shots. They know Westbrook isn't a shooter, so no one is surprised when he misses. They've come to expect it. Still, I think it's bullshit that Durant was blamed for losing game 6 when Westbrook had 4 TOVS in less than a minute and a half with the game on the line: I mean look at that. With the game tied at 101 and 1:40 to go, Westbrook turned the ball over 4 times in a span of 1:27. That's what cost OKC the game (and likely the series), but the headlines the next day read: Kevin Durant taking heat from Thunder fans after Game 6 loss to Warriors "It was Kevin's fault, just write that," a Thunder fan says as he walks to the exit." "Absolute choke job from Durant tonight. COMPLETE PLEB. Leave OKC you bum" "Russell Westbrook need to get traded he ain't gone never win wit durant" It was like not even one OKC fan noticed those 4 huge TOVs by Westbrook. They just wanted to blame Durant for missing some shots. I've always said OKC fans are the least knowledgeable in the league, and they prove it time and time again. Yeah, it was cowardly for Durant to go to GSW, but can anyone really blame him for wanting the hell out of OKC? BNM
Im not claiming that WB didnt have a part of them losing, cause obviously he did. However KD fostered that crap with WB for years. Literally for years publicly KD basically saod he was good with how WB played, and honestly KD played the same way. KD is a better more efficient scorer but he can be a black hole at times too. He still is the one guy on GS where the ball gets into his hands and it sticks. Game 5 KD had 40 points while shooting 38% Game 6 KD had 29 points on 33% shooting. Game 7 He shot much better but only had 27 points. Yes WB has always been turnover prone, has always been a loose cannon, has always basically been the player he is now, but KD had every bit as much to do with that 3 game melt down as WB did.
