Russell Westbrook

The common perception of Russell Westbrook is that he was a pillar of athleticism and possessed unlimited potential in the wake of the Oklahoma City Thunder's first round exit in the 2010 Playoffs. But he became a selfish, shot-happy player in the 2011 NBA Playoffs and that has carried over to this season.

Westbrook's career doesn't resemble the perception stated above. In reality, he has consistently gotten better each season of his career. His field goal attempts per game have gradually increased each of his first four years in the NBA, but so has his field goal percentage. He averaged 1.14 points per FGA in '09-'10. He's averaged over 1.2 points per FGA in the next two regular seasons (and 1.18 points per FGA in the '11 playoffs). His points per game have increased each year in the league and he's scored over 20 ppg in the three playoff campaigns in which he's played.

The problem with Westbrook during the 2011 playoffs wasn't that he shot too much. The problem was he took too many bad shots. There were too many possessions where he was the only one who touched the ball and he wasn't able to get an open shot. His 39.4% field goal shooting that postseason shows the poor shots he's was taking. His assists per game during the '11 playoffs were actually higher than in '10. He's having a great postseason this year, but he gets two fewer apg during the '12 playoffs than he did during the '11 version.

In fact, he averaged three fewer assists per game during the this regular season than he did during last season. But that isn't an indication that he has become a more selfish player. it shows his shifting role on the Thunder. In 2010-11, Westbrook averaged 8.2 apg, Durant 2.7, and Harden 2.1. That totals 13 apg from those three. This season. Westbrook averaged 5.5, Durant 3.5, Harden 3.7. That totals 12.7, almost the same amount as last season. So, it's merely a case the role of initiating the offense has spread out between those three.

Westbrook doesn't have the court vision or passing ability of Paul, Parker, or Rondo. But remember, he played off the ball in college and he's been a pro for only four seasons. His field goal percentage, scoring average, and team's win percentage have improved each of his professional seasons. And he's only 23 years old.

He hasn't missed a game during his career, is a highlight waiting to happen, and will simply continue to get better for years to come. I'd rate the other star point guards ahead of him at this point, but they're all older than he is. He's not yet a top ten player, but he will be soon. I'd bet it won't take more than two or three years.

Tony Parker

Tony Parker is starting to get the recognition he deserves. He has made four all star games, finished in the top 10 in MVP voting three times, and won the 2007 NBA Finals MVP. But he still is not quite rated with the top point guards in the league. He most certainly should be.

I rated Parker as the 7th best player in 2008, the first year we made the top ten list and the 6th best in 2009. He had a down year due to injury in 2010 and it has taken him until this year (forthcoming) to crack my top ten list once again. But few people have agreed with my high ranking of Parker throughout the years. In 2008, when I said Parker would be the fifth player in the entire NBA I'd choose to start a franchise, I was criticized by friends because they said he was too old. They didn't believe me when I told them he was only 25 years old.

That is Parker in a nutshell. For the past five years he has possessed the perfect combination of experience and youth. But people always think he's older than he actually is. There are a number of other misconceptions about Parker.

Parker is the best finishing point guard around the basket in the league. Most consider Rose, Westbrook, or Rondo as such and rarely do you hear Parker even mentioned with them. Those three have highlight finishes whereas Parker tends to utilize his elegant floaters around the cup. But make no mistake, the ease and grace with which he enters the lane and the frequency with which he scores around the basket cannot be matched by any point guard in today's game.

Parker is the most efficient of the great point guards in the league. Parker has four seasons shooting over 50% in his career. Take Rondo (2), Williams (1), Paul (1), Rose, and Westbrook, who have a combined four seasons of shooting over 50% from the field. Parker leads these players in career field goal percentage and averages fewer turnovers per game than all of them except Paul (they average the same number).

Parker is at least as good as Rondo at understanding the pace of the game, though he's never mentioned in that vain. Parker knows when it's time to run and when it's time to slow things down. He knows when he needs to score (as during the entire 2008-09 campaign when he averaged 22 ppg) and when he needs to get others involved. His assist numbers are lower than some of the other star point guards because, simply put, he doesn't hog the ball in the same fashion. If the NBA counted assists as they do in the NHL, Parker would surely be the only man of the six mentioned above whose averages would get a big jump.

In the playoffs, his scoring numbers rise, as he takes on more responsibility. He has averaged over 20 ppg in four postseasons, including averaging 28.6 in the '09 playoffs when his star teammates were banged up. None of the other five star point guards have averaged as much in a postseason.

One reason Parker is underrated is his teammates. Tim Duncan is arguably a top ten player of all time and indisputably a top twenty player of all time. Manu Ginobili is a good player, but in my estimation is given more credit than he deserves partly because of his international success and partly because he plays flashier and makes the highlight reels more often than does Parker. Some even consider Ginobili a better point guard or playmaker than Parker. Parker's assist to turnover ratio however is better than Ginobili's (2.36-1.86).

So Parker has been drastically underrated throughout his career. He is easily one of the best point guards of this generation. Right now, I would still rank him behind Paul and a healthy Rose, but ahead of Williams, Westbrook, and Rondo. Hopefully, Parker will take his rightful place and be mentioned with the other great point guards of today.

Kevin Durant

As of yet, I haven't ranked Kevin Durant as one of the NBA's top ten players. It's possible that he could crack the list this season. Regardless, I believe that he will challenge LeBron James and Dwight Howard as the best player in the league in just a matter of a few years.

Durant is the best scorer in the league. He led the league in scoring average last season and is doing it again this season. He also has extraordinary ball handling skills for his size. He already has those attributes even though he's only 22 years old. It's truly remarkable.

But one interesting habit of the sports media in recent years involves building up a young player beyond his current ability. We dream of what Durant could be and, in the process, overlook his current faults. Then, once he achieves greatness, he will be torn down mercilessly. The arc of media attention LeBron James has received (independent of his move to Miami) is instructive.

Durant's flaws are excusable because he's so young, but they do show that he is not yet a top player. He's a below average on-ball defender. He does accumulate about one steal and one block per game, but we know those statistics are not indicative of the quality of a player's defensive ability. Durant had a good brief stretch guarding Kobe Bryant in the playoffs and his length could eventually make him a lockdown defender if he wants to be. But he's a long way off now. In addition, he's an average rebounder right now at about 6 and half a game.

His biggest deficiency is directly making his teammates better. Of course, being such a prolific scorer will draw attention and give his teammates better shots. But he's not yet able to make the right pass at the right time. He hasn't figured out when to defer and when to take over. He's not a particularly proficient passer either. He has improved his assist to turnover ratio every year in the league, but it's still below one, which, frankly, is terrible for someone who has the ball in his hands so often.

Durant is the best player on a good young team. I always believe your regular season gets you in the discussion for top players, but the playoffs determine your rank. Durant has led his team to one playoff appearance. They were an 8 seed and they lost 4-2in the first round. That hardly holds up against other top players' resumes. You might argue, well, he's young. Give him time. I totally agree. In fact, that's exactly the point.

Paul Pierce Toughness

One of my best qualities is my ability to kick people when they're up. For instance, after they hit a game-winning shot. Another quality I have is my hatred for people who I once defended and then have drastically disappointed me. Paul Pierce is such a character.

I thought Pierce was just about the toughest guy around after he was stabbed like 9 times several years ago. I told anybody who would listen, "Hey, this guy's tough!" Oh, has time proven me wrong to an embarrassing degree. There were those seasons when the Celtics were terrible and Pierce just didn't feel like playing.

Then, of course, there was the infamous display during Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals, which saw Pierce rolling around in pain and being wheeled off the court. A few minutes later, he trotted onto the court apparently miraculously healed. Pierce must have sent money to the 700 Club or something. In reality, he was carted off after sustaining a boo boo. Even in this year's playoffs, he was rolling around hurt at one point, only to get up. His teammates tried to act like they didn't know him.

That takes us to Manu Ginobili and Brandon Roy. Ginobili's nose was destroyed by Dirk Nowitzki's elbow last night. Between that incident and stealing some of Carl Landy's teeth, Dirk's elbow must be made of iron. Anyway, Ginobili missed all of 5 minutes of game action, despite the fact that his nose was twisted, bloody, and swollen. Roy had surgery for a torn meniscus eight days ago and is active for today's game. Both Ginobili and Roy are as tough as they come and do this game proud.

Dirk Nowitzki

For a star player, who has been one for nearly a decade, Dirk Nowitzki is fairly maligned. At the end of the '08 season, I had him as the 8th best player in the league. At the end of last season, I rated him as the 9th best. Now, I have him as the 7th best in the NBA. Few people would argue with my general placement of Dirk compared to the rest of the league's elite.

But Dirk is typically seen as a soft player. He is often derided for making the wrong judgment, usually when it comes to physically standing up to an opposing player. The reality is that Nowitzki has a European-style game. He doesn’t come with the same sense of bravado. He also isn't accustomed to using his height to punish players in the post.

This flaw resulted in the lowest point of his career. Coming off of an MVP season and with his team finishing with the best record in the league, the Mavs lost in the first round of the 2007 playoffs. The Golden State Warriors, the 8th seed, were a run-and-gun club filled with wing players. All Dirk needed to do was go into the post and score at will. For whatever reason, it didn't happen and the Mavs were victimized by the greatest upset in NBA playoff history.

In recent years, Dirk has developed a game closer to the basket. Some of that is shown by the fact that he shoots far fewer three point shots compared to the early part of his career. That takes us to one odd compliment Nowitzki always receives. He's credited with being a marvel, a big guy who can shoot. My response is, so what? If anything, you want the other team's 7-footer to shoot from deep, if only because that will keep him away from the basket, which is a far more efficient shot.

Despite his relative reluctance to take the ball in the post when his team needs it, Nowitzki is a wonderful player. He’s averaged over 25 points per game 4 out of the last 6 seasons. He was pretty close in the other two seasons too (averaging 24.6 in his MVP season). During that stretch, he has been the best player on a playoff team.

A German guy once argued to me that Dirk was a better team player than (you Americans, like) LeBron or Kobe, in a bid to impress his Danish girlfriend (trying to show that he can talk about basketball with an American). The look of unbridled shock on my face seemed to shame him. But that's not Dirk's job. He's a scorer. At times, crucial playoff games included, he has been unstoppable. He possesses a dizzying myriad of ways to score the ball.

I once got into a vicious argument with a friend who contended that Dirk was a good defensive player and not the horrific defender that I thought he was. His argument went that Dirk averaged 1.5 blocks a game that past season (which turned out to be his career high) and 10 boards a game (something he's actually never done). Forget that blocks are not much of an indication of good defense, my friend later admitted 1.5 for a 7-footer isn't a whole lot. Dirk averages a decent 8.5 rebounds per game for his career, but how that relates to his ability to defend still baffles me.

But that isn't Dirk's game either. His best defense is making shots on the other end. It’s a skill he's perfected. Dirk is a go-to player when it counts, in the playoffs, where he averages 25.5 ppg (more than his 22.9 regular season mark). And for that, he is a perennial top 10 player in the NBA.

Dwyane Wade

Don't get me wrong. Dwyane Wade is one of the best players in the NBA. I ranked him as the 5th best player at the end of last season and as the 4th best player now. Yet, somehow, I believe he's overrated. First, let's talk about Wade's positives. He's a great scorer. His career average is an impressive 25.3 ppg including a league leading 30.2 last season. For his career, he piles up 6.6 assists a game (an assist per game more than Chauncey Billups). He grabs nearly 5 rebounds on a given night from the shooting guard position. He also adds 1.8 steals and a block per game.

He's made the All-Defensive 1st Team twice. He also was deservedly the 2006 Finals MVP, willing his team to victory, particularly late in the 4th quarter of Game 3. Of course, his team won the championship that season. In addition to the numbers and the awards, Wade has made a ton of spectacular dunks and blocks. He's also risen to the challenge for the national team in '06, '07, and in the Olympics in '08.

All of that is great. But it doesn't tell the whole story and, in some cases, is even misleading. Wade dominates the ball on offense. If Dwyane Wade isn't holding the ball for the majority of a particular possession, it's probably because Miami's on defense. As much as he has the ball, of course his numbers are going to be great.

The question becomes: Is Wade dominating the ball the best thing for Miami? The reality is that he should be more of a team player. He's often excused for his ball-hogging because it's pointed out that his teammates aren't very good. At this point, he doesn't have championship teammates, but the team should be better than it’s been. Michael Beasley is a good offensive player, who suffers in Miami's offense. Jermaine O'Neal isn't the star he used to be, but he's often ignored. The difference between Steve Nash's ability to make a player better and Wade's becomes obvious when you look at Shawn Marion's career path.

Wade should be the go-to-guy for Miami, but he needs to learn how to make his teammates better. It was a slow process for Kobe Bryant as well, something Bryant has picked up only in the last three years. One of Wade's big problems over the last two seasons has been his determination to shoot an insane amount of three-pointers despite his paltry shooting average. Also, he can play great defense when the effort is there, which rarely occurs. He's a numbers guy on defense, often gambling for blocks and steals instead of being in position.

In a bit of revisionist history, some have considered the 2006 Miami Heat to have been "Dwyane Wade's team." Wade averaged the most amount of points, and his numbers were better, but the team was at the very least co-led by Wade and Shaq. It wasn't until Game 3 of the Finals that Wade put the team on his back. Shaq had a miserable Finals and Wade deserves a lot of credit for coming through in the clutch, but throughout the season, those roles were not nearly as defined. The bottom line is that Wade is a great player whose garish numbers are deceptive to a degree.

Chauncey Billups

Following the '08 and '09 seasons I ranked Chauncey Billups as the 6th and 4th best player in the NBA respectively. Right now I have him as the 5th best. Those might be surprising rankings to some. Billups isn't a flashy player. If you judge NBA players by their number of 360 dunks appearing on SportsCenter, Billups won't make your top 10 list. Except with respect to free throws (he shoots a career 89%, good for 7th all time), Billups doesn't do anything especially spectacular.

But Chauncey Billups does everything well. He's a good shooter. He's a good three-point shooter, with 6 out of his last 7 seasons (this one included) above 40%. He's known as Mr. Big Shot for his ability to knock down a clutch attempt. He knows how to run a team from the point guard position. His assist numbers are low (they have been descending since his career high of 8.6 in '05-'06). He's averaging only 6.1 this season and has a career average of just 5.6 per game. However, the number of assists is not always an indication of how well a player runs a team. In Denver, Carmelo Anthony tends to dominate the ball, taking away assists from Billups. In Detroit, the team usually used more than one pass to score, also limiting Billups's assist totals.

Billups is a good on-ball defender. When he came to Denver, he changed the team's ability to defend. The Nuggets rivaled the worst defensive teams in the league before Billups brought accountability on that end of the court. That takes us to Billups leadership. His arrival in Denver changed the course of two franchises. The Nuggets thrived; the team he left, the Pistons, faltered. On the one hand, he was a great fit for both teams. Allen Iverson, the man he was traded for, and his propensity to shoot a ton, didn't work in either situation. But Billups's leadership was the real key. This leadership is also exhibited by the fact that he is the only player to have played in a conference finals each of the last 7 seasons.

Billups does have his shortcomings. He has been criticized for taking contested three-pointers early in the shot clock at crucial points in a game, usually after he's hit a few in a row. As happened in Detroit, Denver is notorious for laying an egg every once in a while due to a lack of energy. If Billups's ability to lead is responsible for his teams' successes (and I believe it is) then his leadership must be blamed when his team fails to bring energy on a given night.

Despite Billups few faults, he is one of the best players in the NBA today. It's been a while since he led the Pistons to the championship in 2004, garnering a Finals MVP in the process. But he is still the leader of a contending team. One fascinating statistic is that the Nuggets are considerably better without scoring-sensation Carmelo Anthony than without Billups. Mr. Big Shot is the best player on the West's second best team. he also deserves more respect than he gets.

Dwight "The Goaltender" Howard

I've discussed Dwight Howard's talents and flaws at length on this blog. I also bring it up to 7-11 clerks, gas station attendants, and anyone else who isn't able to get out of a conversation with me. Howard's an interesting player because he is top 3 in the league in several categories (shot-blocking, offensive rebounding, finishing with a dunk) and just awful in others (defensive positioning, moves in the post, passing, free throws). The result is a difficult player to gage.

He gets a lot of respect for his shot blocking ability, but I noticed he goaltends an inordinate amount. I kept track of it during the Finals. He actually cut back a bit. In five games, he was called for goaltending 3 times by my count. He probably should have been called two more times. In Game 2, he very clearly stuck his fingers through the rim in order to deflect Pau Gasol's attempt. In Game 3, Lamar Odom shot as he was being fouled. Howard jumped up and caught the ball on its descent.

So, Howard committed about one goaltend a game. No one is going to tell him to stop trying to block shots because of that, but it is a lot of goaltending. I did not count another goaltend the entire rest of the series from anyone else. In fact, only Gasol's shaking of the rim at the end of regulation in Game 2 was even a debatable no-call.

So we're left with the same confusing information. Howard is an excellent shot blocker. But he alone accounted for all the goaltending in a series that saw several games come down to the wire. The bottom line is that he has a world of talent, but let's not anoint him just yet.

Ron Artest is a Genius

Ron Artest is one of the most maligned players in the NBA. He's also one of the most misunderstood.

I defended Artest in the wake of the infamous brawl in November 2004 in Detroit. He should have been suspended. I would have put it at 20 games. Artest committed a hard foul. In retaliation, Ben Wallace shoved him in the throat. Artest decided to cool off and laid down on the scorer's table in an effort to do so. For his trouble, he got a beer in the face courtesy of a Pistons fan. Artest did what most of us would have done in a situation with tensions running high; he ran after the guy in an attempt to punch him in the face. As a result, he was suspended for the entire season (72 games plus the playoffs).

But that's not why Artest is a genius. For that, we need to look at his comments from last week. Artest was asked why Brandon Roy scored 42 points on him. Artest answered, "He's the best player I've played against." Better than Kobe or LeBron? Yes, was his unequivocal answer.

"Not on defense now. His defense is kind of suspect," Artest added with a wry smile.

Brandon Roy is a nice young scorer, but the best Artest has ever played against? Well actually, no. "He is, he's the best player I've played against, outside a guy from my hood in Queensbridge."

What must Brandon Roy have been thinking after hearing those comments? First, he must have been humiliated by the over-praise. Second, insulted by Artest's shot at Roy's defensive ability. Third, even more insulted because, according to Artest, Roy's not even as good as his boy Mike from Q-boro. And last, scared out of his mind because Artest is crazy. Artest came out and dominated the next game, clinching the series.

In Game 2 against the Lakers, Artest's reputation got the better of him again. Kobe threw an elbow into Artest's throat in a bid for a rebound. Artest was mysteriously called for the foul. Artest justifiably protested the call. His pleas were getting nowhere, so he confronted Kobe to let him know that would not be tolerated. The two were separated. Artest voluntarily walked away and continued to complain. He later said that his intention was to receive a technical foul to prove a point. He was clearly under control. Then, he made a motion with his arm, indicating the elbow Kobe threw at his throat. I believe Joey Crawford mistook this action for the “Chris Childs” throat slash and threw him out of the game.

Artest's actions were rational throughout. I understand Crawford's point of view. He thought Artest was heated at Kobe, needed to be restrained, and then directed a gesture in Kobe’s direction. But that isn't what happened. Let's start giving Artest the benefit of the doubt and change our thinking about him.

More Thoughts on Kevin Garnett

This is a follow-up to Kevin Garnett is Overrated from May 11, 2006.

I admire KG's loyalty to the Minnesota Timberwolves and his passion for the game of basketball. Through words, it's clear that he wants his team to win. But they just haven't.

It's fair to compliment his loyalty and yet criticize his lack of winning. A truly great player should at least take his team to the playoffs. There are 30 teams in the NBA and 16 make the playoffs. When he does make the playoffs, Garnett has advanced past the first round only once. That year he was surrounded by a number of good players. Until he can take a team to at least the top quarter of the league on a consistent basis, I just don't see how he can be called great.

In the NBA, almost any player can score 20 points a night. The key for a team is to determine which player scoring 20 points a night gives you the best chance to win. Udonis Haslem could average 20, but the Heat wouldn't win a game; it's better for them if Dwyane Wade carries the scoring load.

With Garnett leading his team, they haven't been very good over the span of his career. I'm not meaning to knock him, but if people would stop claiming he's one of the best in the NBA, then I could talk about all of the good things he does, instead of having to debunk that sentiment.

Kevin Garnett is Overrated

Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves is a very good player. He stands about 7 feet tall, yet has the athleticism of a guard. But Garnett is not one of the game's all-time great players.

Garnett is the best player on a bad team. The truly great ones can at least put their team on their back and guide them to the playoffs. Over half the teams in the NBA make the playoffs, that's not too much to ask.

Essentially, despite Garnett's talent, it boils down to the fact that he's not a winner. The one year the Wolves won a playoff series, he was surrounded by playoff veteran stars Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell. Garnett's leadership qualities can justly be questioned. Minnesota is seemingly in constant disarray. KG's inability to lead a winner can possibly be traced to his lack of college experience. Whereas players such as Tim Duncan developed the skills to lead a top collegiate program over four years, Garnett was shortchanged that chance. He's had to learn on the run. It hasn't worked out for him.

During the Wolves playoff runs, I was excited to finally watch Garnett play. It is enjoyable to watch Iverson, Nash, Kidd, Shaq, Lebron and others play basketball. KG turned out to be not very flashy. He just accumulates statistics that don't influence the game as much as they appear. And he disappears towards the end of games.

Kevin Garnett is very good, just look at his numbers and his ability, but to be great in this league, you have to win. And you have to be the reason for the win.