#NBArank and Public Enemy #1

  ESPN asked 91 "experts" to rate every single player currently in the NBA on a scale of 1-to-10. Of course, like any sports argument concerning who the best is, there is no right or wrong answer. Stats tell some of the story, but watching games and judging a player's impact generally leads to the most savvy opinions.

I thoroughly enjoyed the #NBARank countdown on espn.com over the past two months. As a basketball junkie, it temporarily took my mind off of the ongoing lockout and created a good debate over who is the game's best player. Fans argued that Kobe (#7) was ranked too low, or that Tim Duncan (#19) was placed too high. Laying numbers aside, it made me consider every solid role player and star and what they truly mean to their team's success.

Besides getting fans talking, several players participated and took to Twitter to acknowledge their respective ranks. Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard expressed joy, coming in at numbers three and two, respectively. Carmelo Anthony didn't seem as pleased (#12) as he claimed " I needed some motivation today, and I just received it".

Numbers 500 -2 seemed very well thought out. They appear to be a very accurate depiction of a player's impact on the game, and whom a GM would want if they were building a team from scratch. Then it happened.

LeBron James was placed at number 1, and at first sight, that doesn't appear so bad. Then I remembered the last two postseasons. A great writer recently made a note that LeBron's spotty play over the last two playoffs has probably cost him two championships. The 09-10 Cavaliers had excellent chemistry and were favored by many to go all the way. Despite the hate thrown towards the 10-11 Heat, the squad made the finals, and was minutes away from a 2-0 series lead!

The common denominator in both series was an inability by Mr. James to put his stamp on the game late. In closing possessions and situations, the supposed "best player in the game" must rise to the occasion and will his team to victory. Instead, King James appeared very passive in each instance. His latest disappearing act caused Wade to get in his face and practically say "help me, please!".

Number 1?

Ah, but statistics wouldn't show this. By that measure, Bron could be viewed as the best player of all time. The numerical combination of scoring, rebounding, passing, and defense is nearly unmatched. On paper.

 Evaluating him in that manner would be completely ignoring what we all saw last June, and the May before that. It was a great player that has no go-to move when it matters most, also one that appeared content to watch as opposed to participate.

He is still an awesome talent that could one day change his reputation for coming up short. Until then, let's just be honest. Wade is better.