When I originally debuted this list almost two years ago, I took some (surprisingly angry) flack for not settling on a 10th player and for ranking a few guys too high.
The idea for the list sprung from a conversation that I regularly have with a buddy when we are tipping back a few adult beverages: If you could have one current NBA player to build your franchise around, with the goal of winning a NBA title in the next five years – who would it be?
Here’s who I had almost two years ago:
10. Dirk Nowitzki, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker (A reader named “all” was very upset that I couldn’t pick a #10 guy. He’s probably still upset about it.)
9. Derrick Rose
8. Brandon Roy
7. Deron Williams
6. Chris Paul
5. Kevin Durant
4. Dwight Howard
3. Kobe Bryant
2. Dwyane Wade
1. LeBron James
I took some heat for including Rose, but obviously he has panned out very well and is likely to win the league MVP this season. Roy’s knees have killed his stock. The other seven picks look pretty solid.
So let’s take another stab at this. Remember, we’re trying to win a title in the next five years, so youth and health is paramount.
Honorable Mention: Carmelo Anthony (defense), Amare Stoudemire (defense, age, knees), Pau Gasol (age), Tyreke Evans (regressing) Tim Duncan (age), Dirk Nowitzki (age), Paul Pierce (age), Rajon Rondo (moody, in a funk since Kendrick Perkins trade) and Kevin Garnett (age).
NOT QUITE WORTH MAX MONEY…YET
12. John Wall (20 years-old)
All right, I’m projecting a little bit here, but it worked with Derrick Rose and I think Wall has a chance to be in the same league. Check out his month-by-month stats over the course of his rookie season:
| Month | G | Min | FG % | REB | AST | STL | TO | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 2 | 39.0 | 0.417 | 3.0 | 9.0 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 21.0 |
| November | 8 | 38.1 | 0.430 | 3.8 | 9.1 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 17.3 |
| December | 9 | 34.4 | 0.383 | 4.2 | 7.6 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 13.7 |
| January | 16 | 38.4 | 0.388 | 4.2 | 10.5 | 1.5 | 3.9 | 13.9 |
| February | 12 | 36.3 | 0.421 | 4.9 | 7.9 | 1.2 | 3.5 | 16.5 |
| March | 11 | 41.4 | 0.411 | 6.0 | 7.3 | 2.0 | 4.4 | 19.1 |
So he burst into the league with a good October and November, but struggled a bit over the next two months as teams had a chance to game plan for him. Then in February and March, he’s able to counter that and get back to his early-season numbers. Great sign.
He’s an outstanding playmaker (9.1+ assists in 2-of-5 months) and is lightning quick. His rookie numbers are very similar to Rose’s, only he’s averaging 2.4 more assists per game. He’d likely be the Rookie of the Year if Blake Griffin hadn’t blown out his knee last season. In three or four years he might be vying for best point guard in the league honors.
