Ranking the best NBA power forwards, summer of 2011

[8BeastlyXOIAD]

1.Dirk Nowitzki
2.LaMarcus Aldridge
3.Pau Gasol
4.Chris Bosh
5.Blake Griffin
6.Amare Stoudemire
7.Zach Randoplh
8.Josh Smith
9.Kevin Love
10.Serge Ibaka/Kevin Garnett

HM:Carlos Boozer, David West, Kris Kardashian, Andrea Barganani, Lamar Kardashian, Elton Brand

[kaiiu]

Dirk
Amare
Aldridge
Randolph
Bosh
Gasol
Blake
Love
Boozer
KG

[Ikill]

Dirk
Bosh
Amare
Blake
LA
Randolph
Gasol
Josh Smith
Love
KG

[ThaSwagg3r]

Just goes to show you how deep the position is. Everybody is an all-star or is an all-star caliber player.

1. Dirk Nowitzki
2. LaMarcus Aldridge
3. Amare Stoudemire
4. Chris Bosh
5. Pau Gasol
6. Zach Randolph
7. Blake Griffin
8. Kevin Garnett
9. Kevin Love
10. Luis Scola/David West

Not gonna lie, I just started throwing out names in no order after Zach Randolph.

[shaq's--lakers]

1 Dirk/Amare

2 Gasol

3 Bosh/Randolph

4 LaMarcus Aldridge/Blake Griffin

[chips93]

dirk
amare
gasol
randolph
garnett
aldridge
griffin
love
bosh
west

[8BeastlyXOIAD]

Totally forgot about Luis Scola SMH

[knickswin]

Possibly the deepest position in the NBA . . .

1.) Dirk
2.) Amar'e
3.) Pau
4.) LaMarcus
5.) Bosh
6.) Randolph
7.) Blake
8-11 Scola, West, Boozer, KG, EDIT: Lamar,

I think Dirk is the clear-cut number 1, Amar'e is the slightly less clear-cut number 2, then Pau, LaMarcus, Bosh, and Randolph are all somewhat interchangable depending on team need.

I'm not big on Kevin Love

[KGMN]

1. Dirk Nowitzki
<-- 2. Kevin Garnett :confusedshrug:
3. Kevin Love
4. Zach Randolph
5. Amare Stoudemire
6. Pau Gasol
7. Blake Griffin
8. LaMarcus Aldridge
9. Elton Brand
10. Josh Smith

[shaq's--lakers]

1. Dirk Nowitzki
<-- 2. Kevin Garnett :confusedshrug:
3. Kevin Love
4. Zach Randolph
5. Amare Stoudemire
6. Pau Gasol
7. Blake Griffin
8. LaMarcus Aldridge
9. Elton Brand
10. Josh Smith

I am sorry, but Amare exposed KG's age before having a freak back injury doing a dunk attempt in the layup line right before game 2 :facepalm

But Still Amare was simply Epic vs KG, Big Baby and J.O
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hysc3ck4T08&hd=1

[Bigsmoke]

Totally forgot about Luis Scola SMH

Its not like he is as good as those other 10 guys u listed already.

[Bigsmoke]

1. Dirk Nowitzki
<-- 2. Kevin Garnett :confusedshrug:
3. Kevin Love
4. Zach Randolph
5. Amare Stoudemire
6. Pau Gasol
7. Blake Griffin
8. LaMarcus Aldridge
9. Elton Brand
10. Josh Smith

Kevin Love better than LA?

REALLY?!?!!??!

[KGMN]

Kevin Love better than LA?

REALLY?!?!!??!
According to me, a Timberwolves fan, yes.

I have nothing against Aldridge, besides the fact that (I think) he always crushes the Timberwolves. He's an extremely good basketball player, but I will always completely overrate every single Wolf.

[Bigsmoke]

According to me, a Timberwolves fan, yes.

I have nothing against Aldridge, besides the fact that (I think) he always crushes the Timberwolves. He's an extremely good basketball player, but I will always completely overrate every single Wolf.

come on now.

LA dominated Love all 4 meetings didnt he?

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=aldrila01&p2=loveke01

[shaq's--lakers]

How is Kevin Love the 3 best PF, but with the worst record in the NBA......

[Dave3]

1. Dirk
2. Amar'e
3. Griffin
4. Aldridge
5. Randolph
6. Gasol
7. Bosh
8. Garnett
9. Love
10. Boozer? (don't know if this last year was a flukey bad one, or if this is how he'll play for the rest of his career)

Sick position right now in the NBA

[wheatonbrando]

Next year...
1. Nowitzki
2. Pau
3. Garnett
4. Blake
5. Love
6. Bosh
7. Amare
8. Aldridge
9. Z-Bo
10. J Smith

Next five years...
1. Blake
2. Nowitzki
3. Love
4. Pau
5. Bosh
6. Aldridge
7. J Smith
8. Z-Bo
9. Cousins
10. Amare

[dbugz]

Those who put Softy Bosh on their top 5 is a fckn idi0ts.


Dirk
Amare
Gasol
Blake
Aldridge
Randolph
KG
Bosh
Love
Scola/TD

[KF_hk]

Next year...
1. Nowitzki
2. Pau
3. Garnett
4. Blake
5. Love
6. Bosh
7. Amare
8. Aldridge
9. Z-Bo
10. J Smith

Next five years...
1. Blake
2. Nowitzki
3. Love
4. Pau
5. Bosh
6. Aldridge
7. J Smith
8. Z-Bo
9. Cousins
10. Amare
aldridge and amare are lower than bosh:facepalm

[knickswin]

aldridge and amare are lower than bosh:facepalm

and Love, Griffin, and 36-year-old Garnett :facepalm

[KGMN]

come on now.

LA dominated Love all 4 meetings didnt he?

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/h2h_finder.cgi?request=1&p1=aldrila01&p2=loveke01

Isn't that what I said? I didn't check, but clearly I was correct. Anyways, if I were the President of Basketball Operations for the Wolves, I wouldn't even consider trading Love for Aldridge, even if LMA completely crushed him head-to-head.

[8BeastlyXOIAD]

Isn't that what I said? I didn't check, but clearly I was correct. Anyways, if I were the President of Basketball Operations for the Wolves, I wouldn't even consider trading Love for Aldridge, even if LMA completely crushed him head-to-head.
SMFH

L.A was arugubaly the best PF in the regular season this season and he exposed Love during their head to head meeting.

I hope your not serious

[NewYorkNoPicks]

1.Dirk Nowitzki
2.LaMarcus Aldridge
3.Pau Gasol
4.Chris Bosh
5.Blake Griffin
6.Amare Stoudemire
7.Zach Randoplh
8.Josh Smith
9.Kevin Love
10.Serge Ibaka/Kevin Garnett

HM:Carlos Boozer, David West, Kris Kardashian, Andrea Barganani, Lamar Kardashian, Elton Brand

False.

So Blake that can jump out of the gym, but can't shoot beyond 8 feet, can't block shots, and can't shoot free throws is better than Amare who can also jump out of the gym, averages 2 blocks a game, has a money jumper from 15, and shoots 80% from the line?

[wheatonbrando]

aldridge and amare are lower than bosh:facepalm


and Love, Griffin, and 36-year-old Garnett :facepalm

Yes, I prefer players who rebound and play defense, thanks. LA and Amare both had overrated seasons where they produced at the same rate as previous ones but with career high minutes per game and usage rates.

Bosh - worst season in his prime and still put up better and more efficient overall numbers than LA/Amare, would've been #1 on most people's lists a year ago, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt

Love - doesnt play defense admittedly, but considering he rebounds about as much as LA/Amare combined, I can live with the extra 16 possessions a game

KG - doesnt need a case at this point if you watch him play and watch his defense and what he adds to a team

Blake - go ahead and find me a list of modern day rookie big men who put up 22/12 their first year. Pretty sure that's Shaq and Robinson since about 1970 and that's it. Plus 4 assists, plus 3 highlight reel plays a night, plus team and franchise re-energize, plus a sell out every single night. I'm gonna go ahead and call that all pretty valuable.

[blablabla]

dirk
amare
zach
gasol
bosh
la
duncan
griffin
kg
love


it's funny that the people who rank love low because of his team record rank blake high who has also a bad team record and he plays with better teammates

[kumquat]

I'd still take Tim Duncan over half the guys listed here.

[Bigsmoke]

I'd still take Tim Duncan over half the guys listed here.

zach randolph took Duncan out that list

[alenleomessi]

Blake is the best PF at the end of the next season and top 3 player overall

[8BeastlyXOIAD]

zach randolph took Duncan out that list
Lol

[wheatonbrando]

I'd still take Tim Duncan over half the guys listed here.

I'm ashamed to have forgotten Duncan on my list. I'd put him top 7 or so still. Though I think I just have him ranked with centers so that's probably why.

[v1ncelis]

Dirk Nowitzki
Amare Stoudemire
Lamarcus Aldridge
Zach Randolph
Chris Bosh
Pau Gasol
Blake Griffin
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Love
Josh Smith

[Ikill]

Chris Boshs Raptors won just as many games as Amares Knicks this year despite having a much worse team. Bosh>LA Randolph Amare none of these guys could win 40 games with last years Raptors.

[insidehoops]

Rankings are fun, but even better, put one sentence next to each player as to what makes the player special. Being as specific as possible. Like, not just that he can score, but HOW he scores, etc.

[KGMN]

SMFH

L.A was arugubaly the best PF in the regular season this season and he exposed Love during their head to head meeting.

I hope your not serious

Of course he was arguably the best power forward of the regular season. You can always argue for any player. Statistically, you could argue that Kevin Love was the best power forward in the regular season. Per minute, Kevin averaged nearly double the rebounds that LMA had. More than double if you take Nowitzki's stats. Kevin hit three-pointers like crazy last season, shooting 41.7% beyond the arc, while Aldridge averaged 17.4% and Dirk averaged 39.3%. According to the following article, if you replaced Kevin Love with an average power forward, the Wolves would only have 3 wins rather than 17 last season: http://dberri.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/the-mvp-or-mpp-of-every-nba-team-and-the-wow-weekend-podcast/. So yes, you can argue that LaMarcus Aldridge was the best power forward in the regular season, but you can argue that for everyone.

No, I would not trade Kevin Love directly for LaMarcus Aldridge if given the chance, but I wouldn't do it for Portland either. Aldridge is simply too dominant anywhere near the basket. The only reason I had LMA 8th in the power forwards is because there are possibly the top 2 Timberwolves ever, and then there's Dirk, Zach Randolph (who absolutely dominated last season), and Amare. Maybe I should've had Pau Gasol lower, but I didn't put too much thought in my rankings.

[8BeastlyXOIAD]

Chris Boshs Raptors won just as many games as Amares Knicks this year despite having a much worse team. Bosh>LA Randolph Amare none of these guys could win 40 games with last years Raptors.

I agree with you on Bosh being better than Amare and Zach, but not L.A.

He was a fvcking beast when Brandon went down with injuries and took that team to the playoffs in the Western Conference :bowdown: :bowdown:

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/2983/lamarcus-aldridge

Take in his numbers for Jan-Feb :bowdown: :bowdown:

[knickswin]

Rankings are fun, but even better, put one sentence next to each player as to what makes the player special. Being as specific as possible. Like, not just that he can score, but HOW he scores, etc.

Okay, I'lll explain my rankings:
1.) Dirk--this is pretty obvious, but he's arguably the best scorer in the NBA and to me the best offensive weapon because of the mismatches he provides and how he spaces the floor. His all-around game is underrated, he's elite at passing out of double teams, a very good rebounder, and while his man-to-man defense is lacking, he's a good help defender and always at least tries on that end.
2.) Amar'e--to me he's the second best scoring power forward in the league behind Dirk. This season he proved that he doesn't need an elite PG to create for him to get his points--although it certainly helps him to score more efficiently. In fact, he made Ray Felton--a very average passing point guard--look like one of the best passing point guards in the game for a while. When his jumper is falling--which is often--he's pretty much unguardable. His rebounding is average and his defense is usually very poor, but if he's paying attention and trying he's not a total sieve on that end of the court since his man-to-man in the post is more adequate than you would think.
3.) Pau--he had a terrible playoffs, but he was very good in the beginning of the regular season and he has one of the best resumes of any of the power forwards so I'm going to treat the playoffs as more or less an aberration. He's probably the most traditionally skilled of any big men in the NBA, a very good passsing big man, a very good rebounder, and an above average defender. I put him below Amar'e and Dirk because you almost never see him take over games with his scoring and he gets bullied around too much.
4.) LaMarcus--I didn't watch too many Portland games this season, but I liked what I saw out of him. He was definitely deserving of an All-Star spot. He's one of the better defenders of the elite power forwards--arguably the best. He has a very good back to the basket game and a nice midrange jumper. I debated putting him ahead of Pau because he took on more of the scoring burden for his team than Pau did, but I gave Pau the edge because of his resume and the fact that LA didn't step his game up that much during the playoffs.
5.) ZBo--probably the best scorer out of the low block out of all the power forwards. Very fundamentally sound, skilled scorer. He still takes bad shots (his midrange J is not as good as he thinks it is) but he showed good passing ability during the playoffs. His rebounding is a bit overrated because he doesn't box out and takes away potential put-back opportunities from his teammates. His defense still isn't good, but at least he pays attention and tries on that end this year.
6.) Bosh--he had a bad year as the third option on his team. He's not a great off the ball player since he doesn't play pick and roll very well, but I think part of the problem is Miami's unsophisticated offensive system. He's still a very skilled scorer one-on-one (when he gets the ball), a decent rebounder, and a very good PnR defender

I'll explain the rest later . . .

[Ikill]

I agree with you on Bosh being better than Amare and Zach, but not L.A.

He was a fvcking beast when Brandon went down with injuries and took that team to the playoffs in the Western Conference :bowdown: :bowdown:

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/2983/lamarcus-aldridge

Take in his numbers for Jan-Feb :bowdown: :bowdown:
There close but Chris Bosh is still better at carrying a team when the Raptors won 47 games in 2007 he had a much worse team than Aldridge did this year. Chris Bosh is also a better rebounder passer and a more efficient scorer

[kaiiu]

Amare>>> Bosh. He was better in PHX and he is better now.

[Scoooter]

False.

So Blake that can jump out of the gym, but can't shoot beyond 8 feet, can't block shots, and can't shoot free throws is better than Amare who can also jump out of the gym, averages 2 blocks a game, has a money jumper from 15, and shoots 80% from the line?
Not yet, maybe, but Blake scores a ton of points, is a great passer, and an excellent rebounder. He could be a Hall of Famer.

[Ikill]

dirk
amare
zach
gasol
bosh
la
duncan
griffin
kg
love


it's funny that the people who rank love low because of his team record rank blake high who has also a bad team record and he plays with better teammates
17 wins and 32 wins with a ton of injuries is a huge diffrence Blake can also create his own shot while Love can't.

[8BeastlyXOIAD]

17 wins and 32 wins with a ton of injuries is a huge diffrence Blake can also create his own shot while Love can't.

Blake is also a better playmaker, finisher, and better defender.

IMO this "Kevin Love - Blake Griffin" comparison isn't even close

[Ikill]

Blake is also a better playmaker, finisher, and better defender.

IMO this "Kevin Love - Blake Griffin" comparison isn't even close
yep the only reason people think its close is cause of the numbers

[blablabla]

17 wins and 32 wins with a ton of injuries is a huge diffrence Blake can also create his own shot while Love can't.
i also ranked him two spots over love

[swe_suns]

1.Dirk Nowitzki
2.LaMarcus Aldridge
3.Pau Gasol
4.Chris Bosh
5.Blake Griffin
6.Amare Stoudemire
7.Zach Randoplh
8.Josh Smith
9.Kevin Love
10.Serge Ibaka/Kevin Garnett

HM:Carlos Boozer, David West, Kris Kardashian, Andrea Barganani, Lamar Kardashian, Elton Brand

u have got to be joking...

[NBAller]

Dirk
Bosh
STAT
Blake
LA
Zbo
Pau

[qrich]

1] Dirk Nowitzki
2] Pau Gasol
3] Zach Randolph
4] Amare Stoudemire
5] Blake Griffin
6] Kevin Garnett
7] Kevin Love
8] LaMarcus Aldridge
9] Chris Bosh
10] David West

[Bone Machine]

Come on guys.. Where's Andray Blatche?:confusedshrug:

[qrich]

Come on guys.. Where's Andray Blatche?:confusedshrug:

Just behind Craig Smith and Marresse Speights and ahead of Ryan Anderson

[kNIOKAS]

Just behind Craig Smith and Marresse Speights and ahead of Ryan Anderson
yeah that guy really tried on his contract year.

1.Dirk Nowitzki
2.LaMarcus Aldridge
3.Pau Gasol
4.Chris Bosh
5.Blake Griffin
6.Amare Stoudemire
7.Zach Randoplh
8.Josh Smith
9.Kevin Love
10.Serge Ibaka/Kevin Garnett

HM:Carlos Boozer, David West, Kris Kardashian, Andrea Barganani, Lamar Kardashian, Elton Brand
op put aldridge above stat and did so by what 3 spots? i know "seeing more" being hipster is cool and all but this :wtf:

[Bone Machine]

yeah that guy really tried on his contract year.


He almost got a triple double! His teammates stole from him!:(

[DixieNourmous]

#1 Pau Gasol...



http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Ranking-the-power-forwards-10-through-1?urn=nba-265161

:eek:

[Jasi]

1st tier
Dirk, Amar'e, Gasol

2nd tier
Aldridge, Bosh, Duncan, Griffin, KG, Randolph

3rd tier
Boozer, Love, Millsap, Scola, West

[OmniStrife]

1. Dirk Nowitzki - Amazing.
2. Amar'e Stoudemire - Offensive BEAST.
3. LaMarcus Aldridge - Does everything well, stepped up.
4. Chris Bosh - Amar'e-lite
5. Zach Randolph - Unleashed the Kraken in the Playoffs.
6. Pau Gasol - Biggest drop?
7. Blake Griffin - Athletic as ****! Crazy potential
8. Kevin Garnett - Same KG, but old.
9. Kevin Love - Keep hating, best rebounder in the NBA.
10. Tim Duncan - Same story as KG, but feels even older.

Homer shout-out:
Channing Frye
Probably top 3 Clutch PF after Dirk & Z-Bo and got better immensly at defense and rebounding.

[Clippersfan86]

Shocked almost all of you have Griffin out of the top 5 next year. I think Griffin has a chance to emerge as the undisputed best PF in the game by this season. Call me a homer but people are definitely sleeping on him. 22.5, 12 and 4 as a rookie.....

[NuggetsFan]

Shocked almost all of you have Griffin out of the top 5 next year. I think Griffin has a chance to emerge as the undisputed best PF in the game by this season. Call me a homer but people are definitely sleeping on him. 22.5, 12 and 4 as a rookie.....

And that could be 19\13\4 next year if the Clippers win 8 more games, with him struggling defensively still. Eric Gordon could stay healthy tack on a few more points with a player like Aminu getting better. Mo Williams having more time with the team etc.

You need to realize just because he had a GREAT rookie season doesn't mean that his statistics are going to increase in linear form. It's not going to go 22.5 rookie year, 25.7 second year, 29.8 3rd year. Could it happen? No doubt happens with alot of players. Very possible he bounces around near 20 points as the Clippers begin to grow to tho.

Undisputed best PF? A little bit to much imo. Top 5 PF? I'd say pretty believable.

[Clippersfan86]

:wtf:
And that could be 19\13\4 next year if the Clippers win 8 more games, with him struggling defensively still. Eric Gordon could stay healthy tack on a few more points with a player like Aminu getting better. Mo Williams having more time with the team etc.

You need to realize just because he had a GREAT rookie season doesn't mean that his statistics are going to increase in linear form. It's not going to go 22.5 rookie year, 25.7 second year, 29.8 3rd year. Could it happen? No doubt happens with alot of players. Very possible he bounces around near 20 points as the Clippers begin to grow to tho.

Undisputed best PF? A little bit to much imo. Top 5 PF? I'd say pretty believable.

Find me a single rookie in NBA history that had a season like his and didn't improve exponentially dude. You don't just fall off after a historic rookie year. He's the first player since Kareem to average his combination of rookie numbers. I think a lot of people like yourself don't realize the historical value.

[Clippersfan86]

BTW Nuggets go look up how many shots Blake averaged. You better believe the offense is gonna run through him even more. Not to mention his FT shooting should improve.

[NuggetsFan]

:wtf:

Find me a single rookie in NBA history that had a season like his and didn't improve exponentially dude. You don't just fall off after a historic rookie year. He's the first player since Kareem to average his combination of rookie numbers. I think a lot of people like yourself don't realize the historical value.

Well first off I just don't think he was as good as his numbers suggest but I would agree that he had a pretty historical rookie season statistically.

Anyways Elton Brand comes to mind. Put up 20\10 his first few years and than hovered around that for awhile. Peaked at 25 points per game. I'm sure if I really tried I could find a few more guy's who didn't take a massive jump statistically after there rookie years. Tyreke Evans was what? The first rookie to average 20\5\5 since LeBron and only Micheal Jordan and like Oscar Robertson have completed that? Or something like that.

I think people underrate Blake sitting out his real rookie year. He got to witness first hard the NBA lifestyle, schedules, hard work among many other things like studying game tape full time. Throw that in with his elite NBA athletic ability and having another offseason to work on his game.

I'm not saying he won't breakout next year for 25\12\3 .. just saying you act like it's a guaranteed thing. If the Clippers start winning more ball games it's hard to predict. His statistical production might be associated with the Clippers getting better. Blake had to carry them this year. I'd bet my left nut when the Clippers won his numbers were much better than when they lost more so than alot of guy's. Just think EG and other guy's are going to step up as well. And if the Clippers are going to go from 32 win team to a 40 win team it might not soley be because of Blake's statistics .. maybe it's his defense getting better but his scoring only jumping a point or two up. Maybe it's more efficient while losing a point per game. Seem to remember Blake slowing down abit the second half of the season as well.

As for FGA .. Pretty sure Blake averaged the 4th most FGA per game for centers and PF's at 17. Got to the line 8.5 times a game too witch is rare for a rookie and IMO a hard spot to really grow from. Get's there one more time a game puts him at 9.5 and he only hits free throws at like 65% so wouldn't cause a massive point increase. Harder for PF's|C's to get as many looks as peremiter players. Don't think you can expect Blake to get 20 shot attempts next year.

Anyways my entire point was it's completely possible Blake doesn't see a massive statistical improvement. It's possible he does. It's possible he doesn't. If I was a betting man I'd say his numbers look a little better but nothing shocking such as undisputed best player in the league like you would argue. Luckily numbers aren't the only thing that matters so kind of a trivial argument:lol

[qrich]

1] Dirk Nowitzki
2] Pau Gasol
3] Zach Randolph
4] Amare Stoudemire
5] Blake Griffin
6] Kevin Garnett
7] Kevin Love
8] LaMarcus Aldridge
9] Chris Bosh
10] David West

Actually, call me crazy and I can't believe I'm actually doing this but swap West with Elton Brand. Being one of the few Clipper fans on this board, I'm surprised to be doing this myself but when I looked at both players stats, I'd just prefer Elton. Granted, West scores 4 points more in just a whopping .3 minutes more per outing, but Elton shoots at a higher clip, is a better defender, more rebounds and has less turnovers.


Shocked almost all of you have Griffin out of the top 5 next year. I think Griffin has a chance to emerge as the undisputed best PF in the game by this season. Call me a homer but people are definitely sleeping on him. 22.5, 12 and 4 as a rookie.....

Only way Blake can emerge as the hands down top PF in the game is if he gets the Clippers into the playoffs as a top 3 seed and puts up better stats. The latter is certainly a near lock, but the former most likely won't happen this upcoming season (if there is one) unless the Clippers make some major moves. Such as if the Clippers were to get Iggy, his stats would be much higher than Gomes', then throw in the development of Gordon and Jordan and Griffin's stats might stay the same or slightly decrease.

[Clippersfan86]

Actually, call me crazy and I can't believe I'm actually doing this but swap West with Elton Brand. Being one of the few Clipper fans on this board, I'm surprised to be doing this myself but when I looked at both players stats, I'd just prefer Elton. Granted, West scores 4 points more in just a whopping .3 minutes more per outing, but Elton shoots at a higher clip, is a better defender, more rebounds and has less turnovers.



Only way Blake can emerge as the hands down top PF in the game is if he gets the Clippers into the playoffs as a top 3 seed and puts up better stats. The latter is certainly a near lock, but the former most likely won't happen this upcoming season (if there is one) unless the Clippers make some major moves. Such as if the Clippers were to get Iggy, his stats would be much higher than Gomes', then throw in the development of Gordon and Jordan and Griffin's stats might stay the same or slightly decrease.

I said he has a chance. Of course that's based on the teams success. I wouldn't go as far as to say Clippers are a top 3 seed. If the Clippers are a top 3 seed with him leading the charge he actually has a chance for MVP and to be considered the flat out best in the game which is unlikely to happen for a couple seasons.

You honestly think it's going to be hard for Blake to take over the PF spot with guys like Dirk, KG, Duncan etc declining? Or Bosh being a 3rd option. Or Melo joining Amare, causing his stats to plummet like we saw. Or Aldridge having Roy back in the lineup.

Blake has a chance to grab the PF position by the balls next season along with Kevin Love.

[Clippersfan86]

Well first off I just don't think he was as good as his numbers suggest but I would agree that he had a pretty historical rookie season statistically.

Anyways Elton Brand comes to mind. Put up 20\10 his first few years and than hovered around that for awhile. Peaked at 25 points per game. I'm sure if I really tried I could find a few more guy's who didn't take a massive jump statistically after there rookie years. Tyreke Evans was what? The first rookie to average 20\5\5 since LeBron and only Micheal Jordan and like Oscar Robertson have completed that? Or something like that.

I think people underrate Blake sitting out his real rookie year. He got to witness first hard the NBA lifestyle, schedules, hard work among many other things like studying game tape full time. Throw that in with his elite NBA athletic ability and having another offseason to work on his game.

I'm not saying he won't breakout next year for 25\12\3 .. just saying you act like it's a guaranteed thing. If the Clippers start winning more ball games it's hard to predict. His statistical production might be associated with the Clippers getting better. Blake had to carry them this year. I'd bet my left nut when the Clippers won his numbers were much better than when they lost more so than alot of guy's. Just think EG and other guy's are going to step up as well. And if the Clippers are going to go from 32 win team to a 40 win team it might not soley be because of Blake's statistics .. maybe it's his defense getting better but his scoring only jumping a point or two up. Maybe it's more efficient while losing a point per game. Seem to remember Blake slowing down abit the second half of the season as well.

As for FGA .. Pretty sure Blake averaged the 4th most FGA per game for centers and PF's at 17. Got to the line 8.5 times a game too witch is rare for a rookie and IMO a hard spot to really grow from. Get's there one more time a game puts him at 9.5 and he only hits free throws at like 65% so wouldn't cause a massive point increase. Harder for PF's|C's to get as many looks as peremiter players. Don't think you can expect Blake to get 20 shot attempts next year.

Anyways my entire point was it's completely possible Blake doesn't see a massive statistical improvement. It's possible he does. It's possible he doesn't. If I was a betting man I'd say his numbers look a little better but nothing shocking such as undisputed best player in the league like you would argue. Luckily numbers aren't the only thing that matters so kind of a trivial argument:lol

Blake averaged just under 16 shots a game. He's already at 65 percent shooting from the stripe so if he can get that to 75-80 percent we are talking an extra point or point and a half alone from the stripe of an increase. Which puts him at 23.5 ppg. Then let's say he takes another 3-4 more shots a game like most superstars in the league and hits 50 percent of those. That's another 4 point increase. So his average in ppg projected out in a mild case is 27.5 ppg. Now you see why I don't feel it's too far fetched? Those scoring numbers are around my projected prime for him.

As for his numbers declining with the improvement of the team.... I agree having guys like Eric Gordon next to him absolutely make it to where he isn't likely to make huge leaps right away. I just feel a steady increase across the board until his peak in a couple years is very realistic and a safe bet. Even his numbers as stands at 22.5 ppg, 12 rpg, 4 apg on 51 percent shooting are in the elite category, especially for a rookie. All of this while dealing with constant double teams.

I've told you before that Tyreke is a VERY extreme case of an epic rookie season followed by a nasty sophomore slump. The safe bet for historic rookie seasons is a continued improvement. Tyreke had the ball in his hands nonstop and no weapons next to him. 30 percent of players in this league if given 100 percent of a green light like Tyreke as a rookie could probably average 20 ppg. I think his usage rates and opportunities had a lot to do with his rookie year.

In Blake's case he played next to a 23+ ppg scorer and multiple weapons and still managed to be flat out dominate a lot of the season. I don't think he will be the best player in the game for a couple seasons at least.. but just surprised so many people have him ranked as like the 6-10th best PF next year when statistically he's already top 5, maybe top 3. Assuming the Clippers make the playoffs led by him... how the hell is he gonna be the 8th best PF?

I suppose I'll ask all of you guys a question. If the Clippers make the playoffs and Blake averages let's say 24 ppg, 13 rpg and 4+ apg on improved shooting numbers.... is he really not a top 3 PF in the league?

[NuggetsFan]

Blake averaged just under 16 shots a game

Nope. Averaged 16.8. 4th most for PF|C. Beasley was one of the one's who was higher and was more of a SF in Minny. Plus Blake got to the line 8.5 times. He actually got alot of touches last year.

I'll just end this now because it's clear we have a huge difference of a opinion. Kinda like you expecting a possible 15% increase from the free throw line. Your pretty much going with best case and I'm going with one of the worst cases. I'm just not as high on Blake as everybody else. I'm fully ready to eat my words when it comes to it as well. If the Clippers win 8 or more games next year, I don't think Blake will see much more of a statistical increase. Won't hit 25 points per game. Rebounding will be in the same area as well as his passing. In between 20-23 points per game like this year.

Don't see him putting up like 25\14\5 or anything next year. A little less or little more of what we saw this year, statistically speaking.

[Clippersfan86]

Nope. Averaged 16.8. 4th most for PF|C. Beasley was one of the one's who was higher and was more of a SF in Minny. Plus Blake got to the line 8.5 times. He actually got alot of touches last year.

I'll just end this now because it's clear we have a huge difference of a opinion. Kinda like you expecting a possible 15% increase from the free throw line. Your pretty much going with best case and I'm going with one of the worst cases. I'm just not as high on Blake as everybody else. I'm fully ready to eat my words when it comes to it as well. If the Clippers win 8 or more games next year, I don't think Blake will see much more of a statistical increase. Won't hit 25 points per game. Rebounding will be in the same area as well as his passing. In between 20-23 points per game like this year.

Don't see him putting up like 25\14\5 or anything next year. A little less or little more of what we saw this year, statistically speaking.

My bad dude.. I was reading the PER 36 line on FGA's. Nonetheless he's 3 shots away from shooting as many shots as most superstars in this league.

[Clippersfan86]

I know we both don't agree man but comon... putting Blake out of the top 5?? Whether you're sold or on Blake or not.... even his numbers as stands now WITH a Clippers playoff berth he's a top 3 PF after Dirk and Amare. His numbers were better than any PF outside of Amare. The only reason you have to rank Dirk above him is because the man just lead his team to a championship and dominated in the playoffs.

[NuggetsFan]

I know we both don't agree man but comon... putting Blake out of the top 5?? Whether you're sold or on Blake or not.... even his numbers as stands now WITH a Clippers playoff berth he's a top 3 PF after Dirk and Amare. His numbers were better than any PF outside of Amare. The only reason you have to rank Dirk above him is because the man just lead his team to a championship and dominated in the playoffs.

Your missing my original post. I said I agreed with top 5. Disagreed with a huge statistical improvment and undisputed best PF.

That we do agree on.

[NuggetsFan]

My bad dude.. I was reading the PER 36 line on FGA's. Nonetheless he's 3 shots away from shooting as many shots as most superstars in this league.

Dirk averages like .6 less shots than Blake. Most guy's that shoot 20 or are close to that are perimeter players. Like Melo, Durant, Kobe etc. Even than I believe most of them are just a shade under 20, along the lines of 19.5. Blake was basically at 17 so that's 2 less shots. It's realistic to think we'll see something similar next year esp with EG being healthy for a whole year.

[Clippersfan86]

Dirk averages like .6 less shots than Blake. Most guy's that shoot 20 or are close to that are perimeter players. Like Melo, Durant, Kobe etc. Even than I believe most of them are just a shade under 20, along the lines of 19.5. Blake was basically at 17 so that's 2 less shots. It's realistic to think we'll see something similar next year esp with EG being healthy for a whole year.

Ah. Well let's say I drop my numbers a bit... let's say only 10 percent better from the stripe and an extra basket made a game. That still pushes him to a little over 25 ppg. I think next year 24/13/4+ on 52 percent shooting is a very obtainable goal. BTW I know you didn't say he won't make top 5.... I'm saying in general 90 percent of the people in this thread have Blake ranked 6th-10th and a few don't even have them on the list, both of which are absurd.

[NuggetsFan]

Ah. Well let's say I drop my numbers a bit... let's say only 10 percent better from the stripe and an extra basket made a game. That still pushes him to a little over 25 ppg. I think next year 24/13/4+ on 52 percent shooting is a very obtainable goal. BTW I know you didn't say he won't make top 5.... I'm saying in general 90 percent of the people in this thread have Blake ranked 6th-10th and a few don't even have them on the list, both of which are absurd.

I'd agree with the bottom statements, and I agree he could hit those numbers. Just think he could also hit something like 20\13\4 depending on how the season plays out. Won't hit 25 IMO and if he does I'll fully accept I was wrong :cheers:

[Clippersfan86]

I'd agree with the bottom statements, and I agree he could hit those numbers. Just think he could also hit something like 20\13\4 depending on how the season plays out. Won't hit 25 IMO and if he does I'll fully accept I was wrong :cheers:

Lol I feel like we've come to this agree to disagree compromise like 3-4 times on this topic haha. I'm having major Deja Vu here. I just didn't see why people had a guy ranked like 8th at his position who put up 22.5 ppg, 12 rpg and 4 apg. At this point I'll just be really happy if we even have a freaking season. I'm REALLY anxious to see if the Clippers can finally put it all together.... or if they are going to let me down once again.

[NuggetsFan]

Lol I feel like we've come to this agree to disagree compromise like 3-4 times on this topic haha. I'm having major Deja Vu here. I just didn't see why people had a guy ranked like 8th at his position who put up 22.5 ppg, 12 rpg and 4 apg. At this point I'll just be really happy if we even have a freaking season. I'm REALLY anxious to see if the Clippers can finally put it all together.... or if they are going to let me down once again.

Pretty sure we have. As far back to before last year even, because I was deff wrong about rookie Blake and remember arguing with a dude that there was no way he'd put up 20\10 in his year rookie year :lol . Hoping this time around I'm correct.

Ditto. Lockout sucks.

[Clippersfan86]

Pretty sure we have. As far back to before last year even, because I was deff wrong about rookie Blake and remember arguing with a dude that there was no way he'd put up 20\10 in his year rookie year :lol . Hoping this time around I'm correct.

Ditto. Lockout sucks.

I predicted 14-15 ppg and 8-9 rpg for rookie Blake :oldlol: . I've been spoiled by his rookie year and have turned into a major Blake homer I'll admit. You guys can't blame me though because after SO many years of futility we finally got a legit HOF caliber player (potentially). I'm like a teenager who got laid for the first time in that sense. If I was a Lakers fan or something who have constantly had hall of fame players riding through town.. I probably wouldn't be so quick to exaggerate.

If the Clippers win a title in my lifetime I feel like it will be the ultimate story in sports. Such a bad franchise... such bad history for so long. I mean if you go through the Clippers team history you'll see not only tons of interesting things but tons of bizarre events that can't possibly be coincidence.

SpecialQue is a Lakers fan on here who likes the Clips as a second team and has been studying them recently and he will even tell you it's some pretty crazy stuff. Tons of freak injuries among other things. Things that truly do make the team seem cursed. If Blake can lead us passed all of that.... his legacy will be cemented among the greatest players.

[Scholar]

Not sure about order, but these guys are definitely top 10:

Dirk (definitely #1)
Amare
Blake Griffin
Boozer
Gasol (might not be top 10 for too long, though)
Odom
LaMarcus Aldridge
Kevin Love (his team sucks, but he is still a very good player)
KG
Bosh

I like Tim Duncan still, but he's no longer a top 10 PF currently. He's definitely top 3 all-time imo, though.

[alenleomessi]

Not sure about order, but these guys are definitely top 10:

Dirk (definitely #1)
Amare
Blake Griffin
Boozer
Gasol (might not be top 10 for too long, though)
Odom
LaMarcus Aldridge
Kevin Love (his team sucks, but he is still a very good player)
KG
Bosh

I like Tim Duncan still, but he's no longer a top 10 PF currently. He's definitely top 3 all-time imo, though.
So Zach Randolph is not top 10 but Odom and Boozer are ? :oldlol:

[DeronMillsap]

1st tier
Dirk, Amar'e, Gasol

2nd tier
Aldridge, Bosh, Duncan, Griffin, KG, Randolph

3rd tier
Boozer, Love, Millsap, Scola, West
5 pages and only one mention of Paul Millsap.

You guys are pathetic! :facepalm

[knicksman]

Chris Boshs Raptors won just as many games as Amares Knicks this year despite having a much worse team. Bosh>LA Randolph Amare none of these guys could win 40 games with last years Raptors.

LOL at this genius not being able to put into context that amare has been 1 year only on that team with having the youngest team and worse, they were affected by trade rumors yet still made it to the playoffs but for 7 years bosh made it only once?LOL bosh clearly doesnt make his teammates better while amare could have produced a rookie of the year(landry fields)and an all star(raymond felton) in just one year.

[Ikill]

LOL at this genius not being able to put into context that amare has been 1 year only on that team with having the youngest team and worse, they were affected by trade rumors yet still made it to the playoffs but for 7 years bosh made it only once?LOL bosh clearly doesnt make his teammates better while amare could have produced a rookie of the year(landry fields)and an all star(raymond felton) in just one year.
This years Knicks are so much better than last years Raptors thats a fact the inexperience and rumors does not make up the talent difference between the two teams. Bosh had the same record as Amare with a way worse team to me that makes Bosh better. Bosh was the number one option for 5 years he made the playoffs twice and won 40 games 3 times with horrible teams. When was Fields rookie of the year and when was Felton an all star

[Eat Like A Bosh]

So many good players... This position is loaded

1.Dirk Nowitzki (totally deserves it right now, after his amazing run this year)

2.Amare Stoudemire (Even though he's not the best defender, whenever I watch him, I have this feeling that nobody can stop him)

3.Zach Randolph (He's really underrated, and he came up big in the playoffs. He was clutch. If not for Manu and Neal hitting those crazy shots, Z-Bo would've sealed the deal and Memphis wins in 5)

4.Chris Bosh (He's been surprisingly good and consistent in the playoffs. Sure he's soft, but he's a very productive player when he's not the best player on the team)

5.Pau Gasol (Very skilled, but is "soft" at times, but he has been a disappointment)

6. LaMarcus Aldridge (Getting snubbed from the ASG really made him a better player)

7. Kevin Garnett (Hes out of his prime now, age catching up to him, but when healthy, he is still a huge defensive presence. He's probably the most important guy on the Celtics right now)

8..Blake Griffin (He's an amazing player, not just a dunker. He's an above average passer for his position. Still a rookie and he'll improve)

9. Luis Scola (He actually improved his J, got a really nice mid range weapon now. Despite not being very Athletic, makes up for it with his nifty moves at the post and his hustle)

10. Kevin Love (The record breaker!)


In previous years I would've had Duncan at #1, but right now, I just don't know how to rank him.

Other mentions: Duncan, Josh Smith, Carlos Boozer, David West, Paul Millsap, Lamar Kardashian, Elton Brand, etc, I know I left out a lot.

[Mirjalovic]

Dirk
Gasol
Amare
Love
Griffin
Zach
LMA
Odom
Duncan
Garnett

[InspiredLebowski]

Needs more Hansbrooooough (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svPR2w2Ge30)

/homer

[alenleomessi]

Needs more Hansbrooooough (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svPR2w2Ge30)

/homer
borderline top 30 for sure :rockon:

[ChuckOakley]

1. Dirk
2. Amare
3. Aldridge
4. Randolph
5. Gasol
6. Bosh
7. Griffin
8. Love
9. J. Smith
10. D.West / D.Lee

[KNOW1EDGE]

1. Dirk Nowitizki- He can do more with a basketball than any other pf.
2. Amare Stoudemire- Hes got the athleticism, the jumper out to about 15ft, he can rebound and block shots.
4. Pau Gasol- He is a great all around player, has it all, size, solid fundamentals, good all around game, soft touch around the hoop, nice mid range game, not the best defender but he can hold his own. Not much of a leader.
4. LaMarcus Aldridge- Hes got a really complete game. Proved he can be a go to guy.
5. Zach Randolph- Under rated, great scorer, learned how to be more of a team player and better rebounder in Memphis.
6. Blake Griffin- He is just too dominant to leave off the list.
7. Chris Bosh- Even though he has been outshadowed by the big 2, he is still a top pf.
8. Kevin Love- Best rebounder in the game, can shoot all the way out to the 3pt line
9. Tim Duncan- Old, but still the big fundamental
10. Kevin Garnett- Old, getting exposed on defense, still goes hard, can shoot

[Unstoppabull]

So many good players... This position is loaded

1.Dirk Nowitzki (totally deserves it right now, after his amazing run this year)

2.Amare Stoudemire (Even though he's not the best defender, whenever I watch him, I have this feeling that nobody can stop him)

3.Zach Randolph (He's really underrated, and he came up big in the playoffs. He was clutch. If not for Manu and Neal hitting those crazy shots, Z-Bo would've sealed the deal and Memphis wins in 5)

4.Chris Bosh (He's been surprisingly good and consistent in the playoffs. Sure he's soft, but he's a very productive player when he's not the best player on the team)

5.Pau Gasol (Very skilled, but is "soft" at times, but he has been a disappointment)

6. LaMarcus Aldridge (Getting snubbed from the ASG really made him a better player)

7. Kevin Garnett (Hes out of his prime now, age catching up to him, but when healthy, he is still a huge defensive presence. He's probably the most important guy on the Celtics right now)

8..Blake Griffin (He's an amazing player, not just a dunker. He's an above average passer for his position. Still a rookie and he'll improve)

9. Luis Scola (He actually improved his J, got a really nice mid range weapon now. Despite not being very Athletic, makes up for it with his nifty moves at the post and his hustle)

10. Kevin Love (The record breaker!)


In previous years I would've had Duncan at #1, but right now, I just don't know how to rank him.

Other mentions: Duncan, Josh Smith, Carlos Boozer, David West, Paul Millsap, Lamar Kardashian, Elton Brand, etc, I know I left out a lot.
Amare at #2? C'mon man! :lol

[blazerjimmy]

Dirk Nowitzki
LaMarcus Aldridge
Zach Randolph
Amare Stoudemire
Kevin Love
Blake Griffin
Kevin Garnett
Pau Gasol
Chris Bosh
Kris Humphries

[KGMN]

Is there going to be one of these for SG and C?

[knicksman]

Amare at #2? C'mon man! :lol

why not? rose even won mvp. a score first pg who hasnt won since the creation of the league while amare, a big man who dominated since the creation of the league, cannot be considered number 2??

[LJJ]

Nowitzki
Gasol
Stoudemire
Bosh (poorly coached)
Randolph (note: nrs 2-5 are virtually interchangeable to me)
Aldridge
Griffin (could be a little higher, but still needs to prove himself)
Garnett (amazing the presence this skinny cat has in his 15th+ season)
Duncan
Scola (maybe Kevin Love)

[Borderlands]

1. Dirk Nowitzki---Blake Griffin
3. Stoudemire
4. Gasol (should he even be on this list, since he plays C?)
5. West
6.Garnett
7. Bosh
8. Aldridge
9. Duncan
10. Love

Honorable Mention: Boozer, Scola, Granger, Randolph

Reasons: Dirk redefines the position by stretching defense and good passing. and of course outside shot. and also can drive. Griffin is an athletic banger that can run. Stoudemire, another great athlete with an improving outside shot that can run by you and dunk it. Can rebound. West...great with CP and the pick and roll, outside shot. Garnett is reboundng and shotblocking etc. with the rest.

[senelcoolidge]

Blake is the best PF at the end of the next season and top 3 player overall

I think some people have not watched enough Clippers game. He has a jump shot, sure it was not consistent his rookie year. This off season he's working on that jump shot. So next season with a more consistent shot he will be almost impossible to guard. He dominated pretty much all of the guy on this list one on one. He was always doubled or tripled teamed and when he wasn't he just took advantage. He does seem to have more trouble with really tall long guy like Aldridge. I think LMA was the guy that gave him the most trouble out of this group. K. Humpries had an excellent game against him..it was one of Blake's worst games of the season. But he's dominated or outplayed pretty much all the other guys. He will easily be the best PF in the league in a couple years. Top 3 player in the league.

[RRR3]

Call me crazy, but I still have Amare number one. I am not going to let Dirk's playoff run sway my opinions too much. Dirk has obviously had a better career, but I think Amare is a tiny bit better right now, although I have no problem with Dirk being number one. Anyways:
1. Amare
2. Dirk
3. Pau
4. Aldridge
5. Bosh
6. Z-BO
7. Kevin Love
8. Blake Griffin
9. David West
10. Josh Smith
Something like that. Griffin will move up quickly, unless something crazy happens.

[JP275]

Call me crazy, but I still have Amare number one. I am not going to let Dirk's playoff run sway my opinions too much. Dirk has obviously had a better career, but I think Amare is a tiny bit better right now, although I have no problem with Dirk being number one. Anyways:
1. Amare
2. Dirk
3. Pau
4. Aldridge
5. Bosh
6. Z-BO
7. Kevin Love
8. Blake Griffin
9. David West
10. Josh Smith
Something like that. Griffin will move up quickly, unless something crazy happens.

You're crazy.

[RRR3]

You're crazy.
:D

[Rouge]

Call me crazy, but I still have Amare number one. I am not going to let Dirk's playoff run sway my opinions too much. Dirk has obviously had a better career, but I think Amare is a tiny bit better right now, although I have no problem with Dirk being number one.

You're crazy!! Haha jk

Here's my list:

1. Dirk Nowitzki
2. Amar'e Stoudemire
3. Chris Bosh
4. Pau Gasol
5. LaMarcus Aldridge
6. Zach Randolph
7. Blake Griffin
8. Kevin Garnett
9. Kevin Love
10. Tim Duncan

[Mike Rice]

1. LaMarcus Aldridge



2. Dirk Nowitzki
3. Kevin Love
4. Earl Barron
5. Pau Gasol
6. Tim Duncan
7. Chris Bosh
8. Blake Griffin
9. Kevin Garnett
10. Zach Randolph

[G-train]

1. Pau Gasol
2. Amare Stoudemire
3. Dirk Nowitzki
4. Tim Duncan
5. Chris Bosh
6. Lamarcus Aldridge
7. Kevin Garnett
8. Blake Griffin
9. Zach Randolph
10. Luis Scola

[Jan95]

1. Dirk
2. Amare
3. Aldridge
4. Randolph
5. Gasol
6. Griffin
7. Bosh
8. Garnett
9. Scola
10. Love

[GS1905]

1)Nowitzki
2)Stoudemire
3)Aldridge
4)Gasol
5)Randolph
6)Griffin*
7)Bosh**
8)Garnett
9)Love
10)Smith

*Soon he'll be top 3 if he keeps playing like this.
**Would put him higher before this year but his performance with the Heat was just so BAD. He played better in the playoffs but still..

[knickswin]

Call me crazy, but I still have Amare number one. I am not going to let Dirk's playoff run sway my opinions too much. Dirk has obviously had a better career, but I think Amare is a tiny bit better right now, although I have no problem with Dirk being number one. Anyways:
1. Amare
2. Dirk
3. Pau
4. Aldridge
5. Bosh
6. Z-BO
7. Kevin Love
8. Blake Griffin
9. David West
10. Josh Smith
Something like that. Griffin will move up quickly, unless something crazy happens.

As a Knicks fan, I will call you crazy. Dirk is pretty clearly better than Amar'e.

[DirkNowitzki41]

Dirk was the best PF before the playoffs but now it's a lock.. lol @ some of you having him at #3. wtf? clear hate

[ThaSwagg3r]

1. Pau Gasol
2. Amare Stoudemire
3. Dirk Nowitzki
4. Tim Duncan
5. Chris Bosh
6. Lamarcus Aldridge
7. Kevin Garnett
8. Blake Griffin
9. Zach Randolph
10. Luis Scola
Dirk the 3rd best PF in the league with Pau and Amare ahead of him?

http://oi55.tinypic.com/34g3fk0.jpg

[DirkNowitzki41]

Dirk the 3rd best PF in the league with Pau and Amare ahead of him?

http://oi55.tinypic.com/34g3fk0.jpg

:oldlol:

[Trentknicks]

Would be good to see Amare Stoudemire put on a few lbs and dominate a bit more