Who your top 5 skilled players of all time?

[Bronbron23]

Just talking offence and I'm not talking best or most dominant. There's a difference sometimes. I'd have Shaq, Bron, russell, Kareem and wilt up there as best ever but not my most skilled offensively.

I got mj, Kobe, Hakeem, pistol Pete and bird in my top 5 in that order. Kyrie and Steph get honorable mentions. Either could probably be in the 3-5 spot depending on what your looking at.

[DaHeezy]

Pure skill I'd have TMac #1

McGrady
Kobe
Magic
.
.
Sabonis
Manu/ Webber/ Kidd/ Bird....

[Manny98]

1. CP3
2. Curry
3. Nash
4. Kyrie
5. Kobe

Guards require the most skill out of any position as they're the shortest and least athletic person on the court

[Dr Hawk]

First players to come to mind are Kobe and Chris Paul. Then, Kyrie, Nash, Iverson.

[LAL]

Did you know Kobe showed more skill on a tuesday preseason game than lebron did his whole life?

[AirBonner]

1. LeBron
2. Allen Iverson
3. Shaq
4. Jason Williams
5. Tim Duncan

[dbugz]

MJ
Penny
Kobe
Kyrie
Manu

[ImKobe]

1. Kobe
2. Jordan
3. Curry
4. Manu
5. Durant

Kobe and Jordan are really close but Kobe did take all of Jordan's game and added more to it, doesn't mean he was more talented overall but he was able to dominate playing Jordan's game while having 1/2 of the athletic ability.

[BigShotBob]

Anyone that doesn't have Hakeem need to change their list immediately.

1) Kobe
2) Larry Bird
3) Hakeem
4) MJ
5) KD

[72-10]

1. Michael Jordan

2. Kobe Bryant
3. Allen Iverson
4. Stephen Curry
5. Kevin Durant
6. Dwyane Wade
7. Chris Paul
8. LeBron James

9. Larry Bird
10. Ray Allen

I made a list on this a few months back so I bumped it and put my top ten here.

[Manny98]

Anyone that doesn't have Hakeem need to change their list immediately.

1) Kobe
2) Larry Bird
3) Hakeem
4) MJ
5) KD
Center position requires the least skill.

It only requires size and athleticism to be successful that's why you have 7 footers like Nurkic who didn't even pick up a basketball till the age of 18 yet still make the NBA

[72-10]

Pure skill I'd have TMac #1

McGrady
Kobe
Magic
.
.
Sabonis
Manu/ Webber/ Kidd/ Bird....

McGrady could take out a team sometimes, but the times he did this were quite rare, and there's not a real large sample size of prime to go on, as with Penny and Grant Hill, and McGrady offered little on defense.

[72-10]

Few centers are comparable to Hakeem in skill. Only ones close are Wilt Chamberlain, David Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing, and Shaquille O'Neal.

[BigShotBob]

Center position requires the least skill.

It only requires size and athleticism to be successful that's why you have 7 footers like Nurkic who didn't even pick up a basketball till the age of 18 yet still make the NBA

Skill is honed. It's entirely dependent on what you choose to dedicate your time to. It is not based off of height or athleticism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22O2lApCBBs

Just watch this and learn something.

[72-10]

Skill is honed. It's entirely dependent on what you choose to dedicate your time to. It is not based off of height or athleticism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22O2lApCBBs

Just watch this and learn something.

He's probably the most skilled big man of all time, but he's 7 foot tall and plays right near the rim.:rolleyes: How could you think his skill is comparable to a guard's skill?

[BigShotBob]

He's probably the most skilled big man of all time, but he's 7 foot tall and plays right near the rim.:rolleyes: How could you think his skill is comparable to a guard's skill?

He's literally taking centers off the dribble from the three-point line and pulling up like KD.

"Near the rim"

He scored from practically anywhere. His game wasn't limited to the post in spite of it being his bread and butter.

[AlternativeAcc.]

Kobe? :roll: :roll: :roll:


Anyways...

This is a list for guys like Pistol Pete,Jerry West (who was extremely skilled for his time), Bird, and Nash.


Kobe isn't in the same universe as these guys in terms of skill. :hammerhead:

[sd3035]

Curry
Kyrie
Durant
Kobe
MJ/Larry Legend

[BarberSchool]

Scoring is the most important skill of all.
Passing OUT OF DOUBLE TEAMS is the 2nd most important skill.
Guys under 6'5" with shorter vertical may pass well in the open court, or in pick and rolls,
but they don't pass well or pass with versatility OUT OF BIG DOUBLE TEAMS.

So:

1. Jordan
2. Kobe
3. TMac
4. Durant
5. Bird


People can talk about point guard passing all they want,
but how many point guards fit these criteria:

a. Score well enough from 2pt range to command double teams
b. Shoot off the dribble well enough to command doubles (Steph is in rare company here, Lillard and very few others meet this standard)
c. Pass well out of long-wingspan double teams (players with height and wingspan like Chris Paul do not do this well at all, the passes will arrive later than optimal for several reasons involving defender wingspans, and teamamtes cannot capitalize against incomplete rotations at a high enough percentage)

This is why taller players with longer wingspans like Durant and Nowitzki pass out of double teams so well, not only can they see over the defenders to make high reward reads, but they can snap passes around or over double teams without leaving their feet or putting any arc on the pass.

[72-10]

Scoring is the most important skill of all.
Passing OUT OF DOUBLE TEAMS is the 2nd most important skill.
So:

1. Jordan
2. Kobe
3. TMac
4. Durant
5. Bird

Pure shooting is the 2nd most important skill and the 2nd rarest.

[BarberSchool]

Pure shooting is the 2nd most important skill and the 2nd rarest.Shooting is one element which is the most important WITHIN scoring.

[72-10]

Right. You know, I mean I'm talking mostly about having a jay, having good shot form, etc. Being able to score from mid-range and out the rarest group....

[tpols]

First players to come to mind are Kobe and Chris Paul. Then, Kyrie, Nash, Iverson.



was gonna say cp3.

people mentioning tmac smh his skill / uniqueness was only above average for his height...guy was 6'9 and played like a guard.

chris paul had more impact at 5'11, that takes a retarded skill advantage.

[Vino24]

Tim Duncan is the best. Fundamentals skill, footwork, timing. No flash all precise movements no wasted movement for the best play possible. A lot of players listed here are flashy not best skilled.

[tpols]

Tim Duncan is the best. Fundamentals skill, footwork, timing. No flash all precise movements no wasted movement for the best play possible. A lot of players listed here are flashy not best skilled.


yup...

my list

Bird
Kobe
Curry
Jordan
Duncan

[Vino24]

yup...

my list

Bird
Kobe
Curry
Jordan
Duncan
One of these things is not like the other

[Reggie43]

Jordan
Bird
Stockton
Olajuwon
Mullin

[Dr Hawk]

yup...

my list

Bird
Kobe
Curry
Jordan
Duncan

No CP3?

[SomeBlackDude]

Tim Duncan is the best. Fundamentals skill, footwork, timing. No flash all precise movements no wasted movement for the best play possible. A lot of players listed here are flashy not best skilled.

was just watching a rookie highlight reel of timmy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd80usp9Bsk). crazy how polished he was in his first season. if you didn't know better, you'd think he was a 10 year vet just toying with some atgs (rodman, malone, etc). he was a top 5 player in the league the minute he stepped onto an nba court.

dude could score from either block, with either hand, had an array of moves, impeccable footwork, nice shooting touch. and the high bball iq to go with all that.

[BarberSchool]

No CP3?Why CP3 is rated so highly on any all time list, by some fans, boggles my mind.

[Bronbron23]

Center position requires the least skill.

It only requires size and athleticism to be successful that's why you have 7 footers like Nurkic who didn't even pick up a basketball till the age of 18 yet still make the NBA
In this era maybe but in previous eras nurkic would get his shit pushed in.

And that's a weird way of thinking btw. Yeah bigs have the height and size advantage but gaurds and some freak fowards like LeBron have the speed and agility advantage. If it only took size and athleticism then javaaaaaaaale macgee would be be the goat instead vof being a bum. That's in an era where bigs are terrible too

[Bronbron23]

1. Kobe
2. Jordan
3. Curry
4. Manu
5. Durant

Kobe and Jordan are really close but Kobe did take all of Jordan's game and added more to it, doesn't mean he was more talented overall but he was able to dominate playing Jordan's game while having 1/2 of the athletic ability.
Yeah I had mj at number 1 but you could interchange him and Kobe if you wanted. To me it's a coin flip between the two skill wise. I think mj was a little better overall just because of his hands and a little better athleticism but skill wise I can't be mad at anyone saying Kobe is better

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Nash
Bean
Bird
Mike
Durant

You could argue a few more...in place of any of those guys. Paul, Curry, Stockton, Duncan etc.

Bird's off hand was ridiculous btw. Dropped 40 in a game where half were from his left hand.

[BarberSchool]

Right. You know, I mean I'm talking mostly about having a jay, having good shot form, etc. Being able to score from mid-range and out the rarest group....In talking about the most skilled players of all time;
I think the most important skills, within the shooting aspect of scoring, are as follows:

1. Being able to shoot high TS% OFF THE DRIBBLE (this is far more valuable to a team if their primary ball handler can do this)
2. Great decision making of WHEN to shoot/when to WAIT for a better shot/pass
3. When to use the BELIEVABLE THREAT of pulling up off the dribble to beat your defender, AND THE HELP DEFENDER, to create WIDE OPEN looks for the teammates who can't shoot high TS% off the dribble, but only with their feet set (most great 3pt shooters fit this description)

[BarberSchool]

Bird's off hand was ridiculous btw. Dropped 40 in a game where half were from his left hand.That game was totally insane. No one else could pull that off.

Larry was slow as Molasses, but lit up athletic freaks like prime Dominique IN THE HAND CHECKING ERA for 40 routinely, off hand/eye coordination and pattern recognition second to none.

[LeCola]

Carter
T-Mac
Wilt
Lebron
Jordan

[34-24 Footwork]

MJ
Penny
Kobe
Kyrie
Manu

Solid List :rockon:

Kobe
Penny
TMac
Hakeem
Kyrie

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

Bird
Hakeem
MJ
Kobe
CP3

Ppl mentioning Steph and Nash over CP lolol or Kyrie even...........defense still requires skill

CP is 5'11 max without shoes, his athleticism has been shot post NOLA with the injuries and was still an alldefensive guard and one of the best defensive PGs in the league for many years and been able to make it tough for players with much more size, length and athleticism than him

if ur actually looking at both ends of the court CP should be in everyones top 5 for pure skill

[dbugz]

Solid List :rockon:

Kobe
Penny
TMac
Hakeem
Kyrie

Penny is underrated on this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNUto6iLaMM

dude has handles, great court vision, crafty, can post up, can play facing the basket, good in transition, excellent athleticism.

Dude is a combination of grant hill, magic and manu :pimp:

[dbugz]

Are we talking about pound4pound most skilled players here or most skilled players pertaining to their position/role?


If we're talking about p4p, LOL at these people posting Centers as one of the most skilled.

Yes they're skilled in the post but when it comes to skills pertaining to all aspect of the game, MJ, Bird, CP3 can do it all from brininging the ball down (handles) to posting up.

OP pls. make it clear :lol

[34-24 Footwork]

Bird
Hakeem
MJ
Kobe
CP3

Ppl mentioning Steph and Nash over CP lolol or Kyrie even...........defense still requires skill

CP is 5'11 max without shoes, his athleticism has been shot post NOLA with the injuries and was still an alldefensive guard and one of the best defensive PGs in the league for many years and been able to make it tough for players with much more size, length and athleticism than him

if ur actually looking at both ends of the court CP should be in everyones top 5 for pure skill

Good point. That's why a list of 5 isn't really fair.

Cp3, to be 5'10, is never in a rush and always plays at his pace. It's crazy considering how big and more athletic everyone around him is.

[LostCause]

Kobe
Bird
Jordan
Hakeem
CP3
McGrady
Curry

Can

[Wally450]

Not seeing Duncan in this thread. I feel like I'd see his name mentioned more.

[Vino24]

Not seeing Duncan in this thread. I feel like I'd see his name mentioned more.
Already did. Duncan is the GOAT skills player.

[dbugz]

Already did. Duncan is the GOAT skills player.

On the post yes,

p4p? no. KG even had better handles.

[Vino24]

On the post yes,

p4p? no. KG even had better handles.
As the game is played in the 5 vs 5 format he is. Op should be more clear. This isn

[Hamtaro CP3KDKG]

On the post yes,

p4p? no. KG even had better handles.

Hakeem and Mchale are way more skilled than Duncan in the post. Dirk as well

[elementally morale]

Five is tough. And skill, nothing else.


Larry Bird
Kobe Bryant
Hakeem Olajuwon
Steve Nash
Tim Duncan

[Smoke117]

Bird
Hakeem
MJ
Kobe
CP3

Ppl mentioning Steph and Nash over CP lolol or Kyrie even...........defense still requires skill

CP is 5'11 max without shoes, his athleticism has been shot post NOLA with the injuries and was still an alldefensive guard and one of the best defensive PGs in the league for many years and been able to make it tough for players with much more size, length and athleticism than him

if ur actually looking at both ends of the court CP should be in everyones top 5 for pure skill

Even if we're just talking offense CP3 is top 5. I don't agree that his athleticism was completely shot post NOLA (he was still dunking his first couple seasons on the Clippers), but his skillset is second to none. Ball handling, passing, shooting, BBIQ. The way he developed his shot with that lean back to shoot over bigger defenders is just brilliant.

[ILLsmak]

Even if we're just talking offense CP3 is top 5. I don't agree that his athleticism was completely shot post NOLA (he was still dunking his first couple seasons on the Clippers), but his skillset is second to none. Ball handling, passing, shooting, BBIQ. The way he developed his shot with that lean back to shoot over bigger defenders is just brilliant.

he's good, but he's no Melo.

-Smak

[DaHeezy]

McGrady could take out a team sometimes, but the times he did this were quite rare, and there's not a real large sample size of prime to go on, as with Penny and Grant Hill, and McGrady offered little on defense.

What are talking about not a big enough sample size? How old are you?
We're talking about ability, not accomplishments. McGrady did everything above average. In terms of skillset and not intangibles. Unless you count intangibles as a skill?

[72-10]

Penny is underrated on this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNUto6iLaMM

dude has handles, great court vision, crafty, can post up, can play facing the basket, good in transition, excellent athleticism.

Dude is a combination of grant hill, magic and manu :pimp:

Penny could go in, absorb the contact and rock it at the rim

[superduper]

LeFootwork

[72-10]

Yeah I had mj at number 1 but you could interchange him and Kobe if you wanted to. To me it's a coin flip between the two skill wise. I think mj was a little better overall just because of his hands and a little better athleticism but skill wise I can't be mad at anyone saying Kobe is better

I corrected your post.

[72-10]

In talking about the most skilled players of all time;
I think the most important skills, within the shooting aspect of scoring, are as follows:

1. Being able to shoot high TS% OFF THE DRIBBLE (this is far more valuable to a team if their primary ball handler can do this)
2. Great decision making of WHEN to shoot/when to WAIT for a better shot/pass
3. When to use the BELIEVABLE THREAT of pulling up off the dribble to beat your defender, AND THE HELP DEFENDER, to create WIDE OPEN looks for the teammates who can't shoot high TS% off the dribble, but only with their feet set (most great 3pt shooters fit this description)

well if you want to get technical, I'd say it's really the art of creating one's own separation from the defense/creating one's own shot, and then secondly would be being able to shoot over hard doubles and/or with a double coming at you rare

[3ball]

1) Bird
2) Bird
3) Bird
4) Bird
5) Bird

[72-10]

What are talking about not a big enough sample size? How old are you?
We're talking about ability, not accomplishments. McGrady did everything above average. In terms of skillset and not intangibles. Unless you count intangibles as a skill?

True, except for defense. If you think he was as widely palleted with skills as Grant Hill or Penny Hardaway, however, you're mistaken. He didn't pass as well as those two. He didn't rebound as well as those two. He didn't play defense as well as those two.

[Manny98]

1) Bird
2) Bird
3) Bird
4) Bird
5) Bird
Agreed, no wonder MJ lost to him 14 times in a row :applause:

[superduper]

Agreed, no wonder MJ lost to him 14 times in a row :applause:

And the fact that MJ was a rookie/sophomore vs an arguable top 5 player all time in his peak...

...oh wait I forgot we don't do logic and reality

#LeGOAT :(

[72-10]

what would anyone expect with five Birds on the team

[RoseCity07]

1. Iverson
2. Bird
3. Jordan
4. Curry
5. Lebron

[tpols]

No CP3?


He's close but can't put him above any of those guys.

[tpols]

1. Iverson
2. Bird
3. Jordan
4. Curry
5. Lebron


lmaoo...

Thanks bro.

[tpols]

People lol'ing at chef over cp3..

Why?

Is shooting athleticism? Paul is more skilled in more categories but lacks dominant takeover ability in the most important one.. on avalanche level...like chef.

Its like how Dirk > Garnett despite only being better at scoring. He's so much better at it, that all else is eclipsed.

[CAstill]

Kobe
Jordan
Bird
Hakeem
Durant

[MrFonzworth]

Luke Ridnour
Sasha Vujacic
Evan Turner
Nick Collison

Easy top 4. Samuel Dalembert probably tops off the 5.

[LostCause]

Its like how Dirk > Garnett despite only being better at scoring. He's so much better at it, that all else is eclipsed.

Dirk over Garnett?

[Gougou]

Stephen Curry
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Hakeem Olajuwon (or Tim Duncan, uhh this is hard to pick, but peak Hakeem is very skilled)
Lebron James

[Turbo Slayer]

Center position requires the least skill.

It only requires size and athleticism to be successful that's why you have 7 footers like Nurkic who didn't even pick up a basketball till the age of 18 yet still make the NBA
This :applause:

[72-10]

how you gonna tell me a center is more skilled than this > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpLMmrvESNo

[Bronbron23]

This :applause:
It's way harder to play in the post in this era vs playing on the perimeter. Defenders arnt even allowed gaurding perimeter players anymore. Guys are literally playing with there hands behind there back. All perimeter players have to do is get a screen for an open look because defenders arnt allowed fighting through screens anymore. It's why someone basic like D'Angelo Russell can be an all star.

The post on the other hand is still very physical. Defenders are allowed hand checking, shoving and grabbing. The post is way more difficult.

[Vino24]

CP3 was so talented that he found a way to lose every year with all that talent :roll:

[Jasper]

interesting topic

my 5


Jordan
chambers (not wilt)
Hondo
zeke
bron
6th man -Pip

honerable mention :
Bird, barkley ,Moses Malone ,wes Unseld , dave Cowens , D-Wade,Majic

[CodeBreaker]

Kobe
MJ
Hakeem
Durant
Kyrie

[GimmeThat]

skill defies coordination

[insidehoops]

:rockon: