Who was the second best player in the NBA these years?

[Kblaze8855]

Some years face few arguments looking back as far as who the best player was, so I want to know who gets second place.

1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2013, 2023.

The top spot is largely uncontested for most of them. All really. And I consider them all so obvious(at least in public perception) I don’t feel a need to list the names.

But….

Who gets the silver?

[eliteballer]

Some years face few arguments looking back as far as who the best player was, so I want to know who gets second place.

1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2013, 2023.

The top spot is largely uncontested for most of them. All really. And I consider them all so obvious(at least in public perception) I don’t feel a need to list the names.

But….

Who gets the silver?

How is 2003 on this list, tons of people would debate a handful of players for the #1 spot that year.

[FultzNationRISE]

Some years face few arguments looking back as far as who the best player was, so I want to know who gets second place.

1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2013, 2023.

The top spot is largely uncontested for most of them. All really. And I consider them all so obvious(at least in public perception) I don’t feel a need to list the names.

But….

Who gets the silver?

92, 94, and 96 it's gotta be one of the Bulls Boys, either MJ or Pip. They both have six rangs so you cant really separate them from each other.

00 and 03, I'm not sure.

'13 is probably... Durant?

'23 is Joker.

[Xiao Yao You]

92, 94, and 96 it's gotta be one of the Bulls Boys, either MJ or Pip. They both have six rangs so you cant really separate them from each other.

00 and 03, I'm not sure.

'13 is probably... Durant?

'23 is Joker.

Pippen was never close to being the 2nd best player in the league

[FultzNationRISE]

Pippen was never close to being the 2nd best player in the league

Six rings.

[Kblaze8855]

Pippen was never close to being the 2nd best player in the league

Whatever anyone has to say about it 30 years later the people at the time said it and similar things quite often.

[Kblaze8855]

How is 2003 on this list, tons of people would debate a handful of players for the #1 spot that year.

I very distinctly remember you having a lot to say on the subject and what would happen in the playoffs at the time before Tim put all of Southern California in the figure four leg lock and had Kobe and Fisher literally crying on the bench. So I can see why you would object. But nobody really needs it explained why Tim gets that season.

[iamgine]

1992: Drexler
1994: Robinson
1996: Robinson
2000: Malone
2003: Mcgrady
2013: Durant
2023: Doncic

[Xiao Yao You]

Whatever anyone has to say about it 30 years later the people at the time said it and similar things quite often.

and they were wrong

[FultzNationRISE]

and they were wrong

Put Pippen on the 1998 Utah Jazz, how many rings does they get?

[Xiao Yao You]

Put Pippen on the 1998 Utah Jazz, how many rings does they get?

probably none. Russell spread the floor better

[Kblaze8855]

and they were wrong


I can’t imagine the hell this place would have to endure if your boy were on a team that replaced LeBron with a nobody and a 10 point per game 43% shooting rookie and won 55 games.

that whole scenario was such a perfectly built recipe for trolling. I’m glad the Internet wasn’t what it is now. That would be a wild season to have a social media.

[Kblaze8855]

probably none. Russell spread the floor better


Threw the season away better too:




https://youtu.be/jTWdhAeCKYs?si=01Jx7cmFZzqAeenU



seems the floor wasn’t spread quite enough that Pippen couldn’t cover it and end the greatest jazz season of all time with good ol nobody cares defense.

[eliteballer]

I very distinctly remember you having a lot to say on the subject and what would happen in the playoffs at the time before Tim put all of Southern California in the figure four leg lock and had Kobe and Fisher literally crying on the bench. So I can see why you would object. But nobody really needs it explained why Tim gets that season.

The Spurs having a better team than an old Lakers team worn down from trying for a 4th Finals run in a row without a bench, and Kobe nursing a shoulder injury does not equate to Duncan being the best...hell Shaq put up better numbers than him in the series.

[Full Court]

'92 - David Robinson
'94 - Shaq
'96 - Hakeem
'00 - Iverson
'03 - Duncan
'13 - Durant
'23 - Giannis

[Kblaze8855]

Do you not realize we had this discussion 20 years ago? That I listened to you tell me the Spurs did not have a better team and the lakers were going to make and win the fourth finals and we would all see that you were right when the playoffs arrived? I’m just asking. Right now you’re like one of those people who get on Facebook and talk like people don’t know them in real life.

you started on all that other shit after they lost.

[GimmeThat]

I’m just asking. Right now you’re like one of those people who get on Facebook and talk like people don’t know them in real life.



generally, it just sounds weak. the annoying part is how comfortable people are with it, then expects you to cuddle them when all they needed was some humility.

[SouBeachTalents]

2013 really sticks out like a sore thumb from this list. I'd genuinely like to know who else would even be argued over KD for this year, he really seemed to reach consensus top 2 by this point.

2023 is definitely Giannis for me. Sure, you "could" argue Embiid but deep down, nobody really thinks he's better than Giannis.

1994 Shaq had a monster year, but Robinson is the clear cut choice for me.

The rest are genuinely difficult to decide on.

1992 Hakeem & Barkley both missed the playoffs, so they're out of contention. This would come down to Drexler, Robinson, Malone & Ewing, if forced to pick, I'd choose Robinson.

1996 Shaq missed too many games, so he's out of contention. This would come down to Robinson, Hakeem & Malone, and I think I'd give Robinson the nod over Hakeem for winning 11 more games.

2000 might be the biggest gap between the best player and the 2nd best player in the history of the league. You could argue a handful of guys for this year, but I think I'd go with Mourning.

2003 is imo the most interesting one of the bunch. Duncan takes home BITW after his epic title run, but then you have Shaq, Kobe, KG & McGrady all coming off MONSTER seasons. This is the pick I'd feel the least confident in, but I think based off his regular season and dragging that dogshit roster to the playoffs, I just might go with McGrady.

[SouBeachTalents]

2005-07 would be extremely difficult to decide on who the best player was, let alone the 2nd best. You'd have Duncan, Wade, Kobe & Dirk all battling for those spots.

2008 would come down to KG or CP3.

2011 would also make for a very interest debate, I'm assuming Dirk would get the nod for the top spot, does LeBron take 2nd despite his Finals?

[WhiteKyrie]

92: Drexler
94: D-Rob
96: D-Rob
00: KG
03: Kobe / McGrady
13: KD
23: Embiid

[eliteballer]

Do you not realize we had this discussion 20 years ago? That I listened to you tell me the Spurs did not have a better team and the lakers were going to make and win the fourth finals and we would all see that you were right when the playoffs arrived? I’m just asking. Right now you’re like one of those people who get on Facebook and talk like people don’t know them in real life.

you started on all that other shit after they lost.

It feels like we blinked and 20 years passed.

[John8204]

92 - John Stockton (led the league in assists and steals, Jazz made the conference finals)
94 - Patrick Ewing
98 - Shaq
00 - Reggie Miller
03 - Jason Kidd
13 - Chris Paul - like Stockton led the league in steals and assists
23 - Jokic

[rmt]

The Spurs having a better team than an old Lakers team worn down from trying for a 4th Finals run in a row without a bench, and Kobe nursing a shoulder injury does not equate to Duncan being the best...hell Shaq put up better numbers than him in the series.

Duncan 28.0 pts
Shaq 25.3 pts

https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2003-nba-western-conference-semifinals-lakers-vs-spurs.html

[ShawkFactory]

The Spurs having a better team than an old Lakers team worn down from trying for a 4th Finals run in a row without a bench, and Kobe nursing a shoulder injury does not equate to Duncan being the best...hell Shaq put up better numbers than him in the series.

Did he..?

[elementally morale]

Some years face few arguments looking back as far as who the best player was, so I want to know who gets second place.

1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2013, 2023.


Jordan, Robinson
Hakeem, Shaq
Jordan, Hakeem
Shaq, Garnett
Duncan, Kobe
LeBron, Durant
Jokic, Giannis

[Carbine]

Alonzo second best player in '00 LOL

[Kblaze8855]

Alonzo second best player in '00 LOL

If you played or simulated a season on the original NBA 2K, he would always average like 26 and 12 and win MVP. So there’s that.

[Carbine]

Garnett was just better at that point. This was Duncan the season after he just won FMVP and was clearly a better player than Zo ever was for the simple fact it was proven you could run an offense through him and win big at this point. I could argue this was Duncan's physical peak season before the knee injury. He never looked better in terms of being an athlete.

Zo top 5? No problem.

[RogueBorg]

'92 - David Robinson
'94 - Shaq
'96 - Hakeem
'00 - Iverson
'03 - Duncan
'13 - Durant
'23 - Giannis

Robinson hadn't passed Ewing yet in '92.

[Xiao Yao You]

Robinson hadn't passed Ewing yet in '92.

he was always on a different level than Ewing

[dankok8]

Some of these are actually tough. In fact all except 2013 and 2023 made me really think.

1992 - Robinson (Malone or Ewing a possibility)
1994 - Robinson
1996 - Hakeem (Robinson, Shaq or Malone a possibility)
2000 - Mourning
2003 - Kobe (Shaq, Garnett, TMac a possibility)
2013 - Durant
2023 - Giannis

[999Guy]

92 - John Stockton (led the league in assists and steals, Jazz made the conference finals)
94 - Patrick Ewing
98 - Shaq
00 - Reggie Miller
03 - Jason Kidd
13 - Chris Paul - like Stockton led the league in steals and assists
23 - Jokic

WOW. Interesting names. Names I was considering but didn't have the motivation to mention considering every name getting mentioned ITT is just the highest PPG guys of that given year.

Ganrett was definitely better than Kidd in 03, he was almost as good as Duncan, but it's a good HM.

Chris Paul clears every human other than LeBron earth wise at the game as far as skill, consistency, playoff resiliency, approach to dominance and two-way play. But you wouldn't have known it at the time.

Reggie Miller is a disaster pick for 00. I wouldn't even take him over Stockton that year if we're choosing old-ass guards. But OTOH he was right there in 92 and 94, mixed with Chuck, D-rob, Stockton, and Hakeem.

I have no idea why people don't pick Duncan as the second-best player in 00. Absurd to me.

Shaq was better than Jordan from 95 on IMO, year by year. 96 is no exception. Hakeem's legs were fried in 95, let alone 96. His defensive motor and explosion off the ground was finished. Unlike most bigs Hakeem slid on defense and his offense somehow held up as he got older. Usually it's the opposite. But don't let the stats fool you, he was done being truly dominant.

Jokic was tiered up over everyone in 23. And 22 really. Luka had a really quiet, really really rare kind of good offensive season last year. This year he'll be so good he'll make people revise what he did last year in their minds. It's the Luka era now. He started posting up, something his best comp, Harden never did despite being ridiculously strong. Harden was an elite post defender for years in a switching scheme but never ever wanted to seal guys down low, so stupid. Luka isn't making the same mistake and really showed some wrinkles and devastating levels to his game last year. When he cleans up his shot selection and really mentally commits to defense it'll be lights out.

[ArbitraryWater]

What would be difficult about 2013?

[Manny98]

92 - Drexler
94 - Admiral
96 - Admiral
00 - Malone
03 - KG
13 - KD
23 - Giannis

[John8204]

WOW. Interesting names. Names I was considering but didn't have the motivation to mention considering every name getting mentioned ITT is just the highest PPG guys of that given year.

Yeah critical thinking isn't really a big thing around here but I went my own route.


Ganrett was definitely better than Kidd in 03, he was almost as good as Duncan, but it's a good HM.

During the regular season...sure...but I also include the playoffs (see Reggie, Kidd, and Ewing), KG went out in the first round that year. The Nets on the other hand swept the Celtics and Pistons (two teams that would win titles) to make the finals.


Reggie Miller is a disaster pick for 00. I wouldn't even take him over Stockton that year if we're choosing old-ass guards. But OTOH he was right there in 92 and 94, mixed with Chuck, D-rob, Stockton, and Hakeem.

Pacers had the best record in 2000 and he was perhaps the best player on that team. Team made the finals beating quality teams in Philly and New York and they didn't get swept by Shaq during one of his "greatest years of all-time".



I have no idea why people don't pick Duncan as the second-best player in 00. Absurd to me.

Lost in the first round...generally speaking I'm cool with Duncan being the second best player but once again I look at the entire season not just the MVP race.




Jokic was tiered up over everyone in 23. And 22 really. Luka had a really quiet, really really rare kind of good offensive season last year. This year he'll be so good he'll make people revise what he did last year in their minds. It's the Luka era now. He started posting up, something his best comp, Harden never did despite being ridiculously strong. Harden was an elite post defender for years in a switching scheme but never ever wanted to seal guys down low, so stupid. Luka isn't making the same mistake and really showed some wrinkles and devastating levels to his game last year. When he cleans up his shot selection and really mentally commits to defense it'll be lights out.

I'm not a huge fan of Jokic I think Giannis is the better two way player and Jokic isn't really in the best of shape. If they win another title and Giannis never does anything throughout his career my opinion on this year will change but for now I think Giannis is better than Jokic.