Top 10 most skilled players ever

[WillC]

For me, the 'most skilled players' are those who can do everything well, e.g. shoot, pass, dribble, defend, rebound, etc. After all, 'skill' in basketball isn't refined to just dribbling, for example. These players don't have many weaknesses between them and, instead, excelled in a multitude of areas:

Michael Jordan
LeBron James
Kobe Bryant
Oscar Robertson
Larry Bird
Kevin Garnett
Magic Johnson
Rick Barry
Elgin Baylor
Tracy McGrady

(Bill Walton was probably the most skilled big man of all-time but I have trouble putting a center on this list)

Now, if you're talking about the most skilled with the ball in their hands - i.e. with most control over the ball - then the list looks very different. Maybe something like this:

Pete Maravich
Isiah Thomas
Magic Johnson
Earl Monroe
Steve Nash
Allen Iverson
Bob Cousy
Nate Archibald
Chris Paul
Penny Hardaway
John Stockton

(That's 11, but who's counting?)

[Fudge]

How is Duncan not there, bro?

[riseagainst]

Skills i think have 0 dependencies on athleticism, i'm doing this really fast so i'm not digging deeper into them:

passing, court vision, play making, foot work, playing off the ball, playing the passing lanes, free throw shooting, create your own shot (kind of iffy, but if you are shorter and less athletic than your defender, i guess i'm more inclined to say that is a skill)

just for a start.

[Young X]

KG's skill level is unbelievable. He can shoot from anywhere inside 22 feet, has post moves, great passer, could handle the ball better than any big, can defend any position, can rebound. Even played PG briefly in the playoffs as a 7 footer. Crazy.

[SouBeachTalents]

For me, the 'most skilled players' are those who can do everything well, e.g. shoot, pass, dribble, defend, rebound, etc. After all, 'skill' in basketball isn't refined to just dribbling, for example. These players don't have many weaknesses between them and, instead, excelled in a multitude of areas:

Michael Jordan
LeBron James
Kobe Bryant
Oscar Robertson
Larry Bird
Kevin Garnett
Magic Johnson
Rick Barry
Elgin Baylor
Tracy McGrady

(Bill Walton was probably the most skilled big man of all-time but I have trouble putting a center on this list)

Could those two defend?

[Soundwave]

How is Kobe more "skilled" than LeBron?

Better handles, better shooter, faster first step, more agile in the air, more moves as a whole, better footwork.

But yeah other than that it's a wash, lol.

[Soundwave]

Could those two defend?

T-Mac was a pretty good defender actually when he wanted to be.

[WillC]

Could those two defend?

Rick Barry? Absolutely. He was a terrific defender (and one of the most underrated players of all-time). There have been few players in history with his combination of shooting/scoring, passing and defense/rebounding. He was Larry Bird before Larry Bird but with better defense.

As for TMac, he was a sensational defender.... for a few years. Then he seemed to lose his defensive intensity and, instead, became known as a one-man offensive juggernaut.

I watched an old All-Star Game recently (maybe 2000 or 2001, I forget). I think it was TMac's first game. The commentators were raving about his defense (I think he was guarding Kobe). It's easy to forget about how good he was at that part of the game, given how he went on to play later in his career.

[StephHamann]

To give an example, i think Doug Mc Dermott is the most skilled player of this years draft.

Other guys might be better defenders, scorers etc. but X and O wise Doug is the best.

[WillC]

To give an example, i think Doug Mc Dermott is the most skilled player of this years draft.

Other guys might be better defenders, scorers etc. but X and O wise Doug is the best.

McDermott is definitely a skilled player, but is he better than Jabari Parker?

McDermott is the better shooter, but Parker beats him in nearly every other category.

[pudman13]

Now, if you're talking about the most skilled with the ball in their hands - i.e. with most control over the ball - then the list looks very different. Maybe something like this:

Pete Maravich
Isiah Thomas
Magic Johnson
Earl Monroe
Steve Nash
Allen Iverson
Bob Cousy
Nate Archibald
Chris Paul
Penny Hardaway
John Stockton

(That's 11, but who's counting?)

Perhaps the most skilled of them all with the ball in his hands was Ernie DiGrigorio, but given his size, lack of athleticism, inability to defend (probably due a combination of the last two factors), and eventually injuries he's a completely forgotten man.

Walt Frazier should probably be on this list also.

[WillC]

Perhaps the most skilled of them all with the ball in his hands was Ernie DiGrigorio, but given his size, lack of athleticism, inability to defend (probably due a combination of the last two factors), and eventually injuries he's a completely forgotten man.

Excellent suggestion.

[KirbyPls]

Better handles, better shooter, faster first step, more agile in the air, more moves as a whole, better footwork.

But yeah other than that it's a wash, lol.

[robert_shaww]

Players who rely the most on their skills and IQ besides their god given athletic gifts and use it for both ends of the court
Not in order out of the first 2

Bird
CP3
Hakeem
KG
Dirk
Kobe
MJ
Manu
Stockton
Penny

perfect list.

[kennethgriffin]

- kobe
- hakeem
- bird
- nash
- maravich
- barry
- iverson
- dirk
- stockton
- garnett