RealGM

Fun topic from the PC board.

As a guide, here's some top players today...



Some Pistons who might be considered from the first three rounds of our Fantasy draft...

Stops at 6-7 of the first round fantasy draft. Admittedly not familiar enough with Bing as a player to say for sure. We haven't seen Dre's prime yet of course. Allan Houston's absolute peak season could maybe be argued.

The ones that were top 10 players in their primes, I don't think it changes much.

So Isiah, Hill, and maybe Lanier. Billups and Ben you can make a case for on a good day.

If Draymond is getting top ten love then Rodman would be a lock for top 15, no? A guy pulling down 10/18, able to guard virtually anybody (especially since the classic big man is dead), would be seen as crazy valuable. He may not be able to stretch the floor, or play point, or particularly make outstanding plays on offense.
I'd go as far to say that in today's NBA, Rodman would be more highly regarded than even Ben would be.

Alexander wrote:If Draymond is getting top ten love then Rodman would be a lock for top 15, no? A guy pulling down 10/18, able to guard virtually anybody (especially since the classic big man is dead), would be seen as crazy valuable. He may not be able to stretch the floor, or play point, or particularly make outstanding plays on offense.
I'd go as far to say that in today's NBA, Rodman would be more highly regarded than even Ben would be.

I'm not totally sold on Draymond as top 10 personally, and while many will disagree I do consider Draymond to be a better player than Rodman.

I take Ben over Rodman in terms of impact on the court, but I can see an argument there.

I think that Isiah and Hill are the 2 guys who would be top 10 at their peaks with no controversy whatsoever. Lanier may or may not be given the role of centers in today's league. Billups/Rodman/Ben are probably top 15 type guys, with Dumars top 20. Worth noting all of these guys made All NBA Teams during their careers, meaning they were considered top 10-15 in their own time.

Zeke and maybe a full potential Hill before the injuries wracked him?

Ben might be a sneak pick because he had no offensive game, but he's also one of the very rare players that did too much damage on the defensive end.

So really Zeke.

Draymond is more like Pippen than Rodman. But not to digress...

Zeke & GHill. *Maybe* Lanier, but that's it. As much as I love Ben, Rodman and all the rest they aren't cracking the top 10.

Laimbeer would be the best C in the NBA.

I'd take prime Billups over Harden and I'd take prime Sheed over Draymond Green.

Warspite wrote:Laimbeer would be the best C in the NBA.

Yep. Excellent post defender and position rebounder with both a mid range and 3 point stroke. In today's NBA he'd be bad ass.

I'd go Zeke and Rasheed too. Both their games apply to any era.

Oh, Grant Hill too.

Manocad wrote:

Warspite wrote:Laimbeer would be the best C in the NBA.

Yep. Excellent post defender and position rebounder with both a mid range and 3 point stroke. In today's NBA he'd be bad ass.

Disagree. Lamb is a bit slow footed for today's NBA where mobile, team defense is more important than being able to defend all 2 of the legit post-scorers left in the league. Also question how effective his defense would even be without all the physical (cheap) play.

You could make a much better case for prime-Sheed.

Was prime Sheed ever a top 10 player while he played?

I think Zeke could win MVP in today's NBA

Alexander wrote:Was prime Sheed ever a top 10 player while he played?

I'd have to say yes for his starring years at Portland. He had a legitimate rep as one of the best PFs in the league at one point. His biggest flaw was unselfishness to some degree. Never cared to be as great as his potential. Great teammate, if an unorthodox character.

Rodman?

Cowology wrote:

Manocad wrote:

Warspite wrote:Laimbeer would be the best C in the NBA.

Yep. Excellent post defender and position rebounder with both a mid range and 3 point stroke. In today's NBA he'd be bad ass.

Disagree. Lamb is a bit slow footed for today's NBA where mobile, team defense is more important than being able to defend all 2 of the legit post-scorers left in the league. Also question how effective his defense would even be without all the physical (cheap) play.

You could make a much better case for prime-Sheed.

I'll rephrase--Laimbeer was an excellent post/interior defender which applies to any offensive player who enters the paint. That's team/zone defense.

I think we first have to establish who the top 10 players are currently, which is certainly a debate in and of itself, which is why I'm going to go through and semi-rank the positions and then we can arbitrarily determine who the top 10 overall are.
Combing the All-NBA, All-Defense, and All-Star teams, and anybody who started with significant minutes and a top 20 PER that somehow wasn't already included, we get a tentative top group of...

PG: Curry (MVP, 1st NBA, ASG), Westbrook (1st NBA, ASG), Chris Paul (2nd NBA, 1st Defense, ASG), Damian Lillard (2nd NBA), Kyle Lowry (3rd NBA, ASG), John Wall (ASG), Isiah Thomas (ASG), Avery Bradley (1st Defense)

SG: James Harden (ASG, 9th PER), Jimmy Butler (2nd Defense, All Star), Klay Thompson (3rd NBA, ASG), DeMar DeRozan (ASG), Kobe Bryant (ASG), Tony Allen (2nd Defense)

SF: LeBron James (1st NBA, ASG), Kawhi Leonard (1st NBA, 1st Defense, DPOY, ASG), Kevin Durant (2nd NBA, ASG), Paul George (3rd NBA, 2nd Defense, ASG), Carmelo Anthony (ASG),

PF: Draymond Green (2nd NBA, 1st Defense, ASG), LaMarcus Aldridge (3rd NBA, ASG), Paul Millsap (2nd defense, ASG), Derrick Favors (20th PER), Chris Bosh (ASG), Blake Griffin (honorable mention)

C: DeMarcus Cousins (2nd NBA, ASG), Anthony Davis (ASG), DeAndre Jordan (1st NBA, 1st Defense), Andre Drummond (3rd NBA, ASG), Hassan Whiteside (2nd Defense, 8th PER), Karl Anthony Towns (13th PER), Pau Gasol (ASG), Al Horford (ASG), Greg Monroe (17th PER), Brook Lopez (18th PER),

Now, visually, where can we insert our own and justify bumping someone off?
*I'm sure there's an argument over top Cs, and I just refuse to regard DeAndre Jordan that highly. He's not the best C in the game, and I'd ever prefer our own Drummond over him.

To answer my own question, I'm going to see where I'd peg Isiah, Chauncey, Hill, Ben, Lanier, Houston, Rodman, Laimbeer, and Sheed fit.

PG: Curry, Westbrook, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, ISIAH THOMAS, Kyle Lowry, John Wall, CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley

SG: James Harden, Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, DeMar DeRozan, ALLAN HOUSTON, Kobe Bryant, Tony Allen

SF: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, GRANT HILL, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Carmelo Anthony

PF: Draymond Green, LaMarcus Aldridge, DENNIS RODMAN, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors, Chris Bosh, Blake Griffin, RASHEED WALLACE

C: DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, BOB LANIER, BEN WALLACE, BILL LAIMBEER, DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside, Karl Anthony Towns, Al Horford, Greg Monroe, Brook Lopez

Something like that? I think every player but Grant Hill misses out on the overall top 10 cut, though. Maybe Lanier makes it.

My current top ten being:
Curry, Westbrook, Paul
Harden
Jame, Durant, Leonard
Green
Cousins, Davis