Who was the best player in 2007?

[Quotatious]

Who was the best player in the league in 2006-07 season?

[mischievous]

Either Kobe or Duncan imo, Q. Don't get people picking Lebron, i guess they think that since he made the finals but it was a weak east he beat a past peak Pistons team minus Ben Wallace. And when he actually got to the finals he played poorly. I don't think Lebron was better than Kobe, Duncan or Nash, and maybe not Dirk either.

[70sFan]

Timmy. His most underrated season. If not only decent finals performance (which was just enough, Cavs were too weak to compete with Spurs), 2007 Duncan would be talked much more. I don't care about these 4 games though and I'd take him over any player in 2007. He was at his best defensively, still elite offensively and by far the best player in Spurs team.

After him it's between Nash and Dirk for me. KG is also in conversation.

[eminence]

My top 5 would go like this, with nobody really standing head and shoulders above the others:
1. Duncan
2. Nash
3. Lebron
4. Dirk - Had an otherwise great season ruined by playing like butt against the Warriors.
5. KG - It really seemed like soldiering it alone was starting to wear on KG by that point.

I'm never much a fan of the lone gunner style seasons that Kobe had, but he'd be my #6.

[AdagioPace]

it think this quote answers the question
One of the few times a primary source is worth more than thousand stats

"this is going to be your league in a little while"

which means "it's not yet"

[mischievous]

I'm never much a fan of the lone gunner style seasons that Kobe had, but he'd be my #6.

I mean was it not fairly effective given the poor supporting cast he had? 31.6 ppg on 58 ts% is efficient "gunning" and he was still respectable on the boards and with his playmaking. His defense was poor so i can see that as valid criticism sure. I have a hard time with Lebron's case over him, he's not really better statistically and his scoring game was a lot less polished with a suspect jumper. And if i recall correctly, I don't really remember Lebron being a good defender either back then.

[eminence]

I'm never much a fan of the lone gunner style seasons that Kobe had, but he'd be my #6.

I mean was it not fairly effective given the poor supporting cast he had? 31.6 ppg on 58 ts% is efficient "gunning" and he was still respectable on the boards and with his playmaking. His defense was poor so i can see that as valid criticism sure. I have a hard time with Lebron's case over him, he's not really better statistically and his scoring game was a lot less polished with a suspect jumper. And if i recall correctly, I don't really remember Lebron being a good defender either back then.

Kobe certainly didn't play poorly given his situation(#6 in the league is pretty high praise). But don't really know what you mean when you say Lebron isn't better statistically... He leads Kobe in most stats for that '07 season (Kobe ahead in PER and scoring). Last bit is bad memory on your part, Lebron's defense in '07 was very solid (you don't have the #4 defense in the league with a forward playing 41 mpg not being a good defender, and the impact stats clearly back it up).

[Quotatious]

I think LeBron vs Kobe debate was the closest it's ever been, in 2007. I might have Kobe slightly ahead that year, though not sure about that. Based on eye-test, I really liked the way Kobe played in '07. His most efficient scoring season, good playmaking, a bit better defense than in '06.

Probably would take Duncan as the best that year, but it is a good debate between the guys I included in the poll. Interesting thing is that KG was one of the league leaders in plus/minus despite playing on a bad team (and the Wolves lost all 6 games he missed that season). Knowing that, he's pretty much the definition of a great player surrounded by a terrible supporting cast, and he definitely deserves to be in the conversation for top 3-5.

[Texas Chuck]

My top 5 would go like this, with nobody really standing head and shoulders above the others:
1. Duncan
2. Nash
3. Lebron
4. Dirk - Had an otherwise great season ruined by playing like butt against the Warriors.
5. KG - It really seemed like soldiering it alone was starting to wear on KG by that point.

.

No real criticism of your list, but it seems odd to punish Dirk so harshly for that Warriors series. I think most people don't realize that Dirk personally only played poorly in the first and last games of that series. So letting 2 of 6 PS games weigh that heavily over the rest of his post-season and his regular season is hard for me to fully understand.

I realize it was embarrassing for Dirk to have to accept the MVP after being eliminated. And of course for the Mavs team to win 67 games and flame out in round 1 was horrible. But GSW owned Dallas in the regular season too so it was a bad matchup for Dallas and after the Warriors made that big mid-season trade, they were one of the best teams in the Association. It wasn't really like losing to a typical 8th seed.


I actually tend to think Nash should have been MVP in 07 rather than 06.

So my list is probably:

1. Nash
2. Duncan
3. Dirk

and then a clear separation to everyone else.

[eminence]

No real criticism of your list, but it seems odd to punish Dirk so harshly for that Warriors series. I think most people don't realize that Dirk personally only played poorly in the first and last games of that series. So letting 2 of 6 PS games weigh that heavily over the rest of his post-season and his regular season is hard for me to fully understand.

I realize it was embarrassing for Dirk to have to accept the MVP after being eliminated. And of course for the Mavs team to win 67 games and flame out in round 1 was horrible. But GSW owned Dallas in the regular season too so it was a bad matchup for Dallas and after the Warriors made that big mid-season trade, they were one of the best teams in the Association. It wasn't really like losing to a typical 8th seed.


I actually tend to think Nash should have been MVP in 07 rather than 06.

So my list is probably:

1. Nash
2. Duncan
3. Dirk

and then a clear separation to everyone else.

Yeah, that probably just came out a little bit harsher than I intended, Nash/Lebron/Dirk are okay in any order in my mind, though I do feel that Duncan was #1 by a small margin.

[Narigo]

1.Tim Duncan
2.Dirk Nowitzki
3.Kobe Bryant
4.LeBron James
5.Steve Nash

I think people forget that the Warriors swept the Mavs in the regular season. The Warriors was just a bad matchup for the Mavs imo. I think Nowitzki would had more playoff success and probably could have went far farther in the playoffs if the Mavs had a different opponent

[Jedi32]

Either Kobe or Duncan imo, Q. Don't get people picking Lebron, i guess they think that since he made the finals but it was a weak east he beat a past peak Pistons team minus Ben Wallace. And when he actually got to the finals he played poorly. I don't think Lebron was better than Kobe, Duncan or Nash, and maybe not Dirk either.

I agree with your list. imo it's gotta be either kobe or Duncan. it's crazy because it seems like kobe get's less respect and put into more boxes like "gunner" with every passing thread, and the knock on his defense is starting to get greatly overblown. The guy basically averaged 25/5/5 for his career, but it seems like folks just can't bring themselves to appreciate his overall game.

[mischievous]

Don't see how the "Warriors are a bad matchup for Mavs" is a legit excuse for Dirk playing poorly when he had arguably his best regular season before it. He played poorly and his team lost to an inferior team, and thus it negatively effects his season ranking.

[GSP]

1.Tim Duncan
2.Dirk Nowitzki
3.Kobe Bryant
4.LeBron James
5.Steve Nash

I think people forget that the Warriors swept the Mavs in the regular season. The Warriors was just a bad matchup for the Mavs imo. I think Nowitzki would had more playoff success and probably could have went far farther in the playoffs if the Mavs had a different opponent

Warriors after the trade were playing on a different level. Mavs perimeter defense like usual in most of their postseason struggles got completely murdered by Warriors transition game especially

Doesnt excuse Dirks play tho. He was terrible most the series but even if he played well i dont think Mavs wouldve won

[Cactus Jack]

Kobe. Why is this even a debate?

[RCM88x]

I don't particularly think this was a strong individual season for Lebron, compared to '06 or '08, the team was just better around him. Probably the 2nd best supporting cast he had in his first stint in Cleveland.

But looking at the impact stat's he leads in VORP by a good margin, WS, and is 2nd in BPM. Always though it was kind of surprising he wasn't first team All-NBA this year.

I think you could make an argument for Duncan, Nowitzki, and Lebron. Maybe Kobe as well, but he certainly wasn't the best player in either the PS or RS, so that's a tough one for me. To be honest I'm not sure here, but Duncan was my first instinct so I went with him.

[Bruh Man]

My top 5 would go like this, with nobody really standing head and shoulders above the others:
1. Duncan
2. Nash
3. Lebron
4. Dirk - Had an otherwise great season ruined by playing like butt against the Warriors.
5. KG - It really seemed like soldiering it alone was starting to wear on KG by that point.

I'm never much a fan of the lone gunner style seasons that Kobe had, but he'd be my #6.

Anyone who has Kobe outside the top 5 is showing clear bias. Back then most the media and players saw him as the best player in the league, but now a decade later he not even as good as 07 KG? c'mon son.

[Asianiac_24]

Kobe. He also started the season horribly because he was injured and he still averaged 32 on 58 TS


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[_Game7_]

Lebron. Then Kobe, Wade, Dirk, Nash.

[eminence]

My top 5 would go like this, with nobody really standing head and shoulders above the others:
1. Duncan
2. Nash
3. Lebron
4. Dirk - Had an otherwise great season ruined by playing like butt against the Warriors.
5. KG - It really seemed like soldiering it alone was starting to wear on KG by that point.

I'm never much a fan of the lone gunner style seasons that Kobe had, but he'd be my #6.

Anyone who has Kobe outside the top 5 is showing clear bias. Back then most the media and players saw him as the best player in the league, but now a decade later he not even as good as 07 KG? c'mon son.

The media couldn't get enough Kobe after Shaq left, they were dying for LA to be relevant again. Yes, I who rank him as the #6 player in the league, am clearly more biased than the group that found a way to put '06/'07 Kobe first team all defense. Lol.