ESPN's #NBARank Debates the Hawks
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 11:43 pm
ESPN.com and the TrueHoop Network are ranking every NBA player -- and counting them down on Twitter (@NBAonESPN), from No. 500 to No. 1. As the rankings are announced, you can also find them here on the pages of ESPN.com.
What is #NBArank?
#NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use if you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along.
You can also follow along here: @NBAonESPN
How did we rank the players?
We asked 91 experts to rate each player on a 0-to-10 scale, in terms of "the current quality of each player."
Here is the full list of voters from ESPN.com, the TrueHoop Network, TrueHoop TV, Daily Dime Live, ESPN TV, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, espnW, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Insider, ESPN Fantasy, ESPN Games, ESPN Dallas, ESPN Los Angeles, ESPN Chicago, ESPN New York, ESPN Stats & Information, ESPN Topics and ESPN Analytics.
ESPN's debate is ongoing as they countdown to #1 but they've already ranked all, and I mean all, of the Hawks with some comments from Twitter on the guys and a roundtable debate from a panel to determine whether a player's rank is too high, low or just right. Here is the list of our favorites.
@ #495:
Keith "Kito" Benson
@ #483:
Pape "Poppa" Sy
@ #474:
Magnum "P.I." Rolle
@ #415:
Etan "Poetic Justice" Thomas
@ #383:
Jason "Twin" Collins
@Ian_Segovia: Jason Collins at 383 is more embarrassing for Dwight Howard than Collins #NBArank
@ #365:
Jason "Kobe Whisperer" Powell
@mmm9731: #NBArank What makes him special is his uncanny ability to block shots and ambulance trucks.
@ #351:
Damien "The Human HDDVD Reel" Wilkins
@Jared Wade: Damien Wilkins. He's a top three Wilkins though.
@ #218:
Zaza "Georgia Power" Pachulia
@DashiellD: @NBAonESPN 218 is also the number of fights Zaza Pachulia has instigated and then backed out of.
@ #187:
Jeffrey "Blink" Teague
@noamschiller: Take away the six-game Chicago series and he's at least double this rank.
@ #165:
Marvin "The Future!" Williams
@LarryCoon: If Deron Williams and Chris Paul don't show up on #NBArank soon, Atlanta might have reason to re-think that Marvin Williams draft selection.
@UpprBowlJazzFan: Marvin Williams #nbarank of 165 is also the # of dreams Hawks GM Rick Sund has had where they drafted Chris Paul or Deron Williams instead.
@WillSevidalSDS: Marvin Williams #165? That's about how many supporters he has in Atlanta now. #NBARank
@ #129
Kirkland "Captain" Hinrich
@sorokman: One day, Kirk Hinrich will tell his kids: I mentored the youngest MVP in history, but it still wasn't enough to be higher than 129
@ #76
Jamal "Crawful/Crawesome" Crawford
@noamschiller: Cut to Jamal celebrating with two pump fakes and a 30-footer.
@ColinZvosec: Jamal Crawford is 76th according to #NBArank. That's also the number of dribbles he takes on each possession.
@PGChillin: #NBArank Crawford's shake and bake is #1 on top moves EVER.
@ #43
Joshua "Smoove" Smith
John Hollinger, ESPN.com: This strikes as me as slightly on the low side, but not enough to get real upset about. Smith is maddening because he takes so many ill-chosen jump shots, but he's a borderline All-Star anyway because he's a plus defender, he's durable, he can score in the paint and on the break, and he can handle and pass.
Brett Koremenos, HoopSpeak: Too low. A questionable attitude and poor shot selection certainly don't help his cause, but Atlanta's roster construction hasn't done much to augment his strengths, which decreases his value (especially in the eyes of fans). Even without that caveat, I can't name 42 other players I'd rather have.
Eddy Rivera, Magic Basketball: Too low. Smith is a running joke at times because he settles way too much for perimeter jumpers and 3-pointers when he should be using his athleticism to attack the basket. Snubbed from the All-Star Game the past two seasons, Smith can be a special player when he's focused on both sides of the ball and not being lazy.
Danny Savitzky, Nets Are Scorching: Just right. Smith has all the tools to be a lot higher on this list. He's athletic, he can score, and he can defend. The problem is he's just not interested in playing his best basketball. He's more concerned with taking ill-advised long jumpers (although he's stopped doing that to some degree), missing wide-open windmill dunks and quitting on his coaches in the playoffs.
Jonathan Santiago, Cowbell Kingdom: Just right. When you factor in age and talent, he's perhaps the best third option on any team. It's fitting that he's ranked ahead of guys with similar talents, such as Lamar Odom, Gerald Wallace and Shawn Marion.
@ #32
Joseph "$$$" Johnson
Tim Donahue, Eight Points, Nine Seconds: Joe Johnson's contract has made him something of a punching bag during this lockout conversation, which is both deserved and undeserved. He's in that no man's land where he is so overpaid that people only see what he can't do. However, 32 feels about right for Iso Joe.
Rashad Mobley, Truth About It: Just right. Joe Johnson's contract would lead one to believe that he's a top-10 NBA player, and his numbers are worthy of a top-30 spot. But his inability to put the Hawks on his back in key moments and lead them to significant playoff victories pushes his value down a bit. Thirty-two is a fair compromise.
Chris Palmer, ESPN The Magazine: Too low. The first thing a lot of people do is look at Johnson's contract and assume he's overrated. But money doesn't make you overrated; lack of production does. It could be argued that his 18/4/4 is simply not enough, but I don't buy it. But since the coaches have named him to five straight All-Star Games, I'm going to side with them. Needs to be a bit higher.
Rob Peterson, Hardwood Paroxysm: Too high. Joe Johnson is a nice player and he's reliable (only missed 19 games in the last four seasons), but does he bring anything exceptional to the game? Is he a lights-out shooter? Is he a lockdown defender? He is a better-than-average passer, but I just can't get excited about Joe Johnson, and at times during games, it seems that neither can he.
Ethan Sherwood Strauss, Hoopspeak: Too high, and I don't understand why he's more valuable than teammate Josh Smith. Perhaps he's the shining example of how we overvalue perimeter scoring. And perhaps Monta Ellis glares brighter.
@ #25:
Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso "Boss"
Dan Feldman, PistonPowered: Too high. Horford is Joakim Noah (No. 29) and Andrew Bogut (No. 33) with more offensive polish. Still, I'd trade Horford's scoring and passing for Noah's and Bogut's abilities to make stops and inspire teammates.
Jordan Heimer, ClipperBlog: Just right. Most NBA fans don't know that Horford was named to last season's All-NBA third team. True, he doesn't have the footwork in the low block you like to see in a star center. But his midrange jumper has improved dramatically, he passes well out of the post, and few bigs are more comfortable defending the perimeter.
Ian Levy, Two-Man Game: Just right, although inside the top 25 we're really splitting hairs. Horford may not be exceptional in any one area, but he's very good in many. All-around skill level on offense and defense means Horford belongs in the top 25. A lack of dominance means he belongs right at the edge.
Darius Soriano, Forum Blue And Gold: Just right. Horford is one of the best shooting big men in the league and is a plus individual and team defender. He's the type of hard-hat player every contending team needs. That said, his low-post game still needs work and he struggles to create his own shot, unlike more polished offensive players.
Michael Wallace, ESPN.com: Too high. And it's not even Horford's fault. In many ways, he's still trying to find his comfort zone between center and power forward. Once he figures out what he is, it'll be easier to get a handle on where he should rank.