As the decade comes to a close...

[conleyorbust]

Dwight Howard shouldn't be on the team..this year will be his 1st all-NBA team, and he hasn't accomplished anything other than that..give him a few years..

JO should be on it..Indiana was a great team for a few years, and Jermaine was even close to being the MVP at one point..

Ben Wallace would be on it instead of Howard IMO..all of those great Pistons teams, 1 championship, 4 DPOY's..

Didin't see Howard. JO doesn't have any better of a resume' than Billups if you ask me. I'd give it to Billups just because he has been the (offensive) leader of the best team in the east for this decade.

[ImmortalD24]

1. Shaq
2. Kobe
3. Duncan's supporting cast

[HarlemHeat37]

1. Shaq
2. Kobe
3. Duncan's supporting cast

funny, because Duncan beat a team with Shaq AND Kobe with an average championship supporting cast..

[treis]

IMHO Shaq's best years were in the 90s. His career straddled the decades, but his most dominant and successful decade were the 90s. That said, the two clear top players for me in the 00s are Duncan and Garnett. I've always thought that Garnett was the superior player, but he never had the teammates to prove it. He has a chance now in Boston to wrest the title from Duncan.

[e in boulder]

in NBA2k15 I'm sure the "All 2000s" team will be as follows.

Kidd/Nash/Paul
Kobe/Iverson/Wade
James/TMac/Melo
Duncan/KG
Shaq/D12

probably missing a bunch but this team looks good to me.

[rewill17]

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funny, because Duncan beat a team with Shaq AND Kobe with an average championship supporting cast..

Shaq and Kobe beat the Spurs in '01, '02, and '04

[guy1]

IMHO Shaq's best years were in the 90s. His career straddled the decades, but his most dominant and successful decade were the 90s. That said, the two clear top players for me in the 00s are Duncan and Garnett. I've always thought that Garnett was the superior player, but he never had the teammates to prove it. He has a chance now in Boston to wrest the title from Duncan.

How was the 90s his most successful decade? 4 titles in the 00s, 0 titles in the 90s. 5 finals appearance in the 00s, 1 finals appearance in the 90s. 1 MVP in the 00s, 0 MVPs in the 90s. He was way more successful in this decade.

[Doctor MJ]

How will I remember this decade? With Duncan as the Player of the Decade which means it will be remembered by how badly Shaq blew it.

[Phil Jackson]

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Shaq
3. Duncan

[biscuitsNgrady]

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Shaq
3. Duncan

1. Duncan
2. Shaq
3. Kobe

[treis]

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How was the 90s his most successful decade? 4 titles in the 00s, 0 titles in the 90s. 5 finals appearance in the 00s, 1 finals appearance in the 90s. 1 MVP in the 00s, 0 MVPs in the 90s. He was way more successful in this decade.

That's more of an indication of the declining quality of the league. Shaq had 8 really good years in the 90s, and 5 or 6 in the 00s.

[guy1]

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That's more of an indication of the declining quality of the league. Shaq had 8 really good years in the 90s, and 5 or 6 in the 00s.

The quality of the league didn't go down that much. Its still the best 400 players in the world. Anyway, if you think Shaq was better in the 90s, which I disagree with, thats fine, but he clearly was not more successful in the 90s. Anway as far as being compared to Duncan, I would say Duncan in the 00s > Shaq in the 00s, but Shaq's career > Duncan's career.

[Ballings7]

I think Reggie Miller should be in the 2000s group somewhere (maybe not necessairily on the team)... he was still on a number of significant Pacer teams. Made the finals and the Pacers took the 69-win Lakers to 6 games. Continued to make great, big shots. His retirement run from 2004 to 2005.

I'll do a 2000s coaching list...

- Popovich
- Jackson
- Brown
- Riley
- Sloan
- Carlisle
- Adelman
- Nelson
- Scott
- Saunders
- D'Antoni
- Dunleavy

Some are in order, and the others are just close

[dingclancy]

Can the 2000's team beat the 90's and 80's?

Kidd
Kobe
James
Duncan
Shaq

vs

Stockton
Jordan
Pippen
Malone
Hakeem

[treis]

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The quality of the league didn't go down that much. Its still the best 400 players in the world. Anyway, if you think Shaq was better in the 90s, which I disagree with, thats fine, but he clearly was not more successful in the 90s. Anway as far as being compared to Duncan, I would say Duncan in the 00s > Shaq in the 00s, but Shaq's career > Duncan's career.

Well Shaq's career clearly straddled the decades boundary. I'm not going to strenuously argue either way, it's just how I see it.

As for the NBA getting worse, it clearly has. In 97-98 there were 4 teams that won 60+ games and 4 more that won 55+. Last year there were 2 60+ win teams, and only 1 more than won 55+. If you lined up the top 8 teams from 97-98 against the top 8 of last year, the 97-98 teams would smoke them.

[Doctor MJ]

People's all-decade teams are interesting. Very erratic. For example: Chris Paul, a guy who has yet to make an all-star appearance in this decade of 8 years old gets a mention. He's really a clear cut 2010's guy.

Off the top of my head:

1st team

Shaq
Duncan
Garnett
Kobe
Kidd

Only tough choice is Kidd over Nash. If Nash finishes up the decade like he's playing now, he'll surpass Kidd easily short of a massive comeback by Kidd.

2nd team

Ben
Nowitzki
James
Iverson
Nash

Ben's disappeared from most people's thoughts now, but there's really no #2 center this decade. Yeah, peak performance Yao and Amare were better, but neither did it consistently.

3rd team

Yao
Webber
J. O'Neal
Wade
McGrady

The last center spot is weak, but no other choice. Putting Jermaine on an all-decade team makes me a little sick, but I'm not sure what else to do. Will say Pierce might grab that spot from him if the Celtics go deep in the playoffs.

Oh and coach of the decade is easy: Pop.

[Ballings7]

People's all-decade teams are interesting. Very erratic. For example: Chris Paul, a guy who has yet to make an all-star appearance in this decade of 8 years old gets a mention. He's really a clear cut 2010's guy.

Off the top of my head:

1st team

Shaq
Duncan
Garnett
Kobe
Kidd

Only tough choice is Kidd over Nash. If Nash finishes up the decade like he's playing now, he'll surpass Kidd easily short of a massive comeback by Kidd.

2nd team

Ben
Nowitzki
James
Iverson
Nash

Ben's disappeared from most people's thoughts now, but there's really no #2 center this decade. Yeah, peak performance Yao and Amare were better, but neither did it consistently.

3rd team

Yao
Webber
J. O'Neal
Wade
McGrady

The last center spot is weak, but no other choice. Putting Jermaine on an all-decade team makes me a little sick, but I'm not sure what else to do. Will say Pierce might grab that spot from him if the Celtics go deep in the playoffs.

Oh and coach of the decade is easy: Pop.

Very well said.

And especially, on Paul/Carmelo/Howard, the best for them is 2010 and on.

[Doctor MJ]

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Very well said.

And especially, on Paul/Carmelo/Howard, the best for them is 2010 and on.

Thanks.

Interesting though, while those guys are 2010s primarily, it does occur to me one or more might squeak on to the this decades team depending on how the next year and a half go. Howard especially doesn't exactly have tough competition at the 5.

[andrewww]

i think the general consensus is that the 3 best players of this decade have been shaq, duncan, and kobe (in no particular order). with that said, here would be my all-decade team

c- shaq
f- duncan
f- garnett (a close call over lebron)
g- kobe
g- kidd (a close call over iverson and nash)

having said that.. these 3 players could all make the argument of replacing one of garnett or kidd on the first team (iverson, nash, lebron).

[Point forward]

People will call this decade in which

... the NBA was dominated by Shaq and TD
... foreign players like Yao, TP, Manu, Dirk, Nash became important
... adversely, U.S. lost a lot of cred in international tourneys
... role players earned $10m per year