Top 50 NBA Players: 08-09 Edition

I tend to stick to the college game, but, with the Playoffs in full swing, I couldn't help myself. I'd like to make this an annual thing. The post is not simply a list of the top 50 performances of the 08-09 campaign. Rather, it is an attempt to evaluate the top 50 basketball players in the Association at this point in time. Feel free to rip me to shreds in the comments.

50-41



50 Jason Kidd, DAL
Kidd moves like an old man but still has eyes in the back of his head.

49 Antawn Jamison, WAS
The oft-ignored UNC product continues to put up great numbers.

48 Josh Smith, ATL
Do-it-all super-athlete lacks consistency and a reliable jump shot.

47 Michael Redd, MIL
A long-range specialist and not a whole lot more at this point in his career.

46 Tayshaun Prince, DET
The Thin Man possesses one of the most unique skill-sets in the Association.

45 Elton Brand, PHI
Injuries have limited the Rescue Dawn producer to a mere 37 games over the past two seasons.

44 Ben Gordon, CHI
Instant offense personified.

43 Hedo Turkoglu, ORL
Fell off a bit this year and gets lazy with his shot selection.

42 Shaquille O'Neal, PHX
For about fifteen minutes a game, the Big JabbaWockee deserves to be rated much higher.

41 Manu Ginobili, SAS
Ginobili's taken a beating in his career, and it's starting to show.

40-31





















40 Gerald Wallace, CHA
Toiling in obscurity in Carolina.

39 O.J. Mayo, MEM
Orange Juice has a mature offensive game.

38 Ray Allen, BOS
Shuttlesworth still has the prettiest stroke in the land.

37 Ron Artest, HOU
Could be higher, but I'm not going to let one year of relatively good behavior blind me to Ron-Ron's propensity for foolishness.

36 Kevin Martin, SAC
The league's seventh leading scorer may be its most one-dimensional player.

35 Gilbert Arenas, WAS
Agent Zero has appeared in a grand total of fifteen games in the past two seasons.

34 David West, NOH
Needs to extend his range to avoid hitting a development plateau.

33 Rajon Rondo, BOS
If his postseason scoring spree carries over to the regular season, the sky is the limit for this force of nature.

32 Caron Butler, WAS
Really nice all-around talent but hasn't stepped up in Arenas' extended absence.

31 Richard Hamilton, DET
The masked master of the mid-range game is still one of the league's most underrated players.

30-21



30 Josh Howard, DAL
I may not agree with everything Howard has said in the past couple years, but look no further than the media's treatment of the Wake Forest alum for evidence that the NBA and its partners expect the talent to toe the company line.

29 Al Jefferson, MIN
Maybe a little low for the young bruiser.

28 LaMarcus Aldridge, POR
The ideal second fiddle on a Blazers team that could be special.

27 Lamar Odom, LAL
His basketball IQ is off the charts.

26 Carlos Boozer, UTA
One gets the impression that Boozer's best days are behind him.

25 Derrick Rose, CHI
Not sure his play-making skills have quite caught up to the NBA pace, but he has all the markings of a superstar.

24 Andre Iguodala, PHI
Tremendous athlete who is showing signs of becoming a really nice basketball player.

23 Devin Harris, NJN
With Harris at the point and the Forbidden Fruit in the paint, the Nets have the bookends for what could be a really nice team.

22 Joe Johnson, ATL
Disappears a little too often to be rated higher.

21 Amar'e Stoudemire, PHX
For all of his explosiveness and continued development on the offensive end, Stoudemire has absolutely no idea how to play defense.

20-11





















20 Danny Granger, IND
The Force is strong with this one.

19 Paul Pierce, BOS
Pierce's transformation over the course of his career from slashing athlete to skilled assassin is a testament to his work ethic.

18 Chauncey Billups, DEN
Mr. Big Shot at the 18 spot with his team in the Western Conference Finals, while The Answer is nowhere to be found.

17 Chris Bosh, TOR
I think Bosh peaked during the 07-08 campaign.

16 Carmelo Anthony, DEN
La La's better half has made it clear that he is not interested in playing defense.

15 Steve Nash, PHX
Despite his detractors, I stand by my belief that we aren't going to realize how special Steve Nash is until he's gone.

14 Yao Ming, HOU
Eat the head! Eat the head!

13 Tony Parker, SAS
Even after all these years, Mrs. Longoria's ability to score in the paint never ceases to amaze me.

12 Pau Gasol, LAL
The perfect running mate for Kobe is one of the Association's most underrated stars.

11 Deron Williams, UTA
The big-bodied floor general is a one-of-a-kind talent.

10-1



10 Kevin Garnett, BOS
No one cares more about showing everyone how much he cares.

9 Dirk Nowitski, DAL
This scoring savant is an underrated rebounder and horrible defender.

8 Brandon Roy, POR
No one this side of Kobe has a more complex offensive package.

7 Kevin Durant, OKC
As Kobe begins his gradual decline, it's up to Kid Nut Raven to challenge King James for global supremacy.

6 Dwight Howard, ORL
The NBA's biggest goober and most incredible physical specimen has exactly zero post moves and lacks anything remotely resembling a jumper.

5 Tim Duncan, SAS
The Big Fundamental's best years are in his rearview, but he still has the ability to silently take over games.

4 Chris Paul, NOH
I'm not blaming CP3 for what happened (or more appropriately didn't happen) in New Orleans this year.

3 Dwyane Wade, MIA
The NBA's leading scorer would have received my vote for Defensive Player of the Year.

2 Kobe Bryant, LAL
Still a ruthless competitor, but there are a few chinks in the armor of the once invincible Mamba.

1 Lebron James, CLE
If you still think Kobe is the best player on the planet, just imagine what LBJ would do if he had the Lakers' supporting cast.S