what do you guys think of the top 15 players in the NBA? Here's my list..

First let me give you my disclaimer: this is a list of the CURRENT best players. That means Kobe's 5 rings and Tim Duncan's 4 are not included. I'm doing nothing to tarnish those players legacy, but with age comes a new generation and the NBA is a young man's game. So here is the list of the CURRENT top 15.

1. Lebron James
2. Dwight Howard
3. Kevin Durant
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Dwayne Wade
6. Derrick Rose
7. Chris Paul
8. Dirk Nowitski
9. Manu Ginobili
10. Blake Griffin
11. Steve Nash
12. Amare Stoudemire
13. Deron Williams
14. LaMarcus Aldridge
15. Andrew Bynum


Now since I know anytime you rank 15 guys, there is going to be disagreements and there will be Tom Lynaugh's coming on with complaints and bold statements. This is my opinion, but please, I would love to hear yours!

Let me just be quick to point out that I did leave Carmelo Anthony off this list after I thought I had put him on. Of course he would be somewhere in the top 10, probably top 8.

Jake, no complaints or bold statements ever. Your parents have clearly lost control of you so someone has to speak up when you steal their beer and start typing. Your list is pretty much fine with only a couple glaring mistakes. Ginobili, Aldridge and Bynum need to go. You can replace them with Kevin Love, Melo and Pau Gasol.

After 10 games this young season, Love is 23.6 points and 14.7 rebounds. I think the rebound figure leads the NBA. Love has claimed that he is the best power forward in the NBA at present. The Timberwolves man has been scorching up the stats sheets for the last two seasons in Minnesota and now says he is ready to claim the mantle of the best in his position in the league. “I believe I'm the best '4' in the league. I think you have to believe that you're the best. I think Mohammad Ali even said, 'I was the greatest before I knew I was.' I think everybody needs to have that mindset. That's part of winning the mind game from the very start. You have to believe it. You have to hold yourself accountable.” Love was amazing for Minnesota last season. He won the league’s rebounding title and became a most prolific double-double force. His average of 20.2 points and 15.2 rebounds per game was enough to believe he could be the best 4 in the NBA.

Years ago, in the Knicks hay-day of the late 60's and early 70's, I rarely missed an NBA game on Channel 9. That was pre-cable when we watched TV by candlelight and actually had to get off the couch to change the channel. Often I felt like just hiring someone to switch the stations but thought the better of it. I haven't followed the NBA as much in recent years and didn't realize that Steve Nash was still a top player. Heck, he's got to be collecting social security at this point. But I did check out a little of the Suns game last night and Nash can still really get it up the floor and dish it out! I remember Kevin Love's father, more of a journeyman big man, named Stan Love. He bounced around for a few years but in my mind will always be known as the brother of The Beach Boys, Mike Love, an original member and still performing those old and great hits. I do remember that Mike Love offered the Baltimore Bullets a free concert in their venue if his brother Stan would make the team. It never happened and just became something else that goes down in the annals of urban legend.

Jake, Rondo has to be somewhere on that list. He just does.

You can also take LeBron down from the top spot. This guy absoutely stinks in close, late games. The Heat lost to Golden State and the Clippers in their last two games. Both in O.T. In Golden State he ran from the ball again in the 4th qtr. and OT. Last night he missed 8 FT's, including 2 in the last 30 seconds which could have won the game. He has absolutely no killer instinct late in a game. The guy may be the most talented player in the world but he has no mental toughness. You can't be the best in the game when you fold at crunch time.

The Heat seem to have a better and deeper team this year plus the core has been together for over a year. I would add that given the lock-out, the younger legs of Miami should be at an advantage. Before the season finally started, I read how LeBron James would come out with a fire after being embarrassed in the Finals last season. And I agreed with all those assessments. But I have yet to see it yet from James. Just some numbers from James the last 2 games (both OT losses). In the 4th quarter/OT these past 2 games, James is shooting 22% from the field. His 4.7 pt/game avg in the 4th quarter this season is the lowest of his career. And the Heat, as a team, have scored only 22 points the past 2 games in the 4th/OT. I know it’s a small sample size but it seems to me that this is becoming a habit for James. To disappear when the team needs him most!

A few seasons back the Celtics didn't need Rajon Rondo to score 20 points a game. With the core of the team getting up there in years Rondo's offense this year has been a God send. Still to put him among the top 15 players in the NBA is asking a lot. Rondo is improving but check back in a couple seasons. I agree with your opinion about James. He just disappears during the 4th quarters of games. Until that changes it will be hard for the Heat to accomplish their goal of the NBA Championship in 2012.

1. Lebron James
2. Dwight Howard
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Derrick Rose
5. Dwayne Wade
6. Kevin Durant
7. Chris Paul
8. Dirk Nowitski
9. Russell Westbrook
10. Carmelo Anthony
11. Steve Nash
12. Rajon Rondo
13. Deron Williams
14. LaMarcus Aldridge
15. Manu Ginobili

I see Stoudamire, Griffin, and Bynum inside the top 20, if you were going for best athletes in the NBA then Griffin can go up there, but he in no way has the skills above Nash, Rondo, Williams, Aldridge, Ginobili etc. His time will come.
I still put LeBron at the top because he truly does have the best talent of anyone in the league, I don't see how you had Rose so low and you excluded Russ Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Rajon Rondo. That is crazy.