LeBron James Heads NBA Top 10

1. LeBron James, Cleveland

While the naysayers love to vilify LeBron's average free throw shooting and sometimes-shaky defense, we are too overwhelmed with the rest of his game to allow these shortcomings to sway us from placing King James in the top spot. What the James haters neglect to mention is that in his three-year career, the kid averages 26.6 points 6.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists. Only one other player in history has these numbers - Oscar Robertson. Case closed.

2. Kevin Garnett, Minnesota

KG takes some heat for being soft. Are you kidding? This guy has an 11-year career that is matched by few (20 points, 11 rebounds, 4.5 assists 1.7 blocks and 1.4 steals). Teams forgetting about the Big Ticket or thinking he's soft often get 35 and 18 dropped on their heads. Garnett can beat you in every possible way, and there aren't many players who can do this.

3. Dwayne Wade, Miami

Like LeBron, Dwayne Wade exploded into the NBA as a rookie three years ago, and he hasn't stopped getting better. He's a bit smaller than James, so his scoring is slightly less, along with his rebounds. He gets teammates involved to the tune of 6 assists per game, and he has the innate killer instinct that only the greatest players have. When the game's on the line, he wants the ball, and he'll beat you most of the time he has it. Wade definitely deserves this spot in our Top 10 NBA Players.

4. Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers

How can anyone who scored 80 in one game be ranked this low? There's no doubt that Kobe Bryant is the best pure scorer in the league. This has come at the expense of being a complete player, though. Instead of chucking 40 shots a night, he should be working on shooting less, making more and getting some of his teammates involved. He's not the winner he used to be.

5. Gilbert Arenas, Washington

Arenas keeps getting better, with last season being a breakout year. Arguably the deadliest pure shooter in the league, Arenas also gets others involved (he averaged 6.1 assists per game in 2005-06). He also got two steals per contest last year. A definite NBA MVP candidate.

6. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas

In the face of criticism for not reaching his potential, Dirk Nowitzki stepped up in 2005-06 with a giant year, leading Dallas to the NBA finals. He can score better than any big man on the planet, and he has added new dimensions to his game. If he gets to the top of the key, just mark up two points. This guy is an absolute killer.

7. Ben Wallace, Chicago

No doubt the biggest shocker on our list. Not many NBA prognosticators would dare put a defensive guy who doesn't score a lot of points in a best player top 10. Last time we checked, though, defense wins championships, and when it comes to defending, the basketball stops at Ben Wallace's feet. An absolute enforcer, Detroit was the dominant team in the league for years, because of Wallace. Anyone who gets 12 rebounds, blocks two or three shots, grabs a handful of steals and just scares the wits out of opponents every night is definitely one of the best players in basketball. If you scoff at this one, just watch Chicago soar, now that Wallace is patrolling the paint for the Bulls.

8. Elton Brand, LA Clippers

An absolute beast, when he played his college ball at Duke, Clippers fans waited four full seasons for Brand to exert himself, and he didn't disappoint in 2005-06, with nearly 25 points, 10 boards and a monstrous 2.5 blocks per game. Just 27-years-old, Brand might get even better, a frightening notion for his opponents.

9. Yao Ming, Houston

It's been a slow and methodical adjustment to life in America and in the NBA for China's favorite son. After three years of far more celebrity than production, Yao Ming finally showed the rest of the world what China already knew - that he can play with the best, and he's better than most. Yao's 2005-06 averages of 22.3 points and 10.2 rebounds were way up from prior seasons. He added nearly two blocks per game and shot 52% from the field - great for a 7-5, 300-pound center. As his development continues, Yao may become the next Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, completely impossible to defend.

10.Carmelo Anthony, Denver

Carmelo Anthony had the bad fortune of being drafted the same year as LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, so any night he doesn't post 35 points and 8 boards, fans believe he's not very good. Trust us, he's good. Anthony can score in a variety of ways and he's an excellent shooter. If he improves his rebounding and passing, he may become the next Adrian Dantley.

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