NFL... NBA.... Who are the "stars"...

Since it is free agent time...

Here is my ranking of the best players in the NFL...

the very best players are on offense... since they score the points.. that win the game... and there just 5 offense players on the team.. and even less than that have an impact:


the best attack in football... is long deep ball passes... whihc require a QB and WR...so i put them as a set...the more imporatant of the two.. will appeear first...


1) Tom Brady / Randy Moss
2) T. O. / Romo
3) Eli Manning / Plaxico
4) L.T.
5) Brian Westbrook
6) Peterson / Min
7) Devin Hestor

8 ) Brett Favre
9) Drew Brees
10) Mcnabb
11) Marion Barber




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Since I ventured to carefully rank the top NFl players....

I might as well do that for the NBA... even though my interest in the NBA is declining... as I have spent too much time with it in recent years... or the final years of my youth...

I will judge the value of the top players.. without considering...what anyone else says... the media... the journalists... the majority views... NBA awards..

I will judge the players by my standard of good NBA basketball....set by the likes of the only person represented by the no 23.... .


the top players in the game at the moment( this year and last yr's playoffs)...


1. Kobe Bryant

2. Baron Davis
3. Steve Nash
4 Ginobili
5. Allen Iverson
6. Tracy Mcgrady

7. Chris Paul
8. Lebron James
9. Chauncey Billups
10. Deron Williams

That is the top class of players in the NBA.. with a clear no1...
All the other players are big step beneath all these players...
since I weight ....
the most important thing for a star player in the NBA..

An "iso package".. meaning an islation.. one on one set of moves... which means
a great jump shot and a great dribble drive manuevere....
I great player must have command of both... to be top in the NBA... since not having one.. will allow the defense to take away the other move..

So this set of skills... that I focus on.. favor guards...
Here are the best players... after my elite set... who are lacking.. intheir iso package.. but have other skills... to use as well:

I will divide the next set of players .. into two groups... Skill/Guards and Big Players...

they are listed in order:

Guards: Bigs:

Dirk
Lamar Odom
Tim Duncan
Carlos Boozer
Amare Stoudemire
Shawn Marion

Rasheed Wallace
Kevin Garnett
Yao
Dwight Howard
Pao Gasol
Mehmut Okur


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The next topic I will address is to clarify who is a star...

The allstar game and selections is the standard of who is star...
If youre not an allstar , you can be called a star...

THat is the standard of the NBA...
And if youre an allstarr.. for the curent season..
No one can challenge that you are a star.

But there is more to it than that.
The Elite players in the game make their status.. by making routine regular allstar games for several consecutive season.......let me set 5 all star games the standard for a 'super star"

these players are about 15.... beyond these players.. the remainder of the team is made up by occasional allstars... meaning they make it once or twice in their career.. .only...

These occasional players get the acknowledgement of being a " star" for atleast one season...

But there are other players in the league that are better than these occasional all stars.. who have neve rmade a single all stars game becuase they dont have the stats... to make the allstars... which is about 20 points...
These players have the skill and the impact.. but score less points because they play behind a star player...

Here I will name the best players .. in this decade.. to never make a single all star game... to this point:


1. Lamar Odom
2. Jamal Crawford
3. Jason Terry
4. Damon Stoudamire

5. Robert Horry
6. Derek Fisher
7. Ben Gordon
8. Bobby Jackson
9. Kirk Heinrech
10.. Mike Bibby
11. Jason Williams
12 Richard Jefferson
13. Jalen Rose
14. Stephen Jackson
15. Jason Richardson
16.


The next list:

I have closely followed the careers of many players who were stars or legitimate players at some point in there career with great prospects for higher stardom in the NBA.. but circumstances went against them... and their position in the NBA fell..

These are players that were/ are stars but had the ability... from my view.... of superstars... or the elite level of NBA performance. These players at best made 3 all stars in their peak.. but had convinced me they could have been MVP caliber with just a few more steps of gains..

( 1990s and 2ks)
Past:

1. Kevin Johnson
2. Damon Stoudamire
3. Nick Van Excel
4. Stephon Marbury
5. Peja Stojakovic

6. Hedo Turkolu
7. John Starks
8. Jerry Stackhouse
9. Antoine Walker
10. Toni Kukoc
11 Jamal Mashburn
12. Sam Cassell


! The Best players to never win the MVP of leaugue:

The MVP of the NBA is most meaningfull MVP in any of the 4 big sports in USA..
Why...? Because the NBA is the only league.. where the superstar is the SUPERSTAR...
in baseball.. the superstar is only a star... when he hits a homerun... whihc is at best 1 out 3 games on average
.....So on most nights the Baseball Superstar is just a name and a threat in the lineup

In Football... the effective Superstars is the most recent Superbowl deep ball Quarterback...
If a running back wins the MVP.. he will by overwhelming superceeded by the SUperbowl and the superbowl quarter back. This is the convention of the NFl.. It is in extreme rarity that anyone other than the superboql QB can be called a superstar.... ie LT.

THe League MVP is a momentary acknowledgement.. It doesnt decorate anyone with the glory of the NBA MVP

Ice Hockey comes close to the NBA in its signigicance of MVP.... since the 2 big stars in the history of the game dominated it the 80s and 90s... Mario Lemiuex and Wayne Gretzky...
But the MVP and more so.. the entire NHL has lost lot of its impact in this decade... becuase of the decline of stars.. and increased role of defense.. low scoring games...

This leaves the NBA MVP...
The NBA is game of stars.. the ultimate " STAR WARS" in sports....
Since the real suspense in the NBA is which NBA approved and recognized ( Super) Star can win in the playoffs while playing the top of the line .. maximum entertainment basketball with dramatic game winning shots and sudden 4rth quarter cinema syle heroics...

The NBA MVP makes official.. the NBA confirmation of the SUPERSTARDOM..... which the fans will inevitably accept...
In the last 3 decades only the elite of the elite have won..

Prior to Larry Bird , MAgic Johnson, and no 23.. dramatic entry and subsequeny rescue of the NBA from the black and white TV / screen and roll... / white high school style game .... the MVP lost its value becuase it went to roll players that i wont even mention...

The superstar became symbolic and unqique to the NBA.. when MAgic, Larry, and no 23... made themselves the best in USA... In 1983... a role player won the MVP... He was the last to do.. so and is virtualy forgotton to the modern basketball historian and is definately not comparable to the caliber of players who win the MVP today..

After 1983, only SUPERSTARS have won it. For the next 9 years... after 1983... only 3 players won it... no 23, Larry Bird and Magic. It was only the dominion of the MVP and NBA by these defining stars the revitalized the meaning of the NBA MVP.

Here I will mention the best players ... from 80s , 90s, 2ks... to never win the MVP...
Only retired players... and current players that i think wont win it.... will be considered.

1. Isiah Thomas
2. Dominique Wilkens
3. Scottie Pippen
4. Jason Kidd
5. Tracy Mcgrady
Ginobilli

6. John Stockton
7. Reggie Miller
8. Kevin Johnson

Un Ranked

9. Mark Price
10 Clyde Drexler
11. Chris Webber
12. Grant Hill
13. Ron Artest
12. Vince Carter
14. Stephon Marbury
15. Paul Pierce
16. Stojackovic
17. Carmelo Anthony
18. Dikembo Mutombo
19. Penny Hardaway
20. Chris Mullin
21. Baron Davis
22. Steve Francis
23. Shawn Marion
24. Chauncey Billups
25. Lamar Odom
26. Ray Allen

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What do u think Serign...?