An excellent list if I may so, UB. Great idea for a thread too. Anyway, here's the cream from Bater's crop:
1. McGrady- Remove him and they are the Denver Nuggets (can't say the Cavs because they have talent but choose not to use it). He plays hurt, gives it his all every game, and makes every player around him better. He's also one of the few offensive threats that busts his ass on the defensive side of the floor. If Gooden and Giricek develop to their fullest and Hill ever gets healthy, T-Mac will finally have a decent team.
2. Garnett- like McGrady, but in a tougher conference. Normally, this would be in his favor, but he also has a better team (at the moment). KG does it all and is essentially the Timberwolves. Another guy that makes his team better. Still, since he has a better team to work with than T-Mac at the moment(Wally, Hudson, and Nesterovic) it's hard to rank him too high with their poor playoff track. Part of this is from his contract, which angers players like Marbury that could bring them past the first round. If he gets rid of that and shows he's totally dedicated to the team, he moves up.
3. Tim Duncan- Draft day=instant championship for the Spurs. True, the Admiral hadn't sunk into oblivion yet, but anyone that denies Duncan was responsible for the Spurs title has their head up Ahmad Rashad's ass. Robinson is not clutch in the playoffs, and the minute Tim was drafted it became his team. He does it all, and is pretty much the sole obstacle to the Lakers 4 peat. Plus, if he gets some much needed support in the form of Kidd, Brand, J. O'Neal, or KG, they'll win it until he retires.
4. Kobe Bryant- He's unstoppable. Possibly the best defender in the league. So why isn't he number one? The first few games in the season prove that he isn't ready to survive without Shaq. While he's the guy Phil wants handling the ball at the end of the game, he has a tendency to keep it to the point it is detrimental to the team (e.g. Utah Jazz game, most games this year). Doesn't get along too well with his teammates either, although it's nowhere near Blazer levels. Strictly on talent, he's one of the best. As a team player, he's like Ricky Davis.
5. Iverson- Yeah, Shaq should probably be on the list, but he's off until he decides whether he's a cop or a basketball player. Plus, the surgery situation kind of annoyed me. Anyway, Iverson is the reason for Shaq's recent idiotic comments directed to Bibby (he was right that Bibby isn't a top-tier pg, but it didn't need to be said). Like T-Mac, an Iverson-less Sixers would not be in the Playoffs. When he uses his teammates, they are a tough group to beat. Like Kobe, he is extremely athletic and can score at will. He also plays through just about any injury, something Shaq needs to learn how to do. He's got some personal problems and as a person he's shit, but he's still one hell of a player.
Honorable Mentions: Webber, Wallace, J. O'Neal.
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