For the Boston Celtics, the 1956-1957 team will forever mark the beginning of a dynasty and the commencement of the journey towards being regarded as basketball’s most prestigious organization.

The previous season, the Celtics, led by Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman and Ed Macauley, had advanced to the Eastern Division Semifinals, losing to the Syracuse Nationals, two games to one. That team had been a talented bunch, but coach Red Auerbach knew they needed to switch up their roster in order to become NBA champions.

That offseason, Red pulled the trigger on a trade for the second draft pick, sending Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan to the Hawks. The Celtics then used that pick to select young Bill Russell, stud center for the University of San Francisco.

With Russell onboard, the Celtics were immediately transformed into a championship caliber team. Russell only played the second half of the season after competing in the Olympics, but he made a tremendous impact on the Celtics. With Cousy (the 1957 NBA MVP) running the show, Russell manning the inside, and Tom Heinsohn (the Rookie of the Year) and Bill Sharman providing the bulk of the points, the Celtics proved to be the best team in basketball. They finished the regular season 44-28 (first in the Eastern Division), and went on to defeat the Hawks in the NBA Finals, four games to three.

Bill Russell, or “Russ,” as they call him, was acquired through a trade that netted the Celtics the 2nd pick in the 1956 NBA draft. Red Auerbach knew that Russell was the missing piece to a Celtics championship, and gave up quite a bit to get Russell; six-time all-star Ed Macauley and rookie Cliff Hagan. Though the Celtics had to break the bank to acquire Russell, Auerbach knew they needed his rebounding and shot-blocking to become a championship-caliber team.

In thirteen seasons with the Celtics, Russell amassed career averages of 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. During those thirteen seasons, Russell was named the NBA’s MVP five times, and to the all-star team twelve times.

While he possesses an incredible history of individual accolades, Bill Russell was known more for his team play. Maybe nobody in the history of team sports has ever been as consistent a winner as Bill Russell. His record of 11 NBA championships is likely a record that will never be broken.

Long, agile, and intelligent, Russell is considered to be the best defensive player of all time. He was a shot-blocking mastermind who used shot blocks as a weapon to start his team going the other way for a fast break. Most of Russell’s contemporaries feel Russell would still be the all-time leader in shot blocks per game had blocks been kept as a statistic when Russell played.

In 1980, Russell was voted Greatest Player in the History of the NBA by the Professional Writer’s Association of America, and was later named one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players. He will forever be remembered as the ultimate winner, someone willing to sacrifice his individual stats for the sake of his team. He is considered by many to be the greatest Celtic ever to play, and by some to be the best basketball player in history.

As part of an on-going series, we are taking a look at the ten greatest players at every position. Today, we’ll take a look at power forward, where Tim Duncan has led a recent crop of outstanding power forwards. Over the years, the power forward position has transcended, from mostly limited, low-post players, to the point where most power forwards today are agile, long, skilled players with the ability to face up their man, post up, or shoot jump shots. Here’s a look at our ten greatest power forwards of all-time.

Honorable Mention:

Dave DeBusschere, Dennis Rodman, Robert Horry, Buck Williams, Amare Stoudemire, Horace Grant, Bob McAdoo

10. Jerry Lucas (1963-1974)

One of the greatest rebounders in NBA history, Jerry Lucas was the rare player who combined a soft shooting touch (17.0 points per game for his career) with brute physicality on the boards. Lucas is still the NBA’s fourth-best all-time rebounder, averaging 15.6 rebounds per game for his 11-year career. In the 1965-1966 season, Lucas averaged an insane 21.5 points and 21.4 rebounds, and was named to the All-NBA first team, one of his five selections to an All-NBA team. Lucas also played in seven All-Star games, and was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1963-1964. A great winner, Lucas was the first American player to win championships in high school, college and the NBA.

9. Dirk Nowitzki (1999-present)

It killed me to put this man on my list. First off, he’s never won anything. Secondly, he is a soft, 7-foot jump-shooter. Nonetheless, it’s impossible to argue with Nowitzki’s production. For his career, Nowitzki has averaged 22.7 points and 8.6 rebounds, including an MVP season in 2006-2007 (albeit maybe the least-deserving MVP of all-time after a dismal first-round loss to the eighth-seeded Warriors). In addition to being an extremely consistent performer, Nowitzki is an absolute matchup nightmare. For a 7-footer, his incredible shooting touch has never been replicated. Due to Dirk’s size, he can shoot over the top of anybody smaller than him, yet he is still agile enough to go by almost anybody his size. With his devastating skill set, it’s hard not to think Dirk could be even more productive than he already is, but he already is one of the top power forwards ever.

8. Dolph Schayes (1950-1964)

Dolph Schayes, a guy most youngsters won’t have even heard of, was one of the NBA’s earliest superstars. For fifteen years in the NBA, Schayes was the definition of consistency. He was a double-double machine, averaging double-doubles through each of his first twelve years in the league, and was named to the All-Star team all twelve of those years. In addition to being a twelve-time All-Star, Schayes was named to twelve All-NBA teams, including six first-team selections, and won the NBA championship in 1955 with the Syracuse Nationals. He averaged 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game for his career. Before researching for this article, I never would have put Dolph Schayes on the list, but his credentials speak for themselves.

7. Kevin McHale (1980-1993)

A Boston Celtics legend, Kevin McHale had a terrific thirteen-year career. Because of his great history of winning (McHale won three championships), the argument could probably be made that McHale should be higher on the list. However, he was never the best player on any of those championship teams, playing second fiddle to Larry Bird. Nonetheless, McHale had an incredibly productive career. Known for his incredible post footwork, McHale was a load to stop down low. At the same time, he was unbelievable on the defensive end of the court, where his quick feet and long arms gave him the versatility to defend both big men and guards. McHale averaged 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for his career, but the statistics alone understate his value to the Boston Celtics.

6. Elvin Hayes (1968-1984)

Elvin Hayes won the National College Player of the Year award in 1968, and didn’t miss a beat after being drafted into the NBA. For his first three years in the league, Hayes averaged over 28 points and 16 rebounds per game, a devastating three-year period of dominance. In fact, to this day Hayes is still the last rookie to lead the NBA in scoring. For his career, Hayes averaged 21.0 points and 12.5 rebounds, numbers that are deflated because he played into the twilight of his career, over the final two years of his career hardly resembling the player he once was. During his 16-year professional career, Hayes made 12 All-Star teams, six All-NBA teams, won the NBA Rookie of the Year, and took the Bullets to three NBA Finals, winning one of them.

5. Charles Barkley (1984-2000)

The “Round Mound of Rebound,” Charles Barkley was undersized vertically and oversized horizontally. Despite his unique, at least by NBA-superstar standards, physique, Charles Barkley was an incredible power forward. Amazingly, standing at only 6’6” (and that was his listed height, probably not his real height), Barkley was able to average 11.7 rebounds, to go along with 22.1 points. He was an 11-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA performer, and the 1992-1993 NBA MVP. While he never won a championship, he performed well in the playoffs, boosting his averages to 23.0 points and 12.9 rebounds. Additionally, on the 1992 Dream Team, arguably the greatest basketball team ever assembled, Barkley was the best player, leading the team by a large margin in scoring and finishing third in rebounding.

4. Bob Pettit (1954-1965)

If I was doing this list merely on per-game statistics, Bob Pettit would probably be #1. Averaging an astounding 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds for his career, Pettit won two MVP’s and made the All-Star game every single year he played in the league. He was a dynamic performer, and probably would have won a lot more titles (he won one) if he didn’t play in Bill Russell’s era. Pettit made the All-NBA team in each of his eleven years, and was a first-team selection for his first ten years.

3. Kevin Garnett (1995-present)

Kevin Garnett has been, for a long time, one of the NBA’s most productive players. Before last year, the only knock on Garnett had been that he had never taken his team late into the playoffs. Last year, though, Garnett turned the Celtics’ franchise around and led them to their 17th NBA title. Now, there is nothing holding him back from being named as one of the NBA’s top all-time power forwards. Garnett has posted career averages of 20.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists, winning one MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, and being named to twelve All-Star games along the way. Beyond his statistics, Garnett is one of the most intense players of all-time, bringing outstanding effort and unmatched desire every time he takes the court.

2. Karl Malone (1985-2004)

Karl Malone was one of the toughest players for me to rank. It was hard for me to rank a player this high who never won a championship. At the end of the day, though, Karl Malone was one of the most consistent, durable performers in NBA history, a guy who his team could always count on to contribute his career averages of 25.0 points and 10.1 rebounds. He was a fourteen-time All-Star, a two-time MVP, and a fourteen-time All-NBA player. His not winning a title is even somewhat excusable, as he played ruing the Jordan era, when the Bulls were hogging all the titles. He played the second most minutes in NBA history, and retired as the second greatest scorer in league history.

1. Tim Duncan (1997-present)

Though a lot of people may not appreciate his bland style, everyone has to respect Tim Duncan’s consistency and penchant for winning. Duncan has been a winner since his first year in the league, when he orchestrated what, at the time, was the largest single-season turnaround in NBA history. Since then, Duncan has led the Spurs to four championships, and been his eras greatest big man. Quietly, Duncan dominates on both ends of the floor. He kills opposing teams with his scoring and underrated passing offensively, and completely controls the paint on defense. Duncan has amassed incredible individual accolades along the way, including eleven trips to the All-Star game, two NBA MVP’s, twelve All-NBA teams and twelve All-Defensive Teams. By being so consistent and such a great winner, Duncan has left no doubt that he is the NBA’s greatest power forward ever.

The 1967-1968 Boston Celtics restored the Celtics to the glory days. After a one-year hiatus following their eight-year run as NBA champion, the Boston Celtics once again returned to their perch on top of the NBA.
With Bill Russell functioning as a player-coach, the 1967-1968 Boston Celtics, for the second time in a row, failed to win the NBA’s Eastern Division, but did not let that slow them down in the playoffs. They beat the Pistons in the Eastern Division semifinals and ran into Wilt Chamberlain and the Philadelphia 76ers, the Eastern Division Regular Season Champions, in the Eastern Division Finals.

The Celtics were once again a thorn in Chamberlain’s side, triumphing over the dominant center and his 76ers, four games to three, and faced their familiar foe the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Championship. Six games later, the Boston Celtics escaped with a four games to two series victory and were NBA Champions for the tenth time.

For the year, the Celtics were led once again by Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Sam Jones, and they were joined by a forward acquired from Detroit, Bailey Howell. Along with those four, three other players, Larry Siegfried, Tom “Satch” Sanders, and Don Nelson, also scored in double figures for the season.

As part of Celtics Town’s running series of the top NBA players in history, I am writing a list of the top ten shooting guards of all-time. I think the top shooting guard should be pretty obvious (hint: it isn’t Sasha Vujacic), but the rest was very interesting to research and fill in. After the top three, there is a noticeable drop-off in talent, but even the guys at the end of the list and on the honorable mention list were great players. Without further ado, check out Celtics Town’s top ten shooting guards:

Honorable Mention: Reggie Miller, Pete Maravich, Earl Monroe, David Thompson, Dwyane Wade, Bill Sharman, Dave Bing, Dennis Johnson

The toughest guys to leave off were Miller, Pistol Pete, Monroe and Thompson.

I left Miller off because he never won a championship and his statistics are not enough to merit mention despite his lack of rings.

Pistol Pete had great stats, but was never known as a winner, dating all the way back to college, and his legend was greater than his performance.

Monroe was a good player, but his legend as “Earl the Pearl” exceeded his career accomplishments.

Thompson was brilliant during his time in the league, but drug problems limited his longevity.

Lastly, I fully expect Dwyane Wade to crack this list someday. As long as he continues his current play and doesn’t get hurt, he will soon be among the top ten shooting guards of all-time.

10. Joe Dumars (1985-1999)
I was originally going to include Reggie Miller in this spot, but Reggie’s slight advantage in individual statistics was not enough to overcome Dumars’ winning pedigree.
One of the toughest shooting guards ever, Dumars was a defensive specialist capable of shutting down elite scorers. On the other side of the court, Dumars was a solid, dependable scorer and one of the Pistons’ leading scorers his whole career (topping out at a career-high 23.5 points per game in 1992-1993.)

Dumars not only has more All-Star Game appearances than Reggie Miller, he also has more championships and more All-Defensive Teams, not to mention the 1989 Finals MVP.

Stats: 16.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists

Awards: six All-Star Appearances, 1989 Finals MVP, five All-Defensive Teams, one All-NBA Second Team, two All-NBA Third Teams

>9. Sam Jones (1957-1969)
A lot of you readers may shrug your shoulders and ask, “Why Sam Jones?” Well, I’ll tell you why.

First, he won more championships, ten, than any other player on this list. Now, you might say, “Yeah, but he rode Bill Russell’s coattails to all those championships.” Well I’m not going to argue that playing with Bill Russell had a little something to do with the number of championships Jones won, but I will tell you that Mr. Jones had a big part of those championships, too.

During the last four championships, Jones led the Celtics in scoring every year, including a career-high 25.9 points in 1964-1965 (and for a team that prided itself on offensive balance, 25.9 points was a huge average). Those years, Jones was beating out John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, Bob Cousy and Bill Russell to lead the Celtics in scoring.

So keep saying Sam Jones rode Bill Russell to ten championships. I’ll say Sam Jones is the most over-looked NBA star of all-time.

Stats: 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists

Awards: five All-Star appearances, three All-NBA Second Teams, ten championships

8. Hal Greer (1958-1973)
When I sat down to research for this feature, never in a million years did I envision including Hal Greer on my list. Hell, I barely even knew who he was.

When you look at his career, though, you really can’t leave him off. Greer was consistently good, appearing in ten straight All-Star Games and scoring at least 20 points per game in seven straight seasons. He was the second-leading scorer (to some guy named Wilt Chamberlain) on maybe the best team ever, the 1966-1967 Philadelphia 76ers that romped their way to a 44-4 start on their way to a 68-13 season and the NBA championship.

With that resume, it’s hard to grasp why I had never heard more about Hal Greer. He is truly one of the NBA’s forgotten stars.

Stats: 19.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists

Awards: ten All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA Second Teams, 1968 All-Star Game MVP

7. Ray Allen (1996-present)
Ray Allen has been a tremendously productive player throughout his time in the NBA, consistently being one of the league’s greatest shooters. Allen has been the best player on bad teams, the best player on good teams, and now he is a supporting player on a championship contender.

Through all his different roles, Ray has been able to adapt to his team’s needs. In Milwaukee, where Ray was surrounded by many capable scorers, he consistently averaged around 22 points per game. In Seattle, where Ray was needed to be a go-to scorer, he raised his play, averaging a career-high 26.4 points in 2006-2007. Now, with Boston, Ray has had to once again adjust, this time to become more of a role player. Well, he’s done just that, while occasionally showing the ability to explode for huge numbers.

Ray is one of the smoothest players ever to play basketball, a guy who operates in an incredibly calm manner at all times. Setting him apart from other players, he won a championship ring, and has for a long time been one of the league’s top shooting guards.

Stats: 20.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists

Awards: nine All-Star appearances, one All-NBA Second Team, one All-NBA Third Team

6. Allen Iverson (1996-present)
Because Iverson’s reputation has taken a hit lately with his inferior play for the Nuggets and Pistons, people forget how dominant AI was during his prime. I’ve even read stories claiming that Iverson’s 76ers teams would have been better if he hadn’t been on them.
Well, that’s the biggest bulls@#* I’ve heard in a long time. Not only would those teams have gone nowhere without Iverson (they’re second-best player was probably Aaron Mckie!), Iverson carried one of those teams all the way to the finals. In that year, 2001, Allen Iverson was unbelievable.

He put the Sixers on his back and almost single-handedly took a bunch of role players to the NBA finals (where they lost the the Lakers), and Iverson earned an MVP trophy for his efforts. While his recent play has been poor, there is no denying that Iverson, in his prime, was one of the best players in the NBA.

Iverson is widely known for his “We talking about practice” tirade, but he is a guy who worked his tail off every time he stepped on the court, at least during games. He is a great warrior, a competitor with a lion’s heart in his miniature (at least by NBA standards) body.

Stats: 27.1 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds

Awards: 2001 MVP, ten-time All-Star, 1997 Rookie of the Year, three All-NBA First Teams, three All-NBA Second Teams, one All-NBA Third Team, two All-Star Game MVPs

5. Clyde Drexler (1983-1998)
I had to pick Clyde over Iverson because of the one stat that matters most, championships. While Allen never won one, Clyde got his, winning in 1995 with the Houston Rockets. One of the NBA’s best finishers, Clyde “The Glide” Drexler had the bad luck of playing in an era dominated by another shooting guard, a guy you might know named Michael Jordan.

Clyde was a multi-dimensional player, a guy who could fill up the stat sheet in a number of ways, averaging 7.9 rebounds one year and 8.0 assists another. He was super-quick off the dribble, and was a tremendous finisher on the fast break due to his long strides and quick feet. If not for the presence of Jordan, Drexler would have been considered his era’s top shooting guard, and he caused fits to defenders trying to guard him.

His play was smooth and seemingly effortless, which, along with playing in an NBA that featured Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, is why he didn’t get a ton of credit for all his on-court production.

Stats: 20.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists

Awards: ten All-Star appearances, one All-NBA First Team, two All-NBA Second Teams, two All-NBA Third Teams

4. George Gervin (1972-1986)
George “The Iceman” Gervin is best known for his swooping finger roll finishes, but what is sometimes lost between all his soaring finger rolls is just how good he was. Gervin played ten seasons in the NBA and four more in the ABA, and was a prolific scorer throughout his career. During his two best seasons, in 1979-1980 and 1981-1982, he averaged 33.1 points and 32.3 points, respectively.

He could always put the ball in the hole, and his best years came while he was playing in the NBA. In fact, only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan have won more NBA scoring titles than Gervin’s four.

One of Gervin’s scoring titles is an amazing story: Early on the last day of the season, David Thompson scored 73 points, and Gervin entered his game knowing he needed at least 58 points to win the scoring title. Well, he did just that, hitting for 63 points and cementing his legacy as one of the NBA’s top scorers ever.

A little-known fact about the Iceman is that he actually played a year in Chicago with Michael Jordan. However, Jordan only played in 17 games that year, due to a broken foot. Just imagine what a fearsome tandem that would have been.

Stats: Overall (ABA and NBA): 25.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists NBA: 26.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists

Awards: 12 All-Star appearances, five All-NBA First Teams, one All-NBA Second Team, two ABA All-NBA Second Teams, 1980 All-Star Game MVP

3. Jerry West (1960-1974)
The number two all-time shooting guard was the toughest decision I had to make. It was either Kobe Bryant or the man I ended up leaving number three, Jerry West. Though I didn’t end up putting West in front of Bryant, “the Logo” had a hell of a career.

Known for stepping up his game in the playoffs, in 1965 West averaged more than 40 points for the entire postseason. That’s right, not just a game, or a series, but the whole postseason.
Additionally, West was a great passer. Everyone knows about his ability to score the basketball, but few basketball fans realize how good a passer he was, averaging 9.7 assists per game during the 1971-1972 season.

He had a knack for making a huge play when his team needed it, earning him the nickname “Mr. Clutch.” What basketball fan doesn’t know about his incredible, game-winning half-court buzzer-beater to win Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals by a single point?

West’s stats are actually better than Kobe Bryant’s, except for the one that truly matters – championships. West only won one title during his NBA career; granted, he played mostly during the Bill Russell era, when the Celtics won nearly every title, but, because the race was so close with Mr. Bryant, I had to hold his lack of championships against him.

Nevertheless, Jerry West was certainly one of the top three shooting guards of all-time, and a true legend in every sense of the word. Ironically, he made the trade for the Lakers to acquire the man who has surpassed West, in my eyes, for the number two spot.

Stats: 27.0 points, 6.7 assists, 5.8 rebounds

Awards: 14 All-Star appearances, ten All-NBA First Teams, two All-NBA Second Teams, five All-NBA Defensive Teams, 1969 Finals MVP (from the losing team!), 1972 All-Star Game MVP

2. Kobe Bryant (1996-present)
I have to admit, when I first did the rankings I had Kobe in third place behind Jerry West. After doing all the research, though, I decided that Kobe had to be second, just barely beating out West. The reasons?

Well, there are two huge reasons why Kobe gets the better of West. First, while their stats are very similar, Kobe has won three championships to West’s one. While winning might not be everything in determining a player’s greatness, when the race is so close it certainly has to be considered.

Also, Kobe has won an MVP trophy. While the MVP may not always tell who’s the best player in the NBA (Dirk Nowitzki comes to mind when thinking of an overrated MVP), it is a good indication of how dominant a player is. Kobe has been considered the best player in the league, or at least one of the top two or three, for a ten-year span. He has been great consistently, and is the most feared crunch-time assassin in the league.

Stats: 25.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists

Awards: 2008 MVP, 11 All-Star appearances, seven All-NBA First Teams, two All-NBA Second Teams, two All-NBA Third Teams, nine All-Defensive Teams, three All-Star Game MVPs

1. Michael Jordan (1984-1993, 1994-1998, 2001-2003)
This is as easy a choice as there is – It would be hard to find anyone to argue with me for picking Michael Jordan as the best shooting guard of all-time. Jordan completely transformed the game of basketball, starting the trend of super-athletic, multi-dimensional wingmen.
“His Airness” had the ability to single-handedly take over a game at both ends of the floor, and had an unbelievable killer instinct. An absolutely fierce competitor, Jordan scored a ton of points early in his career, but didn’t start winning championships until he learned to share the ball and pick and choose when he should dominate individually.
There’s not much I have to say about Mike, other than that I don’t think there is any debate that Jordan is the best shooting guard ever, and he’s widely regarded as the best player, too.

Stats: 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists

Awards: five MVPs, 1988 Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-Star Game MVP, 14 All-Star appearances, 1985 Rookie of the Year, 10-time All-NBA First Team, one-time All-NBA second Team, six Finals MVPs

Celtics news is still slower than Jerome James with two broken feet, so we’re going to continue the first annual Celtics Town positional rankings. A deep and talented position, today’s power forwards are led by perhaps the greatest power forward ever. And if you can’t guess who that is, then you’ll have to find out at the end of this article.

See our point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards rankings

Honorable mention

In no particular order: Lamar Odom (not consistent enough), Paul Millsap (just started to be a monster, could become one of the better PFs in the league), Luis Scola (Mr. Dependable), Antawn Jamison (Great stats. Okay – at best – teams)

10. Carlos Boozer

Battling injuries all season, Boozer only played 37 regular-season games last year. Still, he averaged his annual ho-hum double-double, putting up 16.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

Carlos can score with both hands on the block, and has a nice jumpshot that he shoots with a lot of arc. He’s a solid banger on the boards, and will post his normal 20 and 10 just about every night.

For anyone who thinks Boozer won’t come back strong from his injury – the man averaged 20.6 points and 13.2 rebounds a game in the playoffs. Each game is just another day at the office for one of the steadier players in the NBA.

9. Josh Smith

If basketball was all about athleticism, Josh Smith might be the best player in the world. At 6’9”, with a super-long wingspan and freakish vertical leap, Smith utilizes his athleticism very well on a basketball court. He blocks shots, gets out into passing lanes, and runs the wing on fast breaks.

But can you imagine if he ever decided to refine his game? Smith could be one of the most dominant players today if he could work on a legitimate face-up game with a 12-foot face-up jumper and a couple jab-step moves. As it is, he’s a great player and very valuable to the Hawks, but I can’t help but think, every time I watch him play, that he could be a lot better than he is.

8. Rashard Lewis

I saw Lewis destroy my beloved Celtics in the playoffs and I’ve got to tell you…performance-enhancing drugs must really work. All PED jokes aside, Lewis had a great postseason, letting everybody know just how valuable he is to the Magic and making some people even think, “Wow, Rashard Lewis actually deserves his contract.”

I still don’t think he’s worth $118 million over six years, but Rashard has earned a lot more of that money than I would have expected. He’s a tough player who can battle big guys down low but bring them outside on the other end. An absolute matchup terror for most teams, Rashard brought the versatility to Orlando that made them a special team.

7. David West

David West is kind of like the Sean Astin of the NBA – he goes about his business and compiles very solid statistics, but nobody thinks of him as a star. Astin was in five of the best movies of our generation (Rudy, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and The Goonies), but nobody thinks of him as more than a decent actor.

And West? He’s averaged at least 18 points and 8 rebounds over his last three seasons, helping the Hornets escape from obscurity to become a playoff mainstay in the Western Conference. Last year, when nobody talked about him at all, West quietly posted his best season ever, with 21.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. West hasn’t ever been a part of anything as memorable as Rudy, but he’s an underrated player who deserves a lot more credit than he gets.

6. Chris Bosh

Bosh has been a productive player for a long time, compiling statistics and playing in the all-star game for four consecutive years. On an individual level, Bosh might have had his best year last year, but his team struggled mightily to compete.

Bosh puts up great stats, but hasn’t found a way to consistently be part of a winner. As a star, those losses are at least partially his fault. He could be more highly rated based strictly on individual play, but every guy in front of him on this list not only shines individually but is a proven winner, as well.

5. Pau Gasol

The Big Poodle surprised me last year by coming back a little heavier, a little stronger, and a lot tougher. During the Lakers run to the finals, Pau proved to me what he never did in ’07-’08 – that he actually has a pair of balls. I always knew Pau was very talented offensively, with unfair skills for a 7-footer, but he always lacked, before last year, the drive and mentality to help his team win close, tough games. Not anymore – the new and improved Gasol is not only tough, he’s an NBA champion.

Gasol had such a great season last year that people might think I’m rating him too low on this list. Don’t get me wrong, I know Pau is a great player, one of the best in the league, and the Lakers are very lucky the Grizzlies decided to give him up for more or less nothing. But are you telling me the Lakers wouldn’t trade him straight up for any of the guys in front of him? If Pau was replaced by any of the top four on this list, the Lakers would have been a better team. That isn’t a knock on Pau, it’s just a testament to how good the top four players are.

4. Amare Stoudemire

A fluke eye injury last year ended Stoudemire’s season and Phoenix’s hopes of contending for a title. But Amare will be back, and something tells me he’ll be back very strong.

When healthy, Stoudemire is a physical force, with unrelenting drives to the basket and unmatched ferocity on his attacks to the hoop. Over the years, he’s also developed a reliable jumper, making him more versatile and adding a dimension to his game that will allow him to thrive even after his athleticism starts to recede.

Would Phoenix have won the title last year, had Amare stayed healthy? Probably not. But I’m willing to bet they would have made the playoffs, and I know there aren’t a lot of teams that wanted to play Nash, O’Neal and Stoudemire in the first round.

3. Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk’s had a rough offseason (to say the least), after his fiancée was arrested for fraud charges and then found to be pregnant. But Dirk, I’ve got a silver lining for you – she wasn’t that hot, anyways.

Dirk Nowitzki has been underrated since he was overrated and won the 2007 MVP. If that doesn’t make sense, I mean this…Dirk didn’t deserve to win the MVP, but after he won such an undeserved MVP and then proceeded to shit the bed in a first-round playoff loss, people have forgotten just how good Dirk is.

He is one of the most unstoppable players in the NBA, 7’1” tall with obscene touch on his jumper. His post-up turnarounds are more or less unblockable, meaning Dirk can get whatever shot he wants, whenever he wants it. He tends to settle too much for jumpers rather than using his size to overwhelm smaller opponents, but the results can’t be argued with. 25.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last year? Dirk is an assassin.

2. Kevin Garnett

Even coming off an injury, Kevin Garnett deserves to be this high on the list. While some guys on this list score more points than Garnett, nobody affects both sides of the court like KG.

An animal on the court, the most intense player in the league, and a vicious competitor, KG leads by example and he leads with his words. His arrival in Boston made the Celtics instant contenders not only because of his basketball talent, but also due to his immeasurable leadership and desire.

1. Tim Duncan

Some people may argue that Tim Duncan is washed up, that he’s no longer in his prime, that he’s finally begun the downward cycle at the end of every player’s career. But people have been counting Duncan off for years. Every year, it seems that people consider Duncan to be over the hill, but every year he returns and posts his normal solid year.

With the Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess signings, the Spurs are poised for a long playoff run in the West.

And Tim Duncan is the main reason why.