MMA Power Rankings

                There has never been a sport that has become so successful in such a short period of time. UFC 1 took place all the way back in November 1993, and since then we have seen mixed martial arts become the fastest rising sport our generation has ever witnessed. If there is one person to thank it is Royce Gracie, because without him, who knows if the sport of mixed martial arts would have ever achieved the popularity it needed. The Gracie family taught the world the art of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and it has evolved into an art that many fighters are trying to perfect. Now, if you want to compete at the highest level of mixed martial arts you have to be a well rounded fighter. If you are a one trick pony, then do not even waste your time trying to compete at the highest level (just ask Dan Hardy how that is working out for him). There is so much talent now in mixed martial arts, and the majority of the top fighters compete in the UFC. Although, there are still some fighters who do not compete in the UFC who among the sports best. Also, Dana White and the Fertitta brothers made the smartest decision they ever made with starting the famous series, The Ultimate Fighter, which produced one of the best fights MMA has ever seen in the TUF 1 finale with Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin. This single fight alone was the one that help pave the road for the UFC to become a huge success. Now, it is time to get down to business to find out who the top ten mixed martial artists are in my mind. I think it is pretty obvious who the top two guys are, but after that it was tough because there are so many talented fighters in MMA.

TOP TEN MMA FIGHTERS

1. ANDERSON SILVA (UFC Middleweight Champion)
- (30-4, 17 wins by KO or TKO, 6 wins by submission)

Anderson Silva has reeled off 14 consecutive victories, and has won all 13 of his fights in the UFC since joining the organization on June 28th, 2006. In his UFC debut against Chris Leben, he knocked him out in 49 seconds, but more impressively landed 100% of his strikes, 27 for 27. He ruined Rich Franklin's career at 185, dismantling Franklin both times. Since winning the Middleweight belt on October 14th, 2006, against Franklin, Silva has successfully defended his Middleweight belt nine times, which is a UFC record. Also, Anderson Silva has moved up to the Light Heavyweight division two times, and his opponents never made it out of the first round. Since, Anderson Silva's UFC debut he has knocked out the likes of: Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin, James Irvin, Rich Franklin (twice), Nate Marquardt, and Chris Leben. Silva has submitted the likes of: Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson, and Travis Lutter in his UFC days. Anderson Silva has dominated all of his opponents since joining the UFC except for one, Chael Sonnen. Silva showed you can never count him out of a fight because Sonnen dominated the first four rounds, and in the fifth round Silva caught Sonnen in a triangle arm-bar. In Anderson Silva's last fight, he showed Vitor Belfort he was no match for Silva, when he caught him with a front kick to the jaw in the first round in route of his TKO victory. Anderson Silva is easily the best counter-striker in the MMA, and might be the best striker in MMA. Anderson Silva is very easily the most technical striker in MMA, and has an outstanding ground game receiving his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black-belt from the Nogueira brothers. Anderson Silva gets an opportunity to revenge his last loss (even though it was not a legitimate defeat losing via DQ because of an illegal kick) against Yushin Okami on August 27th at UFC 134 in Brazil.

2. GEORGE ST. PIERRE (UFC Welterweight Champion)
- (22-2, 8 wins by TKO, 5 wins by submission)

Ever since George St. Pierre got caught by Matt Serra at UFC 69, we have seen a new St. Pierre that can not be stopped. St. Pierre has won nine straight fights since that loss, and none of those fights have even been close. It has been total domination for the Canadian, and he has made it look easy. Just to show how dominate he has been, in his last nine fights he has won 30 of the total 33 rounds on the judge's scorecards. St. Pierre is by far the best wrestler in the 170 pound division, and is considered one of the best in all of MMA. Since losing his belt against Serra at UFC 69, St. Pierre had to go through Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes to get back to title contention. He did it with ease. He dominated Matt Serra the second time around, winning back his Welterweight belt via TKO (knees to the body) in the second round. St. Pierre avenged both of his MMA losses by beating both Matt Serra and Matt Hughes (twice) in dominating fashion. St. Pierre has defended his Welterweight belt successfully six times in a row and will look for lucky number seven against a very scrappy opponent in Strikeforce Welterweight champion, Nick Diaz. George St. Pierre has beaten the likes of Jake Shields, Josh Koscheck (twice), Dan Hardy, Thiago Alves, B.J. Penn (twice), Jon Fitch, Matt Serra, Matt Hughes (twice), Sean Sherk, Frank Trigg, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Jay Hieron, Karo Parisyan, and Pete Spratt during his MMA career. If he can successfully defend his belt against Nick Diaz in October, as MMA fans we can only hope Silva does the same against Okami and we finally get a super-fight with Anderson Silva and George St. Pierre, to really find out who is the top guy in MMA.

3. JON JONES (UFC Light Heavyweight Champion)
- (13-1, 8 wins by KO or TKO, 3 wins by submission)

Jon Jones answered the question if he was for real or not, when he dominated one of the best light heavyweight fighters in the world in Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to win the light heavyweight belt. Jones should be 14-0 because his only loss came via DQ due to illegal elbows against Matt Hamill (a fight he was dominating until the DQ.) Jones has made everyone of his opponents look like an amateur due to his athleticism and his unorthodoxed striking. The guy is so good he can even stop crime hours before his biggest fight. The morning of his fight against Shogun Rua for the light heavyweight championship, he chased down a burglar after he stole an elderly woman's purse, and hours later knocked out the 205 pound champ. This guy is the real deal and we could see him dominate the Light Heavyweight division like we are seeing Anderson Silva dominate the Middleweight division and George St. Pierre dominate the Welterweight division. Jon Jones trains in one of the best camps in the world with Greg Jackson's camp. Greg Jackson's fighters have a ridiculous 81% winning percentage in pro MMA fights. The list goes on and on with the fighters Jackson has produced: George St. Pierre, Rashad Evans, Shane Carwin, Clay Guida, Melvin Guillard, Donald Cerrone, Carlos Condit, Nate Marquardt, Diego Sanchez, Brendan Schaub, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Brian Stann just to name a few. This camp has been one of the main reasons why Jones has been able to mature so quickly and continue to improve tremendously from fight to fight. Jon "Bones" Jones has fought in eight UFC fights since joining the promotion back in August 2008 and he has beaten the likes of : Mauricio Rua, Ryan Bader, Vladimir Matyushenko, Brandon Vera, Jake O'Brien, Stephan Bonnar, and Andre Gusmao. His first two fights in the UFC were both unanimous decision victories in which Jones absolutely dominated. All of his other five victories in the octagon have ended in either a TKO or submission. He will get a chance to defend his belt for the first time against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on September 24th in Denver, and if he dominates Rampage the rest of the 205 pound division knows this guy might be rocking the 205 pound belt for awhile.

4. FRANKIE EDGAR (UFC Lightweight Champion)
- (13-1-1, 2 wins by TKO, 3 wins by submission)

This number four spot was a toss up between Edgar and Jose Aldo but because Edgar has beaten better talent I had to give this spot to Edgar. Frankie Edgar pulled off one of the biggest upsets inside the octagon to win the 155 pound belt when he beat B.J. Penn at UFC 112 via unanimous decision. Frankie Edgar is one of the most well-rounded fighters in MMA because he is a very good boxer and has outstanding wrestling. Also, we saw the heart and determination in Edgar when Maynard hit him with everything in the first round in Edgar's last fight and Edgar came back and looked really good in rounds two through five, and in a lot of people's eyes thought he should of won that fight. (I thought the judges got it right with the draw.) The one knock on Frankie Edgar has always been that he does not finish fights and a lot of his fights end up going to a decision, but I hate it when people say that because a win is a win, especially when fighting in the UFC. Since Edgar's only loss to Gray Maynard the first time they fought at UFC Fight Night 13 in April 2008, he has not lost in his last six fights. (Five victories and a draw.) He has beaten the top guys in the155 pound division: B.J. Penn (twice), Sean Sherk, Matt Veach, Hermes Franca, Spencer Fisher, Mark Bocek, Tyson Griffin, and Jim Miller. We all knew this kid was the real deal when he picked apart B.J. Penn in the rematch and he forced Penn to move back up to 170 pounds. Frankie Edgar will get another chance to beat the only man to ever beat him when he fights Gray Maynard for the third time, and if Edgar can beat Maynard this time around he will definitely solidify himself as the best 155 pounder and hopefully we will see him fight Gilbert Melendez next.

5. JOSE ALDO (UFC Featherweight Champion)
- (19-1, 12 wins by KO or TKO, 2 wins by submission)

Jose Aldo has won his last 12 fights since his only loss back in November 2006 to Luciano Azevedo. Aldo put himself on the map when he knocked out Cub Swanson in the WEC with a flying knee eight seconds into the fight. In his next fight he dismantled the WEC champ Mike Brown and since then he has dominated all of his opponents defending his featherweight belt three times. He dominated Urijah Faber in his first title defense with his brilliant striking and mostly with his leg kicks. (If you have not seen the pictures of Faber's legs after this fight you have to check it out.) Aldo dominated the very tough Mark Hominick in his first fight in the UFC winning via unanimous decision. Jose Aldo trains with Team Black House, which is one of the best camps in the world. Ed Soares, the founder of Black House, trains the likes of Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, the Nogueira brothers, Junior Dos Santos, Ronald Souza, and Rafael Cavalcante. This is by far the best camp in Brazil. Jose Aldo is going to be a tough guy to beat in the Featherweight division and if he can knock off Kenny Florian in his next fight he might be holding the Featherweight belt for a long time to come. Jose Aldo has beaten the likes of Mark Hominick, Manvel Gamburyan, Urijah Faber, Mike Brown, Cub Swanson, Chris Mickle, Rolando Perez, Jonathon Brookins, Alexandre Nogueira, Shoji Maruyama, Fabio Mello, and Thiago Meller. Aldo keeps getting better as he is maturing as a fighter and the rest of the Featherweight division is going to have their hands full as they try and get his belt.

6. CAIN VELASQUEZ (UFC Heavyweight Champion)
- (9-0, 8 wins by KO or TKO)

Cain Velasquez is an absolute monster that is an outstanding wrestler with powerful striking. He went through Brock Lesnar easily, knocking him out in the first round to capture the Heavyweight belt. Velasquez has his toughest fight in his first title defense against Junior Dos Santos in November, but if he can knock off Dos Santos he might be holding onto the Heavyweight belt for quite some time. In six of Velasquez's nine fights he has knocked out his opponent in the first round. Only one time in Velasquez's MMA career has he not finished a fight, and that was against Cheick Kongo. Velasquez has knocked out the likes of Brock Lesnar, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Ben Rothwell, Denis Stojnic, Jake O'Brien, and Brad Morris. The former two time All-American wrestler while at Arizona State trains with one of the best camps in America. American Kickboxing Academy has some of the best coaches and fighters in the world. Javier Mendez, the founder of AKA, also has two of the best trainers in the world in Bob Cook and Dave Camarillo. Some of the fighters that AKA trains are Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick, Daniel Cormier, Cung Le, Josh Thomson, and King Mo Lawal. Velasquez has the biggest fight of his life coming up in a few months and luckily for him he has one of the best camps in the world to help him prepare for a very dangerous and hungry Junior Dos Santos.

7. DOMINICK CRUZ (UFC Bantamweight Champion)
- (17-1, 6 wins by KO or TKO, 1 win by submission)

Dominick Cruz is one of the best technical strikers in MMA. Yet, a lot of people are unaware of how good Cruz really is. He still has not stepped into the UFC octagon because of a hand injury, and a lot of the casual fans are not as familiar with Cruz because he has spent most of his career fighting in the WEC. He will get a chance to revenge his only loss in his career this Saturday night against Urijah Faber in the main event of UFC 132. He has successfully defended his Bantamweight belt two times in a row after beating Brian Bowles to capture the 135 pound belt. Just to show how Dominick Cruz has not gotten any respect dates back to when Faber and Cruz first locked horns back in 2007. They were fighting for the belt and on the WEC poster promoting the fight it was just a picture of Urijah Faber that had both their names stated as fighting for the belt. When Dominick Cruz signed the poster, he signed right on Faber's face. Ever since this, the two have hated each other with a passion. Dominick Cruz has been waiting for this fight for over four years and now he gets his chance to knock off the California Kid. Cruz has a very good resume and has beaten the likes of Scott Jorgensen, Joseph Benavidez (twice), Brian Bowles, Ivan Lopez, Ian McCall, Charlie Valencia, Kenny Aimes, Juan Miranda, and Michael Barney. When Cruz won an easy unanimous decision against a very game Scott Jorgensen in his last fight he landed 243 total strikes, which is a WEC record, and would be a UFC record. Also, Cruz landed 54 of 180 strikes in the fifth and final round, showing his tremendous endurance and stamina. The dude does not get tired and could fight six of seven rounds if he wanted. Jorgensen only landed 69 total strikes the entire fight. Cruz is one of the best tactical fighters in the world and throws punches at many different angle and is a very tough guy to connect with. Urijah Faber is going to have his hands full and better hope he can get some takedowns on Cruz, but Cruz is outstanding at takedown defense. Faber is going to have to be ten times better than he was when he submitted Cruz in 2007, because Cruz has improved significantly in every aspect of his game since his only defeat. If he can add Urijah Faber to this list it will only move him higher up on the pound for pound best in MMA. Cruz trains with one of the most underrated camps in MMA. Alliance MMA was started by Brandon Vera back in 2007 in Chula Vista, California. Alliance MMA trains the likes of Phil Davis, Ed Ratcliff, Travis Browne, Joey Beltran, and Alexander Gustafsson. He is going to depend heavily on his camp to get him ready and prepared for Faber as he tries to defend his Bantamweight title for the third straight time, and capture his first win in the UFC.

8. JON FITCH (UFC Welterweight Contender)
- (23-3-1, 5 wins by KO or TKO, 5 wins by submission)

A lot of people might disagree with Fitch being in the number eight spot, but after looking at his resume compared with a lot of the other fighters who are left, it was an easy selection to go with Fitch. I understand he does not have all the knockouts and finishes in his fights, but he knows how to win. He has only lost one time since since December 2002, and that was to some guy named George St. Pierre. Fitch has 20 wins in his last 22 fights. (Lost to GSP for the 170 pound belt, and got robbed when the fight with B.J. Penn was ruled a majority draw.) As mentioned earlier, Fitch trains with one of the best camps in the country with Bob Cook and Dave Camirillo with AKA. Jon Fitch has beaten the likes of Thiago Alves (twice), Ben Saunders, Diego Sanchez, Mike Pierce, Paulo Thiago, Akihiro Gono, Chris Wilson, Roan Carneiro, Luigi Fioravanti, Kuniyoshi Hironaka, Josh Burkman, Brock Larson, Shonie Carter, and Kyle Jensen. Jon Fitch knows he won't move much higher up in the pound for pound best until he beats the best Welterweight fighter in MMA history, George St. Pierre. Jon Fitch's shoulder injury seems to be close to 100 %, and expect him to get a rematch with B.J. Penn at UFC 138 in San Jose in mid-November. If he can knock off Penn he will most likely be in line to get his second chance at St. Pierre.

9. RASHAD EVANS (UFC Light Heavyweight Contender)
- (15-1-1) 5 wins by KO or TKO, 2 wins by submission)

Rashad Evans might be the only hope to knock off Jon Jones if Rampage Jackson fails in September. One reason why I think Evans has a better chance than anyone else in the 205 pound division is because Evans knows Jon Jones better than any other 205 pounder. He trained with Jones for the last two years and knows his game just as good as Jones. He knows his strengths, but more importantly his weaknesses. First, Evans has to get through a very talented young fighter in Phil Davis, who brings the same type of athleticism that Jon Jones brings to the octagon. If Evans can come out victorious, he will definitely be next in line to get the winner of Rampage and Jones. (If he is healthy of course.) Rashad Evans was a guy that no one thought had a chance to win The Ultimate Fighter during season 2, but he proved everybody wrong and won TUF 2 knocking off the likes of Keith Jardine, Mike Whitehead, and Brad Imes in the finals. (This season was all heavyweights and Evans was fighting guys way bigger than him and he out-wrestled everyone put in front of him.) His UFC career has been a lot like his path on TUF because not a lot of people ever thought he would ever hold the belt at 205. Rashad Evans put his name on the map with one of the best knockouts in UFC history when he knocked off Chuck Liddell's head into the 10th row. Everyone says Liddell was washed up, but people tend to forget the fight Liddell put on with Wanderlei Silva in his previous fight (one of the best fights in UFC history), and was a win away from fighting for the 205 pound belt.Other than Liddell, here are some of the other guys Rashad Evans has beaten: Rampage Jackson, Thiago Silva, Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping, Sean Salmon, Jason Lambert, Stephan Bonnar, Sam Hoger, and Hector Ramirez. Evans knocked off Griffin for the 205 pound belt, but was knocked out by Machida in his next fight. However, Evans changed his gameplan from standing and banging to utilizing his wrestling now. We have seen how his new gameplan has worked tremendously when he dominated Thaigo Silva and Rampage Jackson in his two fights after the Machida fight. Evans and Jones used to be good friends but a lot has changed since Jones won the belt and called out his Greg Jackson teammate and now they hate each other. Evans left the Jackson camp recently and what else would be better than a Jones and Evans fight for the 205 pound belt.

10. GILBERT MELENDEZ (Strikeforce Lightweight Champion)
- (19-2, 11 wins by KO or TKO, 1 win by submission)

Gilbert Melendez would be higher up on this list if he was not fighting in Strikeforce. The talent of fighters in the UFC and Strikeforce is not even close to comparable. However, there are four fighters that currently fight in Strikeforce that I could see competing for the UFC belt. (Gilbert Melendez, Nick Diaz, Dan Henderson, and Daniel Cormier). (Tyron Woodley is a guy also that might be able to, but we will find out how good he is when he fights Paul Daley in late July). Melendez is one guy who looks way better every time he steps foot into the octagon. In his last title defense against Tatsuya Kawajiri he dominated Kawajiri and grounded and pounded him for the TKO victory in the first round. Melendez has won his last five fights since his last defeat to Josh Thomson, and has looked impressive during this streak. He beat Thomson during this streak, along with Mitsuhiro Ishida, who was the only other guy to beat Melendez. Melendez has revenged both of his losses and did so in dominating fashion. Some of the guys Melendez has beat in his MMA career include: Tatsuya Kawajiri (twice), Josh Thomson, Mitsuhiro Ishida, Shinya Aoki, Rodrigo Damm, Clay Guida, Gabe Lemley, Nobuhiro Obiya, Tetsuji Kato, and Harris Sarmiento. Gilbert Melendez trains with one of the better camps in the United States in Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, also known as the "Brat Pack," because of guys like the Diaz brothers. Gracie's camp has some of the toughest, scrappiest fighters in the game, with Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, Gilbert Melendez, Jake Shields, David Terrell, Daniel Roberts, and Gil Castillo representing Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Melendez is likely to have his toughest fight in his MMA career with Jorge Masvidal, who dismantled a game K.J. Noons with his stand up. If Melendez can get by Masvidal to defend his Strikeforce Lightweight belt for the sixth straight time, expect Dana White to line up a title shot with Melendez and whoever possesses the UFC Lightweight belt. And, whoever that may be will have their hands full against a very tough Gilbert Melendez.

HONORABLE MENTIONS (IN ORDER 11-20)

-JUNIOR DOS SANTOS (UFC Heavyweight Contender)
(13-1, 8 wins by KO or TKO, 2 wins by submission)

-NICK DIAZ (Strikeforce Welterweight Champion and newly UFC Welterweight Contender)
(25-7, 13 wins by KO or TKO, 8 wins by submission)

-ALISTAIR OVEREEM (Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, DREAM Heavyweight Champion, & K-1 World Grand Prix Champion)
(35-11, 14 wins by KO or TKO, 19 wins by submission)

-GRAY MAYNARD (UFC Lightweight Contender)
(10-0-1, 2 wins by KO or TKO)

-MAURICIO "SHOGUN" RUA (UFC Light Heavyweight Contender)
(19-5, 16 wins by KO or TKO, 1 win by submission)

-EDDIE ALVAREZ (Bellator Lightweight Champion)
(22-2, 12 wins by KO or TKO, 7 wins by submission)

-QUINTON "RAMPAGE" JACKSON (UFC Light Heavyweight Contender)
(32-8, 14 wins by KO or TKO, 7 wins by submission)

-LYOTO MACHIDA (UFC Light Heavyweight Contender)
(17-2, 6 wins by KO or TKO, 2 wins by submission)

-DAN HENDERSON (Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion)
(27-8, 12 wins by KO or TKO, 2 wins by submission)

-JAKE SHIELDS (UFC Welterweight Contender)
(26-5-1, 3 wins by TKO, 10 wins by submission)

2011 NBA Mock Draft

             This is all for fun and this is how I see the 2011 NBA draft going down on Thursday, June 23rd. Of course, it is almost impossible to predict what trades might happen because there are millions and millions of rumors swirling (and no way in hell do the Suns trade Steve Nash for the second overall selection from Minnesota, or will the Lakers trade Pau Gasol for Kevin Love and the second overall pick). The only trade I see maybe going down is the San Antonio Spurs trading Tony Parker or George Hill for an early to mid first round pick, but since the draft loses a lot of talent after Irving and Williams I doubt San Antonio will trade one of their two point guards. Although, this draft lacks the explosiveness in the lottery selections, there is some depth in this draft that teams can get what they need in the second round. The NBA draft is always a hit or miss situation, just imagine if the Detroit Pistons would have selected Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, or Carmelo Anthony in the 2003 NBA draft instead of Darko Milicic. Or, if the Atlanta Hawks would have drafted Deron Williams or Chris Paul instead of Marvin Williams in the 2005 NBA draft. And, of course, if the Portland Trailblazers could have Kevin Durant instead of Greg Oden, who they selected as the first overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Now it is time to have some fun and get my mock draft underway.

2011 NBA Draft Mock Draft              
                                        

                                              First Round

1. Cleveland Cavaliers - (PG) Kyrie Irving (Fr. Duke)

2. Minnesota Timberwolves - (SF/PF) Derrick Williams (So. Arizona)

3. Utah Jazz - (C) Enes Kanter - (Turkey) (Ruled ineligible for playing professionally in Turkey while enrolled at Kentucky last year.)

4. Cleveland Cavaliers - (C) Jonas Valanciunas - (Lithuania)

5. Toronto Raptors - (PG) Brandon Knight - (Fr. Kentucky)

6. Washington Wizards - (PF) Tristan Thompson - (Fr. Texas)

7. Sacramento Kings - (PG) Kemba Walker - (Jr. UConn)

8. Detroit Pistons - (SF) Kawhi Leonard - (So. San Diego St.)

9. Charlotte Bobcats - (PF) Marcus Morris - (Jr. Kansas)

10. Milwaukee Bucks - (SF) Alec Burks - (So. Colorado)

11. Golden State Warriors - (SF) Klay Thompson - (Jr. Washington State)

12. Utah Jazz - (PG) Jimmer Fredette - (Sr. BYU)

13. Phoenix Suns - (SF) Chris Singleton - (Jr. Florida State)

14. Houston Rockets - (PF) Jan Vesely - (Czech Republic)

15. Indiana Pacers - (SF) Jordan Hamilton - (So. Texas)

16. Philadelphia 76ers - (C) Bismack Biyombo - (Congo)

17. New York Knicks - (SG) Iman Shumpert - (Jr. Georgia Tech)

18. Washington Wizards - (SF) Tobias Harris - (Fr. Tennessee)

19. Charlotte Bobcats - (PF) Markieff Morris - (Jr. Kansas)

20. Minnesota Timberwolves - (SG) Marshon Brooks - (Sr. Providence)

21. Portland Trailblazers - (PF) Nikola Vucevic - (Jr. USC)

22. Denver Nuggets - (PF) Trey Thompkins - (Jr. Georgia)

23. Houston Rockets - (SF) Tyler Honeycutt - (So. UCLA)

24. Oklahoma City - (SG) Nolan Smith - (Sr. Duke)

25. Boston Celtics - (PG/SG) Josh Selby - (Fr. Kansas)

26. Dallas Mavericks - (PF) Kenneth Faried - (Sr. Morehead St.)

27. New Jersey Nets - (PF) Donatas Motiejunas - (Lithuania)

28. Chicago Bulls - (SF) Justin Harper - (Sr. Richmond)

29. San Antonio Spurs - (SG) Reggie Jackson - (Jr. Boston College)

30. Chicago Bulls - (SG) Shelvin Mack - (Jr. Butler)


                                         Second Round

31. Miami Heat - (PF) Jajuan Johnson - (Sr. Purdue)

32. Cleveland Cavaliers - (PF) Jeremy Taylor - (USA) (Played overseas after skipping college)

33. Detroit Pistons - (PF) Jordan Williams - (So. Maryland)

34. Washington Wizards - (SG) Malcolm Lee - (Jr. UCLA)

35. Sacramento Kings - (PF) Nikola Mirotic - (Montenegro)

36. New Jersey Nets - (SF) Jimmy Butler - (Sr. Marquette)

37. Los Angeles Clippers - (SF) Kyle Singler - (Sr. Duke)

38. Houston Rockets - (PG) Cory Joseph - (Fr. Texas)

39. Charlotte Bobcats - (PG) Norris Cole - (Sr. Cleveland State)

40. Milwaukee Bucks - (PF) Rick Jackson - (Sr. Syracuse)

41. Los Angeles Lakers - (PG) Darius Morris - (So. Michigan)

42. Indiana Pacers - (PF) Jon Leuer - (Sr. Wisconsin)

43. Chicago Bulls - (SG) E'Twaun Moore - (Sr. Purdue)

44. Golden State Warriors - (SF) Chandler Parsons - (Sr. Florida)

45. New Orleans Hornets - (PG) Isaiah Thomas - (Jr. Washington)

46. Los Angeles Lakers - (SG) Travis Leslie - (Jr. Georgia)

47. Los Angeles Clippers - (SG/SF) David Lighty - (Sr. Ohio St.)

48. Atlanta Hawks - (PF) Matthew Bryan-Amaning - (Sr. Washington)

49. Memphis Grizzlies - (PG) Andrew Goudeluck - (Sr. College of Charleston)

50. Philadelphia 76ers - (SF/PF) Malcolm Thomas - (Sr. San Diego St.)

51. Portland Trailblazers - (PG) Charles Jenkins - (Sr. Hofstra)

52. Denver Nuggets - (SG) Ben Hansbrough - (Sr. Notre Dame)

53. Orlando Magic - (SG) LaceDarius Dunn - (Sr. Baylor)

54. Cleveland Cavaliers - (SF) Scotty Hopson - (Jr. Tennessee)

55. Boston Celtics - (C) Keith Benson - (Sr. Oakland)

56. Los Angeles Lakers - (PG/SG) Demetri McCamey - (Sr. Illinois)

57. Dallas Mavericks - (SF) Chris Wright - (Sr. Dayton)

58. Los Angeles Lakers - (SF) Jereme Richmond - (Fr. Illinois)

59. San Antonio Spurs - (SF) Davis Bertans - (Latvia)

60. Sacramento Kings - (SG) Brad Wanamaker - (Sr. Pittsburgh)

June 22nd, 2011

McIlroy Masters 2011 U.S. Open

            A kid who blew a four shot lead heading into Sunday at Augusta, showed that he was able to battle adversity and learn from his mistakes that cost him the green jacket. That Sunday, McIlroy shot an 80, including four bogeys, a double-bogey, and a triple-bogey and after his triple-bogey on the 10th hole, his dreams of winning the 2011 Masters became a nightmare. Yet, McIlroy showed something special after blowing the 2011 Masters by acting like a true veteran and not shining away from the criticism. He showed what being a true man is about. He showed his composure and his toughness and used the media's criticism to make him a stronger golfer, but more importantly a stronger person. This fueled him to become the second youngest U.S. Open winner since 1923, when Bobby Jones won the U.S. Open. McIlroy is only 22 years old and became the second youngest to win a major since World War II. (You might have heard of the other guy, Tiger Woods, who was 21 when he won his first major at Augusta.)
           
           At the 111th U.S. Open at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, McIlroy blew the rest of the field out of the water. It was never even close on Sunday, and the only reason to watch Sunday's round was just to see how many strokes McIlroy would win by. He ended up winning by eight strokes and shot 16 under par. No one got any closer than eight strokes on Sunday, and when McIlroy hit a perfect shot on the 10th, a foot away from a hole in one, it was evident that no one was getting close to McIlroy this Sunday. His winning margin of eight strokes was the most at the U.S. Open since 2000, when Tiger Woods won by 15 shots at Pebble Beach. Among the records broken at the 111th U.S. Open: shooting 268 (16 under) for the tournament, shooting 199 (14 under) after 54-holes, shooting 131 (11 under) after 36-holes, 17 under par at any point at the U.S. Open, fastest to reach double-digits under par (26 holes), tied Tiger Woods with a six shot lead after 36 holes, joined Lee Trevino and Lee Janzen as the only players to shoot in the 60's all four days, and hit 62 out of 72 greens in regulation, which is the best any golfer has ever done since they kept track of that statistic. It was truly something special to witness, watching this young stud from Northern Ireland dominate the field. McIlroy led the U.S. Open from the first hole all the way to the 72nd hole, becoming the seventh player in U.S. Open history to accomplish this feat.

         If there is ever someone to finally compare to Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy is the guy. I understand this was only his third time winning an event, (Dubai Desert Classic in 2009, Quail Hollow Championship in 2010, and the 2011 U.S. Open) but the scary thing is, he is just going to keep getting better. I do not know if many golfers would have been able to bounce back after blowing the Masters, and win the following major two months later, at ease. The only other golfer that I could see pulling that off is the old Tiger Woods. McIlroy does not have any serious flaws in his game, he has a powerful drive with good accuracy, an excellent iron player, above average with his wedge, and a very good putter. It is unfair to McIlroy to compare him to be the next Tiger Woods, but he seems like the guy who would love this, because he has that swagger and confidence to relish this. You could just see his confidence on the course throughout all four days, and you would not think someone at his young age would be this confident after blowing the 2011 Masters. He took a different approach than most other golfers, instead of looking at it as blowing a four shot lead at Augusta, he looked at it as leading the Masters for the first three days and learning from his mistakes on that Sunday. McIlroy has led the first two major tournaments this year in seven of the eight rounds and was that one bad day away from competing for the Grand Slam this year. Golf fans now have something fun to look forward to while Tiger Woods is on the shelf trying to require from his knee injury. Just imagine Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods paired together on the final day of one of the four major championships, going mano y mano on the last 18 holes to win a major. This is exactly what Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, golf, and the fans have been waiting for. It is going to be exciting to watch if Tiger Woods will motivate himself to get back to what he was before his knee injuries and get back to the old Tiger Woods. The one thing that almost certain, Rory McIlroy is going to keep getting better, if he keeps up the hard work he has been doing since he started golfing at the age of four. Just remember, if McIlroy does not win the rest of this year, do not write him off just yet, because it took Tiger Woods 28 months to win another major after winning the Masters in 1997. We really won't know how good McIlroy is going to be for another couple of years, but he is definitely on the right path towards greatness.

RiDirkulous: A legacy cemented

             Before the 2010-11 playoffs started, not too many people thought Dallas would be the team to represent the Western Conference, and then dethrone the King (I think it's time that we call Lebron something else now, 0-2 in the Finals isn't King-worthy) for their first championship in their 31-year existence. In fact, most NBA writers and correspondents had the Portland Trail Blazers knocking out the Dallas Mavericks in the first round. (I admit, I thought Portland was going to send Dallas fishing too.) And why wouldn't they write off the Mavericks, because ever since they blew a 13-point lead in the 4th quarter of game three against the Miami Heat in the 2006 Finals, they were a franchise that was known for choking in the playoffs. In 2007, they had the best record in the NBA winning 67 games, and yet they still lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors, who were the eighth-seed in the playoffs. (This was the first time that a one-seed lost in the first round of the playoffs since the first round changed to a seven game format in 2003.) During the next three seasons, Dallas was eliminated in the first round two times, and were eliminated in five games in the Conference Semi's in 2009, against the Denver Nuggets. It was understandable why a lot of people did not think the Mavericks were going to be a threat in the Western Conference, because before this post-season started they were known as choke artists in the playoffs, and especially Dirk Nowitzki.
             Everyone thought we were going to get the same old Mavericks after they blew a 23 point second half lead against Portland in game four. This is were the Mavericks learned from their past playoff performances, and more importantly Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki finally learned this post-season that he has to be more of a leader on the court, do you ever remember Nowitzki yelling at his teammates in the playoffs before this year. Nowitzki put the Mavericks on his back against Portland in game five, and led the way scoring a game high 25 points, in route of a 93-82 victory. Then, in game six on the road, Nowitzki made sure they would not have to go back to Dallas for a game seven, dropping in a game high 33 points and also grabbing 11 boards to knock off the Blazers 103-96. Nowitzki led the way for the Mavericks averaging 27.3 points per game and grabbing 7.8 rebounds. In years past, I do not know if Dallas would have been resilient enough to bounce back after blowing a 23 point lead in game four. Look at what happened to this team after blowing a 13 point lead in the fourth quarter in game three of the NBA Finals in 2006, they lost the next three games following that game, and who got all of the blame-Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki had 12 seasons of failing and coming up short before this post-season and I think all of those past loses for Nowitzki and the Mavericks played a key role in the playoffs, because they did not want to go through what they have been going through their entire NBA careers. (No Maverick player had ever won a championship before this season.)
             The next round is were Dirk Nowitzki started to cement his legacy. The two-time defending World Champion Los Angeles Lakers were in the Dallas Mavericks way. In years past, the Mavericks would have been defeated before the series even got started, but this year was different for Dallas. Everyone thought the Lakers were going to run away with game one, maintaining a 16 point lead in the third quarter. However, the Mavericks thought otherwise and battled back and took their first lead in the second half, when Nowitzki made both free throws with 19 seconds left to take a 95-94 lead. Maybe, this was destiny for Dallas because the best closer in the game, Kobe Bryant, turned the ball over when the Lakers were nursing a one point lead, then missed a three to win the game as time expired. Nowitzki carried the load in game one scoring 28 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. If Dallas loses this game, who knows, maybe the 2011 playoffs would have had a different outcome because this single victory gave the Mavericks the confidence they were lacking in years past. They rode this momentum into game two, and just like that they were up 2-0 on the two time defending NBA Champions, and doing this in the Lakers backyard. Once again, in game three we saw true greatness from Dirk Nowitzki. The Lakers were up by eight points with 7:35 left in the fourth quarter, and this is were Nowitzki put his team on his back and ensured Dallas they were not going to let the defending champs get back into the series. In the final 7:35, Nowitzki scored nine of his game high 32 points, including a two-point field goal with 1:23 left to give the Mavericks a 93-91 lead, and Dallas never looked back after that bucket. Game four, the Lakers never even showed up and Dallas won easily to send the two time defending champs home. A lot of people thought this series would be a sweep, they just got the two teams mixed up. In the Conference Semi's, Nowitzki averaged 25.5 points a game and 9.3 rebounds, but more importantly shot 57% from the floor, and a ridiculous 73% from 3-point range. If that is not efficient, I don't know what is.
             Then, Nowitzki did not think that was that efficient, and dropped in 48 points on the Oklahoma City Thunder in game one of the Western Conference Finals. The craziest part about his 48 points was he did it on only 15 shots. Nowitzki went 12-15 from the field, and a ridiculous 24-24 from the free throw line. (The 24-24 from the free throw line is an NBA post-season record in a game with the most makes without a miss.) This was one of the most efficient games in playoff history, if not the most efficient playoff game ever. Despite Nowitzki's 29 points in game two, the Thunder became the first team in the playoffs to knock off Dallas at home. This was the first time the Mavericks had not been up 2-0 in the 2011 playoffs, but this was not a problem for the new resilient Mavericks team. Dallas never looked back, and won the next three games against the Thunder. Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant hit a 3 point shot in game four with 5:03 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Thunder a 99-84 point lead, and yet again everyone was thinking this series was about to be tied 2-2, except for the Mavericks. Nowitzki scored 12 points after the 5:03 mark in the fourth quarter to rally his team to tie up the score 101-101 and send the game to overtime. (Did I mention Nowitzki made the Mavericks last four field-goals and hit two free-throws to tie up the game with six seconds remaining.) Dallas rode that momentum into overtime and Dallas beat the Thunder in Oklahoma City for the second straight game. Also, Nowitzki had his second 40 point game in the series scoring exactly 40 points, nothing like game one though, because he missed eight shots on 20 attempts and missed one free-throw in 15 attempts. Man, this guy is great! And, people stop comparing him to Larry Bird! Bird is one of a type just like Nowitzki is one of a type. There will never be another Larry Bird and there will never be another Dirk Nowitzki (I'll save this discussion for another time). Furthermore, in game five, Dallas had to overcome a fourth quarter deficit, yet again, and guess who led the way-Dirk Nowitzki. With 5:48 left in the game Oklahoma City were up 90-83, and Nowitzki made sure that the Thunder were not going to gain any momentum in the series. Nowitzki scored seven points in the final six minutes, including a go ahead 3-point bucket with 1:14 left in the game to give Dallas a 95-94 lead. Nowitzki was ridiculous in this series averaging 32.2 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, and shot 55% from the field, and a ridiculous 97% from the free-throw line making 59 out of 61 free-throws. Now, the Dallas Mavericks found themselves in familiar territory, a re-match with the Miami Heat for all the marbles, except this time around there was no Shaq, but there was some other guy named Lebron James. (You might have heard of him, you know the guy that hates poor people.)
             Before we get into the NBA Finals, I just want you to remember one thing D'wyane Wade said about Dirk Nowitzki after the 2006 NBA Finals-"Dallas lost because Dirk (Nowitzki) wasn't the leader he's supposed to be in the closing moments." And this whole series people always were saying what Lebron James said and making a story out of it, when it really should have been what his partner in crime was saying. If you pay close attention to the whole coughing scenario that Wade and James did, look at who starts the whole thing, not Lebron James, it was D'wyane Wade. James gets all the flack for everything he says off the court, and yet last time I checked D'wyane Wade was also celebrating the Heat pre-season celebration on stage, but yet we always mention James as being the guy in charge. What Wade said after the 2006 Finals is what fueled Dirk Nowitzki's historic playoff performance, and the whole coughing situation with Wade is what fired up Nowitzki's teammates to make sure they were not going to lose to this childish and immature team, that calls themselves the Miami Heat. (You know the team that celebrated winning it all before they ever stepped on the court together.) Furthermore, lets take a closer glimpse at what happened in the re-match of the 2006 NBA Finals.
             Both teams had a tough road to get to the NBA Finals, the Mavericks had to go through a tough, gritty squad in Portland, then the two-time defending champs and some guy named Kobe Bryant, then a tough young team with two superstars in the Thunder. The Heat on the other hand, had an easy first round series against a talented young Sixers team, then had to go through the reigning Eastern Conference champs, then against the team who had the best record in the NBA, the best defense in the NBA, oh and did I mention the MVP of the regular season.
             After game one, it played out like most NBA fans thought it would, the Miami Heat were too athletic for the oldest team in the 2011 playoffs and pulled away in the fourth quarter, winning 92-84. Game two went just like game one, at least for the first 41:30 of the game. Miami was up 88-73 after a Wade 3-point shot from the baseline, and Miami did what they do best : Celebrate before they have earned anything, with Lebron James playfully punching Wade in his chest and Wade holding up his hand for a good 10 seconds in front of the Dallas bench. This single play helped fuel the Mavericks to beat Miami, because they not only wanted it for themselves, but more importantly, they did not want to let the rest of the NBA down to let a team like Miami celebrate all off-season long, because it was almost a slap in the face the way Miami had celebrated like they won the whole thing before they earned it. This scene of immaturity and cockiness is what help fuel the Maverick players, and in the final 6:30 of game two, the whole series changed. Jason Terry was the guy who got Dallas going in the final six minutes of the game, but yet again, Dirk Nowitzki was the guy who closed out game two. Nowitzki had not scored a single point in the fourth quarter until the 2:44 mark when he hit a 18 foot jumper to cut the Miami deficit to 90-88. Then, Nowitzki hit a lay-up with 57 seconds left to tie it up at 90-90. Then, you know that guy that said Nowitzki was not the leader he was suppose to be after the 2006 Finals (Wade) missed a three and Dallas grabbed the rebound. Nowitzki got the ball on top of the key and buried a 25 foot three-pointer to give Dallas their first lead in the second half at 93-90, with 26 seconds remaining. After Chalmers tied the game with a three of his own, it was time for the best closer in the 2011 playoffs to hit his biggest shot of his career. Nowitzki drove to the lane and put up the left-handed lay-up off the glass and gave the Mavericks the lead for good with three seconds left, as Dallas tied up the series 1-1. Nowitzki scored the last nine points of the game for the Mavericks, and ended up scoring 24 points in game two and grabbing 11 rebounds. Also, Dallas did something that Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago could not do in the playoffs, win in Miami.
             As the series moved to Dallas, most people still felt that the Miami Heat were going to win the series. In game three, Dirk Nowitzki was the only guy who showed up for Dallas scoring 34 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, but Nowitzki needed 36 points as he missed a 20-footer from straight away as time expired to tie the game. The Mavericks knew they had to win games four and five, and Dirk Nowitzki knew he was going to have to be the guy who led the way. As the fourth quarter started in game four the Heat were up 67-65 and Miami scored the first five points of the fourth and were up 72-65. After Jason Terry hit back to back shots to cut the lead down to three points, it was time for Nowitzki to do what he has done the entire post-season. Nowitzki scored 10 points in the final nine minutes to lead the way for the Mavericks and Dallas tied up the series 2-2. Nowitzki scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, and no player in the playoffs averaged more points in the fourth quarter than Nowitzki. Oh, and did I mention he was playing this game with a sinus infection and was drained mentally and physically playing with a 101 degree fever. Game five was the biggest game for the Mavericks in the series, because they knew it would be extremely difficult to win two games in a row in Miami. With the score 100-100 with 2:45 remaining in the fourth quarter, Nowitzki swished a shot to give Dallas the lead for good. Nowitzki finished the biggest game of his career with 29 points, making 9-18 field goals, and made all 10 of his free-throws. Dallas was one game away from doing something they have never done in their 31-year history, and they knew game six was the game they needed to get.
          Miami came out on fire in game six, running out to a 20-11 lead, and Lebron James started the game 4-4 from the field with nine early points, but luckily for Dallas that was pretty much all James did. Dallas showed their resiliency once again, and battled back to end the first quarter with a five point lead. At halftime, Dallas maintained a 53-51 lead, but more importantly, the Mavericks had a two point lead with their star, Nowitzki, struggling, shooting 1-12 in the first half. Nowitzki had got this team so far and the one game he was struggling the rest of the team knew they had to step up and make some big time shots, which they did. After watching the first half, I got the feeling that this was going to be the last game of the 2010-11 season, because this was a game Miami should have been up by double-digits, and not down by two points at halftime with Nowitzki missing 11 of his 12 shots. Miami clearly did not want it as bad as the Dallas Mavericks did. As the third quarter started, the Heat took a 56-55 lead after a Bosh jumper with 10:56 left in the third quarter, but little did Miami know this would be their last lead in the game. Nowitzki battled back and had a good second half going 8-15 from the floor and made huge baskets in the fourth quarter to ice the game. In the fourth, Nowitzki made five of his final six shots, and when Nowitzki drained a two point jumper with 2:27 remaining to give Dallas a ten point lead, he gave himself a fist pump knowing that this was the exclamation point in bringing a championship back home to Dallas. Most importantly, Nowitzki not only earned the respect from the Miami Heat, but from the rest of the NBA to show the world that he is among the league's best. D'Wyane Wade was definitely not thinking the same thing about Nowitzki after the 2006 Finals, this time he was probably thinking the same thing about his teammate, Lebron James. The best scene from it all towards the end of the game was watching Nowitzki run into the locker room with two seconds remaining because he did not want the world to see him cry in joy as he finally achieved his childhood dream. The NBA Finals MVP, Nowitzki, averaged 26 points a game, 9.6 rebounds, made 45-46 free-throws, and in the fourth quarter of the six games in the NBA Finals, he scored as many points as Lebron James and D'Wyane Wade combined (62). Also, Nowitzki had four double-doubles in the NBA Finals and ended up with seven double-doubles in the 2011 playoffs. Nowitzki became the first European player to ever be named Finals MVP, and is clearly the best player from another country to ever play the game.      
         During an off-season when we witnessed "The Decision," because Lebron James did not think he could bring a championship by himself to the city of Cleveland, Dirk Nowitzki felt he owed the city of Dallas something and he re-signed with the Mavericks, and I guess you could say it paid off. Nowitzki was loyal to his fans and his owner, even though he could have elected to sign somewhere else. Also, Nowitzki elected to take less money so the team could sign Brenden Haywood to a contract extension, and also bring in Tyson Chandler. Chandler was the biggest off-season move for the Mavericks because he changed the team that was considered soft into a team that had toughness, and gave them that swagger that they lacked in years past. Nowitzki has always been a guy that does not do his talking with his mouth, but yet, with his actions and the way he plays the game. During the 2011 playoffs, Nowitzki averaged 27.7 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, shot 48 % from the field, shot 46 % from 3-point range, and 94 % from the free-throw line (an NBA playoff record with at least 50 free-throw attempts). Nowitzki did it all in the 2011 playoffs, and carried the Mavericks all the way to greatness. This was truly one of the best playoff performance in NBA history, and ranks up there with the playoffs that Michael Jordan had. Nowitzki was clearly the best player in the 2011 NBA playoffs and outplayed the likes of Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, D'Wyane Wade, Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, and many other superstars. Dirk Nowitzki cemented his place among the top 20 players to ever play the game, and also now has to be considered as one of the top five players currently in the NBA. This guy put a team, a city, and the country on his back to knock off the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals, and did it like he had no pressure on him. Dirk Nowitzki is clearly the best European player to ever lace them up on the hardware. He has to be considered the best power forward in the game. We will never see another guy like Dirk Nowitzki, a seven footer who shoots like a guard, and has an unguardable fade away jumper off one foot. Once again, the hero came up on top, and it looks like Batman can hold off the villains to keep Gotham safe, for at least one more year.

Top 10 Players in the NBA

             There are two reasons why the stars of today play the game of basketball: championships and to be among the greatest to ever play (OK, and of course for the $$$!) Every player is trying to strive what Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell achieved during their tenures in the NBA. These guys, are who the veteran players of today looked up to when their careers got started. The time has changed and now young kids either in college, high-school, or younger are idolizing the guys who are currently playing in the NBA. There are so many talented players currently in the NBA, and it is going to be tough to pick the top 10 who lace them up on the hardware. Of course, this is not just based off of what has happened in the 2010-11 season, but as what players have achieved as a whole during their NBA careers and are still playing at a high level (Sorry Duncan and KG.) There might be some young guns that have surpassed some of the veterans that have moved up to the top 10! This was definitely a tough list to make up, but it does not get anymore accurate than this. Bill Simmons, Mike Wilbon, Stephen A. Smith, and many other basketball correspondents would be crazy to disagree! Alright so here we go folks, time to get this list crackin'!

1. KOBE BRYANT (15 Years)

Five-time NBA Champion, Two-time NBA Finals MVP, One NBA MVP, (should be more, I mean come on Nash and Lebron have two) 13-time All-Star, Two-time NBA Scoring Champion, Nine-time All-NBA First Team, Nine-time All-NBA Defensive First Team, Four-time All-Star MVP.

This is definitely an outstanding resume to look at, and the scary thing it is only going to get better because Kobe still has at least two good years left in him. It was either Kobe one or Lebron, but I still believe Kobe is the best player in the world and his pedigree does not lie. Kobe Bryant is currently at the six spot on the all-time scoring list with 27,686 points scored (only trailing Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.) Not bad company. Bryant averages 25.3 points per game during his 15-year NBA career, but most importantly, I do not believe there is a guy currently in the NBA that has been as clutch as Kobe Bryant. A lot of people will say look at the stats, because if that was the case Carmelo Anthony would be the guy you would want taking the last shot, but if you ask any GM in the NBA, I would bet my life savings that over 85% would say that they want Bryant taking the shot. Kobe Bryant has had a long road to get to were he is right now, and I do not know if any player has ever matured as much as Kobe Bryant. Just read Phil Jackson's book to get a glimpse of what he thought of Kobe Bryant the first time he was with the Lakers. I bet Phil Jackson will be coming out with another book in the next couple of years and it is going to talk about how much Kobe matured during Jackson's second stint as the Lakers coach at some point in the book, but I am really interested to read when he is comparing Kobe and MJ (MJ is the best in NBA history, just had to throw that out there). There is no doubt that Kobe Bryant is still the top guy in the NBA, but there are some young studs gaining on Bryant quickly, and Bryant might not be holding on to the number one spot for much longer.

2. LEBRON JAMES (8 Years)

Two-time NBA MVP, Seven-time All-Star, One NBA Scoring Championship, Five-time All-NBA First Team, Three-time All-NBA Defensive First Team, Rookie of the Year, Two-time All-Star MVP.

There is no way in the world that there is any guy in the NBA that is more athletic than Lebron James (even though Blake Griffin is shaking his head right about now.) Lebron James might be the most athletic athlete in any sport in the world. This guy is 6'8", 240 pounds, and runs like Usain Bolt. The dude is a freak! Also, I do not know if there is a more hated guy than James in the sports world (Terrell Owens is doing a Jersey Shore fist pump right about now!) No one has ever gone from being a hero to a villain as quickly as Lebron James did all because of a show called "The Decision" (you might have heard of it.) All he did was donate two-million dollars to the boys and girls club and said he was going to South Beach, and yet people scrutinized him so much for one decision because why? The dude wants to win championships, and he knew he could not do that in Cleveland. And hey come on now, we all would have loved if Lebron would have said our team's city instead of South Beach. I'll save this for another blog, because there is definitely a lot to discuss when it comes to Lebron James. And hey, the King is trying to do something he has not done yet that would start his legacy and that is win an NBA Championship. The scary thing is, the Miami Heat are going to be 10-times better next year, and maybe the guy was not joking about getting more than 5, 6, or 7 Championships. James has been hated on more than George W. Bush was hated on by liberals, and the guy gets a triple-double in the NBA Finals, but yet he still had a bad game and is not clutch. People just do not realize James would rather distribute the ball down the stretch, and why wouldn't he with Chris Bosh and D' Wade on his team. I understand the criticism after game 4 because he was not playing defense, distributing the ball well, and was very passive, but criticism after game 3 and game 5 are just plain stupid. Lebron James will quickly become the top guy in the NBA, and I think Kobe Bryant might have one more season of being numero uno because James is right there. The King averages 27.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1.7 steals in his career, and if he can add some championships he could be considered among the NBA's elite. (Don't worry I am not going to go Scottie Pippen on ya'll just yet.)

3. DWYANE WADE (8 Years)

One NBA Championship, One NBA Finals MVP, Seven-time All-Star, One NBA scoring championship, Two-time All-NBA First Team, One All-Star MVP.

Dwyane Wade has always been one of the top guys in the NBA, and I do not know if there is a more likable guy than Wade. This guy has done so much for the community of Miami and did something that the Miami Heat has ever done: lead his team to an NBA Championship. Wade and James are close to achieving Miami's second NBA Championship, and I have a feeling (if they do beat Dallas) it might not be the only one these two guys win. In Wade's two Finals appearances he is averaging 31.8 points per game and won his first championship in 2006 single handily taking the Championship from Dallas when it was right there in front of them. (Dallas up by 13 points with 6:29 left in the 4th and Wade scored 15 of his 42 points in the 4th.) Wade put up 36 points or better in the final four games of the 2006 Finals and became the fifth youngest Finals MVP in NBA history and his 34.7 points per game is third best in NBA history among guys in their first NBA Finals appearance. Wade always plays his best in the games that matter, and he has shown it once again in these NBA Finals (Dallas is probably the only city in the country that actually hates someone more than Lebron James.) During Wade's career he averages 25.4 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. It is almost not fair that two of the top three players in the world are on the same team, but hey the game has changed and you can't fault the two for wanting to win. Expect more stars to join each other in the near future, especially if Miami can win a championship in their first season together.

4. DWIGHT HOWARD (7 Years)

Five-time All-Star, Three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Four-time All-NBA First Team, Three-time All-NBA Defensive First Team.

If it was not Derrick Rose this year, I do not think there was a guy who had a better year in the NBA than Superman (Sorry Shaq, Howard is the real Superman now.) Howard was an absolute monster this year defensively, but his improvements offensively were significantly better than any of his past seasons. Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing have definitely had a serious impact in the improvements in Howard's game, and he is only going to keep getting better. This next season is going to be important for Howard, but even more important for Orlando. If the Magic can not make a deep run into the playoffs do not be shocked to see Howard move cities (Superman II might be starring in Hollywood after next season, if not sooner.) I really believe Howard wants to stay in Orlando and bring them their first championship, but hey Lebron James wanted to do the same for Cleveland until the Celtics kept knocking them around like rag dolls in the playoffs. Dwight Howard had a monster year averaging a career best 22.9 points, a ridiculous 14.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. During Howard's career he has put up 18.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.2 blocks. If Howard can get more consistent with his free throw stroke he will be putting up 25 points a game easy in the future. The only question with Howard is will he be playing in Orlando next year or is he purple and gold bound!

5. DIRK NOWITZKI (13 Years)

One NBA MVP, 10-time All-Star, Four-time All-NBA First Team.

I do not know if there is a guy who has jumped up in the top 10 among current NBA players than the 7' foot German. This guy had turned himself into a tough-nosed player this year, when everyone thought he was a softie. He outplayed Lebron James with a 101 degree fever and scored almost as much as Lebron James in the fourth quarter in game four (10) as James has in the Finals (11.) Nowitzki has put his team on his back and has carried Dallas to the Finals pretty much by himself.  He had one of the most efficient games in playoff history against the Thunder in game one of the Western Conference Finals when he shot 12-15 from the field, 24-24 from the charity stripe, and scored 48 points on only 15 shots (THAT IS FREAKING CRAZY!!!) Screw it, that is the most efficient game in playoff history! If Nowitzki can win his first NBA Championship this year, his legacy would be solidified, and even if Dallas loses it still might be. Nowitzki is one of four players to average 25 plus points a game and 10 plus rebounds a game in playoff history and the other three are Hakeem Olajuwon, Bob Petit, and Elgin Baylor (Baylor is the most underrated player in NBA history.) Nowitzki has been among the league's best when it comes to offensive ability putting up 23 points during his career and also averaging 8.4 rebounds. Nowitzki has been considered to move into the top 20 of all-time in NBA history, I for one disagree, but if he wins his first championship against the most hated team in NBA history, he has a good chance to squeeze into the top 20. But, for now we can all agree that he is the best European player in NBA history, and that was even before his historic playoff run this season.

6. CARMELO ANTHONY (8 Years)

Four-time All-Star, One All-NBA Second Team, Three-time All-NBA Third Team.

Carmelo Anthony is one of the best scorers in the game and does it at ease. He has a smooth jumper and can also finish at the rim. He showed how great of a scorer he was in game two in the first-round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics when he scored 42 points and kept the Knicks in that game without Amare Stoudemire in the 2nd half. He also snagged a career high 17 rebounds in that game, and it very well could have been his best game ever as an NBA player. Carmelo Anthony is the only player on this list that has a NCAA Championship on his resume, and as a Freshman at Syracuse he lead the Orange to the schools first National Championship and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. During Anthony's eight years he has averaged at least 20 points in every season. During Melo's tenure in the NBA he averages 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and shoots 46 % from the floor. In the 2010-11 season Carmelo Anthony had more game winning field goals than Kobe Bryant (1-3 FG), Dwyane Wade (0-4 FG), Lebron James (1-8), and Paul Pierce (1-3) combined. Anthony went 4-6 in crunch time when his team was either trailing or tied with less than 10 seconds left in the game. This dude is money down the stretch and loves taking these type of shots when the game is on the line, and I highly doubt Melo would have the Lebron syndrome in the Finals.

7. DERRICK ROSE (3 Years)

One NBA MVP, Two-time All-Star, One All-NBA First Team, Rookie of the Year.

I understand it is hard to put a guy in the top 10 among current players when he has only played three seasons, but after the MVP season he had this year he is definitely making the cut. The kid was the best player in the NBA this year (sorry Colin Cowherd) and he led his team without another superstar on his team to the most wins in the NBA this season. Also, Rose became the youngest player ever to win the MVP award at age 22, surpassing Wes Unseld who was 23 when he won his in 1969. If it was not for Blake Griffin this year, Derrick Rose was the most exciting player to watch this year. Rose has an Allen Iverson cross-over, the strength of Lebron James, and the vision of Jason Kidd. The scary thing for the NBA is this kid is going to keep getting better and if the Bulls can add a legit two-guard the Bulls are going to be hard to beat in the future. During Rose's three year career he has put up 20.9 points and 6.7 assists per game. Rose is also a very durable player and has only missed six games in his first three seasons. In Rose's MVP season he put up 25 points, 7.7 dimes, and 4.1 rebounds a game, but more importantly he led his team to 62 wins. Only one other Bull did what Derrick Rose accomplished this year and you might have heard of him, some guy named Michael. Derrick Rose did something that Michael Jordan never did in his first three seasons with the Bulls and that was get out of the first round of the playoffs. In the last 30 years, only two other players have accomplished what Derrick Rose did, score at least 2,000 points, and dish out at least 600 assists in a season. The other two players were Michael Jordan and Lebron James, not bad company Mr. Rose!

8. AMARE STOUDEMIRE (9 Years)

Six-time All-Star, One All-NBA First Team, Four-time All-NBA Second Team, Rookie of the Year.

Amare Stoudemire showed the world how good he was last season, and you do not even have to look at what he did with the Knicks but just look at what happened to the Phoenix Suns. The Suns made the Western Conference Finals in the 2009-10 season and this season they had booked their vacation plans before the regular season ended. On the other hand, Amare Stoudemire led the New York Knicks to the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 season. Also, the Knicks recorded their first winning season since the 2000-01 campaign. Stoudemire single handily brought back the life and energy to the Big Apple, and the Knicks can also thank him for making it easier for Anthony to want to play in New York. This last season Stoudemire averaged 24.7 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks. During Stoudemire's nine year career he averages 22.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks per game, and a sexy 54 % from the field. Amare Stoudemire is one of the best players in the NBA in the post, but over the past few seasons he has improved his jump shot tremendously. Stoudemire is one of the most difficult bigs to guard in the NBA, and is probably the second hardest in the NBA (the other is some guy lighting it up in the Finals).

9. KEVIN DURANT (4 Years)

Two-time All-Star, Two-time NBA Scoring Champ, Two-time All-NBA First Team, 2010 FIBA World Championship MVP, Rookie of the Year.

Back to back scoring championships for Kevin Durant in the past two seasons for Mr. Duranchilla. Oh, and did I mention he became the youngest player ever to win a scoring championship at age 21, surpassing the Chicago Stags' Max Zaslofsky who led the NBA in scoring during the 1947-48 season, at age 22. Kevin Durant has been killing it during his whole career playing basketball, especially in his one year at the University of Texas when he was named the 2007 Naismith College Player of the Year (Portland is probably wishing they would have selected Durant number one instead of  Greg Oden, who has played like two games in the NBA.) As a rookie during the 2007-08 season Durant averaged 20 points per game, and since then he has averaged at least 25 points a game in the following three seasons. During Durant's career he averages 25.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. In the two seasons Durant won his scoring championship he averaged 30.1 PPG (2009-10), and 27.7 PPG (last season). The NBA is in excellent hands with young guys like Durant and Derrick Rose because not only are they great players on the court, but they are even better individuals off the court. These two young studs are two of the most humble guys who play the game and I do not know if there are two guys in the NBA who love their mama's more than Rose and Durant. These two guys are the perfect role models for the NBA.

10. STEVE NASH (15 Years)

Two-time NBA MVP, Seven-time All-Star, Three-time All-NBA First Team, Two-time All-NBA Second Team, Two-time All-NBA Third Team.

Steve Nash has had an amazing career in the NBA and still showed us last year he can play at a high level, even though the Suns were not able to re-sign his favorite toy-Amare Stoudemire. Last year, Nash averaged 14.7 points, and led the NBA with his 11.4 assists per game. He averaged 11 assists a game with the likes of Channing Frye, Marcin Gortat, Grant Hill, Jared Dudley, and Vince Carter, if he can lead the NBA in assists with that team then he still has to be considered among the best players in the NBA! I mean come on who misses more shots than Vince Cater! (And I'm a huge Carolina fan and Vince Carter is one of the reasons why, but the dude is so overrated it is not funny). Back to the best Canadian to ever lace them up, Nash has led the NBA in assists five times in his career. He became one of five players to ever have a season in the 40-50-90 club (40 % from 3, 50 % from the field, and 90 % from the free-throw line). And he did it five straight seasons from the 2005-06 season until the 2009-10 season. The only other four guys to do this were Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, Mark Price, and Dirk Nowitzki. Bird was the only one to do it multiple times and he only did it in three seasons. During Steve Nash's back to back MVP seasons he became the ninth player to ever do so winning them back to back, and became only the second point guard in NBA history to win multiple MVP's, the other some guy named Magic! The reason why Steve Nash is considered one of the best point guards in the the NBA is because he makes all four guys around him that much better. During Nash's career he averages 14.6 points, 8.5 assists, and is shooting 49 % from the field, 43 % from 3, and 90 % from the charity stripe. And his assists numbers for his career is a little deceiving because he did not play too much during his first stint in Phoenix averaging only 15 minutes a game in his two years with the Suns. It was between Chris Paul and Steve Nash to grab this last spot but Nash's pedigree is a lot stronger than Paul's.