I can’t deny how anxious and curious I am to see how everything is going to unfold throughout the season. There are the returns of superstars Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant, the re-return of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and the homecoming of LeBron James. I personally want to see the play of the rookies; specifically Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, the respective 1 and 2 picks in last year’s draft. Bottom line is that the NBA League Pass should be an easy sale for cable companies this year.
The parity amongst the teams in the NBA and how it correlates with time and my top ten selections deserve mention. Quite simply older players are moving on and younger players are getting better. This makes the games more competitive and makes it tougher to pick a clear-cut favorite for the championship. It’s like one of those animal documentaries where the young wolf pack leaves their tribe to conquer new territory. I can no longer look at Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, or Kobe Bryant and say no one can fuck with them. I know Duncan served his man last year in the Finals, but the storyline was more about the emergence of Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
Coming upon the realization that the surface has shifted, I concluded I had to shift my lineup. Now before we start the top ten, let me explain the rules to the new readers. Rule number one: this is my list and it is run like a dictatorship. The second rule is that the players are selected by position; I choose who I feel are the best at every position and then I select a backup. Rule number three is just a reminder that you should not forget Rule Number One. Now without further delay; let’s start the annual Top Ten NBA Players for BLACKTRUTH.NET.