David Lee: The NBA's ‘Worst' Best Player

David Lee

First of all, we're going to start out by saying that the mere fact you're on this list means you're a hell of a player. And just because you rank near the bottom, it doesn't necessarily mean it's your fault. No, it's on your GM.

Everyone knows you've got to have a star to win in the NBA, and the teams without one -- or with a lesser one -- usually don't fare very well.

With that in mind, here's one guy's ranking of the each NBA team's best player. The goal: Find the "worst" best player in the league, and unfortunately, for David Lee, it's him.

1. Kobe Bryant, Lakers: No, I'm not a Lakers fan in general, nor a Bryant fan in particular. I just think he's the best player in the game.

2. LeBron James, Cavaliers: He's coming hard and strong, and who knows? Come June, James may be at the top of this list.

3.Dwyane Wade, Heat: Few guards can impact the game defensively on the perimeter like Wade.

4. Deron Williams, Jazz: Some will claim Williams is too high on this list. He's not; he's the best point guard in the NBA, and last we checked point guard was still the most important position on the floor.

5. Chris Paul, Hornets: The second-best point guard in the NBA.

Dwight Howard

6. Dwight Howard, Magic: There are better players ranked below Howard on this list. But potential has to count for something, and Howard still has loads of it.

7. Tim Duncan, Spurs: Yes, Duncan is on the downside of his career, but his skill and savvy keep him among the elite when it comes to "making teammates better."

8.Kevin Garnett, Celtics: Obviously, Garnett was an integral part in the Celtics championship a year ago. But it says here, that Nos. 1 through 7 on this list -- and perhaps even No. 9 through No. 15 -- would have gotten it done for Boston, too.

9. Yao Ming, Rockets: Yao will continue to slip down this list until his team can get to the second round of the playoffs.

10. Brandon Roy, Blazers: Roy remains the best-kept secret in the NBA.

11.Amare Stoudemire, Suns: Stoudemire's play will suffer when he no longer teams with Steve Nash. But Stoudemire can still dominate the interior for stretches.

12. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks: The series against the Warriors might forever scar Nowitzki. But don't forget, he was close to delivering a title for Dallas the year before, and that counts for something.

13. Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets: For all his talent, Anthony is quietly developing a case of Tracy McGrady-itis, defined as a frustrating inability to get to the second round.

14. Kevin Durant, Thunder: He still has a lot to prove, but Durant's growth from his rookie year in 2007-08 to this year has been impressive. Such as going from 43 percent from the field last year to 48 percent this year, and a 3-point improvement from .288 to .426.

15. Chris Bosh, Raptors: The inevitable question: How good can Bosh be if he's your best player and you've won only 26 games?

16. Joe Johnson, Hawks: Johnson is a real nice player and we'd take him on our team anytime. But he leaves a little something to be desired as a No. 1. Now, if he's your No. 3, well then you've got something.

17. Gilbert Arenas, Wizards: We're doing Arenas a favor here because we like him. Bottom line is we're assuming he returns to complete health. Here's rooting for that.

18. Baron Davis, Clippers: This one is tough. If it's the Davis of the past two years, he would rank higher on this list. If we're judging on this year alone, he'd be lower. Like in David Lee territory. So, this is where Davis settles in. Just know he can fluctuate.

19. Derrick Rose, Bulls: Rose has that little something special. You can just tell. Question is, will he enter Deron Williams/Chris Paul category?

20. Al Jefferson, Timberwolves: Poor Al Jefferson. He'll never be as good as Kevin McHale wants him, or needs him, to be.

21. O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies: Mayo might not be Memphis' best player right now (it might be Rudy Gay), but if he's not, he will be soon.

22. Rip Hamilton, Pistons: A year or two ago, there would be three or four Pistons who could claim to be the team's best player. Now, it's just Hamilton, a true professional and proven winner.

Devin Harris

23. Devin Harris, Nets: It's always scary when you're star player is wispy.

24.Stephen Jackson, Warriors: Jackson has been asked to do too much, and he's tried everything in his power to oblige. Yes, he's scoring, rebounding and assisting at high rates. But his shooting percentage sits at .414, and he's already shattered his career-high for turnovers in a season.

25. Boris Diaw, Bobcats: Diaw barely nudged out teammate Gerald Wallace as Charlotte's best player.

26. Andre Iguodala, Sixers: We made Iguodala the Sixers' best player instead of Elton Brand because at this point Brand would have ranked lower on the list.

27. Danny Granger, Pacers: If Mike Dunleavy were healthy, would Granger be the Pacers' best player?

28. Kevin Martin, Kings: Needs to bring more to the table than just a 24-point per game average on .418 percent shooting.

29. Michael Redd, Bucks: Don't think that Redd ranks this low because he has been injured most of the year. Truth be told, he'd rank in the bottom five if he were healthy.

30. David Lee, Knicks: As a role player, Lee is terrific. Hard-working and conscientious? Check. But that's not really what you're looking for in a star, is it? The good news for Lee is we deemed him a better player than either Nate Robinson or Al Harrington.

David Lee: The NBA's 'Worst' Best Player originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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