The Best Players Of The Decade By

Category: LeBron James Is The Best

Player, James Harden Is The Best Scorer
By Eddie Bitar

- January 6, 2020

- In NBA

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As we approach 2020, it is time to look back at the last ten years. We

witnessed the retirements of some all-time great players including Kobe
Bryant and Kevin Garnett, while some other players took massive steps to
become the top NBA players we see today with the likes of James Harden
and Stephen Curry dominating the league.
Even LeBron James has continued his unworldly consistency on the court and
has reigned king of the league for a while now.

As such, it is time to find the greatest player in the past decade in each
category of basketball.

Scoring: James Harden

(via The Dream Shake)

In terms of putting the ball in the basket, Harden has been the very best in this
past decade. This is very impressive, considering the fact that he only became
a full-time starter in 2012. Harden has dominated the league in scoring and
has found a way to get two points at the bare minimum per possession.
His step-back three-point shot is one of the most deadly moves in NBA
history, and time will tell if he can manage to surpass any of the top three
scorers of all time.

Rebounding: Andre Drummond

Credit: USATSI
Drummond blossomed into a defensive center early on in his career, after
many had doubts over his NBA ability. Drummond seemed unathletic and
incapable of making an impact on the game, but that soon changed once he
began hauling 10+ RPG on a consistent basis. To date, Drummond is by far
the best rebounder in the league and has averaged 13.8 rebounds per game
for his career.
Thanks to his size, strength, awareness, and length, Drummond is the best
rebounder and takes this category for the decade.

Playmaking: Chris Paul

In terms of pure playmaking ability, no one did it better than Chris Paul. Even
though guys like Russell Westbrook and James Harden average a lot of
assists per game, it was Paul who managed to provide solid floor leadership
for both the Clippers and Rockets. Paul has outstanding court vision and
always makes the right play in favor of his team.

HOF point guard CP3 is the best playmaker of the decade.

Shooting: Stephen Curry

This one is not very close. We have seen some really exciting shooters
including the likes of Kyle Korver, Kevin Durant, and even Klay Thompson.
But Stephen Curry runs away with this category, as possibly the number one
greatest shooter of all time.

This decade consisted of Stephen Curry going ballistic on the rest of the
league, and he managed to change the entire style of play in the entire NBA.
Curry’s ability to consistently be a sharpshooter from beyond makes him one
of the most valuable players that the league has ever seen.
 Defending: Kawhi Leonard

Credit: Getty Images

While this decade is captured by great offensive players, dedicated basketball
fans were blessed with extraordinary defenders as well. With the likes of
Draymond Green and Rudy Gobert capturing the essence of playing impactful
defense, only one player gets ahead of the pack here.

Kawhi Leonard managed to capture two Defensive Player of the Year Awards
with the San Antonio Spurs and completely dominated the defensive side of
the ball. Kawhi originally entered the league as a stout defender and has since
improved his ball-stopping ability. Now a superstar two-way player, Leonard’s
dedication to being an all-time great defender gives him this category.
 Clutch: Damian Lillard

(via NBA.com)
When it comes to clutch, Lillard has been the man this past decade. Despite
coming into the league in the 2013 season, Lillard has nailed countless clutch
baskets that he is possibly the most feared man in the league with the ball in
his hands. Lillard ha shit some crazy shots in the playoffs as well, including
two buzzer-beaters to send both the Rockets and Thunder home. Needless to
say, both franchises have not looked the same since.

His track record and sharpshooting makes him the best clutch player this
decade.

Efficiency: LeBron James

(via Bleacher Report)
It is only a matter of time before LeBron James appears on a category. James
is the most efficient superstar this decade since he has all the tools to be
effective in every single way. James is a freight train to the basket and is one
of the best pure passers in the league right now. James can also rebound the
ball at a high rate and when motivated, has the physical tools to shut down
most players on any given night.

He also shoots a very high percentage from the field since he takes most of
his shots close to the basket, and has shown the ability to get hot from the
perimeter this decade as well. James is easily the most efficient player in the
past decade.
 Leadership: LeBron James

While Chris Paul has been a tremendous floor general with an incredible
ability to lead his team on both sides of the floor, James did it the best and the
results back him up.

James made every team he joined an instant contender, including the Miami
Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. James was the best player for both franchises
and came up with three NBA titles as the main man. He held everyone
accountable and leads both on the court and off the court. He works the
hardest, takes care of himself most, and is pristine off the court.

His high basketball I.Q. and consistent production makes him the best leader
of this generation.
 Athleticism: LeBron James

Credit: NBA.com
In terms of pure athletic ability, LeBron James is a special talent. He is
powerful, quick, and has immense verticality when he is near the rim. There
probably isn’t a player in history with the build of James, who can move the
way he does. He is a force of nature when he has his head down and there
isn’t much anybody can do about it.

Even though Blake Griffin and Russell Westbrook come close with
extraordinary feats of athleticism including dunking over almost every NBA
big, LeBron was simply a monster in the early 2010’s with Miami. His
physicality and talent allowed him to win two straight NBA titles, as there
wasn’t anyone who could slow him down. Even today, his athleticism has only
deteriorated slightly, and this is a reason why he is still arguably the best
player in the league right now.
 Ball Handling: Kyrie Irving

(via Bleacher Report)

In terms of pure ball-handling ability, there hasn’t been anybody better than
Kyrie Irving this past decade. Stephen Curry comes very close but just misses
out because Irving literally makes a living off of his handles.

Kyrie has an insane ability to beat defenders off the dribble and create space
by breaking ankles all over the court. While not an official stat, it is safe to
assume that Irving averaged most broken ankles per game than anyone in the
league.

Kyrie almost never gets stripped, and his ability to create space every time
makes him the best ballhandler of the decade.
 Basketball I.Q.: LeBron James

No surprise here, 3-time NBA champion LeBron James has the highest I Q. of
any player we have seen in the past decade.

James can do it all on the floor and will go down his history as one of the best
at reading the game and making the right play. LeBron has become a smarter
player each year in the league, and his growth from 2010 until now is
astounding.

Thanks to his ability to play the team’s point guard, he is a pure extension of a
coach on the floor and can control the pace of the game. The reason he is
playing at a superstar level as he enters his late 30’s is simply because of his
extraordinary I.Q.
 Overall: LeBron James

Fadeaway World
All factors considered, LeBron James is the best overall player in the past
decade. As a three-time NBA champion with three Finals MVPs, this one
should not come very close. James managed to capture 2 regular season
MVPs as well and has an argument for winning every single one of them.
LeBron’s pure dominance every single night makes him the number one
player of the decade.

Even though Stephen Curry and even Kevin Durant come close, no player
faced more adversity and came out on top more than LeBron. The Warriors
were a tremendous dynasty, but James managed to capture a title for a
Cleveland franchise that might not ever win again.

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