Top 30 NBA Players 2012-2013

With NBA training camps set to open in a few weeks I decided to rank the top 30 NBA players. This next season will have so many reasons to be excited about the NBA. Some questions will be, can the Heat repeat? How will the new pieces in LA work? Are the Thunder ready to take the final step? Is this the year Kobe finally drops from the elite ranks? All of those questions will be answered in the months to come but right now let’s count down the top 30 players in the association.

Here are rankings 30-26:

30. James Harden

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Position: SG

Age: 23

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.2 blocks, 1.0 steals

We can’t look at his horrible performance in the Finals and dismiss the great things James Harden did for the Thunder. He is a top 30 player in the NBA and who knows, he might be ranked higher if he played on a team that utilized his talents more. Even so he is the reigning 6th man of the year. He is a crafty player with the ball and some can argue that he is the Thunder’s best playmaker. I expect a lot more of the same from Harden this season as he looks to get a huge contract this next off season.

I wouldn’t mind seeing him give a little more effort on the defense and cut down on the flopping but I must say, he is a fun player to watch and a top 4-5 shooting guard in the league.

29. Steve Nash

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Position: PG

Age: 38

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 0.1 blocks, 0.6 steals

Steve Nash is one of the NBA’s oldest floor generals but I expect him to still compete for the NBA assist crown this season. Now that he has moved from PHX to LA, I expect Nash to ease the burden on Kobe and get everyone involved offensively. He has an unique way of leading and I believe  he will mesh well with Kobe. It will kind of be a good cop bad cop thing.

Everyone knows Nash struggles defensively and with the amount of great point guards in the league right now it is vital that Howard is healthy because he can help Nash on the screen and roles. All in all,  I expect Nash to help the Lakers contend to the title this season before his time is up in the league.

28. Eric Gordon

Team: New Orleans Hornets

Position: SG

Age: 23

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 20.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.4 blocks, 1.4 steals

Some would argue giving Eric Gordon a high ranking  on this list. It is true, he only played a handful of games last season but I expect him to have a bounce back performance this year. With the additions the Hornets that were made, I believe he is poised to average over 20 points a game and be the go to scorer for this young team. He will have every opportunity to get shots up and I think he will be able to capitalize.

27. Amare Stoudemire

Team: New York Knicks

Position: PF

Age: 29

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 17.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1 blocks, 0.8 steals

This is a huge upcoming season for Amare and the Knicks. A few years ago when he signed his 100 million dollar contract he looked like a MVP candidate. Then the Knicks traded for Carmelo and they have yet to find an ability to play well together. Hopefully with a full training camp this year they will find a way to work things out. I expect Amare to have a productive season under Mike Woodson and hopefully help lead the Knicks deep into the playoffs. If he can improve his defense and rebounding, the Knicks just might be able to make some noise.

26. Manu Ginobili

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Position: SG

Age: 35

2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 12.9 points, 3.4rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.7 steals

This in all likelihood could be the last run for the Spurs with the core of Duncan-Parker-Ginobili. As long as they all stay healthy, I expect the Spurs to still contend in the West. At the age of 35 with a history of getting hurt what more can we expect out of Ginobili? Some will argue,  his ranking is to high based on his stats but any basketball mind knows he is a leader on the Spurs and still one of the best players in the NBA.