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Best In Show Winner Declared
FanHouse's Tom Ziller argues his ranking of the top 50 players in the NBA.
The case for Shane Battier was made quite recently on this blog. I'm not nearly conceited or drunk enough to quote myself, so a paraphrasal: Battier is among the best defenders in the league, he is quite an efficient offensive player, and he never misses games. He is one of the most underrated players in the NBA, and he deserves your baklava. (Come on, the dude's hungry. Hook him up.)
David Berri and I have had some fairly serious disagreements over recent times. However, I do respect Berri's system and what he does. One of my favorite Berri analyses came in his dissection of Battier. The piece focused on Battier's ability to limit mistakes and get a good number of steals. Well worth the read.
His unassailable defense is what really strikes me, though. His battle with Kobe Bryant on national TV during Houston's rollicking streak last season is the most notable recent explosion of rejection. He "face-checked" Kobe the entire afternoon, and wouldn't allow the MVP to get a single easy shot. Battier's defense is relentless: he never slacks off, never gives up on a play.
They say 90% of defense is effort. That's wrong: Al Jefferson plays his tail off, but he's just missing an understanding of the basic tenets of stout defense. (He'll get there.) Battier has the physical tools, of course: he was the best player in college basketball in 2000-01. But his instinctual ability to read the game, stay in front of his man, and recover when he's beat ... that's where he surpasses 98% of swingmen on the defensive end.
Of course, critics will note Battier doesn't score much, creates less, is not a great rebounder, has never been out of the first round, blah blah blah blah blah. Battier is better than much of the league. He's just different. Don't allow a failed understanding of why teams win to cloud your view of players like this.
NBA Top 50
No. 50, Andris Biedrins, Warriors
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