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| This is what happens when you try to find an interesting picture by searching the term "Taxonomy." |
Taxonomy (which we are absolutely using incorrectly in this instance) is defined by Wikipedia - the oracle of modern knowledge - as "the practice and science of classification." Sports discussions implicate classifications all over the place. Think about it, when your arguing that MJ is better than AI, what you're really saying is that they belong in different categories. Similarly, when Melo goes to the Knicks people start talking about how the Knicks made up for missing out on LeBron. Intrinsically people know these guys are of different caliber but the problem is that in the conventional parlance, they're probably all lumped together under the term "Superstars." When a word is used to describe players of such varying abilities, it loses all meaning and that drives us nuts. But because it's not a problem of intelligence, but one of vocabulary, we decided to create a newer, better set of terms to (hopefully) clarify some of this mess - The Taxonomy of Players. Sure, it's an ambitious goal for a blog that nobody reads, but we're going for it anyway.
We decided to use the NBA as the test case for two reasons: (1) league discussions for the past year or so have been dominated by the subject of team building and player value - from the wisdom of the Celtics Big 3 to The Decision to Melo and the Knicks; and (b) basketball, more than any other sport, is subject to the "Power of the Individual" where one great player, or a lack thereof, can have a huge impact on a team or franchise. These things make identifying and understanding where a player truly stands of utmost importance.
It's less important in baseball or football where championships are won more through depth, scheme and hot streaks than individuals and players who suck one place can become stars when plugged into a different front or asked to hit in a different spot in a line-up. At this point in our thinking, any attempt to categorize guys like Manning, Brady and Pujols seems incomplete and unnecessary.
THE BEST
The first step we needed to take to make Taxonomy useful was to bring some clarification to the term "Superstar." As we discussed above, it's used just too damn much but, for practical purposes, the term is too ingrained to do away with completely. We decided to make it the middle tier separating the truly great players from the everyday guys and let it maintain the meaning of what fans en mass would consider a Superstar to be. We "created" two higher tier categories for particularly special players: "10's/All-Timers" and "Franchise Guys." And with that we can now have the right words effectively differentiate between Kobe, Kidd and Melo.
[Keep in mind that a players place in the Taxonomy can be fluid but our examples are where a guy ranked at his peak. Just because Blake Griffin is playing as a Superstar right now doesn't mean that he can't be better nor does it mean his career is comparable to another Superstar like Gary Payton who played at that level for a decade.)
All-Timers/10's
We're still trying to find the perfect label for this particular group but guys on this level as the best of the best, the cream of the crop or whatever other cliche you might throw out. Surrounded by a representative supporting cast (including one other guy from the top three tiers) they make you an instant championship contender, if not the favorite. Surround them with role players and you're still winning 50+ games. As the name brands of the league, they bring legitimacy both on and off the court - fans want to see them play and other players want a chance to join them. They do everything you'd expect from the best at their position -score, rebound, pass and most importantly, defend and are recognized as one of the Top 5-7 players in the league during an extended peak that lasts significantly longer than it should. When building a team, if you can get one of these guys you do it and figure out the rest later (though in the case of LeBron and Wade it's not always that easy.)
In movie terms these are Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Will Smith, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, George Clooney. They win Oscars, command $20m per movie and open big every time.
As far as NBA players go, it's a "Who's Who" of league royalty: Russell, Wilt, Oscar, Bird, Magic, Jordan, Shaq, Olajuwan, Abdul-Jabbar, Duncan, Kobe, Isiah Thomas. We'd also somewhat reluctantly put LeBron here.
Franchise Guys
As step below the elite but still rare. While good enough alone to carry a franchise to relevance alone, they need a but more help than the All-Timers to make a team a true contender. They put up numbers that make them look like 10's but, like the pretty girl who can't seem to keep a boyfriend, once you look closer you see a major flaw. Maybe they're a point guard who can't carry the scoring load, or a forward who lacks the commitment to defend or a big who doesn't come through during crunch time. 98% guys. Get two you're golden. Get one and think you got a 10, you fall just short.
Movie terms: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Russel Crowe, Robert Downey, Jr., Johnny Depp. They give you a Batman, Bourne or Pirates of the Caribbean but there's always a Green Zone, Tourist or Terminator Salvation that leaves you scratching your head.
Examples: Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose (for now), Dwight Howard and Derron Williams (forever), Chris Paul (sadly), Jason Kidd and Steve Nash (prime), Dirk Nowitzki (the reason this category was created), Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Kevin Garnett, Charles Barkley, Dr. J, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Moses Malone, Scottie Pippen, Bill Walton, Wade.
Superstars
This is where the majority of the "name" players end up. Big stats, the big contracts and big reputations (sometimes bigger than they deserve) and routine playoff appearances but never make you feel like this is the year. If you're looking to win a title you'd better not pin all your hopes on just one of these guys but pair them with a 10 or a Franchise Guy and you can start printing finals tickets.
Movie terms: Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Norton, Jim Carrey, Will Farrell. In the right role they're awesome but if you catch them in "Fun With Dick and Jane" or "The Spirit" you start questioning everything you ever thought about them in the first place.
Examples: Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire (the poster children), Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili (very hard to categorize), Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce (their powers combined!!), Pau Gasol and Kevin McHale, Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge, Dominique Wilkins (Beta Melo), Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter (being kind), George Gervin, Alonzo Mourning, Allen Iverson, Clyde Drexler, Reggie Millir, Rick Barry, Gary Payton, Blake Griffin, Robert Parish.
THE REST
The next two categories represent two sides of the large group of players not good enough move into the top three tiers but still good enough to be relevant. The majority of starters from non-playoff teams sit here but what separates them is the way they choose to utilize their skills.
Stars
Conversations about these guys are full of "buts." Fans know them but casual ones don't. They lead their teams but only to mediocrity. They put up big stats but on bad teams. They're "The Man" but not good enough to win games alone. They're good all-around players but not great at anything. They get a big contract at some point but immediately become overpaid. They might make an All-Star game but not more than two.
Movie terms: Nic Cage, Keanu Reeves, Kevin Costner
Examples: Monte Ellis, Kevin Martin, Josh Smith, Danny Granger, Andrea Bargnani, Antwan Jamison, Stephen Jackson, Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans, Baron Davis, Al Jefferson, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Jamal Crawford, Gilbert Arenas, Jerry Stackhouse, Ben Gordon
Championship Role Players
If the Stars are the "buts" these guys are the "ifs." If they find their way to the right situation (through luck, good fortune to their own volition ), they're the key to winning for a championship team. If they're the best player on the team their ethic and demeanor tells you they belong as a part of something bigger. If they make an All-Star team its because of their overall contribution, not their raw stats. If they impact the league it's because they were winners, not individuals.
Movie Terms: William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, John Turturro
Examples: The 2004 Pistons, Marcus Camby, Shane Battier, Kevin Love, Andre Miller, Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Gerald Wallace, Andrew Bogut, Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, Stephen Curry, Paul Milsap, David West, Kendrick Perkins, Lamar Odom, DeJuan Blair, Dennis Rodman, Bob Horry, Derek Fisher, Andre Kirilenko, Luis Scola, Sam Cassel, Landry Fields, Bruce Bowen, John Paxson, Big Baby, Bill Walton (1986), Bill Laimbier.
THE UGLY
And finally, the categories that nobody wants to be a part of, but knowing who theses guys are is just as important.
Black Holes
As is befits the name, these guys suck the life out of their teams though some combination of empty stats, low IQs and bad contracts (signed either before sharp decline or after simply having tricked someone into paying them). They're passed around like red-headed foster children until the day they gain some modicum of value from being referred to as "So-and-So's Expiring Contract."
Movie Terms: Chris Klein, Vin Diesel, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Paul Walker, Rob Schneider, Ashton Kucher, Fergie
Examples: Al Harrington, Eddy Curry, Andray Blatche, Corey Magette, Chris Gatling, Stephon Marbury, Rashard Lewis, Charlie Villanueva, Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown, Derrick Coleman
Guys
This is where we keep everyone else who can help a team win a game or two but lacks the skill or consistency to be trusted on a nightly basis.
Movie Terms: Security Guard #2, Pedestrian #4, James Van Der Beek
Examples: Erick Dampier, Shawne Williams, Zydrunas Igauskas, Ryan Gomes, Randy Foye, the 2010 New Jersey Nets, Matt Boner, Tony Allen, Everyone Else
Bonus: 6 Guys Hard to Categorize
Grant Hill: At this point in his career, Hill is most likely a CRP but what's more interesting is where he would have fell at his peak as a Piston. Back then, he was essentially a less athletic LeBron, averaging 20, 8 and 6 and was signed to a max deal coming off a broken ankle. Despite not being surrounded by much talent, he got his team to the playoffs 4 times. He was a great player at his peak but he strikes us more as a top-level Superstar than a Franchise Guy because his teams were never serious contenders. It's borderline though.
Shawn Marion: When he was young, Marion was a truly unique player who was dominant as an undersized 4 in the Suns uptempo system but he was always overshadowed by his running mates Nash and Amare. Maybe he suffers a bit from that but we can't picture him leading a team to the playoffs by himself. He's a CRP due to his willingness to acknowledge his shortcomings and fit in.
Allen Iverson: We've made it clear here before that we don't have much respect for guys who are simply Scorers and our distaste for Iverson's game is strong. Sure he was exciting and unique but his best season came only after Larry Brown put together a roster of guys who were completely and utterly selfless and concerned only with winning and making AI better and he proved time after time that he couldn't play with other good players. In our book, he's a Superstar. That's not an insult but we have a feeling his fans think he was a Franchise Guy.
Scottie Pippen: We only need to say Two things about Pippen: (1) 6 titles; and (2) the year MJ retired he lead the Bulls in scoring, assists, blocks, steals and grabbed 8 boards, won 55 games, and came within a phantom Hue Hollins call from going to the finals. That's a Franchise Guy.
Clyde Drexler: We're not quite sure what to make of "The Glide", he was the best player on two finals runner-up teams and was apparently good enough to convince Portland to pass on Jordan. Still despite his trips to the finals and his title with Hakeem, we have a hard time thinking he's any better than a guy like Melo. He's a Superstar.
Kevin Garnett: KG is the hardest guy for us. He's a 10 in every way except one - his teams didn't contend consistently with him as the centerpiece. Sure he didn't have great talent surrounding him but that's still hard to ignore. Our heart wants to make him an All-Timer but that flaw means he's "only" a Franchise Guy.
So there it is - The Taxonomy of NBA Players, so far. It's a developing idea so if you have suggestions or vehemently disagree with how we ranked somebody, let us know. But, at least, when we're discussing championship contenders like Boston (4 Superstars and several CRP's), Chicago (1 Franchise Guy, 1 Superstar, 2 CRPs and a bunch of Guys), Miami (2 10's, 1 Superstar and 9 Guys) or Los Angeles (1 10, 1 Superstar, 2 CRPs), we can have a better, if not perfect, method of comparison.
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