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djsunyc
Posts: 44929
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Joined: 1/16/2004
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Top 10 NBA Warriors
From Brendan McGovern,
What makes an NBA player a "warrior"? 82 games, 3,000 minutes and too many twists, pulls and bumps to measure are good benchmarks to begin with. The 10 guys listed lose themselves and their best interests when they suit up for battle. And the ups-and-downs of their lives on and off the court have no effect on a steady bottom line that reads 45 minutes, 20 points and 10 boards beside their name at the end of every game. There's no glory in the grind, and the following 10 guys couldn't care less.
1) Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
The standard bearer for NBA bruisers. Big Ben not only looks the part with his almost cartoon-ish size and appearance, he lives the a warrior's life with his thankless efforts on the glass and defending the paint. And like a superhero straight out of Marvel Comics, Wallace redeemed himself after wilting in the opening two games of the 2005 NBA Finals with a vengeful dominance in the next five contests that nearly lifted the Pistons to back-to-back NBA Titles.
2) Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers
If ever there were a villain to play the part of foil to Wallace and the rest of the NBA, it's Artest. The brawl, music mogul pursuits and general lunacy have dropped Artest down a notch in most people's minds, but not us. There isn't a stronger player in the League and when he goes to war, he operates with the power of a Howitzer.
3) Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
Most consider Garnett the most talented player in the NBA, but it's time he be recognized as the toughest. He's missed only 13 games in 10 seasons and logged over 3,000 minutes in six straight campaigns. Those are astonishing numbers on their own, but when you consider that KG is the target of opposing defenses every night and has to guard the biggest of the bigs despite weighing just 220 lbs., it's clear Garnett is one of the game's elite warriors of all-time.
4) Brian Grant, Phoenix Suns
How does Grant, who's averaged 10 points and 8 rebounds in his career, warrant $14 million per year? By doing everything that guys bigger and more talented than him refuse to do. Grant has forged a career (and a healthy living) by banging bodies with the heavyweights of the NBA, hustling for loose balls and keeping the offensive glass spotless. Few appreciate Grant's game, yet when he was released as part of the amnesty program, there was a feeding frenzy for his services. What's that tell you?
5) Reggie Evans, Seattle Sonics
One of the few true self-made men in the NBA today. Evans went undrafted in 2002, but punched his ticket to the League with single-minded aggression. And after just three seasons, rugged Reggie has established himself as one of the elite rebounders, averaging over 9 boards per game playing part time. At just 6'8", Evans fits the same undersized mold as Grant, and should be earning Grant-like millions soon for blue-collar exploits.
6) Richard Hamilton, Detroit Pistons
Who's kidding who with all this talk of 6-foot-9, 250-pounders as being undersized? Any talk about slight-of-build tough guys begins with Hamilton. No one exerts more energy moving without the ball and no one shuns the safe confines of the three-point arc in favor of the mid-range minefield quite like Rip. And that facemask ain't no fashion statement: Hamilton's nose has been broken so many times that it'll collapse with the next break, yet the dude still hoops it up without fear.
7) Mike Bibby, Sacramento Kings
On the topic of little men, let's give some long-overdue props to six-foot-nothing bulldog Mike Bibby. The Charmin-soft Kings are a team full of All-Stars, yet it's the 0-time All-Star Bibby who's the only one you can count on to play a full season and rev up the intensity come Playoff time. Bibby plays with a constant scowl on his face and a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas ... and we love him for it.
8) PJ Brown, New Orleans Hornets
If you catch a blink from Brown, call your friends. Although stoic in appearance, Brown plays with an enduring fire that's made him an elite offensive rebounder for a dozen seasons and counting. All-talk "roughnecks" like Kenyon Martin and Rasheed Wallace, who wouldn't know a rebound if it hit them in the mouth, should take a page from Brown's book: intimidate with elbows, icy stares and a closed mouth.
9) Shane Battier, Memphis Grizzlies
Surprised? The perception of Battier as a nice guy doesn't do the reality of his lunch-pail histrionics any justice. He's a bruiser cut from granite who takes his lumps and dishes them out with a smile. If Battier weren't so mild-mannered, he'd be one of the most hated players in the League with his harassing antics on defense and relentless pursuit of the ball.
10) Bobby Simmons, Milwaukee Bucks
The NBA's answer to Rocky. Simmons' rags-to-riches story began with his forging a reputation as a tireless worker in Michael Jordan's summer games that featured the toughest Chicago bruisers ever seen. Viewed as a brute light on skills, Simmons seized every minute of playing time he got in Washington and Los Angeles and built himself into a reliable offensive player who's not forgotten his roots as an in-your-face scrapper.
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8/23/2005 10:43 PM