the outdated diary of kourty buendia

1. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs: The big fundamental now has three titles and three Finals MVP trophies in his case, proving to be the best cornerstone in the game.

2. Shaquille O’Neal, Miami Heat: We’ll see if Shaq can slow the breaking down in his body long enough to be effective late in the season and get it up to full blast by the playoffs.

3. Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves: Bad chemistry and a puffy knee didn’t prevent him from becoming the first player in history to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for six consecutive years.

4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers: With Chief Triangle back at coach, plenty of time to get healthy and a few more pieces to the puzzle, Bryant should be back in the playoffs and regaining All-NBA status again.

5. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat: Shaq’s partner is already proving to be an extraordinary clutch player, a winner and a humble guy to boot. He’s a rare combination of talent and substance in a young superstar today.

6. Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers: Should Maurice Cheeks allow him to stay at point guard, Fearless Fly has a chance to join Nate Archibald as the only players in history to lead the league in scoring and assists.

7. Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets: His postseason play was exceptional despite the inability to get out of the first round again. Still, T-Mac’s growth was obvious to all who watched the Rockets and he’ll get better.

8. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks: He struggled in the postseason, but as the team keeps being restructured from players to coaches, he remains productive. It’s still hard to believe a 7-footer can run and shoot like he does.

Will LeBron James lead the Cavaliers to the playoffs this season? (David Liam Kyle / Getty Images)

9. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers: His numbers — 27.2 pts., 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists — rank with the best of all time and his game keeps improving. But to be the best, he has to find a way into the playoffs.

10. Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns: If his postseason performance was any indication of what is to come, he will be a first team All-NBA player within a year or two and dominate the interior of every game.

11. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns: Last season’s MVP had a lot to do with Stoudemire’s advancement, and everything to do with the Suns getting to the final four. The big question is how much he has left for this season.

12. Ray Allen, Seattle SuperSonics: His leadership and clutch shooting in the fourth quarter catapulted the Sonics out of nowhere into scaring the Spurs to death in the conference semifinals. He deserved every penny he got.

13. Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana Pacers: O’Neal had a really tough season for a lot of reasons, but the bigger concern has been the injuries taking a toll on him two years in a row. Is it the exception or the rule?

14. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs: Nobody has won more significant championships around the world in recent years than Ginobili with two NBA titles, a European championship and an Olympic gold medal.

15. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets: He is so much better than all the criticism makes him out to be, it’s ridiculous. He’s 7-6, 300 pounds, very skilled and only 25 years old. In case nobody noticed, he keeps getting better.

16. Vince Carter, New Jersey Nets: Getting traded to the Nets was a god-send to both Carter and the Nets. He was fabulous at the end of last season and has a chance to regain the lost status of the past three years.

17. Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz: An injury-plagued season crushed the Jazz, but he is the best full-court defensive player in the game and a vastly improving all-around offensive player.

18. Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons: He was so good down the stretch the past two seasons for the two-time Eastern Conference champs … it will be real interesting to see how he responds being back with coach Flip Saunders.

19. Baron Davis, Golden State Warriors: The Warriors exploded down the stretch after they acquired B.D. and many believe they have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs this season. If he’s trim and healthy, it’s legit.

20. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics: He’s easily a top-10 talent, maybe top-five, but every year the chips seem to multiply on his shoulder. It detracts not only from his game, but really hurts the Celtics in the long run.

21. Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets: He responded better than most from micro-fracture surgery last season. A year later, he now has both Carter and Richard Jefferson, and they should be back in the Atlantic Division driver’s seat.

22. Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons: The most undersized center in the game also has the biggest heart. He’s been the best defensive player in the game the past three years and his offensive game improved immensely last season.

23. Shawn Marion, Phoenix Suns: Despite a nightmarish conference finals performance, he gets to move back to his natural small forward spot and will undoubtedly play at an All-Star level again.

24. Richard Hamilton, Detroit Pistons: Rip is destined to be this generation’s Reggie Miller, without the range or attitude. Relentlessly running and hitting clutch jumpers, he’s one of the best mid-range shooters in the game.

25. Elton Brand, Los Angeles Clippers: Just like the constantly disrespected Clippers, Brand is light years better than anyone recognizes. His long arms, wide body and great hands make him a perennial shot at 20 and 10.

26. Steve Francis, Orlando Magic: He had a great start to last season, but he reverted back to over-dribbling and bad shots. When his head catches up to his talent, he’ll be a perennial All-Star instead of a target for detractors.

27. Rasheed Wallace, Detroit Pistons: Sheed’s numbers don’t reflect how much he does for this team, but when he didn’t score in the playoffs they didn’t win. For them to challenge again, he’ll have to score more consistently. Can he?

28. Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks: He has developed himself into one of the preeminent scorers in the game and one of the very best long-range shooters. The next step is to develop everything else and win.

29. Chris Webber, Philadelphia 76ers: It’s wrong to have him ranked this low, but how do you gauge where he is physically and mentally? As SNL fave Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say, "It just goes to show, it’s always something."

30. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards: Having led the Wizards into the second round of the playoffs, he is on the verge of making the leap into superstardom. He just has to figure out when to pass and when to shoot.

31. Richard Jefferson, New Jersey Nets: If his toughness was ever questioned before, it isn’t now the way he fought back from a horrid wrist injury to be productive in the playoffs. This should be a great season for him.

32. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland Cavaliers: Z has been one of the most consistent low-post scorers in the game the past two seasons, with great hands and touch. But he’s got to improve defensively and on the boards.

33. Antawn Jamison, Washington Wizards: Acquiring Jamison was the move by Ernie Grunfeld that put the Wiz into the postseason, now we’ll see if he can make the transition back to power forward with this summer’s moves.

Ron Artest is a top-10 talent, but his other issues knock him further down this list. (Steve Babineau / Getty Images)

34. Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers: A top-10 talent, we’ll see how Artest responds to a season in purgatory after his role in the infamous brawl in Detroit. If he’s right and focused, the Pacers are a good bet to win the East.

35. Mike Bibby, Sacramento Kings: Bibby isn’t blessed with exceptional athleticism like so many other point guards, but he’s so clever, a great shooter and his calm demeanor belies his competitive spirit.

36. Zach Randolph, Portland Trail Blazers: He had a bad knee, serious surgery, and he still almost had another 20-and-10 season on a team that was completely turned over. Presumably, he’ll be back to scoring and rebounding at will.

37. Peja Stojakovic, Sacramento Kings: The rap was he didn’t work last summer and lost his edge. One of the best pure shooters in the game, now that Webber’s gone perhaps he’ll regain his fire and become an All-Star again.

38 Carlos Boozer, Utah Jazz: After shocking the world by blowing off the Cavaliers for big money, there were issues with coach Jerry Sloan. Then he got hurt and plenty of trade rumors followed. This season will prove a lot about who he is.

39. Brad Miller, Sacramento Kings: As always, Miller proves to be better in all phases of the game than anyone wants to believe. Then he gets hurt late in the year and struggles down the stretch. The tendency has become an annual fact.

40. Rashard Lewis, Seattle SuperSonics: Lewis was at the heart of the Sonics’ early success, but he broke down physically as the season progressed and didn’t play the final three games in the second round. It left questions for everybody.

41. Stephon Marbury, New York Knicks: His claim to be the best point guard in the game last season proved he’s still lost. With Larry Brown as his new coach, he may be moved to shooting guard. The disease of me still dominates his game.

42. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs: Hard to believe he’s still only 23, but his shaky confidence early and late in the season leaves questions about how good he can be. And yet, he’s so quick on that floater, it’s as if he’s on skates.

43. Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers: Odom will be the barometer of how far the Lakers will go, as he takes over the point forward role in the triangle offense. He’s an All-Star caliber player waiting to explode for new coach Phil Jackson.

44. Kirk Hinrich, Chicago Bulls: A younger, more athletic version of Jeff Hornacek, he led the Bulls into the playoffs and continues to blossom as their floor leader and an excellent scorer going to the basket all the way out to 3-point range

45. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets: He overcame the nightmare that was last summer and the start of last season to get back on track toward what was considered inevitable stardom. This is the season he should become a star.

46. Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors: Playing on that horrible team, which is in constant transition, is no easy task, but not only is Bosh and exceptional talent, he’s exceedingly bright and clever. He’ll be great for a long time.

47. Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks: Acquired in the most publicized trade of the summer that caused an ownership change in Atlanta, Johnson is a brilliantly talented player, but now has to show he has leadership qualities too.

48. Jason Richardson, Golden State Warriors: Running with Baron Davis lifted his game up to his naturally immense skills, even though he wasn’t healthy. They are as explosive as any backcourt duo in the game.

49. Pau Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies: He has yet to play up to expectations, not to mention the maximum contract he signed last summer. His superlative international finesse game has yet to translate into the NBA the way they hoped. Will it ever?

50. Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets: Once you get past how injury-prone he has been, consider he’s averaged 9.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks as the one constant who has led the Nuggets into the playoffs the past two seasons.