We’re just two days away from turning our calendars to 2020, which means the topic of the NBA’s All-Decade Team for the 2010s has been a popular one as of late.
Picking three All-NBA Teams for a full decade is even more complicated than selecting them for a single season. Longevity comes into play — if a player was only active for half the decade, but excelled during those five years, does that outweigh a solid 10-year run by another player? And how should consistent statistical stardom over a 10-year stretch by a player who didn’t win a title compare to someone who won three championships but didn’t necessarily post incredible numbers?
Among those who have shared their All-Decade Teams is Ben Rohrbach of Yahoo Sports, whose picks followed the usual All-NBA format — Rohrbach selected three teams comprised of two guards, two forwards, and one center each.
The First Team is made up of the usual suspects. LeBron James and Stephen Curry lead the way, with Kevin Durant and James Harden joining them in the frontcourt and backcourt respectively. Those four players combined to win seven of 10 MVP awards since 2010, and six of the 10 champions this decade featured at least one of those four stars. James, Durant, and Harden are also the NBA’s three leading scorers over the last 10 years, while no player has a higher win-share rate than Curry since the start of the 2013/14 season.
No centers have dominated the decade from start to finish, so Rohrbach filled out his First Team with Anthony Davis, who may be the NBA’s best center right now, even if he prefers to play the four.
Rohrbach’s Second Team picks are guards Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul, forwards Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and center Dwight Howard, who was a perennial All-Star for the first half of the decade.
Rohrbach’s Third Team features a few more players whose best years of the decade came in the first half of the 2010s, with guards Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant making the cut, along with center Tim Duncan. Forwards Paul George and Draymond Green fill out the Third Team.
While Rohrbach’s 15 selections are certainly worthy of recognition, a handful of noteworthy stars didn’t make the cut. Forwards Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, and LaMarcus Aldridge, who combined for 16 All-NBA nods in the 2010s, only earn honorable mention, as do guards Jimmy Butler, Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving, and centers DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, and Joel Embiid. Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, and Rudy Gobert were also considered.
I would’ve given Kyle Lowry serious consideration for a backcourt spot on the Third Team, so I’m surprised he didn’t even show up in Rohrbach’s honorable mentions, but otherwise I can’t quibble with too many of his picks.
We want to know what you think though. Are there any glaring omissions you’d like to see on the list? Do you think any players on Rohrbach’s Second or Third Teams should be bumped higher, or eliminated from the top 15 altogether?
To help refresh your memory on the full decade, here’s a list of every player who has earned multiple All-Star nods since 2010, sorted by win shares per 48 minutes, via Basketball-Reference.
Let us know in the comment section below who you think belongs on the NBA’s All-Decade Teams for the 2010s!
Kyle Lowry, writer? Really?
Yeah, Lowry probably averaged 16 points and 7 assists over the past decade. Not quite worthy.
You’d take John Wall first, no?
Most advanced metrics show Lowry to be anywhere from the 20th to 7th most valuable player of the past decade.
John Wall on the other hand, keeps showing up in the 40s.
The first two teams suggested above are quite strong, and by the time you hit the third team, it’s largely a matter of personal preference, except…. Kobe.
Kobe hasn’t been relevant since approximately 2010, so I’m not sure how you can put him on any kind of all decade team
You mean in the regular season right? Dhantay Jones was a more valuable guard in the 2010 playoffs than Lowry.
Can you link the advanced metric that shows Lowry is the 7th most valuable player of the decade?
Not being sarcastic.
Would assume it’s this one: link to twitter.com
If you take positions out of the picture, I would say LeBron Steph Harden Durant CP3 but if you’re doing positions, I agree with the aforementioned 5.
Statistically speaking, he does not match up with the other guys among the honorable mentions, but Andre Iguodala is probably one of the most important players of this decade.
Also I think Towns deserves an honorable mention, despite playing on bad teams, especially if Boogie is on the list.
Boogie 21 and 10 for that entire decade. Joel got the nod over KAT in the same draft yr bc JoJo put up numbers compared to Wilt Chamberlain and KAT is blah on defense.
1) Westbrook, Harden, LBJ, AD, KAT
2) CP3, Curry, KD, Giannis, Embiid
3) Lillard, Kyrie, Griffin, K-Love, Jokic
Luka & Simmons should be there, just played too little this decade… otherwise they would have been in the 3rd team
KD has to be ahead of both AD and KAT. Not even debatable.
Westbrook over Curry LMAO
First, I hate to be that guy, but the decade doesn’t end until next year. You don’t count to ten starting with 0, you start at 1. You don’t count to ten and end 9, you end with 10. So the 2010s decade actually runs from 2011-2020.
Next, it’s almost impossible to pick an all decade team. A 10 year period is too long and the league has basically turned upside down since 2011. Half the players mentioned are already retired, or should be like Melo and Howard. You really need two halves of the decade teams. But I’ll just do what I can.
1st team – Curry, KD, LBJ, and Harden, AD
2nd team – CP3, Russ, Kawhi, Giannis, Cousins
3rd team – DWade, Lillard, Melo, George, Aldridge
Howard is overrated and always has been. So is Draymond Green. Cousins is hurt now, but he was far better at center than just about anyone this decade. Kobe was done and really only impressed for 2 years. Same with Wade and Duncan. They belong on the 2000s decade team though.
Embiid has not even played a full season and does not deserve to be mentioned here.
I might disagree on the math… IMO 1-1-2020 is coming right up, time for the hazy decade lists. You prolly meant next calendar should be included too… as part of this artificial construct based on integers used as year names. Anyway.
Who are the best playing in years where the second integer from the right is the same, a “1”?– Well I’ll just rack my brains over this list right away.
Actually I barely followed the league when Bron was in Miami.
I meant the decade ends at the end of 2020, not the beginning of 2020.
The list seems to be based on statistics, which is not the way to judge. Stats don’t tell you anything. Any jackass could average a triple double if that’s the only goal, and winning doesn’t matter. Harden has scored tons of points, but how many came as the result of a bad could call leading to free throws? The number is in the 10’s of thosands… LeBron was a league manufactured star but he was dominate none the less. Curry spent a bunch of time injured but still won actual championships and holds numerous records that are only being beaten by his teammate. The other splash brother has been a top guard/wing for most of the decade, but couldn’t handle the ball until the last couple years. For the life of me I can’t remember when Leonard came into the league, but it’s hard to argue with how quitely dominate he has been. Draymond doesn’t light up a stat sheet but is one of the most integral players ever, without which there would be zero championships in Golden State this decade. Durant has been an amazing player his entire career, and when in the zone is virtually unblockable, but a lot of people think he’s soft, even if it’s not true. Embiid has barely played, Simmons can’t shoot. Howard was too big a problem off the court to consider mention. Wade was already in decline. CP3 didn’t even flirt with winning. Giannis has only been good a couple years. Davis lights up a stat sheet but still can’t win games. I feel I’m forgetting someone. Carmelo maybe but again the last few years should erase his consideration.
1- Curry, Green, James, Durant, Leonard
2- Thompson, Davis, Love, Harden, Paul
3- Westbrook, Iguodala, Irving, Howard, Lillard
And like the above poster said, the decade ends in December 31, 2020
Yuck, full of spelling errors.
Gee, you think this guy is a Warriors fan?