2010s All-Decade Team (Better Than B/R)

 2010s All-Decade Team

A few months ago now, Bleacher Report came out with their All-Decade team for the 2010s. It was as Stephen A. would say, ‘Blasphemous.' I took the time and looked over some of the accolades and achievements of some of the best players over the past ten years and made my amendments to their mediocre list. Just a fair warning, I tended to lean peak over longevity here. I just feel like it is more impressive to make two 1st teams, rather than five 3rd teams. 

3rd Team:

G: Chris Paul: Chris Paul could very arguably be on the second team here, but he hasn’t done enough in the postseason to dethrone Kobe here. He’s made six All-NBA teams, but he has no other awards or accomplishments to his name. He has only once even made it to the conference finals. He is a great defender and playmaker, but he just doesn’t move the needle enough for me to put him on my 2nd team. 

G:Dwyane Wade: The Flash was still a high level player for most of this decade, he made four All-NBA teams. He was also part of the second best dynasty of this decade, the heatles. He was able to win two titles with Lebron and Bosh, before Lebron went back to Cleveland. 

F: Blake Griffin: With the way this decade started for the reigning Blake of the Year, I really expected him to at least be on 2nd team. When Blake was healthy he was as talented as any forward in this decade. He could attack the rim, rebound, shoot threes, and was a great playmaker for a big. We saw a flash of his old self in his first full season with Detroit, where he was able to make an All-NBA 3rd team. Along with that third team in Detroit, he made four additional All-NBA teams.

F: Paul George: George has been consistently one of the better players this decade, with the exception of the season he missed after destroying his leg. He has made five All-NBA teams, is a great defender and even finished top-3 in MVP voting with OKC. Despite him being constantly clowned all over social media, he truly is one of the best players from this decade and is deserving of this 3rd team selection.

C: Marc Gasol: The Championship last season really helped to put him over the top against some of the other top big men of this decade. He was a huge part of the Grit-and-Grind Grizzlies’ teams earlier in the decade. Despite no real major team success, Marc accomplished a lot to put on his own resume. He made 2 All-NBA teams, 3 All-Star games, and won a DPOY in the 2010s. Definitely not a glamorous pick for this spot, but there were many centers that were very close together in terms of pedigree. 

2nd Team:

G: Russell Westbrook: Westbrook is an incredibly polarizing player, who in the last couple years before going to Houston was a walking triple-double. He was able to rack up 8 All-NBA selections over this decade, which is more than Steph and Harden. He has an argument to be on the first team rather than Harden, but I believe Harden was the better overall player. It is also important to note he had a semi-controversial MVP.

G: Kobe Bryant: A legend gone too soon, Kobe is one of the rare players who would be considered a top-10 player over multiple decades. The 2010s were at the end of his prime, but he was still able to rack up points and accolades in the first half of this decade. He started off this decade with a championship and a finals MVP. He was able to rack up four All-NBA 1st teams, all from 2010 to 2013

F: Giannis Antetokounmpo: Giannis' run of dominance began in the later half of this decade and looks to continue his reign into the 2020s. He has already made 3 All-NBA teams, has won the MIP, as well as the MVP in the 2019 season. A case may be made against his longevity in this decade, but the last few years have been dominant.

F: Kawhi Leonard: The Klaw was very successful this decade, both as an individual and his teams. Despite only making 3 All-NBA, he is clearly deserving of this spot. During the 2010s he won two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, two Championships and two Finals’ MVPs to go along with it. It is clear he has been an incredible player this decade, but the longevity doesn’t even put him close to KD or Lebron.

C: Anthony Davis: Another example of someone who just doesn’t have the longevity to make the first team. He is nowhere close to the accolades that Dwight has put up at this point in his career, but it is coming soon. I will not be surprised if he wins an MVP and/or DPOY in the next three years. He still was able to make 3 All-NBA teams and 3 All-Defensive teams. The elite big man seems to be becoming more rare, but Davis is one of the few exceptions. 

1st Team:

G:James Harden: made six All-NBA teams including five 1st team selections this decade. Harden won the 2017-2018 NBA MVP, with all those accolades it is easy to see why he would make the All-Decade team. During this span he also made seven All-Star games, won a 6th Man of the Year award, led the league in scoring three times and assists once. Although no teammates may want to play with him, his statistics and accomplishments are enough to earn him a first team spot. 

G:Stephen Curry: Clearly the only player to win a unanimous MVP, the 2nd of his back-to-back MVP awards has to make first team for this decade. I don’t think it is even a stretch to say that he is the second greatest point guard of all time. His three championships during this decade certainly helped his case as well. He also made the All-Star and All-NBA teams six times during this stretch, including three 1st teams. Curry was able to lead the league in both scoring and steals once this decade as well. Making him a clear choice for the PG of the 2010s.

F: LeBron James: The 2010s was Lebron’s Decade. He made 10 All-NBA teams, including 9 first teams.During this decade he also racked up 3 MVPs, 3 Championships, and 3 Finals’ MVPs. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time, and this is the decade in which he cemented his legacy. He was the greatest player of the 2010s and was an easy choice for this 1st team. 

F: Kevin Durant: Durant is another all time player whose prime spanned the whole decade. Durant is one of the most talented scorers of all-time, leading the league in scoring four times this decade. He also was able to rack up 9 All-NBA teams over these ten years, as well as an MVP award. His two championships and finals’ MVPs also helped to put him firmly on this first team.

C:Dwight Howard: The fact that Dwight didn’t make Bleacher Reports 1st, 2nd, or honorable mention is as outrageous. I was a huge fan of Dwight on the Magic, and I think people forgot how dominant he was for the first part of this decade. He made 5 All-NBA teams, including three first teams. He won two of his three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award honors during this decade, as well as finishing 2nd in MVP voting in 2011. He also led the league in rebounds per game three times, and led the league in blocks once. Bleacher Report might not give him his due, but I will.