NBA: Top 10 international players in the league

Gone are the days when basketball was an American – centric game. It has slowly, but steadily evolved into an international one. Global interest in the NBA soared after the legendary dream team, formed in 1992, took part in the London Olympics.

Most teams rely on at least one international player to carry them across the finish line. At the start of the 2012-13 season, there were 84 foreigners in the league.

This list ranks the top 10 international players in the league, right now. So, the 2012-13 factors heavily into a player making it to this list.

10. Steve Nash

Steve Nash #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers

The dime dropper from Canada is probably one of the greatest international players in NBA History. A two time MVP, eight time All-Star, the 39-year-old currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The reason for his place being so low in this list is that, Nash’s performance has dropped a few notches this season. He averaged 10+ assists per game and 15+ PPG for most of his career. Last season, Nash averaged just below 7 APG and 13 PPG. He also suffered from injuries which limited him to just 50 games this season.

Nash, still remains one of the supreme floor generals and best passers in the league. He’s missing just one accolade though – an NBA championship ring. The current state of the Lakers’ team doesn’t hold a lot of promise in this aspect. Nash will retire soon and one’s pretty sure that he’s a definite future Hall of Famer.

9. Al Horford

Al Horford #15 of the Atlanta Hawks

The 27-year-old Dominican PF/C, who currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks, has established himself as a model of consistency. He finally found some rewards for his efforts, with two back to back All-Star nominations.

Horford has been playing in the league for six seasons and has now established himself as a big man to watch out for. His agility, size and fluidity make him a hard man to guard, especially around the post region.

Horford is the cornerstone of Atlanta’s offense and he averaged 17.6 PPG last season. He was also one of the league’s best rebounders last season, with 10.2 RPG. The best player on the Hawks’ roster, they will looking forward to Horford to further his game and improve the team’s chances of making it to the playoffs.

8. Serge Ibaka

Serge Ibaka #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder

Ibaka was born in Congo, but is a Spainish national. He’s one of the league’s best defensive power forwards. Ibaka is a ferocious rebounder and shot-blocker. The heavily muscled Spaniard’s physicality has served him well as a defender. He’s the anchor in the Oklahoma City Thunder which features explosive offensive talents like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Ibaka averaged a career high of 13.2 PPG and 8 RPG last season with 3 BPG. An efficient shooter, Ibaka shot at .573 last season. He’s also good for an occasional 3 pointer, as the 6’10″ forward averaged .351 from beyond the arc during the 2012-13 season.

Ibaka, being just 23, will have a long and successful career ahead of him, provided he stays clear of injuries.

7. Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers

The older Gasol, Pau has long since been known as one of the league’s most dominant power forwards. Pau is a two time NBA Champion, four time All-Star and was the NBA Rookie of the year in 2002. The Spaniard is one of the most potent and versatile power forwards in the league and is known for his soft touch at the rim.

The 33-year-old veteran, who plays for Los Angles Lakers, has been placed this low in the list mainly because he missed a lot of the last season with injuries. He played just 49 games and averaged 13.7 PPG and 8.6 RPG in them. He’s also been criticised of not playing physical defense and of having too soft a game.

Whether it be injuries, increased competition or just plain age catching up, Gasol’s game has dropped a few rungs over the last couple of years. However, with both Howard and Bynum out of his way, Gasol can probably stack up the stats again, provided he returns to his former level of play after returning from injury.

6. Manu Ginobili

Manu Ginobili #20 of the San Antonio Spurs

Few players in the world can boast of a record as impressive as Ginobili. One of the league’s best 2-3 player, Ginobili is one of the key reasons for the San Antonio Spurs‘ success in the recent past. This wily old Argentine continues to age like fine wine.

Despite injuries and fewer minutes on the court, Ginobili remains one of the most dangerous players in the league. Ginobili’s a left handed sharp shooter who entered the league at the late age of 25. He has since then established himself as a jack of all trades.

Ginobili is an underrated defender. He can pass, shoot, handle the ball, rebound and steal. He hold his opponents to a PER of just 11.4.

Ginobili averaged 11.5 PPG, 5 APG, 3.7 RPG and 1.1 SPG while playing for 26.7 minutes per game. He’ll be hoping that this season, he’ll be able to play a key role in the Spurs’ title run.

5. Joakim Noah

Joakim Noah #13 of the Chicago Bulls

He’s the heart and soul of the Chicago Bulls roster. The French player has a career average of 9.4 PPG and 9.1 RPG. He’s been a terrific defender and has the habit of getting right up in the face of his opponent. He’s also a good low post defender.

Noah had a splendid last season. When Rose decided to sit out the entire season, the general perception was that the Bulls didn’t really stand a chance against the likes of the Heat, Spurs, Thunder. Noah, along with Boozer, took up the job of making sure the opponents hardly had a chance to score against them. They were quite successful as well as they were the 3rd best defensive team last year.

He averaged 11.9 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 1.2 SPG and 4.0 APG. Within their team, he was 4th in points, 1st in rebounds, 3rd in assists, 1st in steals and blocks. Quite literally, he did everything for the team last season and I hope he receives many more All-Star nominations in the future.

4. Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks

The best offensive player on this list. Nowitzki is a 7 foot power forward who can shoot from anywhere on the court, can rebound and can pass well.

This 35-year-old veteran is an NBA champion, 11 time All-Star, one time MVP, one time NBA Finals MVP and has also won the NBA 3 point shootout. He also has the best “fade away” in the entire league.

Nowitzki’s game is multi-faceted. The German, who’s also my personal favourite on this list, can post up, shoot, layup or dunk. His versatile offence makes him one of the hardest to guard.

His injury ridden 2012-13 season is the main reason for his not being closer to the top in this list. Last season, he played just 53 games and averaged 17.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 2.5 APG. Even while he was on the court, he couldn’t play up to his full potential.

He’s been the core offensive player of the Dallas Mavericks team. Now, that he has had a complete off season to recover from his injuries, the Mavs will be hoping that Nowitzki will lead them yet again into the playoffs.

3. Luol Deng

Luol Deng #9 of the Chicago Bulls

Born in South Sudan, Deng fled the country with his family as a child and grew up in the United Kingdom. The 28-year-old turned pro in 2004.

Last season, Deng proved his true worth. The Brit led the Bulls squad in scoring and was also one of their best defensive players. He averaged 16.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 3.0 APG. In the absence of Rose, Deng, along with Noah and Carlos Boozer, carried the team both offensively and defensively. He’s one of the true all-rounders in the league.

Deng always guards the best offensive guards and forwards in the opposing team. His perimeter defence has improved remarkably. Deng was nominated to the All-Star team for the first time in the 2011-12 season. He made the cut yet again last season. With The return of Derrick Rose, Deng will be hoping to further his game and also to play a major role in the Bulls’ title challenge.

2. Marc Gasol

Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies

Long known as the “other” Gasol, Marc has now moved out of his brother’s shadow and has developed into a star in his own rights. I would have never thought that I would prefer watching the younger Gasol brother over the older one. He’s an all-round player and is excellent at both sides of the court. He’s the anchor of the Memphis Grizzlies’ defence.

Marc had an incredible 2012-13 season, and was rewarded with an NBA Defensive player of the year award. The Spaniard is the first European to win the award.

He can shoot, rebound, defend, pass, dunk, and can also play a good mid-range game. He has excellent footwork and post skills. He can also effectively close out opposing seven-footers. He was one of the key reasons why the Grizzlies reached Conference finals.

Marc averaged 14.1 Points 7.8 Rebs, 1.7 Blocks, 1 steal and 4 assists per game. His total of 318 assists is the highest among centres and he also shot 85% from the line and 49% from the field.

I think it’s safe to say that Marc has gone from “The other Gasol” to “The Better Gasol”.

1. Tony Parker

Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs

The best international player in the league right now is Tony Parker, Point Guard for the San Antonio Spurs. At 31, Parker is still at his prime, as it was evident by his level of play during the last few seasons.

Parker is a three time NBA Champion, one time NBA Finals MVP and a five time All-Star. Parker also won the NBA Skills Challenge last season, which led to him being called the best point guard in the league.

Along with Tim Duncan, Parker forms the core of the Spurs team. The Frenchman played one of his best seasons last year, averaging 20.3 PPG, 7.6 APG and 3 RPG.

While not always given enough credit, with the more flamboyant duo of Duncan and Ginobili as his teammates, Parker is the anchor of the Spurs. Without him, they’re unable to run plays as effectively and lack the fluency in their offence. Parker’s quick, has excellent court vision and has incredible coordination with his teammates.

At 31, he’s still at his prime and will do everything within his abilities to win a fourth Championship ring.