Posted on 4/21/2008 2:13:47 PM

NBA Basketball Betting - Top Ten Leaders In 2007-08 NBA Playoffs

By Eric Williams

When it comes to the NBA online betting postseason, it is an unequivocal fact that teams with strong leaders generally tend to go further in the playoffs and give their respective teams a much better chance at winning an NBA Championship each season than teams that may have a marginal leader or no true leader at all.

This BetUS NBA Betting Community article will highlight the Top Ten leaders in the 2007-08 NBA Playoffs while giving NBA bettors a bit of insight on which teams in the BetUS Sportsbook may take advantage of having the top leaders in the game in their respective rosters.

Note, I did not say, the top five scorers or even, the top five players. This article will simply point out the top five leaders remaining this postseason – guys who can mentally will their teams to victory as well as get it done on the court.

With that explanation out of the way, here are the Top Ten leaders in the NBA playoffs this postseason.

10. Jason Kidd – Kidd has been a wonderful leader his entire career and the only reason he’s tenth on this list is because he’s not in a real leadership-type position with the Dallas Mavericks after just joining the team at the midway mark of the regular season and hasn’t really assumed true leadership of the team.

9. Chris Bosh – Bosh is another unequivocal leader of a team that still has a bright future despite not progressing much this past season. Simply put, as Bosh goes, so go the Toronto Raptors.

8. Deron Williams - The blossoming point guard is the undoubted leader of the Utah Jazz and will undeniably be one of the top leaders in the NBA for years to come in the very near future. While all-star power forward Carlos Boozer is a talented player, it is Williams that really makes the Jazz go.

7. Chris Paul – Paul has been the best point guard in the league this season and the undeniable leader of a New Orleans Hornets team that has been one of the biggest and best stories in the league this season. He could be at the top of this list in no time at all if he continues doing what he did this season.

6. Kobe Bryant – Bryant has always been a gifted athlete that can literally do anything on the basketball court that he very well pleases. This season. Bryant’s mental growth and leadership skills this season with his Los Angeles Lakers teammates has been more visible than ever. Looks like Kobe has finally grown up huh?

5. Steve Nash – The Phoenix Suns two-time MVP has the heart of a lion and the basketball IQ of a genius. If he wasn’t playing with a bunch of young prima donnas, he’d probably already have a championship title already.

4. Chauncey Billups – The Detroit Pistons’ Billups didn’t earn the nickname ‘Mr. Big Shot’ for nothing. Billups is a stone-cold killer in the clutch and one of the best leaders in the game.

3. LeBron James – James has been carrying the Cleveland Cavaliers and acting as their unequivocal leaders almost since the time he first donned a Cavaliers jersey as a professional. Despite his third-place ranking here, James is the most multi-talented leader on this entire list and will one day be the very best leader in the league and likely all of professional sports – and sooner rather than later too.

2. Kevin Garnett – Most casual fans may not know it, but Garnett has always been one of the very best leaders in the game. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much of a team to lead for the majority of his career, mostly spent carrying numerous atrocious Minnesota Timberwolves teams. Simply put, Garnett is the single biggest reason behind the Boston Celtics’ spectacular turn-around, leading his team’s mental approach both in the locker room and on the floor.

1. Tim Duncan – Most people may not think of Duncan as a “leader” because of his generally calm demeanor and lack of being very ‘vocal’ with his teammates. However, there isn’t a better leader in the league when it comes to setting the right example for his teammates. When a player joins the San Antonio Spurs and sees the four-time NBA champion working his tail off like he’s still some spry rookie, that sends a message loud and clear that you either work hard every second you’re on the court or you won’t be playing alongside Duncan.

Missing In Action: Don’t be surprised to not see several talented players’ names missing from this list just because they may be really good players.

The Washington Wizards are a case in point. Despite having three all-star caliber players, the Wizards really don’t have a legitimate team leader. Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki certainly doesn’t belong on this list and I just couldn’t bring myself to place the Houston Rockets’ Tracy McGrady on this list either until he leads his team to a playoff series win.

Dwight Howard may be one of the best players in the league and is easily the Orlando Magic’s best player, but he too is not a leader at this point of his young career.

The Denver Nuggets don’t have a ‘real’ leader wither despite having two of the game’s best scorers on their roster in Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, both enigmatic mercurial stars at best.

Honorable Mention: If there is one player I will say genuinely belongs on this list it would be Philadelphia 76ers swingman Andre Iguoadala. Don’t be surprised folks. Iguoadala may not get nearly as much media attention as some of the other players on this list, but the multi-faceted swingman is the unequivocal leader of a Sixers team that suddenly looks like it has a brighter future on the horizon than originally expected.

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