WOW- Would I take Peja over ALL the players you list? No, but certainly over Iverson, T-Mac, Jermaine O'Neal, and Nowitzki, and straight up for Yao and Kobe.
Though this type of transaction is not really what is likely to happen. Even talented guards like Kidd, Iverson, and T-Mac are not as valuable as a good front line player
As for considering his value over Webber's? The Kings have the best record in the NBA as of today, 51 games into the season, without Webber. I doubt they would be in the same spot if Peja had missed all those games instead. The Kings' depth is at PF/center, not small forward.
As for Peja being one dimensional (
).
Okay, let's assume he does not move affectively without the ball (even though he does), nor play average defense, which he does not (he is better then average, and gets 1.4 steals per game as well), nor rebound (6.2 per game from the small forward slot isn't bad, though), nor pass the ball effectively (his 2.2 assists per game are probably 2 more then expected - he is the receiver of the passes in the Kings' offense, not the distributor), nor play in the paint (the Princeton offense, unfortunately, gives plenty of opportunities for layups for Peja, but we are ignoring this as well), nor his League-leading FT percentage (bonus points - can't count on them and besides, how could he even get to the line almost six times a game being a one-dimensional three point shooting player? Must be a typo).
That leaves his one dimension to contend with. Parking him at the three point line and allowing him to shoot threes only. He would still average twenty points a game.
WOW, that shooting stroke of Peja's - it's no fluke. It doesn't come out of a Crackerjack box. It doesn't come with an asterisk. His shots don't fall because Peja is wide open every time he shoots from behind the arc. They do not scare other teams into cringing every time he has a three point shot because people in the first row are in danger of getting clunked on the head with air balls. They do not make opposing coaches call time outs because their team's defend this shot so effectively, coaches just want to call the team together to congradulate them on a job well done. They do not put their absolutely best defender on Peja because the season is so long, the coaches see Sacramento and Stojakovich as a convenient night off for them to rest up.
Bowen keeps Peja ten points below his average? Try four (21 per game this year), and since San Antonio plays a slowdown style of basketball, that's about right.
The fact that you are even arguing the issue of whether or not Peja is a top ten player this season tells us that SOMEONE sure as hell has been mentioning him in that stratosphere. People associated with basketball even mention him as an MVP candidate right after Garnett's name is mentioned. Just because he has led the Kings to the best record in basketball while Webber has been sidelined?
He must be doing something right for all this consideration to come his way. Or people just put too much importance on insignificant skills like shooting accuracy instead of more flashy moves, like palming the ball - and getting away with it, making room down on the block by elbowing opponents out of the way - and getting away with it, or flying dunks to the hoop after taking four or five illegal steps - and getting away with it.
Developing skills that require hours and hours of practice shooting in the gym just aren't as sexy, I guess.
