Poll of players: "Which NBA player thinks he's a lot better than he really is?"

[Glenn]

In the Feb. 9 edition of Sports Illustrated, the magazine conducts a poll of NBA players asking this question: Which NBA player thinks he's a lot better than he really is?

First off, that's a loaded question because I don't think any player can get to the league without a supreme amount of self-confidence. Even the quiet guy at the end of the bench thinks he should be starting over someone. That guy starting thinks he should make more money than some scrub coming off the bench for another team. This had the potential to be pretty interesting, but the results (below) were somewhat surprising:

Kendrick Perkins, Celtics C.....8%
DeShawn Stevenson, Wizards G.....8%
Rashad McCants, Timberwolves G.....5%
Dahntay Jones, Nuggets G......5%
Damon Jones, Bucks G.....5%

Not only does this list make most casual NBA fans go:"Who?" but Washington Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson tied for first place with Boston center Kendrick Perkins -- which I assume has more to do with what Stevenson said about another player than what he actually thinks about himself.

I'm not sure what most players were basing their votes on, but it is funny that Stevenson made this list when he benched himself earlier this season. Anybody who decides that he shouldn't be starting has a pretty good perspective about where he is as a player -- but that's just my opinion.

It could have something to do with that "I-can't-feel-my-face" hand-wave gesture, which is hilariously entertaining but perhaps annoying (especially if he missed his previous five shots). I think this really comes down to Stevenson calling LeBron James "overrated." I never agreed with Stevenson -- and James's assault on the NBA record books, his MVP-caliber campaign and that 52-11-10 game the other night disputes that -- but I had no problem with Stevenson expressing his opinion. I certainly didn't interpret it as him saying, "I'm better than him" or anything that like that. He just has the utmost respect for Kobe Bryant and the utmost disdain for James -- and let loose.

As for the poll, I was surprised that no-big name players made this list. Of the top five, only two are currently starting for their teams -- and I never heard any of them crying about minutes or money or all-star snubs (I'm joking about that last one). Damon Jones did once call himself the "greatest shooter in the world." So, I can sort of see how he made this list. But I haven't heard much braggadocio from the rest of them. Perkins gets a lot of technical fouls, but I never heard him clamoring to have the Celtics called a "Big Four" because of him. Rashad McCants is best known for dating the Kardashian not named Kim. And Dahntay Jones? What has he ever done?

The players should know better than me, but I'm interested in which player you think has an inflated opinion of his abilities. Did the players get it right?

Which NBA player thinks he's a lot better than he really is? Fire away.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wiz...highly_of.html

[Tahoe]

Paul Pierce comes to mind. Not that he isn't one of the better players in the league but that he thinks hes the greatest.

[Glenn]

Agent Zero
Bruce Bowen
Erick Dampier
Josh Howard
Larry Hughes
Melo
Paul Pierce
Starbury
Marion
KMart
DARKO
Stack

And since someone else will say it, AI

I'll hang up and wait for the Flip Murray nonsense

[Glenn]

I had to include KMart on a night when he goes out and drops a +40

[MoTown]

After watching Wednesday's game, Michael Beasley comes to mind.

[Uncle Mxy]

Mike James comes to mind.

[Vinny]

Ben Gordon comes to mind. I just think he needs to realize his limitations and become a great sixth man. Dude can't guard anybody and watching the Bulls try to build a team around him has been amusing -- it's pretty much impossible. But if he were to take on a Vinnie Johnson type role he'd be gold.

[Atticus771]

Paul Pierce came to mind immediately. He was the "greatest" all those years, but was left of the all-star team.

It makes me happy that Perkins made the list.

[Wilfredo Ledezma]

Jarvis Hayes could be a candidate.

[Fool]

Anybody who only plays offense.