Al-NBA Next Decade Teams: 2010-2019

After taking a look at what this past decade has brought to the NBA, perhaps it time to look at what the next decade may look like. In doing so, I have projected what the All-Decade Team of 2010 to 2019 will look like.

At center, we have to go with Dwight Howard. Right now he is that guy. He has all the tools to be the next dominant big man. He has already been a defensive MVP and a 1^st Team All-NBA member. So I think he is safe bet to take this spot home. Sure, he can work on his offensive moves, and he's not the passer that Shaq or Hakeem were, but he's a better defender than Shaq and he's a better finisher than Hakeem, so maybe he'll show some of the talents of both of those great centers over the next 10 years.

At power forward, Tim Duncan will have to pass that torch, and there are plenty of people to choose from. However, I think the best option is Al Jefferson. I have a lot of love for some of the guys out there, but Al Jefferson is the truth. The man averaged 23.1 points per game this season to go with 11 rebounds. His offensive game is already more developed than Dwight Howard. And he even shoots it nicely from the floor and from the free throw line. Jefferson is just 24 years old, which means he will be 34 when the next decade is all said and done. And when it is all said and done, Jefferson will have been the best power forward of the decade.

At small forward, there's no change from this previous decade. LeBron James will be the best guy in the league for a long time to come. Like Al Jefferson, LeBron will be 34 at the end of the next decade, and I'm willing to bet that he will still be a top 5 player in the league, even at that advanced age. LeBron's MVP this past season has to be a good omen for what's to come, and having Shaq next season may be just the start he needs.

At shooting guard, I don't think we'll be able to say that Kobe was the best of decade. It will probably be close, as Kobe probably has another top 3 or 4 years in him. But I think we'll have to pass the torch on to someone else. The question is, who? For me, it really comes down to Dwyane Wade and Brandon Roy (I would like to include Kevin Durant in this conversation, but many have argued that he's a small forward-so be it). I think Wade may have the greater potential given what he did this year and in 2006, but I just think he's too injury prone. Maybe I shouldn't included that in my prediction, but I have to because of his history. With that said, I am going with Brandon Roy. Roy has big game potential, and in many ways, he's just a smaller LeBron James. He averages 22.6ppg, 4.7rpg and 4.1apg. He shoots it well from three, and he raises the ability of his teammates. I think at the end of this next decade, we'll be talking about Roy the same way we talk about some of the NBA's recent greats.

Finally, at point guard, this is an easy one for me. I have to go with Chris Paul. Yes, I understand that some basketball fans like Deron Williams or Derrick Rose's future better, but what Paul is doing is crazy. He is the active leader in assist per game, which means he's been dealing out assist since day 1, which suggest to me that he'll be dealing out assists on the last day of the next decade. Besides, of the three PGs I mentioned, Paul is the most explosive scorer. So mark Paul down for that spot on the Next All-Decade NBA team.