Follow Me Guys! a Look at the Top 10 Locker Room Leaders in the NBA

With the 2010-11 NBA playoffs rolling right along, I figured now was the perfect time to take a look at the top 10 locker room leaders in the NBA.

That's right NBA basketball fanatics, I'm talking about the players that can get their teammates to rally around them and take their respective games to another level whenever the occasion calls for it.

Some lead with words that would make a grizzled war veteran blush while others lead simply by example. Either way, my compilation of the top 10 locker room leaders is sure to delight hoops heads everywhere.

Okay, before Derrick Rose makes another one of his dizzying drives to the basket, let me get started.

10. Kobe Bryant '" Los Angeles Lakers
I hated dropping Bryant all the way to 10th on this list, but I got a completely different view of the all-time great this postseason as he failed to stop the defending-champion Lakers from falling apart this postseason. Were the Lakers' issues mostly on-court problems, then I'd still have Bryant ranked a lot higher as a locker room leader, but the fact of the matter is that L.A. fell apart this postseason mostly because of locker room issues that clearly divided the ballclub. Bryant also straight dissed Andrew Bynum on national TV after the gifted center got a bit too honest with reporters by telling them the Lakers had "trust issues"

9. Brandon Roy '" Portland Trailblazers
I know both of Brandon Roy's knees have robbed him of some lift and explosiveness, but the fact of the matter is that Roy is still one of the headiest players in the league '" and one whose Portland Trail Blazers teammates still follow his lead, even though the former all-star is now coming off the bench for the Blazers. Roy is a winner through and through both on the court and off and simply has an innate ability to lead others.

8. Caron Butler '" Dallas Mavericks
Sure, Caron '‹Å"Tough Juice' Butler has been oft-injured in his career, but ask any current or former teammate and they'll likely tell you that Butler was the glue that held their teams together with his all-out effort at both ends of the court. As a matter of fact, several players have already gone on record to praise Butler for his leadership skills, selfless ways and general, overall fearlessness.

7. Dirk Nowitzki '" Dallas Mavericks
Dirk has shed his once perennial '‹Å"soft' label and is now one of the best locker room leaders in the NBA in my estimation. The sweet-shooting seven-footer was once strictly a jump-shooter. Now, he's added some low post moves to his repertoire, not to mention, some serious mental toughness and improved leadership skills. Need proof? Nowitzki had an incredible Game 1 performance against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals that included an NBA-record, 24 consecutive free throws without a miss '" all after reportedly practicing his unmatchable jump shot for hours on end since sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers nearly a week prior to the start of the conference finals!

6. Derrick Rose '" Chicago Bulls
Has there ever been a player so young and clearly so mentally ahead of players a half-decade older? Okay, outside of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson that is. Not only did Derrick Rose become the youngest MVP in league history, but he did it the old-fashioned way, by carrying his team for major stretches of the regular season, particularly early on when the Bulls were about as banged-up as any team in the league. In addition to his lightning-quick foot-speed and still blossoming game, Rose is arguably the most humble superstar I have seen in any sport in the last decade '" and his older teammates are clearly happy to follow his lead.

5. Kevin Durant '" Oklahoma City Thunder
I call Durant the '‹Å"Silent Assassin' but there's absolutely nothing silent about his game. The only reason I don't have the youthful, multi-talented forward a bit higher on this list is because he's so young. Still, Durant has clearly become one of the best locker room leaders in the game today as evidenced, not only by his play with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but his play this past summer when he led the U.S. to the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey. Not only was Durant named the USA Male Basketball Athlete of the Year following the team's title-winning run, but Durant was generally singled out by veteran players on the team like Billups as being the unequivocal leader of the team. I mean, hell, when Mike Krzyzewski starts making statements like, "Kevin brought maturity and a winning mindset to every practice and every game last summer," you know the guy is special!

4. Chris Paul '" New Orleans Hornets
Not only is Paul one of the best floor leaders of his era, but his ability to bring his teammates together was never more evident that it was this postseason when he led his band of mediocre New Orleans Hornets teammates to two wins over the defending-champion Lakers before falling in the first round. Whether he's dishing out dimes by the dozen or helping a younger teammate learn the nuances of the NBA, Chris Paul's leadership, both on the court and in the locker room, are as good as it gets.

3. Dwyane Wade '" Miami Heat
You might not like the Miami Heat and how their trio of stars came together this season, but Dwyane Wade clearly knows all about strapping a team on his back and carrying them as far as he can. It's funny that Wade may not generally be recognized as a '‹Å"locker room' kind of guy, but the fact of the matter is that when it comes to leading his troops into battle, there aren't many players that do it better than Dwyane Wade!

2. Chauncey Billups '" New York Knicks
I don't think there are many basketball observers who would disagree with my assertion that Chauncey Billups is the second best locker room leader in the game today. Simply put, Billups has a '‹Å"Pied Piper' kind of ability to get his teammates to follow his lead whether leading the Detroit Pistons to six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances and one NBA championship or turning a talented but perennially underachieving Denver Nuggets ballclub into instant Western Conference title contenders. Billups' latest mission is to get ball-hogging gunners, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire on the same page as the floor leader of the Knicks, who wisely picked up the $14 million option on his contract for the 2011-12 season.

1. Kevin Garnett '" Boston Celtics
Love him or loathe him, 'The Big Ticket' is undoubtedly the best locker room leader in the NBA today and quite possibly, all of sports. Whether he's on the court barking out defensive orders or sharing his vast NBA knowledge with a younger teammate, KG is not very subtle about his desire to get all of his teammates on the same page. Garnett is a young front court player's dream mentor and is undoubtedly the very best locker room leader in the entire NBA regardless of what you think of him.

Honorable Mention
Steve Nash '" Phoenix Suns
LeBron James '" Miami Heat
Zach Randolph '" Memphis Grizzlies
Tim Duncan '" San Antonio Spurs