Arguing over whether Kobe Bryant is better than Tracy McGrady is akin to deciding between prime rib and filet mignon.

Most basketball fans know who the top players are.  Many can even name some of true slugs ? the guys sitting on the end of the bench happily depositing their guaranteed paychecks.  

What I'm looking for, though, are the stealth bums.  These are players who get solid minutes and produce little.  They don't score, they don't rebound, they don't pass.  Some of them are good defenders, but do nothing else to help their teams.

In compiling this list, I'm using a stat I call player production average (PPA).  It accounts for every major statistical category, including scoring efficiency, rebounding, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers and personal fouls.

The PPA doesn't measure athletic ability or basketball skills.  It doesn't capture contributions that don't show up in the box score.  It does provide an accurate barometer of production ? what a player contributes toward his team's success or failure.

To aid in the comparison, here are the ten most productive players through 3/19/02:

1. Tim Duncan ? PPA: 27.88, Minutes: 40.9
2. Shaquille O'Neal ? PPA: 25.64, Minutes: 36.3
3. Kevin Garnett ? PPA: 25.38, Minutes: 39.3
4. Tracy McGrady ? PPA: 23.35, Minutes: 38.5
5. Chris Webber ? PPA: 23.27, Minutes: 38.4
6. Dirk Nowitzki ? PPA: 23.25, Minutes: 38.6
7. Gary Payton ? PPA: 22.00, Minutes: 40.7
8. Elton Brand ? PPA: 21.97, Minutes: 37.5
9. Kobe Bryant ? PPA: 21.22, Minutes: 38.5
10. Karl Malone ? PPA: 21.08, Minutes: 38.3

No need to wonder why the Lakers are the league's best team ? with Shaq and Kobe, they have two of the league's ten most productive players.

Now for the least productive:

John Starks, Utah Jazz ? PPA: 1.54, Minutes: 15.1
Compare: Trajan Langdon, Cleveland Cavaliers ? PPA: 1.50, Minutes 8.5

Johnny Newman, Dallas Mavericks ? PPA: 1.86, Minutes: 16.1
Compare: Gerald Wallace, Sacramento Kings ? PPA: 1.65, Minutes: 5.8

Howard Eisley, New York Knicks ? PPA: 2.22, Minutes: 15.4
Compare: Vonteego Cummings, Philadelphia 76ers ? PPA: 2.09, Minutes: 8.4

Michael Curry, Detroit Pistons ? PPA: 3.29, Minutes: 23.5
Compare: Tracy Murray, Toronto Raptors ? PPA:  3.23, Minutes 11.8

Bruce Bowen, San Antonio Spurs ? PPA: 3.65, Minutes: 27.0
Compare: Oscar Torres, Houston Rockets ? PPA: 4.21, Minutes: 16.4

Emanual Davis, Atlanta Hawks ? PPA: 3.76, Minutes: 26.7
Compare: Etan Thomas, Washington Wizards ? PPA: 3.74, Minutes: 10.9

Charles Oakley, Chicago Bulls ? PPA: 5.66, Minutes: 24.9
Compare: Scott Padgett, Utah Jazz ? PPA: 5.73, Minutes: 16.5

Grant Long, Memphis Grizzlies ? PPA: 6.26, Minutes: 28.5
Compare: Aaron Williams, New Jersey Nets ? PPA: 6.27, Minutes: 18.6

Bryon Russell, Utah Jazz ? PPA: 6.63, Minutes: 29.6
Compare: Terry Porter, San Antonio Spurs ? PPA: 6.60, Minutes: 18.3

Jim Jackson, Miami Heat ? PPA: 9.18, Minutes: 33.4
Compare: Michael Redd, Milwaukee Bucks ? PPA: 9.16, Minutes: 21.0

Any of these players are deserving recipients of the least productive player mantle.  But the king of big minutes without production is Ron Mercer.

Ron Mercer, Indiana Pacers ? PPA: 8.74, Minutes: 36.3
Compare: Bobby Jackson, Sacramento Kings ? PPA: 8.80, Minutes: 21.8

And by the way, the least productive NBA player ? arguably the worst player in the league ? is Knicks center Felton Spencer.  He's averaging 8.0 minutes in 23 games this year.  His PPA is a stultifying -1.17.  Don't fret Knicks fans ? he's only on a one-year contract.