As the NBA playoffs come down to the final stretch, it's becoming clear who the postseason's outstanding teams are as well as which candidates are likely to pick up some hardware. But going into the NBA Finals, who were the strongest players coming off the 2006-2007 season? Pull up a courtside seat as we take an in-depth look at the NBA's top performers from this past season.

Number 10
Tracy McGrady - Houston
It isn’t often that Robin gets to steal the thunder from Batman, but that’s precisely what happened in 2007 when Tracy McGrady was asked to elevate his game in the wake of Yao Ming’s devastating leg injury. Without the big guy clogging up the middle, T-Mac was free to show off his entire arsenal of moves, and he responded by averaging 29.9 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds during the month of January. Now, if only he could manage to get out of the first round of the playoffs…

Season highlight: T-Mac was a one-man wrecking crew against the Mavericks on January 16, 2007, as he erupted for a season-high 45 points. Not bad for a guy who looks as though he hasn’t slept in three weeks.

Number 9
Amare Stoudemire - Phoenix Suns
Pundits who witnessed Amare Stoudemire struggle during the preseason had to stifle their laughter when he confessed his goal of appearing in the 2007 NBA All-Star Game. After all, STAT was just coming off two knee surgeries and a disastrous season in which he played in only three games. Nonetheless, he never lost faith in himself or in his game and by February 18, 2007, he was back posting up LeBron James and Chris Bosh in the league’s mid-season classic. It just goes to show you that anything is possible if you’re 6’10” and capable of defying gravity.

Season highlight: STAT proved his doubters wrong on February 25th, when he exploded for 43 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists against the Hawks. “He’s a beast,” Atlanta’s Josh Smith said after the game. "He attacks the rim hard. He doesn't stop. No matter how you defend him, he comes back for more.”

Number 8
Chris Bosh - Toronto Raptors
Plenty of credit is due for Toronto’s remarkable season, but since Bryan Colangelo and Sam Mitchell have already received their trophies, we’re going to focus on Chris Bosh instead. Bosh became the Raptors’ undisputed franchise player in 2007, as he posted career-highs of 22.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while routinely having to fend off double teams. The development of players like Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon should only make his job easier in the future.

Season highlight: Bosh turned in a performance for the ages on February 7, 2007, against the Magic as he scored a career-high 41 points. "Chris accepted the challenge and showed a lot of character by responding and just letting the game come to him," Raptors guard Morris Peterson said afterward. "I didn't even know he had that many points. He's playing pretty good defense too."

Number 7
Yao Ming - Houston Rockets
Yao Ming may not be the league’s most durable player, but he is its most dominating presence. Now in his fifth year, Yao finally showed the tenacity and mean streak Rocket officials had been waiting for since his rookie campaign in 2002-2003. Had he played an entire season, his averages of 25 points and 9.4 rebounds per game would have merited serious MVP consideration.

Season highlight: Yao’s "coming out" party officially began in November when he scored 36 points in a rout of the Mavericks. Dallas coach Avery Johnson was so impressed by the spectacle that he later remarked, "He was playing like we were not even on the floor."
Number 6Gilbert Arenas - Washington Wizards.

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