Yeah, I'm buying into the new level of hype for our boy Roy. You've all heard it, 52 points. You heard it from TNT, ESPN, the talk about Roy is inescapable. The question everyone is asking: Has Roy entered the top teir or NBA players? "Well, how would you define top teir?" Is the first question that comes to mind. Is it the stats you put up? Is it the highlights you create? Or is it how you lead your team? Or could it be a combination of them all? Here is how I would answer the question.

1st- 3 pts 2nd- 2 pts 3rd- 1 pt

Shooting the Ball- They can all score, but how do they compare?

1. Putting up the Points- (Points per game) : 1. Wade (28.0) 2. Kobe (25.0) 3. Roy (23.4)
   
2. Taking it to the hole- All three are good in this category. While all three players rely on their ability to drive, most of Kobe's points come from jump shots. I think that Wade gets the nod over Brandon by just a hair. Really close but: 1.Wade 2. Roy 3. Kobe
   
3. Shooting the long range- Wade is 0.247 from 3 point range. Kobe is 0.295. Roy is 0.364. Roy's percentage is the best (by far) but to say he is a better shooter then Kobe... it just doesn't feel right. Until I saw this: three pointers per game- Kobe 1.0. Roy 1.0. Wade .8. Yup, it is surprising but: 1. Roy 2. Kobe 3. Wade
   
4. Converting at the line- (%FT) : 1.Kobe (0.873)  2. Roy (0.848) 3. Wade ( 0.758)
5. Scoring with out forcing- (%FG) : 1. Wade (0.481) 2. Roy (0.471) 3. Kobe (0.461)

1.Roy (12 pts) 2.Wade (11 pts) 3.Kobe (10 pts)

So on the outside, it seems Roy would be last in scoring ability, but if you look closer, it seems that he actually out shoots both Kobe and Wade. Wow! (Understand that this isn't " scoring ability, but more of a hybrid between all aspects of shooting)

Being a Teammate-So they can score, we get it. But how are they spreading the floor?

1. Wade (7.2 assists per game) 2. Roy (5.2) 3. Kobe (4.3)

Cleaning the Glass- Sure they are guards, but shouldn't they be able to crash the boards as well?

1. Kobe (5.4 rebounds per game) 2.Wade (5.1) 3. Roy (4.6)

Playing Under Control- They all have the ball in their hands a lot, but can they control it?

1. Roy (2.00 turnovers per game) 2. Kobe (2.54) 3. Wade (3.83)

In the Clutch- Do they come through when their team needs them?

1. Roy, so far this season, he has been the most clutch player of the year. The recent scoring frenzy he has been on has left that miracle against Houston in the dust, but that is a shot that wont ever be forgotten. 2. Kobe, he hasn't really hit the huge shots this year. Unfortunately for him, his team has been so good, that they haven't needed him in the last seconds of the game. Tonight they needed him, and his shot did fall. 3. Wade, his team hasn't been able to get into many clutch situations this year. A lot of games have been blowouts, wins and losses for the Heat.

Here is a sweet chart that gives more proof of BRoy's clutchness. (The original post of this chart can be found here. Thanks to munsonbh for posting that!)

The "Awe" Factor- How many times does he make the highlight reel?

1. Kobe, his flashy dunks mixed in the fall away three pointers always seem to been tainting NBA's Top 10. This is what makes Kobe such and acessable player. 2. Wade, he also has his fair share of plays making it to the Top 10. His dunks and acrobatic flying layups are always a hit. 3. Roy, he just isn't flashy. His game winners might make it to the Top 10, but other then that, you just don't see many left handed layups in the Top 10. This is the reason why Roy hasn't gotten the love he deserved before his 52 points burst.

The Teams- How do their teams due?

1. Kobe (Lakers: 21-4) 2. Roy (Blazers: 17-10) 3. Wade (Heat: 13-12)

The Total: 1. Roy (15 pts) 2. Kobe (15 pts) 3. Wade (12 pts) (When a tie happens, Blazers always win the tie breaker. Everybody knows that!)

So, Yes! Roy is a top tier player in the NBA! There is my answer.