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HurricaneDij39
The Middle of Everywhere: NWI
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*Last year's ranking in parenthesis.
1) LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers (1) - Even though the Cavs won a pedestrian 51 games last season, LeBron arguably had the best statistical season of his career at age 32. At this point, I'm banking on two more prime seasons from LBJ, because frankly I'm tired of betting against him. Just try and go easy on the GOAT talk and comparisons and appreciate the player he is today while he's still playing. Easier said than done, I know.
2) Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder (3) - Yes, I know that most folks won't have him this high, but the reason he's at this spot for me is his impact on his team. Last season, OKC was 33-9 when Russ scored a triple double, and 14-26 when he didn't. That's quite a disparity right there. The mediocre FG percentage was a byproduct of having to attempt more threes in the wake of Durant's departure, and while three-point shooting is never one of Westbrook's strengths, he even shot a career-high from there (34.3 percent) with those added attempts. As TNT analyst Charles Barkley once said, you do not love basketball if you don't love Westbrook.
3) Kevin Durant, SF, Golden State Warriors (5) - To me, he's the Mike Pence of the NBA. He may say all the right things in public, but the truth is that he's got "frontrunner" in his DNA. I, for one, was not naive enough to jump on his bandwagon back in 2010 during the whole "Decision" backlash against LeBron James, for Durant himself has always been kind of a hype-driven asshole. That being said, the move to Golden State did wonders for his defense and his ability to play off the ball, and for those reasons I move him up two spots from last year. Still, as one CBSSports poster famously put it in the comments section of an article - Durant would be seeing double and sometimes triple coverage if he were on literally any other team that did not include the splash brothers. #koward
4) Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs (4) - Still the game's best two-way player. If there is one downside here, it's that his game has become increasingly iso-heavy over the years and it's starting to limit the effectiveness of his teammates a little bit. That's not to say that Kawhi is selfish or a ballhog by any stretch, but for those that are inclined to giveKawhi "extra credit" for having "less-than MVP stats" in favor of being more of a "team guy", well, his profile takes an ever-so slight hit in that regard as well.
5) Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors (2) - The two-time MVP sacrificed a few regular season numbers for better, healthier production in the NBA Finals, a trade-off I'm sure Steph will gladly take.
6) James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets (9) - The longtime ballhog led the league in assists last season in Mike D'Antoni's offense (11.2 per game). He also broke the NBA record for turnovers in a season, but given his impact on the Rockets as a team, can anyone really complain too much?
7) Giannis Antetokounmpo, G/F, Milwaukee Bucks (25) - A consistent three-point shot (he shot 27.2 percent from there last season) is the only hurdle that separates the Greek Freak from superstardom. He took a mediocre supporting cast to the playoffs last season, a supporting cast that was missing Middleton and Parker for big chunks of the season, and not at the same time.
8) John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards (15) - Enjoyed a 2016-17 campaign in which he posted career highs in points per game (23.1), assists per game (10.7), and FG percentage (45.1). If Wall is pissed that Paul George has a higher 2K rating than him - He has every right to be, because Wall has had a greater impact on the Wizards franchise than George has had on the Pacers.
9) Isaiah Thomas, PG, Boston Celtics (36) - Continues to prove his doubters wrong every year, for last year at this time I claimed he wasn't a franchise-level player even if he was an elite scorer. Not only did I.T. average a career-high with 28.9 points per game, he also led the Celtics to the #1 seed in the eastern conference.
10) Chris Paul, PG, Houston Rockets (8) - The league's best pure point guard (still) is showing no signs of slowing down. The thought of Paul running Mike D'Antoni's offense is a scary one, assuming he could mesh with new backcourt mate James Harden.
11) Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers (11) - Brought the Blazers back from a 23-33 record at one 2016-17 juncture into a return trip to the playoffs in a difficult western conference, with his elite scoring (27 points per game) and clutch play playing no small part in his team's second half surge.
12) Klay Thompson, SG, Golden State Warriors (22) - Consider this one a "lesson learned". I can't stand the guy. A little too cocky for my tastes, and you got to believe that seeing Klay's armpit hair in the photo above makes me throw up in my mouth a bit, but his scoring production (22.3 points per game) actually went up with the arrival of Kevin Durant, as his off-the-ball abilities proved to be a perfect fit on such a star-studded team, and he's no slouch on the other end of the court either.
13) Jimmy Butler, G/F, Minnesota Timberwolves (16) - It’s not that he doesn’t give his all on both ends of the court. It’s not that he isn’t clutch. It’s not that he didn’t work his ass off to become the player he is today. However, it’s the question of whether or not Butler is a good locker room guy that prevents him from getting the respect of a true superstar, for he has thrown numerous teammates and coaches under the bus with the media during his last two seasons in Chicago. Try making guys around you better, Jimmy. Now in Minnesota, he has the opportunity of a lifetime to try and end the league’s current largest playoff drought. He certainly has the talent around him to get it done.
14) Paul George, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder (6) - So Me-G13 "thought" he was doing the Pacers a favor by asking out early with a year left on his deal. One has got to ask which George is for real - Is it the malcontent one through the first half of the season when he blamed his surroundings for all of his losing, or is it the George that played with a chip on his shoulder late (28.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 51.4% FG shooting after March 1) as if he was playing for a new contract? One thing is for sure - He is going to have to accept any role given to him in OKC, because he won't win any popularity contests against Russell Westbrook. A role as a #2 scorer on a true contender might be a more natural one anyway.
15) Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers (10) - His defense remains a liability, but he quietly averaged a career high 25.2 points per game last season. Now he's said to want out of Cleveland. Given the beaten-to-death culture that comes with a LeBron James-team where MeBron get all the credit when they win and his surroundings receive all of the blame when they lose, could anyone really blame Irving for wanting out?
16) Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans (7) - Don't let this low ranking fool you: I love me some Anthony Davis. However, a player of his caliber should be averaging more assists regardless of position, and it is the #1 reason why his teams haven't won at this level. It's not that his attitude is holding him back; It's merely a fundamental flaw to his game that he needs to continue to work on. His career average of 1.8 assists per game is downright embarrassing for a player of his talent and pedigree. It was good to see him last in 75 games during the 2016-17 season.
17) Karl-Anthony Towns, C/F, Minnesota Timberwolves (17) - Not too many NBA players average 25 points and 12 rebounds in a given season like Towns did, and likewise, not too many players who average 25 and 12 miss the playoffs that same season. Like Anthony Davis, it's a matter of making players around him better for Towns, and unlike Davis, he has a few more years to make good on his fullest potential.
18) Draymond Green, PF, Golden State Warriors (13) - The league's #1 agitator continues to fill up the stat sheet in unique ways, averaging 10.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and led the league with 2.0 steals per game in 2016-17.
19) Rudy Gobert, C, Utah Jazz (NR) - My pick for Defensive Player of the Year, Gobert made major strides offensively in 2016-17 and will carry an even greater burden in 2017-18 with Gordon Hayward gone.
20) DeMar DeRozan, SG, Toronto Raptors (21) - Yes, he disappeared in those two playoff games in Cleveland (when his team perhaps needed him most), but he broke out in a big way last season and still does not get the credit he deserves as an elite-level scorer (27.3 points per game). Where's the love, man?
21) DeMarcus Cousins, C, New Orleans Pelicans (18) - Averaged 24.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in 17 games after his trade to New Orleans. We'll just see how a twin towers style works in the modern NBA, but I think it's far more likely that Boogie is the type of player that's going to need a designed system and culture in order to have success in the league, such as the Spurs.
22) Gordon Hayward, G/F, Boston Celtics (30) - 2017 may go down as "the summer of Gordon Hayward" and he takes enormous scoring pressure off of Isaiah Thomas, but he does not help fill Boston's need for rebounding and rim protection and therefore, will not help a great deal against the Cavs.
23) Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets (NR) - Put up superstar-like numbers once he was inserted into Denver's starting lineup, averaging 19.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game after Christmas. A bit undersized at center at 6-10, his next tasks include limiting his fouls and spreading the floor with Paul Millsap coming in. Improving his three-point shooting, which has promise, will be key.
24) Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers (14) - His career averages of 21.5 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game show that he could and should be ranked much higher than this if it weren't for stupid injuries the last two seasons.
25) Kemba Walker, PG, Charlotte Hornets (28) - Really, this spot is too low for him. Perhaps the most underrated player in the NBA, Kemba would be in the discussion as one of the game's top five point guards if he ever won a playoff series. FG shooting was his big weakness, and Walker shot a steady 44.4 percent for his 23.2 points per game. Now he pairs with a legit big man in Dwight Howard.
26) Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors (24) - Proved a few naysayers wrong and averaged a career high in scoring for the second consecutive season at age 31, but as always, he underwhelmed in the playoffs, and one has to be wary of the downward spiral of his career that could start at any instant.
