HurricaneDij's Annual Top 50 NBA Players List (Year 9)

[HurricaneDij39]

1) LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers - His performance in the finals proved that he's still the best player in the world. It will be interesting to see how his game, largely built on pure athleticism and physique, will hold up as he gets further into his 30's. Something will have to give eventually, but for this year - Yeah, he's still LeBron James.

2) Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors - Sorry, Kevin Durant - You may have made the sexy summer headlines, but Golden State is still Steph's team until Steph decides it's not. The former undersized shooting guard continued to improve even after leading the Warriors to the title in 2015, averaging over 30 points per game last season. Would be number one on this list if not for the mediocre finals performance.

3) Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder - Like Tiny Archibald way back in 1972-73, expect him to lead the league in both scoring and assists. And unlike Tiny, I expect Westbrook to lead a solid playoff contender in the west.

4) Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs - Probably the league's most complete player other than a guy named LeBron James.

5) Kevin Durant, SF, Golden State Warriors - Still the league's best pure scorer. Without a true starting center on Golden State's roster, he'll likely be forced to play more power forward than he's accustomed to. Is he up to the task?

6) Paul George, SF, Indiana Pacers - After a broken leg in a Team USA scrimmage wiped out all but six games of his 2014-15, George came back strong by averaging 23.1 points last season. If the Pacers can take the next step back towards title contention, he too is an MVP candidate. But first thing is first. The next step in his rise towards superstardom would be to boost his field goal percentage with the improved supporting cast in Indiana.

7) Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans -All the tools to be an elite-level superstar are there. It's just a matter of staying healthy and continuing to work on making others around him better, as his 1.9 assists average last season is unacceptable for a superstar-level player regardless of position.

8) Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers - No longer on the level of Westbrook or Curry, but he's a model of stability and an elite point guard in his own right even as he ages. The broken hand in last year's playoffs was a fluke.

9) James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets - Was so grossly overrated this time last year that he's become underrated now. Ballhog or not, it's rare to see a guy with the numbers he put up fail to make any All-NBA team.

10) Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers - Opened this fan's eyes with his finals performance, when he thoroughly outplayed the hobbled Steph Curry. However, his lack of size, and it turn - Lack of defense will ultimately prevent him from ever becoming a top-tier superstar.

11) Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers - He and C.J. McCollum will continue to form one of the league's best backcourts in Portland. But like Paul George, his next step is to improve his shot selection and field goal percentage.

12) LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, San Antonio Spurs - Had fit into the Spurs' culture seamlessly from day one, averaging 18 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and helped lead the team to 67 wins.

13) Draymond Green, PF, Golden State Warriors - Always the heart and soul of the Warriors. Green and Russell Westbrook have overtaken LeBron as the game's top triple-double threats. Memo to Draymond - You just don't grab another man's junk, even if it is LeBron James. That turned the whole finals around.

14) Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers - Now entering his prime, he's got it in him to conduct himself more professionally both on and off the court. Because the Clippers need him.

15) John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards - If he is in fact jealous of Bradley Beal's new contract, he has every right to be. But, if Wall could lead the Wiz back to the postseason he'll be in line for a max contract of his own.

16) Jimmy Butler, G/F, Chicago Bulls - His effort level on both sides of the ball is never in question. Whether or not he's a good teammate is the question, as Butler threw numerous teammates and coaches under the bus with the media last season. And like former teammate Derrick Rose, he also may want to cut down on his reckless play a bit, as the Bulls are clearly better off with Butler on the court than with him off of it. He'll also have to adjust to a somewhat less-familiar position (SF) with the arrival of fellow Marquette alum Dwyane Wade.

17) Karl-Anthony Towns, C/F, Minnesota Timberwolves - The 2015-16 Rookie of the Year, Towns has all the tools to take Minnesota to the next level. But like Davis, it's just a matter of making guys around him better.

18) DeMarcus Cousins, C, Sacramento Kings - Continued to make strides in the scoring department in 2015-16 (26.9 PPG as well as an added three-point shot to his repertoire), but the growing concern continues that he lacks the fundamentals of a true franchise player and that a team build around Cousins wouldn't ever be a contender of significance. Dave Joerger is the latest coach to take his best shot at providing a stable environment around him.

19) Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks - Is now Team USA's all-time leading scorer, averaging 12.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game during this year's olympics. That's a nice accomplishment, especially given his lack of playoff success in the NBA.

20) Andre Drummond, C, Detroit Pistons - An absolute beast of a player that should lead the league in rebounding for years to come. Would be the best center in our league if he would convert on just half of his free-throw attempts.

21) DeMar DeRozan, SG, Toronto Raptors - Was the most consistent performer in Toronto's 2016 playoff run (yes, that is a knock on Kyle Lowry). Being the Jerry Stackhouse fan that I am, I like to see it when players attack, attack, attack - as DeRozan does. We don't see enough of that in today NBA.

22) Klay Thompson, SG, Golden State Warriors - His value for the most part comes in scoring (22.1 PPG last season) and shooting (42 percent from three for his career). Never considered much as a playmaker, he needs to prove he can be an effective ball-mover now with both Steph and KD aboard.

23) Paul Millsap, PF, Atlanta Hawks - He's coming off an unlikely career year at age 31, in which he set a career-high in rebounding at nine per game, and has a body-type that tends to age well in the NBA (think Karl Malone).

24) Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors -His playoff woes continued last season even after he averaged a career-high in scoring (21.2 PPG) during the regular season. At age 30, this may be as good as it gets. His best bet to prolong his career may be to sign with the Spurs once he becomes a free agent.

25) Giannis Antetokounmpo, G/F, Milwaukee Bucks - Still a work-in-progress, but he's going to be great very, very soon. He'll prove to be worth every penny of that contact extension. He moves of two spots from his original position on this list due to an injury to teammate Khris Middleton.

26) Dwight Howard, C, Atlanta Hawks - Not the MVP candidate he once was, but now that he's finally provided with a stable coaching staff, it wouldn't be surprising to see him come through with a big bounce-back campaign in 2016-17.

27) C.J. McCollum, SG, Portland Trail Blazers - Trail Blazers and Seahawks owner Paul Allen is one of the richest men in the world and McCollum is reaping the full benefits. He received $106 million over four years after one mere breakout campaign, and I don't see any reason to believe he won't continue to improve this season. Life is good.

28) Kemba Walker, PG, Charlotte Hornets -Still has that winning pedigree from his college days and has proven he can lead any given team into playoffs. Lacks the "wow" factor that other point guards have but is just a solid player that doesn't have any real weaknesses other than the fact that he won't shoot a great percentage from the field.

29) DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles Clippers - Ruffled a few feathers when he backed out of his commitment with the Mavs in 2015, but he's quickly becoming a better version of Tyson Chandler. His scoring upside remains limited though even when Chris Paul and Blake Griffin miss significant time to injury.

30) Gordon Hayward, SF, Utah Jazz - Still the #1 option on an improving Jazz roster even though his field goal percentage took a slight dip last season.

31) Marc Gasol, C, Memphis Grizzlies - Others will have him ranked much higher than this due to his brand name and past accolades, but his age and recent injury history leads this writer to believe that the downward spiral could come at any time, and it may be safe to assume that's he's won his last and only NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award (in 2013).

32) Kevin Love, PF Cleveland Cavaliers - The poor finals performance is the primary reason he's ranked this low. 16.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on a title team certainly isn't anything to sneeze at.

33) Al Horford, C, Boston Celtics - A better fit at center than at power forward, though not a perfect fit at either position. Still does not diminish the fact that he's a big addition to the Celtics and should propel them to the ranks of the elite in the east.

34) Hassan Whiteside, C, Miami Heat - "The Eraser" as my man Jerry Stackhouse refers to him, cleans as much garbage as anyone in the NBA, with the exception of maybe Andre Drummond. With Wade and others gone, is he ready for a bigger role in the offense?

35) Reggie Jackson, PG, Detroit Pistons - A hot start in the first half 2015-16 had turned into a ho-hum finish for Jackson, as Tobias Harris carried much of the offensive load in the second half of the season for Detroit. Does he dribble too much? Consistency is going to be key for Jackson and the Pistons this season.

36) Isaiah Thomas, PG, Boston Celtics - His lack of size keeps him from being a true franchise player even if he is an elite-level scorer (22.2 PPG in 2015-16).

 

[HurricaneDij39]

37) Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Dallas Mavericks - Has been able to defy father time much better than either Tim Duncan or Kobe Bryant, two of the greatest 15 players ever in our league. How much longer can it continue?

38) Andrew Wiggins, G/F, Minnesota Timberwolves - Talent is certainly there and he's a quality defender, but his assists average is just offensive for a player of his caliber. This is the player that would potentially prevent the Timberwolves from taking the next step.

39) Derrick Favors, PF, Utah Jazz -Like Wiggins, was not an adequate passer when he was younger and is not an elite player by any means, but with averages of 16.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 2015-16, you could do a hell of a lot worse for your starting power forward.

40) Dennis Schroder, PG, Atlanta Hawks - Could be more efficient, but his insertion into the starting lineup gives Atlanta the perimeter scoring threat they've lacked since Joe Johnson left.

41) Goran Dragic, PG, Miami Heat - An opportunity awaits after an icon's departure (Wade). Really stepped up his game after Bosh went down last season and when Miami in turn picked up the pace.

42) Dwyane Wade, SG, Chicago Bulls - He's back home in Chicago after 13 seasons in Miami, and he'll act as Jimmy Butler's babysitter on a Bulls team that had several locker room issues last season. If he could add a three-point shot to his game in Fred Hoiberg's offense, it would be an added bonus. Current NBA champion Richard Jefferson is a good example of a player who didn't develop consistent three-point range until late in his career.

43) Brook Lopez, C, Brooklyn Nets - The very definition of "old man moves". Will continue to get his numbers on a questionable Nets roster.

44) Bradley Beal, SG, Washington Wizards - Yes, you must laugh at his new contract, but he's still a top-tier option at a thin shooting guard position.

45) Eric Bledsoe, PG, Phoenix Suns - Still the best of the bunch in a cluster of guards in Phoenix. Has had one fully healthy season out of three in his time there and still needs to prove he could lead a winner.

46) Victor Oladipo, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder - OKC is going to have a beast of a backcourt as long as he continues to improve on his 33.9 percent career mark from three-point range.

47) Jeff Teague, PG, Indiana Pacers - Nagging injuries and the emergence of Schroder have resulted in Teague Atlanta plateaued. Now fully healthy again and a chance to be undisputed starting point guard again back in his home state of Indiana, a career high in three-point percentage last season (40 percent) provides hope for a career year in 2016-17.

48) Ryan Anderson, PF, Houston Rockets - A good run in New Orleans concluded with season averages of 17.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, and that was off the bench for 59 of those games. After earning a four year, $80 million contract with Houston, it would not be crazy to think he could average 20 and 8 in this system.

49) Mike Conley, PG, Memphis Grizzlies - I think he's one of the most overrated players in the NBA, and his contract only further illustrates that. He is what he is - A caretaker at a deep NBA position, and Memphis is destining itself for mediocrity. He's also become increasingly injury-prone in recent seasons, and quite honestly - Khris Middleton's injury is the only reason he's on this list at all.

50) Rajon Rondo, PG, Chicago Bulls - Enjoyed a nice bounce-back season in 2015-16 by leading the league in assists. Meshing with Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler in Fred Hoiberg's offense may be a different matter altogether, though.

Honorable mention: Thaddeus Young, Khris Middleton, Greg Monroe, Nicolas Batum, Harrison Barnes, Zach Randolph, Solomon Hill, Tony Parker, Emmanuel Mudiay, Rudy Gobert, Rodney Hood, J.J. Redick, Brandon Knight, Devin Booker.

My Reach Pick: Solomon Hill, SF, New Orleans Pelicans- As a Pacers fan, I truly feel that we had let a good one get away. Granted, we couldn't have afforded the contract the Pels gave him given that he plays the same natural position as Paul George, but Frank Vogel may still have a job with us had he used Hill more appropriately last season. Already a good defender, I expect him to rise his scoring average upwards closer to the teens in 2016-17. He's my pick to be this year's Jae Crowder.

 

[CitySushi]

Haven't fully scoured the list, appreciate the effort though. Few issues so far:

Ranking Klay as low as you did, is fine, that's your opinion of him, but there's no way he should be ranked below Derozan. Ever. Hell if Klay gets run on Team USA over Derozan who's basically the 11th man, that should say something too.

McCollum is way too high if you think Klay is a 3-D player. Basically McCollum is the 3 without the D in that scenario.

Reggie Jackson, shouldn't even be on the top 50 list, imo. Way over-rated as a player. Tons of guys you didn't select on your list who I would choose ahead of him.

Mike Conley at 49 is ridiculous. Especially considering you have Reggie Jackson at 35.

No way Oladipo should be in the top 50. He's done nothing in his career to suggest he should be that high. Also he's not going to have the ball in his hands a lot and for a guy who can't shoot, how is he going to produce with Westbrook?

Will post other thoughts later.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

Ranking Klay as low as you did, is fine, that's your opinion of him, but there's no way he should be ranked below Derozan. Ever. Hell if Klay gets run on Team USA over Derozan who's basically the 11th man, that should say something too.

McCollum is way too high if you think Klay is a 3-D player. Basically McCollum is the 3 without the D in that scenario.

Look, I get there's bound to be some butt-hurt factor with you boy being at #22, but the fact is he is in fact ahead of McCollum, so I don't see what the issue is here. If I were to speak on McCollum's behalf though, I will say he does more on offense beside shoot threes. Roughly half of Klay's FG attempts last season were behind the arc.

Reggie Jackson, shouldn't even be on the top 50 list, imo. Way over-rated as a player. Tons of guys you didn't select on your list who I would choose ahead of him.

So what PG is should be rated higher? I considered Jrue Holiday in honorable mention, as the talent is there and he is efficient. But if you continue to play in only half your team's games, your not worthy of this list. He needs to prove he's reliable.

Mike Conley at 49 is ridiculous. Especially considering you have Reggie Jackson at 35.

Name me one thing that Conley does better than Jackson besides bank account bragging rights - I dare you. Jackson has proven he can carry an offense for stretches. Conley is a care-taker.

No way Oladipo should be in the top 50. He's done nothing in his career to suggest he should be that high. Also he's not going to have the ball in his hands a lot and for a guy who can't shoot, how is he going to produce with Westbrook?

He got Kevin Durant's endorsement. Living near Chicago, I know all about the frustrations of Scott Skiles' rotations, and Oladipo fell victim to that. Really the only knock on him is three-point shooting, and he's gotten better in that department year-by-year and should get plenty of open looks with Westbrook drawing defenses.

@CitySushi

 

[CitySushi]

Ranking Klay as low as you did, is fine, that's your opinion of him, but there's no way he should be ranked below Derozan. Ever. Hell if Klay gets run on Team USA over Derozan who's basically the 11th man, that should say something too.

McCollum is way too high if you think Klay is a 3-D player. Basically McCollum is the 3 without the D in that scenario.

Look, I get there's bound to be some butt-hurt factor with you boy being at #22, but the fact is he is in fact ahead of McCollum, so I don't see what the issue is here. If I were to speak on McCollum's behalf though, I will say he does more on offense beside shoot threes. Roughly half of Klay's FG attempts last season were behind the arc.

Reggie Jackson, shouldn't even be on the top 50 list, imo. Way over-rated as a player. Tons of guys you didn't select on your list who I would choose ahead of him.

So what PG is should be rated higher? I considered Jrue Holiday in honorable mention, as the talent is there and he is efficient. But if you continue to play in only half your team's games, your not worthy of this list. He needs to prove he's reliable.

Mike Conley at 49 is ridiculous. Especially considering you have Reggie Jackson at 35.

Name me one thing that Conley does better than Jackson besides bank account bragging rights - I dare you. Jackson has proven he can carry an offense for stretches. Conley is a care-taker.

No way Oladipo should be in the top 50. He's done nothing in his career to suggest he should be that high. Also he's not going to have the ball in his hands a lot and for a guy who can't shoot, how is he going to produce with Westbrook?

He got Kevin Durant's endorsement. Living near Chicago, I know all about the frustrations of Scott Skiles' rotations, and Oladipo fell victim to that. Really the only knock on him is three-point shooting, and he's gotten better in that department year-by-year and should get plenty of open looks with Westbrook drawing defenses.

@CitySushi

I feel like you took my post way too personally for some reason.

1) I was not championing for Klay. I have no argument with you listing him there, which I clearly pointed out. There is absolutely no butt hurt. I'm objective about players and if you can make a case one way or another about a player, I respect it. But that being said, if you feel a certain way about a player, at least be consistent with it through out.

I just said that he should not be above Derozan. There is nothing that Derozan does tangibly better than Klay other than possibly getting to the basket. Other than that defensively and offensively, Klay is just better. If you could name reasons why Derozan is better than Klay, I'd be interested to hear why.

McCollum, I just feel like he was too high based on your rankings and valuations. If Klay is going to be at 22, then how can you have McCollum only 5 spots below him. There's a huge drop off between the two.


2) Conley is superior as a playmaker and as a defender. He's also a much more efficient player. There is a reason why Stan opted to bench Reggie for large stretches in games last year because he can't be trusted. His decision making is terrible as a point guard. If you feel like Conley is a game manager, that's fine, but I would personally take him every time if given the decision to pick between the two. How can you pick a guy to be the 35th best player in the NBA when his own coach doesn't trust him in the crunch time of games?

Jackson not making excuses after loss at Lakers

Jackson pulled for lack of hustle in Pistons' loss


3) With Oladipo, that's fine. Just my opinion on this one.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

I feel like you took my post way too personally for some reason.

Yeah my bad on that one...I'm just all to used to being ridiculed on a board that's littered with Lakers/Heat fans.

To answer your question, this ranking doesn't necessarily mean I think DeRozan is a better player than Klay. It's mostly my outlook for all players' roles for the upcoming season plus the fact I wanted to give DeRozan credit for a career season and the fact that he fits my style of play. When it's all said and done, I think Klay will have had the better career, but I wanted to give DeRozan his due this one time.

Reggie Jackson as I documented in my post, still needs to work on his consistency. But, there's no denying the talent and I just think going forward that a given team will have more success building around Jackson, who may have some untapped upside to mine, than Conley who is what he is at this point.

 

[bksballer89]

LMAO @ this board being littered with Heat/Lakers fans. There's about 3 Heat fans who post on this general board. As for Lakers fans, outside of TF, CL, and Shaqdaddy I really can't think of any who post very frequently here either. I guess once the season begins we will see more of LUSC and Kold posting on this board but there's not even 10 combined Heat/Lakers fans who post here frequently

 

[HurricaneDij39]

LMAO @ this board being littered with Heat/Lakers fans. There's about 3 Heat fans who post on this general board. As for Lakers fans, outside of TF, CL, and Shaqdaddy I really can't think of any who post very frequently here either. I guess once the season begins we will see more of LUSC and Kold posting on this board but there's not even 10 combined Heat/Lakers fans who post here frequently

Care to discuss the actual topic at hand?

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Care to discuss the actual topic at hand?

You bring it up and then get pissy when someone continues with it

 

[HurricaneDij39]

You bring it up and then get pissy when someone continues with it

So, does anyone beside Sushi care to talk basketball here?

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

LMAO @ this board being littered with Heat/Lakers fans. There's about 3 Heat fans who post on this general board. As for Lakers fans, outside of TF, CL, and Shaqdaddy I really can't think of any who post very frequently here either. I guess once the season begins we will see more of LUSC and Kold posting on this board but there's not even 10 combined Heat/Lakers fans who post here frequently

You, @TurnUpTheHeat and @Heatles84 are the regular Heat posters and myself @ChiefsLakers67, @True Lakers Fan, @LAD and @trojanfan12 are the regular Lakers posters on the General NBA board.

So apparently we're the 'majority'.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

So, does anyone beside Sushi care to talk basketball here?

Sure.

You think Dwight is better than DeAndre Jordan?

 

[HurricaneDij39]

Sure.

You think Dwight is better than DeAndre Jordan?

Yes. More offensive output.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

You, @TurnUpTheHeat and @Heatles84 are the regular Heat posters and myself @ChiefsLakers67, @True Lakers Fan, @LAD and @trojanfan12 are the regular Lakers posters on the General NBA board.

So apparently we're the 'majority'.

WTF is his point?

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Sure.

You think Dwight is better than DeAndre Jordan?

In fantasy yes because Dwight is a starter and Jordan is a bench player - as I recall

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Yes. More offensive output.

Meh.... wasn;t Dwight meant to be more of a defensive player?

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

In fantasy yes because Dwight is a starter and Jordan is a bench player - as I recall

Fantasy is of no importance in this case. Jordan would give you more effort than Dwight.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

Meh.... wasn;t Dwight meant to be more of a defensive player?

So is Jordan...What exactly is your point here? Both are known for defense (Dwight has two DPOY's to his resume) and will provide greater offensive output than Jordan now that he is in Atlanta.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

So is Jordan...What exactly is your point here? Both are known for defense (Dwight has two DPOY's to his resume) and will provide greater offensive output than Jordan now that he is in Atlanta.

Hey, it's your list! I would have personally picked Jordan over Dwight.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Fantasy is of no importance in this case. Jordan would give you more effort than Dwight.

About the same if Jordan is a starter this year actually