A two-time NBA champion, NBA MVP, 10-time All-Star, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, four-time First-Team All-NBA guy can't crack the top 20. He took a real leap in the absence of John Wall, and now the Wizards are betting on Beal’s unusual malleability as a viable fit with Russell Westbrook. The Mavericks’ guard improved his three-point shooting in February. And while Barton was once viewed as merely a solid wing defender off the bench, he has gone on to start 155 games for Denver, almost all of which have come in the last three seasons. For all his half-court shortcomings, Simmons’s transition prowess and defensive dominance makes him one of the Eastern Conference’s most valuable players. He will also pair nicely with Trae Young, having shot nearly 42% on catch-and-shoot threes last year. KD has only averaged under 25 points per game ONCE in his 12 seasons and that came in his rookie campaign. He’s also long been a knockdown shooter, and he hit 39% of his threes last year while increasing his volume significantly. Scott Brooks has the luxury of being able to play … From Michael Jordan to LeBron James, here are the 30 best basketball players to ever play. On any given night, Kawhi Leonard can be the best basketball player in the universe. This man won three in a row, left to play baseball, then came back to win three in a row again, and then he came back one more time and was one of the oldest players to average 20 PPG and to score 40-plus in a game. If Bird wasn’t Mr. DIY, it’s staggering to think what else he could’ve done since he was never quite the same after that and horribly hobbled his final few years in the league. — B.P. Ayton averaged 1.16 points per roll possession last season. As Gobert enters a contract year, Utah will lean on him as long as it’s feasible. Sure, he played with some other legendary Lakers and the 1-8 record in the Finals stands out. 1 on their personal best NBA players list, this is an easy one to write. While Gasol averaged 19.5 points per game in the 2016–17 season, that number dropped to a career-low 7.5 points per game last year, in his first full season with the Raptors. But it didn’t stop him from averaging 24.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG for his 13 seasons. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. The former second-round pick also provides the Bucks with flexibility on the defensive end and is versatile enough to guard at least three positions. We know what he brings to the table offensively as one of the greatest floor generals ever to play so I don’t think we need to harp on that. But the tenets of Conley’s game—heady play, dangerous jump shooting, and comfort under pressure—remain sharp as ever. If anything, the long layoff should help Curry, whose body could have likely could have used a break after five straight Finals trips. And he did so as the primary focus of nearly every defense he faced. But just because Baylor technically never won a title in his 14 years with the Lakers, two of which he spent in Minneapolis, don’t let that cloud how incredible of an offensive force he was and GOAT candidate during the league’s early days. Porzingis’s ability to stretch well beyond 25 feet creates significant driving lanes for Luka Dončić, and allows the Dončić–Dwight Powell pick-and-roll to thrive. After being used primarily as a power forward throughout the first decade of his career, including his first season in Toronto, the 31-year-old Ibaka played the majority of his minutes last year as the Raptors’ center. He can retire today and waltz into the Hall of Fame. He’s made the All-Star team in each of the past two years and has shown gradual improvement throughout his career, leading up to career highs in points (20.9), rebounds (6.2) and field goal percentage (49.7) per game last season. These rankings are specifically for the upcoming season, and they do not take into account players’ long-term prospects or career arcs beyond 2020–21. — R.N, Despite being just 22 years old and having never played in a playoff game, Fox appears well suited as the future of the Kings’ franchise. Rushmore” hill because nobody changed the game like Wilt the Stilt did. —AC, If you know The Big Fundamental’s backstory then you know the idea that he would become one of basketball’s greatest power forwards is preposterous. It’s not necessarily the scoring totals that makes the Harden experience so jarring. Horford has taken a relative tumble in his reputation across the league after an ill-fated stint in Philadelphia, but the five-time All-Star should be a stabilizing force for a young Oklahoma City team in 2020–21. With Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green no longer in Toronto, Anunoby was thrust into a starting role last season, and he excelled. The 28-year-old guard’s future with the franchise also appears to be in doubt, with trade rumors circulating. In each of his final two seasons with the Suns, he averaged more than 18 points per game. From the high-flying dunks to the clutch mid-range jumpers off that patented D Wade pump fake, there was moment after moment where No. Lest we forget, most teams don’t have a player like that and have to simply deal with the massive, intelligent man walling off the paint as best they can. Embiid also provides the Sixers with a consistent bail-out option, having taken the most field goal attempts per game with between zero and four seconds on the shot clock last season, making 41.5% of them. —B.P. Russell will also likely spend a lot of time playing alongside veteran guard Ricky Rubio, whom Russell recently said will take pressure off him in much the same way he did for Devin Booker in Phoenix and Donovan Mitchell in Utah. Upon being traded to Minnesota this offseason, he admitted he was a “different player than when I came here, and when I left.” While he won’t be the star they once imagined, he’ll be a solid veteran presence for a Timberwolves team building around D’Angelo Russell and top draft pick Anthony Edwards in the backcourt. The Spurs lucked out, drafted Timmy, and became a quasi-dynasty. Barkley couldn’t be stopped offensively either, beating out Jordan for the ‘93 MVP and taking his new team the Suns to the Finals where he lost to Jordan’s Bulls in six. Position-by-position rankings, landing spots and analysis of all the free-agent signings. Antetokounmpo continues to improve each year, launching those threes more often than ever before, getting to the foul line more, rebounding better and making even more of his minutes, all while shouldering a league-high 37.5% usage rate in 2019–20. NBA MVP. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves. ), yet I feel like he’s been underappreciated because of all those years carrying mid teams on his back in Minnesota. He’s a seven-foot-tall athletic marvel, and his ballyhooed quest to make the Finals cannot be held against him in an exercise like this. Irving’s sheer statistical resume in recent seasons shouldn’t go unnoticed. He wasn’t guarding Tatum on that play—but Adebayo timed his release from his own man to be in perfect help position on Tatum, he had the athleticism to meet him at the rim, and then the awareness to keep the ball in bounds and in Miami’s possession. But much of Bledsoe’s reputation has been defined by his playoff struggles, having shot just 25% from three-point range in last year’s postseason and just 23.6% from deep in the 2018–19 playoffs. He has the full offensive package with no weaknesses. That’s why even though he could barely get loose enough to play at the end of his final season, Bird was one of the most celebrated members of the legendary Dream Team. Harris’s first two years in Philadelphia have been marred by a misuse of his talents, but Brett Brown shouldn’t be completely excoriated. Still, over a larger sample size during the regular season, Siakam displayed significant improvement and did appear to be a potential franchise star. “I think that’s a big difference.” Siakam will continue working on his outside shot as he looks to develop a more well-rounded game. A true GOAT. Whether or not Redick is in the perfect role for himself on an up-and-comer, he should continue to provide some much-needed room for Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram through 2021. The No.1 overall pick in the 1958 NBA Draft, the Rookie of the Year in 1959, an 11-time All-Star, and an astounding 10-time First-Team All-NBA selection, Baylor more than lived up to the hype when he entered the league and left it averaging 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. Bogdanović is a quality spacer, but perhaps more importantly, he sports the playmaking ability to take some share of the offense from Young. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors. Gordon is a bit past his prime, and Houston likely regrets extending his contract. Westbrook remains a lethal force at the rim and in transition. The four-time All-Star recorded double-digit points four times in Denver’s thrilling Western Conference semifinals series victory over the Clippers, including tallying 17 points in Denver’s series-altering Game 5 win. The numbers all show that Malone is easily a top 20 player in NBA history. Pippen is inarguably one of the greatest defenders in NBA history having made 10 All-Defensive squads (8 First-Team selections) during his 17-year career and regularly stifled the opposition’s best player like it was nothing. You could go on and on with former and current NBA stars talking about why Iverson was so great and means so much to them. The best part was how sustainable it all feels. Bogdanović projects to be an idyllic backcourt mate for Trae Young, sporting a 40.7% mark on catch-and-shoot triples in 2019–20. Sports Illustrated‘s Top 100 list returns, aiming to answer that question. He stops the ball, he plays the passing lanes, he’ll switch onto anyone and he understands better than any guard in the league how to leverage his size against taller players. Either way, LeVert has shown steady improvement throughout his career, and has a strong foundation to build off. Last season, despite just a 19-game sample size, he drove to the basket two times fewer per game, and saw his shooting percentage on drives drop to 39.7%. —B.P. Like an expert center back or rangy middle linebacker, Gobert forces an offense to simply maneuver its way around him, or avoid him entirely. These aren’t criticisms. PG looked completely recovered from his shoulder troubles with the Clips, shooting a career-high 41.2% from beyond the arc. There simply aren’t many holes in Beal’s offensive game, with equal capacity on and off the ball, off the catch or using a screen. —R.N. Nurkić was inching closer to his fully realized self even before reshaping his body. He looked like Dirk Nowitzki at times with his midrange jumper during the postseason. And he’s not a playmaker nor a pick-and-roll option, though he nominally functions as a point guard. It can be exhausting. With so many skills already in his arsenal, Tatum is building on a foundation much more advanced than a typical third-year player. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Harrell was the third-leading scorer on the 2020 Clippers. Place Griffin on a contender, and perhaps we’d be celebrating his late-career resurgence. He’s still in the top five in assists (he averaged 13.9 apg in ‘85) and still gets under MJ’s skin. Maybe he wants to add more to his post catalogue. If his breakout year doesn’t prove to be a massive fluke, Robinson will be one of the best floor spacers in NBA history. It’s been 18 years of LeBron James, and we are spoiled. Scroll below to see the 10 best NBA teams heading into the '18-19 season, via Bleacher Report. Vogel could cook up aggressive schemes because Davis served as the ultimate backline defender, punishing those who dared to challenge him in the paint. One of the greatest What Ifs in NBA history revolves around Bird’s back that he infamously injured while paving his mother’s driveway during the summer of 1985. —M.S. Durant is one of maybe a handful of players who are true threats to score the ball no matter where they stand on the floor nor how you choose to defend them. —M.S. Philadelphia’s point guard attempted just seven threes in 2019–20. AD could also guard perimeter stars, like he did when he matched up with Jimmy Butler in the Finals, or Kawhi Leonard during the regular season. —B.P. He tallied the sixth-most post-up opportunities in the league last season, and only one more player logged more roll attempts. He dishes dimes from every conceivable angle, throwing looping passes to cutters and lasers to perimeter shooters. — R.N, While Giannis Antetokounmpo has been at the center of the Bucks’ success in recent years, Khris Middleton has been an integral part of the franchise’s rise unto himself. Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Earl Monroe and a series of … Imagine a lineup of Magic, Kobe, Baylor, Shaq and Kareem for … Young’s approach, at this stage of his career, is more statuesque. Having to argue how Stockton, a 2009 inductee into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, is inarguably one of the greatest point guards gets laborious. 4 overall and for good reason. Marcus Morris Sr. … Throughout DeRozan’s first decade in the NBA, he has always been a limited three-point shooter, never making more than three attempts on average per game. When the Complex Sports crew started to put together this list, we didn’t waffle over whether LeBron deserved to be ranked higher than MJ. No one has ever come close to combining his … He’s one of two players (along with Steph Curry) to average more than 24 points per game while shooting over 40% from three in the last four seasons, and 2019–20 featured Irving’s most impressive offensive campaign. Some balance should help both Young and the team’s development in 2020–21. Perhaps the talent around him is to blame. Bam is No. —B.P. Simmons is an absolute force in transition, bullying his way to the rim with a combination of size and speed unmatched throughout the league. He remains an elite catch-and-shoot player and could easily inch close to his old neighborhood of 40% from distance if all goes well. The Oklahoma product shot a blistering 41.3% on catch-and-shoot triples last season. The way every player gets compared to Michael Jordan nowadays, that’s how it was with West back in the 60s and 70s. This is an open builder, which assumes no exception rules apply. He shot 39.0% from behind the arc in 2020 and played stellar defense on the other end of the floor. Almost up until deadline, we debated whether Shaquille O’Neal, inarguably one of the best big men in NBA history and a true disruptor on the court, deserved to be ranked higher than the late, great Kobe Bryant. He’s always been able to simply shoot over you when he wants to, and he makes those shots most of the time. Is he fit enough to survive extended playoff series? Brown is the kind of player who can fill in gaps offensively, shooting well from the outside, breaking out in transition, or create a bucket for himself in mismatches. Collins can put the ball on the floor in tight spaces, and he’s an elite leaper at the rim. Suffice it to say, there’s a high likelihood what we’re witnessing is the emergence of the NBA’s next true alpha talent, and a player who could conceivably be in contention for the No. He ranked in the top 10 in pull-up threes made. When talking about the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA, many would say that person is Earvin “Magic” Johnson. He’s more of a stationary shooter than anything on the offensive end, and his jumper ebbs and flows more than one would like. There’s an abundance of ways to contextualize the incredible things Luka Dončić has accomplished by age 21. He averaged 1.24 points per roll possession, sporting comparable numbers to Rudy Gobert and Bam Adebayo. Can VanVleet lead the team in assists? 63. There’s a significant dose of uncertainty for San Antonio after two decades of sustained success. —ZF, If you’re wondering why we have the diminutive point guard who played all 19 seasons of his storied career with the Jazz on this list, I have to seriously question your basketball IQ. 1 Bucks last season, or 44 on the Pacers. 1. Maybe, just maybe LeBron James surpasses him in another four or five seasons, but it’s going take a herculean effort on The King’s part to supplant the greatest center ever whose longevity is practically unrivaled. 3. He’s a smart passer and decision-maker who’s always been able to maximize his impact without having his number called, allowing him to, in theory, pair comfortably with a second scorer within a winning construct. “I use a lot of communication as a center,” Gasol said recently. He sports a smooth jumper off the bounce, and while he’s not the most explosive leaper, he’s one of the league’s more creative finishers for a player of his size. Praise or pillar the selections as you see fit. Bill Russell is grossly disrespected when talking about the greats. Still, when the stakes were at their absolute highest, Butler delivered. I can go on and on about CP3 being top 7 and counting all time in steals and assists, but there’s a word limit so I’ll just say it’s time to respect what the Point God has done in his career. Despite his flaws, Young is a legitimately thrilling offensive talent, and he’ll inherit the best roster he’s had yet. —M.S. The 1964 NBA MVP, the 1961 Rookie of the Year, a 12-time All-Star, and an11-time All-NBA selection…I can keep going. Considering VanVleet’s path to this season—entering the league as an undrafted free agent, proving he could stick, then starring in a Finals against Stephen Curry—the Raptors should be confident he can continue to grow. His rebound percentage and free-throw rates fell last year compared to 2018–19. Barton left the bubble on Aug. 19 with a knee injury, after playing just a single half of an Orlando scrimmage. Porter doesn’t exactly provide the most bang for your buck out of any player in our Top 100. As an example, in 2017–18—his last full season—Oladipo attempted 10.8 drives per game, shooting on nearly half of them and converting his attempts at a 52% clip. Much of the focus has been on the acquisitions of Bogdan Bogdanović and Danilo Gallinari, but the Hawks should have a marked upgrade at center as well in 2020–21. —J.W. —M.S. —R.N. But heading into this season, those within the Nuggets organization continue to echo his importance. Part of what makes him special is that, by all accounts, he’s never cared about those numbers to begin with. Don’t be fooled by the quantity of podcasts, entering his 15th season, Redick remains one of the most accomplished marksmen in the Association. He shifted between power forward and center in 2020, and he was the ultimate eraser for the Lakers. The bruising center played eight games with the Cavaliers, who later picked up his $28 million player option. But most of all, while his critics and opponents may find him to be a nuisance, Lowry is one of the most intelligent players in the game. There is an ageless quality to the way Aldridge plays basketball. So what should we make of Westbrook after 12 seasons, nine All-Star teams, one MVP and (roughly) a million hot takes? 1 player on a championship contender. He can lead a fast break. While Redick’s own defense isn’t sterling—the Pels were 3.7 points per 100 possessions better defensively with Redick off the floor—he’s still more than capable of staying on the court in high leverage moments, the key test for any specialist. —B.P. 34. He is also a force around the rim, scoring the third-most paint points per game in the league (10.8). But with the emergence of Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, the Raptors are hoping to lighten his burden. And who do you give the nod to between three legendary point guards—Chris Paul, Steve Nash, and Jason Kidd—when there's only room for one? James bought an ownership stake in the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. Above all of that impact, Dirk's numbers and accolades back up his spot on this list. And the attention he draws when he sets a proper screen makes life immeasurably easier for his teammates. He posted the worst shooting season of his career, and Russell Westbrook’s control of the offense seemed to have a negative impact. But the massive haul of future draft picks the Bucks surrendered for him had as much to do with Holiday’s lofty status as it did Milwaukee’s urgency. —B.P. And his intelligence reeks of years of Finals experience, which means he’s militant about making the right basketball play at every juncture. L.A. had the league’s third-best defensive rating last year, behind just Milwaukee and Gasol’s old team, Toronto, and he should further solidify an already strong defensive group. And though this isn't all that important, Dirk was able to do it with the same franchise for his entire career. With a new coach, new point guard and a clean bill of health, we should see the Gordon of old. His prime years may be defined by his capacity to adjust. As Robinson rounds out his game, he will continue to [ahem] shoot up this list. He was the gold standard and wholly worthy of being cast as the league’s logo, even if he not so secretly disdains the honor. Even more impressive for the context of Hakeem's career is that he did all of this while big men ran the NBA (outside of Michael Jordan). The 1995–96 Chicago Bulls had, at the moment, the best single-season record in NBA … —R.N. If your team doesn't have a big man that can shoot from 3, you're not winning anything. ), Ultimately, there’s a reason why Leonard, before the age of 30, has gotten the best of guys like Durant, Steph, LeBron, and Giannis in the playoffs—it’s because he’s really damn good. From opening a school in his hometown to building his own media empire, LeBron has consistently done everything we've expected from him and then some. He snagged a career-high 11.3 rebounds per game last season, providing a dose of brute strength next to talented youngsters Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke. And though Wade played for the Bulls and Cavs later in his career, he'll always be remembered as a member of the Miami Heat. —J.W. Expect continued growth in Ingram’s second year with the Pelicans. Of the 16 players with at least 600 made triples in that span, Hield leads the pack in three-point percentage. But if he’s proved one thing over the years, it’s that there’s a method behind his unique brand of chaotic good. —ZF, Dr. J was everyone’s Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan. Let’s put that to bed right now. His presence dissuades all but the most daring drivers from approaching. Despite teams’ knowing the core tenets of Aldridge’s game, he is still effective night in and night out. This summer, LeVert shed some light on that question, leading the shorthanded Nets to a 5–3 record as he moved from a secondary scorer to a primary ballhandler and scoring role in the bubble. With his playmaking and sheer size, Nurkić has fashioned himself into one of the NBA’s best screen-and roll threats, able to command an extra shred of attention while teammates create off him, punish switches, and elevate to the rim when given space. He’s evolving as a pick-and-roll ballhandler. Simply put, Robinson’s presence is the difference between a historic offense and a middling one. 1 spot on this list when his career is over. Using his length, explosiveness and intelligence, he dominates the interior, he breeds transition offense, he finds teammates, and he wins games. Who else is going to average 50.4 PPG for a season like Wilt did in the 1961-62 season? After mostly being a rim runner his first two seasons in the league, Adebayo morphed into an elbow traffic cop in 2020, ultimately averaging 15.9 ponts, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
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