He exited Boston after a tumultuous two seasons, and his first year with Brooklyn featured its own share of controversy. That manifested in a similarly effective, but more ground-bound play style, as well some pronounced defensive struggles as he played conceptual catch-up. Yet another Raptor who stepped up in the wake of Kawhi's walking away, VanVleet posted career numbers practically across the board in 201920. Dragi will pull up against slower footed centers who sag off him, or hell find a way to snake around a smaller five who wants to dance on the perimeter. Butler showed a knack for controlling the game when the Heat needed him to the most. Its tough to place a premium on most bigs who present no threat to shoot from distance, and his lack of a jump shot limits his utility as suchthe Jazz ought to make his minutes mutually exclusive with Rudy Goberts as much as possible. His style of play takes a physical toll. ZO, Hakeem"The Dream" Olajuwon's inclusion in this part of the list needs no real explanation. Clearly enough, the Nuggets magical postseason runwhich saw the franchise overcome two 31 series deficitswould not have happened without Murrays stellar play. 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. And though the defensive spotlight on him was artificially heightened because of the Cavs Finals runs of yesteryear, Love is still far from an anchor on that side of the ball. But of course, theres the offensive component. Brogdon also saw his three-point shooting slip from 42.6% in 201819, his last year with Milwaukee, to just 32.6% with the Pacers. B.P. Simmons sports the athletic profile to be a top-10 player. And when bumped into starting duty during the postseason, he took his game to another level, leading the team in scoring until his injury in Game 1 of the Finals. Some will love the rankings, others will loathe them. Who will ever score 100 points in a game like Wilt did? The 1964 NBA MVP, the 1961 Rookie of the Year, a 12-time All-Star, and an11-time All-NBA selectionI can keep going. Bertnss nickname, the Latvian Laser, should move him up at least a few spots on our list, but thats an argument for another day. The addition of draft pick Tyrese Haliburton should help reduce Foxs workload in a positive way. Theres a reason why the NBA Finals MVP is named after him. He offers more on a nightly basis than any player in the league. 25. The team also re-signed forwards Carmelo Anthony and Rodney Hood. J.W. Health is a serious caveat, but if were simply picking teams for this season, its hard to take Durant any lower than this. At this point, its a matter of preference, a testament to the speed and manner in which hes captured the attention and respect of his peers, and his savant-level capacity to control, and increasingly, take over the flow of a given game. The 33-year-old forward started just 45 games in 201920, his lowest total since his third year with the franchise, and he at times struggled to adjust back to a reserve role after becoming an every-night starter in 201718 and 201819. Duncan grew up in the US Virgin Islands. His gravity alone on the offensive side of the ball completely changes the calculus of any defense. His efficient rookie season was marred by a lack of physicality and defensive intensity, and he started out 201920 with a 25-game PED suspension. Patrick Beverley, Los Angeles Clippers. His two-year deal with the Clippers was widely regarded as one of the most economical yet potentially impactful deals of the offseason. There are few guards anywhere who check as many crucial, creative boxes: He handles with an unpredictable cadence, hes dangerous in ball screens, boasts catch-and-shoot chops, and can lean on a reliable in-between game when he cant get to the rim. Just as Michael Jordan required his own unique coverage decades ago, opponents fully embraced the Harden Rules to a shocking degree in 201920. It is noteworthy that those shooting woes tend to manifest in the playoffs, when opponents wall off the paint and take their chances. With a shaky jump shot, he turned in a Harden-esque 9.1 free-throw attempts a game, willing himself to the line whenever his team needed a bucket throughout the season. On June 20, 2019, the Suns traded Warren and the No. A three-time champion who won three consecutive MVPs in the mid-80s, Bird knocked down daggers like it was nothing and loved ripping out the hearts of his rivals while talking some of the most underrated trash. And even in a shaky situation, Young still managed to turn in an elite offensive season for a player of his age. Not only did Russell win 11 NBA titles, the last two were as player-coach and hes undefeated in Game 7s, going 10-0 when its win or go home time. Technically, Baylor earned one since he was part of the 1971-72 Lakers squad that won it all, but he only played 9 games that season, retiring well before the playoffs started because of a nagging knee injury at age 37. Barkley started J-ing people up and shooting threes, forcing opponents to guard from all over the court and not just on the block. Or will Westbrook quickly return to form with his third franchise, reminding us all just how physically dominant he can be? Werealreadyseeing Steph's impact on basketballas kids start launching from deep earlier than ever in their young careers and on the league with NBA teams putting the mid-range jumper out to pasture and fully embracingthe 3-pointer. Suffice it to say, theres a high likelihood what were witnessing is the emergence of the NBAs next true alpha talent, and a player who could conceivably be in contention for the No. Hell pass up open triples in search of feeding his teammates, though that unselfishness can occasionally be counterproductive. At this early stage of his career, everything is seemingly within his reach. The former Knicks cornerstone is a true unicorn at 73, banging home triples at range. Select a player from each drop down, tracking your finances in the Cap Totals table at your right. Seemingly once a game, an opposing perimeter player will make the mistake of thinking they have a mismatch against Bam Adebayo. Would Masai Ujiri start tearing down the team and trade away his veterans? People forget that he dominated for years as a 66 power forward. What a waste of a name if he didnt make it. Malone made that name synonymous with rebounding, winning, and ultimately, immortality. But a bounce-back would do plenty for his value, and the short-term health of the Pacers. 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. With his playmaking and sheer size, Nurki has fashioned himself into one of the NBAs 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. For all his past escapades, Butler was measured his first season in Miami, picking his spots offensively while playing his typical stellar defense on whoever was in front of him. Best Points Guards of All Time. Wed be remiss not to mention his elite shooting in recent seasons. Barkley couldnt 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 Jordans Bulls in six. You start with the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis but the fact they added Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell over the offseason gives them an even better squad than last season. Harp on the backpage headlines if youd like. His jump shot is a valid issue. Rivers has the best second-unit combo in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, and role players such as JaMychal Green, Maurice Harkless and Landry Shamet might make the Clippers the best Throughout the offseason, Portland made a number of key acquisitions, bringing in versatile forwards Robert Covington and Derrick Jones Jr., and center Enes Kanter. He helped revolutionize the power forward position even more so than Tim Duncan did (hes a center! Dragi is a feisty competitor with a well-rounded offensive skill set. Hayward also excels snaking in and out of the pick-and-roll, able to keep defenders on his hip before contorting his body around bigs around the rim. Harden could pass Kobe Bryant for the third-most 50-point performances this season, and he has a good shot of passing Michael Jordan for the No. A Dream Team member and two-time gold medal winner who was skilled enough to be considered one of the 50 Greatest Players by the NBA in 1996, Pippen did so much more than his averages indicated (16.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 5.2 APG). Dinwiddie posted a career-high in usage last season, and in the games he did play with Irving, there was a palpable tug-of-war within Brooklyns system. Id love to see some of todays greats playing against Elgin. But based on all weve seen, it feels like a simple matter of time before his next meaningful leap. M.S. As each individual involved in this incredibly difficult and necessary endeavor lobbied for the player they thought deserved proper billing, we quickly realized it was going to be hellacious coming to a consensus. Well, besides the fact that Nashs MVP seasons were controversial, if you compare Nashs MVP seasons to Pauls best years, youll see that CP3 actually put up better numbers those years. 1 on their personal best NBA players list, this is an easy one to write. Below is a list of current National Basketball Association team rosters. Kemba has found a good home in Boston, where he doesnt have the burden of being the No. But despite an underwhelming tenure in Chicago thus far, Porter remains an intriguing piece for this season and beyond. As Durant continues to age, the value he brings defensively will continue to diminish. B.P. Ingram paired an impressive isolation arsenal with frustrating shot selection in Los Angeles, generating far fewer threes and free throws than are necessary for a player with his skill set. The departure of Marc Gasol takes away a halfcourt creator. Point guards werent supposed to be 65 scoring machines that could get a bucket from anywhere on the court like The Big O could. Whether starting or coming off the bench, the 32-year-old remains a high-quality piece, providing his team with a mix of perimeter shooting and fairly versatile defending. Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers: Five-time NBA champion, three-time NBA MVP, 12-time NBA All-Star, two-time Hall of Fame inductee; Oscar Robertson of the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks: NBA champion, NBA MVP, 12-time NBA All-Star, two-time Hall of Fame inductee; Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics: Six-time NBA champion, NBA MVP, 12-time NBA James recently told SI the Lakers thought Davis was hardly breaking a sweat at times when putting up monster numbers. Doni is already there. Blocks and steals werent tallied back then, but there are researchers that claim Russell averaged anywhere between 8-12 blocks per game. And he has the potential to be so much more. Hes proven that it will not be his brain or his skills that lead to his decline. Now, Durants time with the Netsthe third phase of his careermay prove to be the most complicated test hes faced. The four-time All-Star recorded double-digit points four times in Denvers thrilling Western Conference semifinals series victory over the Clippers, including tallying 17 points in Denvers series-altering Game 5 win. At 35, Gasol is no longer the same player he was back in the early to mid-2010s, when he anchored a Grizzlies team that was a perennial postseason threat. His versatility, particularly on the defensive end on the floor, essentially served as a cheat code for the Lakers coaching staff. And he did so with aplomb, flashing playmaking, defense, rebounding, and of course scoring in the Finals, giving LeBron a legitimate run for his money. And while the Raptors discharged the Nets in four games, the 6' 6" guard averaged 20.5 points and 9.5 assists per contest on 18 shots per game. The versatile big played 34.8 minutes per game last season, setting career highs for points (18.5), rebounds (12.4) and assists (5.0) per game. Still, you shudder at the thought of what might happen if he continues to meet them. If there are any concerns, its that at 31-years-old, Butler is no spring chicken. Capela may in essence function as Atlantas most important addition. Of course, while he has acquired a particular set of skills over a long career that can make him a nightmare for opponents, Redicks narrow scope means hes at his most valuable on a team already studded with stars. While that percentage improved to 25.7% last season, DeRozan will always be a limited commodity from behind the arc, limiting some of his market value, but not his effectiveness. When he was active, he was New Orleanss best player. Curry could score 15 points in a game and still be the reason for an elite offensive performance because of everything he does for his team. Boston appeared to pass on taking Turner in a potential Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade, perhaps a questionable decision given Turners impressive talent. The stadiums name could soon change if Rio de Janeiro Gov. Tuckers smarts and versatility have made him an invaluable cog in Houston over the last three seasons, and until further notice. 2021 ABG-SI LLC. While Ibaka might not be as much of a rim protector as he was when he was a spry 22-year-old blocking more than 3.5 shots per game, he remains a smart and more-than-capable force on the defensive end of the floor. You might also see his playmaking skills and rebounding trend upward as his responsibilities change.
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