The top 50 NBA players

This opening spot almost went to Lauri Markkanen — hey he looks like he could be the next Dirk Nowitzki — but then he hurt his elbow and put his near future up in the air. So let’s slide in Porter, who, frankly, deserves more love. He doesn’t score like a lot of the guys above him on this list, but he finished in the top 20 in VORP last year at 3.4 and was actually a 3.9 VORP player in 2017.

After being named Rookie of the Year, Evans kind of disappeared into that Kings vortex that has taken everybody but DeMarcus Cousins down the last decade or so. Last season’s move to Memphis seemed to save him, as he started shooting more threes and averaged 19.4 points per game. Now he’s a Pacer, and he could serve as a fine running mate to Victor Oladipo. This is a bet on talent.

All right, we may be speculating a bit, but there’s reason to believe in Ingram. He improved by leaps and bounds in his sophomore campaign, as he averaged 16.1 points per game. The Duke grad is still only 21, and he has the size and skills that made him the second overall pick. He could be in the running for Most Improved this year.

Dragic’s numbers dipped a bit last year, but he still had a fine season. The point guard may never have 10.3 win shares again, like he did back in the day for Phoenix, but he’s the best player on the Heat and still one of the top 50 players in the NBA.

The Rockets gave Capela a big contract this offseason, which may have surprised some. However, if you’ve watched Houston play, you know how vital Capela can be. Though the Swiss center is a little limited on offense — he mostly dunks and lays the ball up — his .652 effective field-goal percentage led the league. He also makes an impact on defense with his size and was second in the league in blocks per game last year.

DeMarcus Cousins is gone, but Anthony Davis isn’t alone in New Orleans. Holiday has become one of the best point guards in the NBA. Last year, he set a new personal best with 19.0 points per game, and he’s averaged 1.6 steals per game in his career. That puts him in the top 100 in NBA history.

People like to say the Thunder got fleeced in the James Harden trade, but at least they got Adams out of the deal. The New Zealand center has emerged as a physical force who can contribute on both ends of the court. He actually ranked 15th in win shares last season, and he’s still only 25.

McCollum is the Robin to Damian Lillard’s Batman, but don’t forget that Robin is technically a superhero too. Though his career got off to a slow start, he’s averaged over 20 points per game the last three years. Also, two seasons ago he led the NBA in free-throw percentage (.912), which is fun.

Marc’s brother Pau would have appeared on this list for many years, but those days are gone. In truth, the younger Gasol’s time as a top 50 player is probably coming to a close soon as well. However, defense has been a calling card for Marc in his career, and he’s still 7-foot-1. Size doesn’t go away.

Middleton is getting close to being one of those guys whom hoop heads talk about being underrated so much that he becomes properly, and perhaps over, rated. He’s a solid shooter who just averaged over 20 points for the first time last season, but he also brings the assists, boards and steals to some degree. If the Bucks become a title contender, Middleton will be a big part of the reason why.

With so much veteran talent and rising sophomore Jaylen Brown on the roster, expectations for Tatum as a rookie weren’t that high. Then the third-overall pick showed his skill, becoming a key cog in the lineup. He wasn’t a top 50 player last year, but he was close. And barring an unexpected slump, he’s deserving of that designation this season.

Let’s hope Conley can stay healthy, as he hasn’t played more than 69 games in the last three seasons and was held to 12 last year. When he’s healthy, though, he’s been one of the 10 best point guards in the league for a while. His defense has been overrated by his steals numbers, but his offensive game is underrated, so it all balances out.

In his prime, Howard would have finished in the top five of these rankings. He racked up Defensive Player of the Year awards and deserved every last one of them. Time and injuries have hampered him a bit. That being said, he’s still a force defensively and can grab boards with ease. Those skills haven’t gone away just yet.

DeRozan has an old-school game, in that he has piled up points without taking a lot of threes. Over the last three seasons he’s taken his game to the next level, as he’s had over nine win shares those years. The move to San Antonio is intriguing because if anybody knows how to maximize a player, it’s Gregg Popovich.

Oladipo went from lingering bust to Most Improved Player and legitimate star in one swift move. Indiana seems to suit him. He increased his points per game to 23.1 and also led the league with 2.4 steals per contest. Yeah, it’s just one season, but he’s also only 26. He’s earned being a top 50 player for at least one year.

Beal has played second fiddle to John Wall his entire career, and he’s struggled with injuries. But when healthy, he’s put the “shooting” in shooting guard. He’s one of the league’s better three-point shooters, which has helped him average over 22 points per game his last two seasons.

Several teams passed on the chance to draft Mitchell last season, and almost all of them are kicking themselves after his rookie campaign. He notched 20.5 points and 1.5 steals per game, which is massive for a player in his first year. You’d like to see him get his teammates involved a bit more, but that’s nitpicking for a guy this young and this talented.

This could be Boogie’s last year on this list but only because he’s coming back from an Achilles injury. Those can really rob players of their skills. Let’s say the newly minted Warrior is able to play like he did preinjury, though. Then we’re talking about a guy who averaged 25.0 points and 12.7 boards per game as a Pelican. Is he tempestuous? Yes, but he’s also fantastic. Or he was, at least before this injury.

Lowry was a bit of a wandering soul until he landed north of the border with the Raptors. Then he blossomed, and he’s made the last four All-Star Game rosters. His offense dipped a bit last year after averaging over 20 points per game the previous two years, but he’s a slick passer with true offensive talent. Fingers crossed he doesn’t implode over his best friend, DeMar DeRozan, being traded.

Drummond was able to raise his free-throw percentage to .605 last season, which may be bad but was huge for the big man. He’s soared up the rankings based on that fact. Drummond led the NBA in rebounds per game (16.0), the second time in three years that he’s done that. When he’s on the court, good luck getting a board.

Poor Gordon Hayward. He was a big addition to the Celtics last year and then played five minutes before suffering a gruesome injury to his leg. The well-coiffed Butler grad should be fine this year, though, and he had turned himself into one of the best players in the league before his injury. That’s why Boston wanted him so badly, after all.

Defense and rebounding have been the name of the game for Jordan. He makes a huge impact with those skills. On top of that, before last season he led the league in effective field-goal percentage for five years in a row. Sure, they were mostly dunks, but oh how powerful those dunks could be.

Put the ball in Thompson’s hands and let him rip. The guy is a three-point shooting machine. He’s taken at least 7.5 treys per game the last four seasons and made at least 3.3 per game. Though he doesn’t dribble too often, it doesn’t matter when you can shoot like this. He’s already 24th in three-pointers made in his career, but more importantly he’s 11th in three-point percentage.

Kemba has toiled in obscurity playing for the Hornets, but he’s a top-notch, score-first point guard. Maybe if he had better teammates he’d pass a little more too. Hey, his top similarity score on Basketball Reference is Klay Thompson, and nobody would argue with Klay’s inclusion on this list.

Love had to change his game when he joined the Cavs, taking on a secondary — at times tertiary — role in the offense. Back in his heyday though, when he was THE star on the Timberwolves, the guy was a 20-and-10 machine and one of the league’s elite rebounders. He won’t be quite the same player now, but this year Love is going to remind the naysayers that he never stopped being one of the top 50 players in the league.

There was a time when Griffin was one of the 10 best players in the NBA. That time may be gone. Injuries have sapped some of his insane athleticism, but he’s averaged a little over 21 points per contest for four straight seasons, and he added a decent three-point shot to his game last year. Griffin should have another couple of All-Star games in him, health permitting.

Millsap is one of those classic players who isn’t flashy but just goes about his business playing great basketball. Last season, his first in Denver, didn’t go great, thanks largely to injury. However, he was a four-time All-Star with the Hawks for a reason, and he plays some great defense.

Irving has perhaps the best handles in the league, which makes him both good and fun. While some have claimed Irving is overrated due to his defensive limitations, which are valid but perhaps overstated by the RPM crowd, he took his game to a new level last year, his first with the Celtics. He actually ranked eighth in the league in Box Plus/Minus.

Simmons is almost 7-feet tall, and he essentially was a point guard last season. He won Rookie of the Year while averaging 8.2 assists per game, which ranked in the top five in the league. Though the LSU project needs to become a better shooter, right now if he isn’t finishing at the rim he’s not much of an offensive threat. But he’s already a great player.

Sadly, a knee injury will rob us of a healthy Porzingis for most, perhaps all, of the season. That doesn’t mean he drops off this list, though. By the end of the year, he will have reestablished himself among the bright lights of the league. He’s the man who made the concept of a “unicorn,” — a big man who can also spread the floor and shoot and a talking point in the NBA. Zinger is the future of the Knicks, and even if you aren’t a fan of New York’s hoops team, you should want him back healthy as soon as possible.

It’s easy to overlook Horford. He’s not great at anything, but he’s very good at everything. There’s no weakness in his game. Though he’s not flashy, he’s the best player on perhaps the best team in the Eastern Conference. Let’s give Al the love he deserves.

Nobody makes a bigger impact defensively than Gobert. The big French center changes the geography of the court when he’s on it. He’s somewhat limited offensively, but it doesn’t matter when you are the best player in the league on one side of the court.

Poor KAT. He could be so great if he wasn’t being suppressed by Tom Thibodeau’s coaching style. Despite his coach’s inability to use his prodigious talents to their full potential, he’s still gotten his buckets, and he’s averaged 12.3 rebounds per game in each of the last two seasons. His defense needs to get better, but in the right offense he could average over 30 points per contest.

Aldridge averaged a 23 and 10 in his last two years in Portland, and while his rebounding has gone down in San Antonio, his scoring was back to usual last year. With a bigger load on offense, the king of the midrange averaged over 23 points per contest again. He finished seventh in win shares, and he’s now the face of the Spurs.

When you see Jokic, who isn’t the most athletic-looking dude and often plays with his feet glued to the floor, you might not think much of him. Then you watch a 6-foot-10’ guy dish out 6.1 assists per game as a center. He may be basketball’s best passing big man, but he can also score and rebound.

When Wall entered the NBA out of college, his speed felt like a game changer. He’s been around for several years now, but his speed is still impressive, and he’s hard to handle offensively. Some said the Wizards’ offense flowed better when he got hurt last year, and he can dominate the ball, but he’s averaged 18.9 points and 9.2 assists per game in his career, which is undeniable.

Draymond has the biggest mouth on the Warriors, but he backs it up. The second-round pick is the defensive stopper who allows the rest of his teammates to handle their business offensively. However, Green is no one-dimensional specialist. He can chip in on offense and is a strong passer for a player his size. There are probably a dozen teams he would be the best player on. He just happens to be on an all-time stacked team.

Butler wants to force himself out of Minnesota, and there are surely a lot of teams that would love to have him. He was named the Most Improved Player after the 2014-15 season and has only gotten better since. The tread on his tires has been worn down by cruel taskmaster Tom Thibodeau, but for now he’s still going strong.

George’s first year in Oklahoma City didn’t go quite as expected, but the subtraction of Carmelo Anthony should actually help. His defensive game isn’t what it was in his prime, when he was one of the best wing defenders in the NBA, but he did still average 2.8 steals per game last year. Let’s just drop the whole “Playoff P” thing, perhaps?

We will never quit holding our breath over the health of Embiid thanks to the foot issues from the beginning of his career. When he’s on the court, he’s magic. He was able to play in only 63 games last year, still a personal best, but he managed 6.2 win shares. The delightful master of social media nearly averaged 23 and 10 last year, and his impact on the defensive end changes the game.

Lillard came out of small Weber State and immediately started balling out for the Blazers. He hasn’t averaged fewer than 25.1 points per game the last three seasons, and he knows how to fill buckets. His defense is middling, but few guards are Lillard’s equal on offense.

Paul is 33 now, and he’s lost a step. Despite that, he still had 7.5 offensive win shares last season. That’s a step down from the days when he used to lead the league in that category, but he’s still a true point guard, or "Point God" to evoke his nickname, who makes an offense hum when he’s on the court.

Westbrook can dominate the ball. He can play recklessly. He doesn’t seem like the best teammate. Oh, and he’s also averaged a triple-double for two straight seasons. That was a feat that seemed impossible before Westbrook went and did it. So maybe we can cool it on the criticism a smidge?

Kawhi the perceived malcontent has seemingly overshadowed Kawhi the player over the last few months. Thus, here’s a refresher. He’s maybe the best defensive player in the league and certainly the best defensive player who isn’t a center. Leonard will lock down anybody on the court, and he turned himself into a legitimate offensive weapon when he was a Spur. If he’s healthy and motivated, he will likely once again be a top 10 player.

We may never learn how to spell the Greek Freak’s last name from memory, but we still know he’s a truly special player. He can play center, or he can play point guard, but either way he’s going to score. Antetokounmpo averaged 26.3 points per contest last season, and at 23 he could still improve, especially now that Jason Kidd is no longer his coach.

Look, Curry is the best shooter of all time. You can quibble with that if you want, but you are going to have to bring A LOT of evidence to convince us otherwise. He changed the game with his long-range bombs. At his size he can’t dominate like some others, but who cares when your stroke is this smooth?

Harden finally won the MVP last season, but it was a few years coming. Ever since leaving the Thunder for the Rockets, he’s taken his game to a new level. Knock his defense if you want, and it is a fair slight. He was the only player to average over 30 points per game last year, and he also had 8.8 assists per contest. Harden is the face of modern basketball, all threes and free throws, and he’s not going anywhere.

Durant seems to be in Steph Curry’s shadow, at least metaphorically. The 7-footer certainly isn’t in Curry’s literal shadow. However, the best player on the league’s best team is not its sharpshooting guard, but it's Durant. He’s a straight-up killer and one of the most well-rounded players of his size to ever play. Some may consider him a mercenary. We just consider him great.

Davis seems destined to be the best player in the NBA in the future, perhaps soon. His mix of size and skill is incredible. Nobody can stop him offensively, and he’s starting to hold his own on the defensive end as well. Last season he was second in scoring, fifth in rebounds and first in blocks…and he could still get better. Don't be surprised if The Brow becomes the MVP.

The King stays the king, as they say. James is not a young man by NBA standards, but he remains the best player in the NBA. He’s a physical marvel destined to go down as one of the five best players to ever take the court. The very fact he moved to the Lakers has turned them into potential title contenders. LeBron is truly amazing, and he’s not going to give up his throne easily.