2017-18 Season Predictions

Pre-Season is here and the NBA season is around the corner. Paul George will be in Oklahoma City playing with his new teammates Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony. Gordon Hayward will be playing with "Coffee Shop" Kyrie Irving in Boston, and Chris Paul will be dishing assists to James Harden and vice versa. This season will be an exhilarating ride. What works in the NBA? Does defense and depth still work? Or does top heavy rosters with a couple of superstars work? If you're a basketball fan, it's exciting to see what is new and fresh. Here is my annual selections for standings, playoff teams, and awards. Let's see how wrong I am this year!

Eastern Conference

15. Chicago Bulls 23-59
14. Atlanta Hawks 25-57
13. Brooklyn Nets 28-54
12. New York Knicks 28-54
11. Orlando Magic 31-51
10.Indiana Pacers 33-49
9. Philidelphia 76ers 35-47

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8. Detroit Pistons 38-45

I love the addition of Avery Bradley, a fierce defender who can hit the three ball. Bradley is going to bring a lot of new things to the Pistons team, and a lot helps that I don't really like Kedavious Caldwell-Pope as a player. Andre Drummond should be better, but I still fear the Reggie Jackson experiment. I see the Pistons making the playoffs over the Sixers because of their experience and coaching.

7.  Charlotte Hornets 40-42

Dwight Howard is cancer everywhere he goes, according to ESPN, Hawks players were "Screaming in jubilation." after Howard was traded. I'm scared for his future as a Hornet and their team as a whole. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist can't shoot worth a lick, and they have thin guard depth. And the biggest concern I the big problem with Charlotte is an injured Micheal Carter-Williams as a backup point guard. Yikes. The biggest positive is, of course, Kemba Walker and Nicholas Batum. I love Batum's playmaking ability and scoring threat. They make the playoffs comfortably.

6.  Miami Heat 42-40

Although I don't like the contracts that the Heat signed their players for, I still like the team. I really enjoyed watching James Johnson last season and call me a member of the Goran Dragic fan club. I loved him while he was with the Pheonix Suns, and now I enjoy him with the Heat. Hassan Whiteside is massively overrated but is a good player. Whiteside can block shots, roll hard to the rim, and can create space for the Heat. They make it with great coaching and two good players and a deep roster.

5.  Washington Wizards 45-37

John Wall is excellent, the best point guard in the Eastern Conference (which isn't that high of a compliment) but I am absolutely terrified about their injuries. Bradley Beal had an outlier year regarding staying healthy, along with Otto Porter. They improved with Tim Frazier as the backup point guard. Any player is better than Trey Burke.

4. Toronto Raptors 47-35

Although the loss of P.J Tucker is big, I am a fan of C.J Miles. He can't actually defend, along with most of the Raptors team, but their offense before the All-Star break and Kyle Lowry got hurt was the best offense in the NBA, having the highest offensive rating. Serge Ibaka needs to keep in the paint and provide rim protection that Jonas Valanciunas does not. The biggest concern is the loss of Patrick Patterson, which will need to be filled by young players.

3. Milwaukee Bucks 49-33

Am I overrating the Bucks? Perhaps, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is a top 7 player in the NBA and with the improved health of Kris Middleton and Jabari Parker will be huge for the Bucks. The biggest advantage that the Bucks have is long, athletic wings who can switch on defense and play positionless on offesnse. Jabari can take the ball up the floor along with Middleton and Giannis. With their defense and the natural progression of their young players, the Bucks will make a huge jump.

2.  Boston Celtics 51-31

Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, and Al Horford. Three great players with each individual talent. This is the most exciting team to watch because you get to see how they mesh together and what the value of all offense is. I think Boston fans will be disappointed with Kyrie but pleasantly surprised with Hayward, who was a great player for the Jazz averaging 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. They lost their grit, toughness, and depth without Kelly Olynik, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, and Jonas Jerebko. I can see that being a problem if one of the big three goes down.

1. Clevland Cavaliers 53-29

Lebron James fiddled around last season with being the number two seed because he knew that his team was better than Boston. I don't think that is the case this year. He's going to be pissed, motivated, and happy. He has his friend Dwayne Wade, they added depth so if he comes out his replacement is Jae Crowder instead of 45-year-old Richard Jefferson. I believe depth is precious in the regular season, and that's why I see the Cavs beating out the Celtics in their overall record.

Western Conference 

15. Phenoix Suns 26-56
14. Sacramento Kings 30-52
13. Los Angeles Lakers 32-50
12. Dallas Mavericks 33-49
11. Memphis Grizzlies 37-45
10. New Orleans Pelicans 38-44
9. Portland Trail Blazers 41-41

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8. Los Angeles Clippers 43-39

The Clippers put together a solid team after losing their All-Star point guard Chris Paul. But I'm terrified of injuries just like I am with the Wizards. Gallinari clearly gets hurt a lot along with Blake Griffin and Patrick Beverly. If Beverly gets hurt, their defense will fall off a cliff with Milos Tedosic as the backup point guard who can't guard a table. But I have tons of faith in DeAndre Jordan. The Clippers can't fall off a cliff, It's nearly impossible, so they'll stay in the playoffs. 

7. Utah Jazz 44-38

The Jazz aren't going anywhere unless Rudy Gobert tears his ACL and Quin Snyder dies. The Jazz will be a defensive juggernaut and will be a top-five defense, and top five defensive teams don't miss the playoffs, literally. Only one team in the modern era that was rated a top-five defensive rating missed the playoffs. Every single player on that Jazz team is a good defensive player besides Rodney Hood, who is an adequate defender. I'm also anticipating another breakout season from Gobert.

6. Denver Nuggets 46-36

Nikola Jokic is an excellent player. He can shoot from the outside, passes the ball like a wizard in the high post, and makes your team better. Add Paul Milsap to the group, and you have an impressive team. I've been a member of the Paul Milsap fan base for a long time but scared of his age and undersized body. Gary Harris is a baller and will continue to grow in his contract year. I hope Jammal Murray can turn into a point guard.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves 50-32

Murders row on the Timberwolves roster. Let's look at it; Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague, and Karl Anthony-Towns. Quite a remarkable roster. You might be asking "If they have such a great roster why are they fifth?" One because the West is so damn good. And two, I'm worried about the spacing on the floor. There are no real shooters on that roster, which is concerning in today's NBA. I'm expecting Towns to keep growing as a player this season.

4.  Oklahoma City Thunder 53-29

The MVP of the 2016-17 season is back with a better roster. I love the wing versatility that the Thunder will provide. Andre Roberson, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony can all switch on each opposing players while George and Roberson can switch on point guards. A shot blocking center in Adams is also massive. The only problem is there are three isolation players and sharing the ball will be rare and it can grow tension in the locker room and predictability in their offense.

3. San Antiono Spurs 55-27

Kawhi Lenord is remarkable, Gregg Popovich is remarkable, and the Spurs franchise is remarkable. That's why the Spurs will be third in the Western Conference. Pau Gasol looked good in the EuroBasket, and I like Rudy Gay coming off the bench. I also don't think LaMarcus Aldridge is that bad of a player. The biggest concern is Tony Parker's health and the athletic ability of the Spurs with their losses of Dwyane Dedmon and Jonathan Simmons.

2. Houston Rockets 58-24

Chris Paul is terrific, guys. And he just joined the player who finished 2nd in the MVP voting. The offense ran by Mike D'Antoni will really help Chris Paul and his tendency to hold the ball too long. He must make quick decisions in this offense. I also tend to believe that James Harden and Chris Paul won't be on the court a whole lot together. They'll be together for the first 10 minutes and last 10 minutes, not a whole lot during the middle of the game.

1. Golden State Warriors 65-18

Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. Additions of Nick Young and Omir Casspi. Steve Kerr is still the coach, coming off an NBA championship only losing one game in the playoffs. Enough said.

Season Awards

Executive of the Year: Sam Presti, Oklahoma City Thunder

Coach of the Year: Jason Kidd, Miluakee Bucks

Rookie of the Year: Dennis Smith Jr.

Sixth Man of the Year: Andre Igudola, Golden State Warriors

Most Improved Player of the Year: Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks

Defensive Player of the Year: Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

Most Valuable Player: Kawhi Lenord, San Antiono Spurs

All-NBA First Team

G Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
G James Harden, Houston Rockets
F Kawhi Learned, San Antonio Spurs
F Lebron James, Clevland Cavaliers
C Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

All-NBA Second Team

G Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
G John Wall, Washington Wizards
F Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miluakee Bucks
C Karl Anthony-Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

All-NBA Third Team

G Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
G Kyrie Irving, Boston Celtics
F Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
F Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
C Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

All-Defensive First Team

G Patrick Beverly, Los Angeles Clippers
G Andre Roberson, Oklahoma City Thunder
F Kawhi Lenord, San Antonio Spurs
F Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
C Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

All-Defensive Second Team

G Avery Bradley, Detroit Pistons
G Chris Paul, Houston Rockets
F Giannis Antetokounmpo, Miluakee Bucks
F Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
C DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers

All-Rookie First Team

G Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks
G Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
G Marcelle Fultz, Philadelphia 76ers
F John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
F Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls

All-Rookie Second Team

G De'arron Foz, Sacramento Kings
G Donavan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
F Jonathan Issac, Orlando Magic
F T.J Leaf, Indiana Pacers
F Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers

Grades: Carmelo Anthony Trade

Early reports indicated that Carmelo Anthony expanded his list of teams he would waive his "No-Trade Clause" and they weren't lying. The sources told ESPN that he expanded his list of teams to include the Cavs and Thunder. This was a massive development in the Carmelo Anthony New York Knicks saga. After this news broke, things progressed quickly and finally, the "Thunder struck" a deal with the Knicks. At the 11 o'clock mountain time, Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

What the Knicks received: Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second round pick

This trade certainly isn't the worst thing the Knicks have ever done, but that is certainly not a high bar to jump over considering they gave Tim Hardaway 72 million. Enes Kanter isn't a bad player, but his contract isn't very good. He has two years left with 38 million dollars in the book. To add on, the Knicks currently have four centers on their roster. Enes Kanter, Willy Hernangomez, Kyle O'Quinn, Joakim Noah and if you count Porzingis as a five, then they have five players who should be playing the center spot. Doug McDermott was another part of this trade, and he was the single worse defender per "defensive plus-minus." And hasn't shown nearly any promise since coming out of college. A second-round pick is just a throw in at this point.

Some positives coming out of this trade is that is was far better than any other offer they got from Houston and potentially from the Cavs. And Enes Kanter isn't a horrible player. He's good. The biggest flaw in his game is the defense which he is atrocious at. Just attack him in the pick and roll, and he'll have to come out.

Overall Grade: C-

What the Thunder received: Carmelo Anthony

I'm going to come up front with you guys, I don't really like Carmelo from a basketball perspective, especially when he was playing for the Knicks. He was a high usage low-efficiency player who stole possessions from his teammates. But this move to the Thunder will work. If the Thunder start Westbrook, Roberson, George, Anthony, and Adams, that is a versatile lineup who can do multiple things. And I like Melo playing the power forward position, he can space the floor for Westbrook and Paul George to drive the lane.

The other biggest reason I like this trade for the Thunder is that Carmelo will get fewer touches and hopefully will make him a much more efficient offensive player than previously with the Knicks. Let's also not forget it's a two-year contract with an early termination option after this season, so if it doesn;t work out, he can be shown the door. With this move, this solidifies the Thunder in the top three in the west and in my opinion, the best team to somewhat compete with the Warriors with the ability to have switchable players 1-4 and a rim protector at the five. The Thunder went all in, and if it doesn't work, not a lot of harm will be done.

Overall Grade: A

Grades: Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas Trade

At 5:14 pm Mountian Time, the NBA world erupted while Guards Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas were traded for each other. Let's just get down to business.

Boston Receives: Kyrie Irving

A versatile scorer who can play on all three levels, three point shot, mid-range, and inside the paint. He is bigger, stronger, and a tad bit better defender and player than Isaiah Thomas. Hopefully, he can adjust to the pass first system in Boston with the movement and flow that is the Boston offense. The advantage that Boston receives is they can wait two more years on paying their Point Guard and push their timeline back while getting a better player.

The problem Boston runs into with this trade is the sacrifice of an established perimeter defender and three point shooter in Jae Crowder, which will make it difficult for Boston to keep their top notch defense last season. The biggest issue with this deal is the unprotected 2018 Brooklyn Nets pick. The 18' draft class top five a phenomenal class and has been highly coveted for a very long time. That's where I find the issue with this trade for Boston.

Overall Grade: B+

Cleveland Receives Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and an unprotected 2018 Brooklyn Nets First Round Pick.

Isaiah Thomas is a fireball offensively and had one of the best offensive seasons in the history of the NBA. He can't defend worth a lick, though. He was rated 467 out of 468 in Defensive Plus Minus. Thomas is small (5'9) and coming off a hip injury suffered in the Playoffs last season, he is on an expiring contract and fits well with LeBron James. He makes the loss of Kyrie not hurt at all other than the potential for losing him the next season.

Jae Crowder is a fierce defender and can shoot the three well (shot 39% from three.) This is a huge coup for the Cavs, who needed a wing defender while also being a shooter. If he can "defend" Kevin Durant or other top wings, it'll give Lebron a huge break on the defensive end. Ante Zizic is a nice piece but nothing to write home about, a solid center who can carve out some minutes.

The biggest win in this trade for Cleveland is the unprotected 2018 Brooklyn Nets pick that has the potential for further deals down the line or simply an excellent top pick at with an awesome draft class. With the likes of Porter Jr., Luka Doncic,  or Marvin Bagley available.

This is the best of both worlds for Cleveland, you get talent for this upcoming season with LeBron still in the fold, and you get future assets for the after life without Lebron James if that happens. A great haul for the Cavs.

Overall Grade: A+

Top 25 Players Heading Into the 2017-18 Season

So here it is, the most controversial thing you can do in writing; Rankings. And we’re going to rank the top 25 players heading into the 2017-18 NBA season. There are a lot of great players in the NBA, and it gets harder and harder to select the top 25 players. This list is, of course, subjective and is up for debate, but here are some reasonings of how I came to this conclusion:

·      Attitude and how he affects his team, team success, and individual awards. Not everything can be explained by stats.

·      Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) “a metric that estimates a player’s overall contribution to the team compared to what a theoretical replacement player would provide.”

·      Offensive and Defensive Rating “Individual offensive and defensive rating is the number of points produced by a player per hundred total individual possessions.”

·      Real Plus Minus (RPM) “RPM estimates how many points each player adds or subtracts, on average, to his team's net scoring margin for each 100 possessions played”

·      Win Shares/Win Shares Per 48 minutes/Offensive and Defensive Win Shares “A metric that estimates the number of wins a player produces for his team.”

·      Box Plus Minus (BPM) “a metric for evaluating basketball players' quality and contribution to the team.”

·      Player Efficiency Rating (PER) “boils down all of a player's contributions into one number. Using a detailed formula,"

Notable Snubs:

Nikola Jokic, Center, Denver Nuggets

The Jokic hype train is full steam ahead. But I’m here to tap the breaks a little. Jokic is fantastic and does a lot of things well. He is a phenomenal passer and can shoot the three well. But he’s very new with his emergence, and I don’t believe it’s fair for the other players who played well for the duration of the season. Don’t be surprized if he is awesome this upcoming season.

Klay Thompson, Guard, Golden State Warriors

We have a problem with underrating players on the Golden State Warriors, but Klay Thompson in my opinion, we overrate. He isn’t as good of a defender as people make him out to be and he rated 79th in box plus minus while playing with Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green. He also struggles with ball handling and disappearing during stretches during games.

Blake Griffin, Forward, Los Angeles Clippers

A player who is always injured and doesn’t really help or hurt his team and that shows with rating 33rd in Win Shares. Griffin is very bland, he also rounds out well in advanced stats he is a great player but isn’t quite good enough to be on the list of the top 25 players in the NBA.

Marc Gasol, Center, Memphis Grizzlies

An older player who is regressing, even though he had a great season, but couldn’t quite make the list because of projections and his lack of great advanced stats. Gasol is an excellent defender and passer along with the ability to shoot and knock down threes, but I feel like there are better players in the mix.

Top 25 Players Heading into the 2017-18 Season:

25. Mike Conley, Guard, Memphis Grizzlies

A complete guard who can score if he wants, and a good passer while being a solid defender with being good on the ball and off ball defending. At 17th in VORP and 16th in RPM, he proves his value to the Grizzlies. He is always positive when he’s on the floor. His team success should be greatly valued. If the Grizzlies make the playoffs again, don’t be shocked.

24. Kemba Walker, Guard, Charlotte Hornets

Walker is a versatile scorer who has been able to carry the Hornet’s offense for a long time. With having shady offensive players around him, Walker is able to find success. He led his team to the playoffs in 2015. He’s average in VORP ranking in 25th, and 23rd in Win Shares. The Hornets will be back in the playoffs this season with the addition of Dwight Howard and others.

23. Kyrie Irving, Guard, Cleveland Cavaliers

23rd in Win Shares and 21st in PER, Kyrie helped the Cavaliers to the NBA finals. Let’s get this straight, Kyrie has a unique offensive skill set, he can hit a three, a great ball handler, and has some flashy finishes. But Kyrie ranks average at the rim compaired to his lauded "best finisher in the game" stamp. in the NBA along with being a god awful defender. A talented player, but not quite the cream of the crop.

22. DeAndre Jordan, Center, Los Angeles Clippers

A rim stopper and supreme dunker, DeAndre Jordan does a lot for the Clippers. An All-Star in the Western conference, Jordan’s value has the notice of NBA coaches. 14th in RPM wins, and 12th in Win Shares, he ranks well in advanced stats and is always a consistent player during the season having the Clippers to the playoffs for multiple seasons in a row.

21. Demarcus Cousins, Center, Sacramento Kings/New Orleans Pelicans

I know I know how dare I rate Cousins so low? “He is the most talented big man in the league!” But in the seven seasons in the NBA, Cousins hasn’t made the playoffs or a winning season. Granted, not all of it is his fault, he still should hold some responsibility because of his attitude and effort on the floor. He’s usually out of shape as well. Some positives though are: He’s 7th in all Win Shares, PER, and Win Shares per 48.

20.  Paul Millsap, Forward, Denver Nuggets

A player that can do anything, a player that’s carried his team to the playoffs for multiple years and a multiple time All-Star. Millsap is a fantastic defensive player that can switch out on perimeter players while also doing a fair job protecting the rim at 6’7. A stretch four brings tremendous value to a team. At 14th in Real Plus minus, Millsap is still a great player.

19. Isaiah Thomas, Guard, Boston Celtics

Thomas had an explosive offensive season last year, nearly averaging 30 points per game, but was also massively efficient on the offensive end. Thomas was 7th in PER, and 9th in Win Shares. But, the short fall for IT is his defensive game. He was ranked 467th out of 468th eligible players in Defensive Real Plus Minus.

18. Gordon Hayward, Forward, Boston Celtics

Wings who are versatile and can playmake are extremely valuable in the NBA and Gordon Hayward is that. 22 points, 4 assists, and 6 boards, with solid defense, Hayward led his former team the Jazz to the 5th seed in the West with massive injury problems Utah had. He never takes possessions away from his teammates and doesn’t force the ball into his hands. No advanced stat pops out with Hayward, but all of them are in the high teen's early twenties.

17. Kyle Lowry, Guard, Toronto Raptors

11th in BPM, 10th in RPM, and 14th in VORP. All of these numbers prove how good Kyle Lowry is. Lowry also had an explosive offensive season like Thomas, but at least Lowry is a decent defender. The Raptors for the first half of the season had the highest offensive rating better than the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors, and when he went down, the Raptors faltered.

16. Damian Lillard, Guard, Portland Trail Blazers

Other than Mike Conley, Damian Lillard is an All-Time All-Star snub. He has been good enough to deserve a roster spot but hasn’t been able to get it because either his team wasn’t good enough, or he was just put behind players who were flat out worse than him. Last year he carried the measly Blazers to the playoffs while also being 15th PER and 16th in Win Shares.

15. Karl Anthony Towns, Center, Minnesota Timberwolves

One of the most talented and upcoming stars in the NBA, Towns is a force to be reckoned with. When he was a rookie, I predicted him to win an MVP sometime in his career, and I still see that happening. He was 9th in VORP and 7th in Win Shares, averaged 25+ points along with 10+ rebounds this season, but couldn’t get his team in the playoffs although having Thibodeau as a coach and other talented players around him.

14. Paul George, Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder

A player who rates very poorly among advanced stats, but was significantly disadvantaged by his surroundings. Like Coach McMillan, who isn’t a good coach, along with highly inefficient players surrounding him, like Mona Ellis, Thaddeus Young, and Al Jefferson. The Pacers barely made the playoffs probably due to him. The thing that also drops him down is his attitude just like Cousins, although he is not as bad as Boogie, he still isn’t great, calling out his teammates multiple times this year.

13. Rudy Gobert, Center, Utah Jazz

“Really? Rudy Gobert? The dude has no offensive skill sets and is a big stiff!” He was 3rd in the NBA in Offensive Rating and 3rd in Defensive rating the only player to do so in the history of the NBA, 2nd in Win Shares. And other really impressive stats. This season, Gobert found enormous success, he was named to the second team All-NBA, runner-up for DPOY, and runner-up for Most Improved Player (MIP.) Let’s see how he can carry a team next season with Gordon Hayward gone.

12. Anthony Davis, Forward/Center, New Orleans Pelicans

The former number one pick has made quite a name for himself, as talented as he is, he still has some setbacks, one would be the lack of team success and injury history. But he still is wildly successful. He is 3rd in PER, 7th in Defensive rating, 5th in defensive win shares, and 4th in block percentage. Davis also averaged in plain stats with 28 points per game, 12 rebounds per game while averaging 2 blocks and steals.

11. John Wall, Guard, Washington Wizards

Leading his team to the fourth seed in the east, John Wall was spectacular this season with being 8th in steal percentage, 3rd in assist percentage, 1st in total steals, and 2nd in steals per game and assists per game, while also being 19th in VORP. Wall is progressing every year, and this season was by far his best.

10. Draymond Green, Forward, Golden State Warriors

Defensive player of the Year, an NBA Champion, 1st team All-Defense, All-NBA 3rd team, as well as 2nd in Defensive Rating and 2nd in Defensive Win Shares, Green is an absolute stud. He is the engine that keeps the Warriors running with his tremendous +/- numbers along with his phenomenal playmaking ability make him a vital cog in the Warriors system.

9. Jimmy Butler, Guard, Minnesota Timberwolves

The only reason we don’t talk about Jimmy Butler is because of him being hidden behind the awful Bulls origination that had Rajon Rondo and Dwayne Wade playing alongside him with Nikola Mitotic and Fred Hoiberg as the coach. But Butler dragged the Bulls to 41 wins and a playoff appearance. He was 3rd in RPM Wins, 3rd in Win Shares, and 5th in VORP. He is going to bring a whole other dimension to the Timberwolves.

8. Chris Paul, Guard, Houston Rockets

At 32 years old, Chris Paul is still going very strong. He has consistently pushed the Clippers through the regular season and into the playoffs, in my belief, the reason he hasn’t had much success in the postseason is that of the wear and tear that his pressure he exudes in the regular season and the pressures of carrying Blake Griffin’s injuries. He was 3rd in BPM, 2nd in RPM and 3rd in Win Shares Per 48 Minutes.

7. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Position-less, Milwaukee Bucks

A starter for the All-Star game, 2nd team All-NBA, Most Improved Player of the Year, and leading the injured Milwaukee Bucks team to the 6th seed and a brutal fight with the Raptors, Giannis has made quite a name for himself. Skilled in every way, he can be a rim stopper if need be, he can be your point guard, or he can play perimeter defense, a true modern day basketball player that is also really good. He’ll, of course, need to work on his shooting, but that’s a cliché at this point.

6.  Kawhi Leonard, Forward, San Antonio Spurs

Some accomplishments in Kawhi’s past: An NBA Finals MVP in 2014, and won the previous two Defensive Player of the Year honors. Leonard accomplished this year: First Team All-NBA, First Team All-Defense, and 3rd place in the Defensive Player of the year this year, Kawhi Leonard is as great as they come. A skilled wing who can shoot threes, get the free throw line, and defend at a high level makes him the best of the best. He also ranked out with 2nd in Win Shares per 48, 4th in PER, and 5th in RPM.

5. James Harden, Guard, Houston Rockets

Leading his team to 2nd in the NBA in offensive rating, James Harden made the Rockets an offensive juggernaut of epic proportions. His team put up a historic 115 offensive rating while shooting the most threes and inside the paint shots. He was 2nd in Box Plus Minus, 2nd in VORP, and 1st in Win Shares. All-NBA first team, All-Star, and runner up MVP add to his resume.

4. Russell Westbrook, Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder

If you were just to say “A player averaged a triple double.”   You would just think that’s all that needed to be said, but like an Infomercial; “But wait, there’s more!” Westbrook was 1st in PER, 1st in Box Plus Minus, and 1st in VORP. A historical season for Westbrook, but his team’s shortcomings are part of his and his team who wasn’t very good. The only thing holding him down is being one of the worst defending guards in the NBA (Least amount of shot contests for a guard.) But for now, let’s just proclaim him the MVP.

3. Stephen Curry, Guard, Golden State Warriors

Oh no, I’m not letting you hit me with the Westbrook is better than Curry train. Steph Curry has (other than this current year) won the last two MVP’s, out of the previous three years won two NBA titles, has had the greatest three point shooting seasons co-sided with the best offensive years we’ve ever seen and this year he wasn’t any less specular. 3rd in Real Plus minus, 2nd in RPM Wins, 4th in Offensive Box Plus Minus, 10th in Effective Field Goal Percentage, and to add on, he led the Warriors to another championship, during the Finals, he averaged 26 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals.

2. Kevin Durant, Forward, Golden State Warriors

After that performance in the NBA Finals is there any question he’s the second best player in the world? Before his injury during the regular season, Kevin Durant was the favorite to win MVP, after, Westbrook and Harden took the mantle. He was 2nd in PER and 1st in Win Shares per 48 Minutes, along with that, he was Finals MVP and averaged 35 points, 8 rebounds 5.5 assists, with a block and steal per game. Durant also had a historic 139 offensive rating with a 68% True Shooting Percentage! Let it be known the former MVP still has it all offensively and defensively.

1. LeBron James, Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers

Guess who’s back, back again? It’s LBJ as the best player in the NBA, and I don’t think it’s ending anytime soon. He carried his team to another championship game out of the very weak Eastern Conference, but it doesn’t matter. LeBron had another top notch season at the age of 33 years old being 1st in RPM, 1st in RPM Wins, and 3rd in VORP. In the Finals, James averaged a triple double, along with an Offensive Rating of 126, and a True Shooting Percentage of 63%. There isn’t much to say about LeBron’s greatness other than people debate him being the greatest player ever, or commonly known as the GOAT.

Recap:

-21 players made the playoffs this last season, the four expectations are Anthony Davis, Demarcus Cousins, Kemba Walker, and Karl Anthony-Towns.

-Five players reached the NBA Finals from this list, and four are in the top 10. Kyrie Irving, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry,

-15 players played in the Western Conference and 10 Played in the Eastern Conference. 15 out of the 25 players played in the West, proving the powers of the Western Conference. And this year, only 7 players in my top 25 players in the Eastern Conference: Kemba Walker, Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving (for now), Isaiah Thomas, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and Kyle Lowry.

-Out of the top 10, only two were Eastern Conference, and the rest of the 8 were from the West.

-18 out of the 26 players made the All-Star game last season.

-14 out of the 15 players on my list made the All-NBA team. (DeMar DeRozan)


A huge contribution to this list was Andy Bailey's "Players with 1,500 Minutes, 2016-17, Ranked" This gave me the knowledge of who is ranked and who is not and where players lied throughout the season. He does great work and his twitter is @AndrewDBailey.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Z2iK9PcZnWYBi_NWoSYqhDb_-cUcT6LHDuCIquxVqik/edit#gid=0


All Stats are provided by Basketball Reference, Real GM, NBA.com, ESPN.com