ESPN Top 10

[blazerkor]

So they've ranked players 100 through 11. We have RoCo at 60, Nurk at 53, and CJ at 27. So where will Dame end up?

I think he'll be between 5 and 7. He could be ahead of Harden even though Harden made the All NBA first team ahead of Dame but he could be behind both Harden and Jokic. I am sure the top four are Giannis, AD, LeBron and Luka... I'm not positive that's the order. So I'll just put Dame at 5, he's a year younger than Harden and is a way better leader. Dame also had the votes on the All NBA second team ahead of Joker so I think that might stand.

 

[illmatic99]

Their rankings are fucking awful. No validity whatsoever.

 

[SheedSoNasty]

One or bust

 

[Pinwheel1]

Hopefully not at all. That will really get him fired up.

 

[blazerkor]

Hopefully not at all. That will really get him fired up.

Holy shit! If they just left Dame out of the top 100... I don't even know if he could be pissed it would be so preposterous.

 

[illmatic99]

https://www.espn.com.au/basketball/story/_/id/30482938/ranking-best-nba-players-2020-21-50-11

Zion at 19? seriously? Derozan at 82?

 

[SharpesTriumph]

It would be interesting seeing each teams list of players ranked. Having RoCo at 60 is pretty high for our 4th best player.

As someone else mentioned that would mean a number of the 30 teams without 2 top 60 guys.

 

[Cugel]

Those rankings are a fucking joke.

 

[B-Roy]

https://www.espn.com.au/basketball/story/_/id/30482938/ranking-best-nba-players-2020-21-50-11

Zion at 19? seriously? Derozan at 82?

LMAO, is this a way to get around their paywall?

 

[blazerkor]

https://www.espn.com.au/basketball/story/_/id/30482938/ranking-best-nba-players-2020-21-50-11

Zion at 19? seriously? Derozan at 82?

Yeah, the thing about this list specifically is that these writers are really trying to project where guys will be this season. Obviously that is likely way too high for Zion and way way to low for Derozan but these guys seem to think Derozan takes a big step back and Zion makes a quantum leap forward. You are right though, outside of the top 20 or so this list is usually so wrong in so many places if you look at it after the season.

 

[illmatic99]

LMAO, is this a way to get around their paywall?

ya, found it on reddit. Paywall for ESPN is nonsense.

 

[blazerkor]

LMAO, is this a way to get around their paywall?

Yeah, when I search it, it takes me to something that says tv5.espn and I think that one is for the Philippines.

 

[e_blazer]

https://www.espn.com.au/basketball/story/_/id/30482938/ranking-best-nba-players-2020-21-50-11

Zion at 19? seriously? Derozan at 82?

That's crazy. The kid has a ton of potential, but he's got a lot to learn about playing the game at the NBA level.

Bam Adebayo at 13 seems a stretch to me too. The guy is good, but the 13th best player in the league?

 

[Buffalo Custard]

They seem to confuse "best" with "valuable". If you rate RoCo by how critical he is to the Blazers' success this season then 60 is defensible. You could also argue that Zion is a lot more important to NO than Derozan is to his team. Bam the 13th "best" player? Nah. 13th most valuable/important to his team? They have a case.

 

[blazerkor]

They seem to confuse "best" with "valuable". If you rate RoCo by how critical he is to the Blazers' success this season then 60 is defensible. You could also argue that Zion is a lot more important to NO than Derozan is to his team. Bam the 13th "best" player? Nah. 13th most valuable/important to his team? They have a case.

I really don't think that's what they are doing. I think it's just one big hot take on how big of a jump some guys are going to make and how far back some guys are going to slide. That's just what I'm reading. This is their weird way of ranking... I have no idea how many players were matched up with each other, if there were groupings of some sort but it seems like a very convoluted way of getting to who is best.

To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players: LeBron James vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo. Stephen Curry vs. James Harden. Zion Williamson vs. Ja Morant.

We asked, "Which player will be better in 2020-21?" Voters had to predict what they expected from each player in the 2020-21 regular season and postseason.

 

[kjironman1]

He's #1 on the Blazers.

 

[illmatic99]

 

[blazerkor]

I don't have any big problems with this if they assume that Steph and KD come back at the same level previous to injury. I honestly doubt that at his age and how he used to use his skill set/athleticism that KD is the same so I'd have him further down the list and therefore Dame sixth. I didn't think Kawhi would be quite that high but given how good his defense is and that he is a very potent offensive player, I don't have a problem with it. If this is a projection for this upcoming season I would have thought that LeBron would have come in third after AD and Giannis because both of them may get better and even though I don't necessarily think age LeBron will catch up with LeBron yet it's not out of the realm of possibilities.

@Hoopguru @42N8Bounce @Darkwebs and @LayneStaley great job predicting where Dame would land.

 

[BlayZa]

TBH im shocked they didnt put Zion in the top 5.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't like it.....

Durant took a year off so I don't know how you can put him past Dame.

Luka....... I still don't think he's better than Dame right now. Eventually sure, but right now? I don't know.

Kawhi is so freakin overrated I can't stand it. If he's so good how come he couldn't win with San Antonio? How come he couldn't win last year? The dude is a fantastic #2 but I have a hard time putting him in the top 5. He wasn't the leader on Toronto. That is Lowry's team. Similar to how the Spurs were Duncan's team.

 

[B-Roy]

Kawhi is so freakin overrated I can't stand it. If he's so good how come he couldn't win with San Antonio?

I mean, he did win in San Antonio. I know you're going to cite that his team was way better but results are results.

 

[blazerkor]

I don't like it.....

Durant took a year off so I don't know how you can put him past Dame.

Luka....... I still don't think he's better than Dame right now. Eventually sure, but right now? I don't know.

Kawhi is so freakin overrated I can't stand it. If he's so good how come he couldn't win with San Antonio? How come he couldn't win last year? The dude is a fantastic #2 but I have a hard time putting him in the top 5. He wasn't the leader on Toronto. That is Lowry's team. Similar to how the Spurs were Duncan's team.

I think Dame's leadership is constantly overlooked and it is a very very real advantage. I wouldn't take anyone in the league for Dame except AD, Giannis if he were locked up or Luka but I agree that Luka isn't better right now. Durant is the biggest head scratcher. How do these people have any idea what Durant will be like? He's 32 and has always leaned a lot on his athleticism and is coming off an Achilles. It's not bold to put him that high, it's stupid. I think that the guys writing this or taking this poll or whatever the fuck, look at Kawhi as the second best two way player in the league to Giannis and neglect that he isn't really top tier at anything offensively.

 

[blazerkor]

I mean, he did win in San Antonio. I know you're going to cite that his team was way better but results are results.

I think there is no doubt that he is elite because he is so good on both ends but he's way behind a lot of guys on offense and his leadership is not a strength. He needs to be the most talented player on the team but has to have someone else lead. All of that said, I don't have as big of a problem with Kawhi being where he is as I do with KD being that high.

 

[B-Roy]

ESPN's lists are stupid anyways and based on sentiment. CJ was ranked 13 last year.

 

[Natebishop3]

I mean, he did win in San Antonio. I know you're going to cite that his team was way better but results are results.

Not when he took over the team he didn't.

 

[tlongII]

Luka at #4? C'mon man.

 

[RoseCityRebel]

I don't like it.....

Durant took a year off so I don't know how you can put him past Dame.

Luka....... I still don't think he's better than Dame right now. Eventually sure, but right now? I don't know.

Kawhi is so freakin overrated I can't stand it. If he's so good how come he couldn't win with San Antonio? How come he couldn't win last year? The dude is a fantastic #2 but I have a hard time putting him in the top 5. He wasn't the leader on Toronto. That is Lowry's team. Similar to how the Spurs were Duncan's team.

Leonard did win with the Spurs. He was Finals MVP. Then he won with Toronto. Another Finals MVP.

He’s a great player. I didn’t see how anyone can claim otherwise. I don’t really count the Bubble and Bubble playoffs as the end to a legitimate season, so bashing him for last season isn’t on my radar.

 

[Natebishop3]

Leonard did win with the Spurs. He was Finals MVP. Then he won with Toronto. Another Finals MVP.

He’s a great player. I didn’t see how anyone can claim otherwise. I don’t really count the Bubble and Bubble playoffs as the end to a legitimate season, so bashing him for last season isn’t on my radar.

The year he won with San Antonio he had Duncan/Parker/Manu.

The year he won with Toronto he had Lowry, Gasol, Ibaka.

The times he has won he has been on a team with an established leader. Someone who runs the team. Paul George isn't that guy and the Clips flopped. Sorry but Kawhi isn't someone I would build around. He's a tertiary piece. Put him next to Dame and we win a title. Put him next to another Robin and they don't win shit.

Example - Kawhi/LMA. They didn't win shit.

 

[Buffalo Custard]

Not to be snarkey - but who actually gives a diddle-doo? It's highly subjective and there are posters in this forum (not me!) who could create just as credible a list.

 

[Natebishop3]

Not to be snarkey - but who actually gives a diddle-doo? It's highly subjective and there are posters in this forum (not me!) who could create just as credible a list.

Meh it's something to talk about.