https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-ne...-williamson-being-ranked-ahead-klay-thompson/ Blazers star Damian Lillard reacts to Zion Williamson being ranked ahead of Klay Thompson The NBA season has not even started, but there are already bold claims being made about specific players. Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard found one so ridiculous that he had to address it himself. ESPN released their Top 100 Players ranking for the upcoming season. While these rankings don’t necessarily reflect the quality of the players in the list, it’s a way for the casual NBA fan to know which player is worth watching this year. However, what caught Lillard’s attention is the fact that Klay Thompson — one of the best pure shooters the league has ever seen — is ranked 49th in the list. Players such as Kevin Love and DeMar DeRozan are ranked above him. The most ridiculous bit? Zion Williamson, who has not played a single minute of NBA basketball, is placed 42nd. Lillard couldn’t help but call out whoever made the list. He went off on Instagram to share his chagrin at the ranking. “Man stop w the BS,” the Blazers star wrote before adding that “49 is wild in the first place.” Zion Williamson is a much-hyped rookie due to his athletic build and incredible play. In fact, he’s been hailed as the sport’s next big name. However, Klay Thompson is a three-time NBA champion and a five-time All-Star. Besides that, he has shown fans and analysts incredible scoring feats over the years. Of course, different people will have varying opinions on the matter. However, they cannot deny that Klay deserves a better rank than 49th.
They should have done 2 lists. 1 of the rookies and 2 of the players who are currently supposed to play next season (i.e., no Durant, no Thompson, No Nurk).
One thing to look at is that this list is a projection of where players should be ranked based on their performance during the upcoming season not who are the best players. Klay Thompson is going to miss some significant time so his projection is much lower than what it would be if he was healthy going into the season.
