NBA's Top 25 Players Entering 2014-15 Training Camp
Rankings of the NBA's best players are never constant. They change all the time, as there's new information out pertaining to players' workout habits, international tournaments shining a light on their games and actual contests that switch up orders during the regular season.
Even during this offseason, we learned a great deal about how the best of the best stack up heading into the 2014-15 campaign.
Do note that these rankings are not intended to be based solely on the 2013-14 season, even though data from that year is a large source of information for them. We're looking at how everyone ranks going forward and heading into this upcoming season, accounting for potential, offseason habits and various tidbits of information that can be gleaned during the summer months.
New teammates matter. Age comes into play, and the fit within a certain system matters, especially if there's a new head coach in place or a change in locale.
These are by no means final, though, and training camp will likely lead to some minor changes. But heading into the new season, this is how the league's stars stack up.
Note: All statistics, unless otherwise indicated, come from Basketball-Reference.com.
The Question Marks
1 of 26
There's no way to know with any semblance of certainty what Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose will bring to the table during the 2014-15 season.
Based on their personal histories, it's easy to assume they'll be great. Rose has an MVP to his credit and is one of the most dynamic point guards in basketball when he's healthy, and Bryant is one of the legends of the sport, a lock to be in the Hall of Fame and in the discussion as one of the best players of all time years after he calls it quits.
But banking on Bryant being a force this upcoming season might be a faulty assumption.
We haven't seen Bryant play at a high level since his Achilles injury at the end of the 2012-13 campaign. He suited up in only a handful of fairly ineffective games last year before bowing out with a knee injury, and now he's a 36-year-old wing player with plenty of wear and tear on the tires.
Rose, meanwhile, is just about in the same boat, except it's been even longer since he's played well. He's younger, sure, but there are more serious questions about his health.
Could Rose regain a top-10 spot? Sure.
Could Bryant do the same? See the previous answer.
But until they prove themselves, they could just as easily land well outside the top 25. Without any certainty in either direction, ranking them is foolish and borderline irresponsible, as any placement would be wildly speculative with no factual basis.
For the time being, they remain question marks.
25. Chris Bosh
2 of 26
Team: Miami Heat
Position: PF/C
Age: 30
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 16.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, 19.0 PER
Chris Bosh thrived when he was afforded protection by LeBron James. He was never a constant subject of defensive attention, and that allowed him to slip out to the perimeter, lofting up long mid-range jumpers and three-point attempts. It worked wonders given the former construction of the Miami Heat offense, but now he's going to have to change things up.
Without a force like James driving into the paint with reckless abandon, Bosh should become more of a post-up presence once again, something he's been quite hesitant to do as the years have added up and taken away some of his physicality.
Can he do it? Sure. But asking whether he will do it is a better question.
Bosh may have received a max deal and now serves as one of the true leaders of the remaining bunch in South Beach, but it's going to be tough for him to justify the size of the Heat's cap space that his contract is currently consuming.
Honorable Mentions: DeMar DeRozan, Al Horford, Serge Ibaka, Kyrie Irving, Al Jefferson
24. Kyle Lowry
3 of 26
Team: Toronto Raptors
Position: PG
Age: 28
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 17.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.2 blocks, 20.1 PER
Everything clicked for Kyle Lowry during the 2013-14 season.
No longer was he a detrimental presence in the locker room, but instead he focused all his energy into playing the best basketball possible. Still a relentless competitor who can only be described as a bulldog on the court, Lowry played through injuries, fought tooth and nail for every possession and put up some impressive numbers while helping lead the Toronto Raptors into the playoffs.
Then he signed a big contract during the offseason, which allows a new set of questions to enter into the conversation. Will he slack off now that he has guaranteed money in the bank? Is he just a contract-year stud?
So far, the answers appear to be definitively negative, especially after hearing him describe his on-court philosophy to Grantland's Jonathan Abrams:
"If you come to [a] game and you're bringing your son — he might have never seen a basketball game — and you guys are sitting in the nosebleeds, I want your son to say, 'Whoever no. 7 is played his hardest.' Every single time. And he might have only seen me one time, but that one time he seen me, I'm going to play like it's my last.
"
23. Rajon Rondo
4 of 26
Team: Boston Celtics
Position: PG
Age: 28
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 11.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.1 blocks, 15.3 PER
Rajon Rondo is a passing maestro, even averaging 9.8 assists per game while playing with a lackluster set of teammates and coming back from a season-ending ACL injury. Continuity should serve him well, along with the increased level of offensive talent that surrounds him.
There are few players you can say this about without a hint of sarcasm, but it would be shocking if Rondo didn't manage to throw up at least a dollar's worth of dimes during the average outing.
Additionally, he's one of the league's better rebounding point guards, a lockdown defender and a tenacious presence who's always going to play his heart out. That has to count for something, right?
The only real problem is the continued absence of a working set of scoring skills. His mid-range game has improved slightly over the last few years, but it still lags behind where it should be, and it allows defenders to sag off him constantly, thereby limiting Boston's offensive options.
Until that changes—and it might never happen at this point—Rondo is going to have trouble reasserting himself as one of the true elites at his position, a status he enjoyed while afforded the luxury of playing next to Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.
22. Tony Parker
5 of 26
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: PG
Age: 32
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 16.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.1 blocks, 18.9 PER
Tony Parker might be coming off a championship-winning season, continuing to play like one of the best point guards in the NBA, but there's cause for concern.
Throughout NBA history, 31 serves as the magical age for floor generals. Once they move past that, there's typically a large drop-off in production, and the exceptions to the rule are few and far between. Parker could very well be one of them, but he already declined significantly during the 2013-14 season.
Not only did he average only 16.7 points per game on 49.9 percent shooting from the field, the former being the lowest number he's produced since 2004-05, but he also saw his player efficiency rating drop. The 18.9 PER he earned this past season was the lowest since 2009-10, and it was only the second time in the past nine seasons he's failed to break past 20.
Now, Parker is 32 years old, and based on precedent, it should be even tougher for him to maintain his performance.
He absolutely can, especially while playing in the stellar San Antonio Spurs system, but there's cause for concern.
21. Dwyane Wade
6 of 26
Team: Miami Heat
Position: SG
Age: 32
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 19.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 22.0 PER
When Dwyane Wade is fully healthy, he's still an unstoppable force. That much was clear during portions of the Miami Heat's playoff run, as well as at various points throughout a solid regular season.
The 32-year-old shooting guard is still a dynamic scorer, thanks to his slashing ability and that devastating pump-fake, one that gets defenders up into the air no matter how long they've studied the scouting report and realized how often he uses the move. Plus, his versatility is astounding, as he's one of the better rebounding guards in the league, a fantastic distributor and a standout defender when engaged on that end of the court.
Health is really the only problem, and it leads to some stretches like the one we saw against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals. During that set of games, Wade averaged just 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, shooting 43.8 percent from the field and turning the ball over 3.6 times per contest.
At this point, it's obvious that Wade isn't going to play a full 82-game season. He suited up only 54 times in 2013-14, and Erik Spoelstra is likely to feed him an abundance of maintenance days.
In a single-game setting, Wade can still look like a top-10 player, but it's hard to overcome a near-guaranteed set of absences as large as the one this shooting guard will take advantage of.
20. Marc Gasol
7 of 26
Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Position: C
Age: 29
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 14.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.3 blocks, 18.2 PER
Say hello to the leader of the no-stats All-Stars.
To be fair, Marc Gasol does put up some impressive numbers. He's not a standout scorer or rebounder, but the well-rounded and efficient nature of his game serves him well, as does his stellar defense and ability to protect the rim.
However, Gasol—much like Andre Iguodala—is a virtuoso at doing all the little things that don't necessarily draw attention from the general public or the box score. He sets impressive picks, draws defensive attention and can serve as an offensive hub from either the block or the elbow, allowing the Memphis Grizzlies offense to take on new dimensions.
Throughout the season, Gasol will be the subject of much speculation, especially with regard to how his contract situation will play out next offseason. Maybe that will finally allow his game to get the attention it deserves.
19. Tim Duncan
8 of 26
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: PF/C
Age: 38
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 15.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.9 blocks, 21.3 PER
"Even though he is years removed from his most prolific statistical seasons, Duncan's impressive all-around per-36 minutes numbers—18.7 points, 12 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 blocks—were matched by exactly zero players last season," wrote Sports Illustrated's Ben Golliver, while justifying his No. 5 rank in the site's countdown of the league's 100 best players.
Yes, No. 5.
Problem is, Duncan doesn't actually spend anywhere close to 36 minutes per game on the court, unlike most of the players populating these rankings. In fact, he spent only 29.2 minutes on the floor during the average 2013-14 contest, making it the fourth consecutive year he's been right around that number.
From a per-minute perspective, Duncan really is one of the very best the Association has to offer. But at this stage of his career, given his inherent limitations in the playing-time department, I'm more likely to give Duncan a top-five spot in historical rankings rather than a top-five spot in the current NBA landscape.
There are just other players who do more and do it for a longer amount of time, even if Duncan has the ultimate trump card—a chance to defend yet another title.
18. Dirk Nowitzki
9 of 26
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Position: PF
Age: 36
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 21.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks, 23.6 PER
From one veteran big man to another.
If Dirk Nowitzki did anything last year, it was prove that he wasn't actually declining. The lackluster 2012-13 campaign was merely a product of injuries, not a lack of skill, a notion he enforced rather definitively one season later while carrying the Dallas Mavericks into the postseason despite the tough nature of the Western Conference.
Now, he might actually be getting better? As ESPN.com's Marc Stein wrote, the power forward and "shot doctor" Holger Geschwindner are working on speeding up Nowitzki's release:
"'I don't think, to the naked eye, you would see it,' Nowitzki told ESPN.com. 'I don't know if the [average] fan will see the difference. But I'm always trying to get better, and this is just a little tool for me to shoot a little quicker. We'll see how it works during the season.'
Geschwindner has often referred to what he calls Nowitzki's 'toolbox' and the idea of adding one new specialty every offseason.
'We worked on a quicker release,' Geschwindner said, citing Golden State's Steph Curry as the standard-setter for getting shots off rapid-fire and insisting that Nowitzki also can become adept at getting the ball to the release point faster 'if he sticks with it.'
"
Well, that just might be unfair. Assuming it works, of course.
17. Goran Dragic
10 of 26
Team: Phoenix Suns
Position: PG/SG
Age: 28
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 20.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.3 blocks, 21.4 PER
Goran Dragic was remarkably good during the 2013-14 season, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant as one of only three players to average 20 points and five assists per game while shooting at least 50 percent from the field. Given his shot-creating abilities and knack for efficiency, the dynamic combo guard actually managed to finish with the No. 6 Scorer Rating in the entire Association.
Now, he's coming off a confidence-building venture at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
While serving as the unquestioned leader of the Slovenian offense, Dragic averaged 16.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game, shooting a scorching 55.4 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from beyond the arc.
During a three-game stretch to open group play, the slithery guard actually produced 20.3 points and 4.7 dimes during the average contest, and he knockded down his field-goal attempts at a 70.6 percent clip.
"[Eurobasket] helped me a lot," Dragic explained to Suns.com's Greg Esposito, making reference to the 2013 tournament he excelled in. "I had a great tournament. My confidence went up and then I just continued to do that in a Suns uniform."
Now, he's coming off an even better performance on an even bigger stage while working with an even higher starting point.
16. Damian Lillard
11 of 26
Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: PG
Age: 24
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 20.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.3 blocks, 18.7 PER
Damian Lillard is on his way to superstardom, and taking the next step involves playing a lot more defense.
He's such a talented offensive player that there shouldn't be any doubt that his scoring and distributing will continue to evolve, but he just hasn't shown any flashes of brilliance on the defensive end of the court. Picks continue to function as brick walls against him, and there are too many concentration lapses when he's guarding an off-ball player.
According to 82games.com, Lillard allowed opposing floor generals to post a 17.2 PER against him, which is obviously higher than the Portland Trail Blazers would prefer. And even though the Rip City bench was a rather putrid unit, Basketball-Reference.com still shows that the Blazers allowed an additional 1.1 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor.
Could this just be a matter of conserving energy, though? Lillard has played an insane number of minutes since leaving Weber State, and he'll finally have more workable backup options behind him (Steve Blake and C.J. McCollum) to keep him fresh.
If that's the case, expect Lillard to shoot up these rankings as the season progresses.
15. John Wall
12 of 26
Team: Washington Wizards
Position: PG
Age: 24
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.5 blocks, 19.6 PER
This should be the year that John Wall joins the exclusive 20/10 club, a small fraternity of point guards who have managed to average at least 20 points and register 10 assists per game over the course of an entire season.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, there are only eight members in this club in all of NBA history: Michael Adams, Tiny Archibald, Tim Hardaway, Kevin Johnson (three times), Magic Johnson (three times), Chris Paul (twice), Oscar Robertson (five times) and Isiah Thomas (four times).
Wall should make it nine.
His scoring average has risen every season of his career, and that trend won't grind to a halt while he still has so much room to improve his lackluster perimeter jumper. Plus, he's an incredible passer who has more weapons around him than ever, as Bradley Beal is fresh off his stellar postseason, Otto Porter is set to redeem himself as a sophomore and Paul Pierce has come to town.
Even if 20/10 doesn't happen, though, Wall will remain an elite point guard, one of the few players at the position who truly thrives on both ends of the court. His defense still hasn't received nearly enough credit, and he's only improving as he continues to work on the more cerebral aspects of his point-preventing game.
14. James Harden
13 of 26
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: SG
Age: 25
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 25.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.4 blocks, 23.5 PER
It's time to stop picking on James Harden.
Yes, his defense is atrocious at times, and it lends itself to mean-spirited jokes rather easily. He could stand to exert far more effort on the less-glamorous end of the court, as he stands around and watches the proceedings far too often. However, he's not a terrible defender when he actually tries.
With the following passage, Bleacher Report's Dylan Murphy concluded a fantastic look at Harden's defense, throwing his awful reputation out the window during his unbiased, video-based analysis:
"But Harden isn't quite as bad as he's made out to be on the defensive end. He's certainly shown flashes of capability, both in guarding players in isolation and working within the confines of a structured system.
Whether he can ever play with consistency is an entirely different question, and one only he can answer.
It all starts with effort.
"
If the message has avoided getting tangled up in Harden's massive beard and gotten into his ears, he'll start the process of becoming an all-around standout. After all, there's been no shortage of people criticizing his defensive play, some more constructive than others.
One has to believe that his time with Team USA will help as well. Despite his well-publicized lapses at the World Cup, Harden was still playing on a roster that was coached by Mike Krzyzewski, whose emphasis on tenacious defense extends to international play.
13. LaMarcus Aldridge
14 of 26
Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: PF
Age: 29
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 23.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.0 blocks, 21.8 PER
As you can see in Kelly Scaletta's article for Bleacher Report about the merits of Scorer Rating, a metric he and I developed this offseason, LaMarcus Aldridge was one of the most overrated scorers in basketball during the 2013-14 season. If you allow points per game to serve as the basis for how a player is rated, Aldridge was more overrated than all but 11 of the players who qualified.
Why? Because while he's fantastic at what he does—shooting unblockable mid-range jumpers—what he does isn't done in the most efficient or effective manner.
Not only does Aldridge get for far too many of his made buckets on assists, he forces himself into shooting a lower percentage by relying on those typically inefficient mid-range attempts. Plus, he rarely gets to the free-throw line, which is problematic for a big man who doesn't create his own looks and shoots that low of an overall percentage.
Rebounder Rating, another metric Kelly and I developed, also shows that Aldridge is one of the most overrated players in that facet as well.
There's no doubt that Aldridge is a dominant force for the Portland Trail Blazers. He's just not quite in the same class as the two best power forwards in the league.
12. DeMarcus Cousins
15 of 26
Team: Sacramento Kings
Position: C
Age: 24
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 22.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.3 blocks, 26.2 PER
DeMarcus Cousins' experience at the World Cup should do wonders for him. Not only did Team USA focus heavily on defense, but he had to maintain his composure throughout the tournament, which he did successfully.
The mental game has always been a weak spot for Cousins, as he's been prone to drawing technical fouls, earning himself ejections and checking out of a game mentally and emotionally as soon as he disagrees with a call or thinks he was fouled too hard. If that changes, he has all the physical talent necessary to be the best center in the league, bar none.
Is he there yet? Not quite, as his defensive skills are still catching up to his offensive and rebounding talents.
But remember, Cousins is only 24 years old, and he's coming off that same international experience that has provided a major boost to the careers of so many young players. As Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee explains, the time spent in Spain was undeniably a positive for this center:
"They appreciated his willingness to improve his conditioning, to run the floor, to complement an offensive system that features wing players with his tenacious rebounding, defense, interior presence, passing.
There were no on-court or off-court issues, only one potential flareup against Lithuania that earned a technical but hardly merits a mention, and at least one occasion when his sharp wit rekindled memories of another Team USA character (Charles Barkley) on a previous visit to Spain.
During one of the mandatory media sessions, Cousins was asked if he knew where Slovenia was located.
'No,' Cousins deadpanned. 'Do you know where Alabama is?'
"
If Cousins grows up, there's no telling how high his ceiling could rise. Perhaps he'll earn a large enough stage that he can teach the whole world where Alabama is.
11. Joakim Noah
16 of 26
Team: Chicago Bulls
Position: C
Age: 29
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.5 blocks, 20.1 PER
Coming off a season in which he earned the league's Defensive Player of the Year, Joakim Noah is set to build upon that campaign, surrounded by an even stronger group of teammates.
For much of the year, Noah was a rim-protecting stud on one end of the floor and an offensive leader on the other. But with Pau Gasol joining him in the frontcourt, Derrick Rose returning healthy (hopefully) and Doug McDermott added to the squad, there's more offensive talent in place than Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has had at his disposal in years.
Not only will defenses be unable to pay as much attention to Noah's all-around excellence, but he'll have better teammates to find with his pinpoint passes. And not only will he have fewer point-producing responsibilities weighing him down, but he'll be more efficient than ever while simultaneously conserving more of his energy for defense.
Though there are plenty of stellar candidates, don't be surprised when he becomes the first player since Dwight Howard to defend the DPOY award successfully. Oh, and he'll do so while potentially leading Chicago back into the Eastern Conference's No. 1 spot.
10. Dwight Howard
17 of 26
Team: Houston Rockets
Position: C
Age: 28
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 18.3 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.8 blocks, 21.4 PER
During the 2013-14 season, Dwight Howard made the Houston Rockets a lot better. He was finally healthy again, and it showed, as he regained some of his explosiveness and settled into a steady stream of solid production throughout the vast majority of the season.
On offense, the Rockets scored 108.7 points per 100 possessions when Howard was catching his breath on the pine, according to Basketball-Reference.com. But when he played, that number soared to 112.5. To put that in perspective, a 108.7 offensive rating would rank 11th throughout the entire NBA. A 112.5 offensive rating would rank first.
Defensively, Houston allowed its opponents to score 106.9 points per 100 possessions when Howard was sitting, giving it a defensive rating that would rank No. 16 if it were the only portion of the season that mattered. But when the starting center was on the floor, those numbers shrank to 105.6 and No. 11, respectively.
Few big men have this type of impact, and the 28-year-old Howard should only get better as he plays out his prime in a stable location that maximizes his many talents.
9. Kevin Love
18 of 26
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: PF
Age: 26
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 26.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks, 27.0 PER
What can Kevin Love do now that he's actually playing on a team with a shot at doing something special?
Will he try on the defensive end of the court? He's a fine athlete with plenty of size, though his lack of lateral quickness could still hold him back. If he's motivated to try on defense, he could become at least an adequate stopper and help the Cleveland Cavaliers exceed modest expectations as a defensive team.
Will he be able to stand out while playing alongside two ball-dominant players? He should, given his remarkable skill set that makes him one of the most unique 4's in basketball. Even if he's not scoring 26.1 points per game, he'll help space the floor and pull down plenty of boards, all while thriving as a distributor.
Though Ricky Rubio is a fantastic passer, one who created plenty of easy opportunities for Love, it's exciting to imagine what he'll be able to do with more scoring threats around him. Defenses have to pay more attention to LeBron James and Kyrie Irving than they did anyone else on the Minnesota Timberwolves, and that bodes well for this 26-year-old power forward.
8. Blake Griffin
19 of 26
Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Position: PF
Age: 25
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 24.1 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks, 24.0 PER
Blake Griffin has to love what the Los Angeles Clippers did this offseason.
Though he was an excellent contributor last season, deservedly drawing some fringe MVP consideration, he also played an inordinate number of minutes. Not only did he suit up in 80 of the Clippers' 82 games throughout the regular season before tacking on another 13 during the playoffs, but he also spent 35.8 minutes per contest on the court.
Griffin actually spent the 12th most time on the court during the 2013-14 season, and the only other big man he trailed was his teammate, DeAndre Jordan. Joakim Noah and Kevin Love were the two other power forwards or centers in the top 20 for minutes played this past campaign.
That's too much for a player with a physical style like Griffin, especially when he takes such a pounding from the defense and is often the unwilling recipient of hard fouls. The level of his play and the lack of backup options forced the issue, though.
Now, Griffin has Spencer Hawes, Glen Davis and Ekpe Udoh coming off the bench to spell him, which should keep him fresh throughout the season. If he hasn't already written the LAC front office a thank-you note, he should correct that oversight before the season kicks off.
7. Russell Westbrook
20 of 26
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: PG
Age: 25
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 21.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.2 blocks, 24.7 PER
Ben Golliver wrote the following after Sports Illustrated ranked Russell Westbrook as the No. 4 player in the NBA heading into the 2014-15 season:
"The go-to critiques of Westbrook have centered on his shot selection, over-assertiveness, turnover problems, lack of three-point range, and occasional emotional outbursts. All of those issues remained part of Westbrook's story last season to one degree or another, and yet he managed to render most of them moot through sheer force of will during the postseason. Indeed, it was Westbrook's overall excellence in the playoffs that sealed his top-five status on the list.
"
At this point, it's impossible to focus on only Westbrook's positive attributes, just as it's impossible to only discuss what holds him back. As is the case with any player, the good goes with the bad.
Thing is, there's a lot of good for Westbrook, and those flaws actually help out the Oklahoma City Thunder on occasion. This point guard is so unpredictable that he's quite difficult to plan for, and defenses can't afford to pay too much attention to Kevin Durant when Westbrook is on the floor, given his explosiveness and unabashedly self-confident play.
If he ever exhibits smarter shot selection and hones that three-point stroke, he's only going to get more deadly. But right now, flawed as he may be, he's already one of the very best point guards during a 1-guard-heavy era of NBA basketball.
6. Carmelo Anthony
21 of 26
Team: New York Knicks
Position: SF/PF
Age: 30
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks, 24.5 PER
Is anyone else excited to see how Carmelo Anthony works in the triangle offense that Derek Fisher seems sure to run for the New York Knicks?
Phil Jackson certainly is, as he made clear during an interview with the New York Post's Steve Serby when responding to a question about how the offense will make Anthony even better:
"It'll give him opportunity to be a passer, a rebounder, and probably easier spots to score from than he’s had before. I think. I hope that’s true for a lot of the players…
And that's where Carmelo's gonna move forward this year in that situation—the ball can't stop. The ball has to continually move. It moves, or goes to the hoop on a shot or a drive or something like that. In our offense, that's part of the process of getting players to play in that rhythm.
"
Jackson isn't the only one who has expressed his thoughts on Anthony's fit, though.
"He's got to bring the whole package [to make the triangle work]. He's gotta be a team player, he's got to cut harder and he's got to move the ball," an anonymous Atlantic Division scout told ESPN New York's Ian Begley. "He's going to have to do a lot of things that he isn't known for doing."
The previous iteration of Anthony was scary enough. But if this works and allows him to become a more well-rounded player rather than a scoring specialist?
Well, that's just terrifying.
5. Stephen Curry
22 of 26
Team: Golden State Warriors
Position: PG
Age: 26
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.2 blocks, 24.1 PER
Don't pigeonhole Stephen Curry into the realm of scoring specialists, as nothing could be further from the truth.
Sure, he's one of the very best point-producers in the Association, capable of putting up remarkable performances from beyond the arc while creating an abundance of his own looks. No one in NBA history has ever been better at connecting from downtown without relying on assists from his teammates.
But focusing on that overlooks Curry's instinctual rebounding, as he's one of the best in the business at tracking down long caroms and beating everyone else on the court to the necessary spot. It also shows too little regard for his fantastic passing, which allowed him to rack up 8.5 dimes per game in 2013-14.
Curry does turn the ball over too often, but he's quite good at hitting his teammates between the numbers and setting them up with easy opportunities. Thanks to his knack for raising the shooting percentages of those around him, as well as his heavy involvement in the passing game, Curry finished the year with the No. 7 Passer Rating in the entire NBA.
Not too shabby for a strong rebounding guard who also finished No. 3 in Scorer Rating.
4. Anthony Davis
23 of 26
Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Position: PF/C
Age: 21
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 20.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.8 blocks, 26.5 PER
"Anthony Davis' climb through the NBA superstar ranks has been quick and unparalleled, its rapidity historic enough to demand he power the New Orleans Pelicans toward postseason prominence sooner rather than later," writes Bleacher Report's Dan Favale. "As in immediately."
That's the next challenge for a 21-year-old big man who has already achieved so much.
Average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field? Check.
Make an All-Star team? Check.
Lead the league in rejections per game? Check.
Play so well, so quickly that finding historical comparisons is ridiculously difficult? Check.
Lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup? Check.
Now he just has to make the playoffs, though that's a tough task in the brutally difficult Western Conference. Even if he and the New Orleans Pelicans do fall short during Davis' third year, there's no doubt he'll continue asserting himself as an unquestioned stud, one whose absence in any top-five list basically invalidates it.
3. Chris Paul
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Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Position: PG
Age: 29
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 19.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.1 blocks, 26.0 PER
Heading into another season, Chris Paul is yet again the best point guard in the NBA.
Will he hold onto that crown when we're previewing the 2014-15 campaign? Will he sit on the throne throughout all of this upcoming go-round? Only time will tell, as there are plenty of young challengers attempting to wrest the title of league's best floor general out of his skilled hands.
But for now, he's the best in the business. Not only is he a potent scorer who creates his own looks, shoots efficiently and takes over close games down the stretch, but he's a surprisingly good rebounder, a devastatingly effective defender and the very best distributor in the NBA. There are no glaring flaws on the resume, and that includes the postseason portion of it.
The claims that Paul flops in the playoffs—figuratively, not literally—just aren't grounded in fact. Otherwise, Paul wouldn't continue to post gaudy numbers in the postseason, even boasting a career PER of 25.0 after the regular season draws to a conclusion.
To put that in perspective, Basketball-Reference.com shows that only Michael Jordan, George Mikan, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon have higher career PERs in the postseason.
Tim Duncan? Kevin Durant? Dirk Nowitzki? David Robinson? Magic Johnson? Wilt Chamberlain? Dwyane Wade? Kobe Bryant? Jerry West? Allen Iverson? Oscar Robertson? Larry Bird?
All lower.
2. Kevin Durant
25 of 26
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: SF
Age: 25
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 32.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.7 blocks, 29.9 PER
Kevin Durant may have been named the league MVP for his work during the 2013-14 season, but repeating that feat will be harder now that he's set to be joined by a healthy Russell Westbrook over the course of an entire campaign.
Though Durant will only be getting better as an individual player, he won't have as many offensive responsibilities to shoulder.
As a scorer, Durant is rather easily the best in the league. Quite frankly, he's the best scorer we've seen in quite some time.
But that's not the only facet of the game in which he excels. He's a surprisingly adept passer, a fantastic rebounder for his size and spot in the lineup and a defender who seems to be getting better each and every year. That last aspect is what's still keeping him out of the No. 1 spot, though.
While Durant is indeed improving defensively, he's still given easier assignments, as Scott Brooks has done everything possible to keep him fresh, just so he can run him to death later in the season. At least, that's my assumption based on the inexplicably excessive amount of time he spent on the court during meaningless situations in the Oklahoma City Thunder's relatively short-lived playoff run.
Though he's ridiculously good in certain areas, Durant still isn't the all-around player that the No. 1 guy in this countdown continues to be.
1. LeBron James
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Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: SF/PF
Age: 29
2013-14 Per-Game Stats: 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.3 blocks, 29.4 PER
As good as LeBron James was in Erik Spoelstra's pick-heavy offensive schemes, I can't wait to see how he plays under David Blatt.
The position-less modified Princeton offense requires constant motion, plenty of passing and well-rounded production from just about everyone, and it may well give James the best shot of his career at averaging a triple-double...or at least coming closer than ever before. He'll be counted on for more rebounds, and with so much offensive talent around him, he should rack up the assists.
Oh, and relieving him of some of the scoring burden he carried during his final few seasons in South Beach should allow him to stay increasingly fresh on the defensive end of the court. The weight he dropped this offseason should help with that as well, especially since James was often a step slow on defense during the 2013-14 campaign.
James has improved his game each and every season of his career, lately focusing on his jump-shooting ability and becoming a ridiculous efficient scorer. Whatever new tool he shows off in 2014-15, it's bound to be a strong one, especially since he's still squarely in the midst of his prime.
The four-time MVP has something to prove this season, especially while serving as a mentor to the myriad young talents on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster.
For that reason, the rest of the NBA should be quite nervous. To the point of quaking, even.
