Superstar Rankings: Ranking the NBA's 10 Best So Far
The second quarter of the 2014-15 NBA season is upon us, and it's a time for superstars to solidify their standing within the hierarchy of the league's best players.
Kyle Lowry will have to justify his new placement in this celestial realm, or else he runs the risk of being labelled an early-season fluke. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have uphill battles after missing the first portion of the year and watching as the Oklahoma City Thunder dug a big hole in the race for the playoffs. Anthony Davis and Stephen Curry are by no means guaranteed to stay in the best-player conversation, especially as LeBron James gains more traction and comfort with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But thus far, how does everyone stack up? How have they trended up or down since the last installment of these rankings, which came back in the middle of November, when the season was very much still in its infancy?
It's not all about individual prowess here. Having an impact on a successful team matters as well, as it's tougher to be a superstar on a struggling squad.
Injured Players
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Before delving into the rankings themselves, it's worth noting that injured players are not considered for any of the featured spots, nor will they be listed as honorable mentions.
If a player is expected to be out of action for a prolonged period, he's automatically ineligible for the remainder of this article. As a result, DeMarcus Cousins, DeMar DeRozan and Paul George will not be appearing, although they would make the cut—or at least come close—if the injury imp didn't dictate otherwise.
Honorable Mentions
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The Thunder Stars
Russell Westbrook has dominated and been a versatile stud for the Oklahoma City Thunder ever since he returned to the lineup. Even with a minutes cap, Kevin Durant has averaged 20.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in his seven appearances.
Both are undoubtedly top-10 players in the league, but they still haven't played enough to gain entry quite yet. This isn't predictive, after all, and it's hard to reward two players with a combined 17 contests when every featured player has suited up more times on his own.
The same argument applies for Dwight Howard, who returned from his injury troubles to continue his strong start to the season with 26 points and 13 rebounds against the Denver Nuggets. But that was only his 11th appearance during the 2014-15 campaign, and that's just not enough for us quite yet.
The perennially underrated point guard has thrived for the Memphis Grizzlies, steering them to one of the best records in the Western Conference. But despite his impressive efforts on both ends of the court, Conley ultimately falls just a bit shy of the top 10, simply because there are so many standouts at this early stage of the campaign.
The Dallas Offense
All the pieces have clicked for Rick Carlisle's offense, which has scored at such a ridiculous rate that it's left hope it will end up being one of the best point-scoring units in NBA history. Monta Ellis has been quite valuable, playing the right kind of basketball and coming up big in multiple crunch-time situations. Dirk Nowitzki has continued to score in efficient fashion, staving off Father Time yet again.
Both players would be featured in the top 20, but both fall shy of the top 10.
Damian Lillard, Carmelo Anthony, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving and a few more players have been much better than Kobe Bryant, but it's hard to leave off the Los Angeles Lakers legend when we're talking about superstar rankings, not just a countdown of individual talent.
After all, how many players just passed Michael Jordan on the career-scoring leaderboard? How many players have ever been so adored/respected/notable that they literally received an official stoppage of play in an opposing arena to celebrate a feat, receive a standing ovation and have the game ball handed to them?
10. Blake Griffin (Previous Ranking: No. 13)
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Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Position: PF
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 22.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks, 22.1 PER
Blake Griffin is rounding into form for the Los Angeles Clippers, rebounding nicely from the slow start to the 2014-15 season suffered by both himself and his team. During his last 10 games—including a 4-of-12 stinker against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night—he's drained 53 percent of his looks from the field, hit 78.3 percent of his free-throw attempts and even knocked down three of his four tries from downtown.
The dunking machine is continuing to rely heavily on his mid-range jumper, and the results have been rather nice for LAC. However, it would be nice to see a bit more explosiveness out of this 25-year-old big man.
Griffin has slammed the ball through the hoop only 30 times in 23 games, which puts him on pace to record 107 jams throughout the entire campaign. That's well shy of the 176 dunks he produced for the Clippers in 2013-14, and that mark was already the lowest of his career.
It's undoubtedly a positive that Griffin is expanding his game and leaving his reliance on the around-the-basket shots firmly in the past. However, he can't stray too far from his bread and butter.
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9. John Wall (Previous Ranking: Unranked)
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Team: Washington Wizards
Position: PG
Age: 24
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.8 blocks, 20.8 PER
Even earning brownie points for his emotional postgame breakdown after steering the Washington Wizards to a double-overtime victory against the Boston Celtics in the wake of losing his six-year-old friend to cancer, John Wall has been taking the NBA by storm in recent weeks.
During his last eight appearances, the dynamic point guard has averaged 16.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 12.6 assists while shooting 48.6 percent from the field. Oh, and the Wizards have gone 7-1 during that stretch.
Plus, Wall is playing fantastic defense, as Mark Giannotto detailed for The Washington Post:
"Wall’s defense again proved to be a catalyst on a night when the Wizards never trailed against one of the NBA’s hottest teams, continuing a trend that has taken root throughout the first 22 games of the regular season.
Coach Randy Wittman noted after the game that 'when John's engaged defensively, it just kind of filters right on down' to the rest of the team. But it hadn't always been like this. This season, Wittman added, Wall has received the highest ratings of his career on the defensive charts the team keeps for each player.
'It used to be, leading up to this year, every so often he'd do it, and then we'd have to talk again,' Wittman said. 'But that’s just the growth of him.'
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Plenty of others have praised Wall's defense, even within Giannotto's article, but it's particularly meaningful coming from the floor general's head coach right after he helped hold Chris Paul in check. Chalk it up to Wall's continued evolution into a two-way monster aiming for the top of the positional hierarchy.
8. LaMarcus Aldridge (Previous Ranking: No. 11)
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Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: PF
Age: 29
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 22.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.3 blocks, 21.6 PER
Now the No. 2 scorer in the history of the Portland Trail Blazers, trailing only the legendary Clyde Drexler, LaMarcus Aldridge just keeps rolling along as the Rip City centerpiece. Though there have been plenty of positive contributions from all the starters—especially Damian Lillard—it's still the big man who has established himself as the top option.
Not only has Aldridge continued to excel as a mid-range shooter and high-volume scorer, but he's expanded the range of his jumper. Already, he's knocked down 14 shots from beyond the arc, which is double the career high he set in 2008-09.
He's also continuing to thrive on the glass, even recording double-digit boards in nine consecutive games. And as if that already weren't enough (and it's not for a top-10 player in the Association), Aldridge has helped the Portland defense remain up near the top of the league standings in defensive rating.
Statistically, Aldridge doesn't stand out on the less glamorous end. But his role is what allows the Portland defense to function, as he can be left alone on the interior and hold his own, letting the perimeter defenders fly around to run players off the three-point arc. Without him, it just wouldn't be the same.
7. Marc Gasol (Previous Ranking: No. 10)
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Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Position: C
Age: 29
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 19.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.7 blocks, 23.1 PER
What can't Marc Gasol do?
He's not a rebounding stalwart, but he still holds his own on the boards, especially since his numbers are deflated due to Zach Randolph's glass-eating ways. He doesn't post a ton of steals or blocks, but he's a defensive monster who always seems to make the right plays while functioning as the clear-cut leader behind the Memphis Grizzlies' defensive dominance.
In the past, Gasol hasn't been much of a scorer. So much for that.
Only seven qualified players in the NBA are averaging more than 19 points per game with a true shooting percentage on the right side of 58: Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Gasol, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Damian Lillard. That's not exactly a bad list to be present on.
If you're looking for the main reason the Grizzlies have won 19 of their first 23 games, you've found him.
6. Kyle Lowry (Previous Ranking: No. 15)
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Team: Toronto Raptors
Position: PG
Age: 28
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 19.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.2 blocks, 22.9 PER
Kyle Lowry deserves to be considered a true MVP candidate at this point in the 2014-15 campaign. He's been a two-way force for the Toronto Raptors, who remain the class of the Eastern Conference, and he's kept the team more than afloat in DeMar DeRozan's absence.
Since the 2-guard tore his left adductor longus tendon on Nov. 28 against the Dallas Mavericks, the Raptors have gone 5-3. The defense has regressed significantly, but Lowry's efforts have kept Toronto rolling on offense and allowed it to emerge victorious more often than not. During those eight outings, he's averaged 22 points, 3.6 rebounds and 10 assists, taking on an insane burden and still thriving.
Lowry's name isn't one you typically think of when running through the league's 10 best players. Hell, it might seem downright shocking to see him listed at No. 6.
Nonetheless, the point guard deserves it. Whether he can maintain this level of play throughout the season remains to be seen, especially as his workload leads to some inevitable wear and tear, but he's been absolutely fantastic and downright MVP-ish during the first quarter of the year.
So much for any post-contract concerns.
5. Chris Paul (Previous Ranking: No. 4)
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Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Position: PG
Age: 29
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.3 blocks, 25.2 PER
Chris Paul is an assist-to-turnover machine.
Even after coughing the ball up six times in back-to-back outings, first against John Wall and then when competing with the suffocating, ball-hawking Milwaukee Bucks defense, he's still averaging only 2.1 turnovers per game. And he's doing so while racking up nearly a dollar's worth of dimes during the typical contest.
That ratio is nearly unheard of. Among every player in NBA history who has averaged fewer than 2.5 turnovers throughout a season, only three different guards have managed to put up 10 assists per contest. John Lucas became the first member of the club in 1983-84 with the Houston Rockets. Muggsy Bogues has done so twice, as has Paul.
But the Los Angeles Clippers 1-guard could become the first three-time member, and it wouldn't be all that shocking to see him accomplish such a feat. After all, he's remained arguably the best point guard in basketball thanks to his scoring efforts, distributing masterwork and continued defensive excellence.
There is one floor general ranked ahead of Paul here, but track record alone might still make this 29-year-old the player to build around at his position.
4. James Harden (Previous Ranking: No. 5)
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Team: Houston Rockets
Position: SG
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 26.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.1 blocks, 25.3 PER
"[James] Harden's always had the size, quickness and intelligence to be an elite defender. He just never seemed to care. Apparently all the years of derision toward that aspect of his game finally got to him," Jonathan Raymond recently wrote about the 2-guard's reputation-shattering season for The National.
"Harden is hounding players these days," he continues, "Using all that length and instinct to swipe two steals and a block per game, constantly poking at the ball in one-on-one matchups and using his speed to converge in a flash in help situations."
Has the bearded shooting guard been an All-Defense stalwart? Certainly not, and he can still overcommit to closing out on jump-shooters and show a stunning lack of discipline for the Houston Rockets. But he's finally making a concerted effort night in and night out, and that alone has pushed his defense in the right direction.
It will be a long time before Harden is considered a two-way shooting guard, but he doesn't have to be one in order to assert himself as a bona fide MVP candidate. With his stellar offensive contributions—which are by no means limited to scoring—and rebounding prowess, he's already there.
3. LeBron James (Previous Ranking: No. 1)
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Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: SF/PF
Age: 29
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 25.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.7 blocks, 25.5 PER
LeBron James hasn't been the high-flying machine of wreckage and destruction we've seen in the past, but that doesn't mean he's been ineffective during his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He's still a legitimate MVP threat, and his case will be strengthened as his team continues ascending toward the top of the Eastern Conference.
"You can look at it in a bad way or a good way," James told ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin about his diminished explosiveness. "I've expanded the rest of my game. I'm still out there making plays. My athleticism, obviously I'm not the 18-year-old kid that I was before. But I can still do the things I need to do to be successful."
That sentiment has been backed up by a few things already, including the eye test. He's looked the part of a superstar even though he's kicking the ball out after driving to the hoop, and he's still a basketball cyborg programmed to make the right play at all times.
"The LeBron who could dunk on any player at any time is probably gone," a league advance scout told ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst. "He's probably never been a better basketball player than he is right now, though."
"Now, you'll see him set the defense up and take advantage of its weaknesses," an assistant coach in the Eastern Conference explained to Windhorst. "If that means fewer dunks but more efficient shots for himself or his teammates then you could say he's playing better offensively now than he was then."
Basically, don't be surprised when he climbs back up into the No. 1 slot he's occupied for so long, even if inconsistency, an up-and-down team and a changing role have forced him out of it thus far.
2. Stephen Curry (Previous Ranking: No. 3)
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Team: Golden State Warriors
Position: PG
Age: 26
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 23.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.2 blocks, 27.1 PER
Has Stephen Curry been better than LeBron James during the 2014-15 season? That's debatable, even if the Golden State Warriors point guard has been making much more of an effort on the less glamorous end and is turning into a more well-rounded player.
But these are superstar rankings, and it's hard not to reward the premier standout on the league's most successful team. The Dubs wouldn't be anywhere close to their 21-2 mark without Curry's heroics, nor would they be in the midst of a jaw-dropping 16-game stretch of unbeaten basketball. During that winning streak, the Davidson product has averaged 22.7 points and 8.0 assists while coming close to the 50/40/90 club with 49 percent shooting from the field, 42.9 percent from beyond the arc and 89.6 percent at the charity stripe.
Through 23 games, Curry is the NBA's leader in offensive box plus/minus (OBPM). His mark of 8.1 indicates that he's helped the Warriors score 8.1 more points per 100 possessions than a league-average offensive player would in his place.
And thanks to his defensive efforts (1.1 DBPM), he's leading the league in overall box plus/minus, as well as value over replacement player (VORP). That shows how much value he's provided per 100 possessions compared to someone who could just be picked up out of the free-agent pool—a replacement player.
Is Curry the MVP favorite at this point in the season? Probably, but that doesn't make him the No. 1 finisher here, as there's still someone who's been head, shoulders and unibrow above the rest of the Association's standouts.
1. Anthony Davis (Previous Ranking: No. 2)
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Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Position: PF/C
Age: 21
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 24.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.9 steals, 2.7 blocks, 33.0 PER
Though Anthony Davis has had to miss a bit of time with a chest contusion that he suffered in the first quarter of an eventually successful outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he's still rather easily been the league's best player.
Not only is he pacing the NBA in player efficiency rating (33.0), win shares (4.7) and win shares per 48 minutes (0.293), but he's on pace to earn historically excellent finishes in each category. That PER would break Wilt Chamberlain's mark (31.82) and become the highest of all time with room to spare. He's on track to earn 16.8 win shares, which doesn't resonate as much as the other stats but would still put him in the historical top 60. Plus, 0.293 win shares per 48 minutes would be the No. 14 rate of all time.
Davis just doesn't even make sense as a basketball player. Despite only being 21 years old, he's already too good in too many different areas, asserting himself as a weird amalgamation of Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Marcus Camby and more.
Who else is a versatile defensive ace while dominating on the glass, becoming one of the best scorers in basketball and constantly expanding his offensive arsenal?
Davis may not gain too much traction in the MVP race, as his New Orleans Pelicans are by no means guaranteed a playoff berth in the brutally tough Western Conference. But if we take the abbreviation literally, the unibrowed big man really has been one of the league's most valuable players.
After all, the Pelicans are outscoring their opponents by 4.9 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor. When he's sitting, they're on the wrong end of an 8.2-point margin over the same stretch.
Note: All stats, unless otherwise indicated, come from Basketball-Reference.com and are current heading into Dec. 15's games.
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