2015 NBA Superstar Rankings: League's Best on Full Display at All-Star Weekend
New York City hosted the NBA's best and brightest during All-Star Weekend, and plenty of stars showed up ready to strut their stuff.
You won't see Zach LaVine or Andrew Wiggins listed in this countdown of the league's top superstars, even if they won the Slam Dunk Contest and MVP of the Rising Stars Challenge, respectively. Rudy Gobert isn't quite ready for this type of recognition either, even if he displayed some two-way dominance on Friday night.
And still, there are plenty of All-Star standouts earning our attention.
Russell Westbrook put on an absolute show Sunday night, scoring more points than any player not named Wilt Chamberlain ever has in the famed exhibition contest. Stephen Curry dazzled attendees and viewers with his three-point stroke about 24 hours earlier, and it's not as though we can forget about the dunks and long bombs from players like LeBron James, James Harden and so many others.
Now, how do they all stack up?
It's worth noting that even if the All-Star Game is an offensively geared showcase of highlight-reel plays, it's going to be relied upon heavily when determining this order. It's by no means the sole component, as the first half of the season is quite important, but it's crucial when determining the trends between these rankings and last week's edition. And for that matter, players had to play in Sunday night's main event in order to be considered for one of the featured spots.
So all these guys are All-Stars. But which are the latest stars of the super variety?
Injured Players
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Before delving into the rankings, it's worth noting that injured players are not considered for any of the featured spots, and they will not be listed as honorable mentions.
If a player is expected to be out of action for a prolonged period, has missed too much time in the last few weeks or didn't suit up in the All-Star Game, he's automatically ineligible for the remainder of this slideshow. Recent performances are weighted pretty heavily here, and playing in the midseason classic is a requirement.
As a result, Anthony Davis, Paul George, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, and Dwyane Wade will not be appearing, although they would make the cut—or at least be considered—if the injury imp didn't dictate otherwise.
Honorable Mentions
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Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
In what may end up being his last game of the season, Carmelo Anthony played plenty of minutes for the faithful New York Knicks fans who showed up at Madison Square Garden. Though he struggled immensely with his shot, making only two of his game-high 13 three-point attempts, he still logged 30 minutes and contributed on the glass.
Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
The All-Star Game doesn't typically showcase the skills of players like Marc Gasol. The center isn't exactly a glamorous highlight machine, even if his passing can get quite fancy. Nonetheless, the leader of the Grizz helped out the Western Conference by corralling plenty of loose shots, joining his brother as one of just two players with double-digit boards during the Sunday festivities.
Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
After making quite the impression at the 2014 All-Star Weekend by competing in every event, Damian Lillard took it a bit easier this season. He only participated in the main contest, playing just 16 minutes and failing to leave any sort of indelible impression. Though he fired away frequently enough to finish with 12 shot attempts, he recorded only 11 points, two rebounds and two assists.
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Though Kyle Lowry was by no means a legitimate candidate for All-Star MVP, it's not as though he disappointed the hordes of last-minute voters who made him a surprising starter in the Eastern Conference backcourt. Sure, he scored only 10 points on 13 shots and couldn't find his stroke from distance, but he also dished out a team-high eight dimes and swiped the ball away a game-high four times.
10. Kyrie Irving (Previous Ranking: Unranked)
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Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: PG
Age: 22
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 21.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.3 blocks, 21.0 PER
All-Star Game Stats: 11 points, six rebounds, five assists
Kyrie Irving produced a nice, well-rounded line while playing against the collection of Western Conference talent, and it's not that different from what he's been doing lately in games that count. The Cleveland Cavaliers point guard has figured out how to thrive next to LeBron James, which is now enabling him to use his reserves of energy on both ends of the floor.
During his last 15 games before the break, Irving averaged 24.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists per contest, and he did so with scorching levels of efficiency. Not only did he knock down 49.4 percent of his shots from the field and 82.3 percent of his freebies, but he even hit his three-point attempts at a 51 percent clip while taking 6.8 per outing.
And it gets even better.
This may not have been on display during the All-Star Game, but Irving is playing arguably the best defense of his career. During those same 15 appearances, he produced a 107 defensive rating for the Cavaliers, who have suddenly became a rather suffocating bunch. Prior to the Jan. 16 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers that began the stretch, his defensive rating was just 112.
Here's another way of looking at it.
Over the same time frame, Irving is holding his opponent to 38 percent shooting from the field, per NBA.com's statistical databases. Before Jan. 16, he was allowing his man to knock down 47.6 percent of his attempts.
9. DeMarcus Cousins (Previous Ranking: No. 10)
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Team: Sacramento Kings
Position: C
Age: 24
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 23.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.7 blocks, 24.2 PER
All-Star Game Stats: 14 points, seven rebounds
DeMarcus Cousins has already had to play under quite a few coaches this season.
He began the year flat-out balling while Mike Malone paced the sidelines. The two shared a strong rapport, and Cousins truly blossomed under his supervision, becoming a strong literal MVP candidate (though the lack of success in Sacramento would have ultimately prevented him from winning the award) and making major strides on both ends.
Then came Tyrone Corbin, and Cousins regressed mightily. His efficiency waned, as did his motivation to protect the rim and insert himself in passing lanes.
He'll be working with George Karl soon, but the third coach was one who only instructed him for a one-game stint. And with Steve Kerr on the bench for the Western Conference All-Stars, Cousins submitted quite the strong performance, recording 14 points and seven boards in only 18 minutes on the floor. Plus, he turned the ball over just once and shot 6-of-7 from the field, giving him the highest field-goal percentage of any member of either All-Star squad.
The Kings are certainly hoping that's a sneak preview of what they'll be seeing soon, just with far more time on the court.
8. LaMarcus Aldridge (Previous Ranking: Honorable Mention)
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Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: PF
Age: 29
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 23.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.1 blocks, 22.7 PER
All-Star Game Stats: 18 points, two rebounds
Was LaMarcus Aldridge's latest performance in Madison Square Garden a sign of what's to come during the season's second half?
The power forward has always been an unquestioned master of mid-range marksmanship. Unfortunately, that requires him to take the least efficient shots in basketball, and Aldridge would be even more valuable if he could take a step or two back and let fly from beyond the arc. A 23-footer worth three points is a far better shot than a 21-footer worth two, after all.
On Sunday night, Aldridge took 11 shots from the field and drilled seven of them en route to an 18-point performance. Four of those looks came from downtown, and he connected on all of them.
To put that in perspective, the big man has only taken four triples once in his career. On March 9, 2009, he went 2-of-4 from long range against the Los Angeles Lakers in 40 minutes of action; nearly six years later during All-Star Weekend, he lofted up that same number of looks in only 18 minutes on the floor...and made twice as many.
Even looking past this one exhibition game, this is the first year Aldridge is truly a deep threat. He's taking 1.3 three-point tries per game and connecting on 42.4 percent of them. Already, he's knocked down 25 triples, which is one more than he's made in his previous eight seasons combined.
If his shooting is trending in the right direction, he's going to do the same.
7. Kevin Durant (Previous Ranking: No. 4)
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Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: SF
Age: 26
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 25.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.0 blocks, 28.6 PER
All-Star Game Stats: Three points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal
Even though Kevin Durant has been fantastic when healthy, he failed to make any sort of impression on the court during All-Star Weekend. The story focused on his relationship with the media rather than his performance, and that's a bit of an issue when there were so many standouts playing top-notch basketball during the various contests.
When Sunday rolled around, the reigning MVP spent just under 10 minutes on the court, making him and Jimmy Butler the only All-Stars who didn't hit double digits in playing time.
"It felt a lot better," Durant told reporters about his sore right foot after the game, via The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry. "I just wanted to take it easy. I wanted to go out there, obviously, and play but not play too many minutes and do too much on it. We're just trying to stay conscious of what's going on with it."
This OKC standout will certainly rise back up the rankings in future iterations, but with the All-Star Game factoring heavily into the process and Durant already working with a more limited sample than other players, he moves down for now. A 1-of-6 performance in which a lack of aggression forced him to take all of his shots from downtown will do that.
6. John Wall (Previous Ranking: No. 9)
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Team: Washington Wizards
Position: PG
Age: 24
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.5 blocks, 20.7 PER
All-Star Game Stats: 19 points, three rebounds, seven assists, two steals
As Deron Synder wrote for The Washington Times, just reaching the All-Star Game is a big deal for John Wall, but his performance on Sunday night helped confirm his growth into an elite floor general:
"Reaching even one NBA All-Star Game is a great accomplishment and Sunday was Wall’s second. He validated his first selection as a starter by scoring 19 points with seven assists and three rebounds. The fine outing included power dunks, blow-by drives, pinpoint passes and a 3-pointer for good measure.
His game and his confidence have grown from the happy-to-be-here, scared-to-death novice we saw in 2014, to the blossoming national star who garnered the league’s seventh-highest vote total.
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An exhibition game with a distinct offensive leaning might not be the best stage for Wall to showcase his two-way prowess, even if he thieved the rock away from the NBA's stronger half twice. But he still got to put his diverse offensive talents and incredible athleticism on display plenty of times.
Recording 19 points and seven dimes in an All-Star Game is not an easy feat. And it's even harder to do so while putting on such a show against quite the impressive slate of tough Western point guards.
5. Chris Paul (Previous Ranking: No. 7)
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Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Position: PG
Age: 29
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.2 blocks, 24.5 PER
All-Star Game Stats: 12 points, six rebounds, 15 assists, two steals
In the history of the All-Star Game, only five different players have recorded 15 assists in a single outing:
- Magic Johnson (five times)
- John Stockton (two times)
- Isiah Thomas (two times)
- Chris Paul (two times)
- Gary Payton (one time)
Obviously, that's a good list to be on. Now Chris Paul has joined the club for the second time with his latest masterpiece, pushing him into the four-person group that has hit the 15-dime mark on at least two separate occasions.
But it gets even more impressive, because after losing possession three times in a 15-dime game two years earlier, Paul turned the ball over only twice during this 2015 outing.
Magic Johnson coughed it up at least three times in each qualified game on that list, including seven in 1983, nine in 1986 and eight in 1988. John Stockton somehow had 12 turnovers in 1989 and another five in 1993. Isiah Thomas gave up possession six times in each of his listed adventures, while Gary Payton had three turnovers to go along with his $1.50 worth of dimes.
No one had ever posted 15 assists and two turnovers before Paul's latest showing.
4. LeBron James (Previous Ranking: No. 3)
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Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: SF
Age: 30
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 25.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.7 blocks, 25.5 PER
All-Star Game Stats: 30 points, five rebounds, seven assists, two steals
LeBron James was absolutely fantastic during the All-Star Game. He racked up quite the impressive line with his well-rounded play, even if it ultimately wasn't enough to pull out a victory for the Eastern Conference.
So, why is he moving down in the rankings? Better yet, why is he dropping a spot when Anthony Davis isn't even eligible for this countdown despite ranking ahead of James during the last edition?
Again, James was fantastic, just as he's been ever since returning from his two weeks of rest and relaxation. But he didn't stand out to the same extent as those who jumped him in the order, especially because he only had the one 48-minute contest to shine.
That's pretty amazing, because the 30-year-old forward put on a show of his own. In particular, no one could match his intensity at the beginning of the game, as Brett Pollakoff noted for ProBasketballTalk:
"James was everywhere [during the first eight-and-a-half minutes], and it was as aggressive a stretch we've seen from him in any game this season. He scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and was clearly amped for the experience. Even the misses were epic; James whiffed on an alley-oop dunk by slamming it too hard off the back of the iron, and airballed an open look from three-point distance.
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Chances are, James will end up elevating his stock in the next week. He's still too good to sit at No. 4 for long, even though it's tough to justify putting him any higher as of now.
As Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group wrote about the four-time MVP right after the All-Star Game, "It would appear that rest—and then another rally—are in order."
3. Russell Westbrook (Previous Ranking: No. 6)
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Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: PG
Age: 26
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 25.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.2 blocks, 28.5 PER
All-Star Game Stats: 41 points, five rebounds, one assist, three steals
Before the latest All-Star Weekend, only two players had ever dropped a 40-spot during the midseason exhibition. Michael Jordan threw up exactly 40 in 1988, while Wilt Chamberlain still holds the all-time record with his 42 points in a game 26 years earlier.
But now, Russell Westbrook is in the club as well, since he posted 41 points on a 16-of-28 performance from the field that also included five connections from beyond the arc. Throughout the contest, the point guard was driven to put on a show, and that's exactly what he did.
"Westbrook is practically impossible to wrangle when five defenders are focused on tying him up," Grant Hughes wrote for Bleacher Report while arguing that the dynamic 26-year-old was only continuing to climb up the superstar ladder. "What did we think was going to happen in an All-Star setting where nobody in the gym was interested in defense? The guy whose motor never stops revving was bound to rocket past his idling competition."
Now it's time for him to use the momentum from his MVP performance and record-setting first half to continue pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder into a playoff spot. Westbrook has been nearly unstoppable all season long, and he can't take his foot off the proverbial gas pedal until his team has secured one of the Western Conference's highly coveted playoff berths.
For now, though, he'll have to be content rocketing up these standings into the No. 3 spot. The playoff push comes next.
2. Stephen Curry (Previous Ranking: No. 5)
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Team: Golden State Warriors
Position: PG
Age: 26
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 23.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.2 blocks, 27.4 PER
All-Star Game Stats: 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal
Stephen Curry was impressive enough during the All-Star Game. While competing for the winning side, he dropped 15 points, nine rebounds and five dimes. And though he struggled to connect from outside the arc—going just 3-of-10 on his three-point attempts—and turned the ball over too frequently, he still put on a show.
One move in particular—his wide behind-the-back dribble through traffic followed up by a high-arcing scoop layup—was especially jaw-dropping. And in this case, jaws fell to the ground so quickly they may have left dents in the floor. Personally, mine is still making contact with the carpet in front of my television.
But Sunday wasn't the true Curry showcase. He showed what he was made of on Saturday.
During the Three-Point Contest, the league's deadliest off-the-dribble marksman drilled 23 deep shots during the first round. It left him tied with Kyrie Irving and one behind his fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson. But that total was just enough to get him into the final round, where Curry left everyone in the dust.
Irving and Thompson combined to make 31 shots. Curry single-handedly drained 27, including a remarkable stretch in which he netted 13 in a row. It was just another reminder of how easily he can light up the scoreboard, something he did even during the break in the action of his MVP-worthy season.
Craig Hodges, who made 19 straight shots during the 1991 contest, might not be impressed. But since this was the second-longest streak in the history of this event, topping anything Larry Bird, Steve Kerr and the other great shooters in the NBA annals ever did, most of us probably should be.
1. James Harden (Previous Ranking: No. 1)
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Team: Houston Rockets
Position: SG
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.8 blocks, 27.3 PER
All-Star Game Stats: 29 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals
James Harden may have struggled his way to a last-place finish in a stacked field at the Three-Point Contest, making just 15 of his attempts in the opening round, but he redeemed himself the next night.
Not many players are capable of threatening a triple-double in an All-Star Game, even though the contests are usually high-scoring affairs. There aren't as many rebounds available due to high shooting percentages, and the game so often devolves into one-on-one battles that don't exactly go hand in hand with assist opportunities.
But Harden proved an exception to the rule on Sunday night, and he was even more impressive than his raw box-score numbers would indicate. He took only 16 shots from the field and made 11 of them. From beyond the arc, he knocked down seven of his 12 attempts, tying him with Kyle Korver for the most triples of any All-Star.
Just as has been the case all season, he was utterly dominant.
Harden didn't win the main individual honor during All-Star Weekend, nor was he victorious in one of the side events. But he's been the rightful MVP throughout the first half of the season, and it's not as though he disappointed the fans present at Madison Square Garden in mid-February.
The top spot still belongs to the bearded shooting guard.
Note: All stats, unless otherwise indicated, come from Basketball-Reference.com and are current through the All-Star break.
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