NBA Superstar Rankings 2015: Russell Westbrook's Rise Can't Be Denied
The NBA seems to be Russell Westbrook's personal plaything right now.
Fresh off his MVP performance at the All-Star Game in Madison Square Garden, the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard has continued his breathtaking pace. With his all-out assaults on the rim and ability to function as an efficient volume scorer who also involves his teammates, he's led his team back into the Western Conference's playoff picture.
All of a sudden, the league's reigning MVP winner no longer looks like the best player on his own team, blasphemous as that may initially sound.
There's no telling how long Westbrook's can play at this level, but let's enjoy it while it lasts. After all, recency matters quite a bit when determining how these superstar rankings have shuffled since the previous edition.
We're still looking at season-long numbers and levels of impact, of course. A player who spent the first half of the year warming the bench isn't suddenly going to ascend into the ranks of the league's best based on an isolated stretch of 10 games. But recent slumps and hot stretches do factor in rather significantly.
Now, can anyone touch the scorching OKC point guard right now without getting a third-degree burn?
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 or has missed too much time in the last few weeks, he's automatically ineligible for the remainder of this slideshow. Recent performances are weighted pretty heavily here.
As a result, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Blake Griffin and Dwight Howard 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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Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns
Lost in the pre-deadline drama surrounding Goran Dragic was the simple fact that Eric Bledsoe has been the Phoenix Suns' best player all year. He'll have even more of an opportunity to strut his stuff now that both Dragic and Isaiah Thomas are gone, but let's not overlook what he's already done.
Since Christmas, this uber-athletic guard is averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc. He may not be a household name quite yet, but that should change in the near future.
Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz
There's a superstar living in Salt Lake City, unbeknownst to far too many NBA fans. What more does Gordon Hayward have to do in order to validate himself? He can only carry a squad of inexperienced and developing young players so far in the brutally tough Western Conference.
The Utah Jazz standout is no longer dealing with efficiency issues that plagued his first season as a No. 1 option. In this follow-up campaign, he's drilling plenty of shots while receiving non-stop defensive attention, and he hasn't let that stop him from also contributing as a facilitator and asset on the glass. Basically, he's justifying the monstrous contract he signed this offseason.
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Were it not for a recent slump, Klay Thompson would most certainly find himself in the top 10. The improvements we've seen throughout the year aren't the least bit fluky, and they've made him into an irreplaceable player for the NBA-best Golden State Warriors.
Alas, Thompson, heading into a Tuesday night victory over the Washington Wizards, was shooting only 41.5 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the arc over his last 10 games. That's not quite good enough for the two-way standout to earn a featured spot.
Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic
Nikola Vucevic has made some great strides under interim head coach James Borrego.
Not only has he improved as an interior defender during his six games with Jacque Vaughn's replacement at the helm, but he's averaged 21.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per contest while shooting 52.8 percent from the field. The development continues, even if not enough people recognize the truly impressive nature of this All-Star snub's game quite yet.
John Wall, Washington Wizards
Though he's one of the most talented point guards in the NBA, John Wall has been slumping as of late. Ranked No. 6 in the last edition of these rankings, he's now relegated to the honorable mentions after his lackluster performances in his 10 most recent games.
Not including his mediocre showing on Tuesday night against Stephen Curry and the Warriors, Wall had seen his scoring dip to 16.9 points per game during that stretch while shooting 42.7 percent from the field. It's enough for him to fall just out of these rankings, though chances are good it will only be a one-week sabbatical.
Other Notables: Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol, Pau Gasol, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry
10. DeMarcus Cousins (Previous Ranking: No. 9)
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Team: Sacramento Kings
Position: C
Age: 24
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 23.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.7 blocks, 24.1 PER
Last 10 Games: 24.0 points, 12.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.9 blocks
Let's check in on the George Karl-DeMarcus Cousins pairing.
Since the new head coach debuted for the Sacramento Kings, this 24-year-old center has suited up only twice. Though they squeezed out a win against the Boston Celtics in the first, both have seen Cousins fall prey to some of his old inefficient habits.
In that outing against the C's, Cousins put up 31 points and 15 rebounds while shooting 12-of-18 from the field. Problem was, he also coughed the ball up nine times, which he's now done three times in his last 16 appearances.
Following that up against the Los Angeles Clippers, the big man recorded "only" five turnovers, but he made just six of his 19 field-goal attempts en route to 21 points and a season-low four boards.
"The game, unlike Karl's inspiring debut Friday night in a home victory over the Boston Celtics, made clear some of the epic challenges he will face—with DeMarcus Cousins' unfocused and downright surly demeanor on full display," Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding wrote after the Clippers loss while detailing how Karl's relationship with Sacramento will be rocky at times before everything clicks.
Though the style of play has changed for Boogie and the Kings, this two-game stretch serves as a microcosm for Cousins' play as of late. Over his last 10 games, he's posting great surface numbers, but he's shooting 42.2 percent and recording 4.8 turnovers per contest.
Fear not, Sacramento supporters. Better times are coming, even if the union of center and coach has gotten off to a slow start.
9. Jimmy Butler (Previous Ranking: Unranked)
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Team: Chicago Bulls
Position: SG/SF
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 20.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, 21.2 PER
Last 10 Games: 19.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.2 blocks
Apparently, January was an aberration.
In the first month of 2015, Jimmy Butler's scoring dipped as he connected on only 41.7 percent of his shots from the field and 32.1 percent of his three-point looks.
But now, he's back to his All-Star form in February, spending less time on the floor but scoring an extra 1.7 points per game as his percentages soar. In the seven games that surround the midseason classic, he's knocked down 46 percent of his field-goal attempts and hit his triples at a 55 percent clip.
Chalk this up to adjustments.
Basketball can often be a chess game, with defenses altering their game plans and offenses figuring out how to best counteract those schematic changes. Now, Butler seems to have a handle on the double-teams that he's facing so often these days.
Here's what the swingman himself told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times about his ability to adjust:
"I don't expect it [more defensive attention], but I think the coaches expect it, so they tell me to be prepared for it. I just go out there and try and make the right plays whether I'm double-teamed or not. When I'm open, shoot. When I'm not, pass.
I think it [decision-making skill] has gotten better. Obviously this was a big learning curve for me, teams actually preparing for me, which is...I didn't think that would happen. But I'm learning. I'm getting help from Pau [Gasol], Derrick [Rose], my coaches of course. I think I still have a long way to go.
"
The distance between where he has to go and where he's at now, however, may not even be as lengthy as the journey he's made since this time last year.
Butler arrived as a superstar early on in this season. Now he's proving that he can adjust.
He's here to stay.
8. Kyrie Irving (Previous Ranking: No. 10)
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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, 21.1 PER
Last 10 Games: 19.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.1 blocks
Kyrie Irving's offense gets a lot of recognition, and for good reason.
He has jaw-dropping handles, a terrific stroke from the perimeter and a knack for weaving his way into the teeth of a defense. This has been the most efficient scoring season of his career by a substantial margin, and it only appears as though he's getting more comfortable as the year progresses.
But while he's been an atrocious defender in the past, that's no longer been true in recent weeks.
During his first 39 appearances of the season, Irving allowed his man to shoot 47.3 percent from the field, per NBA.com's statistical databases. Over his last 15, the young point guard held his matchup to 38.5 percent.
Is that just a function of the strength of player he's going up against? Not really.
During that lengthier stretch, his assignments had season-long field-goal percentages of, on average, 43.9 percent. In the more recent one, the number only dropped to 43.7. That minuscule difference obviously isn't going to account for the drastic change in his point-preventing ability.
Irving is becoming the player the Cavs need. He's no longer scoring empty points; he's playing efficient offense and focusing energy on the defensive end of the floor.
The "overrated" tags that have so often accompanied him for the last few seasons can now be thrown in garbage cans and taken out to the dumpster, never to be seen again.
7. DeAndre Jordan (Previous Ranking: Unranked)
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Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Position: C
Age: 26
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 11.0 points, 13.9 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 2.3 blocks, 21.0 PER
Last 10 Games: 14.7 points, 16.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.7 blocks
Surprised? Don't be.
DeAndre Jordan may not be a traditional superstar, but he's sure having the impact of one. While protecting the rim quite well for the Los Angeles Clippers, he's racking up some monstrous scoring and rebounding numbers, even if his free-throw percentage isn't exactly something to brag about.
The 26-year-old big man has recorded at least a dozen boards in 14 of his last 16 outings. During that stretch, he's also averaged 14.1 points per game while shooting 73.1 percent from the field.
None of those numbers are typos, despite how crazy they might sound.
When Blake Griffin stepped out of the lineup for surgery on his staph-infected elbow, the Clippers were doomed. Except that's not exactly true, thanks to this center's play.
Jordan has more than stepped up to the proverbial plate, and he's helped guide LAC to a 4-2 record since his frontcourt teammate went down. The Clippers have beaten the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, and they only narrowly lost to the Memphis Grizzlies, thanks to a poor fourth quarter.
During those six games, Jordan has averaged 16.7 points, 17.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks per contest while shooting 65.4 percent. He even posted back-to-back 20-20 games and was two boards away from making it three straight.
He's been an athletic monster, one capable of rendering Griffin's absence as much of a non-factor as possible. Sure, his putrid performance at the supposedly charitable stripe hinders LAC's late-game plans, as the team is then mightily susceptible to Hack-a-Jordan strategies.
But everything else cancels that out...and then some.
6. LaMarcus Aldridge (Previous Ranking: No. 8)
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Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: PF
Age: 29
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 23.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.1 blocks, 22.5 PER
Last 10 Games: 24.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.0 blocks
See that splint on LaMarcus Aldridge's left thumb? It hasn't exactly bothered him that much when he's on the court, though his sprained right thumb did keep him out of action recently.
With Damian Lillard slumping as of late, the power forward is doing a remarkable job keeping the Portland Trail Blazers afloat. Sure, they've struggled during the tougher portions of their schedule, but his ability to throw up nightly double-doubles and stretch out defenses has kept Rip City alive in the Western Conference hunt.
Since returning to the lineup rather than undergoing surgery, a decision that led him to suit up on Jan. 24 against the Washington Wizards in an attempt to get his squad off the schneid, Aldridge has now averaged 24.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field. He could be even more efficient, sure, but the heart he's displayed can't be quantified and certainly matters.
Much like DeAndre Jordan, Aldridge isn't a traditional superstar. His numbers merit inclusion in that category, but he doesn't possess a truly exciting style of play. Hell, he even calls himself boring.
"I made some threes tonight so that was fun," the power forward said after going 4-of-4 from beyond the arc during the All-Star Game, per Mike Richman of The Oregonian. "I guess I'm not as boring as I was at first. I'm still boring."
Boring? Maybe, though you'd have a tough time convincing diehard NBA fans who appreciate true dominance in multiple facets of the game that Aldridge is anything but exciting.
Effective? Definitely.
5. Chris Paul (Previous Ranking: No. 5)
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Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Position: PG
Age: 29
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.2 blocks, 24.5 PER
Last 10 Games: 18.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 10.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.2 blocks
Though Chris Paul is coming close to throwing up 20 points and a dollar's worth of dimes on a nightly basis, it somehow feels as though he's a bit under-appreciated this season.
Maybe it's because the highlight machine known as the Los Angeles Clippers has gotten a bit stale. Perhaps casual followers of the Association are looking for other point guards to displace Paul from his rightful spot near the top of the positional hierarchy.
Paul is still a psychopathic competitor, and that's a compliment, even if his hard-nosed, do-everything-to-gain-an-advantage mentality may sometimes irk people. He's a two-way force, one who needs more credit for serving as a steady force for LAC and remaining one of the league's very best perimeter stoppers for so long.
As a recent study brought to light by Grantland's Kirk Goldsberry shows, he's actually been the best:
"According to Franks and Miller, Chris Paul is the best perimeter defender in the NBA. They have empirical evidence that the Clippers point guard suppresses and disrupts shot activity as much or more than any other guard in the league. ...
Those tiny hexagons all over the court mean that players rarely shot when Paul was the on-ball defender. The fact that they're tiny blue hexagons means that when they did shoot, they were really ineffective.
Results from the Franks-Miller study reveal that among all perimeter defenders, Paul's matchups exhibited some of the biggest decreases in both shot frequency and shot efficiency.
"
Strange as this may be to process, the man who has been the gold standard at the position for a while now is actually—gasp—underrated.
4. LeBron James (Previous Ranking: No. 4)
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Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Position: SF/PF
Age: 30
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 25.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.6 blocks, 25.7 PER
Last 10 Games: 23.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.4 blocks
Kyrie Irving's defense has helped the Cleveland Cavaliers significantly. Timofey Mozgov's ability to contest shots around the rim and provide some legitimate size to the lineup has done the same thing. Ditto for the positive presence of J.R. Smith and—to a lesser extent—Iman Shumpert.
But no factor has led to the turnaround of these Eastern Conference contenders more than the rejuvenation of a certain four-time MVP. LeBron James has been a completely different player since going on his two-week hiatus, and the disparity between his Cavs and the team with him on the bench is more glaring than ever.
Heading into the Tuesday night victory over the Detroit Pistons and per my FATS projections (based on historical similarities and explained in full here), Cleveland had played like a 37-win squad without the forward since he returned to the lineup on Jan. 13. The best comparison comes courtesy of the 1984-85 Atlanta Hawks, who went 34-48 and failed to make the Eastern Conference playoffs.
But with James, the Cavs suddenly start playing like a 58-win unit. This time, the strongest historical similarity is provided by the 1973-74 Milwaukee Bucks, who rode Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson and Bob Dandridge to the NBA Finals before losing in Game 7 to the Boston Celtics.
Don't sleep on this man's MVP candidacy quite yet. If we're talking about sheer value, it's tough to top what James has done on a squad that's now very much playing the part of contender.
3. Stephen Curry (Previous Ranking: No. 2)
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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, 27.7 PER
Last 10 Games: 27.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 2.6 steals, 0.3 blocks
Few players are more capable of putting on a show than this Golden State Warriors point guard. With the ball on a string, he can outwit one defender after another, creating space for himself and then using his quick release to drain a perimeter jumper.
And he just keeps getting better.
During the Dubs' last 10 games, Stephen Curry has posted monstrous per-game numbers, but he's done so while drilling 43.7 percent of his shots from the field, 41.4 percent of his three-point attempts (while taking 10 per game!) and 84.5 percent of his free throws. Plus, he's recording just a pair of turnovers during the average game.
As Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes recently opined, Curry is the point guard you want to build around right now:
"There is nobody like Curry, and it's not a stretch to say there never has been.
So if you're looking to build a team, it's probably best to start with the guy taking point guard play where it's never been before. The guy chiefly responsible for keeping the league's best team (and, statistically, one of the best ever) afloat. The guy who'll probably win the MVP.
"
Nobody has ever shot like this while creating so many of his own shots. And yet Curry is more than an offensive phenom. His defense has remained on point throughout the season, and he still rebounds the ball quite well for a player who lines up at the 1.
Call him a "shooter" or "sniper" at your own peril. I'll stick with "unquestioned superstar."
2. James Harden (Previous Ranking: No. 1)
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Team: Houston Rockets
Position: SG
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 27.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.8 blocks, 27.2 PER
Last 10 Games: 27.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.8 blocks
Go ahead. Ask Ricky Rubio what he thinks of James Harden right about now.
The Spanish point guard hasn't been the only recent victim of the bearded 2-guard's ferocious handles. Harden has messed with nearly everyone he goes up against, becoming a nightly triple-double threat and providing an insane offensive boost to the Houston Rockets each and every game.
It's beyond rare to average over 27 points, six rebounds and seven assists for a season. Harden has done that through his last 10 games, and those marks have been matched or exceeded by only five players in NBA history over the course of a full campaign—Larry Bird, John Havlicek, LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson.
That's the type of hallowed ground Harden is walking on right now. More accurately, he's probably Euro-stepping all over it and drawing some whistles.
The 25-year-old is also shooting 43.3 percent from the field, knocking down 39.7 percent of his three-point attempts and converting his freebies at a 79.6 percent clip. Those might not seem like extraordinary numbers, but he's working his way to the stripe so often that he has a 59.5 percent true shooting percentage over those last 10 games.
Those five legends who maintained these numbers over a full season? Only Jordan, James and Bird were more efficient, though none of them managed to post a higher true shooting percentage more than once.
Harden has been that good lately. And there's still a fairly sizable gap between him and our No. 1 player.
1. Russell Westbrook (Previous Ranking: No. 3)
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Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: PG
Age: 26
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 26.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.1 blocks, 29.2 PER
Last 10 Games: 28.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 9.6 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.2 blocks
Over his last 10 games, Russell Westbrook has provided around 48.1 points of offense to his team during a typical night, and that number comes while figuring that each assist is going for only two points.
If we assume that he's maintained his season-long numbers in NBA.com's SportVU data over the course of this 10-contest stretch and factor in free-throw assists and secondary assists, he's actually been responsible for 53.1 points per game.
Excuse me for roughly three hours as I attempt to process that.
As if those raw numbers weren't enough, Westbrook's true shooting percentage over this stretch has been a red-hot 61.1 percent. So to recap, he's scoring, rebounding and distributing more effectively than Harden while posting better shooting-efficiency numbers. And, for good measure, he's turning the ball over 0.4 fewer times per contest.
I think I need another three hours.
Westbrook has been the driving force behind the Oklahoma City Thunder's ascent into the playoff picture, and he's the primary reason that Scott Brooks and Sam Presti shouldn't feel any need to rush Kevin Durant back from his latest foot issue. Westbrook has always played with unbridled and seemingly vitriolic passion, but now he seems more motivated than ever to embarrass the opposition.
With momentum, he's just impossible to keep from the rim.
This dynamic point guard has finally gotten his chance to function as a No. 1 option. Needless to say, he's run with it.
Though Westbrook should still sit behind Stephen Curry and Harden in the MVP standings, his recent form actually gives him some breathing room as he sits in the superstar throne for the time being.
Note: All stats, unless otherwise indicated, come from Basketball-Reference.com and are current heading into Feb. 24's games.
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