Updated NBA Superstar Rankings: Can Anyone Catch LeBron James?
Nearly a full month into the 2013-14 NBA season, the superstar ranks have undergone some major changes. Don't worry, LeBron James still figures prominently here, as do some other mainstays.
Chris Paul has put together a truly remarkable run to start the year, and his Los Angeles Clippers are scoring at a frightening pace. Kevin Durant is going about his bucket-getting efforts a bit differently, but he has been no less effective this season.
And then there's Anthony Davis, the youngest player on the list, but perhaps the one with the best chance to give James a run for his top spot in the near future.
With the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs racking up victories like it's going out of style, expect to see representatives from the winningest franchises in both conferences.
As a refresher, the guys on this list are judged most heavily on their statistical contributions this season. But team performance, all-around play and "it" factor are also considerations. Basically, if a particular player has been tearing up the court, winning games or, in some cases, making history, he'll earn a spot in the top 10.
Got it? Good.
Let's rank.
*All stats accurate through games played Nov. 27.
Honorable Mention
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There have been a few signs of rust for Russell Westbrook, who, wasn't even supposed to be back in the lineup yet after undergoing a second procedure on his knee over the summer. He gets credit for blowing away his recovery timetable, but he's shooting just 41 percent, worse than he has since his rookie year.
Coupled with some ugly turnover numbers (4.1 per game), it hasn't been a typical season for Russ just yet. He'll get things straightened out, though.
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony is scoring the ball at high volume, averaging 26.5 points per game on just 43 percent shooting, but buckets have always been part of 'Melo's makeup. What's really impressive is his rebounding: 10.1 per game, a career high by a huge margin.
Unfortunately, the New York Knicks are off to one of the most disappointing starts in the league. That hurts Anthony's case here.
James Harden's averages are down across the board this season, and his defense has become the subject of plenty of Internet lowlight clips. Nonetheless, he's still been good enough to sniff the top 10 in our rankings.
As his sore foot (hopefully) heals, he should start to see his numbers improve.
The hardest man to leave out of the top 10 was the Indiana Pacers' defensive centerpiece. No player in the NBA has a greater defensive impact than Roy Hibbert, which, in my book, makes him a legitimate MVP candidate and a worthy competitor in these rankings.
Leaving him out just feels wrong. Sorry, Roy. Maybe if you can get that field-goal percentage up over 50 percent, you'll make it next time.
10. Tony Parker (Previous Ranking: 9)
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Team: San Antonio Spurs
Position: PG
Age: 31
Per-Game Stats: 17.7 points, 6.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 0.1 blocks
When you do your own rankings, you can leave Parker and his uninspiring per-game numbers out of the top 10. But as long as I have any say, the best player on (arguably) the league's best team belongs right where he is.
Parker is hitting 53 percent of his shots on the season, and if you look closely, it becomes clear that his superficial numbers only appear to be down because he plays just 30.2 minutes per game. If he were logging 36 minutes per contest, he'd be putting up nearly 22 points and seven assists per game, per Basketball-Reference.com.
The San Antonio Spurs are 13-2, have beaten their opponents by a league-best average of 10.9 points per game, per ESPN, and have shown no signs of slowing down as their core has continued to age.
Parker has everything to do with the Spurs' success.
9. Stephen Curry (Previous Ranking: 8)
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Team: Golden State Warriors
Position: PG
Age: 25
Per-Game Stats: 20.5 points, 8.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 0.2 blocks
It feels a little funny to criticize a player for shooting "only" 43 percent from long range, but Stephen Curry has a way of creating unfair standards.
Like his three-point shooting percentage, Curry's scoring average has dipped slightly on a per-minute basis this season. But he currently ranks third in the league in assists per game, and he's actually knocking down two-point shots at a higher rate than he did last year.
With Klay Thompson emerging as an even deadlier scoring threat this year and Harrison Barnes looking like he's taken a step forward since coming back from a foot injury, Curry's scoring numbers may stay somewhat modest.
But he's still the most electrifying offensive player in the league when he catches fire.
8. LaMarcus Aldridge (Previous Ranking: Unranked)
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Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: PF
Age: 28
Per-Game Stats: 22.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks
LaMarcus Aldridge's superstar credentials are better than they've ever been. He's leading the league's most pleasant surprise team and is posting career-best numbers in both scoring and rebounding. Plus, he's logging some stunning, superstar-like stat lines in big games.
Against the Warriors on Nov. 23, he went off for 30 points and 21 rebounds in a statement 113-101 road win.
I, like many critics, have spent a lot of time wondering when the Blazers' inevitable swoon would begin. Their schedule seemed too easy, their defense too uncertain.
Yet here they sit, winners of 11 straight and looking stronger than ever. Aldridge deserves the lion's share of credit for anchoring the suddenly mighty Blazers.
7. Blake Griffin (Previous Ranking: 15)
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Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Position: PF
Age: 24
Per-Game Stats: 21.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.8 blocks
Quietly, Blake Griffin is having a career season.
Maybe it's the afterglow of his team's big summertime acquisitions, or perhaps Chris Paul's terrific start (don't worry, more on that later), but the Los Angeles Clippers' power forward has flown under the radar thus far.
And when you can elevate like Griffin, that's a tough thing to do.
With eight straight games of 10 rebounds or more and at least 15 points in every contest this season, Griffin has been a model of consistency. The free-throw woes (62 percent on the year) remain a concern, but as a regular double-double producer, you wont' find many players more reliable than him.
6. Anthony Davis (Previous Ranking: 18)
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Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Position: PF
Age: 20
Per-Game Stats: 19.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals, 3.8 blocks
Anthony Davis will turn 21 just a few weeks before the 2013-14 regular season ends. If his current averages hold up, he'll join Shaquille O'Neal as the only player to post at least 19 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks and 50 percent shooting at that age, per Basketball-Reference.com.
That's right; Davis is on pace to make some serious history.
You know what's scary, though? He's still getting better. Defensively, he's an absolute menace. But you can see him growing from week to week in his understanding of when to gamble, where to be and how to handle specific matchups.
He's got the perimeter touch of a guard, a keen passing eye that will someday allow him to average at least five assists per game, and the innate nose for the ball that allows him to chase down loose balls he has no business reaching.
There is no ceiling for this kid. None.
If he ranks below this position in any future edition of these rankings, it'll be a shock.
5. Kevin Love (Previous Ranking: 16)
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Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Position: PF
Age: 25
Per-Game Stats: 24.3 points, 13.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks
When looking through Kevin Love's game log for the season, it's stunningly difficult to find any poor performances. Taking just his five most recent games, his "worst" performance was probably a 10-point, 2-of-14 effort against the Clippers on Nov. 20.
But his rough shooting night came along with 12 rebounds and eight assists.
Anytime one of your worst games of the season results in a near triple-double, it's a sign that you're having a pretty good year.
Love is the league's leading rebounder, fourth-leading scorer and unquestionably its greatest full-court outlet passer.
Yep, he's a superstar.
4. Paul George (Previous Ranking: 10)
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Team: Indiana Pacers
Position: SF
Age: 23
Per-Game Stats: 23.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.4 blocks
Paul George probably would have ranked in the top 10 if he'd simply maintained the level of play he established last season. But by taking a massive step forward offensively, one of the game's best defensive wings is suddenly looking to wrest away LeBron James' title as the NBA's top two-way threat.
George is hitting 47 percent of his shots from the field and just a hair under 39 percent of his triples this season, a fantastic improvement that essentially makes him a player without a discernible flaw.
Thanks to the emergence of teammate Lance Stephenson as a facilitator, George now has the freedom to attack defenses by moving without the ball. That'll be a major weapon for an Indiana offense that still needs a bit of improvement.
3. Kevin Durant (Previous Ranking: 2)
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Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Position: F
Age: 25
Per-Game Stats: 28.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.4 blocks
Despite the fact that his shooting numbers are notably down this season, Kevin Durant remains the NBA's leading scorer because he's been getting to the foul line like crazy. Nobody has made more free throws this season, per NBA.com.
In addition, KD is finding his teammates more effectively than ever, posting a career high in assists per game and functioning more and more frequently as a primary ball-handler. When Westbrook gets his offensive game in order, expect Durant's assist numbers to improve even more.
The Thunder have also ratcheted up their defensive intensity this year, which is impressive considering that they've been using Durant at power forward more often than they have in the past. OKC's No. 4 defensive rating this year, per NBA.com, is a real testament to Durant's ability to hold down the fort against larger frontcourt opponents.
And while it might seem like a slight to rank him in the No. 3 position, there's no disrespect intended. Instead, the next guy on the list has simply been too good to ignore.
2. Chris Paul (Previous Ranking: 3)
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Team: Los Angeles Clippers
Position: PG
Age: 28
Per-Game Stats: 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 12.2 assists, 2.4 steals, 0.1 blocks
Chris Paul's brilliant start has everyone talking about his position in the NBA's historical point guard ranks.
According to Ethan Strauss of TrueHoop (via ESPN), he's already solidified his case as the second-best floor general of all time:
"He could retire today and be second behind Magic in my estimation. That's likely where he ends up for me. Stats aside, I've never seen a point guard so effortlessly control the flow of a game. He always evoked a sense that he's moving time and space with his mind out there. It's been (and remains) a special experience.
"
Thanks to Paul's leadership, the Clips currently boast the NBA's third-best offensive rating, per NBA.com.
And of course, CP3 currently leads the league in assists by a comfortable margin. He has registered double-digits in dimes in all but one game this year. The outlier: a nine-assist effort against the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 23.
Somebody needs to have a chat with that official scorer.
1. LeBron James (Previous Ranking: 1)
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Team: Miami Heat
Position: F
Age: 28
Per-Game Stats: 26.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.3 blocks
LeBron James has never played fewer minutes per game than he has this season. But he's never done more with his minutes, either.
LBJ is absolutely blowing away his incredibly efficient scoring numbers from a year ago. When he finished the 2012-13 season by hitting 56.5 percent of his shots from the field and 40.6 percent of his long-range attempts, we thought we'd seen the peak of high-volume point generation.
We were wrong.
James' boast this past offseason that he'd improved seemed like a joke at the time.
Per B/R's Ethan Skolnick, James said:
"I did get some rest. I will not reveal what I worked on in my game. I know you guys are tired of hearing me say this, but I got better. I'm a better basketball player than I was last year, in every aspect. I feel very confident and comfortable in my game right now.
"
Well, nobody's laughing now. He's hitting an utterly absurd 59.8 percent of his field goals and 47.7 percent of his threes. Even his free-throw percentage is at a career-high 81 percent.
We're in uncharted territory here, people.
James, though, is on perfectly familiar ground as the NBA's top superstar. Don't expect this to change.
