The DEFINITIVE list of top 100 players of 2014-2015

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

The criteria was altered a little bit for this, anyone who played at least half the season was illegible for the rankings. Anyway, critiques, and name calling is always welcomed as I release everyone on the list, 10 by 10.

 

100. Tiago Splitter

8.2 PPG/ 4.8 TRB/ 1.5 AST/ 1.2 TOs

18.9 PER/ 56% FG/ 56% eFG/ 75% FT/ 60% TS

 

Splitter played a good portion of this season injured, but was very efficient when given playing time, and efficiency always wins in my book. Splitter is a double-double waiting to happen, and he shined when he was given the opportunity. He posted his best offensive and defensive ratings this past season per 100 possessions. He also gets to the line at an impressive rate for a guy who doesn’t play very many minutes. Should be interesting to see what he can do in Atlanta going to into an offense that relies heavily on passing.

 

99. David Lee

7.9 PPG/ 5.2 TRB/ 1.7 AST/ 1.0 TOs

17.8 PER/ 51% FG/ 51% eFG/ 65% FT/ 54% TS

 

Why is a guy who only scored 8 points a game in the top 100? Simply put, Lee wasn’t given many chances, but when he was given chances, he continued to excel. Lee’s per 36 puts him at around 16 ppg, and nearly 10 rebounds. That still not as good as some of his past seasons, but that certainly puts him among the best 100 players in the NBA last year. When he did play we saw a lot of the same with Lee, great offense around the basket and lackluster effort on defense. I’m not sure how he’s going to do this year with the Celtics considering the fact they have a guy in Sullinger who also operates from around the same area but hopefully he gets more time then this past season.

 

98. Harrison Barnes

10.1 PPG/ 5.5 TRB/ 1.4 AST/ .9 TOs

13.4 PER/ 48% FG/ 41% 3P/ 55% eFG/ 57% TS

 

Barnes is coming off the best season of his career. He finally got a starting spot, although he was splitting time with Iggy, was a critical part of at times of what made the Warriors a great team. Down the stretch teams started respecting his improved jumper, and opened the door for him to be more aggressive, leading to plays like this. Defensively Barnes was another player in the long list of versatile guys who at any point in Kerr’s defense could go from guarding a 1 guard, to a 4, and he excelled well as long as he wasn’t guarding overly athletic players, where he showed some struggles. The future is bright for Barnes.

 

97. Gorgui Dieng

9.7 PPG/ 8.3 TRB/ 1.7 BPG/ 1.7 TOs

17.2 PER/ 51% FG/ 51% eFG/ 78% FT/ 57% TS

 

The beast from Senegal is currently putting on a show in games overseas in Africa this summer. This past year with injuries happening to key player Dieng had a chance to shine and he showed he has a lot of promise as a post player, shooting around 44% on post ups. He’s also shown to be a great option on pick and roll situations as he actually makes a decent amount of his shots 10-16 ft from the court (57%) making him a good option on both pick and roll, and pick and pops situations. Unfortunately Dieng struggled mightily on defense this year. Which is very disappointing because watching him play, that’s the one area you’d expect him to excel.

 

96. Robin Lopez

9.6 PPG/ 6.7 TRB/ 1.4 BPG/ 1.2 TOs

16.2 PER/ 54% FG/ 77% FT/ 54% eFG/ 57% TS

 

Lopez is an expert at setting screens both on ball and off ball, as well as giving other players space when they are rolling to the basket or trying to take a jumper. He was the pick man on 28% of his offensive possessions on the court, good for 6^th in the NBA. He’s generally a great all around team player, and while he doesn’t take too many shots on offense, he’s great at scoring around the paint. Most of his rebounds were contested rebounds (nearly 53%) and he was pretty good on defense as well giving up around 48% around the rim. The guy is a little stiff, but he’s great at what he does, and will definitely be a positive in New York.

 

95. Aaron Afflalo

13.3 PPG/ 3.2 TRB/ 1.7 AST/ 1.5 TOs

11 PER/ 47% FG/ 35% 3P/ 52% eFG/ 53% TS

 

How about a shout out to everybody’s favorite poster BWare who kept saying that Afflalo wouldn’t be able to replace Matthews, we all ignored. He was pretty much spot on, as Afflalo this past season struggled mightily. Maybe the expectations were too high after his crazy shooting season two years ago, but this past season he was out there missing wide open jumpers after jumpers. Regardless, his midrange percentage was still 9% higher than the league average, and he was still a pretty decent all around 3 and D guy.

 

94. Robert Covington

13.5 PPG/ 4.5 TRB/ 1.5 AST/ 1.4 STLs/ 1.8 TOs

14.7 PER/ 40% FG/ 37% 3P/ 51% eFG/ 55% TS

 

There’s no mistaking it, the 76ers were historically awful this past season. But it wasn’t all bad, Covington was easily the most entertaining part of watching the 76ers this past season. I remember watching some of his highlights back from his D-League dominant days and being crazy impressed. He killed the Pistons and had arguably his best game against them, and even then I was still impressed. The 76ers’ offense goes from being historically bad with him in the game to being never-before-seen bad with him out of the game. The reason for Covington being this high is because a ton of his attempts were contested, and he still came away with very impressive numbers considering this was his second season in the league (and first season where he played a decent amount of games). Assuming he continues to improve, and gets help, the future is bright.

 

93. Taj Gibson

10 PPG/ 6.4 TRB/ 1.2 BPG/ 1.2 TOs

16.1 PER 50% FG/ 50% eFG/ 72% FT/ 55% TS

 

Behind Jimmy Butler, Gibson might be the Bulls’ second most important defensive player. He allowed teams to score below 46% around the rim, which is very impressive considering the fact that Gibson has never been the biggest guy around. He’s always bringing in energy when he’s in the game, and while I don’t believe there’s such a thing as an “it” factor, Gibson in the past seasons, and even in this season was arguably that for the Bulls. The issue with Gibson this past season was just that he was at the bottom of the bottom in terms of usage. The Bulls simply didn’t turn to him on offense, opting for Butler, Gasol, heck, even Nikola more than Gibson.

 

92. Donatas Motiejunas

12.0 PPG/ 5.9 TRB/ 1.8 AST/ 1.7 TOs

14.4 PER/ 50% FG/ 37% 3P/ 54% eFG/ 55% TS

 

I feel bad for putting him this low on the list because Donatas was extremely exciting to watch at times. His workload increased this season with Jones and Howard injuries, and he looked crazy impressive. He took time off last offseason to work with the dream, and he looked like a true paint player working in the post. Everything from his footwork, to his shot itself looked as beautiful as anyone could hope for. And he did everything when he was out there on the court. His win shares sitting at 4.7 despite playing less than 30 minutes speaks to how active Donatas was out there doing everything from collecting boards, to even shooting the 3. Rockets fans should be excited to watch him as he continues to grow.

 

91. Amare Stoudemire

11.5 PPG/ 5.6 TRB/ .6 BPG/ 1.3 TOs

20 PER/ 56% FG/ 56% eFG/ 72% FT/ 60% TS

 

STAT secretly put together quiet an impressive season last year while being relegated to the role of a 6^th man. Per 36, Amare averaged nearly 20 points, which speaks to the extreme efficiency he was scoring his 12 points a game. He was finishing at an elite rate around the rim, especially on the left side where he made nearly 70% of his attempts. The move to Miami, where he will probably play a similar role was the right thing as he’s now able to focus even more on just being an asset on offense.

 

90. Darren Collison

16.1 PPG/ 5.6 AST/ 1.5 STLs/ 2.5 TOs

18 PER/ 47% FG/ 37% 3P/ 53% eFG/ 58% TS

 

Collison was on path to having his best season to date, although the season was cut short by many injuries. Posting up a 58% TS when you consider his height and the fact that he’s consistently shooting over guys much bigger then you is very impressive. He also showed a lot of improvements as a passer actually averaging less TOs then any season prior despite passing the ball more. Overall, he showed a lot of positive signs for the Kings moving forward. His defense will never be great though, although that has more to do with his lack of size then anything else.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

You guys are making me sad.

 

Anyway, second group:

 

89. Jeff Green

15.0 PPG/ 4.2 TRB/ 1.7 AST/ 1.4 TOs

14 PER/ 43% FG/ 33% 3P/ 48% eFG/ 53% TS

 

Green hasn’t changed much in his career and it was no different this past season. The Grizzlies trade for him with high expectations with how he finished off the season. He still showed signs of occasionally being an great player, but that was also filled with the inconsistencies. Green still played decent defense, and was averaging nearly 18 points a game before the trade.

 

88. Kemba Walker

17.3 PPG/ 5.1 AST/ 3.5 TRB/ 1.4 STLs/ 1.6 TOs

18 PER/ 39% FG/ 30% 3P/ 43% eFG/ 49% TS

 

Walkers season started off slowly, then picked up and then ended on a generally bad note. In the months of January and December, Walker was averaging over 20 points on over 40%. Outside of those months though, he didn’t look too good. Some of it had to do with injuries, some of it had to do with rust, but either way, the season was overall pretty underwhelming. He showed this season that if he puts his mind to it and continues to improve, he has the talent to be a top tier PG, but there’s no consistency.

 

87. Tony Parker

14.4 PPG/ 1.9 TRB/ 5 AST/ 2.1 TOs

16 PER/ 49% FG/ 43% 3P/ 51% eFG/ 54% TS

 

Parker was injured most of the season, dealing with hamstring woes, but was still able to be very efficient. I’ve never been a big fan of Parker, but there’s no denying that when he’s healthy or 100%, he’s got the potential to go off. And he averaged a season low in turnovers, which is a positive when you consider how high his TO ratio has been in some year prior. Moving forward if Parker doesn’t want to have a repeat of this past season he has to go back to being more aggressive, and not let the game come to him.

 

86. Omer Asik

7.3 PPG/ 9.8 TRB/ .9 AST/ 1.3 TOs

16 PER/ 52% FG/ 52% eFG/ 58% FT/ 52% TS

 

Omer Asik made a huge difference for the Pelicans on the defensive side of the ball this past season. With him in the game they were an average to above average squad, and with him on the bench they were a bad defense. He offered the Pelicans an additional rim protector and was probably better at it then even Anthony Davis. He was also a major contributor, who did a lot of dirty work, 45% of his rebounds were contested rebounds, and was 7^th in the league in total rebounds. The obvious area in Omar’s game that is behind is the offensive side of the ball where he was a net negative player.

 

85. Brandon Bass

10.6 PPG/ 4.9 TRB/ 1.3 AST/ 1.0 TOs

16.3 PER/ 50% FG/ 51% eFG/ 79% FT/ 56% TS

 

Brandon Bass continued to show his consistency as an all-around effective scorer the paint where he shot over 60%, and in the midrange area where he shot around 43% from the left hand side. What he brings to the Lakers is a great jump shooter that will space the floor for them and allow for Russel to operate and find him on the outside. He’s also a great defensive player, and contributed to what was an above average defense in Boston.

 

84. Paul Pierce

12 PPG/ 4.0 TRB/ 2.0 AST/ 1.3 TOs

15 PER/ 45% FG/39% 3P/ 50% eFG/ 58% TS

 

Paul Pierce was a key piece of what made the Wizards one of the best squads in the NBA this past year. He took a lot more threes then usual (3s accounted for nearly 50% of his shots) and he made nearly 40% of them. His offensive rating of 112 was his best of the last 5 years, and he had a win share of 5.5 was the second highest of anyone on the Wizards squad last year. Pierce was the most consistent offensive player on the Wizards last year and was directly responsible for a lot of John Wall’s assists. He isn’t getting any younger, but Pierce has adjusted his offense around being more of a shooter, and it has helped him become an important player on whatever team he’s on.

 

83. Keneth Farried

12.6 PPG/ 8.9 TRB/ 1.2 AST/ 1.6 TOs

18.4 PER/ 51% FG/ 51% eFG/ 69% FT/ 55% TS

 

Farried was another player who had a very up and down season. He started off the season slowly after breaking out the season prior, and then in his last month under the interim coach averaging 19/10 on 57% shooting. The reality is that Kenneth should never be the #1 or even #2 player on any team, and right now that’s what’s being asked of him. He found a happy spot to be in as the season progressed under a new coach and he looked much improved. Defense is still a work in progress though, but the guy has great hustle, which is something you either have or don’t.

 

82. Tyler Zeller

10.2 PPG/ 5.7 TRB/ 1.4 AST/ .9 TOs

19 PER/ 55% FG/ 55% eFG/ 82% FT/ 59% TS

 

Zeller has evolved into a very good defensive player since the move from Cleveland to Boston. He was near the top of the league on defense in post-up opportunities, and a defensive rating of 105 per 100 possessions puts him in the top 20 in the league. I don’t ever seeing him being an elite player, but he’s got a lot of potential coming off the bench. His per 36 puts him at around 17 points, which speaks volume of how efficient he was with the chances given on offense. He’s still got ways to go overall, but Zeller’s only 25, and he’s already creating a buzz around him for his work on defense.

 

81. Michael Carter Williams

14.6 PPG/ 5.3 TRB/ 6.7 AST/ 1.7 STLs/ 3.8 TOs

14 PER/ 40% FG/ 24% 3P/ 42% eFG/ 46% TS

 

I was never a fan of MCW when he was in Philly, I thought he was total garbage, both as a rookie and this past season. He was the definition of a black hole, and in my opinion made the 76ers even worse then they already were. He looked straight up awful to me. Things changed when he left for Milwaukee though, and maybe this whole time how bad he looked to me was a reflection of the squad around him then his actual ability. His offensive rating jumped 9 points after moving to Milwaukee, defensive rating improved by 4 points, PER increased 4 points (12 to 16), FG %, TS % both increased by 5%, and he was generally more aggressive. He showed a lot of promise after being traded.

 

80. Nerlens Noel

10 PPG/ 8.1 TRB/ 1.8 STL/ 1.9 BPG/ 1.9 TOs

15.0 PER/ 46% FG/ 46% eFG/ 61% FT/ 49% TS

 

Nerlen Noel was imo, the second best rookie this past season. He looked a little shaky at the beginning of the season, but as the season progressed he started showing more and more promise. In the month of March, Noel was averaging nearly 15/12 on 50% while averaging over 2 blocks a game and over 3 steals a game. Noel wasn’t just playing great on defense, he was playing dominant on defense. He finished the season with a defensive rating of 99, which was good for 8^th overall in the NBA, better than Marc Gasol, and Anthony Davis. He was 10^th this past year in steals, as a center! And 7^th in the league in blocks per game. And it’s not just the per game averages either, his steal rate, and block rates were near the top of the league.

[әightninә. 39]

Noel is a little over-rated based on one season of work, imo.

[BwareDWare94 723]

^Put his numbers in perspective and you'll understand his greatness.

 

Great list so far, DMac. I've been impressed with every ranking you compiled thus far. This takes a lot of work, and I want you to know that I appreciate what you do to keep NBA discussion active.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

^Put his numbers in perspective and you'll understand his greatness.

 

Great list so far, DMac. I've been impressed with every ranking you compiled thus far. This takes a lot of work, and I want you to know that I appreciate what you do to keep NBA discussion active.

 

Yea I've got a ton of free time now that classes are done and I'm doing all these computer drawings for work that take hours to render, so I figured I might as well do something that takes time. Lol.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

79. Brandon Jennings

15 PPG/ 7 AST/ 3 TRB/ 1.1 STLs/ 2.2 TOs

20 PER/ 40% FG/ 36% 3P/ 47% eFG/ 52% TS

 

Jennings comes in right before Jackson, and barely met the requirements to be on this ranking as he played exactly 41 games, which is half the season. Jennings looked infinitely better this season as he finally realized how easy it would for him to rack up assists if he just lobbed the ball up to Drummond and dished out passes to Bucket Man and KCP on the perimeter. I still believe that Jennings would be better coming off the bench, and he looked a lot better when the Pistons weren’t overly reliant on his ability. Inconsistencies will always hinder him, but in the month of January he was averaging 20 points on 44% and 39% while averaging 7 ASTs on less than 2 TOs, and that was before he got hurt.

 

78. Bobby Shmurda Reggie Jackson

15 PPG/ 6.0 AST/ 4.2 TRB/ .8 STL/ 2.4 TOs

17.2 PER/ 43% FG/ 30% 3P/ 47% eFG/ 51% TS

 

It took a while for Reggie Jackson to settle in in Detroit, but when he finally did, he looked like he could make a strong case for being a top 10 PG this upcoming season. In his last two months of the season, Jackson was putting up 18/10/4 on 46% from the court and 35% from the 3. Granted he was also turning the ball over nearly 3-5 times a game, but even considering that, his AST:TO ration would of still been at around 2, which is very good considering this was his first time as a full time starter on a brand new team/offense. If that Jackson returns this upcoming season, the Pistons could legitimately have a top 10 offense and possibly a top 15 defense at worst depending on Drummond’s development. A lot of wishful thinking there, but the Pistons were posting up 10 top offense numbers for the last 20 or so games of the season.

 

77. Jonas Valancius

12 PPG/ 8.7 TRB/ 1.2 BPG/ 2.8 TOs

21 PER/ 57% FG/ 57% eFG/ 62% TS

 

Offensively, Jonas is without a doubt a top 50 player in the NBA already, and has the chance to growing to possibly a top 20 player on that side of the ball. He had an offensive rating of 120, and a TS of 62 is pretty incredible. He excels as a pick and roll averaging 1.18 points per possessions on those kinds of plays. He also gets to the line at an incredibly high rate for a guy his size, due to his aggressiveness in the paint. He isn’t without faults though, and most of that is the reason his role was still relatively small last year. He turns the ball over a lot for a guy who plays less than 30 minutes, and isn’t as aggressive as he should be at all times when attacking the paint. And finally his defense is also a very much work in progress. The Raptors are one of the worst defenses in the league when Jonas is in the game, and one of the better when he’s on the bench. That kind of difference is detrimental to a team’s success when it comes from your center.

 

76. Bradley Beal

15.3 PPG/ 4 TRB/ 3 AST/ 1.2 AST/ 2.0 TOs

14 PER/ 43%/ 41% 3P/ 49% eFG/ 52% TS

 

Beal is so close to being a great player, that if he takes advantage of the opportunities he’ll have this season and manages to stay healthy he could easily be a 20+ points a night kinda guy. He has a textbook, perfect jumper, and has the potential to be a true marksman if he can be more consistent with the jumper, but he showed in the playoffs how great he can be. He’s the perfect complement to Wall, who’s more of the slasher. Where I think his biggest downfall is right now is that he settles for too many long two’s. He attempted nearly 70 more long 2s then 3s, and that may seem like a lot, but when you reach 300+ shots it’s marginal. Despite that he averaged 5% better on those 3s (39%) then he did on those long twos (34%). When you’re shooting better from the 3 then outside the paint, there’s no excuse for you to not be taking more and more threes. See: Steph Curry.

 

75. Jared Sullinger

13.3 PPG/ 7.6 TRB/ 2.3 AST/ 1.3 TOs

18 PER/ 44% FG/ 28% 3P/ 48% eFG/ 50% TS

 

Sullinger is doing a great job of developing a deep repertoire of moves on offense. From his back to the basket, to jumpers on long twos, and starting to develop a respectable game from the 3. He looked better from everywhere this past season, and continues to be a great offensive rebounder. The Celtics are going to have a pretty good group of bigs between Zeller, Sullinger and Olynyk.

 

74. Terrance Jones

12 PPG/ 6.7 TRB/ 1.1 AST/ 1.8 BPG/ 1.1 TOs

18 PER/ 53% FG/ 35% 3P/ 55% eFG/ 57% TS

 

Jones didn’t play enough games to be on the rankings, and I didn’t realize that until it was too late, so rather than changing everything, I said screw it. Jones is one of the reasons why despite having James Harden, one of the worst defensive players in the league, the Rockets continue to excel on the defensive side of the ball. Jones is versatile enough to defend every position on the apposing team, from point guards to center. This past season he was hurt for a good majority, but when he did play, he was able to put up nearly 2 blocks per game, and generally, the Rockets defense was much better with him in the game then on the bench.

 

73. Andrew Bogut

6.3 PPG/ 8.1 TRB/ 2.7 AST/ 1.7 BPG/ 1.6 TOs

16 PER/ 56% FG/ 56% eFG/ 57% TS

 

As per usual over these past couple of years, Bogut was injured for a good majority of the season, and he never was really in a rhythm. Not that it would of made a difference offensively as he probably would be the 4^th option at best. But defensively when Bogut was healthy he was still very much a force. His defensive rating of 97 is among the most elite at the position and he was grabbing nearly 8 rebounds while only playing about 28 minutes, per 36, that balloons to 12, which would be the highest he ever had in the category. At this point in his career he’s mostly used for defensive purposes and he’s great at it.

 

72. Timofey Mozgov

9.7 PPG/ 7.3 TRB/ 1.2 BPG/ 1.4 TOs

17 PER/ 56% FG/ 56% eFG/ 72% FT/ 59% TS

 

We all know how crucial Mozgov was to the Cavs this past season. Especially when Love was healthy, Mozgov played the role of the rim protector and was exceptional at it. He was a force on the board in the playoffs averaging nearly 3 offensive boards a game, and made a huge difference against Golden State. He also knocks down his free throws, which is crucial down the stretch.

 

71. Markieff Morris

15.3 PPG/ 6.2 TRB/ 2.3 AST/ 2.0 TOs

16 PER/ 47% FG/ 32% 3P/ 49% eFG/ 52% TS

 

Morris has a great blend of speed and strength that helps him get baskets multiple of ways. He has a respectable jumper that defenses have to account for, and when they give him space he’s able to put the ball on the floor and take it inside. He also has a very respectful post game that allows for the Suns to use him multiple ways. He was his healthiest in the month of March, and he absolutely took over games in that month.

 

70. Danilo Gallinari

12.4 PPG/ 3.7 TRB/ .3 STLs/ 1.4 AST/ 1.0 STLs

17 PER/ 40% FG/ 36% 3P/ 50% eFG/ 56% TS

 

Gallinari wasn’t as effective this past season, mostly because he didn’t play enough games, and because when he did play, overall he was used less often. When he played this year he was even more effective than he was last year when he was a full time starter. His per 36 averages are better across the board, and he played better defense.

[BJORN 679]

Hoping Beal is a lot higher on this list after next year.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Hoping Beal is a lot higher on this list after next year.

He certainly has the talent to.

 

Also I took a bit of a break, but I'm back with 20 more. Lol.

 

69. Danny Green

12 PPG/ 4.2 TRB/ 2.0 AST/ 1.2 STLs/ 1.1 TOs

17 PER/ 44% FG/ 42% 3P/ 57% eFG/ 60% TS

 

Danny Green was gifted more opportunities to perfume this past season and he did nothing but improve on his already pretty good game. He continued to show that dominance from the 3 point line that he had shown in the years past with a lot more versatility to his overall game. What was most surprising about Green’s game however was his impact on defense. The defense was notably better with him on the court, no doubt probably has to do with the players he’s assigned to when he’s on the court.

 

68. Marcin Gortat

12 PPG/ 8.7 TRB/ 1.2 AST/ 1.3 BPG/ 1.2 TOs

18 PER/ 57% FG/ 57% eFG/ 70% FT/ 59% TS

 

Gortat is one of the best roll man in the league, and that’s where he’s able to help the Wizards the most. When Nene went down was when Gortat was at his best this past season because the Wizards played a lot of small ball and gave him tons of room to operate rolling to the basket. Assuming that the Wizards pick up where they left off at the end of the season with the small ball offense, Gortat could continue putting good offensive numbers. Gortat also proved to be a lot more impactful on defense this past season finishing with a defensive rating of 100 mostly due to his work as a help defender.

 

67. Brandon Knight

7.0 PPG/ 5.2 AST/ 1.4 STLs/ 3.0 TOs

17 PER/ 42% FG/ 39% 3P/ 50% eFG/ 54% TS

 

Was a very up and down season, and maybe it speaks volumes to Jason Kidd’s ability to coach point guards. After playing pretty bad in Detroit, the move to MIL gave Knight a new light. This past season he was playing like a top 10 PG before he was traded. He was posting up his second straight season of 100+ offensive rating, and by far his best defensive season to this point. He was exceling at every part of the offense, and was very effective on defense. And then the trade to Phoenix happened and he went back to looking bad. I don’t know how much of that had to do with the fact that it’s a new offense and defense, which means new things to learn, but overall, he finished out the season very cold compared to how he started it.

 

66. Tyson Chandler

10 PPG/ 12 TRB/ 1.2 BPG/ 1.4 TOs

20 PER/ 67% FG/ 67% eFG/ 72% FT/ 70% TS

 

Chandler could not of landed in a better offense then the one he’s in with the move to the Suns. Despite having a very limited offensive game, he had the highest offensive rating of any player in the league at 130 due to his ability to create a lot of scoring opportunities for his teammates with his ability as the pick man, and the roll man. He converts virtually everything around the rim, and they aren’t just easy buckets, they are layups, post ups, and the cleanup tip ins. He also has a free throw rate of nearly 60% percent, which is ridiculous. Defensively, we all know what Chandler brings to the game, he was a major plus defender while on the court for the Mavs.

 

65. Tobias Harris

17 PPG/ 6.3 TRB/ 1.0 STL/ 1.8 AST/ 1.7 TOs

17 PER/ 47% FG/ 36% 3P/ 51% eFG/ 55% TS

 

Tobias Harris showed a ton of promise as an offensive player this past season. Getting points in multiple ways from shooting on the outside, to taking it inside and scoring around the basket. Many people view Harris as a poor man Carmelo Anthony, and while I may not necessarily agree, I can see where the comparisons come from. He scored in the 88^th percentile on post up opportunities, and he takes great care of the ball. Even on defense he was ranked 7^th among SF in defensive value added. He may never be a great defender, but he knows how to contribute through help on pick and rolls, and help defense.

 

64. Giannis Antetokounmpo

13 PPG/ 6.7 TRB/ 2.6 AST/ 1.0 BPG/ 2.1 TOs

15 PER/ 49% FG/ 50% eFG/ 74% FT/ 55% TS

 

The Greek Freak made up one member of possibly the best defensive duo in the NBA last season. His defensive rating improved by 9 whole points this past season going from 110 to 101. He was great when it came at defending the paint, which is a bit of a surprise considering his size. But his work on offense was also pretty great as he kept on living to the tittle of being a possible really poor man’s version of Kevin Durant. He showed a ton of promise, and growth as Jason Kidd turned him loose. Assuming he continues the growth he started this past season, the Greek Freak might jump all the way to the top 50.

 

63. Al Jefferson

17 PPG/ 8.4 TRB/ 1.7 AST/ 1.3 BPG/ 1.0 TOs

20 PER/ 48% FG/ 48% eFG/ 66% FT/ 50% TS

 

Jefferson finished the season playing great basketball, and left me wondering where that was at the beginning of the season. No doubt he was also injured so that probably played a part, but it made his numbers look a lot worse. Over the last 29 games of the regular season, he was putting up 24/12/2 on 52% shooting. He continues to excel at scoring inside with what is essentially a youtube video amount of post of moves. There aren’t many centers, or big men in general who are capable of having their entire offenses built around them, and Jefferson is one of those guys.

 

62. Hassan Whiteside

12 PPG/ 10 PPG/ 2.6 BPG/ 1.2 TOs

26 PER/ 63% FG/ 63% eFG/ 50% FT/ 62% TS

 

Whiteside showed a bit of promise the season prior to this one, but he couldn’t maintain it due to always being hurt, and being a head case. He showed all those things this past season, from his massive talent, to his inability to stay healthy, or to stay out of trouble on the court. But speaking strictly of his performance this past season, he was truly impressive. His per 36 minutes adds up to 18 PPG on 63% eFG, which speaks to how well he was able to pile up his 12 PPG on just 24 minutes. And then of course you have his impact as a rim protector. He averaged an absurd 2.4 blocks per games on again, just 24 minutes.

 

61. Brook Lopez

17 PPG/ 7.4 TRB/ 1.8 BPG/ 1.4 TOs

23 PER/ 51% FG/ 51% eFG/ 81% FT/ 56% TS

 

I really don’t know what to make of Lopez. On one hand, you have this guy with an incredible level of talent on offense that he continues to develop. He’s added a very good midrange jumper to his arsenal which already had the back to the basket game. He had a ridiculous offensive rating 112, and the Nets entire offense revolves around his offensive game. But he still struggles to rebound consistently, and his defense is still pretty awful. On top of that, he’s just really soft, which is never good for a big man.

 

60. Nikola Mirotic

10.2 PPG/ 4.9 TRB/ .7 BPG/ 1.2 ASTs/ 1.1 TOs

18 PER/ 41% FG/ 32% 3P/ 49% eFG/ 56% TS

 

Mirotic was extremely efficient this past season and made the most with the minutes he was given, probably better than anyone else in the NBA. This was in large part due to the fact that he got to the FT line at a ridiculous rate, and he knocked down his FTs. 10 points in 20 minutes per game is very impressive, and if you average his possessions per 36 minutes, he averages around 18 points a game, which is better than a lot of other guys who were options for this spot, and many guys who are going to be on this list. He was also 7th among power forwards in RPM which calculates value while on the court.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

59. Enes Kanter

16 PPG/ 8.9 TRB/ .7 AST/ 1.9 TOs

20 PER/ 52% FG/ 53% eFG/ 78% FT/ 56% TS

 

Kanter always showed a lot of promise as an offensive player, and when he was sent to OKC he had the opportunity to show just how great he can be on that side. He was a 19/11 player on a nightly basis in OKC, and he was doing it in a multitude of ways inside of the paint. He also had an offensive rating of 122 per 100 possessions, which would of put him among the top 10 players in the NBA if he had played at OKC all season. He was also a beast on the boards on the defensive end, 51% of all his rebounds were contested, nearly 6% higher than Jordan, the guy most people consider the best rebounder in the NBA.

 

58. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

11 PPG/ 7.6 TRB/ .5 STL/ 1.4 AST/ 1.1 TOs

15.1 PER/ 47% FG/ 0% 3P/ 47% eFG/ 52% TS

 

Not much else needs to be said about MKG outside of the fact that he is already one of the best defensive players in the NBA. He’s the second best perimeter defender in the league behind only Tony Allen, and in he’s actually better then Allen is some aspects. He was an extremely impactful defender when he was healthy, and probably the best rebounding SF in the NBA last season.

 

57. Joakim Noah

 

7.2 PPG/ 9.6 TRB/ 4.7 AST/ 1.8 TOs

15 PER/ 45% FG/ 45% eFG/ 60% FT/ 48% TS

 

Noah was hurt most of the season, which probably contributed to his somewhat down year. But even so, he was still a contributing factor to the Bulls and their overall team success. He was still one of the best passing big men around averaging nearly 5 assists a game. His defensive rating of 102 was still good to put him among the top 20 players in the league. Rim protection has never been his forte, but he makes up for it by being very active on that side of the ball.

 

56. Victor Oladipo

18 PPG/ 4.2 TRB/ 1.7 STLs/ 4.1 AST/ 2.8 TOs

16 PER/ 44% FG/ 34% 3P/ 47% eFG/ 53% TS

 

Oladipo spent most of this past season playing a lot of 2 guard, rather than the point guard position that his coaches originally intended for him to play. He showed a lot of promise, especially when he opted to being more aggressive on the defensive side. As I mentioned in the other thread, only three guards all last year drove to the basket more than Oladipo He also showed a lot more improvements as a jump shooter, and he continued to excel on the defensive side of the ball.

 

55. Chandler Parsons

15.7 PPG/ 4.9 TRB/ 1.0 STLs/ 2.4 AST/ 1.5 TOs 46% FG

16.3 PER/ 38% 3P/ 54% eFG/ 57% TS

 

Parsons was probably the second best player on the Mavs for a good majority of the season last year. He was attempting, and making more threes then last year, and although it looks like he scored less points, he’s another player where if you average out his numbers per 36, he’s actually far better on offense this season then he was in the years past, at least as a scorer. He also had a slow start on the defensive end looking a little more lost then we are used to seeing from him, but he came back towards the end of the season.

 

54. Louis Williams

16 PPG/ 1.9 TRB/ 1.1 STLs/ 2.1 AST/ 1.3 TOs 20

PER/ 40% FG/ 34% 3P/ 49% eFG/ 56% TS

 

Louis Williams was probably one of the better offensive 2 guards in the league last season. He got to the line at an incredible rate which made his offensive game very efficient despite not being the best shooter around. He was so good on offense this past season that the offense scored nearly 5 points less with him out of the game then in it. The issue with Williams is that if he isn’t getting to the basket, and drawing fouls, his offense crumbles. His defense this past season was also a bit better then he normally is on defense.

 

53. Demare Carroll

13 PPG/ 5.3 TRB/ 1.3 STLs/ 1.7 AST/ 1.1

16 PER/ 49% FG/ 40% 3P/ 58% eFG/ 60% TS

 

Being the third, or fourth option on his offense meant that he did get very many looks on offense, but he was effective with the ones he did get. Shooting 40% from the 3 while attempting 4 3 pointers a game and nearly half his attempts were 3 pointers per possessions, and finished with above a 55% eFG, and a 60% TS speaks volume to how efficient his offense was. Carroll was mostly used for defensive purposes though as last season he was his usual dominant self on that side. All of his defensive rating numbers are elite for his position, and the Hawks’ defense which relied on teamwork was far worse with him on the bench. Carroll is used to making an impact, but last season he took it to another level.

 

52. Kyle Korver

12.1 PPG/ 4.1 TRB/ .7 STLs/ 2.6 AST/ 1.4 TOs 15

PER/ 49% FG/ 49% 3P/ 67% eFG/ 70% TS

 

Korver has always been a great 3 point shooter, but he took it up a notch this past season posting up what were some of his best numbers ever. Not only that, but he did it while also making a huge amount of impact. Behind his basic offensive numbers, he was top 10 player in the NBA in offensive rating putting up the best number of his career at 122. And not only that but even his defense was much improved as this past season working under a new coach, there was an emphasis to have him do no more then what he was comfortable doing.

 

51. J.J. Reddick

16 PPG/ 2.1 TRB/ .5 STLs/ 1.8 AST/ 1.2 TOs
16.2 PER/ 48% FG/ 44% 3P/ 58% eFG/ 62% TS

 

Like Korver, Reddick put up his best numbers to date, which is impressive because he was already one of the better marksmen in the NBA. He creates a ton of space for his teammates to operate, which a huge help to guys like Griffin and Jordan inside. He isn’t asked to do more then take jumpers as CP3 is always the floor general, but he has shown the ability to occasionally pass the rock, and he cut down on his turnovers. I rank him higher than Korver though because he plays better defense (not saying much) and he contributes overall more than Korver does on offense.

 

50. Rudy Gobert

8.4 PPG/ 9.5 TRB/ 2.3 BPG/ 1.4 TOs

22 PER/ 60% FG/ 60% eFG/ 62% FT/ 62% TS

 

Gobert is another player who had a legitimate shot at winning the dpoty award due to his crazy amount of impact on defense, and to the team’s overall wins. The Jazz were a completely different squad with Gobert on defense, and unlike many defensive players who excel at one thing and struggles in other things, he really doesn’t have any weaknesses on that side of the ball. His length allows him to be a force around the rim as a protector, and his ability to keep his feet under him allows him to excel in pick and roll situations and iso. He played the kind of defense that wins games, and he also excelled as a rebounder grabbing nearly 13 rebounds per 36 minues.

[BwareDWare94 723]

Just curious, DMac--how much separation to do you see between Markieff and Marcus? I personally prefer Marcus' overall game, but Kieff is improving by the year.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

Just curious, DMac--how much separation to do you see between Markieff and Marcus? I personally prefer Marcus' overall game, but Kieff is improving by the year.

 

I prefer Morris because he's a much better shooter then Markieff. I hope he gets a lot more opportunities to show that in Detroit.

 

But as far as separation, there really isn't much, at least not to me. Most of the statistical difference between the two has to do with playing time and opportunities.

[seanbrock 1,684]

Noel is a little over-rated based on one season of work, imo.

By who? Pretty much everybody rates him accurately. Excellent defender and extremely raw offensively. He needs to hit the weight room hard too. Based on his per game and per minute numbers opposing shooting percentage, defensive win shares...you name it and he's near the top. How can you say he's not already one of the best defenders in the game?

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

49 to 40 was full of top 10 list snubs. And I just copied and pasted the writeups for the others.

 

49. Isaiah Thomas

16.4 PPG/ 2.3 TRB/ 4.2 AST/ 2.1 TO/ .9 STLs

20.6 PER/ 42% FG/ 37% 3FG/ 58% TS/ 50% eFG

 

Thomas still doesn’t really get consistent starter minutes but that has more to do with his ability on defense then his overall abilities as a player. Thomas was one of the best scoring point guards last season despite only playing 26 minutes a game. He got to the line a rate of .44, that almost ties him up with Russell Westbrook, and his TS% at 58%, eFG at 50% puts him well above Westbrook. His offensive rating of 114 is higher than many players who have yet to be named on this list.

 

48. Wesley Matthews

16 PPG/ 3.7 TRB/ 2.3 AST/ 1.3 STLs/ 1.4 TOs

16 PER/ 45% FG/ 39% 3P/ 56% eFG/ 59% TS

 

Matthews was a snub when I made my list of top 10 SGs, and after going back through and comparing him to other players, I definitely made a mistake keeping him out of the rankings. Before getting hurt, he was putting up arguably his best season to date, both offensively and defensively. He tied his second best FG% of his career while 3 pointers accounted for nearly 60% of his shots. He was 7^th among SG in TS averaging 59%, and only the most elite of three point shooters had a higher percentage than him. Matthews was to the Blazers what Reddick and Korver were to their respective teams, and in the case of Matthews, he was the ultimate compliment to Lillard because he opened up a lot of space for Lillard to work inside.

 

47. Andre Drummond

14 PPG/ 14 TRB/ 1.9 BPG/ 1.5 TOs

21 PER/ 51% FG/ 51% eFG/ 39% FT/ 50% TS

 

Drummond continues to grow as a player, continues to make the case for being the second best player in the draft from two years ago behind Davis. He’s already cemented himself, in my opinion as without a doubt the best rebounder in the NBA. This past season he at the very least cemented himself as the best offensive rebounder in the league, and arguably put up the best season ever in offensive rebounds ever. And he’s just getting started. He continued to improve as a help defender this year being among the league leaders in blocks, and having allowing players to score 48% of their shots around the rim.

 

46. Monta Ellis

19 PPG/ 2.4 TRB/ 4.1 AST/ 1.9 STLs/ 2.5 TOs

17 PER/ 45% FG/ 29% 3P/ 48% eFG/ 51% TS

 

Monta Ellis is another player who didn’t crack my top 10 SGs when I did the list earlier last month that I’ve changed my mind about. Despite shooting a lot worse from the 3, he still managed to put up more efficient numbers than in most of his seasons prior, and that’s due to his ability to finish around the rim. He continues to be more than just a scoring SG piling up assists with a relatively low TO % when you consider how much he has the ball in his hands. The issue with Ellis is that he’s never ever been the most efficient player, and therefore he’s always going to be lower for me then he is for a lot of other people.

 

45. Ty Lawson

15 PPG/ 3.1 TRB/ 9.6 AST/ 1.2 STLs/ 2.5 TOs

19 PER/ 44% FG/ 34% 3P/ 47% eFG/ 53% TS

 

Adding to the list of players who were snubbed from my original rankings, Lawson was another guy who didn’t make it into my PG top 10 despite deserving the recognition. Despite being 10^th in the league in passes per games at 61, he was 4^th in assists per games, 3^rd in total assists, 4^th in free throw assists (passes that led to teammates ending up on the foul line), 2^nd in assist opportunities (passes leading to shots), and accounted for 23 points a game through assists. Long story short, he’s really great at creating plays for his teammates, and it’s not just because the ball is always in his hands, he was 13^th in the league this past season in touches per game, 10^th among front court players, and 8^th time of possession per minutes. And to boot he’s a pretty good 3 point shooter and was very aggressive last season being one of only two players with more total drives to the basket then Harden.

 

44. Kris Middleton

13.4 PPG/ 4.4 TRB/ 1.5 STLs/ 2.3 AST/ 1.4 TOs
16 PER/ 47% FG/ 41% 3P/ 53% eFG/ 56% TS

Defense is half the game, and on that side of the ball, there simply weren’t many players better then Middleton. He was another guy who I believe was more deserving of winning the dpoty award then man of the guys who got votes. Milwaukee went from having the best defense in the NBA with him in the game to one that’s below average with him sitting. He had a defensive efficiency of 95 per 100 possessions while in the game. This is in large part due to his super long frame which allowed for him to guard positions from the 1 to the 4, and disrupt the flow of the opposing offenses in pick and roll situations. He is also developing as a three point shooter and seems well on his way to being a great 3 and D guy. He was flying under the radar to the rest of the world, but it’s pretty clear to the Bucks value what he had to offer, and they paid him well.

 

43. Demar Derozan

20.1 PPG/ 4.6 TRB/ 1.2 STLs/ 3.5 AST/ 2.3 TOs
17 PER/ 41% FG/ 28% 3P/ 43% eFG/ 51% TS

Derozan is one of the more versatile two guard, capable of being great on offense and still playing great on defense. This past season he was at his best when taking it to the basket and trying to draw fouls, or score around the basket. He turned the ball over a little too much, but that comes with the over dribbling and being a try hard sometimes. On defense was another area where he excelled, at least most of the season. He has his lazy moments, but when he’s at his best, he’s among the best at his position.

 

42. Tony Allen

8.6 PPG/ 4.4 TRB/ 2.0 STLs/ 1.4 AST/ 1.4 TOs

15 PER/ 50% FG/ 35% 3P/ 51% eFG/ 53% TS

 

Allen allowed players to shoot 37% from the field when he was on them, which is 7% lower than anyone else on the Grizzlies and one of the best marks of anyone in the NBA. He allowed players shooting outside of the 15 ft from the basket to shoot 31%, and 30% from just the 3 point line. And that’s just as a man defender, there probably isn’t a bigger hustler in the NBA then Allen, who can always be spotted around the ball if the player is on the perimeter or heading to the basket. He is a terror when it comes to handling lanes, and he does it well without compromising his position on his man.

 

41. Kevin Love

16.4 PPG/ 9.7 TRB/ 2.2 AST/ .5 BPG/ 1.6 TOs

19 PER/ 43% FG/ 37% 3P/ 51% eFG/ 56% TS

 

Love was still one of the most effective PFs in the league despite what would be considered a down year for him. He was asked to take more jumpers in catch and shoot situations (6.3 catch and shoot ppg) and had one of the better pull up %s in the NBA this past season. He had one of the best 3 point percentage among bigs, and was averaging nearly 18 points per 36 minutes. Where Love impacted the game the most was on offense, every single top Cavs lineup in terms of offensive rating had Love in them, and they were averaging 115 points per 100 possessions with him on the court then off the court. Should be interesting to see how much better the Cavs look when he is fully healthy and able to contribute.

 

40. Luol Deng

14 PPG/ 5.2 TRB/ .9 STLs/ 1.9 AST/ 1.5 TOs

15.5 PER/ 47% FG/ 36% 3P/ 52% eFG/ 56% TS

 

Deng is probably the most consistent of the none elite small forwards, he knows his role, and he excels at it. This past season he was asked to be the third option on offense and while he didn’t get many opportunities, he made the most of the opportunities he was given, taking and making more 3s, and averaging the best FG % of his career. He also got to the line a lot for a guy who didn’t get too many chances to work on ball. Defense is where Deng continues to make the most impact as this past season, even as he’s lost a step was still asked to play defense against the best players when Miami faced them. The defense gave up a little over 6 points per 100 possessions when he was on the bench rather than when he was on it.

[BradyFan81 404]

Finish this Dmac. I like reading these.