For numbers 100-21 of the top 100, click links below.

100-81|80-61|60-41|40-21

Another tie, this time at #20!

Tied-#20: Bradley Beal: Guard for the Washington Wizards

Coming off arguably his best year of his career, Beal averaged 25.6 PPG and over 5 APG. Beal has consistently improved his numbers as he heads into his 8th season. On top of his consistent scoring, Beal has been very durable the past few seasons. In his last 3 seasons, he has only missed 5 total games. With John Wall getting hit with constant injuries, Beal has been the star for what has been a bad Wizards team. If Beal wants to prove he is the star some think he is, he will have to lead the Wizards to a playoff spot on his own. But for now, Beal registers in at #20 in this year’s top 100.

Tied-#20: Victor Oladipo: Guard for the Indiana Pacers

In the 2017-2018 season, Oladipo broke out on his new team at the time. Since joining the Pacers, Oladipo has been the star many presumed him to be coming out of Indiana. He is coming off a brutal injury from last year and will miss time this year, but he still cracks the top 20 because the difference he makes on the court for the Pacers. With a healthy Oladipo, the Pacers took LeBron and the Cavs to 7 in the first round of the playoffs of 2018. Last year without him, Indiana had no success in the first round against the Celtics, getting swept. His injury may affect his play, but his combination of speed, quickness, and playmaking make too much of a difference to leave him out of the top 20 of this year’s top 100.

#19: Ben Simmons: Guard/Forward for the Philadelphia 76ers

Even without a consistent jump shot, Simmons is one of the elite guards in the NBA. Photo Credits to cbssports.com

AT 6’10” with his speed and strength, Simmons is an elite defender at each position. His 7 foot wingspan makes any shot tough for opposing players. On top of his defense, his playmaking ability makes him one of the best passers in the NBA. Averaging 7.7 APG last year was decreased from the 8.2 he averaged his rookie year. But his stat line of 16.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 7.7 APG last year makes him a viable candidate to average a triple double. He reminds me a lot of a hyper-athletic, taller Draymond in the way how he creates his offense with passing and playing an inside out style of offense.

Top 20 is wild for a guy who was not on one All-NBA team in either of his years. But the guard position is loaded, and until Simmons starts to even take 3 point shots, it will be tough to make those All-NBA teams. Everyone likes to make fun of his lack of a jumper, but even without it, Simmons is certainly a top 20 player in the NBA.

#18: Al Horford: Power Forward/Center for the Philadelphia 76ers

Another 76er, Al Horford perfects the art of ‘Dad Ball’. He is an elite paint defender with his length and strength. The PPG and RPG may not help his cause for top 20, but look at what he has done defensively against players like Giannis and Embiid in the playoffs. Teammates and coaches love him, and it is because he is one of the grit and grind guys that I have talked about throughout the Top 100. His playmaking ability out of the post, his experience, his paint defense, court vision and intelligence are just a few attributes that make Horford elite.

On top of all that, his teams just flat out win. Some of that is a product of who he plays around. But Horford has played in 8 postseasons out of his 9 seasons in the NBA. Not saying there is a direct correlation, but like I said, if you want a big man that can do all the dirty work to lead a team into the playoffs, look no further than Horford.

#17: Jimmy Butler: Shooting Guard/Small Forward for the Miami Heat

All Jimmy Butler wants to do is win, no matter the cost. Sometimes that kills his teammates morale and attitude towards him. But if you need a stop on defense and then a big bucket on offense, few guys can do both, and Jimmy has shown time and time again he can do such a thing. Coming into his 7th season, you can pretty much pencil stats for Butler around 20 PPG and 4 APG. Similar to Horford, Butler is a winner. In his 6 seasons he has made the postseason 5 times. Sure he played with Rose in his prime, then KAT, and last year with Embiid and Simmons, but like I said with Horford, there isn’t a direct correlation. His experience (granted it is unique), clutch nature, and defensive versatility slots him at #17 in this year’s top 100.

#16: Klay Thompson: Shooting Guard for the Golden State Warriors

Klay is one of the best 3-and-D guards in all of the NBA. Look I know he is coming off a Torn ACL, but he has never been an explosive player. His defense and quickness may take a hit, but Thompson’s lights out nature from beyond the arc should not change much. He hasn’t shot less than 40% from 3 yet in his career, and now playing without KD, his offensive role should expand. I don’t care that he is coming off a Torn ACL, he doesn’t have the play style that has affected the uber-athletic guys like Derrick Rose. So I expect a completely unaffected Klay to come back and prove to be the top 20 player we all have watched play in the Bay.

#15: Blake Griffin: Power Forward for the Detroit Pistons

He was on the All NBA 3rd team last year, and was the superstar that lead the Pistons into the playoffs. His slashing and athleticism has always been elite, but now that he is knocking down 3’s with consistency, Griffin is one of the best big man in the NBA. BG has also been playing a little point forward for Detroit and averaged over 5 assists per game last year. With his 3 point shooting ability, elite athleticism, and now playmaking ability, Griffin can lead any team playing the power forward, and it also helps him crack the top 15.

#14: Kyrie Irving: Point Guard for the Brooklyn Nets

Sure Kyrie was a so-called bad apple playing in Boston last year. However, when he is fully invested, I remember watching him and Steph go toe-to-toe in the NBA finals. His ball handling skills are some of the best in the league, if not, the best. And because of those skills his shot creating is elite. He has proved to be much in the clutch. Now in Brooklyn, I really hope we get to see the old Uncle Drew.

Now there was a time where Irving was a top 10 player, but since his trade to Boston he has found himself moving down on many top 100 lists. He is not the best teammate, he has dealt with injury, and he did not meet expectation in Boston. All of that is why he has seen the decrease in spots from the top 10. But now in another new situation, maybe Irving can show us all he is a top 10 guy again.

#13: Karl-Anthony Towns: Center for the Minnesota Timberwolves

There is an argument to make saying KAT is going to be one of the top 5 players in the NBA soon. Photo Credits to Clutchpoints.com

Now I’ve been big on winning, guys like Butler and Horford being examples. But I can’t hold that against Towns. KAT is trying his damnedest to get this Minnesota team to where they need to be. He is only 23 and is averaging 24.4 PPG, 12.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG, shooting at a 52% clip and 40% from 3. Those numbers can make an argument saying Towns is the best offensive center in the league. But at the same time at only 23, Towns struggles with paint defense and much of that is due to his absence of strength. If Towns could get on the Horford program of grit and grind, he will be in conversation for top 5. But for now, he is #13 on this year’s top 100.

#12: Russell Westbrook: Point Guard for the Houston Rockets

He has averaged a triple double the past 3 seasons. And those triple doubles come with upwards of 20 PPG. If that isn’t enough to put him in the top 15, well I don’t know what is. However there are pitfalls with the All-NBA point guard. His offensive efficiency has seen a dip as he gets older, and Westbrook has yet to make an NBA Finals since 2012. He is one of the best point guards statistically, but his efficiency really holds him back from cracking the top 10.

#11: Joel Embiid: Center for the Philadelphia 76ers

Leaving Embiid out of the top 10 is a tough decision. According to last year’s ALL NBA he is a top 10 player. But LeBron James also made the third team and AD was left off due to injury. There is no question Embiid is an elite big man. He can dominate on both sides of the ball. He has seem to kick the injury bug as his games played the past two years were over 60.

BUT, I do have a gripe with Embiid, and that is 3 point shooting. He has proved to be an elite scorer out of the post. But he took an average of 4 3’s per game last year and only hit 30% of them. I get stretching the floor, but 4 may be too much for a center who has shot over 50% in 2PT FG% the past two years. If he can improve on his 3 point shooting or if he just focuses on dominating the paint, Embiid will continue his dominance in Philly, and may move up in the upcoming year’s top 100.

#10: Nikola Jokić: Center for the Denver Nuggets

We will see what Jokić does coming off his first All-NBA First Team appearance. Throughout the whole year, many were concerned whether Jokić would be able to keep up on defense and stay healthy while logging big minutes. But the Nuggets’ center quieted all the doubters as he lead the team almost into a Western Conference Finals appearance. And as a Center, Jokić is one of the playmakers in the NBA. He continued to improve his assist numbers as he averaged over 7 APG last year.

The difference and why Jokić is #10 and Embiid is #11 is very minimal. Jokić has been more durable than Embiid has. The field goal percentages are very close. Jokić has proved to be a better playmaker but Embiid has shown to be the better defender. But what put Jokić over Embiid for me is Jokić’s court vision and basketball IQ. Jokić can exploit defenses with his elite passing ability. Sure he doesn’t see the volume Embiid sees night in night out, but Jokić has lead worse teams than Embiid has to the same result. And that is due to his court vision and IQ. So #10 it is for the big man in Denver. However, Embiid may have a higher ceiling than Jokić which could affect their positions in the top 100 in the future.

#9: Damian Lillard: Point Guard for the Portland Trail Blazers

Coming out of a season where Lillard lead the Trail Blazers got into the WCF, Dame deserves a top 10 spot. Photo Credits to complex.com

Long three pointers, the ability to score from 3 levels, ball handling, playmaking, shot creating. All of those are attributes Dame has become elite at. He is top 3 in threes made from 26 feet or farther, averaged over 25 PPG the last 4 years, and has averaged around 6 APG his whole career. Offensively, Steph is the only point guard who is better offensively. I forgot to mention how clutch Lillard has been for the Trail Blazers. Whether it is the crazy shot over Paul George last year or the buzzer beater to eliminate the Rockets in 2014, when it is late in the 4th quarter for Portland, everyone knows what time it is. Coming in the All-NBA 2nd team last year, he is certainly a Top 10 player in today’s NBA, and #9 on this top 100 list.

#8: Paul George: Guard/Forward for the Los Angeles Clippers

He was third in MVP voting last year. PG13 has progressed into the star we saw playing against LeBron in Miami early in his career. With his length and speed, George makes for a matchup nightmare on both sides of the ball. He was on the All-NBA 1st team and 1st team All-Defense, so why only #8?

Well health has hindered George’s progression. First it was the gruesome injury experienced training with Team USA. And this past offseason, George got surgery on a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder and on a torn labrum in his right shoulder. On top of injury issues, his playoff play has taken a dip since his days back in Indiana. Sure his scoring has increased but the efficiency was an issue for Oklahoma City against the Jazz two years ago (41% FG%), and the Trail Blazers last year (44% FG%). He was a bit better last year against Portland, and he did deal with injury, but two first round exits back to back for George in OKC makes it hard to move him into the top 5.

A top 5 player to me leads his teams to series victories in the playoffs, and since he has gotten to Oklahoma City, he has not won 1 playoff series. Now playing with Kawhi on the Clippers I have to imagine they will win a few playoff series based on the strength of their roster alone. But until then it’s #8 for PG13.

#7: Anthony Davis: Power Forward/Center for the Los Angeles Lakers

AD is one of the best two way big men this league has ever seen. His absurd 7’6″ wingspan combined with his athleticism makes his opponent’s life hell. Since his rookie year, Davis has averaged over 2 blocks per game. Combining his elite defense with over 25 PPG makes for a player that deserves a spot on any top 100.

For AD, he has continually improved his game to where he is now taking and making 3s with some consistency (33%). Now playing alongside of LeBron, I expect to see Davis back to superstar form. He has proved he can win in the playoffs, as he lead the Pelicans to a sweep of the Trail Blazers in 2018. The only knocks on AD have been his health, where he seems to have kicked the bug, and his attitude, but who can blame him, the Pelicans continued to surround AD with poor play outside of Jrue Holiday and DeMarcus Cousins for a year. AD really is one of the elite of the elite in the NBA, and #7 is a good spot for the big man out of Kentucky.

#6: Stephen Curry: Point Guard for the Golden State Warriors

Just outside of the top 5, I think it is safe to expect a big year out of Curry without KD and Klay to start the season. Curry and the Warriors are the horses of change that lead to the product we see today. His 3 point and shooting style of play revolutionized team’s way of thinking.

The amount of attention Curry draws on the offensive side of the ball has to give coaches nightmares prepping for games against the dubs. He is a NBA Champion and a 2x MVP. All he lacks is the coveted Finals MVP. Curry’s season last year was truly one of the most efficient in NBA history. Curry had a usage rate of 30.4% and had an effective field goal % of 60.4%. Only 6 other times has that happened. He has the accolades, the offensive ability, so why not top 5?

Well I’ve talked about being clutch and that might be Curry’s biggest knock. Curry has shot 0-8 on go ahead shots with less than 20 seconds left in a playoff game. That is throughout a postseason career comprised of 112 games. On top of that, his defense hasn’t been elite by any stretch, but he almost felt exposed by Fred VanVleet a few times in last years Finals. Without KD in a top 100 of players that doesn’t include injured players, Curry would be top 5, but when healthy, KD has a bigger impact on a game than Curry, keeping him at #6.

#5: Kevin Durant: Forward for the Brooklyn Nets

KD is 6’10” with limitless range, elite shot creating and shot making skills. His offensive skill is some of the best in all of NBA’s long history. Durant is a serviceable defender as well. With is length KD can affect a lot of shots coming from wings. Achilles injuries are tough to recover from, but similar to Klay, Durant isn’t an explosive player. He relies on touch and shooting for his scoring ability so his injury in the NBA Finals should not affect the 10x All Star. Durant is one of those guys that will always have a spot on the top 100 until retirement because the combination of his size and scoring ability is so rare in NBA history. Like I said, the injury is a tough one to recover from, but when healthy, Durant is a top 5 player in the NBA without a question.

#4: LeBron James: Forward for the Los Angeles Lakers

James has had the top spot on a lot of different top 100 lists the past few years, but new faces emerge at 1,2,3 for this upcoming season. Photo Credits to deadline.com

There is an argument for James to be #1. But with the amount of minutes logged by the King throughout his career, it looks like it is finally taken a toll on him. We all know how good James is, and how he can take control of a game. But what keeps him out of the top 3 is his total disregard for playing defense last year. On top of the disregard for defense, his effect on the Laker locker room was worse than his former teammate’s effect on the Celtic locker room. The constant fear of a trade to make the team better now for LeBron, had the young Lakers shaking in their boots.

The gap between 3 and 4 is very small, but I have mentioned why LeBron is 4, that is the disregard for defense. For LeBron it almost felt like he took a year off, and you know who didn’t? #3: James Harden. That guy did everything in his power to lead the Rockets to the playoffs where he almost dethroned the Warriors. Now do not get me wrong, if it was a do or die game 7 and it I could take one player, it is LeBron James. But from what I saw on the court last year, there were three players that were better than LeBron.

#3: James Harden: Guard for the Houston Rockets

Harden’s workload is the heaviest in the NBA. Playing the second most minutes in the league on top of what he does offensively is nothing short of preposterous. Harden averaged upwards over 36 PPG last year, a career high, and all of it was needed night in night out. Without Harden, the Rockets wouldn’t of amounted to anything, who knows, would Houston have been a playoff team? He is one of the best isolation scorers in NBA history, and his ability to get to the free throw line is unmatched throughout NBA history as well. Defensively he may not be the greatest on ball, but with the amount of energy exerted on offense, of course he will lack on defense.

Harden hasn’t been back to the NBA finals since 2010, but that is due to seeing the Golden State Warriors each year. LeBron was a fixture coming out of the eastern conference finals. But what if the roles had been switched, what if LeBron had played in the Western Conference all the years Harden had? James struggled with the Warriors. What if Harden was in the Eastern Conference? Harden would more than likely navigate his way through the weak eastern conference and into the finals.

Sure they play wildly different styles. But they both are the primary creators of offense for their teams. Harden does it more with scoring, but did average 7.5 APG last year. There was injury involved for LeBron, but Harden averaged almost 9 more points than James. LeBron and Harden had less than a 1 APG difference as well. Harden clearly had a better year than James last year, and who’s to say that it can’t happen again. I certainly won’t and that is why Harden is ranked higher than LeBron.

#2: Giannis Antetokounmpo: Forward for the Milwaukee Bucks

Last year’s MVP comes in at #2. Giannis improved on almost every facet of the game, and part of that was due to roster additions, while the other part was new coach Mike Budenholzer. His 3 point shooting is still improving, but his incredible length and athleticism is what makes Giannis elite on both sides of the ball.

Putting the ball in Giannis’s massive hands is always a good decision, whether it was a shot for himself or creating an open shot for others, Giannis was one of the best offensive creators in the league. He averaged over 25 PPG in both the regular season and postseason, but wasn’t able to get by the Raptors, who were lead by #1 on this top 100 list.

#1: Kawhi Leonard: Forward for the Los Angeles Clippers

Rounding out the top 100 is new LA Clipper Kawhi Leonard. Photo Credits to espn.com

Kawhi was the best player on the Finals champion. Is there a better argument for #1? He is the best two way guy in the league, and proved time and time again to be one of the most clutch players in the league. Him signing with the Clippers was the biggest news of the offseason. His free agency decision dominated storylines all season last year. All of the attention on Kawhi, his play, and winning the Finals MVP makes him the best player in the NBA.

That’s it for the SFS NBA Top 100. Let’s all enjoy this upcoming NBA season.

Featured Image. Straightforward Sports | linkedin. Photo Credits to straightforwardsports.com

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