Best of: The Top 100 NBA Players Entering The 2017–18 Season, Part 1: #100–76
Although there is an extremely lopsided imbalance when it comes to the firepower in each conference, the talent-level in today’s NBA is at an all-time high. Three-point shooting, defensive versatility and floor spacing now rule a league once dominated by post play and size. Players who didn’t have a true position used to be neglected, but now everyone wants a “tweener.” So as we inch closer to the 2017–18 NBA season, who are the 100 best players in the world?
#100: Lou Williams, SG, Los Angeles Clippers
The former 6th Man of the Year Award winner has played for a fair share of teams at this point, and it’s clear that he’s always going to be a very good scorer off of the bench. Whether it’s been in Philadelphia, Toronto, LA or Houston, he will always provide a nice scoring spark, which he will now do for the Clippers.
#99: CJ Miles, SF, Toronto Raptors
Miles has always been overshadowed and hasn’t gotten the chance to prove his true worth in the league. When he plays he puts the ball in the basket while playing decent defense and shooting well from deep, making him someone who will always be valuable.
#98: Zach Lavine, G, Chicago Bulls
Lavine would certainly be on the short-list of the most exciting players in basketball, but he has a ways to go to become one of the best- his offensive game is improving, but his defense continues to be fairly awful. His recent ACL tear should also be concerning for Chicago, especially because his game can be so reliant on athleticism.
#97: Tobias Harris, F, Detroit Pistons
Harris’ improvements have gone unnoticed in Detroit for the forever-irrelevant Pistons, but he has become a reliable scorer and he has proved in the past to be a good rebounder. If he can develop a consistent three-point shot, he can take his level to the next game.
#96: Julius Randle, PF, Los Angeles Lakers
Randle showed much more versatility on the offensive end last season, flashing the ability to handle the ball and dish it out with some success. He is already a very good rebounder, and while his defense could use some work, the biggest need for him is to work on his outside shot. He shot 27% from beyond the arc last year, which is an unacceptable number. He has the tools to become a quality starting big, though.
#95: Steven Adams, C, Oklahoma City Thunder
Adams seemed primed to break out in 2016 after an impressive showing in the playoffs, but his season last year was a major let-down. His rebounding numbers went down, and he failed to make strides when it comes to protecting the rim. He’s a viable option in the middle, but his last season was very disappointing.
#94: Lonzo Ball, PG, Los Angeles Lakers
Ball’s game has been overrated from the jump- he can’t shoot off the dribble or in traffic, he is limited to deep three-pointers and layups. His defense is not where it should be, and his funky jump-shot form will be a difficult thing to make work. However, he can rebound at an elite level for a guard, and his court vision and passing ability is transcedent. He will be a good player for a long time, but the afroementioned concerns could prevent him from ever being a great player.
#93: Jayson Tatum, SF, Boston Celtics
Aside from the #1 overall pick, Tatum was the most pro-ready rookie in the 2017 draft class. He will be ready to contribute for the Celtics right away, he just has the gift of knowing how to get the ball in the bucket. However, his isolaation-reliant playstyle is outdated, he isn’t a good defender, and lacks high-caliber athleticism. He is going to be good right away, but as a prospect, he was nowhere near the third best in this year’s NBA Draft.
#92: Jaylen Brown, SG/SF, Boston Celtics
If early returns are any indication, Danny Ainge made the right call when selecting Brown third overall in 2016. He’s exactly what a wing should be in 2017, being super athletic, multipositional and having the tools to become a premier defender. It’s on the offensive end where he is still a work in progress- the shot is still a question mark, and his finishing could get better- but Brown had a very impressive beginning to his career.
#91: Evan Fournier, SG/SF, Orlando Magic
Fournier is an underrated scorer hidden in Orlando. But, he got paid like a go-to scoring option last summer, despite being much better suited as a secondary option. He puts up solid numbers, but he is just not good enough to carry the offensive load for a team, like Orlando is currently asking him to.
#90: Marcus Morris, F, Boston Celtics
Yet another new Celtics wing checks in on the list, with Marcus Morris getting traded to Boston as a part of the Avery Bradley trade. How the Celtics manage the playing time of all of their wing players- Tatum, Brown, Morris, Jae Crowder, and of course, Gordon Hayward- is yet to be seen, but if anyone can figure it out, it’s Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens.
#89: Nikola Vucevic, C, Orlando Magic
Vucevic has grown into a starting-caliber big, who can score inside, rebound well, and occasionally step outside and knock down a jumper. He still needs to be a formidable rim protecter before his name gets mentioned with some of the Centers higher up on this list.
#88: JR Smith, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers
JR was once just a chucker with athleticism, the definition of wasted talent. But once he got to play with LeBron James, he became a decently smart shooter, and he may not be the best defender, but he certainly can be capable on that end.
#87: Danny Green, SG, San Antonio Spurs
Green has been a staple throughout this San Antonio Spurs run, as a fantastic two-way player- an excellent defender and very good shooter. He’s set to become a free agent in the summer of 2018, and many teams will covet his services.
#86: Patty Mills, PG, San Antonio Spurs
Mills, coming off of a big contract extension with San Antonio, very well may be the best in the NBA when it comes to coming in off of the bench and instantly providing a scoring spark. He’s an elite jump-shooter and good playmaker. However, his inability to defend with any success will prevent him from ever being close to a star.
#85: Dwight Howard, C, Charlotte Hornets
On paper, Dwight has always had good stats- he’s still a very good rebounder and defender. But the Atlanta Hawks were his third team in a row who were chomping at the bit to get him out of town- first the Lakers, then the Rockets, and now the Hawks. The Hawks wanted him gone so bad, they traded him away for a worse player in Miles Plumlee, on a larger contract.
#84: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Charlotte Hornets
MKG has been a disappointment considering the fact that he was a top two pick, but he is now an underrated player. He is still learning to become a consistent factor on the offensive end, but his defense is fantastic, enough for him to keep a featured role for Charlotte.
#83: Dario Saric, PF, Philadelphia 76ers
When he finally came over to the US to play for the Sixers, Dario Saric immediately made his presence known, having to adjust to multiple different roles and still doing whatever he needed to do to help the team. First, he started as a supporting piece around Joel Embiid, then came off the bench as a scoring spark, then re-entered the starting five as a primary playmaker and put up big stats. He will likely go back to coming off the bench this year, so watch out for him to make a run at the 6th Man of the Year Award.
#82: Patrick Beverley, PG, Los Angeles Clippers
Beverley has become on of the most valuable role players in the entire NBA, thanks to his excellent defense and solid three-point shooting. He was the perfect match with James Harden in Houston, and it will be very interesting to see how his offensive role may expand as he transitions to his new team in the Clippers.
#81: Marcus Smart, G, Boston Celtics
Like Beverley, Smart is absolutely tenacious on defense, and is as tough as they come. He’s a top-tier defender who can guard multiple positions, and just has a knack for the ball and for making winning plays. The problem is, he isn’t a very good shooter, but seems to think he’s Stephen Curry when he’s behind the three-point line. Going into this crucial contract year, Smart needs to fix up his shot selection. Otherwise, the amount of big contract offers will severely decline.
#80: Markieff Morris, PF, Washington Wizards
Morris has been the most underrated part of the current Wizards core. He’s a good supporting piece to the stars in John Wall and Bradley Beal, but can also do some creation himself when those guys need rest. Having Morris as your 4th best player is pretty impressive, especially when he just recorded his career-high in rebounds per game.
#79: Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Dallas Mavericks
Nowitzki, the greatest stretch four in the history of the NBA is somehow still playing quality minutes in the NBA, even at his very old age. His defense isn’t there anymore, and understandably so, but having Nerlens Noel by his side will make things easier. They’re a perfect fit- Dirk lives on the perimeter, and Noel does his damage inside. And as much as Dirk struggles on defense, that is where Nerlens makes his presence felt.
#78: Victor Oladipo, SG, Indiana Pacers
If you’re playing fantasy basketball next season, Victor Oladipo is a guy you should draft- he is going to get a ton of shots for the Pacers. He and Myles Turner are the only above-average players on the team. Oladipo’s stats next season will likely misrepresent the quality of player he is, as they’ll be way higher than usual. However, if he can make leaps on the offensive end in this opportunity, it will at least salvage some of the damage done by the horrendous Paul George trade.
#77: Dion Waiters, SG, Miami Heat
Waiters’ resurgent season last year with Miami was a ton of fun to watch, and he may have been rewarded with a nice payday, but this season is when he has to prove that wasn’t a fluke. He must show that he can be the high-quality scorer he was for a handful of months last year.
#76: Ben Simmons, F, Philadelphia 76ers
Simmons has one of the most unique skillsets in all of basketball: he’s a lefty who relies on using his right hand when trying to finish at the rim, he is nearly seven feet tall and has elite court vision and passing ability, and can’t shoot.. for now. He’s going to struggle to put the ball in the basket at the beginning, but his rebounding, defense and passing will be there from the jump. His jump-shot’s future improvement will determine whether he will be a good player, a great player, or a superstar.
The bottom quarter of this list is filled with younger players, and role players. Many have one or two key attributes they need to acquire before rising to the higher stages of this list.
