Best of: The Top 100 NBA Players Entering The 2017–18 Season, Part 3: #50–26
Now that we’ve reached the better half of this list, many more high-quality starters are going to emerge. We’ve officially reached the point where the stars are getting closer to appearing. The following 25 players are all above-average starting players.
#50: Jrue Holiday, G, New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans signed Rajon Rondo this summer, and reportedly plan to start him in the backcourt with Holiday, who will be moving from the Point Guard position to Shooting Guard. They hope to be able to use Holiday as a weapon off of the ball, which would give New Orleans three very good weapons for Rondo to get the ball to- Holiday, along with the twin towers of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.
#49: Nerlens Noel, C, Dallas Mavericks
Noel, who was the centerpiece of 2017’s most lopsided trade, has had the summer from hell. Some expected him to get max contract offers as a restricted free agent, but the Mavericks made it known that they would match any offers made to Noel, which drove away all possible suitors. He still hasn’t signed an extension, and may end up accepting the incredibly cheap $4.1M qualifying offer, which would allow him to be an unrestricted free agent next summer. But once this contractual dispute with Dallas is resolved, he has the potential to really emerge as one of the best bigs in the league- the sky is the limit for Nerlens, thanks to his athleticism and defensive prowess.
#48: Tristan Thompson, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
Amid all of the controversy surrounding the Cavs this summer, Tristan Thompson’s name doesn’t seem to ever appear. Because everyone knows what he is- a viable defender and very good rebounder. But the problem is this: Thompson and Kevin Love can not play together against the Golden State Warriors. This is a problem that Cleveland needs to address- whether they do so by making a trade or continue to ignore the problem remains to be seen.
#47: Khris Middleton, SG, Milwaukee Bucks
Middleton is the quintessential 3&D player- he’s an elite shooter off the catch, and can guard his position very well. He s a perfect fit with the players around him- the talents of players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Malcolm Brogdon and Jabari Parker fit in well with those of Middleton. He allows them to carry all of the ball-handling duties, while always drawing a defender away from the driving lane on the perimeter because of the threat of his three-point shot.
#46: Harrison Barnes, SF, Dallas Mavericks
Barnes was signed by Dallas on a four-year max contract after his abysmal performance in the NBA Finals, and rebounded in a big way by averaging nearly 20 points per game. He’s not a fantastic player by any means, but he’s evolving into a very good scorer who can put the ball in the basket in many different ways.
#45: Otto Porter, Jr., SF, Washington Wizards
As a former top-three pick, Porter really needed to have a breakout year in 2016, or else he wouldn’t have very much job security. But fortunately, he shot the lights out from beyond the arc and was a great third option for the Wizards behind the star-studded backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal. He earned a four-year max contract, which he’s going to need to improve to live up to.
#44: Jabari Parker, F, Milwaukee Bucks
Parker suffered a devastating torn ACL for the second year in a row, and likely won’t return until the winter of 2018. Parker was showing last season that he is fully capable of being an ample sidekick to Giannis Antetokounmpo, but much of his game is reliant on his explosiveness, and if he can’t regain that quickness after his second ACL tear, he may not be able to be the sidekick that Antetokounmpo needs.
#43: Eric Bledsoe, PG, Phoenix Suns
The time seems right for Eric Bledsoe to become a part of a new team. His fantastic defense, superb athleticism and solid scoring punch make him a very valuable asset for anybody, he doesn’t have a problem fitting in anywhere. However, he’s reaching his apex as the Phoenix Suns head towards a rebuild. A few teams who should be interested in Bledsoe: Milwaukee, San Antonio, and Denver.
#42: Avery Bradley, SG, Detroit Pistons
Avery Bradley is the best defensive guard in the entire NBA. He can lock down almost anybody in the league, and adds a great three-point shot on top of it. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent if Detroit fails to sign him to an extension, and his two-way skills will draw very heavy interest from many teams- look for Philadelphia, the Clippers, and Dallas to all pursue him intensely, among others.
#41: LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, San Antonio Spurs
The LaMarcus Aldridge experiment in San Antonio could not have gone worse. His offensive game, reliant on long two pointers, is clearly outdated. His inability to survive as the only big on the floor or protect the rim are huge negatives. It’s clear that he wants out and the Spurs don’t have much interest in continuing to pay him, so if they can find a reasonable trade proposal, expect them to pounce on it.
#40: Andrew Wiggins, SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves
Wiggins came into the league as an elite athlete who was billed as a player ho would immediately be a fantastic defender, while his offensive game might need a bit of time to develop- but it’s been the opposite. He needs to become more efficient, but he is already a solid scorer. But he’s been awful on the defensive end, despite having all of the tools to be remarkable on that end. Having Jimmy Butler on board will likely help him become a better defender, and if he can’t fix up his act on defense soon, he will have a very hard time living up to the massive extension he’s been promised by Wolves owner Glen Taylor.
#39: Myles Turner, PF/C, Indiana Pacers
Myles Turner continues to be the most under-appreciated young star in the NBA. He’s a great scorer, can grab rebounds with the best of them, and is also a very good rim protector. He’s also continuing to improve his consistency when it comes to shooting jumpers. If he can become a knock-down three-point shooter, he will be an All-Star for a long time.
#38: Kemba Walker, PG, Charlotte Hornets
Kemba Walker’s stats always go under-the-radar. He puts up over 20 points per game while dishing out a solid amount of assists, and does it all efficiently. However, his defense (or lack thereof) is concerning. And while he’s a very fine playmaker, it’s time for them to look to trade him. He doesn’t fit their timeline, and is still a very valuable trade piece due to his very affordable contract.
#37: Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C, New York Knicks
Former Knicks President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson shopping Kristaps Porzingis around draft day was one of two fireable offenses he committed this season (more on this in a minute). He seems to be safe in New York now with the new management, but the secret about Porzingis that has yet to be uncovered is this- he needs to be a full-time Center. Not a Power Forward, a Center. His ability to do anything on offense while also being a very good rim protector make him the perfect guy to put in the middle. More on that other fireable offense from Phil…
#36: Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks
It seems that a trade sending Anthony to the Houston Rockets will happen eventually, but the Knicks won’t get much value in return. And 100% of the blame for that falls on the shoulders of Phil Jackson. He spent many months trashing Carmelo in the press, trying to drive Anthony to be willing to waive his no-trade clause. But all he ended up doing was causing Anthony’s trade value to plummet. It was truly unprecedented for an executive to just destroy the value of his own star like that.
#35: CJ McCollum, SG, Portland Trail Blazers
If this list were of players who are enjoyable to watch, McCollum would certainly be much higher. His lights out shooting and ankle-breaking handles are something to behold- but when looking at his overall body of work, it’s not hard to notice that he is a huge liability when it comes to defense.
#34: DeMar DeRozan, SG, Toronto Raptors
DeRozan is a very good regular season player, but he isn’t someone you can build around if you want to win a title. This isn’t just because he has repeatedly underperformed in the playoffs, but his playstyle doesn’t fit the modern NBA. He relies on long two-pointers, and has not been able to stretch out his shot to beyond the three-point line.
#33: DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles Clippers
DeAndre Jordan is a very unique player- he possesses top-tier abilities in two categories, rebounding and rim protecting. But aside from that, he doesn’t have any above-average skills. However, he is so good at his two strengths that he remains one of the best bigs in the NBA.
#32: Bradley Beal, SG, Washington Wizards
Beal’s consistency and injury history were huge concerns entering this season, but he put all worries to bed- he was an elite second option for Washington, and played in nearly every game. Many questioned whether he was worth the big contract extension he received in 2016, but he’s certainly lived up to it thus far.
#31: Marc Gasol, C, Memphis Grizzlies
Gasol is likely the least enjoyable player to watch on this list- he doesn’t have any jaw-dropping talents, and his biggest skill- defense- often can go unnoticed. But he’s added onto his defensive abilities and has become a much better offensive player, now even being able to step out and knock down threes.
#30: Mike Conley, PG, Memphis Grizzlies
It’s time for people to stop calling Mike Conley the most underrated player in the NBA, and start properly rating him- he’s one of the very best Point Guards in the NBA. He has many strengths and no weaknesses. The fact that he’s never been in the All-Star Game shows how unimportant All-Star Game appearances are on a player’s resume. The craziest thing about Mike Conley, though, is that he has never had a technical foul in his entire NBA career. DeMarcus Cousins gets dozens of them every single year, and Mike Conley has never even had one.
#29: Al Horford, PF/C, Boston Celtics
Horford’s stats don’t jump out at you, but his impact on games is easy to find when watching Celtics games. Not only is he a good interior defender, but his shooting ability helps stretch the floor. Most of all, though, his fantastic passing vision makes Boston’s offense much more flexible, and makes the life of Isaiah Thomas a lot easier.
#28: Hassan Whiteside, C, Miami Heat
Whiteside came into last season with an undeserved reputation as a great rim protector- he got some blocks, but wasn't actually playing good defense inside. But then he stepped up on that end, making significant improvements, while also rebounding at a truly remarkable rate. His defense still needs some work, but Whiteside’s year-to-year progression has been incredibly impressive.
#27: Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors
His historically bad playoff performances aside, Lowry is one of the top-tier NBA Point Guards because of his effortless scoring and shooting skills, on top of his ability to create plays for others. His defense is definitely nothing special, but it isn’t bad either.
#26: Kevin Love, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers
Love has always been the fall-guy when troubles arise in Cleveland, never getting his due. But people forget how good he was in Minnesota before being traded to the Cavs- it will truly be a shame if he never gets the chance to lead a team with an actually capable supporting cast around him.
