Top 5 Players in the NBA

I’m sitting in the gym, just finished a workout with a few of my clients when the classic question arises, “who is the best player in the league?” “Who are the top 5 players in the league?”

Everyone has their own opinion, and they are entitled to their opinion. Obviously some opinions are ridiculous and don’t deserve a response, but for the most part, people love-discussing topics where they can rank players. I love it too, I use to argue with my buddies all day if I had to, and just so I could get my point/opinion across.

So let the debating begin…

5. Anthony Davis

At 22 years old, the NBA will be Anthony Davis’ throne to take in a couple years, no doubt. He recorded his first 30+ PER season last year, which led the league. Here is a guy who has the ability to dominate the game on both ends of the floor, even more so on the defensive end than a LeBron James, and still be your focal point on offense. It is just unfair. I like to use the term “the LeBron effect” when describing a player who instantly turns a team into a contender.

Davis’ Usage rate was 25.9 last season, compared to the leader at 38.2 (Westbrook), it would be hard to imagine if that number spikes, what damage Davis can inflict upon the league. If you are into the development of players, like I am, you have to appreciate Anthony Davis, he seems to add something new to his game every time you turn around. The word around the league now is that he has added a legit 3-point shot. Watch out!

The sky is the limit for this kid! Potential top 4 player of all time! You heard it here first!

4. Stephen Curry

Everyone counted this guy out, from day 1. But there is one skill that translates to every level, and that is the ability to shoot the ball. Shooting is one thing Curry may be the best all time at. Steph Curry had a quote that shook up the basketball community when he said that he was better offensively than LeBron. When you think about pure skill level, he was correct. Curry’s skill level is up there with the best in the league, the guy can do it all offensively. Aside from Curry’s prolific shooting, I believe his playmaking ability is what separates him from the pack. Curry openly admitted that teams who pressured him to take away his shot forced him to grow his game in order to beat those defensive schemes.

Curry may just be the most prolific off the dribble shooter this league has ever seen, specifically from the 3pt line. I am going to throw a few insane stats at you, so you can see how ridiculous this guy’s shot is.

• He made 239 above the break three-pointers last season. The Memphis Grizzlies’ entire team made 294. In the playoffs, he made 77 above the break threes, more than 10 teams.

• Combining his regular season and playoffs, Stephen Curry made more above the break threes than the Timberwolves and Kings in 16,000 fewer minutes.

• He made 91.4 percent of his free throws, best in the league among qualified players. He fell only three FTM short of Blake Griffin in 90 fewer attempts.

• Despite breaking the all-time three-point makes record in 2012-13, Curry’s three-point attempt rate (the portion of his shot attempts that come from long distance) rose each of the subsequent two seasons and has increased every season since his sophomore campaign.

• In 2010-11, Curry made 44.2 percent of his threes, which put him third in the league behind Matt Bonner and Ray Allen. In each of the three seasons since, he led the league in three-point attempts and still made a higher percentage of them in all three seasons than in 2010-11.

Greatest 3pt shooter of all time? I think so.

3. Kevin Durant

First and foremost, I have to get this out of the way. Shout out to the hometown, DMV’s very own, Kevin Durant!

A guy who can pull up from 30 with ease is ok in my book. Coming off a major foot injury that sidelined KD for most of last season, we will have to see how healthy Durant is, and if he can stay healthy throughout the rigorous 82 game schedule.

If healthy, Durant is the most lethal outside shooter in the league. Yes, more lethal than Curry, solely because of his length and the fact that Durant is 7’0 – I don’t care what ESPN.com says, this guy is 7’0! Durant can fill up that box sheet with points in a hurry, and very effectively. Not a volume guy, and I respect it! There’s not much you can do to contain Durant, when he’s aggressive, the guy can splash one in your eye from 30, drive past you utilizing his length to finish, and get to the free throw line with ease (10x/game). Durant is also apart of the exclusive 50/40/90 club (50% FG, 40% 3pt, 90% FT), with the likes of Reggie Miller, Mark Price, Larry Bird, Steve Nash, and Dirk Nowizki.

A scoring machine. How can you not root for Kevin Durant.

1B. Russell Westbrook

I first became a fan of Westbrook during the 2009-10 season, freshman year of college; I remember it like it was yesterday. Here is this kid who is uber athletic and oozes potential. My college buddies and I use to play NBA 2k10 all the time and I would use OKC. They would get so frustrated at how dominating this guy was, they didn’t believe me when I would tell them he does this in real life. People at the time thought I was crazy and didn’t know what I was talking about, until you fast forward a few years and here we are. The most athletic “point guard” the NBA has ever witnessed. Hindsight is 20/20 people, don’t knock someone too quick, they might actual know what they are talking about.

The narrative for years has been, ‘this guy shoots too much’, ‘why is he not giving the ball to KD’, ‘terrible shot selection’, ‘out of control.’ There may be some truth to said statements, but if the last two seasons doesn’t speak to you, you either live under a rock, or may just have to reconsider your profession (if you’re a coach). 2013-14 postseason, Westbrook went on a TEAR, 27/8/7, dominating the likes of Chris Paul, Mike Conley, and Tony Parker, before falling short to SA in the WCF. Fast forward to this past season, we all know what transpired. 10 triple doubles, took over in KD’s absence, all be it, more effectively than KD did in Westbrook’s absence the year prior, therefore showcasing to all the doubters and critics that this guy is THE REAL DEAL. If you ask around OKC, you hear rumblings about Westbrook being the leader of the clubhouse, watching from afar, that seems to be the case.

There is nothing Russ cannot do on the floor, put a smaller guard on him, takes him down low, use slower defenders, well you may just loss your job the next morning making that decision, throw a longer defender on him, use the PnR to create for others. This guy is a coaches dream and hates to lose. When someone gives 150% every possession, you have no other choice but to respect them.

Only reason I failed to give Russ the top spot, is because of a guy who is coming off of his 5th straight Finals appearance.

1A. LeBron James

5 straight NBA Finals appearances, and counting. He’s only the tenth player in NBA history to accomplish that, and the only non-member of the 60’s Celtics teams. James is the smartest player in the league, whether the ‘haters’ want to admit it or not, this guy’s basketball IQ is impeccable. No one can take over a game on both sides of the floor the way James can, despite the occasionally lazy defensive spells he has during middle of the regular season games in Sacramento. James also may be the best leader in the league. Think about this – and I don’t care about the talent around, you still have to manage egos/personalities to build chemistry – James went to Miami and in his first season with a brand new team, made it to the finals. A coach that many thought who be shown the door after their slow start. After completely laying an egg in the Finals, comes back the next year and goes on a tear, capturing his first NBA Championship. After a few seasons in Miami, James decides to go home to deliver a Championship to the city of Cleveland, with a group of guys that have not been close enough to even sniff the postseason and a coach that not many people believed deserved to be the head coach. Makes it to the Finals without Love/Irving/Varejao playing, Irving broke his kneecap during Game 1. James trots out during the NBA Finals with Dellavedova, James Jones, two Knicks cast-aways –JR Smith/Iman Shumpert – and Thompson. Now, that team would be lucky to win 40 games, in spite of the dominance LeBron showcases on a nightly basis. A guy that can have his third ring in his grasp with these players around him, up 2-1, is one hell of a leader in my eye.

James has solidified his position among the top ten greatest players to ever play this game. It’s a matter of how high he can climb.

“I’m the best player in the world.”