For NBA fans

[The Professor]

Yeah, I agreed Dray was great as a Warrior, but on another team he is nowhere near the same player. Millsap by comparison could play on multiple teams and have a similar impact.

Paul George...he just got a new coach and practically a brand new team, a team btw that makes no sense. Jeff Teague is a crappy shooter who needs the ball in his hands to be effective at all. Monta Ellis has lost a step and still isn't a great shooter (different than being a great scorer), and a huge sieve on defense. Myles Turner is a blossoming stud but just like KAT, who is better, is struggling to fulfill that potential under a new coach. Oh, and said coach is Nate McMillan, whose teams have always peaked at decent no matter the talent because he's not very creative. Yet George will be great enough to take them to the playoffs and give them a punchers chance to beat anybody just like he did last year against Toronto when they went the distance.

[Spencer 555]

Good points he did look like a total baller last year against us until norm powell shut his ass down lol. Im probably reading too much into the pacers being bad around him and him actually having talented players on his team. Turner looks like a beast and teague was an all star not long ago.

[Spencer 555]

30-39:

Wall
Aldridge
Love
Whiteside
Hayward
Bledsoe
Conley
Walker
Porzingis
Batum

[Spencer 555]

40-50 last list, next 50 aren't worth writing about lol. (I plan on making a massive tldr write up soon lol)

Isiah Thomas
Lopez
Howard
Beal
Ibaka
Dragic
Ariza
Pau pau
Crowder
Jokic
Turner

Special shoutouts: Victor Oladipo, Otto Porter Jr, Danillo Gallinari. Just missed the cut.

[Spencer 555]

Tier 1: The Gods

1. Lebron James Cavs: The king. This should be nuf said, but he truly is the best player weve seen since Jordan. He's a fantastic all around player who can completely dominate any game on both ends of the floor. He may not be the best offensive player in the game, but his awareness is unmatched and he may go down in history as the 2nd greatest player to ever play the game. I know cleveland has a big three, but they would be nothing without this guy, so him beating GSW in the finals last year was a defining moment for his NBA career. Ive been skeptical of putting him #1 on my list since the emergence of some other great players, but this is his spot until his game regresses due to age lol.

2. Kevin Durant GSW: The heir to the throne. Possibly the most versatile scorer weve ever seen in the game. A 7 foot guard (literally!) who has the defensive versatility to guard every position competently. He may not have the dominance of Lebron on the defensive end, but Durant's ability to score at will on anyone is truly amazing. The strides this dude is making on the defensive side of the ball this year in GS is really encouraging too. He has to be the frontrunner for MVP this year imo.

3. Steph Curry GSW: The best shooter of all time. He may also be one of the top 5 ball handlers of all time. The dude is just so completely lethal on the offensive end of the court that his defensive and athletic liabilities dont matter. Steph may be one of the worst 1 on 1 defenders in the league, but he's smart enough to play well in a good system and he sneakily is one of the better players in the league when it comes to getting steals.

4. Kawhi Leonard SAS: The Lebron killer. The best 1 on 1 wing defender in the game. He combines a very solid, intelligent game on offense with his suffocating defense. This dude may go down as the best wing defender since pippen with more offensive polish.

5. Russel Westbrook OKC: The little engine that could. Hes the duracell bunny. He just keeps going and going and going and never gets tired. He's basically doing to the league right now what a young MJ did back in the 80s. I truely believe if you took westbrook and kobe bryant and combined them in a machine you would have MJ. Hes insane on both ends of the court, and may be the most dominant player in the league when he's rested.

6. James Harden Houston: The nastiest player in the league right now. This dude is basically a star soccer forward. What I mean by that is to say that he's mastered the art of slipping through defenses and drawing contact. On top of that, this dude can pass with the best of em and shoot efficiently. His game is really unique and he's a 1 man show in houston, but the sky is the limit for that team when he is defensively engaged. If this dude had Westbrook's endurance he would be the best player ever. That being said, he uses up all of his energy on the offensive side of the ball and rarely hustles on the defensive end. This would be totally fine if he was surrounded by a good defense like steph curry is, but he's not, and so houston sucks on that end. Honestly think Harden is one of the best offensive players of all time even with the annoying flops.

7. Chris Paul Clippers: The point God. Chris may be the last of a dying breed. I compare his game to Gary Payton and Jason Kidd, but I honestly think he's better then both. Easily one of, if not the smartest player in the NBA right now, he just finds his teammates and sets them up for success in every situation. The dude may not be on a dominant level like the players on this list before him, but historically, he may go down as the best pure point guard of all time.

Tier 2: The Not Quite Gods.

8. Anthony Davis NOP: Davis, to me, is clearly the best of the rest right now. He is so young and so promising both offensively and defensively, but he is still trying to figure out his game. On top of that he is injury prone. Injuries have spoiled his last few seasons and he may have slowed down a bit in the process. This was once a player I would have had in my top 5 at 20 years old and he hasnt really improved his game since then. On the bright side, he is still the most athletic big man (not including the slim reaper) weve seen in the league since Kevin Garnett. Imagine a longer, equally athletic Kevin Garnett who could shoot 3s... thats what Davis can be in this league! Along with Giannis, he may be the only player in the league capable of getting a quadruple double (or cinco* double if u have any imagination). Best PF/C in the league fo sho.

9. Demarcus Cousins SAC: The Boogie man. Hes kinda stuck in this spot right now, and probably would have been #9 on my list the last couple years if not for the fact that ive never done this before. Thing about cousins, is he doesn't have as exciting a ceiling as any of the guys ranked ahead of him on this list, but that doesn't change the fact that he is a complete player and is actually improving. People underestimate how complete a player Boogie really is both offensively and defensively. His defense isn't amazing, but I think he is an underrated post defender with some lateral quickness. On the kings, I think he loses interest of playing defense at times, but when he's locked in he becomes a positive on both ends of the court. Bringing us to his offensive game.. which is just fantastic. He's a bulldog on the glass and in the post, he doesn't turn the ball over much, he can run the offense and pass high low, he's awesome. And now he shoots 3s consistently lol. I think he's essentially plateaued here, but you could make a case he is better then Davis right now. Definitely the best Pure center in the game (even though he isnt really a pure center)

10. Giannis Antetekounmpo MIL: (did I get that right?) The Greek Freak. There exists a dream scenario where Giannis becomes the best player in the league. He's surprisingly not that far off either. This dude is like a bigger, stronger, faster, Longer, more athletic Durant without the shot or the handle. He has the ability to play + Defense at every position, he can run the offense as a point guard, and he can post up bigs and still get his shot up. This dude has improved so much over the last few years it's pretty amazing. To see a 22 year old make LBJ look like his bitch was so cool. I dont know what the ceiling is for this guy, but the league has to be on watch at all times.

[Spencer 555]

Tier 3: The Elite Players

11. Blake Griffin clippers: He may not be a potential MVP candidate, but he might be the most important player on a team led by Chris Paul. Blake is the #1 scoring option on this team and he does so with a very polished mid range game. Though the mid range is a faux-pas in the league today, Blake is efficient enough to draw coverages and explosive/big enough to get down and dirty without the ball. Without a 3 point shot or elite rebounding skills, Blake isn't a mega star in this league, but he is a complete player regardless and a very solid defender. One of the most fun players to watch because of his dunking ability and tough shot making.

12. Draymond Green GSW: If Kawhi is the best 1 - 1 defender, this is the best system defender. This is not a very athletic player with a lot of skill, but Draymond mixes his bulk, lateral quickness, tenacity and ability to read defenses to become a dominant force on the defensive end. I think he should have won the defensive player of the year award last year, and I hope he wins it this year. On offense, he has good vision and benefits greatly from being surrounded by great players. His shot isn't horrible when he is wide open, and he is just quick enough to blow by the weak defenders that usually guard him. This is a role player, granted, but for what he does, he is extremely valuable.

13. Marc Gasol Grizz: One of my favourite players in the league right now. Leader of the grit n grind grizzlies, he is the last of the truly great finesse big men currently in the NBA. Gasol is not very athletic and is actually very slow on both ends of the court, but his basketball IQ is off the charts. The grizz run the offense through him as he is a fantastic passer from the high post and a very good spot up shooter. Add to that a solid post up game and even a 3 point shot this year and you've got the whole package on offense for a non freak of nature. On defense, he may have lost a step from the days where he won a defensive player of the year, but he is the anchor of one of the best defensive teams for the last decade. First white dude on the list too so that's always cool.

14. Jimmy Butler CHI: One of the hardest workers in the NBA, Jimmy took what was expected to be a horrible shot and raw offensive ability and turned himself into the #1 scorer on a team that features dwyane wade. Jimmy has always been a fantastic defender, potentially a top 5 1 - 1 wing defender in the league, but his offensive game has really improved to the point he is a borderline superstar in the league. I think the addition of Wade has helped Jimmy get to another level, and he may have plateaued here, but the bulls will be a playoff team because of him and in spite of having no outside shooting lol. We'll see if Wade can teach him how to get to the rim more creatively.

15: Kyle Lowry TOR: Kloe is essentially the boogie cousins of point guards. His game is so complete and polished and he's a mean motherfucker. The dude is a bulldog who knows how to step up when his team needs him and he makes so many sneaky hustle plays for the team that don't get tracked on the box score. Lowry may not be as talented as some of the PGs behind him, but unlike them, he defends his position as well as anyone and he has a much higher basketball IQ. The leader of an elite team in the NBA, Kyle has proven time and time again that he deserves to be considered one of the best at his position. Reminds me of Chauncey Billups.

16. Paul Milsap ATL: Much like Draymond Green, this is a role player. Milsap is a swiss army knife that can do everything on defense for his team and is very competent on offense as well. Though Milsap is smaller then draymond and lacks the rebounding tenacity, he is a better 1 - 1 defender on the wing and equally good in the post. On top of that, the hawks appear to be trash without him on the court and a pretty scary playoff team with him. Its amazing how much influence stretch 4s are having on our game.

Tier 4: The Flawed All Stars

17. Damien Lillard POR: This is steph curry light. He's basically only held back by his system and coaches. I imagine if both he and switched teams, I would have to swap these two ranks. That being said, steph is the real deal and lillard honestly pales in comparison on both ends of the court. One of the most exciting players to watch as he and cj play heroball and the rest of the team watches in awe. I hate portland btw lol.

18. Andre Drummond DET: May be the best rebounder in the league, but his offensive game is very flawed on a team that needs him to score. Though he has the size and explosiveness to be one of the best in the league, he doesnt have the intensity on either end of the court to be in that next tier. His inconsistency may be the only thing holding him back though.

19. Karl Anthony-Towns MIN: Probably the most exciting young player drafted in the last two years along with Kristaps and Simmons, KAT is an incredible talent. Hes a work in progress as of yet and honestly hasnt shown the big step I expected from him this year, but even so he is still one of the best players in the league. If he can put together his raw offensive and defensive games, he has Anthony Davis esque potential.

20. Kyrie Irving CLE: To me, this is Damian Lillard light. Blessed with a silky smooth shot and awesome handles, but not as much offensive or defensive awareness as his two top comparables. He is essentially a premium, elite scorer who may be a worse defender 1 - 1 then steph and he doesn't have the IQ to get steals. That being said, its hard to leave him out of the top 20 knowing he would school pretty much anyone 1v1. If not for Lebron, Irving would be a disappointment on a bad team.

[Spencer 555]

21. Paul George IND: Probably should be in the complete player tier, George is a stud wing defender with size enough to defend 4 positions at an elite level. That being said, I really was hoping George would consider the 4 and use bird as a mentor as I consider Bird to be a top 5 player all time. George has a very pretty shot and has proven he can run the offense in indiana, but I think he would be more valuable to the pacers in a kawhi esque role where he focuses on defending and is a massive off ball threat on offense. George's career path has been pretty frustrating for me.

22. Al Horford BOS: Another complete player both on offense and defense, but certainly not as dominant as the guys in the tier above him. He's got a very solid old man's game, but lacks the lateral quickness to be milsap/draymond at PF and lacks the size/length to be boogie/gasol at C. As much as the whole tweener thing is becoming a good thing in our league today, Horford is flawed in the sense that he is a true tweener. His passing is pretty underrated too.

23. Klay Thompson GSW: Would have been near the top of tier 3 last year, but his defense has taken a nose dive since bogut left. I think the combo of klay and bogut was probably what made him look so good defensively, but with no rim protection to cover for his mistakes, he is looking like a liability now on that end. That being said, this is a player we considered above average defensively last year who has a devastating offensive weapon (second best shooter in the league) and can create his own shot. I would love to see what klay looked like on another team. (4 gsw in the top 25...)

24-25 Rudy Gobert UTA and Deandre Jordan Clips: Was a tossup between Rudy and Jordan for 24 but I decided to go with the younger, more athletic and long Gobert. Both of these bigs are extremely athletic and can finish above the rim for exciting oops and dunks, but that being said, neither has any kind of post up game whatsoever and both have pretty shitty hands. They also both suck pretty badly at free throws... especially hackajordan lol. These two are perennial defensive players of the year though and are basically following in the footsteps of dwight howard at the center position. These players may be black holes offensively, but they more then make up for it with the highlight reel plays. Just dont ever let them hold the ball.

26-27 CJ Mccollum POR, Demar Derozan TOR: Again, two very similar players with similar flaws and talents. Decided to give the edge to CJ simply because he has a better handle and more range. Neither has the prettiest shot in the world, but both are elite scorers and can get to the basket at will. Demar is the #1 scoring option for an elite team, granted, but CJ being behind lillard doesn't make him any less lethal. The fundamental flaw for these two is the play on the defensive end. Both are athletically gifted players with some size, but neither can keep even weak offensive players in front of them.

28 Kristaps Porzingis NYK: The next Dirk? Second Whitey on this list, if not including mixed players, Porzingis is a raw 7'3 giant with some lateral quickness, deep 3 point range and a developing basketball IQ. You could make a case for kristaps to be even higher on this list already, but the inconsistency in his game on both ends of the court is a bit too much to be ranking him any higher then this. This is a guy who could defend boogie cousins in the post and then get posted up by Kyle Lowry the next game. Intriguing talent regardless, he is making the knicks watchable and he has a pretty good mentor playing along side the guy I ranked next.

29. Carmelo Anthony NYK: This dude is so damn clutch. Hes bulky, has lost a ton of athleticism, and doesn't always seem engaged, but anthony is still one of the best players in our league. The thing about anthony that always drove me nuts is the ball seems to stop at him when the play breaks down and he seems incapable most of the time to pass up the shot. He hits daggers at a higher % then probably anyone in the NBA right now, but that has always bothered me about his game. Other then that though, he's just a really solid and efficient player nowadays. He's become a decent defender at the 4 and is still quick and savvy enough to score whenever he wants on most defenders. HoFer

30. Dwyane Wade CHI: Pretty much the exact same situation as Anthony, but Anthony's old man game is slightly stronger because his game never really relied on athleticism. Wade still has the ability to turn back the clock when he wants to, but he has taken a back seat to the Butler show in chicago. It was a real pleasure getting to see Wade be the #1 option in the playoffs last year for miami, but that ship has sailed. You have to really respect this guy for taking a backseat in his prime for lebron and now has become a really amazing vet for young players. One of the best of all time.

31. Jon Wall WAS: Wall is essentially the most skilled pure point guard on this list not named chris paul, but he's killed by his inefficient shooting and poor attitude. I honestly dont understand how the wizards can be so terrible with the players they have on the team but they are. It essentially forced my hand in ranking Wall a bit behind lillard and kyrie even though I think he probably deserves a better ranking then them. Wall is an elite fascilitator and can score at the rim at will, his problem I think is he gets frustrated too easily with the inconsistent play of his teammates and starts heaving bad shots that he isn't capable of making. This is not a player who makes bad shots, and I think when he realises he is more of a #2 option his efficiency will imprive and so will his teammates. He needs to encourage beal to be the #1 guy like lowry did for derozan. Amazingly talented player regardless.

32-33 Lamarcus Aldridge SAS Kevin Love CLE: Coming into the year I probably would have ranked aldridge a little higher, but this dude just isn't the player I thought he was. Maybe it's because he's struggling to find his role on a team where pop is the star, but aldridge is having the worst year of his career after a promising start on the spurs last year. I think Love and Aldridge are pretty much the same player at this point. They are both talented enough to be #1 options on bad teams, but they are too flawed defensively and not dominant enough on offense to control a game. I would love to see if aldridge can handle the 5 defensively because I feel like he has regressed as a PF. To me, both are still extremely talented players, but I would rather Al Horford any day of the week. Tweeners.

Tier 5: The borderline allstars

33. Hassan Whiteside MIA: Similar to a young version of Dwight Howard. Almost as dominant too. But clearly has some demons and doesnt really understand his role in on an NBA team. He would be much better off if he just embraced his talents and accepted his offensive limitations like gobert and jordan, but whiteside (much like howard) seems to think he can develop a post up game and be shaq. I just dont see that happening and I think he has taken a step back defensively now that bosh and wade arent their to stop him from being dumb. The dude just wants to get 10 blocks a game and 20 points.

34. Gordon Hayward UTA: Pretty under the radar player in Utah, but one of the better players in the league. Should honestly probably be higher on this list, but I bumped him below some of the other SG who are clearly better then him offensively. Hayward is an unselfish, efficient scorer who plays solid defense. Nothing really elite about him, but he doesn't have any flaws either. He basically represents what this tier is about lol.

[Spencer 555]

35. Eric Bledsoe Suns: Basically a younger, more in shape Kyle Lowry without the range. Bledsoe, much like Hayward is just a really solid player who makes good plays. I would say Bledsoe also reminds me of Wall in the sense that when he gets frustrated he kills the team with poor shot choices. This is not a #1 option scorer, but he knows how to run an offense, defends his position well and makes a lot of hustle plays. I think his ceiling is a slightly better Kyle Lowry, but it's unlikely he'll ever develop that kind of deep 3 point range.

36. Mike Conley Griz: Also pretty similar player to Kyle Lowry in the sense that he is a solid pg who can defend his position and run the offense, but unlike lowry and bledsoe, conley really doesnt have the ability to impose his will on a game. Conley is just a very responsible solid pg with consistency.

37. Kemba Walker CHA: This is an emerging young(ish) pg who may be breaking out this year. I think Kemba has the scoring ability to become an all star #1 option in this league and he actually defends his position well, but he lacks consistency on a nightly basis. Kemba imo has the skillset to be a top 20 player.

38. Nic Batum CHA: Very similar player to Gordon Hayward, but less of a scorer and not as laterally quick as Hayward defensively. Batum is a swiss army knife who can do a lot for your team, both defensively and offensively on the wing, but he's pretty slow and has a hard time creating his own shot. On top of that his jumper can be inconsistent.

39. Isiah Thomas BOS: Actually could be an allstar this year, but his size and inability to defend 1 - 1 make him hard to rank higher then this. He is the #1 option on a pretty solid team, but I think he is better suited as the 6th man regardless. Rich man's lou williams/jamaal crawfors. I think he has plateaued.

40. Brook Lopez NETS: The second Finesse big on the board, Lopez is a pretty underrated player. Aside from his low motor, Lopez actually has an extremely high skillset. Good rebounder, good post defender, good rim protector and offensively he makes things happen. That being said he's surrounded by incompetence and sucks in the pick n roll. Hes soooo fuckin slow. I think this is JV's ceiling.

Tier 6: The really good players

41. Dwight Howard ATL: Really similar to Hassan whiteside as mentioned earlier. He may have become one of the all time great defensive players in the league if he didnt get so caught up in trying to improve his post up game. What a stupid waste of talent this guy is. Still one of the best bigs in the league at this point though.

42. Bradley Beal WAS: Much like his teammate, wall, Beal has elite talent and could move up the ranks of this list in a hurry. His career has been derailed by injuries though and I honestly feel like he and wall have chemistry issues. Beal really has the skillset to become a #1 option scorer for a great team and he can defend multiple positions well when he is engaged. Sky is the limit for this dude if he can ever get healthy and gain wall's respect.

43. Serge Ibaka ORL: Tweener big who has yet to be allowed to really prove himself as a centre. I believe if Ibaka was given a role more suited to his skillset (centre beside a stretchy 4) he could potentially dominate. This is a player being forced to play at PF and is not laterally quick enough anymore to keep up defensively on the perimeter but he is also a player with very good rim protecting skills and can guard most people in the post as well. Im thinking a light version of chris bosh with a higher defensive ceiling. That all being said, he is ranked here as a PF so he is a solid player in the league, he used to be much better though.

44. Goran Dragic MIA: Pretty unique, tall point guard. He doesn't have much athleticism, but he is creative enough to get to the rim and run an offense. His shot is pretty awful, but he remains an efficient scorer regardless. He's the last PG to make this list and their is a pretty big gap between him and the next I'd say.

45. Trevor Ariza HOU: The typical 3 and D player. Ariza has really stepped up his game this year. Big enough to switch onto 4s and quick enough to keep up with any wing, Ariza is an elite NBA defender. His offensive game is completely one dimensional though. He's essentially a rich man's JR smith.

46. Pau Gasol SAS: Pau is old as fuck and it shows, but he's savvy and big enough to still be a positive on the defensive end. An elite passer and post up player, Pau is also still a very solid contributor offensively. 5 years ago, this dude was severely underrated.

47. Jae Crowder BOS: Same as Ariza, but not quite as good defending the speedy little guys. Ariza is just better overall really. I think the only case Crowder can make is he's bigger and would make lebron james work.

48. Nikola Jokic DEN: Underrated rookie last year and being utilized poorly this year by the dumb nuggets coach. Jokic is another finesse big and probably the last wed see on a top 100 list for awhile. That being said, I think Jokic has extremely high potential. He has some lateral quickness for a big white dude and is a very smart defender as a 5. Furthermore, his offensive game is far from polished and yet the nuggets run a lot of plays through him in the high post as he has excellent court vision. Jokic is a future top 20 tier 3 talent.

49. Myles Turner IND: Much like Jokic, I see a path for Turner to become a top 20 player. That being said, Im more confident in Jokic, because he just looks so smooth and consistent for a young guy. Turner on the other hand is highly inconsistent. That being said, he has the tools to be truly dominant. Really big and athletic guy who is learning to play the 5 after mainly playing PF in college, he has a lot of raw tools on both offense and defense. Really nice jump shot for a guy his size too.

50. Victor Oladipo OKC: Was hard to rank oladipo over porter jr here because I believe in Porter as a really good 3 and D player with more offensive skill then both crowder and ariza, but the wiz suck so dipo it is. Oladipo is a very athletic wing defender who can play some point guard. His offensive game is really unpolished and he's not really an elite defender, but alongside westbrook, he has really upped his game. I always liked him on the magic and thought it was stupid of the magic to trade him for Ibaka, but after making this list I can kinda understand the temptation. Dipo shows no signs of developing into a #1 option and isnt the best fit as a role player, but the overall package is nice.

[Spencer 555]

Hope you guys enjoy lol. I think if I kept going there would be 9 "Tiers" total for every player in the league. The really good player tier was about ten players away (approximately) from being done and then that was going to transition into "the good players" and then into "the meh players" and then "the bad players". Im considering ranking my top 100 players without writing descriptions just cause I wanna see where I would rank the remaining raptors (most of whom I expect to fall in the top 100) and see which teams have the most top 100 players.

[Spencer 555]

Interestingly I ranked the top teams based on my top 50 scoring them assuming 1=100 and 50=2 and the results form a pretty accurate representation of the league power rankings.

1-GSW
2- LAC
3- CLE
4- SAS
5- TOR
6- POR
7- CHI
8- MEM
9- HOU
10- OKC
11- BOS
12- NYK
13- ATL
14- UTA
15- NOP
16- SAC
17- MIL
18- DET
19- MIN
20- IND
21- CHA
22- MIA
23- WAS
24- Suns
25- Nets
26- ORL
27- Den
28- LAL
29- DAL
30- PHI