{"id":105477,"date":"2017-09-16T17:33:57","date_gmt":"2017-09-16T14:33:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hoops.co.il\/?p=105477"},"modified":"2017-09-16T17:33:57","modified_gmt":"2017-09-16T14:33:57","slug":"%d7%93%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%92-si-%d7%9e-1-10-%d7%9c%d7%93%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%92-1-100-%d7%94%d7%99%d7%9b%d7%a0%d7%a1%d7%95-%d7%9c-si-com-%d7%94%d7%9b%d7%a0%d7%99%d7%a1-%d7%9e-%d7%9c","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/?p=105477","title":{"rendered":"\u05d3\u05e8\u05d5\u05d2 SI \u05de-1-10. \u05dc\u05d3\u05e8\u05d5\u05d2 1-100 \u05d4\u05d9\u05db\u05e0\u05e1\u05d5 \u05dc-SI.COM \/ \u05d4\u05db\u05e0\u05d9\u05e1 \u05de.\u05dc"},"content":{"rendered":"<header>\n<nav class=\"main no-utility-ribbon with-tertiary with-scoreboard contextual-social-enabled hide-nav-elements\">\n<div class=\"article content body padded\">\n<h3><strong>\u2022\u05dc\u05d3\u05e8\u05d5\u05d2 \u05d4\u05de\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d4\u05d9\u05db\u05e0\u05e1\u05d5 \u05dc-SI.COM \u05d5\u05d1\u05d7\u05e8\u05d5 NBA CROSSOVER<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div class=\"component inline image margin-16-tb\">\n<div class=\"component lazy-image no-upscale no-crop rendered landscape\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn-s3.si.com\/s3fs-public\/2017\/09\/13\/nbatoptop10.jpeg\" data-alt=\"\">\n<div class=\"image-overlay\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone \" src=\"https:\/\/imagesvc.timeincapp.com\/v3\/mm\/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn-s3.si.com%2Fs3fs-public%2F2017%2F09%2F13%2Fnbatoptop10.jpeg&amp;w=800&amp;q=85\" width=\"561\" height=\"313\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><strong>10. Draymond Green, Warriors<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If Green (10.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.0 APG) comes off as arrogant, it\u2019s only because he knows exactly how good he is. He\u2019s seen entire possessions smothered by his coverage alone, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7sBckMFFMlQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bouncing from one threat to the next<\/a>\u00a0as if they weren\u2019t half the court apart. He\u2019s experienced the Warriors\u2019 offense at its highest gear, which so often relies on his playmaking as its beating heart. He also watched as Golden State lost its edge in Game 5 of the the 2016 Finals without him. That a suspended Green put himself in that predicament with a nut-kicking spree is an unfortunate part of the experience. In the end, his absence affirmed\u2014somewhat cruelly\u2014his value to one of the greatest teams in NBA history.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-5x5_LL\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-5x5 full-width-media tgx-processsed\" data-google-query-id=\"CNeyp-_zqdYCFVgwaQodx7gJhw\" data-dimensions=\"5x5\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/8484\/si\/nba\/crossover\/article_8__container__\"><iframe id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/8484\/si\/nba\/crossover\/article_8\" title=\"3rd party ad content\" name=\"google_ads_iframe_\/8484\/si\/nba\/crossover\/article_8\" width=\"5\" height=\"5\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Green has since redeemed himself as best he can, reinforcing his case as the ultimate team player\u2014in game, if not always in affect. One can count on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=C_na-t4DRG0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a periodic explosion<\/a> from Green when he sees something he doesn\u2019t like. One can also expect a steady flow of winning plays from one of the league\u2019s great gamers. There are battles within battles within battles for Green, who is never short a chip on his shoulder. The results are unimpeachable: singular defense, smart facilitation, and a selfless commitment to cause. So many players in recent years have grumbled when asked to shift up a position and guard bigger, stronger opponents. Green seems to relish it. Never is Draymond more in his element than when battling a seven-footer and daring them to step out to the perimeter.<\/p>\n<p>It would be nice if Green finished slightly better around the rim. Otherwise, he is exactly the player he needs to be to catalyze the team game around him. The way Green reads the floor on the move makes it almost useless to trap his point guard (as is so tempting with Stephen Curry). His passing is good for approximately 18 points a night between twos, threes, and free throws, a handful coming through assists at incredible angles. His shooting\u2014while touch and go\u2014offers just enough tug on the defense to keep things moving at all times. And most important of all: Green plays an all-encompassing brand of defense that allows any lesser defenders around him to play to their strengths.<\/p>\n<p>Remember: the most unsolvable defense in the NBA is a high-wire act built on Green\u2019s situational awareness. It\u2019s important that Green is so strong and so mobile. But what makes him functionally irreplaceable\u2014so much so that voters crowned Green the Defensive Player of the Year\u2014is the way he executes. When it comes to the judgment calls that determine success and failure on every defensive possession, Green is a prodigy. Even more valuable than his ability to switch out to the perimeter is that he knows exactly when he needs to.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a rare gift. There is a toggle in his brain between basketball aggression and restraint that has been calibrated to baffling precision. For every case where the wires cross, there are dozens more in perfect process. Such rigor makes one thing clear: Green, the patron saint of getting s*** done, is an absolute menace. <em>\u2014 Rob Mahoney<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"component page-break\" data-is-collection=\"\" data-page=\"1\" data-title=\"Top 100 NBA Players of 2018: LeBron or Durant at No. 1?\" data-template=\"article\"><\/div>\n<h3><strong>9. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The biggest question about Antetokounmpo (22.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 5.4 APG) went from \u201cIs he for real?\u201d to \u201cWho can stop him?\u201d in 12 months flat. The reigning Most Improved Player enjoyed an uber-breakthrough in 2016-17, setting new career-highs in basically every meaningful category: points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, FG%, Usage, PER, Win Shares, True Shooting Percentage, and a partridge in a pear tree. Even without a reliable three-point shot or all that much help around him in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo evolved into a consistently unguardable phenomenon, deploying his otherworldly length, open-court creativity and improved ball-handling to maximum effect. Over the years, writers have concocted Narnia, Wonka\u2019s Chocolate Factory, and the land of Oz, but fiction hasn\u2019t produced anything quite as magical as Antetokounmpo striding from mid-court with only one defender between him and the basket.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_2\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"2\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>Thanks to his do-everything, attack-minded offense and seamless ability to switch between numerous defensive positional assignments, there was little doubt that Antetokounmpo, an All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive Second Team selection, was the best all-around player during the Bucks\u2019 first-round series loss to the Raptors. However, his ranking here reflects an expectation of even more to come. Kobe Bryant himself recently challenged the 22-year-old Antetokounmpo to win 2018 MVP, a lofty goal indeed, but there are other important, and achievable, boxes waiting to be checked. To solidify his standing among the NBA\u2019s top 10 talents, Antetokounmpo must develop a league-average three-point stroke, improve his comfort and decision-making in the pick-and-roll, lead Milwaukee to a top-10 offense, compete for home-court advantage in the East and, of course, win a playoff series for the first time in his career.<\/p>\n<p>If he accomplishes those goals and LeBron\u00a0heads to the West in free agency, the basketball world will be forced to ponder a new question come August 2018: \u201cIs Antetokounmpo the best player in the Eastern Conference?\u201d <em>\u2014 Ben Golliver<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><strong>8. Anthony Davis, Pelicans<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Davis, considering the particulars of his game and his team in New Orleans, is really making the most of things. What was rarely a well-spaced offense last season still gave ground for Davis to put up 28 points per game on 58% True Shooting\u2014a strong figure considering the volume involved. The closest Davis (28 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 2.1)\u00a0comes to easy baskets these days are those he essentially creates for himself. There are ways for a 6\u201910\u2019\u2019 player who moves like a gazelle to get open. The shame of it is that Davis has to work as hard as he does to find those openings, much less slide anywhere near the hoop with the ball in hand.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_3\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"3\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>The interplay of shooting and mobility gets Davis by. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, to his credit, pushes on the edges of Davis\u2019s game. Some of New Orleans\u2019s sets feature Davis curling around screens and up the wing like a guard, mimicking a route that C.J. McCollum might take. Plenty of bigs in the NBA can knock down an 18-foot jumper. Davis can do it while sprinting away from his defender, planting his feet correctly on the catch, and quickly squaring his body toward the rim. (It\u2019s worth noting that Davis is a better shooter than Antetokounmpo\u2014a natural comparison given their close ranking\u2014at every range.) If this seems like a needless diversion for one of the best finishers in the league, it\u2019s not. Unlocking Davis\u2019s full potential as a shooter is the kind of development that could forever change how opponents guard him.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s saying something, considering that defenses barely know what to do with Davis as it is. His face-up game is nasty; a quick first step allows Davis to create momentum toward the rim even in close quarters, a gift that plays well off of the looming potential of his shot over top. As such, defenders wind up crashing into Davis all the time (8.6 FTA per game). They reach and they lunge because what else are they to do? The more Davis moves, the deeper the trouble for the big asked to contain him. Imagine what could be in store when there\u2019s actually enough shooting around Davis to punish the crowding defenders who have become a part of his everyday life.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_4\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"4\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>Consider the Pelicans\u2019 defense. The personnel around Davis has been decent on that end of the floor but unspectacular. Yet during his minutes last season, New Orleans essentially functioned as a top-three defensive team. (When Davis sat, for reference, the defense tanked by nearly eight points per 100 possession\u2014amounting to a bottom-three defense.) Most of the ways that Davis actually improves his station are in these broad effects. He isn\u2019t a proficient passer, for example, but his movement attracts enough attention to boost the offense. Davis rates as a good\u2014not great\u2014individual rebounder, yet the Pelicans are a dramatically better rebounding team with him on the floor. Having Davis around indirectly covers for certain deficiencies. That effect can\u2019t magically fill out New Orleans\u2019s rotation with the wing talent it needs, but through Davis so many issues are made manageable. <em>\u2014 RM<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"component page-break\" data-is-collection=\"\" data-page=\"2\" data-title=\"Top 100 NBA Players of 2018: LeBron or Durant at No. 1?\" data-template=\"article\"><\/div>\n<h3><strong>7. Chris Paul, Rockets<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Davis and Antetokounmpo are knocking on the door here, but Paul deserves the benefit of the doubt. Few are more trustworthy when it comes to the combination of talent, drive, and control. Competitors this vicious too often lose sight of their team\u2019s needs in the heat of individual matchups. Playmakers this gifted typically come with some other glaring flaw or passive streak. Not so with Paul, who can be counted on to play hard and intelligently every night with one of the point guard position\u2019s most complete skill sets.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_5\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"5\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>An offense could hardly be in better hands. Paul is the sort of basketball thinker who can keep tabs on the game\u2019s many layers at once: what\u2019s working and what isn\u2019t, why that\u2019s the case, and how the outcome is influencing the players around him. He seems to know just when a teammate needs a touch and just when an opponent is starting to lose focus. His is a mind at work. There\u2019s always some calculation running in the background with Paul, and the result is an attack run alarmingly close to technical perfection. Thinking the game like Paul does opens it up to angles of attack most players are blind to.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, that can create friction between Paul and his teammates. Experiencing the game on that level has made Paul a domineering force\u2014micromanagerial at a level that can grow tiresome. It\u2019s not that Paul is wrong when he raises these issues, merely that he does so pointedly. Sometimes his objections come in the form of a running commentary. In other cases, he will literally jump up and down in annoyance. Every teammate deals with this kind of feedback differently. It\u2019s easier to stomach, though, after seeing all that Paul can do.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_6\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"6\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>Shooters will have career years because of Paul\u2019s dedication to placement. It\u2019s not enough that a ball ends up in the right hands\u2014those hands have to actually make the catch in the right rhythm. In the same vein, Paul doesn\u2019t look to assist cutters so much as lead them. He functions on a wavelength where he is passing his teammates open, actively creating shots that aren\u2019t otherwise there. Paul has a way of finding those seams. When he isn\u2019t threading passes along them, he\u2019s slithering with a live dribble. There\u2019s only so much that can be done when a player of Paul\u2019s vision is also one of the NBA\u2019s best pull-up jump shooters. Every ball fake could be the real deal\u2014thus demanding a defensive response\u2014or merely a setup to get into the next move.<\/p>\n<p>Paul may also have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2017\/03\/22\/sports\/chris-paul-clippers-los-angeles-hands.html?mcubz=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the best hands<\/a> in basketball. They make him a bigger defender than his 6\u20190\u2019\u2019 frame would suggest, because every dribble an opponent takes becomes something that Paul can challenge. Drives against him expose the ball. Post-ups leave a crucial vulnerability\u2014along with the opportunity for Paul to draw a charge. Nine times Paul has made an All-Defensive team (including the first team in 2016-17) because he knows where to be and what risks to take. That\u2014fueled by Paul\u2019s will and enacted by those remarkable hands\u2014makes for quite the obstacle.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_7\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"7\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>And while Paul\u2019s teams over the years have met some disappointing ends, the blame shouldn\u2019t be laid at his feet. For one: Paul was injured or absent for the Clippers\u2019 biggest blunders. That he has been out of the lineup so often is a fair critique, especially as Paul enters his age-32 season. But look back on, say, L.A.\u2019s implosion against Houston in the 2015 playoffs. Parse the box scores of that series and attempt to find the game in which Paul, playing through an injured hamstring, didn\u2019t perform up to par. Ditto for his first-round loss to the Jazz in 2017, in which Paul averaged 25.3 PPG, 9.9 APG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.7 SPG without Blake Griffin. There are a few critical\u2014and undeniable\u2014mistakes on Paul\u2019s record. Yet overall, he has been one of the the most consistently great playoff (and clutch) performers of his generation, undone largely by circumstances beyond his control.<em> \u2014 RM<\/em><\/p>\n<div>\u200b<\/div>\n<div class=\"component inline image margin-16-tb\"><\/div>\n<h3><strong>6. Russell Westbrook, Thunder<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>How does the reigning MVP\u2014the only player to average a triple-double since 1962\u2014miss out on a top-five ranking? By the thinnest of margins. Even for those who anticipated a big response to Kevin Durant\u2019s departure, Westbrook (31.6 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 10.4 APG) shattered all expectations during a sensational 2016-17 season. He led the league in scoring, set an NBA record for usage rate, took his one-man army approach to even greater heights in clutch situations, and carried Oklahoma City to 47 wins. His personality, energy, conviction, indefatigability, durability and relentless playmaking made the Thunder a playoff team and must-see television. Without him, Oklahoma City was bad, boring, and sad, posting a -8.9 net rating when he went to the bench, a mark that was worse than every team in the league. Westbrook was the hope, the team, and the franchise.<\/p>\n<div class=\"component page-break\" data-is-collection=\"\" data-page=\"3\" data-title=\"Top 100 NBA Players of 2018: LeBron or Durant at No. 1?\" data-template=\"article\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_8\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"8\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>But a humbling first-round playoff series loss to the Rockets confirmed that there was a hard ceiling to The Westbrook Show, that over-relying on one player to such an insane degree was both unhealthy and counterproductive. Westbrook\u2019s response to the postseason stakes and his mediocre supporting cast was to double down and then triple down, posting insane stat lines and ugly shooting efficiency numbers in hopes of overcoming his opponents through sheer will. At its highest level, modern basketball is a lot more sophisticated than Westbrook\u2019s preferred Martyr-Ball, and the Thunder proved to be a surprisingly easy out.<\/p>\n<p>The arrival of All-Star forward Paul George represents a second chance for the 28-year-old Westbrook, who surely believed his single-minded approach last season was a matter of necessity. However, Westbrook must prove not only that he can share the ball and attention with another star but also that he can be the main driver of an elite attack during the post-Durant era. Last season, Oklahoma City\u2019s offense ranked 17th and Westbrook\u2019s True Shooting Percentage ranked 20th out of last year\u2019s 25 All-Stars. Further, in the wake of last year\u2019s early exit, Westbrook must prove that a team built around him\u2014and not his pairing with Durant\u2014can post 55+ wins and reach the conference finals. The five players above him on this list have all been the lead options for elite teams that have won at that level. <em>\u2014 BG<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_9\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"9\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<h3><strong>5. James Harden, Rockets<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Like Russell Westbrook, Harden (29.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 11.2 APG) posted a historic stat line in 2016-17 not seen since Oscar Robertson. Like Westbrook, Harden enjoyed great health and durability while maintaining a career-high usage rate so inflated that it often looked like a misprint. Like Westbrook, Harden turned in multiple 50-point games and caused his team\u2019s offensive efficiency rating to spike up by more than seven points when he took the court. Like Westbrook, Harden lifted his team into the playoffs without the help of an All-Star co-pilot. Like Westbrook, Harden\u2019s dream season crumbled in the postseason. With so many parallels, why should Harden, the 2017 MVP runner-up, get the nod over the Westbrook on this list?<\/p>\n<p>For starters, Houston\u2019s offense under Harden was much, much more efficient than Oklahoma City\u2019s under Westbrook. While one could argue that Harden had more help, his superior passing ability and pick-and-roll mastery ensured that Houston maximized the value of its supporting members, from lob target Clint Capela to spot shooters like Ryan Anderson and Trevor Ariza. The Rockets were more explosive, more consistent, and more cutting-edge than the Thunder, posting the No. 2 offense in 2017 and a top-10 offense of the three-point era.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_10\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"10\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>Harden\u2019s approach to offense is more transferrable and sustainable because it so thoroughly masters basketball\u2019s best practices by generating high-percentage looks at the rim, at the free-throw line, and at the arc. While his cheeky foul-drawing ability is well-known, Harden (68.2%) shot significantly better than Westbrook (57.6%) on shots within three feet from the hoop, and he\u2019s been a far more reliable three-point shooter over the course of their respective careers. Harden is wired as a score-first guard and he commits his fair share of turnovers in traffic, but he doesn\u2019t suffer from tunnel vision to the same degree as Westbrook, and he boasts a crisper handle, better vision, and more size on the ball. Last season, Harden also led the NBA in points generated by his assists thanks in part to his knack for creating open threes for his teammates, often by whizzing LeBron-like crosscourt passes.<\/p>\n<p>Despite his career year, a record-setting new max extension, and the arrival of Chris Paul, the 28-year-old Harden isn\u2019t ready to supplant any of the four players above him on this list. He can\u2019t match the two-way impact of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard; Stephen Curry is a far better shooter and a more efficient offensive engine. Plus, those four superstars have all played leading roles on 65+ win teams, they\u2019ve all advanced to the Finals multiple times, and they\u2019ve all won at least one title. Meanwhile, the ring-less Harden made the Finals once during his Thunder tenure and has yet to advance out of the conference finals or win 60 games as the lead guy in Houston. While Harden doesn\u2019t necessarily need to win a championship to move up on future versions of this list, he does need to meaningfully rewrite his postseason reputation after a perplexing no-show in Game 6 against the Spurs.\u00a0<em>\u2014 BG<\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_11\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"11\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<h3><strong>4. Kawhi Leonard, Spurs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>No debate in our ranking process was more agonizing than Kawhi Leonard vs. Stephen Curry. In one corner, you have the league\u2019s most impactful offensive player. In the other, you have its most balanced\u2014an all-time defender who just so happens to produce like a superstar. The points of separation are largely matters of taste. We gave Curry the edge (see below for our explanation), but there are many cases in which Leonard, who plays such a universal game, would present a greater value.<\/p>\n<div class=\"component page-break\" data-is-collection=\"\" data-page=\"4\" data-title=\"Top 100 NBA Players of 2018: LeBron or Durant at No. 1?\" data-template=\"article\"><\/div>\n<p>There is no better individual defender in the league. When Leonard sinks his teeth into a matchup, he forces his opponents out of their best options. That\u2019s enough to push some offenses to the edge; not every team is equipped to load ball handling and usage on its second- and third-best players, and yet to go right at Leonard is a roadmap to a dead end. He\u2019s so plugged in to how players think and how offenses run that even throwing a pass in his general direction presents a huge risk. Teams can try to pull the man Leonard is guarding away from the action as much as possible, but even then he demands constant supervision.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s rare for a wing player to foist such far-reaching control on that end of the floor. Some of what sets Leonard apart is just how little his coverage slips between various positions. Leonard seems just as comfortable locking up a wing shooter as he does smothering a point guard or standing ground against a big. Almost any matchup will do, which gives the Spurs tremendous flexibility in drawing their plan of attack. Once assigned, Leonard will also edge his way into plays beyond the defensive range of even high-level defenders. His sphere of influence is just slightly larger, making Leonard uniquely unpredictable.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_12\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"12\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>There is, however, some degree of diminishing returns involved when a primary creator is also a first-choice defender. Leonard shouldn\u2019t be penalized for his all-around game, but we have seen it take a toll on him in a postseason setting. Usage\u2014on both sides of the floor\u2014has its practical limits. What distinguishes Leonard is less the idea that he should bear so much responsibility at all times than the fact that he could contribute as needed from moment to moment.<\/p>\n<p>The possibilities with Kawhi are nearly endless. An expanding one-on-one game has made Leonard a handful\u2014not only bigger and stronger, but also more skilled than most of the opponents he goes up against. Now that he\u2019s hitting difficult jumpers with such regularity, Leonard\u2019s defender doesn\u2019t have much chance. The competing needs to both cut off Leonard\u2019s path to the basket and crowd his space leaves them vulnerable to every move. Any mistake is punishable by score. <em>\u2014 RM<\/em><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"component inline image margin-16-tb\"><\/div>\n<p>\u200b<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_13\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"13\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<h3><strong>3. Stephen Curry, Warriors<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>There's no player in the league that has power quite like Steph Curry. It\u2019s because of him that a certain breed of big man has become almost completely obsolete. If a power forward or center can\u2019t hang 20 feet from the basket, he can be played off the floor. It\u2019s because of Curry that switchable wings have become a functional necessity in the league, because there is no hope of beating his Warriors without them. Curry leaves nowhere to hide. Try to stash away a poor defender on one of Curry\u2019s teammates and he\u2019ll fish them out by running around staggered screens or pulling them in to defend a pick-and-roll. It takes an entire team of perfectly cast defenders to have any hope of denying Curry. Even then, the best-conceived strategies employed by well-suited opponents are left to the mercy of his long-range artillery.<\/p>\n<p>Teams will spend months fine-tuning their strategies and rotation only to have Curry dictate\u2014in no uncertain terms who can play and who cannot. To operate against his team is to throw out the book. Containing Curry requires such specialized coverage that even those who do it well are forced to abandon the delicate chemistry of their existing systems. The gravity that Curry imposes on a defense is well-documented (<a href=\"http:\/\/:https:\/\/twitter.com\/cjzero\/status\/870461905378443264%5D?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Remember this?<\/a>), but its implosive effects run even deeper than many realize. Most every Warrior sees his True Shooting Percentage skyrocket when Curry is on the floor, improving anywhere from eight to 20 (!!) percentage points. How could an opposing team hope to meet that sort of influence?<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_14\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"14\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s so hard to consistently take away what Curry does well that most teams are doomed before they even try. Often, the best option available is to hope that Curry whips a few careless passes and whiffs on a few shots he usually makes. Still he has to be closely guarded for fear of what terrors he might unleash if he\u2019s not. This is what makes Curry the best \u201coff-night\u201d player in the league. He can go 3-for-14 from the field and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/boxscores\/201612150GSW.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">finish the game<\/a> with a +20. He can go 6-of-19 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/boxscores\/201612220BRK.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">wind up +25<\/a>. He can shoot 7-of-20 against <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/boxscores\/201701160GSW.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the defending champion<\/a> Cavs and go +23 in a blowout. So harmonious is Curry\u2019s game that it can scale down from the highs of back-to-back MVPs to make room for Kevin Durant, all while leading the league in plus-minus. Golden State outscored its opponents by 1,015 points last season with Curry on the floor. The player with the next best plus-minus (Draymond Green) came in at +820.<\/p>\n<div class=\"component page-break\" data-is-collection=\"\" data-page=\"5\" data-title=\"Top 100 NBA Players of 2018: LeBron or Durant at No. 1?\" data-template=\"article\"><\/div>\n<p>If the circumstances required Curry to do more, he\u2019s shown that he could put up even crazier numbers behind league-wrecking efficiency. There is a faulty impression\u2014its flame fanned by the 2016 Finals\u2014that Curry\u2019s success is somehow phony. Some see the spectacle of his long-range game and miss the fact that Curry has become a tremendous, creative finisher (62.8% FG in the restricted area) who springs open driving lanes. They see a finely tuned offense built around him (one that Curry\u2019s shooting makes possible) and conveniently neglect that Curry was also one of the NBA\u2019s best isolation scorers last season\u2014more efficient in one-on-one situations than Durant, Leonard, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. Even Curry\u2019s defense is misunderstood; some opponents will always get the better of him, physically, but Curry can add to a sound system through his steals and timing. The mismatch situations that gave a hobbled Curry trouble in 2016 have been mitigated by his improved ability to swipe-and-recover or compete after switching.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_15\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"15\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>Whatever slight inconvenience Curry\u2019s defense might pose (if any) is obliterated by his offensive impact. There are simply too many ways that Curry makes his teammates better, and beyond that, a larger means of supporting the organization around him. Curry is the league\u2019s most accommodating superstar. It means something that he was willing to step aside for Durant\u2014or better yet, to pitch him on coming to the Warriors in the first place. His easygoing manner helps to control potential flare-ups; disagreements with teammates and perceived slights are less of an issue with Curry than they might be with other stars. No catering is necessary. All a franchise needs to do is let Curry get to work. <em>\u2014 RM<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"component inline image margin-16-tb\"><\/div>\n<h3><strong>2. Kevin Durant, Warriors<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>When the cold-blooded Durant (25.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.8 APG) lined up a deep three over LeBron James and then splashed the biggest shot of his career late in Game 3 of the Finals, he ended the long-standing narrative that he couldn\u2019t beat the King and <em>all-but-cinched <\/em>the first NBA title of his 10-year career. With that shot, and a spectacular overall showing against Cleveland, Durant validated his polarizing decision to leave Oklahoma City for Golden State, completed his comeback from a scary late-season knee injury, stated an unimpeachable Finals MVP case, and took the Warriors another step closer to becoming a full-fledged dynasty.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_16\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"16\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>But he didn\u2019t knock James off his throne.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, Durant, 28, lived his best basketball life with the Warriors last year, finishing second in the NBA in PER and setting a new career-high for True Shooting Percentage thanks to a pass-heavy, movement-heavy, high-speed, No. 1 ranked offense that hand-delivered a steady stream of dunks, open threes and exploitable one-on-one match-ups. Asked to shift up a position in Golden State\u2019s small-ball lineups, Durant also set new career-high for rebounds and blocks and was tracking towards All-Defensive team consideration prior to his knee injury.<\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath of Golden State\u2019s title, coach Steve Kerr told ESPN\u2019s Zach Lowe that Durant was a superior player to Curry, pointing to his length, size and positional versatility. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/2016\/09\/12\/nba-top-100-player-rankings\">SI\u2019s Top 100 of 2017 <\/a>reached the same conclusion for similar reasons and sees no reason to change course for 2018. While Curry is the best shooter in the history of the game with undeniable, game-altering gravity, Durant is arguably the league\u2019s top one-on-one scorer, an excellent shooter himself, and a willing and intelligent passer with plenty of experience reading defenses. But that\u2019s only the beginning: Durant is also capable of being a plus defender at both the three and the four, he possesses the mobility and length to step out on smaller players in switching scenarios, and he can protect the rim well enough to shift up to the five in super-small looks. He can deliver quality defensive minutes at playoff-level intensity against premier wings like James and Kawhi Leonard, something that Curry, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and other A-list guards cannot.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_17\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"17\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>In a vacuum, Curry\u2019s presence virtually guarantees an elite offense, and his ability to attract extra defensive attention helps average players reach their full potential. However, Durant offers a better chance at both an elite offense and an elite defense, making it easier to build a contender from a random cast of teammates. He can throttle his offense and usage up or down as needed depending on his supporting pieces, and he can fill or help to fill virtually any positional role in a team\u2019s frontcourt. The 8-time All-Star and 7-time All-NBA selection creates mismatches on one end and eliminates them on the other.<\/p>\n<div class=\"component page-break\" data-is-collection=\"\" data-page=\"6\" data-title=\"Top 100 NBA Players of 2018: LeBron or Durant at No. 1?\" data-template=\"article\"><\/div>\n<p>Had James been less exquisite during the Finals, the door might have opened for Durant to claim the top spot on this year\u2019s list. But Cleveland\u2019s four-time MVP somehow averaged a 33-point triple-double against a far superior Golden State team loaded with quality primary and secondary defensive options geared to stop him. If the two superstars had switched teams for the series, Durant wouldn\u2019t have been able to replace James\u2019s passing, playmaking and decision-making for the Cavaliers. In that hypothetical star-swap scenario, Golden State likely sweeps Cleveland, as the Warriors\u2019 depth and talent advantages would have ultimately overwhelmed Durant. He would surely have found himself stuck without enough help to counter James.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_18\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"18\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>In a vacuum, James\u2019s superior ability to fashion a highly-efficient offense from cast-offs and role players stands as a key tie-breaker in a head-to-head comparison with Durant. His basketball intelligence and ability to lift his game and all-around production to unprecedented levels in the postseason do too. Durant has shown that he can put together more consistent and efficient 82-game seasons, and he checked some critical boxes this season by claiming his first ring and Finals MVP against James. To finally surpass James, who has sat directly above him atop this list for the past five years, Durant must take his game to an even higher level and hope for some age-related slippage from his long-time rival. This much is clear: The gap between the two future Hall of Famers has never been closer. <em>\u2014 BG<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u200b<\/p>\n<div class=\"component inline image margin-16-tb\"><\/div>\n<h3><strong>1. LeBron James, Cavaliers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Slowly but surely, some minor cracks have developed in James\u2019s seemingly impenetrable reputation as the NBA\u2019s best player. He hasn\u2019t won MVP honors or led the league in PER or Win Shares since 2013. He hasn\u2019t earned an All-Defensive selection since 2014. He hasn\u2019t captained the league\u2019s top offense or played for the league\u2019s winningest team since 2013. He \u201conly\u201d finished fourth in 2017 MVP voting, second in the league\u2019s most recent ranking of jersey sales, and third in 2016 All-Star fan votes.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_19\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"19\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>But James (26.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.7 APG) maintains the No. 1 spot on this list for the fifth straight year because he continues to consistently reach heights that no other current player\u2014and virtually no other player from any era\u2014can touch. Even after 14 seasons and 12 playoff runs, his peak play tops any of his contemporaries\u2019 peaks, and he\u2019s proven in each of the past three years that he can sustain that transcendent level of dominance throughout an entire postseason run and against superior opponents whose game plans are specifically geared toward exhausting him.<\/p>\n<p>The only player in NBA history to match James\u2019s 2017 postseason stats\u201432.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 7.8 APG\u2014across multiple playoff rounds was James himself in 2009. The only player in NBA Finals history to match James\u2019s triple-double stats against Golden State\u201433.6 PPG, 12 RPG, 10 APG\u2014was no one. He routinely threw together jaw-dropping performances, complete with beautiful spin moves, laser passes and chase-down blocks, against the Warriors\u2019 armada of skilled defenders. Underline that point twice in red ink: James\u2019s unprecedented individual playoff heroics came against a juggernaut that deserves a place in the Greatest Team of All-Time conversation. His feats would be worthy of gushing if they came against an average Finals opponent, and they deserve to be amplified given Golden State\u2019s obscene degree of difficulty.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-728x90_LL_20\" class=\"ad ad-container ad-wrapper type-728x90 desktop-ad tgx-processsed\" data-dimensions=\"728x90\" data-tgxposition=\"20\" data-tgxlazy=\"50\"><\/div>\n<p>Make no mistake, James\u2019s regular season was great too. He averaged better than 25\/5\/5 for the 13th (!) straight season, he led the league in Real Plus-Minus and minutes per game, he captained the most efficient offense of his career, he averaged career-highs in rebounding and assists, and he rediscovered his confidence in his three-point shot. Along the way, he became the only person to stave off aging more effectively than Halle Berry.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, James enters this season facing more questions and potential landmines than at any time since he won his first title in 2012. Kyrie Irving\u2019s departure combined with Isaiah Thomas\u2019s hip injury will place an even greater burden on his shoulders during the regular season. The rumor mill surrounding his 2018 free-agency has already been going full tilt since June. The gap between the Warriors and Cavaliers has only grown wider during the offseason. The typical production\/age curve suggests that Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden\u2014all under-30 talents that fill out this list\u2019s top-five\u2014should expect to make up ground on the 32-year-old James.<\/p>\n<p>Irving\u2019s trade request and exit adds another wrinkle to this discussion, as it represents the first time that a star has chosen to leave James\u2019s side. For years, James\u2019s skill has always justified whatever other baggage or distractions that his personality, fame, ego and contract situation might create. Now, suddenly, here\u2019s a convincing piece of evidence that the scales have tipped, at least for one young, hungry All-Star. In light of Curry\u2019s willingness to recruit Durant and Durant\u2019s subsequent decision to take less money so that Golden State\u2019s rotation could stay together, a new argument against James might develop. If the Warriors emphatically repeat as champs, some observers might be inclined to assert that Durant or Curry should surpass James as the sport\u2019s best player because they\u2019ve shown that winning at an extraordinarily high level for years on end need not be a dramatic and volatile enterprise.<\/p>\n<div class=\"component page-break\" data-is-collection=\"\" data-page=\"7\" data-title=\"Top 100 NBA Players of 2018: LeBron or Durant at No. 1?\" data-template=\"article\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<\/header>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2022\u05dc\u05d3\u05e8\u05d5\u05d2 \u05d4\u05de\u05dc\u05d0 \u05d4\u05d9\u05db\u05e0\u05e1\u05d5 \u05dc-SI.COM \u05d5\u05d1\u05d7\u05e8\u05d5 NBA CROSSOVER 10. Draymond Green, Warriors If Green (10.2 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.0 APG) comes off as arrogant, it\u2019s only because he knows exactly how good he is. He\u2019s seen entire possessions smothered by his coverage alone, bouncing from one threat to the next\u00a0as if they weren\u2019t half the court [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-105477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-all-posts","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=105477"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105477\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105482,"href":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105477\/revisions\/105482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=105477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=105477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hoops.co.il\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=105477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}