Top 100: 100-67
Just when you thought you were out of the top-100 lists, I'm here to pull you back in.
We are so back!
The NBA season finally tip-offs tonight, and in honor, I’m giving you my top 100 just in the nick of time.
Turns out, doing a top 100 by yourself—while fully employed, a burden I did not have last year—takes a lot of f-ing time. (Perhaps doing this alone is a fool’s errand. Or I’m just a foolish Aaron.) Yet, this is a labor of love that I didn’t want to join the trash island-sized pile of partially completed works that litter my desktop, office, closets, garage, and mind.
It’s better late than never—and this year, fully free!
For anyone that did not check the list last season, here are the criteria, and just some general considerations:
This list is not wholly predictive, so prior excellence receives a boost over projected play. But that doesn’t mean a player like Wemby or Cooper isn’t higher than his established resume would otherwise dictate.
I am a coach’s son, and as such, gaudy stats will always matter less to me than substantive impact.
The tiebreaker in many of these cases is as simple as: “Which player would I rather build around on my team?” The reality is that the NBA is loaded with exceptional talents, and the distinctions of greatness are very much subjective.
To that end, nearly all these players are in relative tiers ranging from 4–8 players. Meaning that if you’re offended that I have a player 13th because you think he’s 9th, that distinction is fairly irrelevant.
A player’s context is incredibly important to me. That is why I have someone like Josh Hart lower than I think others would. I love Hart, but he really stymies the way a team can play and is greatly benefited by his role on the Knicks. Same goes for a player like Miles Bridges, who played far outside of himself last season because who the hell else was going to do anything in Charlotte?
I included injured players in large part because a very significant number of these guys seem like they are on the path to play this season. Also, this isn’t just about this year, I slotted them based on what I thought they would be going forward, even with some injury regression.
To quote Nate Duncan: “The best ability is availability.” If a player has a significant injury history, he has to prove to me that he can be relied upon long enough to warrant being considered above players who show up nightly.
I have tried like hell to disregard all the other top-100s out there, so any likeness is merely a reflection of hive think.
The player notes are done in a freethought style. So, you will get plenty of statistical nuance, some anecdotal evidence, some observations, some humorous commentary, but not a hard-and-fast format. Still, I tried to embed this with a lot of meat in terms of stats.
The stats under each player are reflective of what I thought most important out of a selection of four or five choices.
I cannot deny that I’m more excited to discuss some players than others, and that will be reflected in how many characters they receive here.
I wrote a hell of a lot more about each player in this edition. Sorry. Or you’re welcome.
Yes, I’m last to the party, but anyone who knew me in my 20s knows that I never struggled to catch up. Having this list as a marker for my assessment of these players is important to me, and hopefully provides some utility to you.
#100 Mitchell Robinson, C, NYK
Age: 27 Height: 7’0” Weight: 240 Exp: 7
PTS: 5.1 REB: 5.9 ORB: 3.2 MPG: 17.1
Robinson is a throwback to centers of old. There is no off-the-dribble game, no perimeter game, and if he takes a shot outside the restricted area, it means the shot clock was at 0.1— 91.6% of his career field-goal attempts are from three feet or less. No, this isn’t some newfangled, hybridized version of a post player. Robinson lives in the restricted area, blocks shots, finishes with dunks, and rebounds like an absolute maniac—particularly on the offensive glass, where his 17.4% offensive rebound percentage was second only to Steven Adams among regular players last season.
Though calling Robinson a “regular player” may be generous, as he’s only appeared in 48 regular-season games combined over the last two years. If he can find his way back to a relatively healthy season, Robinson is an absolute difference-maker as one of the league’s best rebounding forces.
#99 De’Andre Hunter, F, CLE
Age: 27 Height: 6’8” Weight: 221 Exp: 6
PTS: 17.0 AST: 1.4 3PT%: 40.5% 3PM: 2.5
Over the last few seasons, Hunter has turned himself into one of the league’s most deadly shooters—and with it, one of it’s best reserves—as evidenced by his fourth-place finish in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season. But despite his impressive scoring and efficiency, Hunter has become a bit of a one-trick pony. His defensive reputation has eroded from the lofty standing he held entering the league, and his lack of ball movement can stifle the flow of the offense. Those issues are why Hunter has been relegated to a reserve role over the past couple of seasons—yet they’re also what make him one of the league’s best players off the bench.
#98 Anfernee Simons, G, BOS
Age: 26 Height: 6’3” Weight: 200 Exp: 7
PTS: 19.3 FG%: 42.6 3PT%: 36.3 3PM: 3.1
I’ve compared Simons and Tyler Herro several times in the past, and with the former entering a contract season for a team that will be in real need of his offensive firepower, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a glow-up similar—though unlikely to reach the same peak—to that of Herro’s last season. Simons is a professional scorer who can get as hot over a three-minute stretch as any shooter in the league.
The issues in his game, of course, stem from the fact that he might also surrender a career night to just about any opposing player. Simons should flourish in a Boston offense that over-features what he does best, but it’ll be interesting to see how he performs on the defensive end for a coach who demands a lot on that side of the floor.
#97 Keegan Murray, F, SAC
Age: 25 Height: 6’8” Weight: 225 Exp: 3
PTS: 12.4 RPG: 6.7 FG%: 44.4 3PT%: 34.3
Sadly, Murray’s year begins with him sidelined by a UCL tear in his left thumb. But once the recently extended forward returns, this season should go a long way toward clarifying just what type of player Murray is going to become. After entering the league as a burgeoning marksman, Murray has seen his shooting numbers drop off over the last two years.
To Murray’s credit, some of that decline can fairly be attributed to the intense defensive workload he’s been saddled with in Sacramento after the Kings traded defense for offense in acquiring Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. Murray has become the Kings’ go-to defender for the opposition’s toughest matchups across both forward positions, and he has acquitted himself well in that role—but it’s come at the expense of his offensive development.
Hopefully, the addition of Nique Clifford this year will lighten some of that load, and we can get back to seeing the potential Murray has shown as a versatile scorer who can hurt you on the perimeter, in the post, or with an off-the-dribble game we’ve only seen small glimpses of.
#96 Tobias Harris, F, DET
Age: 33 Height: 6’8” Weight: 226 Exp: 14
PTS: 13.7 REB: 5.9 FG%: 47.7 3PT%: 34.5
What a wild ride the Tobias Harris experience has been. Over-leveraged as a primary option, Harris has found the perfect situation for himself in Detroit, where he gets to be the steadying veteran presence who does all the little things that help a team win. If you’re looking for a singularly defining skill, go elsewhere. But Harris is a plus-rebounder, plus-shooter, and plus-defender, who is perfectly comfortable—and probably prefers—being in a complementary role. On a very young Pistons team with a gaggle of players still figuring out who they are in this league, Harris’s presence as an additive vet and stylistic filament is a real benefit.
#95 Miles Bridges, F, CHA
Age: 27 Height: 6’7” Weight: 225 Exp: 6
PTS: 20.3 REB: 7.5 FG%: 43.1 3PT%: 31.3
If Bridges is the three-point shooter who averaged 35.4% from distance from ’21 to ’24, then this may be a few slots too low. If he’s the shooter who hit just 31.3% on an unconscionable 7.0 attempts last season—including only 26.6% on 2.9 attempts off the dribble—then this is too high. Either way, he remains a springy wing who can guard multiple positions and has developed into a pretty decent self-creator in isolation. That also comes with suspect situational awareness on both ends and shot selection that often leaves you wondering if he understands what he’s best at. This season, tasked with less and receiving the ball from LaMelo again, expect Bridges’ shooting numbers to look more like what we’ve become accustomed to.
#94 P.J. Washington, F, DAL
Age: 27 Height: 6’6” Weight: 230 Exp: 6
PTS: 14.7 RPG: 7.8 BPG: 1.1 SPG: 1.1 3PT%: 38.1
The version of P.J. Washington that the Mavericks have helped unlock—a 3-and-D player who is rugged, highly switchable defensively, and capable of punishing defenses that don’t respect him on the other end—is the most sought-after non-superstar archetype in the league. This is meant fully as a compliment: Washington is the ultimate “other guy.” He’s not quite dynamic enough to be a star-level performer, but he’s the type of complementary player who sets a tone with his toughness and energy.
#93 Andrew Nembhard, G, IND
Age: 25 Height: 6’4” Weight: 191 Exp: 3
PTS: 10.0 AST: 5.0 3PT%: 29.1 SPG: 1.2
At his best, Nembhard is one of the league’s toughest perimeter defenders, utilizing a combination of bruising physicality, phenomenal balance, and sharp anticipation. There may not be a better player in the league at using angles and leverage to beat opposing ballhandlers to the spot. This is to say nothing of the fact that Nembhard is putting himself in a Rondo/Murray/Maxwell category of players who significantly elevate their performance come playoff time.
So why so low? Well, regular-season Nembhard is still a very good player—but we’re also talking about someone who has never averaged more than ten points per game and shot under 30% from distance last season. And while the defense is impressive, regular season or otherwise, it’s not quite dynamically impactful enough to put him in the class of the league’s elite.
Of course, Nembhard is going to have all the opportunity in the world to showcase just how good he is this season, as his Pacers will be without T.J. McConnell (hamstring injury) to start the year and Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles tear) for the season.
#92 Onyeka Okongwu, F/C, ATL
Age: 24 Height: 6’10” Weight: 240 Exp: 5
PTS: 13.4 REB: 8.9 FG%: 56.7 DRB%: 24.0
There may not have been another player who took a bigger leap to a smaller reaction than Okongwu last season. The fifth-year big posted career highs in essentially everything except field goal percentage—which, at an impressive 56.7%, was actually his worst by 4.4% from any prior season. As impressive as his season was, it was the last 40 games, when Okongwu was made the full-time starter, that he really shined, posting a very impressive stat line of 15.0 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 2.1 stocks on 58/36/76 shooting.
With the Hawks’ addition of Kristaps Porzingis, Okongwu’s role and impact may be marginalized. If not, expect him to be in the conversation for Most Improved Player by season’s end.
#91 Jalen Green, G, PHX
Age: 23 Height: 6’4” Weight: 186 Exp: 4
PTS: 21.0 AST: 3.4 TOV: 2.5 3PT%: 35.4%
It feels a bit unfair to say it’s a make-or-break season for a 23-year-old entering his fifth year in the league, but for Green—whose production at nearly all levels has remained essentially stagnant since entering in 2021, most glaringly in efficiency and turnover numbers—his reputation as merely a streak scorer who still doesn’t process well enough nor finish at the level he should is quickly becoming a fixed opinion.
In some ways, Green is a victim of his own flashes of success, having shown himself capable of elite scoring. The problem is that his shot diet has always been a rough mix of wild step-backs and contested buckets. Meaning, when he’s on one of his heaters, it’s not so much a sign of a player whose game has added a dimension, but one who can make difficult shots with the best of them.
When Jalen Green gets going:
So how does he find himself on this list? Green has worked hard to become viable on the defensive end, and there is still value in a player who can get on the type of runs he can. However, this season, with a new opportunity in Phoenix, Green will need to prove that he can show more maturity in his game—or this may be the last year he makes this list, or a starting lineup.
#90 Herbert Jones, F, NOP
Age: 27 Height: 6’7” Weight: 206 Exp: 4
PTS: 10.3 AST: TOV: 3PT%: 30.6
Jones is among the league’s elite wing defenders, particularly as a playmaker in the passing lanes. With his length and instincts, Jones is the equivalent of a shutdown corner on the perimeter, often cordoning off an entire side of the floor on his own.
Offensively, his game is mostly built around getting out on the break, cutting, and spotting up from three. And though Jones shot poorly from distance last season, that was likely more a matter of the 20-game sample not being a long enough runway for his stroke to settle into rhythm. Expect him to be closer to the 40% range he flashed in ’24.
The limitations on offense mean there probably isn’t much growth potential beyond Jones becoming more aggressive, but considering he’s an All-Defensive-level player—having earned a First Team nod in ’24 before missing most of last season with a labrum tear—the offensive game is more like window dressing on an elite defender.
#89 Toumani Camara, G/F, POR
Age: 25 Height: 6’7” Weight: 230 Exp: 2
PTS: 11.3 REB: 5.8 3PT% 37.5
Bang for your buck, Camara might be the most deserving defender of an alternate camera angle in the league. Armed with great length and agility, he plays with a high-revving motor and a surprising level of physical aggression. This is a player who manages to impact every defensive possession, including leading the league in charges drawn—a stat usually dominated by small guards and centers. But Camara’s instincts shine through his ability to read and react, consistently putting himself in perfect position to blow up drives.
On the other end of the floor, the third-year forward has turned himself into a legitimate three-point threat and slasher, with a game that could reach another level if he can develop a consistent pump-and-go element.
#88 Josh Hart, G/F, NYK
Age: 30 Height: 6’5” Weight: 215 Exp: 8
PTS: 13.6 RPG: 9.6 AST: 5.9 3PT%: 33.3%
The thing about glue is that it’s great until it’s overburdened by demands that compromise its fidelity. The same is true for glue guys like Hart, who is one of the more additive “other guys” in the league and the type of energy beacon that any teammate feels a call to heed. But his offensive limitations shoehorn him into a position at power forward, where his production doesn’t really scale to the level of the perception—minutes played notwithstanding.
Hart’s rebounding, passing, open-floor play, and overall herculean effort are vital to raising the Knicks’ level of play. But his wavering willingness to shoot the three-ball, and the fact that even when he does, the opposing team’s defense hardly flinches, make Hart an awkward offensive fit in the halfcourt, as he almost always has to be on the floor with a big who can space. Fortunately for the Knicks, they have KAT, but that means no rim protection on the other end. The shooting issue doesn’t prevent Hart from being a highly effective player, but it does very much limit the ways in which his other skills can be featured in different lineups.
#87 Christian Braun, G/F, DEN
Age: 24 Height: 6’6” Weight: 220 Exp: 3
PTS: 15.4 REB: 5.2 FG%: 58.0 3PT%: 39.7
Forgive the cliché, but every winning team has a player like Braun: a do-whatever, hard-nosed worker who just shows up and plays his ass off. Yet that player construction is not where Braun’s game stops. Last year, the Nuggets’ fourth-year guard became one of the league’s elite transition players, finishing second in frequency at 36.7% (Konchar – 40.4%) and sixth in points per game at 6.2. In the halfcourt, Braun has turned himself into a respectable shooter from distance, making 39.7% from long-range last season, with a very respectable 51.0% on open looks (nearest defender 4–6 feet away).
On the defensive end, Braun plays with an excellent balance of strength and technique, making offensive players work to create space. He’s very adept at navigating screens—either by getting skinny or using his strength to fight through. Braun is a good enough defender that an All-Defensive team nod feels like a likely accolade at some point in what should be a very long career.
#86 Derek Lively II, C, DAL
Age: 21 Height: 7’1” Weight: 230 Exp: 2
PTS: 8.7 REB: 7.5 AST: 2.4 FG%: 70.2%
Lively should be square in the sights of anyone looking for a player poised to take a leap this season—that’s even with the third-year center’s game having grown significantly since he entered the league. But now, after sprouting an additional two inches this summer, so has his 7’3” frame.
As impressive as the measurables are—both in stature and statistics—it’s the nuance that gets basketball nerds most excited. Lively is a player who understands positional basketball about as well as you’ll see from any center in the league. He is a phenomenal rebounder because he does the early work to get himself in perfect position to grab the board. His playmaking out of the roll—darting dimes to the corners and deftly lobbing to the dunker spot—is a weapon that helps explain why Dallas has mostly punted on the idea of a traditional point guard to begin this season.
Here’s a look at some of Lively’s playmaking:
All of that is before considering the growth potential in Lively’s game. Offensively, he’s mostly functioned as a play finisher up to this point, but Lively has shown an ability to work out of the post and has flashed a face-up game that invites excitement. Defensively, Lively is a wonderful rim protector who covers space extremely well and should only increase his defensive playmaking this season.
#85 Dillon Brooks, F, PHX
Age: 29 Height: 6’7” Weight: 225 Exp: 8
PTS: 14.0 AST: TOV: 3PT%: 39.7
Few players are more polarizing than Brooks, whose antics have caused many to turn sour on what is otherwise a very good basketball player. Brooks is a multi-positional defensive player who uses his strength—and guile—to pester opponents. He’s equally comfortable mixing it up in the post, chasing a player through screens, or staying in a stance and hounding a ballhandler—often for all 94 feet. He has also turned himself into a viable three-point shooter, posting career highs in makes per game (2.5) and percentage.
Where the Brooks experience falls apart on the floor is when he is tasked—or permitted—to do too much. His on-ball offensive creation often culminates in brutal heaves and floaters, as his shot selection is sometimes outsized for his abilities. Still, this is a player who plays with an intensity that galvanizes the defenses he’s on and sets a tone on a day-to-day basis.
#84 John Collins, F, LAC
Age: 28 Height: 6’9” Weight: 226 Exp: 8
PTS: 19.0 REB: 8.2 FG%: 52.7 3PT%: 39.9
It’s hard to claim a player went under the radar when his team was intentionally stashing him away, but Collins quietly flirted with a 50/40/85 shooting line last year in Utah without much notice. While that came in just 40 games, Collins’s numbers the season before with the Jazz weren’t far off from that level of efficiency either. Many of us have forgotten just how good a player Collins is as a mobile big who can toggle between being a stretch player or a rim-running finisher depending on matchups. Collins is also a solid rebounder and a competitive, though not particularly cerebral, defender who provides good rim protection.
This season, on a Clippers team that will need his athleticism and has two of the greatest distributors the league has ever seen, Collins seems poised to remind everyone just how dynamic an offensive producer he can be.
#83 Kristaps Porziņģis, C, ATL
Age: 30 Height: 7’2” Weight: 240 Exp: 10
PTS: 19.5 REB: 6.5 BLK: 1.5 3PM: 41.2
Only Kawhi gets the caveat of “when healthy” placed in front of any evaluation more often than Zinger, who is still an absolute force on the floor when he is, well, healthy. While KAT may wear the crown as the best shooting big man, Porziņģis’s range at his size is par excellence. The pairing of Kristaps and Trae should yield some special results, as Porziņģis can pop and rim-run with the best of them. The rim protection is elite as well, though his ability to move and cover space—while never a great strength—has become more of a liability as the deleterious effects of accumulated injuries continue to show.
#82 Payton Pritchard, G, BOS
Age: 27 Height: 6’1” Weight: 195 Exp: 5
PTS: 14.3 AST: 3.5 FG%: 47.2 3PT%: 40.7
From bench specialist to special bench player, the league’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year had the best shooting season we’ve ever seen from a reserve, breaking Wayne Ellington’s record (218) for threes made in a season with a robust 246. He did so with the rare combination of increasing his efficiency while also taking 3.1 more field goal attempts than his previous career high.
But what lands Pritchard on this list is the expansion of the other elements of his game, as he has turned himself into a weapon in isolation and in the pick-and-roll with his ability to score off the dribble. He’s also become a fireplug defender who fights to hold his space and plays with an inspiring level of grit and intensity. After seeing his playing time increase by more than six minutes per game last season, Pritchard will see even more opportunity this year, as he’ll be tasked with driving a Celtics second unit that has far fewer offensive weapons than in years past.
#81 Lugenz Dort, G/F, OKC
Age: 26 Height: 6’4” Weight: 220 Exp: 6
PTS: 10.1 REB: 4.1 TOV: 3PT%: 41.2 3PM: 2.4
When you speak about “tone-setters” defensively, the player nearest the tip of your tongue should be Dort. The seventh-year small forward is hardly the most technically sound player—just watch him “navigate” a screen the way the Titanic navigated that iceberg. But when it comes to physicality, he uses every part of his fullback’s frame to make sure his ward feels him on every possession.
That’s not to say Dort is merely a bruiser, though. His incredibly nimble feet and swivelly hips make him a surprisingly adept point-of-attack defender. And while the defensive end is where Dort earns his paychecks, his 41.2% shooting from distance last season, on a very healthy 5.8 attempts per contest, has turned the former undrafted player into a very viable offensive threat when teams collapse on Thunder drives.
I could watch this all day:
Dort also plays with a reckless abandon that permeates his offensive game, where he has shown a short memory that makes him a threat as a shooter in nearly all situations—a rarity for his defensive archetype and an extremely important component in making him playable in all situations, as defenses have to stay honest on him.
#80 RJ Barrett, F, TOR
Age: 25 Height: 6’6” Weight: 214 Exp: 6
PTS: 21.1 REB: 6.3 AST: 5.4 3PT%: 35.0
Last season, only 11 players in the NBA averaged at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists while playing a minimum of 50 games—and Barrett could count himself among that who’s who of the league’s best players. Yes, some of that had to do with Barrett playing for a depleted Raptors roster that needed him to do a lot on the offensive end. Still, the seventh-year forward showed himself to be up to the task.
Barrett is at his best when he can use his length and athleticism to attack the rim, where he finishes well with both hands and has become a quality decision-maker when teams collapse. The shot is still a struggle, but Barrett lets it fly with enough confidence and acumen to keep defenses honest. On the defensive end, Barrett is a sturdy defender who acquits himself well in isolation situations, but he struggles a bit when matched up against movement wings who force him to stay engaged off the ball.
#79 CJ McCollum, G, NOP
Age: 34 Height: 6’3” Weight: 190 Exp: 12
PTS: 21.1 AST: 4.1 3PT%: 37.3% 3PMS: 3.1
On the current Mt. Rushmore for the league’s longest-standing underrated players, McCollum is a consummate scorer who has proven time and again that he is an elite shooter in this league—averaging more than 20 points per game for ten straight seasons, while never having shot lower than 37.3% (’25) from distance in his career.
While the shooting gets top billing on his personal marquee, McCollum’s abilities as a playmaker have long been undervalued—though shoe-horning him into a lead guard role has never been the best usage of his offensive package.
As with most sleight of frame guards, the defensive limitations mean that McCollum really needs to guard the opposition’s lead guard or risk getting physically battered by the league’s typically larger shooting guards.
#78 Cooper Flagg, F, DAL
Age: 18 Height: 205 Weight: 6’9” Exp: R
Look, if you think this is too high for a player who has yet to log a single minute in an NBA game, you may very well be right. But from what we’ve seen from Cooper, there’s full faith that this will be the lowest he’ll rank for the next 15-plus years. The reason for that optimism is simple: Flagg can impact the game in so many ways that have nothing to do with his ability to put the ball in the basket. His immense defensive gifts, combined with elite positional playmaking, mean he’ll make himself felt even as he figures out how to become the best version of himself offensively.
And when that part is figured out… whew.
#77 Michael Porter Jr., F, BKN
Age: 27 Height: 6’10” Weight: 218 Exp: 6
PTS: 18.8 REB: 7.0 FG%: 50.4 3PT%: 39.5
It’s not often that being under-regarded works to a player’s benefit, but both in terms of on-court demands and off-court sound bites, MPJ’s game was greatly aided by having its flaws masked through a lack of expectation and demands in Denver. Now in Brooklyn—unfettered by guardrails and no longer being spoon-fed by Jokic—the expectation is that Porter Jr.’s volume of opportunities will spike as dramatically on the court as his ear-popping quotes have off of it.
Whether in his game or his social commentary, expect the Porter Jr. experience to be bumpy as hell at times this season. The high-efficiency shooting we’ve seen in past years should take a significant dip, as we finally find out just how much self-creation really exists in his game. That doesn’t mean there won’t be explosive nights where MPJ reminds everyone what a player with his size and shooting ability can do. Ultimately, though, the lack of dimensionality in his offensive game is going to be far more glaring now that he’s being asked to do more than ever before in his career.
#76 Fred VanVleet, G, HOU
Age: 31 Height: 6’0” Weight: 197 Exp: 9
PTS: 14.1 AST: 5.6 TOV: 1.5 STL: 1.6
While not the biggest loss in terms of talent, FVV missing this season may matter as much to a team’s success as any. VanVleet has become one of the league’s elite point guards in terms of taking care of the ball, managing the rare act of averaging more turnovers forced than given away. VanVleet is also a tough shot-maker, unfairly tasked last season with taking every big shot Houston needed late in possessions, but he did so with confidence.
On the defensive end, VanVleet is a brickhouse who holds his ground as well as any small guard we’ve seen, while also using phenomenal hand strength and quickness to pester ballhandlers and nearby drivers. Whether he can return to form next season remains to be seen, but FVV deserves a place on this list until his on-court play proves otherwise.
#75 Norman Powell, G/F, MIA
Age: 32 Height: 6’3” Weight: 215 Exp: 10
PTS: 21.8 FG%: 48.4 3PT%: 41.8 AST: 2.4 REB: 3.2
It’s always noteworthy when a player can scale up their volume while also managing to increase efficiency. But to do so in your 10th league season? That’s damn near unheard of. Yet that was exactly what Powell managed last year.
Long considered a professional scorer off the bench, Powell was tasked with starting for the Clippers last season. In that role, he set career highs in three-point attempts per game and total field goal attempts per game while shooting the second-best percentage of his career from the floor. The problem with Powell’s game, as evidenced by his assist and rebound numbers, is that doesn’t offer much beyond scoring. But he is a tough defensive player who uses his strength well and likes to mix it up physically.
On a Heat team that needs exactly what he provides, and in a contract year, expect Powell to have another strong season of scoring and efficiency.
#74 LaMelo Ball, PG, CHA
Age: 24 Height: 6’7” Weight: 180 Exp: 5
PTS: 25.2 AST: 7.4 TOV: 3.6 3PT%: 33.9 3PA: 11.2
Look, there’s no doubting that LaMelo’s talent and production far exceed this placement, but the combination of injury concerns—he’s played more than 55 games just once in his five seasons—and questionable shot selection leaves one wondering if he’s truly a winning player.
Before going out last season with an ankle injury, Ball was sporting one of the league’s all-time highest usage percentage (his 34.2% would have ranked second only to Luka’s 35.5% in ’22)—not exactly the statistical accolade you want from a player who wasn’t efficient offensively or distributing at an elite level. And despite being one of the league’s best—and flashiest—passers, Ball had just a 2.07 assist-to-turnover ratio. He also led the league in three-point attempts per game while shooting the second lowest percentage of any player with at least 8 attempts per contest (Maxey – 33.7%)
It’s this questionable decision-making and perception of self that undermines his on-court production and leaves people wondering exactly who LaMelo wants to be in this league. If his health can actually hold, maybe we’ll finally find out this season.
#73 Jrue Holiday, G, POR
Age: 35 Height: 6’4” Weight: 220 Exp: 16
PTS: 11.1 REB: 4.3 AST: 3.9 FG%: 44.3 3PT%: 35.3
If last season was any indication, we may finally be seeing the downturn of Holiday’s career, as the veteran guard averaged his fewest points since his rookie season while shooting his lowest percentage in nearly a decade. The offensive dip would be less concerning—particularly given his regular-season role with the Celtics and the fact that he was managing some nagging injuries—but come playoff time, Holiday struggled to defend in the Knicks series in ways we’re just not used to seeing from the six-time All-Defensive honoree.
Some of that may have been due to his health issues, but some of it likely reflects the toll of all the mileage. Holiday remains an extremely smart player who can attribute some of his statistical downturn to his willingness to sacrifice individual numbers for the sake of the Celtics’ game plan. But we are probably at the point where his impact is greater in terms of veteran leadership than it is statistical measures.
#72 Jalen Duren, F/C, DET
Age: 21 Height: 6’10” Weight: 250 Exp: 3
PTS: 11.8 REB: 10.3 FG%: 69.2 BLK: 1.1
Like a blue ox in ballet slippers, Duren is an oddity with his combination of imposing physical strength and grace. Once thought of solely as a rebounder—where, on the offensive glass, he ranks among the league’s best at 3.6 per game last season—and a play finisher at the rim, Duren is quickly becoming a real asset in the short roll, where his playmaking has become a plus element of his game. (video)
Still not the most graceful operator in space defensively, as he doesn’t exactly have pliable hips, Duren nonetheless remains a defensive bruiser who rebounds well and uses his formidable size to present as a rim protector.
The question with Duren will be how much expansion there is for him in the intermediate range as a scorer. But the back-to-the-basket game—where he’s adapted a soft hook as a counter to simply bullying players under the rim—is already an asset that the Pistons will look to more this season.
Check out his breakdown of Duren by the always awesome Bryce Simon:
#71 Cam Johnson, G/F, DEN
Age: 29 Height: 6’8” Weight: 210 Exp: 6
PTS: 18.8 AST: 3.4 FG%: 47.5 3PT%: 39.0
Another player whose shine was dampened a bit under the darkness of a losing situation, Johnson is coming off his best offensive season last year for Brooklyn. Not only did Johnson average career highs in points and threes made per game (2.8), but he did so while shooting his best percentage from the floor and dishing out a personal best in assists.
The elite shooting is nothing new and should only improve now that he’s being fed by Jokic—though it’s strange that Johnson’s best shooting percentage last season actually came when he was tightly defended (with the nearest defender 2–4 feet away). But the on-ball creation and playmaking took significant leaps that should pay further dividends as a secondary generator in Denver. Barring injury—which has been a steady issue for Johnson throughout his career, as he has yet to play 70 games in a season—don’t be shocked if he’s among the league leaders in three-point percentage and makes this season.
#70 Dyson Daniels, G, ATL
Age: 22 Height: 6’7” Weight: 199 Exp: 3
PTS: 14.1 AST: 4.4 STL: 3.0 3PT%: 34.0
There are defenders who cause havoc with their hands, and then there’s Dyson Daniels, who creates entire segments of catastrophe. When it comes to deflections, no player in the history of the stat—which has only been tracked since the 2016 season—has been the menace that Daniels was last year. His 5.9 deflections per game were 1.7 more than second-place finisher Kelly Oubre Jr., at 4.2.
Daniels’ combination of elite positional size and exquisite timing means that even if he doesn’t get the ball on the first attempt, he can often elongate and poke it away on the backside. In fact, no perimeter defender in the league is better at staying in the play after being beaten—though one knock against him is that he can sometimes close off his stance when reaching, allowing himself to be driven by more easily than he would if his technique were more sound.
To Daniels’ credit, his leap to the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award last season may have been founded upon his prodigious defensive talents, but a significantly improved offensive game provided plenty of additional reasons for optimism. While the shooting remains a work in progress his penetration game and assertiveness as a decision-maker have taken real meaningful steps forward.
#69 Josh Giddey, G, CHI
Age: 23 Height: 6’7” Weight: 216 Exp: 4
PTS: 14.6 REB: 8.1 AST: 7.2 3PT%: 37.8
If the version of Giddey that Chicago saw following the LaVine trade—20.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists over 24 games—is the genuine article, then he’ll shoot up this list quickly. But even if not, and we see some regression to the mean, Giddey remains a stat-stuffing guard who fits perfectly in a Chicago offense that wants to push the pace.
Giddey’s perimeter shot has long been the issue affecting how he’s defended, but he’s worked hard to turn himself into a respectable enough shooter that it’s no longer the glaring liability it once was. Defenses aren’t scrambling to contest, but at 1.5 makes per game—including a solid 38.4% on catch-and-shoot looks—Giddey now has the ability to punish teams that completely ignore him.
Defensively, Giddey remains a net negative. He has great size for his position, but he doesn’t leverage it well enough to compensate for his slow feet and general stiffness in his lower body. Still, guards who map the floor as well as Giddey does tend to find ways to be impactful by anticipating plays and jumping into passing lanes—and the Bulls guard did average a solid 1.2 steals per game last season.
#68 Naz Reid, F/C, MIN
Age: 26 Height: 6’9” Weight: 264 Exp: 6
PTS: 14.2 RPG: 6.0 BLK: 0.9 3PT%: 37.9
The current avatar for the “super sub,” Reid is a versatile big man who creates matchup nightmares with his ability to play on the perimeter—where his 175 made threes led all bigs—in the post against smaller defenders, or by using his driving game to blow by slow-footed centers trying to close out. That same versatility shows up on the defensive end as well, where Reid can credibly guard both forward spots and hold his own against true centers.
The former Sixth Man of the Year winner from ‘24 actually had an even better season last year and has proven to be a durable workhorse—playing 80-plus games in back-to-back campaigns—for a Minnesota team that benefits enormously from having a Swiss Army knife of a player who would start for just about anyone else in the league.
#67 Coby White, G, CHI
Age: 25 Height: 6’5” Weight: 195 Exp: 6
PTS: 20.4 AST: 4.5 FG%: 45.3 3PT%: 37.0
Coming off the best scoring season of his career, White has developed into a smart offensive player who has learned to leverage his shooting ability to keep defenses off balance with a strong driving game. With Giddey in Chicago, the slight dip in assist numbers as White handles the ball less isn’t surprising. But with his quickness, shooting, and playmaking ability on the drive, White is an excellent generator of secondary offense. He will also occasionally unleash a nasty finish just to remind everyone that he’s still a springy 6’5” guard (Wemby dunk). While defense will never be a strength, White uses his size well and competes to stay in front. Most importantly, he’s a blur in the open court and a perfect fit for the offense Donovan has adapted in Chicago.
Never forget:
Thank you for taking the time. As always, I’d love to hear your comments, appeals, and rebuttals. Stay tuned for the second and third parts of the list tonight—perfect reading material for deadballs and halftime.
I am WILDLY impressed you were able to compile all this information amidst your busy life and before tip off! Well done, my friend!