Nick wrights player rankings

[closetohumping 17442]

Yes.  I hate him too.  Disagree with Giannis being the man   Just yet 

[aggie08 21504]

He must be having a stroke for him to put anyone above a sub 70 year old LeBron.

But we saw Giannis and KD play a series not too far back...KD is unquestionably better. If not for injuries, the Bucks are probably unceremoniously outed in 5 games, they'd currently be searching for a new coach, and people would be discussing Giannis's free throws and inability to keep the defense honest at the top of the key.

Not taking anything away from their title and Giannis's Finals performance though. Basketball--and sports in general--is a game of inches and taking advantage of the breaks you get.

Giannis is definitely the best all-around player in the league by a decent margin, and he's probably the safest best to become "the guy" once LeBron and KD get too old...though not with the same stranglehold as LeBron had on the top spot.

[d2o 1602]

To the victor goes the spoils.   Giannis just had a MONSTER Finals.    He's earned the right to be called the man for a bit.   Now he has to hold on to it.    His combination of offense and defense isn't matched by anyone right now.     KD is obviously better offensively but not really close defensively.

[TommyGufano 6021]

I can quibble with a few things here and there, but I'd say it's largely unobjectionable. Suppose it would be interesting to see him (or anyone) then compare where it stands now with what they anticipate it looking like in a year

[Blotto 23511]

Ben Simmons, huh? Seems generous. 

[wildcat09 29354]

Dame is way too high.

[d2o 1602]

10 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

Dame is way too high.

Nah, all of the guys below him aren't better yet.    Kawhi and AD have their own level which I'd imagine is based on their injury histories.    You might be able to put either/both over him but that would be it.  The others could prove to be higher next yr but haven't yet IMO.

[wildcat09 29354]

Dame on the same level as Jokic and Harden and above Kawhi and AD is insane. I think Dame is cool as hell and I love watching him play, but he should be below all of them.

[shadow_operative 15932]

holy recency bias batman! if it weren't for injuries the Bucks probably get swept by BK and the clearly superior KD. lazy, click bait material. 

[elfenix 34241]

not entirely certain what nick thinks a pyramid is

[Underdog 28639]

What I got out of that pyramid was all of those UK players and one...  ONE fucking title under Cal!!!! 

Fuck you, Cal! 

[HookEm 2467]

I would take Kawhi over Harden any day of the week.  And Kyrie is better than every player on the row above him. CP3 is probably too high as well. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

how is Embiid better than Jokic? why do people keep saying this? Jokic is better than Embiid at nearly everything, and in a lot of areas he's *far* superior to Embiid, including one of the most important abilities of all- availability. i love Joel Embiid, but anyone who has him above Jokic is either a moron or a hater. 

[Baboontyme 2812]

Honestly what sticks out to me most is that Zion is too high. 

[Mole 4333]

I'm on team, we have very different understandings of the word pyramid.

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

Give me the bottom tier for 2022.

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

Kawhi is gonna be out injured all of 2022. I doubt he fights to get back early. Probably why he dropped. 

Dame is a top 10 offensive player. No one cares about defense in these type of lists.

[WJC88 97]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative said:

how is Embiid better than Jokic? why do people keep saying this? Jokic is better than Embiid at nearly everything, and in a lot of areas he's *far* superior to Embiid, including one of the most important abilities of all- availability. i love Joel Embiid, but anyone who has him above Jokic is either a moron or a hater. 

Defense? Isn't Embiid considered one of the most impactful defensive players while Jokic, while improved, is still viewed as weak on that end? 

[HookEm 2467]

[shadow_operative 15932]

46 minutes ago, WJC88 said:

Defense? Isn't Embiid considered one of the most impactful defensive players while Jokic, while improved, is still viewed as weak on that end? 

for sure he's a better defender. that's the one spot where Embiid is easily better than Jokic. but defensive players don't really win titles imo. it wasn't Giannis's five blocks that did it, it was his 50 points and his knock down FT shooting (something that Embiid is very strong at as well).

I kinda see Jokic vs Embiid the same as Ronaldo vs Messi: Embiid is just a force of nature, and if he ever stays healthy and plays 75 games he's probably a lock for the MVP; he's a monster. but Jokic makes everyone around him better, both with his mere presence, as well as his otherworldly play making ability. Jokic is also more versatile and can truly play at a world class level on the perimeter, something Embiid can't do. so yeah, just like Messi and Ronaldo, both are amazing players, but to me one is clearly superior to the other.

Edited July 22, 2021 by shadow_operative

[d2o 1602]

1 hour ago, WJC88 said:

Defense? Isn't Embiid considered one of the most impactful defensive players while Jokic, while improved, is still viewed as weak on that end? 

Such a hater.

[shadow_operative 15932]

1 hour ago, d2o said:

Such a hater.

so you think that Embiid is better than Jokic? 

[shadow_operative 15932]

also, Jokic finished fourth in the NBA in defensive win shares, while Embiid finished 11th, so...

edit: Jokic finished first in the NBA in O wins shares (by a mile- i mean waaaaaay out ahead of the pack), while Embiid finished 15th. Jokic's OWS more than doubled that of Embiid.

furthermore, the importance of elite individual offense is >>>>>>> the importance elite individual defense. and yet the gap between Jokic and Embiid as offensive players is much bigger than the gap between the two as defensive players. so i'm failing to see how Embiid is better than Jokic in anyone's eyes. very anxious to hear the explanations from @HookEm and @d2o as to why they think Embiid is the superior player.

Edited July 23, 2021 by shadow_operative

[CurlyDumps 4471]

8 hours ago, elfenix said:

not entirely certain what nick thinks a pyramid is

Apparently a Christmas tree.

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

I think Embiids a stud. Main concern is injuries and durability with him.

If Kawhi doesn't hit the shot in Game 7 vs the 76ers, Embiids legacy is looking a lot different.

Ben Simmons probably the most overrated player in the league 1 year ago. I've always thought Simmons was overrated.

Edited July 23, 2021 by Loch Ness Monster

[HookEm 2467]

I was just F’ing around. Jokic is clearly the better player. 10/10 NBA execs would take him over Embiid IMO.

[UTDD 362]

I'm shocked Wright has someone other than LeBron at the top.  I think Jokic should move way up (and I do mean way up more than most I bet), I don't have an issue with Kawhi/AD given the injury/reliability context.  I wouldn't put Giannis at the top personally, (right now, I think KD is the best overall player) and highly doubt he wins a title again next year if certain other teams are healthy, but he has a damn good resume at his very young age, so I am curious where he goes from here. 

Defensive Player of the Year (LeBron has never won this), 2x MVP, 1 title/FMVP, 4x Defensive All-NBA already (Durant has zero and LeBron has 6 which Giannis likely passes), and he plays both ways pretty consistently.  His advanced metrics overall this past year I would put him #2 behind Jokic if you look at everything.  Yeah, he can't really shoot, but he's more Shaq than LeBron/KD anyway in a lot of ways.  If he gets to say 3 titles in the next 7 years with more accolades, he would be getting up there in some pretty elite company.  But he might not win another title either.

[Napoleon 8680]

Joking has won several series and gets his players involved or takes over a game. What has Luka won in North America?

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

Lulz. Luka is 22 and has Tim Hardaway Jr, Dorian Finney Smith, Maxi Kleber, and broken down KP as his teammates. If he has Trae Young's supporting cast he possibly makes the Finals. 

Give Giannis two hall of famers and he would win about 5 rings. Right now he will be an underdog each year due to having no other hall of famers on his squad. Will need good fortune like this year or Kawhi in Toronto. Like anything, context is important.

[HookEm 2467]

I see Giannis as much more like Kevin Garnett than Shaquille O'Neal.  He is a better defender and passer than Shaq - much like Garnett.  Shaq was even more physically imposing than Giannis, but it was always done in the paint.  Giannis can get out and run and then dunk on 2 people when he gets in the lane.  He is also having to carry his team much more like Giannis.

At 26, Garnett finished 2nd in MVP voting twice and was a 5-time 1st Team Defense.

At 26, Giannis has 2 MVPs and 4 All-Defense selections (including DPoY).

[shadow_operative 15932]

Giannis is just the first of his kind- the one and only Giannis. he doesn't remind me of any one player historically. his game, his build, it's all new and improved versions of former stars. he's a superstar amalgam. there is no one comparable to Giannis. i'll point out that imo the same goes for LeBron, KD? Jokic, and a few other of today's freakiest players.

[TommyGufano 6021]

20 hours ago, HookEm said:

I see Giannis as much more like Kevin Garnett than Shaquille O'Neal.  He is a better defender and passer than Shaq - much like Garnett.  Shaq was even more physically imposing than Giannis, but it was always done in the paint.  Giannis can get out and run and then dunk on 2 people when he gets in the lane.  He is also having to carry his team much more like Giannis.

At 26, Garnett finished 2nd in MVP voting twice and was a 5-time 1st Team Defense.

At 26, Giannis has 2 MVPs and 4 All-Defense selections (including DPoY).

My issue with a KG comp is he scored 30+ in 9 of 143 career playoff games. Guy was completely unwilling (unable?) to take over games with his scoring. 

 

[aggie08 21504]

On 7/22/2021 at 6:59 AM, d2o said:

To the victor goes the spoils.   Giannis just had a MONSTER Finals.    He's earned the right to be called the man for a bit.   Now he has to hold on to it.    His combination of offense and defense isn't matched by anyone right now.     KD is obviously better offensively but not really close defensively.

I disagree. No one anointed Steph as the best player in the league in 2015. The people who tried to put KD past LeBron in 2017 were shouted down. Kawhi didn't get that treatment in 2019, despite having a ridiculous postseason for like the third time in his career.

Giannis and KD played on the court, and no one watching that series had any doubt whatsoever who the better player was.

[Loch Ness Monster 3533]

Nothing wrong with being the 2nd best player in the NBA.

Scary part about Giannis is he can drop 40 and also be the best defensive player on the floor. As dominant as Shaq was he never known for his defense.