SI Top 100 for 2015- JV, Amir, DD & Lowry all make the list

[NaijaBoy17]

DD at 61 is blasphemous

[Raptorsnz]

Rudy Gay at 67 is actually pretty low as well.

Funny how they put Drummond directly above DeAndre Jordan as well, Jordan is way better at the moment.

[mcHAPPY]

DeMar at 61 would essentially mean he is roughly 2nd best player on each team throughout the league. I think that is a fair statement.

For poops and giggles, I'm went through each team to see what players I think are better than DD. I ignored injury history and character as I believe the focus of these types of rankings are talent. Obviously when building a team you wouldn't want to risk it on a shady character or bad knees but at the same time, again, these types of rankings are talent based I believe.... and talent is always in the eye of the beholder. I also ignored rookies because they haven't done jack yet. I also focused on what guys have did in the league at this point in time versus potential.

Millsap
Horford
Rondo
Johnson
Lopez
Jefferson
Rose
Noah
Pau Gasol
Irving
James
Love
Bosh
Wade
Carmelo
Vucevic
Lowry
Wall
Parsons
Dirk
Lawson
Lee
Curry
Howard
Harden
Paul
Griffin
Jordan
Kobe
ZBo
Marc Gasol
Conley
Pekovic
Davis
Durant
Westbrook
Ibaka
Dragic
Bledsoe
Batum
Aldridge
Lillard
Cousins
Parker
Duncan
Ginobilli
Leonard



Toss ups:
Stephenson
George (injured)
MCW
Beal
Ellis
Thompson
Hayward
Walker




So in conclusion, he probably got shortchanged a little but not by much. I don't think he has cracked top 50.

[DanH]

Well, to be the second best player on each team, you'd expect a ranking of 45th. 61st is more like the worst second-fiddle in the league. Or the best third-fiddle.

[mcHAPPY]

Well, to be the second best player on each team, you'd expect a ranking of 45th. 61st is more like the worst second-fiddle in the league. Or the best third-fiddle.

You're splitting hairs again and you missed the words "roughly" and "throughout".

[DanH]

You're splitting hairs again and you missed the words "roughly" and "throughout".

Splitting hairs? Putting the players into tiers (best, second best, etc) the difference between 60th and 45th is half a tier. Half of all the players in that tier. That's a pretty thick hair to split.

And, yes, I read your comment and I saw those words. Roughly and throughout suggest a reasonable rounding to 45th. The reality is, the closest his ranking is to a "midpoint" of a tier (15th - best, 45th - second best, 75th - third best) is the third tier.

[mcHAPPY]

Splitting hairs? Putting the players into tiers (best, second best, etc) the difference between 60th and 45th is half a tier. Half of all the players in that tier. That's a pretty thick hair to split.

And, yes, I read your comment and I saw those words. Roughly and throughout suggest a reasonable rounding to 45th. The reality is, the closest his ranking is to a "midpoint" of a tier (15th - best, 45th - second best, 75th - third best) is the third tier.

Ok Dan. OK.

You're right.

My bad.

IN you classic way spend your time defining words versus look at what I typed. The point was, in my opinion, his ranking isn't too far off where it should be. I don't believe he is a top 50 player in the league. My very unscientific approach also ignores rookies and guys in their first few seasons who are likely to break out this season again emphasizing the fact he is not a top 50 player, in my opinion.

[DanH]

Ok Dan. OK.

You're right.

My bad.

IN you classic way spend your time defining words versus look at what I typed. The point was, in my opinion, his ranking isn't too far off where it should be. I don't believe he is a top 50 player in the league. My very unscientific approach also ignores rookies and guys in their first few seasons who are likely to break out this season again emphasizing the fact he is not a top 50 player, in my opinion.

Fair enough. Have no issue with the part of your post where you list guys better than him and say his ranking is fine. That's entirely subjective and held little interest for me. Just struck me as odd that you would identify the 61st best player ranking as typical and unsurprising for the subset of players who occupy spots 31 through 60.

[Heatdreamer]

Of the top 60 players who is a RFA or a free agent next year

[DanH]

Of the top 60 players who is a RFA or a free agent next year

54: Klay Thompson (RFA)
52: Roy Hibbert (PO)
47: David West (PO)
41: Manu Ginobili
40: Rajon Rondo
39: Tyson Chandler
38: DeAndre Jordan
35: Goran Dragic (PO)
34: Paul Millsap
33: Eric Bledsoe (assuming he takes his QO)
28: Kawhi Leonard (RFA)
26: Al Jefferson (PO)
20: Dwyane Wade (PO)
16: Marc Gasol
15: Tony Parker
12: LaMarcus Aldridge

1 through 10 aren't out yet, but just looking at the list, I'd say they are LBJ, Durant, Curry, Love, Griffin, Paul, George, Davis, Howard, and Duncan. Of those:

LeBron James (PO)
Kevin Love (PO)
Duncan

[Cody73]

Ryan Anderson is better than DD? Nah.. no way.

I'd say Anderson is underrated, but him ahead of DD is a stupid move by SI. Anderson at 60 makes sense, DD at 61 is a laugh.

[Azor Ahai]

I like Demar, but I dont think he is amazing. He has many limitations, but this ranking is a bit insulting. I havent gone through it closely, but he should probably be about 15 spots higher or so.
This list is supposed to be for how well players will be this upcoming season. There are many veterans high on this list whose best years are far behind them. While they still have talent, and offer many intangibles, they should not be so high on this list. I'm referring to players like Pau Gasol, David West, Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, Zach Randolph and Luol Deng. Then there are a few players who are probably in Demar's tier but in my mind below Demar like Paul Milsap(very good, but way too high!), Chandler Parsons, Jrue Holiday, Nikola Pekovic and Gordon Hayward. And what is Ryan Anderson doing so high?
Its also hard to rank some players, like Rondo, Rose, Tyson Chandler, Brook Lopez, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade due to recent injuries or in Chandlers case, injuries+disinterest.

[Heatdreamer]

D

54: Klay Thompson (RFA)
52: Roy Hibbert (PO)
47: David West (PO)
41: Manu Ginobili
40: Rajon Rondo
39: Tyson Chandler
38: DeAndre Jordan
35: Goran Dragic (PO)
34: Paul Millsap
33: Eric Bledsoe (assuming he takes his QO)
28: Kawhi Leonard (RFA)
26: Al Jefferson (PO)
20: Dwyane Wade (PO)
16: Marc Gasol
15: Tony Parker
12: LaMarcus Aldridge

1 through 10 aren't out yet, but just looking at the list, I'd say they are LBJ, Durant, Curry, Love, Griffin, Paul, George, Davis, Howard, and Duncan. Of those:

LeBron James (PO)
Kevin Love (PO)
Duncan

LA 1st choice ( though he will stay with Portland) Milsap, and than make the trade for a PF and /or extend Amir 4/36 starting at 7.5 though you could pay him more the first year and lower each other year if the smoothing takes place

[mcHAPPY]

54: Klay Thompson (RFA)
52: Roy Hibbert (PO)
47: David West (PO)
41: Manu Ginobili
40: Rajon Rondo
39: Tyson Chandler
38: DeAndre Jordan
35: Goran Dragic (PO)
34: Paul Millsap
33: Eric Bledsoe (assuming he takes his QO)
28: Kawhi Leonard (RFA)
26: Al Jefferson (PO)
20: Dwyane Wade (PO)
16: Marc Gasol
15: Tony Parker
12: LaMarcus Aldridge

1 through 10 aren't out yet, but just looking at the list, I'd say they are LBJ, Durant, Curry, Love, Griffin, Paul, George, Davis, Howard, and Duncan. Of those:

LeBron James (PO)
Kevin Love (PO)
Duncan

Thanks, Dan.


I would imagine Aldridge and Millsap would get a call.

Hopefully LBJ and Love have a major falling out and Love is looking to move across the border.

[DanH]

Might also be worthwhile to throw the max at Leonard and see how much the Spurs are willing to commit to him. Probably gets matched or extended before then, but an elite SF would make a big difference on this team.