Thoughts and Reactions on ESPN Top 50 Current Players
Who’s the greatest player of our current age? Some say Giannis, Lebron, Jokic, maybe even Stepehn Curry. ESPN recently released a list ranking the top 50 NBA players currently. I am going to give you this list and share my opinion on each ranking.
Rankings:
- Jarrett Allen
My Thoughts- Jarrett Allen has proven himself to be one of the better defensive centers in the league. He is also a reliable player on the offensive side, I believe this is a fair ranking for Jarrett Allen.
- Deandre Ayton
My Thoughts- Deandre Ayton is one of the bigger question marks in the league. He has been reliable for the Suns, but a new team in the Blazers could really unleash his potential and we may see him higher on the list next year.
- LaMelo Ball
My Thoughts- LaMelo Ball is one of the more promising players for the league. LaMelo Ball needs to prove he can carry a team to more wins for him to be higher on this list. I think this is a very fair ranking for LaMelo.
- Victor Wembanyama
My Thoughts- Victor Webanyama has proven nothing yet in the NBA. But he is considered one of the best prospects since Lebron. This may be a little high ranking for Webanyama, but I definitely think he is the best rookie in this class.
- Khris Middleton
My Thoughts- Khris Middleton has proven himself on the offensive side of the ball. But injuries have been keeping him off the court. Until he can get back on the court this is a fair ranking for Middleton
- Julius Randle
My Thoughts- Julius Randle has taken a few steps back from his most improved award in 2021, but he has still proven himself as a great offensive player. This is a good ranking for Julius Randle heading into this season.
- CJ McCollum
My Thoughts- CJ McCollum is a very solid guard, but he is a little high on the list. I think CJ McCollum should be around 46 or 47, but overall this is a pretty close rating to where he should be.
- James Harden
My Thoughts- This ranking is downright disrespectful. James Harden is one of the best Shooting Guards of this generation and he has proven he is still able to play at a very high level. This rating needs to be higher as is very disrespectful to James Harden.
- Tyrese Maxey
My Thoughts- Tyrese Maxey has proven himself as a promising young guard for the 76ers. This is a fair rating for him, but he is not better than James Harden. Overall this is a fair rating for Tyrese Maxey.
- Klay Thompson
My Thoughts- Klay Thomspon is a very reliable piece for the Warriors and I think he will continue to be for another two or three years. This is a fair rating for Klay.
- Evan Mobley
My Thoughts- Evan Mobley is a young player who is very reliable and could be a superstar soon. This is a fair rating for Mobley and he will definitely be higher in the coming years.
- DeMar DeRozan
My Thoughts- DeMar DeRozan is a very good player for the Bulls. She is very reliable and is definitely the best player on the Bulls. He should be ranked higher than this ranking.
- Zach LaVine
My Thoughts- Zach LaVine is a good piece for the Bulls and this is a good ranking for him. But he should not be ranked higher than his team DeMar DeRozan. Overall is a good rating for Zach though.
- Bradley Beal
My Thoughts- With a new team in the Suns Bradley Beal’s production may slow down and he will probably average less points. But Beal is a proven scorer and this is a fair ranking for him as of now.
- Darius Garland
My Thoughts- Darius Garland has proven himself as a reliable and promising guard for the Cavs. He will continue to improve and he will be higher up in the ranking next year, but for now this is a fair ranking.
- Ja Morant
My Thoughts- Ja Morant has proven himself to be one of the best players in the league some off Court activity has led to him being suspended and tanking his rankings. This is a very unfair ranking for him and he will definitely be higher in the ranking next year.
- Kyrie Irving
My Thoughts- Kyrie Irving is one of the best point guards in the league. There is no way he should be ranked this low. This ranking is disrespectful and Kyrie should be much higher ranked.
- Mikal Bridges
My Thoughts- Mikal Bridges has proven himself to be a good player in his new trade to the Nets. I think this ranking is a little higher for now, but eventually I think he can be one of the better players in the league.
- Jalen Brunson
My Thoughts- Jalen Brunson has been a very good player for the Knicks. This ranking is a little high as of now, but towards the end of the season I definitely think he can be this ranking.
- Jaren Jackson Jr.
My Thoughts- Jaren Jackson Jr. is a very good defensive player and a decent offensive player. If Jaren can improve his offense he can be much higher on this list. But as of now this is a fair ranking for Jaren.
- Paolo Banchero
My Thoughts- Paolo Banchero is a very promising young player who can be a force to reckon with in the future. As of now this is a fair ranking for him.
- Trae Young
My Thoughts- Trae Young has been a very good offensive player for the Hawks. He lacks on the defensive side of the ball though. Trae Young should still be ranked higher though.
- Lauri Markkanen
My Thoughts- Lauri Markkanen being traded to the Jazz is the best thing that could have happened to him. He has proven himself very much and this is a fair ranking and he could even be ranked higher.
- Brandon Ingram
My Thoughts- Brandon Ingram was the offensive replacement well Zion wasn’t playing. He played solid last season, but I think this ranking is just a bit higher than what it should be.
- Jrue Holiday
My Thoughts- I personally like Drew holiday very much. He is great on both the offensive and defensive side. I think this is a fair ranking and he could possibly be rated higher.
- Pascal Siakam
My Thoughts- Pascal Siakam is a good offensive and defensive player and is a good solid big man for the Raptors. I think this is a fair rating for him and he may even be better next year.
- Kawhi Leonard
My Thoughts- Kawhi Leonard has proven himself to be one of the best wings in the league. This ranking is nowhere near where Kawhi should be. This ranking definitely could be better and I think he may even be top 10
- De’Aaron Fox
My Thoughts- De’Aaron Fox is a good solid guard for the Kings. He is a great offensive player and is not a terrible defensive player as well. This is a good ranking for De’Aaron just some of the people ranked behind him should be ranked higher than he is.
- Domantas Sabonis
My Thoughts- Domantas Sabonis is a great big for the Kings. The new trade to the Kings has really released his true potential and I think this is a fair ranking for him.
- Tyrese Haliburton
My Thoughts- Tyrese Haliburton has really improved over the last year. The trade to the Pacers really showed the talent he possesses and the potential he has. I really like Tyrese and I think this is a fair ranking for him and he will definitely be higher on the list next year.
- Karl-Anthony Towns
My Thoughts- Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the best if not the best big men shooters in the league. He has proven himself on the offensive side and I think this is a fair ranking for him.
- Jaylen Brown
My Thoughts- Jaylen Brown is the second option for the Celtics. He has had trouble recently taking care of the ball. I think he can definitely reach this ranking; he’s just not there yet.
- Paul George
My Thoughts- Paul George is a great player. But he should not be rated this high. He is rated over his much better teammate Kawhi and this is not a good ranking for him.
- Jamal Murray
My Thoughts- Jamal Murray has proven himself to be one of the best and most reliable points guards for the Nuggets. Filled with confidence I think he can improve this ranking even more than it is right now.
- Bam Adebayo
My Thoughts- Bam Adebayo is a very good big man for the Heat. He is one of the main reasons they made it to the NBA Championship. This is a fair ranking for him.
- Donovan Mitchell
My Thoughts- Donovan Mitchell is a very reliable player for the Cavs. The recent trade there really showed how good he is. This is a fair ranking.
- Damian Lillard
My Thoughts- Damian Lillard was very good for the Blazers. The new trade to the Bucks may lead to less production for him individually, but will lead to a better team.
- Anthony Edwards
My Thoughts- Anthony Edwards is a very promising young player, but he does not deserve to be this high on the list. This is not a good ranking
- Jimmy Butler
My Thoughts- Jimmy Butler is the main reason the Heat made it all the way to the NBA Championship. He has proven himself on both the offensive and defensive sides. I think he should even be ranked higher than where he currently is.
- Devin Booker
My Thoughts- Devin Booker is one of the best if not the best shooting guard in the league. This ranking is definitely deserved and I think he can be even higher than this ranking.
- Anthony Davis
My Thoughts- Anthony Davis is a player who is good, but he should not be ranked this high. He has many injury problems and is very inconsistent in his play. This is not a good ranking.
- LeBron James
My Thoughts- LeBron James has been one of the best players of this generation. He has been very consistent in his play over the last 2 decades. He could be even higher on this list, but for now, this is a fair ranking till he proves himself this season.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
My Thoughts- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a very promising young player. But he does not deserve to be this high. He is a good individual player, but has not had any team success. I think he can get to be this good of a player but he does not deserve this ranking yet.
- Kevin Durant
My Thoughts- Kevin Durant is one of the best wings if not the best wings in the league. He is still getting used to a new team in the Suns, but I think he will definitely figure it out and definitely deserves this ranking.
- Jayson Tatum
My Thoughts- Jayson Tatum is a very good player and will definitely be a top 5 player this upcoming season. For now, this is a fair ranking and I think he will continue to improve.
- Stephen Curry
My Thoughts- Stephen Curry is the best point guard in the league. He is the greatest shooter of all time and he should not be behind Luka. This is an okay ranking but he should be above Luka.
- Luka Doncic
My Thoughts- Luka Doncic is probably the best young player in the league right now. But he should not be ahead of Curry. This is a relatively fair ranking, but he should be at number 5.
- Joel Embiid
My Thoughts- Joel Embid has just come off the best season of his career winning MVP. He is a very good player and definitely deserves this ranking and could even be higher.
- Nikola Jokic
My Thoughts- Nikola Jokic is one of the best players in this league. A two-time MVP and an NBA Champion from last season. No one seems to be able to stop him on the offensive side, but his defense is subpar. I believe this is the main reason he is not number one. I think this is a fair ranking for Jokic
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
My Thoughts- Giannis Antetokunmpo is the best player in the league and has been for around the best two seasons. The two-time MVP and NBA Champion has been a force to be reckoned with and dominates anyone who comes in his path. The new trade for Dame may lead to fewer individual stats but a lot more wins and possibly a championship. I believe this is a very fair ranking and Giannis is the best player in the world.