SI's Top 100 NBA Players of 2019

[Ogaju]

Olynyk made the top 100? Of what? Like Larry Bird said in that Nike commercial 'can I play'?

[fairweatherfan]

Olynyk made the top 100? Of what?

Guys you'd want in a Game 7 

[gouki88]

The list doesn't include rookies and the list takes into account injuries so Cousins and Porzingis are lower than they normally would be.  Also the list is just for 2019 so you have to put aside future year projections.   It is also not really a draft.  It is a projection of all around productivity.

A list of the "top 100 players of 2019," to me, means a list of the players that are going to be the most valuable for the upcoming season.  Whether that means regular season only or playoffs also is an open question, I guess.

As I said in my post, the "draft" I'm hypothesizing here would be for teams that are all trying to win right now.  Obviously in real life many young players would get taken ahead of more established role players that are nonetheless more valuable in the present.


Even with those caveats, I don't see a team wanting Robert Covington in the top 50.  RoCo is the sort of player you'd really want if you already have a few stars, but who won't do much for you if you don't have much talent ahead of him.

I think you are overrating the number of stars in the league.  Look at who is behind Covington.  Gordon, Booker, Favors, Porzingiz, Bledsoe, Saric, Murray, Ingles, Rubio, Teague, ...  That is not a star studded list.  If Porzingis were healthy he'd obviously be ahead of Covington.  Booker gets hyped like a star but he's really overrated at this point.  Of those I've listed and given the caveats, Murray is probably the only one that I'd move ahead of Covington.   

I'd say regular season and ability to help a team make the playoffs would weight significantly more than projecting a player's playoff contributions.

I would put all those players besides Bledsoe, Rubio and maybe Teague ahead of Covington without thinking

[action781]

Rajon Rondo - snub

Who's going to break the news to Janos?

[tazzmaniac]

The list doesn't include rookies and the list takes into account injuries so Cousins and Porzingis are lower than they normally would be.  Also the list is just for 2019 so you have to put aside future year projections.   It is also not really a draft.  It is a projection of all around productivity.

A list of the "top 100 players of 2019," to me, means a list of the players that are going to be the most valuable for the upcoming season.  Whether that means regular season only or playoffs also is an open question, I guess.

As I said in my post, the "draft" I'm hypothesizing here would be for teams that are all trying to win right now.  Obviously in real life many young players would get taken ahead of more established role players that are nonetheless more valuable in the present.


Even with those caveats, I don't see a team wanting Robert Covington in the top 50.  RoCo is the sort of player you'd really want if you already have a few stars, but who won't do much for you if you don't have much talent ahead of him.

I think you are overrating the number of stars in the league.  Look at who is behind Covington.  Gordon, Booker, Favors, Porzingiz, Bledsoe, Saric, Murray, Ingles, Rubio, Teague, ...  That is not a star studded list.  If Porzingis were healthy he'd obviously be ahead of Covington.  Booker gets hyped like a star but he's really overrated at this point.  Of those I've listed and given the caveats, Murray is probably the only one that I'd move ahead of Covington.   

I'd say regular season and ability to help a team make the playoffs would weight significantly more than projecting a player's playoff contributions.

I would put all those players besides Bledsoe, Rubio and maybe Teague ahead of Covington without thinking

It is generally best to think first.  Murray ahead of Cov.  Porzingis placement is based on when he'll be back.  If he's back by Christmas, I'd put him ahead of Cov.  If it is not until Feb, I'd put Cov ahead.  Cov is more important to the Sixers success than Saric so that's easy unless you think Saric is going to make a significant leap in 2019.  I can see an argument for Gordon and Booker but not really for the rest.   

[bdm860]

30-11 is now out.

Hayward - 25
Irving - 17
Horford - 16

Big jump for Horford who was #30 last year.  Highest he's been since he's been a Celtic.  Actually highest he's been since SI started this list in 2014.

[gouki88]

30-11 is now out.

Hayward - 25
Irving - 17
Horford - 16

Big jump for Horford who was #30 last year.  Highest he's been since he's been a Celtic.  Actually highest he's been since SI started this list in 2014.

Has Al Horford become... overrated ??

[BitterJim]

30-11 is now out.

Hayward - 25
Irving - 17
Horford - 16

Big jump for Horford who was #30 last year.  Highest he's been since he's been a Celtic.  Actually highest he's been since SI started this list in 2014.

Horford above Irving? I love me some Horford, but (even with the surgeries) I just don't see how someone could think he's the better player

[Moranis]

Yeah a stunning spot for Horford.  I don't really have an issue with the other 2 given the injury related concerns (though as I've said a lot, I believe Hayward is Boston's best player), but I just can't see Horford at 16, though they have consistently have Draymond Green in the top 15, so I guess that sort of ranking for Horford makes sense in that context.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

This is one of the few times that I've thought the national media gave the Cs their due and ranked them appropriately.

Given Irving's injuries, I don't see how he could be ranked higher, but in the paragraph on him they recognized he could be considered a top 10 player if consistently healthy.

Horford got his due. They even compared him favorably to Draymond Green, which is dead on.

Hayward is appropriately ranked ahead of players like DeRozan, Middleton, Holliday, and Beal. I've always thought he had a comparable impact to Klay Thompson, and they are only a few spots off. Assuming he is fully healthy, this seems like a good spot for him.

Both Brown and Tatum are ranked highly, without being too high. Both players are fully deserving of top 50 status and could push themselves into fringe all-star status (top 30) with a good season.

The one qualm I have is having Kyle Lowry rated so highly. He just doesn't scare me.

[fairweatherfan]

30-11 is now out.

Hayward - 25
Irving - 17
Horford - 16

Big jump for Horford who was #30 last year.  Highest he's been since he's been a Celtic.  Actually highest he's been since SI started this list in 2014.

Dang, good for Al.  "Better" is a really tough standard to apply to guys who contribute the way he does, but you really can make an argument that Horford's more valuable to us than Kyrie. I don't think we make game 7 of the ECF if Kyrie's in and Horford's out.

While this is a surprise for this kind of list it's worth pointing out that the kind of reasoning and evaluation that puts Horford ahead of Kyrie also should probably put Smart somewhere on the list.

[Moranis]

so we know their top 10

My predicted order

1. James
2. Durant
3. Davis
4. Curry
5. Giannis
6. Harden
7. Westbrook
8. Paul
9. Embiid
10. Butler

[smokeablount]

30-11 is now out.

Hayward - 25
Irving - 17
Horford - 16

Big jump for Horford who was #30 last year.  Highest he's been since he's been a Celtic.  Actually highest he's been since SI started this list in 2014.

Horford above Irving? I love me some Horford, but (even with the surgeries) I just don't see how someone could think he's the better player

If you took Horford off the team OR Kyrie off the team, you could make a case losing Horford would be worse... but that's because of the rest of our roster and other variables.  Kyrie is definitely 'better', just maybe not more 'important.'

But yeah, they've way overrated Draymond for years.  This is right up that alley.

[bdm860]

so we know their top 10

My predicted order

1. James
2. Durant
3. Davis
4. Curry
5. Giannis
6. Harden
7. Westbrook
8. Paul
9. Embiid
10. Butler

This one is tough.  I've shuffled these around several times thinking about the likely order.  This could go a lot of different ways.  I'm thinking maybe:

1. James - he looked as human as ever, but still put up the best numbers since he returned to Cleveland.  A new team and culture may actually rejuvenate him.
2. Harden - I think taking the Rockets to the cusp of the Finals (perhaps a CP3 injury away), winning 65 games, MVP, etc. gives him a boost here.
3. Durant - too insecure, may have foot out the door?  Really reaching for any negatives here.
4. Davis - I can't think of anything negative to say.  Continue to be healthy, dominate, and get better teammates
5. Curry - only 3rd team All-NBA, missed 30 games and some playoffs.  Warriors finally looked beatable. 0 FMVPs.
6. Westbrook - knock will be getting teammates more involved, getting out of first round
7. Antetokounmpo - knock will be 3 point shot, getting out of first round
8. Embiid - knock will be health, stamina, maturity
9. Paul - knock will be health, age
10. Butler - knock will be playoff performance, health

Anyway you slice it, that's 8 of the top 10 players still in the West.  Kawhi could very likely jump back in to top 10, but still 12 of the top 15 out West.

[fairweatherfan]

so we know their top 10

My predicted order

1. James
2. Durant
3. Davis
4. Curry
5. Giannis
6. Harden
7. Westbrook
8. Paul
9. Embiid
10. Butler

They always surprise me so this'll be wrong, but my prediction:

1. LeBron
2. Durant
3. Harden
4. Curry
5. Davis
6. Westbrook
7. Giannis
8. Embiid
9. Paul
10. Butler

Knowing sportswriters they'll somehow have Paul at like #6 and Davis at #8 or something though.