I happened to stumble upon reference to Sports Illustrated's Top 100 NBA Players when I was reading about my rebuilding Nets in the NY Post, and boy, was I astonished by SI's utter lack of knowledge and common sense. Here are some of their most appalling errors:
1. Rudy Gobert (#33) is better than Kemba Walker (#36)?
This one's real simple: Kemba single-handedly carried his Hornets to an overachieving 48-34 campaign and subsequent playoff appearance, while Gobert was unable to help his underachieving Jazz scrape out a postseason position in the weakest bottom of the Western Conference in decades.
The 8-seed was up for grabs throughout the year, and yet Gobert, who SI apparently believes is one of the best players in the game, was unable to do anything to get his Jazz past the dysfunctional Rockets, who had no business being in the playoffs. The Rockets' unhappy family was a running joke around the league, and yet Gobert was unable to team with Gordon Hayward (#27?) and Derrick Favors (#28?) to outplay them. Someone on the SI staff is a big-time Jazz fan.
Kemba Walker is the type of electric offensive performer who can carry a stagnant offense. Gobert is a long, lanky role player who blocks shots. These two guys aren't even in the same tier.
2. DeAndre Jordan (#20) is better than Damian Lillard (#21), Carmelo Anthony (#24) and Kyrie Irving (#25)?
I'm already noticing an alarming trend; aren't you? SI clearly places zero weight on offense. Here's the problem with that: When Chris Paul and Blake Griffin went down for the Clippers in the postseason, was DeAndre Jordan able to carry them past the Blazers' high-powered offense?
No, as a matter of fact, they blew a commanding 2-0 series lead. Don't get me wrong, every team needs effective role players to complement their stars, but DeAndre Jordan simply cannot carry you when you're in need. You can't give him the ball and ask him to bail out your struggling offense. He's simply not capable of creating for himself or his teammates on the offensive end. Now, not all role players need to be scorers, but if you're ranked 20th overall, you better have an offensive repertoire.
Think about SI's lack of logic here -- Kyrie Irving was the hero of the NBA Finals, showcasing jaw-dropping, showstopping offensive ability under the highest possible degree of pressure, yet he's ranked lower than DeAndre, who was bounced from the playoffs without so much as a whimper. There's a disconnect here.
3. Derrick Favors (#28) is better than Andre Drummond (#29)?
One guy (Favors) was a role player on a boring, below-average team that missed the playoffs, and the other (Drummond) is the best rebounder in the world and was a legitimate MVP candidate on one of the exciting surprise playoff teams of the extremely competitive Eastern Conference. Moving on.
4. Dwight Howard (#34) is better than Brook Lopez (#38), Isaiah Thomas (#45) and DeMar DeRozan (#46)?
Same story here -- defense over offense -- but SI is clearly missing the ultimate point:
Dwight Howard is finished physically. He's had a tremendous NBA career as a dominant rebounder and shotblocker, but he simply cannot move or play like he used to. I've always been a Howard supporter, but you're looking at 10 points and 12 rebounds per game here if you push him to his absolute limit.
Lopez, on the other hand, is in his prime and one of the top three offensive centers in the world (his block totals also surprise a lot of people), while Thomas and DeRozan carry Eastern playoff offenses. These guys can still bounce around and carry their teams, while Dwight struggles to get up and down the court. Too many games and injuries for that old vet.
5. Khris Middleton (#39) is better than Giannis Antetokounmpo (#48)?
Ask any Bucks fan, player or even head coach Jason Kidd who the best player on their team is, and they will all say Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Well...they might say "The Greek Freak" because they can't pronounce his name.
Regardless, Giannis is an all-around threat on the court, with the ability to dribble-drive, penetrate, score in the midrange, distribute, effectively guard multiple positions and control the game on both ends of the floor. He's an all-world talent. Khris Middleton is a good shooter.
6. Steven Adams (#40) is better than Pau Gasol (#41) and C.J. McCollum (#50)?
Talk about overreacting to a decent postseason showing. I like to look closely at the playoffs as well, but a good run of stat lines doesn't change a player's repertoire or "game." Steven Adams is a garbage man. His finishing is undoubtedly improving around the rim, but he's another guy who essentially does dirty work in the paint. These guys are not rare; just look at SI's list: Cody Zeller (94), Mason Plumlee (93), Bismack Biyombo (91), Amir Johnson (86), Nerlens Noel (84), Andrew Bogut (83), Robin Lopez (82), Clint Capela (79), Ian Mahinmi (76), Marcin Gortat (55), Tristan Thompson (52), Serge Ibaka (42), Dwight Howard (34), Rudy Gobert (33), Derrick Favors (28), Marc Gasol (22) and Al Horford (18).
I would argue that every single one of those bigs is severely overrated on SI's list. If you are big and can stand near the rim, Sports Illustrated loves you. They have Manute Bol as the #1 ranked player of all time.
Just think about Adams in comparison to Pau...Pau is better at the foul line, in the midrange, from three and with his back to the basket. He's also a far superior playmaker and distributor, with coach-like acumen on the floor. He can lead your team when it is struggling. He can help a club find its rhythm. Steven Adams can pick up a loose ball.
7. Kyrie Irving is #25 and Tristan Thompson is #52? Tristan Thompson is better than Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Vucevic?
There's no way Kyrie and Tristan should be that close in the rankings. The inconsistency in SI's ranking system is laughable. I'm assuming Tristan received an awful lot of extra credit for his playoff contributions, so why doesn't Kyrie receive any? They are on the same team, they both won titles, Kyrie is a superstar and Tristan is a role player who snatches occasional offensive rebounds.
Seriously, SI, hustle is important, but skill is FAR more important. Get your priorities straight. I could go on for days, but I don't get paid for this.
You get the idea -- Sports Illustrated thinks picking up a loose ball is more important than putting the ball through the hoop. Sound logic, geniuses.
