We live in a different kind of society today... people don't want to read long-form journalism. We like Twitter. We like YouTube. TikTok. "Hot takes" that stir the pot and get conversation going.
Short and sweet, so we can move on to the next thing in our evolving modern lives.
That said, I'm featuring one-sentence synopses (or less) this time around. Here's a link to my last such list:
2019: John Frascella's Top 65 NBA Players
Quick Ranking Notes:
-Players will not be punished for opting out of The Bubble.
-This list includes injured players.
-Be sure to give your opinion after reading!
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100. Steven Adams: A highly-efficient center who brings toughness and a never-back-down attitude in the paint.
99. Kendrick Nunn: A very impressive rookie who is coming along nicely due to the help of Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra and veteran leader Jimmy Butler.
98. Will Barton: Not my favorite guy, but he brings an offensive spark when coming off the bench, and his herky-jerky style of play can disorient opposing defenses.
97. Robert Covington: A three-and-D analytics favorite who spaces the floor and provides top-tier individual defensive work.
96. Tristan Thompson: Another highly-efficient big who also happens to be one of the elite rebounders in the entire NBA.
95. Josh Richardson: Another strong defender who can also give you an offensive boost when he's on his game from the perimeter.
94. Serge Ibaka: A good, solid veteran who has developed into an extremely effective bench player for one of the best teams in the NBA.
93. Terry Rozier: Has some good counting stats, but I'd like to see him improve his efficiency and polish up his all-around game as a floor general.
92. JJ Redick: Consistently one of the best pure shooters in the game; spaces the floor beautifully and runs defenders around a plethora of screens.
91. Eric Gordon: A tough guard who buckles down on D when he needs to; unlimited range and an aggressive offensive repertoire.
90. Harrison Barnes: A consistently good player who never becomes great.
89. Jusuf Nurkic: Will move up the list if he can remain healthy; he was out of the lineup for quite some time.
88. Lauri Markkanen: Hasn't quite panned out the way people expected; needs to be tougher, both mentally and physically.
87. Paul Millsap: A savvy veteran with a polished all-around game on both ends of the floor.
86. Derrick Rose: Had a very impressive season, still showcasing that "burst" as he attacks the rack with reckless abandon.
85. Blake Griffin: An extremely talented all-around player who simply cannot stay on the floor; too many highlight-reel dunks as a youngster.
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84. Draymond Green: You take away those Golden State stars, and he just doesn't seem particularly impressive.
83. Marcus Smart: One of the best two-way bench players in the NBA; a relentless sparkplug who would bring serious value to any team in the game.
82. Goran Dragic: Has settled in nicely as the veteran leader of the Heat's second unit.
81. Myles Turner: An excellent young shotblocker who has the potential to be a much more impactful all-around contributor.
80. Brook Lopez: A real solid, steady veteran and calming influence on a high-powered Bucks team.
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79. Ricky Rubio: He still feels a bit underrated, to me - he's a professional facilitator who keeps his teammates in offensive rhythm.
78. Collin Sexton: Had a tremendous season as one of the Cavs' only true go-to guys.
77. Devonte' Graham: Has quickly developed into a "microwave" scorer who can really catch you off guard with an offensive barrage.
76. Marcus Morris: Consistently one of the best bench players in the NBA - tough, versatile and always useful.
75. Evan Fournier: Known as a "shooter", but can also surprise you with a pretty effective all-around offensive game.
74. Kelly Oubre: A rising young player who has found a comfortable home with the up-and-coming Suns.
73. Aaron Gordon: A dynamic player with a lot of all-around potential; needs to find exactly what his game is.
72. Dennis Schroder: A relentless offensive attacker who always puts opposing defenses on their heels; he ain't scared.
71. Bojan Bogdanovic: One of the more underrated scorers in the game; a crafty veteran arsenal with more versatility than you think.
70. Jonas Valanciunas: A rock solid traditional big; huge and powerful, with good hands and palpable energy.
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69. Clint Capela: Something tells me he won't be as noticeable or noteworthy with the developing Hawks.
68. Mike Conley: I think a bigger name than his ability at this point; need to see him stay healthy and make a consistent impact.
67. Hassan Whiteside: Arguably the best shotblocker in the world; a traditional big who can really be dominant in the right matchups.
66. Deandre Ayton: A rising young center who has the potential to crack my top 50 in the near future.
65. Caris LeVert: A very talented all-around player who needs to stay healthy and maintain some consistency.
64. Montrezl Harrell: A ferocious finishing big who plays with tenacity and flair.
63. Jaylen Brown: Finally seems to be coming into his own and establishing a consistent offensive style and repertoire.
62. Danilo Gallinari: An old-school scorer with all of the offensive tricks in the book.
61. Spencer Dinwiddie: Easily one of the best and most impactful bench players in the entire NBA.
60. Buddy Hield: A high-volume scorer who needs to develop the other facets of his game.
59. Victor Oladipo: Needs to stay healthy for a little while and we'll get him back into my top 50, where he belongs.
58. Kevin Love: A good, solid veteran, but I'm just not sure about his impact on winning at this point in his career.
57. De'Aaron Fox: A quick-and-athletic young point guard who aims to create havoc on both ends of the floor.
56. Julius Randle: The best all-around player on the Knicks; a dubious distinction, I suppose.
55. Jaren Jackson Jr: A very exciting young player who features an advanced all-around game on both ends of the floor; watch out for these feisty Grizzlies.
54. Gordon Hayward: Hasn't had the best of luck staying healthy in Boston; still a very talented all-around player who knows how to play up to the level of his competition.
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53. Andrew Wiggins: One of the more talented pure scorers in the game, but his overall production will take a hit once Steph Curry and Klay are back.
52. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: One of the most impressive young guards in the league; wise beyond his years with a real calm to his game.
51. Eric Bledsoe: One of the best and most physical defensive guards in the game; gets a boost for contributing to one of the most dominant teams in the NBA.
50. Malcolm Brogdon: A tremendous addition by the Pacers who has really steadied the ship for a team with some injury issues.
49. Fred VanVleet: One of my favorite players in the NBA; this kid has balls...he doesn't back away from The Moment.
48. Lou Williams: Another one of my favorites; an all-around scoring machine who has been making defenders look silly for many, many years now.
47. Jamal Murray: Really impressed me during the postseason last year; forms a very formidable pick-and-roll duo with his good buddy Nikola Jokic.
46. T.J. Warren: Probably the best player in The Bubble, thus far!
45. John Collins: A tremendous young rebounder with legitimate scoring potential, as well.
44. Bam Adebayo: Has come out of nowhere to become a dominant disruptor on both ends of the floor; again, credit the Player Development team of the Miami Heat.
43. D'Angelo Russell: Played out of his mind for my Nets, but needs to come back healthy and find a steady home within the NBA landscape.
42. Jrue Holiday: Feels kind of overrated to me - good two-way player who never stays completely healthy and appears to have fleeting impact.
41. Zach LaVine: A true go-to scorer for one of the weaker all-around teams in the game.
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40. Ben Simmons: "The Process" isn't panning out; the Sixers need Simmons to become more of a scoring threat so they can escape frustrating limbo.
39. Ja Morant: An electric young point guard who plays with exuberance and brings major excitement.
38. Tobias Harris: A steady all-around player and calming influence on a volatile Sixers' team.
37. Chris Paul: He's still got it; you can't underestimate how important it is to have a closer who knows how to execute winning plays down the stretch.
36. Nikola Vucevic: Consistently one of the most underrated players in the game; I have to give him his due credit.
35. Kristaps Porzingis: This Luka/Unicorn combo is really workin' out for Mark Cuban and company!
34. Brandon Ingram: An incredibly dynamic young player who continues to develop at a surprisingly rapid pace.
33. Andre Drummond: The best rebounder in the world; but his overall style of play is kind of dated for today's spacing-based NBA.
32. Rudy Gobert: Personally, I'm not a huge fan, but he's arguably the most impactful defensive player in the NBA and he's an anchor for a consistently solid Jazz squad.
31. Domantas Sabonis: One of my favorite young players in the game; an all-around force who plays unselfish, team-first basketball on both ends of the floor.
30. Kyle Lowry: Up there with the toughest players of all; a true grinder who has worked hard for everything he has achieved at this level.
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29. Klay Thompson: Probably the second-best shooter in the world; also an elite defender at his position when healthy.
28. DeMar DeRozan: As consistent as they come - but will he ever breakthrough in terms of winning in the postseason?
27. LaMarcus Aldridge: A polished, savvy all-around big on both ends of the floor.
26. Zion Williamson: Probably the most exciting young player in the world - a Swiss army knife of a player who will probably be in my top 20 before we know it.
25. Khris Middleton: The textbook definition of an effective "right-hand man" or No. 2 option.
24. Kemba Walker: A well-liked, productive point guard with a propensity to deliver in the clutch.
23. CJ McCollum: Another one of the most underrated basketball players in the universe; kid brings it every single night and is a freakin' scoring machine.
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22. Jayson Tatum: One of the most popular young players in the game; a Scottie Pippen-esque all-around threat with a long list of individual skills.
21. Pascal Siakam: Probably the best individual story in the NBA - went from a 7th man "garbage cleaner" to a near-superstar faster than anyone in history.
20. Donovan Mitchell: Has shown an awful lot early in his career, but I had him inside my top 15 about a year or so ago; something just isn't quite the same.
19. Karl-Anthony Towns: I'm with "Sir" Charles Barkley on this one - this kid is just too soft for me.
18. Devin Booker: Another one of the most exciting young players in the world; a versatile scoring machine who clearly has the potential to become a top-10 player.
17. Kyrie Irving: One of the most dominant individual scorers in the game, but his off-the-court antics are really becoming detrimental.
16. Russell Westbrook: Having a much better season than you think - check the stats, I'm tellin' ya!
15. Trae Young: Was easily one of the best statistical players in the NBA; a young floor general who can shoot, drive and dish with the best of 'em.
14. Bradley Beal: He and James Harden are the only 2 players averaging over 30 points per game for the season.
13. Jimmy Butler: It only took one veteran leader for the young Heat to go from a fringe playoff team to top-half seed in the improving East.
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12. Stephen Curry: Hopefully he comes back fully healthy, lookin' like his old self in fine form.
11. Joel Embiid: A dominant two-way player who could benefit from more nastiness and mental consistency.
10. Paul George: An elite player on both ends of the floor; a textbook two-way player who is as silky smooth as they come.
9. Nikola Jokic: An entertaining all-around big who leads by example; his Nuggets feed off his unselfishness and infectious positive attitude.
8. Damian Lillard: One of the coolest athletes in the world - a fearless crunchtime performer with flair and truly unlimited range.
7. Luka Doncic: Quickly developing into this generation's Larry Bird - a pure genius on the basketball court.
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6. Kevin Durant: Can be ranked as high as No. 1 overall when healthy.
5. James Harden: Just tired of ranking him in my top 4 - need to see him get it done in the playoffs, for once.
4. Anthony Davis: Has the size, athleticism and all-around talent to be the absolute best basketball player in the universe.
3. Giannis Antetokoumpo: Needs to carry his team to a title to grab my No. 1 spot.
2. Kawhi Leonard: Season on the line...out of anyone in the world...he's probably the guy you want with the ball in his hands.
1. LeBron James: Still "The King" - either the best or second-best player in the history of basketball; still goin' strong.
BRING ON THE DEBATE ON TWITTER @LEGENDSPORTS7 !!!
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