Curry is in a tight contest with Kevin Durant for the title of second-best NBA player. The Warriors’ offense doesn’t pop (as much) without Curry on the floor, as his dynamic shooting often leaves defenses scrambling. Even in a so-called down year, he averaged 26.4 points per game on 49.5/42.3/92.1 shooting splits.
Harden is a perennial MVP candidate for good reason. He drives the Rockets’ historic offense, bombing away from three and thriving in the pick-and-roll. His ability to change speeds and draw contact makes him one of the toughest individual assignments in basketball, while his I.Q. is criminally underrated.
He made Daryl Morey’s analytics-driven vision possible and deserves loads of credit for that.
Durant is a true 7-footer who can score from anywhere on the court, giving him the advantage in just about every matchup. His fit in Golden State has never been seamless, but it doesn’t have to be. He’s too good, and his teammates are too good, for it to matter.
LeBron joined the Lakers for all the things L.A. offers off the court — movies, businesses and school for his upcoming high schooler. That won’t take away from his brilliance on the court, though, as he projects to lead an undermanned Lakers squad to playoff contention.
Until we’re given reason to believe otherwise, James is the best player in basketball. The fact that he’s so dominant at age 33 is a testament to his work ethic, physical gifts and innate talent.
Davis staked his claim as a top-five player last season, averaging 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 53.4 percent from the field. His production looked even better after DeMarcus Cousins went down, taking over the center spot and anchoring the Pelicans’ up-tempo attack.