Even as he ages, Draymond Green remains a basketball genius and one of the NBA’s top defenders. He’s better geared toward the postseason, but that’s when value counts the most. He’s still a five-position defender who can switch seamlessly across the floor, rotate on a dime and protect the weak side. He communicates, helps to facilitate the offense and will take on an even more important role in Kevin Durant’s absence.
A torn ACL will lose Klay Thompson almost an entire season, but there’s a reason Golden State dished out a five-year extension without hesitation. He’s a special offensive talent, possessing close to unmatched gravity as an off-ball mover and shooter. He doesn’t dribble much, but that’s a product of the system more than a tangible limitation. He’s also a great positional defender on the wing.
The Celtics managed to offset Kyrie Irving‘s departure with the addition of another star guard. Kemba Walker will finally get a proper spotlight in Boston, as well as a chance to compete. He’s no quite on Irving’s level, but his shifty handles, deep pull-up range and quick first step will fit naturally in Boston’s system. He averaged 25.6 points and 5.9 assists on .434/.356/.844 shooting splits last season, dragging Charlotte’s lifeless roster to fringe postseason contention before fizzing out.
“He can’t shoot!” is a phrase that should be fired into the sun. Yes, we get it. He can’t shoot. But Ben Simmons‘ value goes so much deeper than shooting — so much so that even right now, a jump shot entirely absent, Simmons is a top-20 NBA player. He’s an efficient interior scorer, a prolific transition playmaker and one of the NBA’s most versatile defenders. Contrary to the popular narrative, he did improve last season — and more improvement should be the expectation next season.
Few players have revolutionized their game to the extent Blake Griffin has. Once a power athlete, Griffin now operates on strength and finesse. He can bully defenders on the block, but he’s also a prolific shooter at the four, hitting pull-up 3s, handling in pick-and-rolls and operating as Detroit’s do-it-all focal point. He attempted 7.0 triples per game last season, averaging 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists on strong .462/.362/.753 shooting splits.