Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 45. Nikola Vucevic
The Bulls didn’t have the second-half surge many expected after trading for Nikola Vucevic last season. Even so, fans should remain confident about Vucevic’s ability to impact winning. To say he put up empty stats on a bad Orlando team is simply ignoring history and the nature of Vucevic’s offensive game.
At 6-foot-11, Vucevic is one of the most dominant post presences in the game, but that’s not his only skill. He’s great at every level. He hit 40.0 percent of his 3s last season. He can also work from the elbow, with advanced passing chops and deft footwork.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 44. Brandon Ingram
A former No. 2 pick, it took a few years for Brandon Ingram to hit his stride in the NBA. That said, now that he has, there’s no way around Ingram’s wide-ranging impact. He took a backseat to Zion Williamson last season, but still managed to produce at the level of most All-Stars. He averaged 23.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. We have officially arrived at “the Pelicans’ roster is holding back its stars” territory.
With a new look roster around him, including the notable arrivals of Valanciunas and Graham, we could see Ingram’s workload change dramatically next season. Even so, he’s too good a scorer, and too important a playmaker to fade entirely. His size and versatility is key to unlocking this Pelicans’ roster.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 43. De’Aaron Fox
The numbers don’t really lie here. De’Aaron Fox was one of the most productive guards in the NBA last season, averaging 25.2 points and 7.2 assists. He is the center of Sacramento’s universe, and while that universe hasn’t won too many games of late, it’s hard to deny the raw volume of Fox’s contributions night in and night out.
Defense remains a concern for the wire-framed Fox. He’s also a below-average shooter, which allows defenses to adjust accordingly when planning for his game-breaking speed. Even so, Fox has grown immensely as a shooter since his rookie season, and could still improve further.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 42. DeMar DeRozan
The Bulls’ decision to sign DeMar DeRozan this summer was widely panned, but consider me a fan of the move. The goal is to build a contender and convince Zach LaVine to stay. Chicago is not a championship threat, but DeRozan puts them firmly in the postseason hunt. He was far and away the best player on a winning Spurs team last season — a team that would have made the playoffs in the East.
DeRozan’s game broadened considerably in San Antonio, where he took on expanded playmaking duties. Last season, he was straight-up one of the best passers in the league, averaging 6.9 assists on top of his 21.6 points per game. The complete lack of a 3-point shot limits DeRozan’s ceiling, but he’s a masterful scorer inside the arc, and he should have no shortage of spacing around him in Chicago.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 41. Malcolm Brogdon
The Pacers were, uh, not great last season, but with a new coach and the promise of (mostly) fresh legs, Indiana should look better in 2021-22. It starts with Malcolm Brogdon, who will resume point guard duties and run the show, more or less. He’s a talented and versatile offensive threat, who is perfectly adaptable off the ball when Rick Carlisle decides to defer to Domantas Sabonis or Caris LeVert.
At 6-foot-5, Brogdon can defend multiple positions, hit a high volume of 3s, and supply the offense with an unselfish, high-I.Q. engine. He sees the floor at a high level and doesn’t let the ball stick unnecessarily. He has expanded his isolation duties since arriving from Milwaukee, but even so, Brogdon’s game is mostly team-oriented.