Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 35. CJ McCollum
The skill overlap between CJ McCollum and his backcourt mate Damian Lillard has been the topic of many NBA debates, and this could be the season (or the offseason) that Portland finally decides to go in a different direction. That does not, however, take away from McCollum’s supreme offensive talent. He’s a special player on that side of the ball.
While his point guard skills have been understandably buried beneath Lillard’s ball-dominance, McCollum is a capable facilitator. He averaged a career-best 4.7 assists per game last season. That is, of course, in addition to his remarkable scoring repertoire. McCollum is just a natural in the modern NBA, with deep range on his pull-up jumper, polished ball-handling skills, and endless craft finishing at the rim. He can slither his way to any spot on the floor, with a penchant for difficult jumpers in big moments.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 34. Pascal Siakam
The Raptors took an organizational step back last season, playing in Tampa instead of Toronto and dealing with injury upon injury. Pascal Siakam did not look himself, but there’s every reason to expect a more productive season in 2021-22. Jokes about his spin move aside, Siakam is simply too good to count out.
Not long ago, Siakam was arguably the 2A on a championship team. He’s a gifted downhill scorer, using long strides, soft touch, and yes, spin move upon spin move to score gracefully at the rim. He’s also a decent pull-up shooter, though, with a reliable 3-point stroke and the ability to facilitate from different spots on the floor. Defensively, he’s a versatile weapon with the strength to guard most fives and the lateral quickness to contain guards on a switch.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 33. Kyle Lowry
Kyle Lowry is getting older, there’s no doubt about it. He should still contribute at a high level in his first season with the Miami Heat. The 35-year-old was easily Toronto’s best player last season, and the only real source of consistency when on the court. He averaged 17.2 points and 7.3 assists and, had Toronto been even remotely competitive, probably would have made the All-Star team.
There aren’t many better “glue guys” in the NBA. Lowry just connects the dots for everyone else. He does the little things offensively, but can also take the ball and get a basket when called upon. On defense, he’s the league’s top charge-drawer, which speaks to his willingness to put his body on the line and make winning plays, no matter how gritty the work.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 32. Ben Simmons
It’s pretty much impossible to have a genuine and nuanced conversation about Ben Simmons, especially in Philadelphia. He’s probably the most frustrating top-40 player in the NBA, but he’s still a top-40 player in the NBA. He finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, and everyone in Philadelphia would have told you he deserved No. 1 a few weeks ago.
Of course, the offensive output is a bit murkier for Simmons. He was pretty bad for stretches last season, and the bottom fell out in the playoffs. That said, he remains a top-tier distributor who by nature generates a lot of open 3s for teammates. He scores efficiently at the rim when he puts his mind to it, and the free throws aren’t generally a huge problem in the regular season.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 31. Bam Adebayo
Last season was not the coming out party many expected from Bam Adebayo, but he was still really damn good. He can anchor a defense better than just about everyone not named Rudy Gobert, Joel Embiid, or Giannis Antetokounmpo. He can also contribute in various ways offensively, even if the limitations of his jump shot were apparent in 2020-21.
Adebayo is a clever playmaker out of the high post, with advanced court vision and a real willingness to thread difficult needles. He struggles when he tries to be more than a third or fourth scorer, but in the right role, Adebayo is essentially the perfect complementary big. He plays unselfishly, connects dots, and scores in multiple ways at the rim.