Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 95. R.J. Barrett
R.J. Barrett has had a rough go of things after his breakout sophomore season. The Knicks have suffered because of it. That said, he’s bound to get better with time. His physical downhill scoring, combined with touch behind the 3-point line and versatile defense, makes him a cornerstone of what New York is building.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 94. Terry Rozier
Terry Rozier hasn’t quite reached the heights of his revelatory 2020-21 season yet, but he’s a similarly dynamic off-guard with deep 3-point range, quick-twitch handles, and boundless confidence. He’s cast in his best possible role next to LaMelo Ball, but there’s no denying the talent.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 93. Spencer Dinwiddie
Spencer Dinwiddie’s return has been less ceremonious than expected. The Wizards have spent much of the season overperforming, but not because of Dinwiddie. His god awful field goal percentage (38.4) and low scoring marks are cause for concern, but there’s reason to hold out hope. It’s hard to return from ACL tears. He deserves the benefit of the doubt long term.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 92. Caris LeVert
Caris LeVert has struggled to find the right role in Indiana, but he remains an electric on-ball creator, with the zig-zag handles and explosive athleticism necessary to create his own shot from scratch any time down the floor. He needs to get more efficient, and a heavier dosage of lead ball-handling duties would be nice — if only to test the full extent of his skill set. Even so, you can do a lot worse than LeVert as the No. 3 option offensively.
Ranking the top 100 NBA players — 91. Seth Curry
Seth Curry is one of the best standstill shooters in the NBA, full stop. This season, he has combined that with more dynamism on the ball, working prolifically out of two-man actions with Joel Embiid, sniping pull-up jumpers in the mid-range, and even showcasing a feather-soft floater around the rim. He’s easy to target on defense, but the offense is in elite role player territory.