Top 100 NBA players — 20. Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves
Karl-Anthony Towns’ offensive skill set could help define a generation of big men. He’s so gifted in so many ways. Is he the best 3-point shooting big of all-time? Well, on paper, probably. When you add in his ability to face up, attack off the dribble, and overwhelm defenders in the paint, it becomes virtually impossible to contain KAT. He has improved as a passer this season, and his rim protection is as strong as ever. The Wolves are probably postseason-bound, which is cool. KAT has earned this moment.
Top 100 NBA players — 19. Rudy Gobert, Jazz
There is plenty of criticism, valid and invalid, floating around the internet with respect to Rudy Gobert. Here’s the easy way to look at it: no player ensures an elite regular season defense like Gobert. He single-handedly raises the floor of his team in a manner very few players can. The Jazz have flaws, some of them Gobert-centric, but they’re in the playoffs every year. Offenses just do not, cannot, function the same way with him on the floor. He’s also an efficient and dominant roll man who, next to elite guards, can feast on easy looks at the rim. He doesn’t score 40 points and you can pull up clips of him getting toasted on the perimeter, but Gobert has earned his reputation and his many Defensive Player of the Year trophies.
Top 100 NBA players — 18. Kyrie Irving, Nets
Kyrie Irving is unique in ways both good and bad. Off the court, he’s a distraction more often than you’d like. On the court, there’s no one who can hit the shots he hits at his size. Irving’s handles and finishing touch are the stuff of legend. His ability to hang in midair and contort his body is second to none. He doesn’t always play within the offense, but frankly, Irving is good enough to be the offense most nights. He can create from scratch with a poise and aesthetic poetry unique to only him.
Top 100 NBA players — 17. Ja Morant, Grizzlies
Ja Morant will crack some MVP ballots despite missing roughly 20 games. That’s how good he has been — and how good the Grizzlies have been, with and without him on the court. Memphis’ greatest asset is its culture, which starts with Morant’s glowing presence. On the court, he has been the most electric player on the planet in 2021-22. He owns probably the top five highlights of the season, and he plays a style conducive not only to his own success, but to the success of the teammates around him. The Grizzlies run a tight ship and Morant is the captain.
Top 100 NBA players — 16. Jimmy Butler, Heat
The main sticking point with Jimmy Butler, clutch extraordinaire, elite defender, and multi-faceted contributor, is his complete lack of a 3-point shot. The guy just forgot how to shoot in what we can only assume is some belated response to being exposed to the Sixers organization. Jokes aside, Butler remains a brilliant and layered star, who contributes in almost every facet except outside shooting. He can get his own shots from mid-range, probe and attack inside, focus on creating for others, or operate in the dunker’s spot, Brett Brown style. You name it, he’s probably willing to do it.