Top 100 NBA players — 8. LeBron James, Lakers
It feels like a betrayal to put LeBron James this low. He’s arguably the greatest player ever. At 37 years old, James is accomplishing physical feats very few humans could ever dream of. He’s probably going to win the scoring title, he’s scoring as efficiently as he ever has, and the Lakers might miss the play-in tournament. Obviously, James has been victim to injuries and atrocious roster-building (his fault or not). But, prime LeBron James just doesn’t miss the playoffs. He has lost a fraction of a step, however small that fraction may be.
James can still outplay anyone in the league when he wants to. The Lakers will probably rebound next season when the front office has a chance to reshape the roster around James. That said, for all the impressive numbers and historic achievements, this just isn’t the LeBron James of yesteryear. He’s still absurd — it’s a tragedy the Lakers are wasting this season from him — but James is now a top-10 player, not a top-1 player.
Top 100 NBA players — 7. Stephen Curry, Warriors
It feels similarly icky to rank Stephen Curry seventh. He might be a top-7 player all-time! But, the league is changing, guys get older, and the density of great players in the NBA is higher than ever. Curry’s worst season in ages will probably get him some stray MVP votes. The Warriors are primed to contend in the West, and still, no player faceplants a defense like Curry. This ranking is meant as no slight — someone has to “drop.”
Curry’s off-ball movement remains as frequent and miraculous as ever. He can impact the game, swing entire possessions without even touching the ball. How many players can you earnestly say that about. Defenses assuredly spend entire film sessions dedicated to how to chase Curry around screens without getting lost. You can forget what happens when he actually touches the ball. The prodigious offensive skill of Stephen Curry is cemented in the annals of NBA history. He may not be in prime, unanimous MVP form, but Curry is still Curry.