VOTE: Top 5 players in the league right now

[No-more-rings]

KD is still a top 5 player in the league. I don't see why the best defensive team in recent memory should knock him down that much. Plus I think Kyries playing style makes him less efficient.

I mean I’ll repeat it. KD struggled in a way we shouldn’t expect from a top 5 player in the playoffs. They were a great defense, but Giannis and Steph both performed considerably better against the same team. Maybe just a bad matchup for him but like I said, he clearly doesn’t look like the same guy from 3-5 years ago.

Your thoughts?

[MyUniBroDavis]

I’m expecting AD and Bron if they’re healthy (big if) to both have huge bounce back years

AD is speculative but I heard they’re changing his role completely and we’ll see how that goes

Bron was pretty much in the worst situation this year, with roster and coaching, so with both improved I’m expecting an improvement

[mdonnelly1989]

KD is still a top 5 player in the league. I don't see why the best defensive team in recent memory should knock him down that much. Plus I think Kyries playing style makes him less efficient.

I mean I’ll repeat it. KD struggled in a way we shouldn’t expect from a top 5 player in the playoffs. They were a great defense, but Giannis and Steph both performed considerably better against the same team. Maybe just a bad matchup for him but like I said, he clearly doesn’t look like the same guy from 3-5 years ago.

Your thoughts?

Idk what he did last year against the Nets was mind boggling against a really good defensive Bucks. He was considered a top 2 player in the league just last year with Bucks, and my guess is if the Nets defeat the Bucks he's probably considered better.

Whether that's justified or not, KD took the Champs last season to game 7 basically by himself. That's Giannis, Middleton and Jrue.

He was top 2 player in the league last season. I don't see why 1 year should make him drop all the way out of the top 5

[dontcalltimeout]

I have a pretty clear top 3

Jokic
Antetokoumpo
Curry

Then it gets tough.

James, Doncic, Tatum, and Durant are pretty close in my mind. My questions right now are about how bad James and Doncic are on defense. I could see them both ahead of Tatum if they're neutral.

For now I'm going to go James, Tatum, Doncic, Durant.

When push comes to shove I still think LeBron is the best offensive player outside of Jokic and Curry, and that's enough to give him the spot, even with negative defense.

I have Tatum as being on the back-end of the top 12 offensive guys and on the backend of top 25 or 30 defensive guys, which still amounts to a pretty strong overall package.

I like Doncic's playmaking and problem-solving a bit more than Durant's ultimately.

Joel Embiid could sneak into the top 5, but I still feel like he can't manage to be healthy-ish in the playoffs, and that really matters to me.

Jimmy Butler is next up.

Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Damian Lillard, and Anthony Davis could be in the conversation next season, if they are healthy.

I'd be curious to hear who people think are likely to jump into the top 5 next year in the under-25 crop of players.

[SpreeS]

TOP3
Giannis/Jokic/Curry

TOP10 Embiid/Butler/Tatum/KD/Lebron/Doncic/Kawhi

TOP15
Gobert/Young/George/Davis/Morant

TOP20
Booker/KAT/Lillard/Zion/DeRozan

TOP25
Paul/Mitchell/Beal/Siakam/Harden

[MyUniBroDavis]

Does everyone assume lebron will be a negative on defense next year?

[tsherkin]

KD is still a top 5 player in the league. I don't see why the best defensive team in recent memory should knock him down that much. Plus I think Kyries playing style makes him less efficient.

I mean I’ll repeat it. KD struggled in a way we shouldn’t expect from a top 5 player in the playoffs. They were a great defense, but Giannis and Steph both performed considerably better against the same team. Maybe just a bad matchup for him but like I said, he clearly doesn’t look like the same guy from 3-5 years ago.

Your thoughts?

Kobe, 2008 Finals. Dirk, 2007 playoffs. Lebron, 2011 Finals...

Lots of players have a series where they struggle, particularly since the 2008 Boston defense was orchestrated. It shouldn't be used too heavily to undercut a player when the entire defense sells out to stop a single player and basically permits the rest of the team to do as it wills because they know this will kill the squad's offense. That's what happened to KD against Boston, much as what the Celtics did to both Kobe and Lebron.

[Peregrine01]

KD is still a top 5 player in the league. I don't see why the best defensive team in recent memory should knock him down that much. Plus I think Kyries playing style makes him less efficient.

I mean I’ll repeat it. KD struggled in a way we shouldn’t expect from a top 5 player in the playoffs. They were a great defense, but Giannis and Steph both performed considerably better against the same team. Maybe just a bad matchup for him but like I said, he clearly doesn’t look like the same guy from 3-5 years ago.

Your thoughts?

Kobe, 2008 Finals. Dirk, 2007 playoffs. Lebron, 2011 Finals...

Lots of players have a series where they struggle, particularly since the 2008 Boston defense was orchestrated. It shouldn't be used too heavily to undercut a player when the entire defense sells out to stop a single player and basically permits the rest of the team to do as it wills because they know this will kill the squad's offense. That's what happened to KD against Boston, much as what the Celtics did to both Kobe and Lebron.

That's fair. I think KD is still an elite offensive player - and still probably top 5. But to me, it's his defense that casts doubt on whether he's still up there as top 5. The Nets have been putrid on defense ever since he got there. Now, he's never been a great defensive player but I can no longer put him above say Curry even, despite him playing a more valuable and important defensive position. There are guys more valuable on offense (Luka, Lebron) that have a good case to edge him out overall.

[tsherkin]

That's fair. I think KD is still an elite offensive player - and still probably top 5. But to me, it's his defense that casts doubt on whether he's still up there as top 5. The Nets have been putrid on defense ever since he got there. Now, he's never been a great defensive player but I can no longer put him above say Curry even, despite him playing a more valuable and important defensive position. There are guys more valuable on offense (Luka, Lebron) that have a good case to edge him out overall.

Right on. I only meant to highlight the deficiency of attacking a player based on one series against an elite defense selling out to stop that player. There remain arguments for why KD should or should not be top 5, no doubt.