RealGM Top 25 Player Poll-#9 2019-20

[Filthadelphia]

Your favorite offseason debate is back by popular demand!
Thanks to everyone who voted last go around Im excited to see where the 2nd annual edition ends up.

Here's the Rules:
-Vote ONE player per poll. You'll be able to change your vote just like last year for those indecisive folks.
-The criteria of ranking the players is YOUR OWN. The whole point of bringing this to the GB is to attract the widest amount of votes/perspectives on the game as possible to form a true consensus. Some people value shooting over defense, team success over indivdual prowess etc. I want to bake all that in to this poll set no matter how chaotic.
-Each poll a player will win and then be taken out of the field. There will be 25 polls in all.
-There are only 10 possible poll options so I will start with the 10 guys who I personally believe will round out the top 10 in most people's eyes.
-As each poll commences I ask you to COMMENT IN THE THREAD your vote for who should be added in the next poll. There will be a large list of players yet to be added to the field below that you can look over to make your vote. I will tally up the votes in the comments at the end of each poll and add the winner accordingly. For example, if you want Marc Gasol added in the next poll just comment "Marc Gasol" or "Gasol".
-If a poll is overwhelmingly skewed towards one guy I will try, time willing, to edit it early and move on to the next one.
-If there is a tie in the poll. There will be a run-off poll created with just the tying parties to determine a winner. The losers of the runoff will then be added back into the field of 10 for the next poll.
-Feel free to ask any questions via pm or comment
-Feel Free to comment on your reasoning for a pick and why

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING!!!!

Winner of Poll #8:Joel Embiid (PHI)-35%
Added to Poll:Bradley Beal (WAS)


RealGM Top 25 Players 2019-20:
1)Kawhi Leonard (LAC)-39%
2)Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)-42%
3)LeBron James (LAL)-42%
4)Stephen Curry (GSW)-48%
5)James Harden (HOU)-40%
6)Anthony Davis (LAL)-39%
7)Nikola Jokic (DEN)-33%
8)Joel Embiid (PHI)-35%

Yet To Be Added: (If someone is not here that you want here comment THAT and I will add them)
Trae Young (ATL)
John Collins (ATL)
Kemba Walker (BOS)
Jayson Tatum (BOS)
Jaylen Brown (BOS)
Gordon Hayward (BOS)
DeAndre Jordan (BKN)
Zach LaVine (CHI)
Lauri Markannen (CHI)
Otto Porter (CHI)
Terry Rozier (CHA)
Kevin Love (CLE)
Luka Doncic (DAL)
Kristaps Porzingis (DAL)
Jamal Murray (DEN)
Andre Drummond (DET)
Blake Griffin (DET)
Reggie Jackson (DET)
Klay Thompson (GSW)
D'Angelo Russell (GSW)
Clint Capela (HOU)
Eric Gordon (HOU)
Malcolm Brogdan (IND)
Victor Oladipo (IND)
Myles Turner (IND)
Lou Williams (LAC)
DeMarcus Cousins (LAL)
Kyle Kuzma (LAL)
Jonas Valanciunas (MEM)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM)
Ja Morant (MEM)
Khris Middleton (MIL)
Andrew Wiggins (MIN)
Robert Covington (MIN)
Jrue Holiday (NOP)
Brandon Ingram (NOP)
Zion Williamson (NOP)
Julius Randle (NYK)
Mitchell Robinson (NYK)
RJ Barrett (NYK)
Chris Paul (OKC)
Danilo Gallinari (OKC)
Steven Adams (OKC)
Nikola Vucevic (ORL)
Aaron Gordon (ORL)
Al Horford (PHI)
Ben Simmons (PHI)
Tobias Harris (PHI)
Devin Booker (PHX)
Deandre Ayton (PHX)
CJ McCollum (POR)
Jusuf Nurkic (POR)
De'Aaron Fox (SAC)
Marvin Bagley III (SAC)
LaMarcus Aldridge (SAS)
DeMar DeRozan (SAS)
Pascal Siakam (TOR)
Kyle Lowry (TOR)
Marc Gasol (TOR)
Donovan Mitchell (UTA)
Mike Conley (UTA)
Bojan Bogdanovic (UTA)
Joe Ingles (UTA)
John Wall (WAS)
Isaiah Thomas (WAS)

Here's the list from last year:
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1746971

[GeorgeMarcus]

Vote - George

Nominate - Simmons (I went with Dipo last round but idk what’s good with his injury status)

[stormi]

PG. And please remove KD.

Nominate - Simmons

[Saints14]

Vote PG. You have to give him benefit of the doubt that the injury is what caused him to tail off last year and the first 80% of the season wasn’t just a career outlier, but the majority of the season he was on a level no one else left can hit (not confident enough in KD post-injury here).

Nominate Kemba

[ReaLiez]

For me it was between Lillard, Butler, and George.

I went with Butler as I have high expectations for him this year. Please add Blake Griffin

[THE J0KER]

Kevin Durant is by far best out of these ten players, Paul George 2nd best, but I voted for Lillard because George is going to miss in October and November around 15 games, and Durant will miss in October, November, December, January, February, March, and April around 82 games.

Nominate Kemba Walker.

[GeorgeMarcus]

For me it was between Lillard, Butler, and George.

I went with Butler as I have high expectations for him this year. Please add Blake Griffin

It was between those 3 for me as well. Butler may have the best season now that he has the keys to the Heat.

[Catchall]

I think this should be Lillard one spot ahead of PG, but I could see it go the other way. Lillard completely carries the Blazers.

[Triples333]

For me the vote for KD should be less determined by games missed and more so on what level you expect him to be at when he returns at age 32 for the 2021 season (those presuming he might come back next year for a Nets team with no shot at a title are crazy. Rest assure he's taking more time than necessary from here on out). We're now at the stage of players where he can start making a debate with an OPTIMISTIC mindset (I don't think there's much of a chance he returns at a top 10 level at that age with how dominant the top 10 guys are and how bad of an injury this is).

That said, it is for sure a bit unfair to both him and the other players to even have him on the poll.

Anyway - Paul George here. By most accounts a fairly simple recovery and he is still in his peak/coming off a top 6 level season.

[Green89]

PG13

+Kemba

[Metallikid]

PG13

+Kemba

[EArl]

Lilard
add Simons

[zimpy27]

Add Simmons

[baldur]

vote kevin durant
add klay thompson

i think kevin durant shouldnt have been put in the polls at all if he is gonna be end up like the 20th best player. we should have just dismissed him for this upcoming season.

[cellphonecamera]

Nominate Kemba

[Rastas]

Add Simmons

[Sixerscan]

Dame time
Add Simmons

[donkeylips]

Lillard and Kemba

[PizzaSteve]

Nominate Klay Thompson

[ZemGOAT]

Now those players out the way
Durant
Nominate Simmons