Ranking players is a staple of every sports fans and sports news outlet, it sparks debates and rarely do we see an identical top 10. Even the so called experts at ESPN and Sport Illustrated had a very different top 10 and it further solidifies that there is no concrete agreement on who makes the top 10 and where they land.
I will be going through both lists from 1-10 and comparing who landed at each position and how accurate I thought the experts were.
1. ESPN - LeBron James
SI - LeBron James
The easiest pick on the list, King James at #1 is where we should all rank him. Going into his 16th season he still remains in peak physical condition and his offensive production is at an MVP level. Winner - Both
2. ESPN - Steph Curry
SI - Kevin Durant
Our first disagreement involves 2 teammates, one is the reigning back to back Finals MVP while the other is the main reason for Kevin Durant's success. KD v Steph is an ongoing debate I have, for me KD is more talented and is a better overall player but the case for Steph is a good one. His gravity makes him terrifying for opposing teams which in turn gives KD some of his freedom. The way I see it is that KD is the better player but Steph is more effective. Winner SI
3. ESPN - James Harden
SI - Steph Curry
Another tough comparison for me, the reigning MVP v the first unanimous MVP, both elite offensive talents. The case for Harden is his ability to create a shot for anyone, anywhere on the court, he has turned into an elite play-maker and has led the league in scoring and assists but his lack of team success is what may always hold him back. On the other hand we have Curry, who maybe has an easier job due to the skill of his teammates but he still remains the most important player of a dynasty. I am a huge Harden fan and I believe that if he had similar teammates to Curry he would be pushing LeBron for the #1 spot, however I have to be fair and give the nod to Curry for his accolades. Winner SI
4. ESPN - Kevin Durant/Giannis Antetokounmpo (tied)
SI - Kawhi Leonard
Sorry, but what are ESPN smoking. Firstly a top 10 ranking should not have any ties, it defeats the purpose of a rank. Secondly at least make the 2 players being ranked a closer skills level. KD at 4 is way too low he is closer to 1st than 4th while Giannis hasn't warranted a top 4 spot over the likes of some other players. As Stephen A. would say 'It's Blasphemous!' SI took a different view to their 4th spot by ranking a player we haven't properly seen for over a year. Kawhi is an elite player and at full health, 4th spot is fair for him. He has the accolades and stats to go along with the team success so 4th spot is good for me. Winner SI
5. ESPN - No-one (see 4th)
SI - James Harden
SI are running away with this, I have made my point for James Harden and it is wild to me that a man who has been top 2 in MVP voting in 3 of the last 4 seasons struggles to solidify his place as a top 3 player. I guess this shows the depth of talent we have in the league. Winner (by default) SI
6. ESPN - Anthony Davis
SI - Russell Westbrook
AD v Westbrook is a tough one for me, for many reasons. On paper AD may be the greatest player in the world but he has not got a solid CV as of yet. Westbrook on the other hand is polarising but has proved that he can lead a team into the playoffs with little help and attract fellow All Stars. Westbrook has more regular season and playoff success while AD's all round game leave us as fans wanting him to pilot a deep playoff run. I think going forward AD will get better and even in last years playoffs he was crucial in their first round sweep of the Blazers, while Westbrook lost to a Jazz team led by a rookie. I'm finding this hard to pick but success weighs more than stats when I am ranking players so Westbrook wins this one. Winner SI
7. ESPN - Russell Westbrook
SI - Chris Paul
I had Westbrook ranked 6th as a fair placing so I won't argue too much with 7th. Chris Paul is an interesting one, criminally underrated by many people, the best pure point guard in the game showed his worth in his debut season with the Houston Rockets. I can see the argument for both cases and I am finding it tough to sway one way. CP3's impact on a team is so valuable and I think that another healthy season could result in another WCF with hopefully a different result. Winner Both
8. ESPN - Kawhi Leonard
SI - Anthony Davis
Kawhi being ranked 8th is largely due to injury and I can see the reasoning behind it but as he is coming back healthy I feel that we can rank him based on what we expect from him this season. 8th place for AD seems very low but when you see the 7 players SI had ahead, it makes sense. I have already given my opinion on how much I rate Kawhi in pick 4 and I believe he belongs in the upper part of the top 10. I think 8th place is good for AD, he had a good run in the playoffs last year and has proven he can play perform when it matters. My only issue is that can he push his team to the playoffs consistently to experience this more often. Winner SI
9. ESPN - Joel Embiid
SI - Giannis Antetokounmpo
As we reach the final few spots new players start appearing, for obvious reasons. These players have quite similar stats which makes it harder to choose between them. Embiid has a better supporting cast which was shown shown when the 6ers finished in the 3rd seed last season while the Bucks finished 7th. Both teams went out to Boston and oddly the Bucks took the series to 7 while the 6ers lost in 5. Giannis has the longevity over Embiid which makes picking him the easier option, however I think even though Embiid is only in his 2nd season, he has the talent to be top 10. His defensive ability swings this for me as he has proven he can be elite on both ends of the court while I still feel despite Giannis' talent something is missing. Winner ESPN
10. ESPN - Damian Lillard
SI - Draymond Green
Last but least, we have the final place. Both of these players are here for very different reasons. Lillard is fresh off an All NBA First team but he did not perform well in the playoffs and his stock has fallen. Green on the other hand is on the list for his Swiss army knife capabilities and his lead role on the Golden State Warriors. I class Draymond as a system player and if I'm honest he would be lucky to crack my top 20 let alone top 10. Whereas Lillard is still rated a little high but he has proven he can produce in the regular season and be the main man on a pretty decent team. Even though my main criteria when ranking players is rings, I feel that Green would not do well in most teams and Lillard's offensive responsibility is the reason for him to be ranked higher. I would personally have players such as Jimmy Butler and Kyrie Irving in the mix for a top 10 place. Winner ESPN
Once again, these list were very very different and I love that, it sparks conversations and narratives. The cocktail of criteria has a different mix for everyone and it seems like ESPN were heavily stat based while SI seemed to take an approach which showed they understand players value to their individual teams. Winner SI (8-4)
