ESPN's Top 400 NBA players for 2015-2016

[Old School 44]

Rounding out the Spurs is Kawhi Leonard at number 8. That's it for the Spurs. Still amazed the Spurs can get a top 8 player in the league with the 15th pick of the draft. Looking forward to the start of the season. Go Spurs Go!




SAN ANTONIO SPURS

8. Kawhi Leonard
13. LaMarcus Aldridge
23. Tim Duncan
54. Tony Parker
60. Danny Green
113. David West
119. Boris Diaw
125. Manu Ginobili
162. Patty Mills
251. Kyle Anderson
255. Ray McCallum
373. Rasual Butler
383. Matt Bonner
394. Jimmer Fredette

[SAGirl]

hmmm They rank Kyle Anderson ahead of Ray and Matt Bonner!!! Nice! I'd expect Kyle to get better this year, which would be awesome for us Spurs fans.

[BillMc]

Good post!

They also have Rasual Butler at 373, but still have him on the Wizards' list. Op might want to add him to our list.

For those watching the end of the bench that's ahead of Bonner and Jimmer.

[Nathan89]

Not sure if they just release the numbers from worse to best or if they rate from the bottom up.

[Old School 44]

Good post!

They also have Rasual Butler at 373, but still have him on the Wizards' list. Op might want to add him to our list.

For those watching the end of the bench that's ahead of Bonner and Jimmer.

Thanks! I added Butler to the list. I can hardly wait until the first preseason game. Last year's Western Conference was tough, but this year could be the toughest ever. Outside of Portland, it seems as if all the top WC teams have made improvements.

[SAGirl]

Thanks! I added Butler to the list. I can hardly wait until the first preseason game. Last year's Western Conference was tough, but this year could be the toughest ever. Outside of Portland, it seems as if all the top WC teams have made improvements.

Yea, the top is tough as ever, but Mavericks and Portland have fallen. It's opened up a compe ion for the bottom playoff spots which would also be fun to follow. Obviously OKC steps in, but then you have Pelicans, Jazz and a host of young teams who are going to get feisty there. Going to be fun to watch!!!! Yay!

[spursgu]

Leonard
Duncan
Aldridge
Green
Diaw
Ginobili
Mills
West
Parker
Anderson
McCallum
Butler
Bonner
Fredette

[TheDoctor]

Interesting, they have Rasual Butler ahead of Jimmer.

[BillMc]

Thanks! I added Butler to the list. I can hardly wait until the first preseason game. Last year's Western Conference was tough, but this year could be the toughest ever. Outside of Portland, it seems as if all the top WC teams have made improvements.

Yea, the top is tough as ever, but Mavericks and Portland have fallen. It's opened up a compe ion for the bottom playoff spots which would also be fun to follow. Obviously OKC steps in, but then you have Pelicans, Jazz and a host of young teams who are going to get feisty there. Going to be fun to watch!!!! Yay!

Yep. Can't wait. The West will be a bloodbath, but that's what makes it fun. If you want to walk into the Finals go play in Cleveland.

[rastaspur]

Patty should have broken the top 150 imo. He should go waterboy on the whole league and use it as tackling fuel.

[Old School 44]

Yep. Can't wait. The West will be a bloodbath, but that's what makes it fun. If you want to walk into the Finals go play in Cleveland.

LeBron's a great player, but I wonder how his teams would fare and if his legacy would be any different, had he played most of his career in the Western Conference. The East is so weak, LeBron could have the most Finals appearances (and I stress appearances) by the time everything is said and done.

[BillMc]

LeBron's a great player, but I wonder how his teams would fare and if his legacy would be any different, had he played most of his career in the Western Conference. The East is so weak, LeBron could have the most Finals appearances (and I stress appearances) by the time everything is said and done.

I think (as I am too lazy to look it up) Bill Russell has 12 Finals appearances (with an 11-1 record!) Obviously the league was much smaller then, but even so LeBron has an outside shot at approaching it. He's about 31 and at 6 appearances now. If he can play well until 40 then he'd need to make 6 more Finals in 9 years. Not likely, but not completely impossible especially when the next great player (AD) plays in the West.

Of modern "star" players Kobe has 7, Tim has 6 (and counting), going back a bit Magic had 9 appearances, Jordan 6, Shaq 6, Kareem 9 (I think). So getting to anything in double digits would really cement him in the Top 5 all time regardless of the wins.

Hopefully Tim's count will rise 1 or 2 more before he's done!

[YGWHI]

I just read...Thanks for posting!

[Old School 44]

^ I should have said excluding the early Celtics.
Tying and surpassing Magic's 9 appearances is reasonable, especially playing in the East. Who else is going to rise up and challenge the Cavs over the next 3-5 years...the Hawks, the Bucs?

[SAGirl]

I think (as I am too lazy to look it up) Bill Russell has 12 Finals appearances (with an 11-1 record!) Obviously the league was much smaller then, but even so LeBron has an outside shot at approaching it. He's about 31 and at 6 appearances now. If he can play well until 40 then he'd need to make 6 more Finals in 9 years. Not likely, but not completely impossible especially when the next great player (AD) plays in the West.

Of modern "star" players Kobe has 7, Tim has 6 (and counting), going back a bit Magic had 9 appearances, Jordan 6, Shaq 6, Kareem 9 (I think). So getting to anything in double digits would really cement him in the Top 5 all time regardless of the wins.

Hopefully Tim's count will rise 1 or 2 more before he's done!

It will be interesting to see how his game ages. He's a very skilled player, his smarts and experience will carry him a long way, but he has impressive physical gifts. He's not going to lose his size and his skill, but he will lose explosion and stamina. I think that is the real reason he left Miami. In Cleveland he had a younger cast that he could come to rely on when he doesn't have it to be the Man every night. The irony is that last year in Cleveland he had to do more than he ever did in Miami (he perhaps underestimated even a diminished D'Wade), and had less talent around him when he got to the finals than in Miami (injuries, can't do anything about them).

Coach Blatt has to take a page out of Thibs book. He can't overplay any of his guys and ride them all season long like Thibs did. They had a good record last year, but fell apart in the RS without Lebron (when he rested those 2 weeks), and had to overplay Kyrie and Lebron a whole lot during the RS. Something's got to give. Lebron is not going to hold up a long time with that burden and he knows it, which is why he wanted to keep Love despite the fact he wasn't very good last year and had real questions about fit. Lebron famously started the season proclaiming Love would allow him to sit and rest, basically take a burden from him during the RS (the way he did for Wade).

[BillMc]

^ I should have said excluding the early Celtics.
Tying and surpassing Magic's 9 appearances is reasonable, especially playing in the East. Who else is going to rise up and challenge the Cavs over the next 3-5 years...the Hawks, the Bucs?

You're right. Not much compe ion. Maybe the Hawks with time. That Miami team could gel for a season or two. Or if Durant goes home to Washington... but really LBJ has got to have at least 2 or so more appearances minimum unless he gets injured. As you say, likely more.

[BillMc]

It will be interesting to see how his game ages. He's a very skilled player, his smarts and experience will carry him a long way, but he has impressive physical gifts. He's not going to lose his size and his skill, but he will lose explosion and stamina. I think that is the real reason he left Miami. In Cleveland he had a younger cast that he could come to rely on when he doesn't have it to be the Man every night. The irony is that last year in Cleveland he had to do more than he ever did in Miami (he perhaps underestimated even a diminished D'Wade), and had less talent around him when he got to the finals than in Miami (injuries, can't do anything about them).

Coach Blatt has to take a page out of Thibs book. He can't overplay any of his guys and ride them all season long like Thibs did. They had a good record last year, but fell apart in the RS without Lebron (when he rested those 2 weeks), and had to overplay Kyrie and Lebron a whole lot during the RS. Something's got to give. Lebron is not going to hold up a long time with that burden and he knows it, which is why he wanted to keep Love despite the fact he wasn't very good last year and had real questions about fit. Lebron famously started the season proclaiming Love would allow him to sit and rest, basically take a burden from him during the RS (the way he did for Wade).

LeBron won't be the best player in the game when his speed and stamina go, but as you say, with his size, passing and great basketball IQ, he'll remain an absolute elite player as he ages unless there is some sort of crippling injury.

[rastaspur]

LeBron won't be the best player in the game when his speed and stamina go, but as you say, with his size, passing and great basketball IQ, he'll remain an absolute elite player as he ages unless there is some sort of crippling injury.

Unfortunately, I think he will. He can try and model his game after Karl Malone once the athleticism starts going. Plenty strong enough to play powerforward and become a full time bruiser in his later years barring awful injuries

[RD2191]

Unfortunately, I think he will. He can try and model his game after Karl Malone once the athleticism starts going. Plenty strong enough to play powerforward and become a full time bruiser in his later years barring awful injuries

Lebron is a pussy though. He's soft and will never be a bruiser. He also doesn't have the mentality to bang down low and would ask for a foul every time a big roughs him up.

[rastaspur]

He physically has the potential. Does he whine and moan and should be tougher considering his size and strength? Yes and yes.

Calling him a pussy might be a stretch but its not too far off, IMO.

He's smart enough to adapt and his ego is so huge that he will play this game as long as he is effective. He needs a lot of reps to pull it off though.

And as much as I hate Malone, that's one tough mofo. Lebron could never match that toughness but few can. Malone was and is rattlesnake mean

[Old School 44]

Here's the link to 131-140. No Spurs in this group. Still 8 more Spurs players to rank. Next up Manu, then Boris.
With 30 teams and 150 starters, it's interesting to note by these rankings, we have 8 starter-level players on our roster.

[From Downtown]

Just out of curiosity,who's behind Jimmer?

[Kawhitstorm]

He physically has the potential. Does he whine and moan and should be tougher considering his size and strength? Yes and yes.

Calling him a pussy might be a stretch but its not too far off, IMO.

He's smart enough to adapt and his ego is so huge that he will play this game as long as he is effective. He needs a lot of reps to pull it off though.

And as much as I hate Malone, that's one tough mofo. Lebron could never match that toughness but few can. Malone was and is rattlesnake mean

LeBron would be more like Paul Millsap w/ an elite court vision if he had average athleticism.

[Old School 44]

Just out of curiosity,who's behind Jimmer?

394 Jimmer Fredette PG (Spurs)
395 Charlie Villanueva PF (Mavericks)
396 Tibor Pleiss C (Jazz)
397 Rashad Vaughn SG (Bucks)
398 Lance Thomas SF (Knicks)
399 Johnny O'Bryant PF (Bucks)
400 Lucas Nogueira C (Raptors)

[FkLA]

lol at Rique making it inside the Top 200

more and more like Kobe everyday, living off past reputation