401-500 http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11530291/2014-nba-player-rankings-401-500 376-400 http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11536031/2014-nba-player-rankings-376-400 351-375 http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11539969/2014-nba-player-rankings-351-375 326-350 http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11546861/2014-nba-player-rankings-326-350 I enjoy the ranks because it means the season is soon, and I'm sure dame and la will be top 20, I'm interested to see where exactly. But these are nothing more than the rankings of some one who clearly isn't qualified to make them. I'm sure T-Rob Barton and Lopez will also be higher than their last season rank 439 Elliot Williams Portland Trail Blazers SG | 2013 rank: NR @ewill901
460 Andrew Bynum Free agent C | 2013 rank: #100 1.87 480 Greg Oden Free agent C | 2013 rank: #284 @Daddyluv2250 1.64 Remember when these two were expected to be the dominant big men in the NBA for over a decade waging epic battle in the WCF or years to come and leading their teams to multiple championships? How that mighty have fallen. And is that really Oden's twitter handle? Really??? BNM
Will Barton Portland Trail Blazers SG | Age: 23 | Stats 2013 rank: #379 @WillTheThrillB5 Ridiculous... Either I missed Claver, they forgot about him, or they think he is better than Barton. Edit: 435 Victor Claver Portland Trail Blazers PF | 2013 rank: #422 @CBuycksWorld13
It will be interesting to see if the team picks up the options on Meyers and TRob. I think both have to have strong pre-seasons.
I have a feeling T-Rob will... Meyers has to show a ton of potential and pretty much be in the rotation by years end to even be considered.... he has shown nothing.
T-Rob is a lock my man. You don't let some one who plays with the energy that T-Rob does go. The only place for T-Rob to go is up!
I can't get over the fact that espn put Shabazz Muhammad over Barton. Shabazz who's team didn't make the playoffs over Barton who averaged 6.4 ppg in the playoffs....
Barton is ranked ahead of some decent players though. Gooden, Salmons, Beasley, and Rashard Lewis. Not bad for a guy with as limited experience as Barton.
Those are all either washed up and at the end of their careers (Gooden/Salmons/Lewis) or are so batshit crazy and immature that teams dont' even want to give you a shot (Beasley).
What the hell...this is asinine! Ranking teams by under 25 talent 13. Portland Trail Blazers Players: Will Barton (23), Allen Crabbe (22), Meyers Leonard (22), Damian Lillard (24), C.J. McCollum (23), Thomas Robinson (23), James Southerland (24) Like San Antonio, the Blazers have one surefire star in Lillard, but question marks after that. Lillard made his first All-Star game last season, and he was one of the final cuts for Team USA this summer. While his offense has been stellar, his defense leaves a lot to be desired. Robinson appears to have finally found a home as an energy big off the bench, while Barton, McCollum and Crabbe all will try to crack the rotation this season.
What's the issue? The Blazers' under-25 talent isn't super impressive...one tremendous player and a pile of crap (relatively). I mean, sure, Robinson is an okay reserve, but nothing that really pushes a team forward and the other players have proven nothing at all at the NBA level. If that weren't middle of the pack (purely due to Lillard), it would mean the NBA is completely lacking in good young players. Virtually every team has a list like the Blazers' at the end of their bench once you get past Lillard. Lillard alone doesn't make the Blazers' collection of young talent amazing.
I'm willing to bet that will barton averaged more ppg in the playoffs than 90% of the players on teams listed above the Blazers. TRob has shown he can contribute and has a lot of room for improvement. CJ broke his foot before last year, but every media outlet seems to have forgotten that, and acts like he won't succeed in the league. Those three are being undervalued for sure. To say that those 3+ an already established all star in dame are the 13th best under 25 in league is not fair.
The things you say about Robinson and McCollum (well, the implicit idea that he has plenty of potential) is something all fans think about their young players. Until they prove that they're good, they shouldn't rank higher. I have no idea if Barton averaged more playoff PPG than 90% of the under-25 players on the team above the Blazers who made the playoffs. But a 6.4 PPG in the playoffs is not really anything major to hang your hat on. My opinion is that the Blazers have a bunch of unproven players and Damien Lillard as their under-25 collection. That's not much of a "collection." One (great) player putting them middle of the pack sounds right to me. I think you, and Blazers fans in general, rate guys like Barton, McCollum and Robinson a lot higher than most people do. And fans of opposing teams probably think you rate their unproven players too low.
To even further the point, is there any team with more than 1 under-25 star like here? I'm trying to think of some off the top of my head, and I can't. It's most likely the norm than the exception.
