S.I.'s Top 100 NBA Players of 2015

[HailBlazers]

[TWEET]511565091037536256[/TWEET]

51-100:

Robin Lopez #82

2013-14 statistics
• 11.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 53.1 FG%
• 17.7 PER, 9.5 Win Shares, 1.5 RAPM

Lopez answered a number of critics’ questions in his first season with the Blazers.

Could he be a full-time starting center on a playoff team? (Yes, he averaged more than 30 minutes for the first time in his six-year career and Portland won 54 games.) Could he play passable defense despite his lack of mobility? (Yes, he proved to be a massive upgrade over J.J. Hickson and a good complement to LaMarcus Aldridge, even if Lopez isn’t the most athletic rim protector.) Could he avoid being his team's postseason Achilles heel in a conference that includes the likes of Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan? (Yes, Lopez was overpowered by Howard, but he filled his supporting role well enough that Portland defeated Houston to win a playoff series for the first time in 14 years.) And, most importantly, could he stay healthy under the strain of big minutes? (Yes, Lopez played all 82 games for the second straight season, a crucial achievement considering Portland’s lack of interior depth.) Now, Lopez has to do it all again to ensure that he makes the most of his free agency next July.

Wesley Mathews #72

2013-14 statistics
• 16.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.4 APG, 44.1 FG%, 39.3 3P%
• 15.7 PER, 8.2 Win Shares, 1.9 RAPM

Matthews should look back on 2013-14 as the season he finally convinced the NBA world to stop overlooking him.

A four-year college player at Marquette who went undrafted, Matthews has been typecast as an unspectacular, blue-collar grinder for most of his five-year career. A pairing with All-Star point guard Damian Lillard has helped Matthews maximize his potential: a quality catch-and-shoot player who feasts on the open looks created by Lillard and Terry Stotts’ pass-heavy offense.

Viewing Matthews solely as an auxiliary offensive threat is no longer totally accurate, though. His 16.4 points marked a career high. He ranked among the league’s most potent outside shooters, as only Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Gerald Green and Lillard attempted more than 500 threes and connected on a better rate than Matthews’ 39.3 percent. A sturdy 6-5, Matthews also went into the post more often against smaller defenders, which offered Portland a change-of-pace look and allowed Matthews to expand his game. Even though he doesn’t quite have the athleticism and length to be a truly elite perimeter defender, Matthews’ bulldog mentality was on display during the postseason when he hounded Houston's James Harden into tough shots and turnovers.

http://www.si.com/nba/2014/top-100-nba-players-2015-list

 

[KingSpeed]

I love that Lillard is in the logo for the article. Awesome.

 

[THE HCP]

So is Rubio.......so there's that!

 

[Rhal]

its kind of funny that in the writeup for Mathews they say "Matthews should look back on 2013-14 as the season he finally convinced the NBA world to stop overlooking him.". If you showed that to Mathews I bet he would take that as an insult and add to the chip on his shoulder. I think Lopez/Mathews are both undervalued on the rankings but then again i'm a huge blazer homer.

 

[Eastoff]

By Ben Golliver

 

[jlprk]

Matthews’ bulldog mentality was on display during the postseason when he hounded Houston's James Harden into tough shots and turnovers.

A bulldog hoo hounded Houston's Harding. Some of these writers are almost as good as me.

 

[KingSpeed]

Nicolas Batum #43

The graceful small forward got a little nastier in 2013-14, with his 7.5 rebounding average representing a major improvement over his previous glasswork

Batum's rebounding numbers spiked as he compensated for power forward LaMarcus Aldridge's late-season absence, but this was also a case of the long-armed wing seeking out new ways to contribute, something he has done throughout his six-year career.

Batum is a jack-of-all-trades who seems ideally suited for his complementary role. He is equally capable of hitting catch-and-shoot jumpers, initiating pick-and-roll action, defending all three perimeter positions and executing chase-down blocks in transition. His toolbox was on display during the FIBA World Cup, where Batum made the all-tournament team and led France to a bronze medal. That latter accomplishment deserves praise not only because Tony Parker and Joakim Noah didn't suit up for France but also because Batum was coming off a season in which he played all 82 games and ranked sixth in minutes. Batum has put himself in the conversation for "second-best small forward in the West" behind Kevin Durant. -- B.G.

 

[KingSpeed]

Ahead of Parsons (#56) by the way

 

[Strenuus]

Ahead of Parsons (#56) by the way

If you asked Houston fans, thatd be way, way too high for parsons. lol, it's funny how they hate Parsons for going to Dallas when it was their own GM who said "Yes, please. Look elsewhere."

 

[KingSpeed]

Damian Lillard #22 (ahead of Rose, Wall, Kobe, and Conley)

When he eliminated the Rockets with his quick-trigger three-pointer, Lillard was just doing what he does best. His combination of volume and efficiency from behind the arc (6.8 attempts, 39.4 percent) was bested only by Stephen Curry last season, and Lillard’s accuracy rose to 44.2 percent in clutch situations (the final five minutes of a five-point game). Lillard uses high screens and step-back dribbles to create looks, and he launches with the slightest bit of space. That rare gift -- plus an improved ability to get to the line -- helped Lillard rank No. 16 in scoring.

Lillard set goals after his rookie year -- become a better defender, fill out his mid-range game, learn to take and draw contact more effectively -- but his second season was defined more by improving his strengths rather than fixing his weaknesses. He continues to finish at a poor rate in the basket area (46.9 percent), he still has a long way to go to be a plus defender and he needs to deepen his bag of tricks near the paint. Nitpicking misses the larger point, though: Lillard went from being a no-name fast riser in the draft to a franchise guy with a playoff-series victory in two years. In that time, Lillard didn’t miss a game; that’s crucial, because Portland would be completely lost without him. -- B.G.

 

[KingSpeed]

Anyone want to guess where Aldridge will rank? I'm gonna say #10.

 

[Strenuus]

Anyone want to guess where Aldridge will rank? I'm gonna say #10.

I'll say #9.

 

[Rhal]

Anyone want to guess where Aldridge will rank? I'm gonna say #10.

Im going to guess #13. I think they put Bosh/love/griffin/AD over him.

 

[Strenuus]

Im going to guess #13. I think they put Bosh/love/griffin/AD over him.

If this was next year I'd put AD over him, but not now. (And by next year, I mean literally next year at this time).

Griffin and Love will get top 10 because of media... Even though Griffin did get a lot better. Love is still a wait and see... which is weird to say, but he is going to be a lower peg in Cleveland, we really will see if he was high stats on a sucky ass team.

Bosh shouldn't be ahead of LMA... no way.

 

[KingSpeed]

This is next year. The ranking is what they think will be the best players in 2015.

 

[KingSpeed]

If this was next year I'd put AD over him, but not now. (And by next year, I mean literally next year at this time).

Griffin and Love will get top 10 because of media... Even though Griffin did get a lot better. Love is still a wait and see... which is weird to say, but he is going to be a lower peg in Cleveland, we really will see if he was high stats on a sucky ass team.

Bosh shouldn't be ahead of LMA... no way.

What does that even mean? SPorts Illustrated IS media. Why would they make their rankings based on other media? What do they have to gain?

 

[Strenuus]

This is next year. The ranking is what they think will be the best players in 2015.

Thats why I said "Literally this time next year" meaning the list would then be for the year 2016.

 

[Strenuus]

What does that even mean? SPorts Illustrated IS media. Why would they make their rankings based on other media? What do they have to gain?

You just answered your own question. SI is media, therefore they will be top 10 by default. "Because of media" SI is media...

 

[KingSpeed]

You just answered your own question. SI is media, therefore they will be top 10 by default. "Because of media" SI is media...

Still makes no sense. "Because it's SI" would make sense. But Because of media makes no sense.

 

[Strenuus]

Still makes no sense. "Because it's SI" would make sense. But Because of media makes no sense.

Well, it really wouldn't really matter if I said media or SI, since they are one in the same. Cover all my bases. It'd still be true for most publications, anyway.

 

[KingSpeed]

LaMarcus Aldridge #12 (ahead of #18 Bosh)

For Aldridge, the self-cast Rodney Dangerfield of the NBA’s deep group of elite power forwards, 2013-14 marked the most fulfilling and gratifying season of his eight-year career. Stuck in the lottery for two seasons as Blazers management attempted to move on from Brandon Roy and Greg Oden, Aldridge began venting some frustrations last summer. It was one thing for Aldridge to feel snubbed in comparison to higher-profile peers like Kevin Love or Blake Griffin; it was far worse to feel like his team wasn't capable of putting him on a big enough stage to stake his claim to the awards and adulation.

The arrival of Robin Lopez, a big-bodied center, not only allowed Aldridge to play his preferred power forward position full-time, but it also gave Portland just enough defense to support its free-flowing offense. Throw in some nice progress from All-Star guard Damian Lillard, and the result was a surprising 54-win season, the Blazers’ first playoff series victory since 2000, and a new national appreciation for Aldridge, who briefly earned some buzz as an MVP candidate while taking home All-Star and All-NBA Third Team honors. His eye-popping coming out party occurred early in Portland’s first-round series against Houston: Aldridge tallied 43 points and 18 rebounds in Game 1 and then dropped 43 points and eight rebounds in Game 2, as the Blazers took both games on the road before finishing out the series in six games. Over a span of four days, Aldridge had succeeded in rewriting Portland’s postseason record books.

The other shoe dropped against the Spurs in the conference semifinals, as Aldridge’s torrid shooting cooled off considerably and the Blazers were sent packing in five games. For years, the biggest knock on the 6-foot-11 Aldridge has been that he is over-reliant on his jumper and that he is too willing to launch long twos. It’s a fair criticism, but one that requires the full picture: Aldridge was the No. 1 option on the league’s No. 5 offense, he rarely turns the ball over, he poses a very real threat to defenses every time he goes to the left block, his placement away from the hoop draws defenders from the basket and creates space inside, he has made big strides as a passer and is therefore able to avoid “settling” more often than his critics might think, and he rarely takes a truly bad look because he has a high release point and is a proficient shooter from just about everywhere inside the arc. Even with those many strengths acknowledged, Aldridge’s volume shooting can have a damaging effect because, unlike Love or Chris Bosh, he hasn’t yet extended his range behind the arc. Last season, Aldridge attempted the third-most shots in the league and yet his effective field goal percentage ranked 18th among the top 20 scorers (besting only DeMar DeRozan and Josh Smith). All of those empty possessions were bound to catch up eventually, and that’s exactly what happened against the Spurs’ finely-tuned machine.

Big picture, the 29-year-old Aldridge is cresting through his prime right on schedule. He posted career-highs in both points and rebounds last season – joining Love as the only players to average 23/11 -- and his advanced numbers (+3.7 RAPM, +7.1 net rating) reflect his standing as one of the NBA’s most indispensable players. Set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, Aldridge’s 2013 emo mumblings have given way to a public commitment to remain in Portland, and the Blazers in turn have expressed their willingness to re-sign him to a max contract. With Love now riding shotgun to LeBron James in Cleveland, Griffin continuing to shine in Los Angeles, and Anthony Davis rising like a meteor, it’s fair to wonder whether Aldridge will ever be universally hailed as the NBA’s best power forward. As long as the Blazers keep winning, though, he can’t be left out of the conversation. — B.G.

 

[KingSpeed]

SI is wrong. Aldridge scored 46 points in game 1.

 

[PDXFonz]

I just don't understand why Aldridge isn't a top 10 player. I'd take la over griffin any day of the week.

 

[BlazerDuckSeahawkFan94]

I just don't understand why Aldridge isn't a top 10 player. I'd take la over griffin any day of the week.

I'd take LA for a couple more years but if Griffin develops a decent shot, then he will be better. I'm counting on him doing so.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

#12 is totally a cutesy ranking to match his number. The top 15 basically encompasses the best player or so on the better teams in the NBA. So they all have a case to make for being top 10.

 

[santeesioux]

Lol at Harden's ranking.

 

[santeesioux]

Ben Golliver literally put Russell Bustbrook at 4.

 

[Minstrel]

Ben Golliver literally put Russell Bustbrook at 4.

I think you mean "figuratively."

 

[BigGameDamian]

Is Mathews still a top ten shooting guard?

 

[PDXFonz]

Dwight Howard will never win a championship. Good skill, mental midget...