NBA teams
ESPN.com 8y

#NBArank: Nos. 61-70

NBA

It's Year 5 for #NBArank!

ESPN is ranking (almost) every NBA player and counting them down on Twitter (@ESPNNBA), from No. 400 to No. 1.

Who will be the best player this season?

To get the final ranking, we asked the panel to vote on pairs of players.

LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. James Harden vs. Kevin Durant. Kobe Bryant vs. Pau Gasol.

We asked, "Which player will be better in 2015-16?" To decide, voters had to consider both the quality and quantity of each player's contributions to his team's ability to win games. More than 100 voters weighed in on nearly 30,000 pairs of players.

We'll roll out the results during the next five weeks. If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, #NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook.

Today, we're unveiling Nos. 61-70 on our list -- one at a time every hour -- starting at 8:30 a.m. ET.

#NBArank: 61-70


61. DeMarre Carroll

  • Toronto Raptors | SF

  • @DeMarreCarroll1 | Score: 48.1

  • Last year's rank: 189

  • 2015-16 RPM: 2.45

Insider profile: Carroll transformed his game by adding a 3-point dimension. Having made 27 total 3s in his first four seasons, he made 97 in 2013-14 and 120 last season at a 39.7 percent clip. An undersized power forward at Missouri, Carroll has added wing skills but has the ability to defend smaller 4s. Toronto figures to make use of that more frequently than Atlanta. Read more »


62. Chandler Parsons

  • Dallas Mavericks | SF

  • @ChandlerParsons | Score: 47.9

  • Last year's rank: 43

  • 2015-16 RPM: 0.92

Insider profile: Parsons is a comfortable ballhandler, and while his assist average dropped from 4.0 per game to 2.4, he was more effective as a pick-and-roll ballhandler in Dallas than Houston. Expect him to get more pick-and-roll opportunities with Monta Ellis' departure. Read more »


63. Tyson Chandler

  • Phoenix Suns | C

  • @tysonchandler | Score: 47.7

  • Last year's rank: 62

  • 2015-16 RPM: 3.09

Insider profile: While he's not the shot-blocker he was in his younger days, Chandler exemplifies the truest form of defense: deterring opponents from even attempting shots in his vicinity. He's a voracious rebounder on both ends, inhaling well over a quarter of opponent misses when he's on the floor and almost 15 percent on the offensive end. Read more »


64. Ricky Rubio

  • Minnesota Timberwolves | PG

  • @rickyrubio9 | Score: 47.5

  • Last year's rank: 73

  • 2015-16 RPM: 6.28

Insider profile: In part because of injuries -- he's played more than 57 games in a season just once in four years in the NBA -- Rubio is still largely the same player he was as a 21-year-old rookie in 2011-12, for better or worse. Few players, if any, are better passers than Rubio, who improved his assist rate to 10.0 per 36 minutes in his limited action last year. Read more »


65. Isaiah Thomas

  • Boston Celtics | PG

  • @Isaiah_Thomas | Score: 47.4

  • Last year's rank: 67

  • 2015-16 RPM: 1.47

Insider profile: Everyone wants to block Thomas and he uses that burning desire to his advantage. With a great pump-fake and fearlessness, he toed the free throw line 7.3 times per 36 minutes, giving him one of the highest rates in the league. Remarkably, he was blocked on just 6.7 percent of his field goal attempts. Incredible for someone who can't see over the scorer's table. Read more »


66. Andrew Bogut

  • Golden State Warriors | C

  • @andrewbogut | Score: 47.4

  • Last year's rank: 74

  • 2015-16 RPM: 2.03

Insider profile: By running so much of the offense through Bogut in the high post, the Warriors were able to capitalize on his elite passing while fielding a universe of additional options offensively for their main guns, Curry and Thompson. By feeding Bogut at the pinch post then running split screens, the Golden State backcourt gave opposing defenses an unappetizing menu of poisons to pick from. Read more »


67. Ty Lawson

  • Houston Rockets | PG

  • @TyLawson3 | Score: 47.2

  • Last year's rank: 45

  • 2015-16 RPM: 2.77

Insider profile: Lawson averaged 9.6 assists per game last season, posting an assist rate nearly double that of any Rockets point guard. Of course, that's partially because Harden is effectively Houston's point guard, and Lawson will have to spend more time playing off the ball when they're on the court together. Read more »


68. Hassan Whiteside

  • Miami Heat | C

  • @youngwhiteside | Score: 47.1

  • Last year's rank: N/A

  • 2015-16 RPM: -0.81

Insider profile: Whiteside recorded just six assists last season -- but when you score at will, it's understandable. The question is whether he can play team defense. His pick-and-roll defensive numbers were average, and the Heat's defense was actually worse with him on the floor. Some of that is related to injury carnage and wonky lineups, but Whiteside's block numbers overstate his defensive impact. Read more »


69. Danilo Gallinari

  • Denver Nuggets | SF

  • @gallinari8888 | Score: 46.8

  • Last year's rank: 99

  • 2015-16 RPM: 1.85

Insider profile: At his best, Gallinari is one of the league's most complete offensive small forwards. He's a dangerous outside shooter, though his 3-point percentage (36.7 percent career) has never matched his reputation. He's also a confident ball handler and playmaker who can run pick-and-rolls and set up teammates. Read more »


70. Rudy Gay

  • Sacramento Kings | SF

  • @RudyGay8 | Score: 46.7

  • Last year's rank: 51

  • 2015-16 RPM: 0.91

Insider profile: Gay always has left people wanting more out of a 6-foot-9 frame, silky-smooth jumper and jump-out-the-gym athleticism. But playing for George Karl will put Gay in a position to be successful, much like several other Karl-coached wings in the past. Read more »


#NBArank: Next: 71-80 | Team-by-team

^ Back to Top ^