ESPN NBA rank: 5 Players they ranked too low
ESPN's preseason player rankings for the 2018-19 season were released, and as with most of their publications, they drew a lot of flak for making some poor selections. As with their rankings every year, there are obvious double standards which they failed to identify when their writers pose arguments for why specific players are at specific spots on their top players' lists.
The entirety of the list resembles a hastily hashed-together collection of seemingly prophetic words which are eminently liable to be proved inaccurate. The copious misuse of specific stats to estimate players' overall impact on their teams' seasons is an even bigger turn-off.
While time will definitely flesh out these flawed chains of reasoning, there are some flaws which are obvious right at the outset if one bothered to truly introspect the list. Let's take a look at 5 players they have underrated going into the season:
#1 Kevin Durant
I usually don't get worked up about narratives, on-court impact, advanced stats and efficiency stats - but I'll say this: seeing Kevin Durant ranked below Steph Curry and James Harden and just about tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo as the 4th best player in the NBA got me really riled up.
Not only is Kevin Durant a more reliable defender than any of these 3 players, one could make the case that he is the best pure scorer since Michael Jordan and not be called out on it.
Steph makes Golden State tick, Giannis is all of the Bucks' hopes and Harden is the reigning MVP, but a player ranking should be about what one player, in a vacuum, can provide to any team.
Durant is the most well-rounded player of them all, and it's not like his strengths are any worse than the strengths of the other players mentioned. He's the single most unstoppable scorer in the league today, bar none - not even LeBron is free of the occasional bad shooting game in the playoffs. This is a 7-footer who can shoot over everyone but can also cross up anyone on the way to the hoop while swatting their shots mercilessly at the other end.
I would say the case for Durant as the second best player on the planet has been further solidified since his move to Golden State. Placing him any lower than that spot is nothing but an attempt to give lip service to new European fans (because of the Giannis bandwagon) and a rather unsolicited attempt to undermine the importance of individual defence.