The latest ESPN NBArank for the projected top 100 players was released recently and Jalen Rose named 6 players who he thinks are better than LeBron James
The ESPN NBArank for the top 100 NBA players was recently released in installments over four days from the 20th to the 23rd of September. This list speculates on who will be the 100 best players for the upcoming NBA season. It normally sparks a lot of debate about the rankings of top players and this year was no different. Former NBA player and current NBA Analyst Jalen Rose said that 6 players are better than LeBron James. He also said that James does not belong in the top 5 anymore.
In a discussion with fellow NBA analysts Malika Andrews, Richard Jefferson, Zach Lowe and Brian Windhorst, Rose said that there are players that are better than LeBron. He said that Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Kawhi Leonard are in a group of their own and just below that group is where LeBron James ranks.
In response to that Brian Windhorst said that if he had to choose for the playoffs he would choose Giannis first and LeBron James second. Zach Lowe agreed with that and said that based on the regular season LeBron may not be a Top-5 player anymore. In terms of the playoffs though Lowe said that he’d choose LeBron over a couple of guys in the current Top-5.
Should LeBron James still be ranked Top-5 in the NBA?
Yes, LeBron James is still one of the 5 best players in the NBA based both on the impact that he has in the regular season and the playoffs. Last season LeBron averaged 30 points per game, 8 rebounds per game, 6 assists per game, 1 steal per game and 1 block per game but could not qualify for the playoffs because of Anthony Davis missing most of the season.
At 37 years old James is still one of the most impactful players in the NBA and it doesn’t look like he’ll slow down during the 2022-23 NBA season. In fact he looks more determined than ever to compete for his 5th NBA Championship.
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