2018-2019 NBA Preview: Top 100 Players: 50-41
50 Paul Millsap–Denver–PF (-13): Denver is a team with a lot of talent and a lot of youth. That’s why Paul Millsap is so important to the team as he serves as the big brother role. Millsap isn’t the same player he was in Atlanta, but he’s still one of the better two-way forwards in the West.
49 Andrew Wiggins–Minnesota–SF/SG (-8): Andrew Wiggins’ potential is through the roof but he hasn’t lived up to that hype. Considering Jimmy Butler’s criticism of Wiggins, he NEEDS to have an All-Star caliber year. No other player in the entire league may face more pressure than Wiggins does this season.
48 Mike Conley Jr–Memphis–PG (-10): When the season starts, Conley will be 31 and he only played 12 games last year. So while he’s still one of the better point guards in basketball, Conley is probably past his prime. The worst part for the Grizzlies is that Conley Jr is making $30 million dollars a year. Yikes.
47 Clint Capella–Houston–C (+42): Clint Capella really came on last year during Houston’s impressive season. As an athletic center, Capella was able to run with Chris Paul and James Harden and he benefited greatly. Considering he’s only 24, he’s looking more like the new DeAndre Jordan everyday.
46 Goran Dragic–Miami–PG (=): Dragic has continued to be one of the better shooting point guards in the league. But at the age of 32, he like Mike Conley Jr. could be on the downside of his career. Dragic may have to become more of a passer than a scorer for the Heat to succeed.
45 Al Horford–Boston–C/PF (-9): Similar to his former teammate Paul Millsap, Al Horford will serve as the big brother for the Boston Celtics. At age 32, Horford is not in his prime anymore. But his basketball IQ and calm demeanor still makes him a big part of the Celtics’ title run.
44 Jaylen Brown–Boston–SF/SG (+57): In my opinion, no other sophomore made a bigger jump than Jaylen Brown. Not only did Brown drastically improve his three-point shooting, but he became a legit two-way forward in the playoffs. If Brown can improve his passing and dribbling, he’ll be a star.
43 Aaron Gordon–Orlando–PF/SF (+26): In today’s NBA, Aaron Gordon is the perfect combo forward. He’s fast enough to blow past power forwards and big enough to back down the small forwards. As the face of the Magic, Gordon needs to continue to work on his defense and outside shot.
42 Hassan Whiteside–Miami–C (-15): Whiteside had a big falling out with Heat during the postseason. He only played 15 minutes a game during the playoffs. That’s not something you want out of your best player. Still, he’s just 29 and he’s one of the best rebounders and shot-blockers in all of basketball. He’ll have another shot this year to earn Erik Spoelstra’s respect back.
41 Jayson Tatum–Boston–SF/PF (+60): Out of the entire rookie class, no one had a more impressive post-season than Jayson Tatum. He was one point shy of breaking Kareem’s scoring record in the postseason and dunked all over LeBron James. It was glorious. Tatum appears to be well on his way to super-stardom, as long as he works on his passing and defense.
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Steve Santoro (SVS_1993)
