This week ESPN released their top 100 NBA Players for the upcoming 2019-2020 season. The list has stir up much controversy. One of the reasons being that Golden State Warriors All-Star Shooting Guard Klay Thompson is ranked 49. This came to me as a surprise because by making this list they are predicting that he will be back in the middle of this season after sustaining a torn ACL injury during Game 5 of the NBA Finals. One of the best two way players in the NBA and he does not crack the top 20. If you put him in the top 20 would easy to defend because you can say from the time he returns to when the season ends you see him as a top 20 player. Also another much talked about ranking is rookie hype sensation Zion Williams as high as 42. A player who has not played a single game in the NBA for them to be seen has going to be in the top 7% of the NBA right away is a reach. This reminds me in 2017 when the same list had Carmelo Anthony was not only the 64th ranked player going into that season but also he was ranked below Lonzo Ball who at the time was the rookie hype sensation that year. I feel as though that when making this list the panelist make decision that will cause controversy to get people to talking about it. An interesting note is that Kevin Durant is not expected to return this season due to the torn Achilles he suffered in game 4 of the NBA Finals, so he was rightfully omitted from the list. The number ranked player in the list was the reining NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
This list showed that the Western Conference will be a dog fight with 12 of the top 15 players playing in the west. Overall the list is not bad but Klay Thompson at 49 is egregious especially with him being a 5 time All Star and being a top 3 two-way player in the NBA. Zion should not be 42 due to the fact he lacks a consistent shot outside of 15 feet and also keep in mind for the first time in his career most nights he will not be the strongest person on the court. When it comes to rookies I always would want to wait and see before giving them dramatic expectations. What if Zion turns out to be an athletic Zach Randolph but wins multiple championships would you call him a bust?
