CBS Sports came out with a list of its top 100 NBA players ahead of the new season. To no one’s surprise, the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, was ranked at the top of the list.
Coming in right behind him was Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry, both of whom have won back-to-back regular-season MVP honors and a finals MVP in recent years.
After LeBron James averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists a game this past season, one would expect to see him high on CBS’ list. Instead, he came in only 12th (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via CBS Sports:
“It’s hard to say what’s more startling: that LeBron James is getting ranked outside of the top 10 for the first time since, probably, his rookie year, or that he could very easily reclaim a top-10 spot when we revisit these rankings in a year,” wrote Sam Quinn. “Remember, James averaged a cool 33-8-7 during the 23-game period starting with Anthony Davis’ mid-December injury and ending with an injury of his own in mid-February. When he was healthy last season, he was still the same force of nature he’s been for two decades. The hobbled star that led the Lakers to the Western Conference finals last spring wasn’t close to his best, and if his history is any indication, he’ll prove that this season.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Damian Lillard, Jimmy Butler, Devin Booker and Jimmy Butler were among the players ranked ahead of James.
Last year, the four-time MVP came in at No. 7 on this list.