Kevin Durant did not make ESPN’s list of top 100 active NBA players last season because, well, he wasn’t active. But after a year on the sideline, Durant is back on the list and, rightfully, ranked among the league’s 10 best players.
But Durant did not make ESPN’s top five players. He beat out Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic (No. 10), Houston Rockets guard James Harden (No. 9), Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry (No. 8), Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (No. 7). Then there’s Durant at No. 6 — which is fair considering he’s coming off a serious injury that could have a lasting impact, whether it be significant or not.
Here’s ESPN’s explanation for Durant’s ranking:
“Just how good Durant is 18 months after suffering an Achilles rupture during his final game with the Warriors is one of this season’s swing questions. Players coming off the same injury have been noticeably less effective than projected upon their return, and KD was already likely to experience some decline in his early 30s. At the same time, when last we saw Durant fully healthy in the first two rounds of the 2019 playoffs, he was making a case as the league’s most dominant individual force, and reports from players who have played with him during rehab have been encouraging.”
Ahead of Durant are Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (No. 5), Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (No. 4), Milwaukee Bucks forward and back-to-back reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (No. 3), Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis (No. 2) and none other than the top-ranked LeBron James.
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