SI Ranks Top 100 Players (100-51 Today)

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The scope of our ranking is relatively simple (no weight is given to long-term development, and as little emphasis as possible was placed on team context), but there is nonetheless a daunting complication inherent to the exercise itself. Put simply: While we made a considered effort to somehow compare an incredible assortment of NBA talent, there’s little grounds to suggest that players can be assigned any kind of absolute basketball value.

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It’s simply important to note that a player’s worth shifts dramatically with his surroundings, and with that comes an unavoidable imbalance to any and every comparative ranking of this kind.

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Eric Gordon, New Orleans Pelicans (G, 24)
2012-13 stats: 30.1 MPG, 17.0 PPG, 3.3 APG, 40.2 FG%, 32.4 3FG%
2012-13 advanced stats: 15.4 PER, 1.1 Win Shares, +0.2 RAPM

Though once tabbed as a potential All-Star, Gordon has since gone about acquiring an assortment of red flags. He’s now two seasons removed from high-level basketball, having struggled to stay on the court (Gordon played in just 47 percent of his teams’ games over the last three seasons) and stumbled through his playing time on it. His inefficiency, in particular, was alarming; of the 41 players who attempted as many field goal attempts per game as Gordon did last season, only four posted a lower effective field goal percentage. That he posted the worst turnover rate of his career didn’t exactly help matters, nor did the lesser defense he played as a result of his diminished lateral movement. If Gordon were better on the court, his injury history and problematic relationship with the Hornets/Pelicans could be overlooked (to some degree) for the sake of basketball returns. Gordon can get back to playing at that high level, surely, but for the moment is reliable only in his unreliability. — RM

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65. Tyreke Evans, New Orleans Hornets (G/F, 23)
2012-13 stats: 31.0 MPG, 15.2 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.4 SPG, 47.8 FG%, 33.8 3FG%
2012-13 advanced stats: 18.1 PER, 4.4 Win Shares, -0.2 RAPM

Figuring out how to best use Evans can be a chore, but his instincts and physicality translate to some impressive individual production. In theory, he could fill a variety of roles: an oversized point guard, a slashing wing, a one-man juggernaut off the bench, a supporting ball-handler or even a post-up facilitator. But the Kings never quite figured out how to strike the appropriate balance around Evans. That task now belongs to the Pelicans, who gave him a four-year, $44 million deal in a sign-and-trade with Sacramento. Whether New Orleans can provide the right fit for Evans remains to be seen, but its far more intriguing roster could make better use of the enigmatic guard’s flexibility. Regardless, Evans doesn’t have a great feel for running an offense and has a long way to go as a defender and shooter. He produces despite those limitations, but they do complicate matters when constructing lineups around his rare talents. — RM

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57. Ryan Anderson, New Orleans Hornets (F, 25)
2012-13 stats: 30.9 MPG, 16.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 42.3 FG%, 38.2 3FG%
2012-13 advanced stats: 18.1 PER, 6.5 Win Shares, +0.4 RAPM

What Anderson supplies is unique even in a league keen on stretchy bigs, as his shooting range has now been tested against volume (only Stephen Curry attempted more three-pointers than Anderson last season) and context (having moved out from Dwight Howard’s shadow in Orlando to a much stranger offense in New Orleans). He’s a singularly prolific and accurate shooter for his position, a distinction which holds corresponding benefit. The threat of Anderson’s shooting draws an opposing big man out of the lane, clearing room for drives or post-up sequences. Such a matchup advantage isn’t without its remedies (many opponents have assigned smaller defenders to Anderson to good effect), but his very presence on the floor forces compromise in the game plan and rotation of the Pelicans’ opponents. — RM

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We don't need to fix tanking, because tanking is not a problem. The Bucks are not victims of the rebuilding style du jour because the Bucks know how the system works and choose their path in spite of it. But we ought to encourage teams like the Bucks, Hawks and Nuggets, who attempt to give their fans an entertaining, competitive product while looking for long-term solutions.

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