The NBA released their preseason top 30 player list this week. Elite teams got multiple nods while the majority of clubs got some representation either on the list or in the honorable mention group of seven but the OKC Thunder failed to land anyone on the list.
In fact, the Thunder were one of eight teams with no player on the top 30, the seven honorable mentions group, or with a star player who was excluded due to injury. That means the panel didn’t consider Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a top 40 player in the NBA. A rather surprising revelation especially considering some of the names in the bottom tier of the top 30 or on the honorable mention list.
The seven other clubs with no representative were mostly understandable (Cavaliers, Pistons, Magic, Rockets, Kings, and Spurs) but like SGA of the Thunder, the Raptors not registering Pascal Siakam or Fred VanVleet within the top 40 is also perplexing.
OKC Thunder cornerstone Gilgeous-Alexander snubbed by NBA top 30 list
The Nets, Lakers, and Bucks each landed a trio of players in the top 30. The Jazz has three (Conley is honorable mention). The Warriors only have Curry in the top 30 with Green honorable mention and Intentions added Klay to the two NBA injury notes since he missed the past two seasons. And the Bulls land a trio on the honorable mention list.
Four teams have two players in the top 30 — the Celtics, 76ers, Heat, and Suns. While the Nuggets and Clippers have a single representative but would have a duo if Jamal Murray and Kawhi Leonard weren’t injured. Another eight teams have a single top 30 representative – – Knicks, Hawks, Wizards, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Blazers, and Timberwolves. Two clubs ranked one player in the honorable mention section (LaMelo Ball – Hornets | Domantas Sabonis – Pacers).
As per usual, the list was prepared by a panel of ten NBA staff members. Writer Gilbert McGregor explains the ranking process with contributors assigning 30 points for first place, 29 for second place, and continuing in descending order until they reach the 30th player who received a single point.
The Top 10:
The top ten players offer few surprises other than water-cooler debates over placement. The intriguing part of the equation is whether Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis would’ve both remained in the top ten if Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray, and Thompson were fully healthy.
Injury might also explain why Pascal Siakam doesn’t make the cut but since he could return in mid-November it seems more likely he wasn’t considered at all.
A healthy Leonard definitely makes the top 10 so at least one player would fall off the list and based on seeding that would be AD.
1: Kevin Durant (294 points)
2: Giannis Antetokounmpo (293 points)
3: LeBron James (279 points)
4: Stephen Curry (271 points)
5: Nikola Jokic (258 points)
6: Luka Doncic (250 points)
7: Joel Embiid (241 points)
8: James Harden (232 points)
9: Damian Lillard (217 points)
10: Anthony Davis (212 points)
Even with a stellar 2020-21 campaign, SGA wouldn’t vie for any of these seeds. While the upcoming trio can serve as inspiration for this year, these 10 are the upper echelon he should aim to emulate.
With that Intentions dive into analyzing the next two tiers of the top 30 list as well as the honorable mentions. We select one player from each of the three groups, comparing their overall production to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to highlight precisely how egregious his snub from the list was. And — to offer inspiration for the upcoming season.