When it comes to discussing the 10 best players in the NBA, the conversation is always focused on the immediate and what that player has done to deserve has standing now based on his past accomplishments.
But what about where these players project?
It’s always more fun to look to the future, so here, in order, are the names that will comprise the top 10 players of the 2015-16 season.
1) Anthony Davis
2015-16 Projected stat line: 55 FG%, 25 PPG, 11 RPG, 3 APG, 3 BPG, 2 SPG
What’s this? LeBron James not the best player in the world? At the moment the Cleveland Cavaliers superstar is unquestionably No. 1, but come the end of this coming season, Anthony Davis will take LeBron’s crown.
Only 22 and already a legitimate MVP candidate, no one in the game has the growth potential that the versatile New Orleans Pelicans centre possesses. Already a wrecking ball defender capable of defending every spot on the floor, if his off-season work on a three-point shot bears fruit he will conceivably be able to play from the two to the five and will basically be completely unguardable.
2) LeBron James
2015-16 Projected stat line: 50 FG%, 36 3FG%, 25 PPG, 7 RPG, 7 APG
James showed why he is currently still the best player in the world in that incredible Finals run, we’re going with the 22-year-old stud with all the upside in the world over him. Still, expect another 25/7/7 year for James, with all the excellent, shut-down defence, and clutch shot-making that has defined the 30-year-old’s 12-season career thus far.
3) Kevin Durant
2015-16 Projected stat line: 51 FG%, 40 3FG%, 90 FT%, 28 PPG, 7 RPG, 5 APG
Limited to just 27 games last season, Kevin Durant remains one of, if not, the game’s premiere scorer – just don’t expect to see him lighting up the league quite like he did in his MVP season.
The emergence of Russell Westbrook last season with Durant, and just about every other Oklahoma City Thunder of note, down, brings back to light the classic Thunder conundrum of how do the two superstars co-exist? They’ve managed to make it work for seven seasons now, so we think they can still work things out, but a drop in Durant’s scoring average from 2013-14 should be expected.
4) Stephen Curry
2015-16 Projected stat line: 50 FG%, 44 3FG%, 90 FT%, 24 PPG, 8 APG, 1.5 SPG
Although he is the defending MVP, Steph Curry is not the best player in the world right now, nor will he come the end of this season. Still, fourth place isn’t too bad, and while it’s tough to imagine his game growing anymore than what we’ve already seen, expect to see him become even more accurate this season, recording his first-ever 50/40/90 season – kind of crazy he hasn’t done the feat already given his status as best shooter in the game.
5) Russell Westbrook
2015-16 Projected stat line: 43 FG%, 30 3FG%, 23 PPG, 6 RPG, 9 APG, 2 SPG
As a result of his Durant’s injury woes last season, we all got to see what Westbrook would be like on his own and the results were spectacular, putting up lines not seen since Michael Jordan’s heyday and electrifying crowds in similar fashion as peak Allen Iverson. Unfortunately, unlike those two, that alone couldn’t get Westbrook’s team into the playoffs.
Durant’s back and healthy now, but that doesn’t mean Westbrook should be taking as much of a backseat. New coach Billy Donovan needs to find a way to unleash the force of nature that terrorized the league last season while not sacrificing all of Durant’s unstoppable scoring gifts.
6) James Harden
2015-16 Projected stat line: 45 FG%, 38 3FG%, 88 FT%, 28 PPG, 5 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.5 SPG
Despite not winning the MVP, there’s a strong argument that he was last season’s best player in the regular season. Expect more of the same from him as his very analytically-friendly game of three-pointers, layups and lots and lots of free throws is still nigh-impossible to shut down. By the end of this coming season, don’t be surprised if Harden is the league’s new scoring champ.
7) Blake Griffin
2015-16 Projected stat line: 52 FG%, 24 PPG, 8 RPG, 5 APG
Injury robbed Blake Griffin of some last season and he was never able to get back to the form he showed in 2013-14, when he picked up the slack with Chris Paul out, but with a new season and fresh body ahead, Griffin could play himself into the MVP discussion this season.
8) Chris Paul
2015-16 Projected stat line: 48 FG%, 40 3FG%, 90 FT%, 18 PPG, 11 APG, 2.5 SPG
Like clockwork, Paul will have another fantastic season that will go largely unnoticed until the playoffs roll around and his distinction as a bit of a playoff choker will rear its ugly head. It’s an unfair moniker to put onto one guy when he plays a team sport with a number of other people to point the blame to the Los Angeles Clippers’ unfortunate playoff record, but that comes with the territory when you’re the vocal and on-court leader who also happens to be a top-10 player.
9) Kawhi Leonard
2015-16 Projected stat line: 50 FG%, 35 3FG%, 18 PPG, 7 RPG, 1 BPG, 2.5 SPG
Kawhi Leonard has never played an entire 82-game season in his career and with Gregg Popovich’s penchant for resting his starters mid-season he still likely won’t be doing that, but he also probably isn’t only playing 64 games should he stay healthy all season. Thus, it’s finally time to see what Leonard is truly capable of.
Last season, his known reputation as a brilliant multi-faceted defender was rewarded with his defensive player of the year win, but offensively – despite posting a career high 16.5 points per game – was hampered by his hand injury, hurting the efficiency he had previously shown. This season, that strong field-goal percentage should return to normalcy and his scoring should see another bump, even with LaMarcus Aldridge in town.
10) Paul George
2015-16 Projected stat line: 42 FG%, 35 3FG%, 20 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2 SPG
Remember when Paul George was in the MVP discussion as a top-10 player in the league? Well, that guy’s coming back this season.
For George to even play at all last season was in and of itself a completely mind-blowing story after suffering the horrifying injury he did with Team USA in 2014. Now he’s back and looking fully recovered, so why can’t he slide back into the top 10? If he proves he’s still the type of elite defender capable of slowing down James like he was before, there should be little doubt that he belongs on this list.
