Uhm...Honestly, there is so much parity, uncertainty, and newly formed rosters that no one is really under that much pressure.
Giannis, Jokic, Bron, Curry, Durant, and Kawhi got theirs...
Luka and SGA ain't ready yet.
Embiid and the 6ers have exceeded expectations with no Harden...
Mm...Tatum seems like the best choice, as the Celtics have been a fringe contender ever since Tatum got there. But he's so young that he has a big window.
I think Kawhi looks like he really failed in LA though.
Austin Reaves. No question.
Great feel-good story, great performances in the 2nd half of the 22-23 season/playoffs/FIBA...But come on.
In the Lakers sub people are seriously debating right now whether or not they'd swap him for Bradley Beal.
I wanted to be fair, so I just revisited ESPN's Top 50.
Honestly, no room for him there. Every single player there is currently more valuable than Westbrook is (in the eyes of coaches, scouts, and front office personnel).
Top 75 makes sense for him. *Shrugs*.
Pretty fair ranking.
Knicks are way too high, but the Top 5 are essentially correct.
Wemby is the real deal...In terms of potential.
But it's 100% true that he "hasn't figured it out yet." In other words, he's not sure what moves/strategies to use in order to be the most efficient and consistent. He's just displaying all the things he can possibly do on a consistent basis.
For example, can he make 3s? Sure. Has he shown he can shoot them at a 40% clip? Or even in the high 30s? Not yet.
N I K O L A J O K I C
Every NBA player (including Zion) has certain basketball skills that are at such an elite level, very few non-professionals can replicate them.
But what truly separates NBA players (and increasingly more top players in other professional men's basketball leagues around the world) are unique physical advantages.
Have you ever seen a clearly overweight man that is not only great at dancing, but also tremendous at backflips? We all have. For whatever reason (metabolism, a psychological block), they can't lose the weight, but still have the mental make-up and drive of a bouncy, athletic, gymnast.
That's Zion in a nutshell.
He has a unique combination of strength, speed, mass, hops, balance, endurance, and agility that allows him to play an explosive brand of bully ball that makes other NBA giants feel small.
Other players with a "unique physicality" include Wilt, Jordan, Barkley, Rodman, Ben Wallace, Shaq, LeBron, Rondo, Griffin, Kawhi, and Giannis.
It's not about being tall, or weighing a lot, but being able to throw your weight around or maximize your physical traits.
If you've ever played even street pick-up ball, you'll know that some dudes have really big hands, or are very strong despite being very skinny, or are short but get every rebound.