Developing younger players like the newcomer Payne, along with some rookies and second-year players, has cut into the playing time of veterans like Wade and Rondo. And you can make the clear argument that the focus on giving the youngsters playing time has resulted in on-court struggles and los

Ingram was the second youngest player drafted in 2016 at the age of 18 and it will take him time to prove that he deserved to be the second overall pick. His first season in Los Angeles, for one of the biggest franchises in the NBA, has unsurprisingly been to

The Celtics selected Brown with the third pick and under the guidance of Brad Stevens, he has shown he can become a premier defender. The 20-year-old has had a steady first campaign and unlike the aforementioned players, he has been fortunate enough to be on a winning team as Boston owned the Brooklyn Nets' p

With the disappointment of this draft class, we're all ruing the fact that Simmons wasn't able to suit up this year. He is the only player from this group that has real star potential and could become a perennial All-S

After some initial success following a controversial trade deadline deal that send Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow, the team is seemingly without an identity at this point of the y

He was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month in December and also won MVP of the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge after posting a game-high 36 points (9-14 3FG) and a game-high 11 assists. The Canadian is a star in the mak

Depending on who you ask, D-Wade is the third to fourth best shooting guard ever and by all accounts a sure-fire Hall of Fame candidate. He is still getting it done today and would have been huge wherever he was draf

Anthony was a born scorer from the moment he stepped foot in the Rocky Mountains as a rookie. His reputation as a complete offensive force took a second to blossom. His Olympic resume and All-Star appearances speak for themsel

Though he's still an incredible mid-range shooter in the game, his other stats have diminished since his 2K9 peak. There are a number of reasons for that decline, and players often see their stats decrease as they age, but the biggest one is his new franch

"A lot of people have a lot of things they can say about Fred as a coach, but I will defend him on this: This is a tough situation he's put in right now," Wade noted . "That's why sometimes I'm glad I'm on this side of the coin. I'm glad I got a jersey on; I don't have to make certain decisions, because it is tough. But no one is really going to care too much. Fred gets a nice paycheck, I get a nice paycheck, Jimmy gets a nice paycheck, blah, blah, blah -- so people don't care when you get paid good. So we all have to figure it out together. We're all in this togeth

From here, the odds diminish quite rapidly. The Orlando Magic rounds out the top-five of teams with the best odds. For an easy to follow look at draft odds, and a fun lottery simulator, head over to Tankathon.com to get the full rund

"He's a big part to what they do," Butler explained . "We all know that. I think they know that. But you can't take him out the game and think that you can win. Because they got a lot of other really good players, role players that make shots, create for others. They guard, they rebound, pass the ball. They got a really good team; they're really good at what they

Clearly, while he was with the Nuggets, Melo was one of the game's elite all-around offensive players (though his defensive stats definitely left a lot to be desired). But, once he forced his way to the Knicks, the steady decline be

Now, the Celtics are set to cash in. The Celtics have a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick, 46.5 percent chance to land in the top-two and are essentially guaranteed a top-five pick at minimum through Brook

The Denver Nuggets selected Murray with the seventh pick in the draft and judging by what the guard has shown this year, they've got themselves a coup. In this era, where shooting has become a key component, the 20-year-old has proven to be one of the best shooters in this draft cl

The team in the absolute best position is the Boston Celtics, which seems a bit crazy considering they're the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs. The Brooklyn Nets were crazy enough to trade their own unprotected first-round pick to Boston years

The 5’9" Thomas is in the midst of a spectacular, career-best campaign, averaging 28.9 points and 5.9 assists. If you’ve watched the Celtics play this year, you know that their entire offense runs through him and he’s what makes them tick. Further, he's been the best fourth quarter scorer in the league, providing important points down the stretch of most ga

LeBron stays at number one in dig this ranking and for good reason, he is still the de-facto best player on the planet and that hasn’t changed as the years have gone by. An otherworldly combination of skill and athleticism that we may never see ag