HoopsHabit has listed their rankings of all 30 NBA starters for every position. How did the Toronto Raptors fare, and did the rankings get it right?
We, as a sports community, are obsessed with rankings. We have weekly power rankings, we rank the top-100 NBA players, we even rank the starters at every position.
For the most part, this is a very flawed process. The game just doesn’t work that way. A player’s environment and situation impacts so much of their game, it is impossible for us to truly rank players.
Furthermore, a player’s ranking is highly dependent on what you require from them. Julius Randle has far less value in Utah alongside Rudy Gobert than he does in New Orleans paired with Anthony Davis.
So if rankings are inherently flawed, why do we love them so much? Because they are fun.
Pizza is nutritionally flawed, but yet every Sunday you can see me hammering home a slice as I disappointingly watch my under-performing Fantasy Football team.
Not every post we read needs to be breaking down Serge’s inability to pass after beating a close-out or the effectiveness of a particular lineup. Sometimes we can enjoy a cheat-day and bask in the controversy known as power rankings.
HoopsHabit has released rankings for the upcoming 2018-2019 season, so we are projecting a bit. Older players will be discounted some from their previous seasons, as we fruitlessly attempt to project the development of players still early in their career.
Heading into the rankings, I expected most of my disagreements would be on the Raptors behalf. However, my assessment actually has two Raptors slightly overvalued, two Raptors with the correct ranking, and one player underrated by the HoopsHabit staff.
It’s easy to argue for your team’s “lack of respect”, but we try to remain as objective as possible at our site.
So let’s take a look, starting with Kyle Lowry, at each starting Toronto Raptor and were they rank compared to the rest of the league.
Kyle Lowry HoopsHabit Rank: 7 Our Rank: 7
No matter your stance on Kyle Lowry, it’s pretty safe to say that he is in the second tier of NBA point guards. (Depending on the size of your tiers).
He isn’t in the class of Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Paul, but he is pretty safely in the next tier below. At his career peak, you might argue he slipped into the edge of that tier. His apex is similar to, although a hair below, Damian Lillard now.
But he has slowed just a bit, and projecting to next season, it’s reasonable to expect another incremental decline. Lowry isn’t in the twilight of his career, but he is certainly passed the peak of the mountain.
Immediately below him:
10. Mike Conley
9. Kemba Walker
8. John Wall
All these players are in a similar range of Lowry, and depending on the year, the order of these four could largely fluctuate.
When healthy, Mike Conley is a slightly better version of Lowry. He can do a few more things offensively, often times tasked with creating in a clogged up Memphis offense. Defensively, Lowry is very good. Conley is great.
But you can’t guarantee health, and Mike Conley has not been consistently healthy in a long-time. Edge Lowry.
Kemba Walker vs. Kyle Lowry is one reason why rankings are such a difficult task. Swap players and I think you would make both the Hornets and the Raptors worse. Lowry’s defense makes him a little more flexible fitting into other rosters, so I’ll agree to give him the edge.
There was a time John Wall was arguably the third best player in the East, and his ceiling is certainly the highest of this group. When healthy and engaged Wall is a monster. However, after last season, he can’t be placed above Lowry.
Immediately above him:
6. Ben Simmons
5. Damian Lillard
4. Kyrie Irving
Two of these selections are no-brainers. Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard have surpassed Lowry as point guards and will soon be rising even higher on this list. Irving’s defense improved dramatically last season while Lillard was named to first team All-NBA.
I’d place Lillard four and Irving five, but they remain above Lowry regardless.
Ben Simmons will be the point of controversy due to his inability to score outside of 10 feet. Last season he didn’t attempt a three-pointer, and it is suspected by some, that he is shooting with his wrong hand.
I don’t care. As “a rookie” last season, Simmons averaged 17, nine, and nine. I am not a triple-double guy, but to stuff the sheet like that in your first NBA season is insane.
If you’re a fan of advanced stats, Simmons does that too. Last season when Simmons was on the court, the 76ers offense had an offensive rating of 109.4, when he was off 101.4. That takes you from about sixth in the league, to 28th.
Oh, and he received votes for All-NBA Defensive Team as well.
Lowry is really good, and his shooting opens up parts of the offense that Simmons can’t. But as a 6’10” point guard who processes the game at an elite level, Simmons opens up plenty of things on his own.
Last season, I’d give Lowry the edge. This year, I am taking Simmons.
Danny Green HoopsHabit Rank: 18 Our Rank: 20
HoopsHabit ranks Danny Green as the 18th best shooting guard, just below average. I am a little more pessimistic.
Danny Green’s placement is highly dependent on how you believe his poor play was impacted by his injury at the end of last season and how much is a natural decline due to age. I tend to believe it is a little of both.
Immediately above him:
17. Andre Roberson
16. Evan Fournier
15. Zach LaVine
Wow. A lot to unpack with these three players. All three have real strengths. Two have MAJOR flaws.
I have Green ranked above Zach Lavine for next season. LaVine offers high volume, relatively efficient scoring and not much else. Scoring efficiently is the most valuable thing you can do as a player, but there are so many more facets LaVine needs to add.
For starters, he could begin by stopping anyone. Despite his physical tools, LaVine is one of the worst defenders in the NBA both by the metrics and by the tape. He is an okay passer, but can dribble the air out of the ball. He also turns the ball over at a high rate.
If he returns full healthy, he may eek out Green, but for now, I have him a step behind.
At 14 Evan Fournier is one of the most undervalued players on this list. Last season he averaged 18 points per game with an effective field goal percentage of 53.8-percent. The most impressive part, he did it in Orlando. Place Fournier in a somewhat competent offense and who knows how effective he could be.
Andre Roberson is the most flawed player in this group. In today’s NBA, to have a shooting guard who can’t shoot is crushing.
But he is one of the best 3-4 defenders in the entire NBA. The difference he made while on the court defensively is enough to offset that monumental weakness.
Immediately below him:
21. Kent Bazemore
20. Luka Doncic
19. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
I will skip Kent Bazemore. I agree that he ranks just below Danny Green.
KCP, however, I believe should be ranked just ahead of Green. Last season he shot nearly the same percentage from three, but inside the arc, he can do a few more things. Caldwell-Pope is a better creator off the dribble and has more athleticism finishing around the basket.
Defensively the two players are very similar. Green had the decisive advantage early in his career, but as he grows longer in the tooth, it’s very possible KCP has surpassed him.
Projecting a rookie is the biggest fools-errand in sports, but count me all-in on the Doncic hype machine. This kid is special, and I believe he will be special early. This could look very dumb in a couple of months, but I have him ahead of Green also.
Surprise pick: 24. Bogdan Bogdanovic
I am amazed at how low Bogdanovic is on this list. In his rookie season in Sacramento, Bogdanovic averaged 12 points, three assists, and three rebounds per game, with above average efficiency. Again as a rookie (granted a 25 year-old rookie), in Sacramento.
Bogdanovic can shoot it, is smart, and is athletic. His defense isn’t great, but is better than most Euro guys are given credit for. He is vastly underrated on this list.
Overall, that ranks Green at 20. If he returns healthy and looks like the 2016-2017 version of himself, he may increase up to the upper-half of the league.
Kawhi Leonard HoopsHabit Rank: 2 Our Rank: 2
It’s important to note that this list ranks players based upon their projected 2018 starting position. So for purposes of this project, LeBron James is listed as a power forward.
With LeBron at power forward, Leonard is able to hop to second on the list, it’s no secret or debate who is ahead of him, and the list below isn’t much of a contest either.
Immediately below him:
5. Khris Middleton
4. Gordon Hayward
3. Paul George
No disrespect to Middleton, who is a fine player, but a notch below the next two on the list. He is a two-way player and effective scorer, and this ranking finally shows some props to someone who has been vastly underrated for years.
Hayward and George are a tier above Middleton, however, they are still significantly behind Kawhi Leonard. Hayward and George have All-NBA ceilings, Kawhi has an MVP-caliber ceiling.
No sense in debating this much, nearly all reasonable fans would agree Leonard is a class above these players.
Immediately above him:
1. Kevin Durant
An easy choice at number one overall, Kevin Durant is the best small forward in the game and in a year or two might become the best player in the game.
If you are going to scream about the two-way capabilities of Leonard, please stop it. Durant is a 7’0″ sniper with a tight handle and insane bounce. He is a much more versatile scorer and offensive player than Leonard.
Defensively, Durant is not as impactful as Leonard, but as an athletic 7’0″ he can still have a major impact. He’s a good defender, he just isn’t Kawhi Leonard.
For superstars, offense matters more than offense. If you don’t believe so, then tell me with a straight face you would take Rudy Gobert over Stephen Curry.
For now, Leonard is safe as the second best small-forward in the NBA.
Serge Ibaka HoopsHabit Rank: 12 Our Rank: 14
For starters, I believe that this spot should belong to OG Anunoby, rather than Serge Ibaka. It’s still unclear at this time who is going to start, but I have my money on OG.
It’s hard to compare our ranking of OG to a non-existent one, so I will stick with Ibaka for this exercise. Even though he might enter the season as the back-up, HoopsHabit has Ibaka as the 12th best power forward. I have him slightly lower at 14.
Immediately above him:
11. Harrison Barnes
10. Aaron Gordon
9. Dario Saric
Perhaps the most surprising name on this list, Dario Saric, is ranked ninth overall. Make no mistake, Saric can play. He is an impressive scorer, an above-average defender, and canny secondary play-maker. Last season he played at a very high level in a role that wasn’t a perfect fit.
I’m not sure how Aaron Gordon is below Saric, but he is certainly ahead of Ibaka. He is a capable shooter, switchable on defense, and my god he is explosive.
Barnes isn’t quite the defender Ibaka is, but he is a much more capable scorer. Last season Barnes averaged 19 points per game, largely unassisted. Ibaka couldn’t do that on 30 attempts a night.
Immediately below him:
15. Thaddeus Young
14. Derrick Favors
13. Nikola Mirotic
Ibaka belongs ahead of Mirotic. Mirotic exploded at the end of last season, but it’s easy to explode next to Anthony Davis. Ibaka doesn’t have the upside of Mirotic, but he is a more steady option.
I also have Ibaka>Favors. As a center, give me Derrick Favors. If they are playing power forward, give me Ibaka.
Defensively the two players are very similar, although Ibaka is slightly more mobile. Offensively, Favors is a more complete player, but Ibaka’s ability to stretch the floor is more important.
Thad Young is the first player I have hopping over Ibaka. He is a better fit as a power forward in today’s NBA. Young is big enough to bang with the elite offensive power forwards defensively. (He locked-up Kevin Love in the first round of the playoffs.) And he is quick enough to hang with the modern stretch-fours.
Offensively he does so many more things than Ibaka. He is a threat off the dribble after a tough close out and is a solid passer. At this point in his career, Ibaka isn’t much more than a pick-and-pop threat.
Surprise pick 19. Trevor Ariza
As a whole, these rankings were incredibly close to my personal list. This choice, I don’t understand.
Ariza averaged 12 points a game on incredibly efficient shooting last season. He was Houston’s most trusted wing-defender and the third best player on the second best team in the NBA last season.
To place him below players like Ibaka and Mirotic feels foolish.
Jonas Valanciunas HoopsHabit Rank: 15 Our Rank: 12
Finally! A ranking we can complain about. It was getting awfully annoying discounting our own guys.
When comparing JV to the rest of the centers he is around, it becomes abundantly clear: This ranking is horrific.
Immediately below him:
18. Aron Baynes
17. DeAndre Ayton
16. Hassan Whiteside
No real arguments on this end.
It’s possible Ayton is better than JV his rookie season, it’s just not very likely. Ayton was bad on defense in college, and rookies typically struggle defensively. Ayton has the ability to be good, just don’t expect a consistent impact on both ends next season.
You could argue Hassan Whiteside is better than JV, it’s just not an argument I won’t stick around for.
You could argue Aaron Baynes is better than JV, it’s just not an argument anyone will stick around for.
Immediately above him:
14. Dwight Howard
13. Myles Turner
12. Jusuf Nurkic
I will get Myles Turner out-of-the-way first, because I believe this ranking is correct. I put the chances that Turner surpasses JV next season at just about 51-percent. He hasn’t been better yet, but he has been good, and the tools are there.
Next, let’s talk Nurkic. Nurkic is JV who can’t shoot and sometimes has an occasional attitude problem. Valanciunas can stretch the floor beyond the arc, and you know doesn’t quit on his team. That matters.
Speaking of poor attitudes. I present Dwight Howard. There are plenty examples of why Dwight is not as good as JV, but I can simply sum it up by saying he was traded almost exclusively for Timofey Mozgov.
Others above him:
10. Marc Gasol:
In many ways, JV’s game resembles a poor-man’s version of prime Marc Gasol: ability to stretch the floor, crafty passer, and deterrent around the rim. (Again I said poor-man’s version, perhaps very poor)
But at this time, Gasol moves worse than JV, is more injury prone, and simply not the same player. Last season Gasol was still a hair better, I bet JV surpasses him this season.
Again, these rankings are largely subjective and an inherently flawed process. But enjoy the controversy, give some takes, and tell me why I got some of my own rankings wrong as well.