These 5 players have no business being ahead of RJ Barrett in recent NBA rankings

No. 89: T.J. McConnell

T.J. McConnell is a really good backup point guard. He is a confident passer, a savvy cutter and an absolute bulldog defensively. His energy when he checks into a game is infectious, and he has been a beloved member of the Indiana Pacers for the last five seasons, endearing himself to teammates, coaches and the front office. It's why he earned a strong extension from them this summer.

Yet McConnell is nothing more than a backup point guard, and not necessarily the best one across the league either. He is too small to play multiple positions, he is not much of a shot creator and at age 32 is more likely to decline than improve. He had a hyper-efficient season last year, but that doesn't mean he is one of the 100 best players in the NBA.

No. 87: Jusuf Nurkic

Jusuf Nurkic checks in at No. 87 on this list as the fourth Phoenix Suns player to show up. The 10-year veteran is a good paint protector, an excellent rebounder and an underrated passer. His best skill may be inciting Draymond Green to retaliate. He deserves to be in consideration for this list.

He is also a player whose teams are continually trying to replace with a better option, and his ability to create offense for himself is essentially nonexistent. Rebounding is important, but RJ Barrett brings excellent rebounding for his position on top of being able to create offense, the most valuable skill in basketball. Barrett plus an average center is a great rebounding combo and brings a team significantly more in other areas.