Hoop's Top 10 Players in the BSL (to be continued)

[Hooper]

Some Future to set the tone for the incoming toxicity

Explanation: This list will not be considering contract, age, or potential. We're strictly looking at; in a vacuum, the 15 best players in the BSL right now. The 15 players who I think are most likely to contribute to winning a title this year.

Disclaimer: As is our professional standard, Bucks players will not be considered for this list. We all know Evan Turner is a tier 1 guy, though

Tier 1: Argument for Best Player in the BSL

#1. LeBron James:
A B A A- C+ C
30/8/4.5/2.2/.2 on 49/80/43.5
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The top slot was a tough pick for me. At the end of the day I value scoring over everything else, and despite being broken AF, I don't believe Bron is the best scorer in the league. I don't put too much stake into assist ratings or rebounding outside of post players, but when a guy like Lebron is just the total package like this while being hyper efficient and also nabbing 2.2 steals per game, I think it's enough to raise him to the top slot. LeBron is the most well rounded player in the league and only 27 year old still. Shoutout to G9 sending him to the east. We appreciate it.

2. Steph Curry
B- A A- A C C
32.5/5/9/3.2/0.2 on 48/46/86
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I originally had Chef Curry at 3, but after looking at his numbers I nearly moved him up to the number 1 spot. Steph is the greatest point guard in NBA history and easily the greatest shooter as well, and that is accurately reflected here in the BSL. And while IRL Steph is amazing, his defense in the BSL is what really puts him above the rest of the competition. A defense and second in the league in steals to go with being first in PPG and fourth in 3% while second in 3APG. Age 24. Can't believe Frank gave him to cousin Josh.

#3. Carmelo Anthony
A- A C B- C D
31.5/7/3/1.7/0.6 on 48/87/40​

I get this is a mildly hot take, but keep in mind guys in the same tier are mostly interchangeable. Building on what I was saying earlier about valuing scoring above all else, Carmelo is the best scorer in the BSL. A- A scoring is stupid in a league starved of superstar offensive players like him. Melo is third in the league in PPG and he's doing it next to fellow top 10 player Brandon Roy, who we'll get to later. Last season before Roy was acquired, Melo was putting up a cool 35 PPG or so, just levels ahead of anyone else in the league. At the end of the day we're playing a simulation, not real basketball, and the goal is to score the most points. Melo does that.

#4. Kemba Walker
C+ A A- A C B
26/5/11/2.8/0.3 on 50/90/42
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Kemba is hilariously better in the BSL than he ever was in real life. A dogshit defender and really more of a combo guard in the NBA, but one of the best two way / unselfish guys in the BSL. I'm really not high on anyone else the notorious Panic has put around Kemba, and yet Kemba still wills a mostly mediocre team to the top of his division year after year. Kemba is top 10 in FG% and FT% and also top 5 in steals and assists. Just a ridiculous 2 way superstar with no weaknesses. And before anyone says "But Hooper he doesn't even average 3 RPG" just shut the F up. It isn't a weakness that Kemba averages 3 rpg instead of the 4rpg that most point guards average. That shit doesn't matter.

#5. Dwight Howard
A- D+ F+ A- A
22.5/14.5/2/0.8/2.5 on 44.5/63/0
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There really isn't another big man even in contention with Dwight for the best post player in the BSL. Dude is fucking dominant across the boards. If a C is your choice to build around, then I think you can pretty easily argue that the best C in the league by a wide margin is the best player in the league. The Rockets are still hanging around fighting for homecourt in the Lesstern Conference with a roster of a bunch of LOFAs+ Dwight and Pop. It really shows the impact that an elite paint presence has in FBB. It's a shame Harden blew up (in a bad way) because Dwight deserves better, but it's going to take some real finesse for Dwight to see a title in Houston.

Tier 2: Best Player on a Title Team

#6 Brandon Roy
B+ A- C+A- C C
20/4/3/1/0.3 on 48/87/40
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Bucks legend Brandon Roy. In another universe I would have loved to build my team around Roy, but there is really no one in the league who can carry a bad team to a title single handedly. So unlike another GM on this list who is letting is superstar middle in mediocrity (Dwight -> Bucks plz), I moved on and upward. Roy is great though, insane at the SG slot and has no weaknesses as a player. Did I shamelessly push a KD > Roy agenda earlier in my BSL career? Sure did. But am I ready to admit Roy is a superstar? Also yes. 20/4/3 will be by far the worst stat line of anyone on this list, but Roy will also be the only guy here who is a number 2 to another elite scorer. We all know what Roy can do when he's leading a team, and it's easy to see that he is a viable number 1 option on a title team. Roy is Good and Cool.

#7 Tracy McGrady
B A B B+ C D
25/7/4/1.3/0.9 on 48/86/46
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As a guy who already was the best player on a title team, TMac makes his appearance at number 7 on my list. B A is a dominant scoring rating and the B handle helps TMac stuff the stat sheet with 4 APG. If there were no positional limits, it's possible TMac would be the best player in the league right now, because dude is built to light teams up from that PG slot. It's crazy that TMac at this advanced age is still so dominant, but he's about the one bright slot on an aging Hawks roster fighting for the right to get washed by the Magic or Bullets in 5 games in round 1. As a 5 seed about to get washed in 5 games by the Heat round 1, I sympathize. Congrats on the great career, Tracy.

#8 Al Jefferson
A- C- D A- A- C
23/12/2/0.9/1.3 on 50/68/0
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Hard to argue Big Al doesn't fit the "Best Player on a Title Team" description when he literally was last season. Notice that this slot is "Al Jefferson" and not "Al Horford"...there is a big difference there. Jefferson is one of the 2/3 best inside scorers in the BSL next to D12 and former Sun Brook Lopez, but Big Al is elite in inside scoring, defense, and rebounding, making him one of only two bigs in the entire BSL to fit that bill. A smooth 23/12 on 50% FG carries an inside focused Sun team to elite efficiency as they have the highest FG% in the league while shooting about 5 free throws more than anyone else in the league also. I think BSL can put to bed the idea that an inside focused team can't get it done in the playoffs. It's happening before your very eyes.

Tier 3: Probably a Second Guy on a Championship Squad

#9. Chris Paul
C+ A- A A- C C
21/11.5/6/2.4/0.3 on 47/89/40
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I know I know, the guy has won 4 straight MVPs or some bullshit like that. But as Bill Russell once said, the game is about buckets. And CP just isn't getting them at the same rate as the guys ahead of him on this list. I'd be open to hearing about what people think of assists and their team impact within FBB. Where I stand, most of the best players I've seen in FBB have been dominant scorers with low passing ratings, and they have propelled their teams into hyper efficient offenses. I really am not sure if I value assists in FBB as anything other than a number the game keeps track of. With that out of the way though, CP still grabs 6 boards per game with a pretty efficient 21 PPG and is deadly from the line. He's the type of guy you would obviously love to have on your team, but I'm just not sold on his ability to win a title as the engine of your offense. He's had great regular season success recently, but that's also with Iso Joe carrying the scoring load. I'm just not sold he can be "The Guy"

#10 Derrick Rose
B+ B A B C- C
25/4/10/1.5/0.2 on 46.5/81/38
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The BSL is currently stacked with guard talent as we see tons of ball handlers make my top 10 list. Rose is a really cool FBB piece and an entirely different mold than the other guards on this list. Focused more as an inside scorer, Rose fills it up with 25 PPG (6th) and is also in the top 10 in assists per game (8th). The Spurs haven't had the season I know Brooks was hoping to see this year, but it's still hard to sell on their future while they have a super young guard core of Rose and Wall to build on, next to another well rounded player in Wilson Chandler. Imagine owning a Spurs future pick and trying to push its value in chat? That simply couldn't be me.

Honorable Mentions (Unordered)
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Brook Lopez: Dominant big in scoring and defense but not enough rebounding to really tickle my fancy. Has slowed down a bit this year in Steph's outside offense and only scoring about 17 PPG, we know he can do a bit more though.

Baron Davis: Solid player, but not quite efficient enough as a scorer for me. Fills a nice stat sheet for the Blazers though.

Pau Gasol: Second in BPG and RPG. Tough to argue with.

Zach Randolph: Still pumping out huge numbers, but someone I was always a bit lower than consensus on. Age catching up to him.

Rashard Lewis: He's just benched this year? Is Daulten asleep at the wheel? Am I looking at this right?

Kobe Bryant: Kobe is still fucking nasty. Probably the biggest snub of all.

I had a couple drinks earlier during that Celtics game trying to forget the result, so it's possible I forgot your player as well. Let me know who got snubbed, why I'm wrong about CP3, and what grievances you have with the list. INB4 Hank "Carlos Boozer should have made it"

 

[Swope]

-5m