10) Jimmy Butler, Timberwolves
Butler’s numbers from deep suffered a bit in his first season with the Timberwolves, but in no way could he be considered a letdown. His defense was excellent as usual, and he continued to score very efficiently from inside the arc. He’s also a veteran leader on a very young Minnesota team, and he helped them to their first playoff berth in nearly a decade and a half. He’s a complete player that Minnesota will be very happy to build around for years to come as long as he wants to stay.
It’s very much a cliche, but Green’s importance can’t be measured by a stat sheet. He’s the emotional leader of the Warriors. He plays ferocious defense and can guard any position on the floor. He’s a triple-double machine who is tough to deny on the glass. He can score when he needs to. Green isn’t a “system player”; he is the system. The Warriors wouldn’t work nearly as well without him, and really, only LeBron James can consistently do the amount of things that Green does.
Paul’s importance to the Rockets can best be described by the fact that they gave him a huge payday through his mid-30s. While they’ll likely regret it financially, nobody is really criticizing the move too harshly. He teamed with James Harden to form a near-unstoppable backcourt duo. His assist total dropped a bit, but it hardly mattered. Paul is still as good as he ever was, and his talented teammates helped him to shine. And who knows how the Western Conference Finals would have turned out had he not gotten hurt.
The last year has raised questions about Leonard’s health and attitude, so it’s pretty easy to forget at this point that he’s one of the sport’s elite players. His defense, as we know, is second-to-none. In his last healthy season, he scored 25 points per game and shoots just under 39 percent from three in his career. Leonard is a complete player who can do anything. His future is murky, but there’s a reason so many teams want him.
Davis is perhaps overlooked by playing in New Orleans and fighting off injuries, but he’s impossible to deny when you watch him play. He blocks shots. He scores at a rate of just under 30 points per game. He’s a rebounding machine. He even chips in a couple of assists per night. Davis is a monster who can only be contained, not stopped. Perhaps soon he’ll end up on a contender, whether it be New Orleans or somewhere else, and he can get the recognition he deserves.
You can say what you want about the guy, but Westbrook has averaged a triple-double for two consecutive seasons. That’s remarkable. Yes, he’s high-volume, but he did give up a bit of scoring for Paul George, and he’s still an incredible player. Yes, his defense could be better, but he gives you so much in every other facet that you can ignore it, especially with George on the floor.
It’s a signal of Curry’s importance that Golden State’s offense suffers when he’s off the floor, even with their other stars available and firing. It’s because he can do things that no one else can: mostly the unlimited range and all the things he can do with the ball. Is he the best player? His defense is good, but not elite, but the things he does well are things he does well better than anyone else. Few players are more vital to their team.
Harden is the complete package offensively, with Mike D’Antoni and Chris Paul both doing wonders for him. His defense can still be criticized, but he’s such a complete star that it’s easy to let go. He averaged 30 points per game for the first time last season, and he kept his assist tallies up as well. He’s a complete offensive player, arguably more complete than anyone else in the league.
Only free throw shooting kept Durant from a 50-40-90 campaign last year. Stephen Curry is still more valuable to the Warriors, but Durant is the better all-around player with his ability to shoot, get to the basket, create, rebound, and even assist. Playing with the Warriors may limit his need for being a superhero on the court, but he’s stepped up big and gone 2-for-2 in championships and NBA Finals MVP awards. He’s one of the best players of his generation.
James remains the best in the business and hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down. It’s an indication of how important he is that the Lakers are now regarded as a contender and the Cavaliers may be headed for the lottery. A 60 percent shooter from inside the arc, he’s a quality rebounder and has expanded his game to average a career-best 9.1 assists last season. It’s unclear what he’ll have to do with the Lakers and who, exactly, will be surrounding him, but whatever it is, he’ll be amazing at it.
