Per Sources’ 2019-20 NBA season preview continues. I started by giving my predictions on who the Western Conference playoff teams were going to be. Now, I move to my positional rankings. I’ll go through each position and give my opinion/analysis as to who’s in the top-10 at each position. We’ll then cap it off by giving the top-10 players for the upcoming season. After ranking my top-10 point guards and shooting guards, I continue with my top-10 small forwards for 2019-20.
#10: Andrew Wiggins
2018-19 season stats: 73 games played, 18.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.7 blocks, 1.0 steals, 41.2 field goal percentage, and a 33.9 three-point percentage.
It’s true that Andrew Wiggins hasn’t necessarily been the player that his draft stock touted him to be. Despite that, Wiggins is a paid man who has to start playing like it. It may seem like a crime to put him at #10, but when you think about it, that’s the right spot for him. Wiggins hasn’t shown any growth following his impressive 2016 season. I’m not on the path of calling him a bust just yet. In fact, he’s just a player who’s taking a little longer to reach his full potential. After averaging career-lows in minutes, games played, and field goal percentage, I need to see improvement.
#9: Bojan Bogdanovic
2018-19 season stats: 81 games played, 18.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals, 49.7 field-goal percentage, and a 42.5 three-point percentage.
Bojan Bogdanovic caught everyone’s eye last year. The Jazz’s acquisition of Bogdanovic may be one of the most impactful ones outside of the superstar signings. For the Pacers, Bogdanovic carried the load offensively. After Victor Oladipo went down with an injury, Bogdanovic was the one that stepped up to be the first scoring option. He was able to show the league how much of an asset he actually is. His career-highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, field goal percentage, and 3PT percentage is a testament to that. Bogdanovic may experience a drop in his numbers due to a lesser role in Utah. That won’t take away the fact that he’s a valuable asset on a team looking to contend for an NBA title.
#8: Danilo Gallinari
2018-19 season stats: 68 games played, 19.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.3 blocks, 0.7 steals, 46.3 field goal percentage, and a 43.3 three-point percentage.
No one is talking about the Thunder’s acquisition of Danilo Gallinari. That’s mainly because he was an afterthought of the Paul George trade. As far as I’m concerned, Gallinari is able to be a solid third/fourth option on a championship-level team. Gallinari, in my opinion, will flourish in Oklahoma City while they’re in rebuild mode. They aren’t the best team, but a CP3-Gallinari duo isn’t that bad. Gallinari only played 68 games last season, but you can firmly argue that it was the best of his career. He’s steadily been a top-10 small forward for some years now, and that shouldn’t stop. With the lack of talent that the Thunder have compared to the Clippers, Gallinari should be able to rise up and have himself another great year. Especially when playing alongside Chris Paul.
#7: Jayson Tatum
2018-19 season stats: 79 games played, 15.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.7 blocks, 1.1 steals, 45.0 field goal percentage, and a 37.3 three-point percentage.
Jayson Tatum had some hype after the Celtics’ deep playoff run in 2018. Then, he slowly regressed. If you want to use the excuse that Tatum was playing with Kyrie Irving, fine. You can make the argument that Tatum was a more efficient player with Irving off the floor than on it. However, this season, that changes, meaning there’s no excuse for Tatum not to perform. Instead of Irving, he has Kemba Walker. And, although Walker has a similar play-style to that of Irving, I believe he’ll fit better into their team-ball system. That should translate into Tatum having a career year.
#6: Khris Middleton
2018-19 season stats: 77 games played, 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.1 blocks, 1.0 steals, 44.1 field goal percentage, and a 37.8 three-point percentage.
Khris Middleton was overpaid. There’s nothing more or less that needs to be said about it. Is he better than the four players behind him? Yes. However, he has a lot to prove due to the bag he secured this offseason. Giannis Antetokounmpo is only going to get better, and he needs his supporting cast around him. If the Bucks want to contend for a title again this season, Middleton needs to have a better season than he had last year. I want to see Middleton with the ball in his hands more and for him to show the league he’s a better scorer than his stats may warrant. Usually, I wouldn’t be this hard on a second-option. However, with the contract that Middleton was re-signed to, it has to warrant some type of great season.
#5: Tobias Harris
2018-19 season stats: 82 games played, 19.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.5 blocks, 0.4 steals, 48.3 field goal percentage, and a 38.0 three-point percentage.
Tobias Harris, to me, is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. He was the number one guy for the Clippers last season and is now the number third or fourth guy on the Sixers. That makes both he and Philadelphia very dangerous. Harris showed us that he can make an impact no matter the role he’s in. He also received a questionable contract this offseason. And, I’d say that means he has a lot to prove, but that’s near invalid with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Al Horford on the team. What I’m looking for is whether or not Harris will be the one trusted to make the big shot. After the departure of Jimmy Butler, Harris has to show he’s capable of being the player that Philadelphia trusts in the biggest moments.
#4: Jimmy Butler
2018-19 season stats: 65 games played, 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 blocks, 2.1 steals, 46.6 field goal percentage, and a 35.8 three-point percentage.
Jimmy Butler is one of the most entertaining players in the league. Whether it’s his trash talk or how hard he plays, Butler seems to make an impact everywhere he goes. This season, Butler holds the cards as to the type of season he wants to have. He couldn’t control where he was drafted, nor could he decide his trade destination. This past offseason, he finally got to make the decision for himself. He got to choose the franchise he played for, and now he has to go out and show it was the right choice. Some, including me, wonder why Butler didn’t join a contender. Butler wanted a team to himself. Now that he has one, can he put together a season that leads to a Miami Heat playoff appearance? We shall see.
#3: Paul George
2018-19 season stats: 77 games played, 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.4 blocks, 2.2 steals, 43.8 field goal percentage, and a 38.6 three-point percentage.
Of the four premier Los Angeles players, Paul George is the least-discussed. People seem to forget that George was second in the league in scoring and third in MVP voting. That was with Russell Westbrook on his team. George has ascended to one of the league’s premier stars. This season, he’s on the best roster in the NBA and will be playing alongside the reigning NBA Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard.
With the way the Clippers organization is set up, George can take more time off to rest that bad shoulder. Then, when he gets to 100%, he’ll be a force in this league. I understand the hype around Anthony Davis, but George is no slouch. Do I expect another 28 PPG season from George? Not on this roster. However, I expect both his offensive and defensive efficiency to increase while helping the Clippers contend for an NBA title.
#2: Kawhi Leonard
2018-19 season stats: 60 games played, 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.4 blocks, 1.8 steals, 49.6 field goal percentage, and a 37.1 three-point percentage.
Kawhi Leonard isn’t the best player in the world, not yet at least. I’ve written about how LeBron dropped the baton leading to Kawhi picking it up and being the best player in the world. That was for the postseason. This is a new regular season. I must remind readers and NBA GMs that Leonard isn’t close to overtaking LeBron.
Leonard had one of the best seasons I’ve seen in my 17 years of life. It wasn’ memorable due to his numbers being ridiculously high like James Harden’s. It was the story of how the Raptors kept failing until Leonard got there that captivated me. Leonard took a city with low chances to win the title and actually won it.
Kawhi has refueled and is now on a new team which, as I alluded to before, is the best roster in the NBA. He’s feeling better at the start of this season than he was at this point last year. That only means bad things for the Western Conference. Kawhi Leonard might even be an MVP candidate, but one thing that’s assured is that he’ll be the one leading this championship-worthy Clippers squad.
#1: LeBron James
2018-19 season stats: 55 games played, 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 0.6 blocks, 1.3 steals, 51.0 field goal percentage, and a 33.9 three-point percentage.
LeBron James is the best small forward in the NBA, and he’s also the best player in the NBA. He missed out on the playoffs last year for the first time in 13 years. The bottom line is that he didn’t play in the postseason. What could’ve happened if he didn’t get injured is something we’ll never know. Nevertheless, it allowed James to go into the offseason more regenerated than usual. He also gained a plethora of new teammates, including Anthony Davis.
James has a team that can win the NBA Championship. I expect him to lead this squad to a championship. I’ll never bet against LeBron, and behind him, the Lakers are my 2020 NBA Champions. LeBron is also someone I’d look out for in the MVP conversation. Despite his season ending earlier than expected, LeBron James remains the NBA’s best player.
There really isn’t anything I can be knocked for in regards to this list. I believe that this is the most accurate top-10 thus far. Each player deserves their ranking. And, if you can make the argument for a player to be added or dropped, I can make an argument to refute it. Let me know what you think of my rankings. Stay tuned, as I have 20 more players to rank by position.
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