For the sixth season in a row, ESPN.com is ranking the top players in the NBA. Who will be the best player this season?
To get the final ranking, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players.
LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. Russell Westbrook vs. Kevin Durant. Damian Lillard vs. Chris Paul.
We asked, "Which player will be better in 2016-17?" To decide, voters had to consider both the quality and the quantity of each player's contributions to his team's ability to win games.
If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, #NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. You also can follow along @ESPNNBA and on Facebook.
On to the list ...
4. Kawhi Leonard
Spurs | SF | @kawhileonard
Last year's rank: 8
2016-17 projected RPM: 8.54
Insider profile: Last season saw Leonard fully realized. Healthy from Day 1, Leonard picked up defensively where he left off after winning his first defensive player of the year award in 2014-15 while taking a major step forward as a go-to scorer. The result was Leonard doing the previously unthinkable: beating out a healthy Kevin Durant for a spot on the All-NBA First Team at forward next to LeBron James. Read more »
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