It's Year 5 for #NBArank!
Who will be the best ballers in the NBA this season? Today, it's down to the final five. Which superstars made the cut? For a fun, animated look at the top five, click here.
#NBArank: 1-5
1. LeBron James
Cleveland Cavaliers | SF
@KingJames | Score: 100.0
Last year's rank: 1
2015-16 RPM: 9.74
Insider profile: James turns 31 on Dec. 30 of this season, so we can't take this level of performance for granted. But if the one flaw in his game last season was his shooting stroke, you can expect a torrid showing in 2015-16. Read more »
2. Anthony Davis
New Orleans Pelicans | PF
@AntDavis23 | Score: 96.4
Last year's rank: 4
2015-16 RPM: 6.79
Insider profile: If Davis' NBA career were a movie, we'd still be in the montage of him working to develop his game. Though Davis led the league in blocks for a second consecutive season, finished in the top 10 in scoring (fourth), rebounding (eighth) and field goal percentage (seventh) and was named to the All-NBA First Team, the best is yet to come. Read more »
3. Kevin Durant
@KDTrey5 | Score: 92.9
Last year's rank: 8
2015-16 RPM: 6.67
Insider profile: The best news about Durant's injury is that when he was on the court, he was basically the same player he has always been. In fact, Durant's 2-point percentage (56.5 percent) actually was the best of his career, and he shot 40.3 percent from beyond the arc. Read more »
4. Stephen Curry
StephenCurry30 | Score: 92.3
Last year's rank: 6
2015-16 RPM: 8.50
Insider profile: Curry ascended to MVP status last season, as a revamped Warriors offensive playbook simultaneously reduced his workload while increasing scoring opportunities for him. Read more »
5. James Harden
Houston Rockets | SG
@JHarden13 | Score: 85.1
Last year's rank: 9
2015-16 RPM: 6.61
Insider profile: Opponents had plenty of reason to fear "The Beard" last season, as Harden finished second in the NBA in scoring and ninth in assists per game. Most player value metrics ranked him nearly even with Stephen Curry, and they finished a close 1-2 in MVP voting, with Harden edging out Curry for the inaugural NBA players' choice MVP award. Read more »
Next: 6-10 |Next: 11-15 | Team-by-team »
About #NBArank
ESPN is ranking (almost) every NBA player and counting them down on Twitter (@ESPNNBA), from No. 400 to No. 1.
Who will be the best player this season?
To get the final ranking, we asked the panel to vote on pairs of players.
LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. James Harden vs. Kevin Durant. Kobe Bryant vs. Pau Gasol.
We asked, "Which player will be better in 2015-16?" To decide, voters had to consider both the quality and quantity of each player's contributions to his team's ability to win games. More than 100 voters weighed in on nearly 30,000 pairs of players.
We'll roll out the results during the next five weeks. 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.