The Top 100 CSL Players
Players #100-91
Rubio, who just signed a 4 year, 54M deal, slots in this list
Welcome to the first article of the ten article series, The CSL's Top 100 players. I spent a good amount of time making this list, taking into account ratings, stats, and how their game fits in the grand scheme of how the game is played today. The list is based on a simple question: If we were playing a game tomorrow, and that's all that matters, what players would we want? I simply care about how this player performs right now, and did not take into account potential or age. I also did not include the rookies, as we haven't seen their real ratings yet, and even if we had, ratings do not always play the way we think they will.Players #100-91
Rubio, who just signed a 4 year, 54M deal, slots in this list
Also, since this is a rankings article, I know everyone is going to comment and complain about their players or how could I rank this guy in front of that guy, how dare I do X Y and Z, etc etc. Just remember I did this for fun, and for some positive media throughout the league. Hopefully this will help people keep their mind off of their FA troubles. Probably not, but hey, it's better than nothing.
With that said, here are players 100-91!
#100. Moe Harkless, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers (Defensive wing)
Harkless is a good defensive wing, who makes this list due to his ability to play both ends of the court. Now Harkless isn't a star or anything on offense, but 12 points per game on 44% shooting and being a marginal three point shooter (36% for his career) sets him apart from a lot of other defensive specialists around the league. Harkless would fit on literally every team in the league, and that earns him a top 100 spot.
#99. Nick Johnson, SG, Toronto Raptors (Shot blocking guard)
While a little undersized as a shooting guard, Nick Johnson plays both ends of the court pretty well. He's known as a scorer, as he came into the league averaging 15 points per game, but he's a two way player to be sure. He can shoot from deep, he can rebound well for a guard, and he blocked 1.4 shots per game last season. He also contests shots well, holding opponents to an impressive 0.8 PA/SF.
#98. Tyler Stone, C, Washington Wizards (Glass cleaner)
Stone makes this list as a high level role player, as he's a dominant rebounder, a smart offensive player, and a solid rim protector. His 55.9% FG was good for 6th in the CSL last season, and he finished 4th in rebounds per game as well. He turns the ball over quite a bit and also doesn't block shots, but he contests well around the rim and won't kill you with his shot selection. He'd be a good starting center on any team.
#97. Nikola Vucevic, C, Indiana Pacers (All around center)
Vucevic is very similar to Stone above, as he rebounds at roughly the same rate, protects the rim pretty much as well as Stone does, but he does more for a team's offense than Stone does. While Vucevic isn't quite as efficient, he can be counted on more to create offense, and he's a better offensive rebounder, and offensive rebounds are worth more than defensive ones. Neither of these players truly inspire any team, but they can be counted on down low.
#96. Jordan Adams, SG, Los Angeles Lakers (High pressure, defensive guard)
Adams is one of the best defenders on the perimeter, not just at stopping drives, but also forcing turnovers as well. He would play really well in a high pressure, perhaps even full court pressure defensive system. His offense is passable, but it's his versatile defense (steals, blocks, rebounds) that put him at 96.
#95. Ricky Rubio, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder (Pure point guard)
The first of three point guards coming up, Rubio is the best pure point guard of the three. He finds his teammates, he takes care of the ball, and he does play good defense at the point of attack. However, his complete inability to shoot makes him easy to game plan against, which limits his value. There is also the question of how much point guard defense really matters, as most of the top guards in the league are so good not even a guy like Rubio can stop them.
#94. George Hill, PG, Toronto Raptors (Game manager, shooter)
Hill is more of a game manager than a true point, but that role is important as well. Hill is an elite shooter, he doesn't turn the ball over much, and he plays good enough defense to get by. You can decide for yourself where he slots in among these three point guards, but I'll take his shooting over Rubio's playmaking in today's game.
#93. Tyler Ennis, PG, San Antonio Spurs (Playmaker, shooter)
Ennis gets the nod above the other two as to me, he strikes the perfect balance between the two. Ennis is a playmaker, and handles the ball better than Rubio while shooting about as good as Hill. Given the choice between the three, I'll take Ennis's 3.7 A/TO ratio (3.1 for Rubio) and 42.5% shooting from deep (41.4% for Hill) at the lead guard spot.
#92. Gorgui Dieng, PF, Minnesota Timberwolves (Defensive big man)
Though he plays PF for the Wolves, I evaluated Dieng as a C because that's where he would realistically play on any team besides the one that already has Roy Hibbert at C. He grades out really well as a center, having a 70+ rating at ORB, DRB, DEF, and BLK. He's top 5 in the league in blocks per game, posts a 0.8 PA/SF, and he's passable offensively. Most teams would love to have a guy like Dieng down low.
#91. Jonas Valanciunas, C, Washington Wizards (Offensive big man)
The final member of this ten is the second Washington Wizards center on this list. Valanciunas is a solid offensive big man, combining the ability to get good shots, make his free throws, and grab offensive rebounds. He has shot 48% from the field and 80% from the line for his career, and has averaged as high as 17.3 ppg, 11 rpg, and 1.5 bpg in a single season. He may not be what teams are leaning towards, where defensive big men are all the rage these days, but he is definitely a solid contributor down low.
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