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.
We'll roll out the rest of our top 200 players over the next week. 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 ...
27. Mike Conley
Grizzlies | PG | @mconley11
Last year's rank: 20
2016-17 projected RPM: 3.00
Insider profile: Like many Grizzlies, Conley saw his 2015-16 season cut short by injury. Achilles tendinitis kept him out of the season's final 20 games plus the playoffs. Nonetheless, Conley hit free agency at the perfect time. Far and away the top point guard on the market, he got a five-year offer for the maximum salary ($152.6 million) to stay in Memphis. It was the largest contract ever signed by an NBA player -- though surely to be surpassed as the cap continues to rise. Read more »
#NBArank 21-30
