Paul Pierce Ranks LeBron James, James Harden, Luka Doncic And More
Paul Pierce was recently asked to rank his top five players in the NBA. Although the former Boston Celtics star has been known to offer unexpected criticism of LeBron James and several other notable Los Angeles Lakers, his list in this particular case was fairly cookie-cutter.
The top five for Pierce was comprised of: Giannis Antetokounmpo, James, James Harden, Luka Doncic and Kawhi Leonard.
The same question was presented to Jay Williams, who offered a slightly different take. His top five was made up of Antetokounmpo, James, Leonard, Harden and Anthony Davis.
Finally, Jalen Rose also weighed in with his top five. It consisted of James, Leonard, Antetokounmpo, Harden and Dame Lillard.
Rank these Top 5’s below ⤵️
🏀 @paulpierce34
🏀 @JalenRose
🏀 @RealJayWilliams pic.twitter.com/C3Rn0gpCk9— ESPN (@espn) August 11, 2020
Paul Pierce And Co. Agree On The NBA’s Top 4 Players
The interesting thing about the lists that Pierce, Rose and Williams put together is that their top-fours were the same. Although they ranked each specific player differently, they all agreed that the top-four consisted of James, Leonard, Antetokounmpo and Harden in some order.
That largely falls in line where with how most basketball watchers would rank the four best players in the league.
It is the No. 5 spot that makes things complicated.
Masai Ujiri woke Kawhi Leonard up at 5 am. Every. Single. Day. https://t.co/Dd0ioc4fIv
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 28, 2020
Who Is The 5th Best Player In The NBA?
Where the conversation gets a bit murky is when you are deciding the fifth-best player in the league today.
In Pierce’s estimation, it is Doncic. Rose thinks it is Lillard. Williams, meanwhile, maintains that it is Davis.
Each man has a fair argument for why his pick is the right one, and it is difficult to argue with any of those selections.
Doncic was instrumental in the Dallas Mavericks’ ascent this year as a legitimate mid-tier power in the Western Conference.
Lillard was a key force in keeping the Portland Trail Blazers relevant to close out the 2020 season.
And obviously Davis turned a Los Angeles Lakers team that did not even qualify for the playoffs last year into a champion.
You really cannot go wrong with any of the three men.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
