It's Year 5 for #NBArank!
Who will be the best ballers in the NBA this season?
Today, we've unveiled Nos. 6-10 on our list. For a fun, animated look at this year's top 10 players, click here.
#NBArank: 6-10
6. Chris Paul
Los Angeles Clippers | PG
@CP3 | Score: 84.1
Last year's rank: 2
2015-16 RPM: 7.83
Insider profile: He's not the best point guard in the league, but Paul is still the epitome of what it means to be a point guard in the NBA. Paul's command of time and score and ability to read opponent defenses, hit teammates in their rhythms, etc., is second to none, and he has a near encyclopedic knowledge of advanced scouting reports. Read more »
7. Russell Westbrook
@russwest44 | Score: 83.7
Last year's rank: 4
2015-16 RPM: 6.79
Insider profile: The silver lining of Kevin Durant's absence was that it unleashed Westbrook like never before. The results were historic. Westbrook used 38.6 percent of Oklahoma City's plays, the second-highest mark since individual turnovers have been tracked. Read more »
8. Kawhi Leonard
San Antonio Spurs | SF
@kawhileonard | Score: 77.1
Last year's rank: 24
2015-16 RPM: 7.37
Insider profile: The biggest growth in Leonard's game was his ability to create his own shot. His usage rate, below league average during his first three seasons, shot up to 23.0 percent in 2014-15 and 23.8 percent after the break. Read more »
9. Blake Griffin
Los Angeles Clippers | PF
blakegriffin32 | Score: 75.7
Last year's rank: 5
2015-16 RPM: 3.39
Insider profile: Griffin continues to develop as an all-round talent, with his perimeter shooting improving to the point where he's added (in limited scenarios) a 3-point jumper, shooting 10-for-25 from downtown during the season (40 percent). The flipside is that with this improvement in perimeter shooting has come a corresponding shift in his shot selection. Read more »
10. Marc Gasol
@MarcGasol | Score: 73.3
Last year's rank: 14
2015-16 RPM: 2.44
Insider profile: The past two seasons have seen the Memphis offense shift from Zach Randolph as a focal point to Gasol as the first option. His usage rate, previously below the league average of 20 percent, increased to 21.7 percent in 2013-14 and 24.6 percent last season without any decline in Gasol's efficiency. Read more »
Next: 11-15 | 16-20 | 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.