The 2021-22 season will also come to an end, and various media commentators have begun to summarize the best players of the season. Unlike Sports Illustrated and ESPN, the sports culture media The Ringer selects the best players of the season at the end of the season. Columnists must make a painful decision to select only the best 25 of the season:
(Voters included the following columnists: Dan Devine, Zach Kram, Rob Mahoney, J. Kyle Mann, Kevin O’Connor, Jonathan Tjarks)
Continuation of the previous article:NBA 2021-22 Final Star Rankings: No. 16-25
Continuation of the previous article:NBA 2021-22 Final Star Rankings: No. 6-15
5. Stephen Curry
Team: Warriors (44-22)
Position: Defender
Beginning of the season rankings (ESPN):5
This season: 59 games, 25.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 54.8 effective shooting percentage, +10.4 net plus-minus
With the exception of the 2019-20 season, where he only played five games due to injury, this season is widely regarded as Stephen Curry’s worst offensive season since winning the MVP of the year. After setting the “all-time three-pointer” record at Madison Square Garden, his scoring average began to decline, his shooting percentage dropped, and various advanced stats collapsed — a disaster that was linked together.
However, Curry, who did not perform as well as expected, still managed to be in the top 5 of this list, which means that he must have found an influence that cannot be ignored in some parts. Curry’s offensive plus-minus in the league is still the 5th in the league, and the advanced composite stat RAPTOR is the 3rd in the league, which means that even in a lost season, looking at the league, Curry is still very strong.
Further reading:Stephen Curry remains MVP favorite even in 8-year slump
4. Kevin Durant
Team: Nets (33-33)
Location: Elder
Beginning of the season rankings (ESPN):1
This season: 39 games, 29.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 0.9 blocks, 56.6 effective shooting percentage, +4.1 net plus-minus
January 15th this year When Kevin Durant sprained his medial collateral ligament (MCL), the Nets were still leading the Eastern Conference by 0.5 games, but when he returned two months later, the Nets had fallen to the eighth place in the Eastern Conference and had to struggle to break free. The dilemma of the game… That’s the difference between KD and no KD: The Nets will go from a championship favorite to a regular team.
Health is the only factor that can limit Durant right now. At this stage of his career, he has evolved into a model where he can take points at any moment. The Reaper doesn’t need any space to shoot points on any opponent’s head, just like last season. In Game 7 of the playoffs against the Bucks, after James Harden and Kyrie Irving were injured one after another, Durant showed the same top-level ability. Hopefully this year’s Durant can continue to stay healthy in the playoffs and bring fans one of the best scoring feasts in basketball history.
Further reading:Ignoring offensive rules, scoring machines reach their peak again: Kevin Durant
3. Joel Embiid
Team: Sixers (40-24)
Location: Elder
Beginning of the season rankings (ESPN):7
This season: 52 games played, 29.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, 52.6 effective shooting percentage, +8.1 net plus-minus
Joel Embiid’s evolution along the way is staggering. Five years ago, Embiid’s career was still full of uncertainty because of his injury history, but now he is one of the most inexplicable scoring weapons in the league: other teams Unless a defensive fighter with long arms and legs and strong athletic ability is sent to double-team him, it will be difficult to limit JoJo, who is running and dribbling the ball.
Embiid is equally adept at other offensive skills, his ability to cut the dribble, his mid-range stop-ball jumper, or even the perimeter; Distribute the ball to teammates in ambush on the perimeter.
Embiid shoots 72% at the rim, 45% on mid-range 2-pointers, 35% on beyond the 3-point line, and 82% on free throws. One of the favorites for the season’s scoring title: After Christmas last year,For every extra minute Joel plays, he almost scores an extra pointand now, he finally got his new superstar teammate: James Harden.
Further reading:2022 NBA Watch: Joel Embiid also starting to handle the ball?
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Team: Bucks (41-25)
Location: Elder
Beginning of the season rankings (ESPN):2
Performance this season: 55 games, 29.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.4 blocks, 57.8 effective shooting percentage, +9.0 net plus-minus