Monday, October 3rd, 2011 at 10:25 am  |  82 responses

Top 50: Tyreke Evans, no. 27

The definitive ranking of the NBA’s best players.

by Eldon Khorshidi / @eldonadam

If this were my Top 50, Tyreke Evans would be ranked way higher than the 27th best player in the NBA. I voted Reke at No. 12, although I knew he had no chance of landing there on the final list.

After a historic rookie campaign in which he joined LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only members of the rookie 20-5-5 club and earned Rookie of the Year honors, Evans’ numbers dipped across the board in ’10-11, and his Sacramento Kings finished with a relatively abysmal 24-58 record, good for 14th in the Western Conference. Reke’s sophomore slump could be attributed to several setbacks, all which reverted to a lingering foot injury.

While competing for a Team USA roster spot last July, Evans suffered a sprained left ankle in the first practice of training camp when he came down on the foot of North Carolina forward Tyler Zeller, a member of the college select team. The ankle injury wiped out Evans for the rest of the summer.

Seemingly healthy for the start of the NBA season, Tyreke played well through his first 20 games, averaging 16.5 points, 5.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds. But after scoring only five points on 2-10 shooting in a December loss to the Miami Heat, Evans sat out the following game against the Houston Rockets with a sore left foot. Kings fans didn’t think much of it, and rightfully so; Evans returned to the hardwood the following night against New Orleans, and over the next 11 games he averaged 18.5 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds.

The left foot injury resurfaced in early January, this time causing Tyreke to miss three consecutive games. But again, the Chester, PA native returned for the next 15 games, eight of which he scored in double figures.

Although his team was losing (13-38 at that point), the youthful Kings were growing and continuing to gel. First-round draft pick DeMarcus Cousins was exceptional (despite early foul troubles), producing as a top-tier center in only his first season. Guard Beno Udrih played consistently well, and veteran Carl Landry (later traded to New Orleans) was a viable double-double threat off the bench.

In mid-February, a diagnosis on Evans’ left foot added insult to injury (pun certainly intended). What was once believed to be a sprained ankle/sore foot was actually plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot which leads to pain on the heel of the foot and often extends under the sole of the foot. PF can become quite severe, and takes months to properly heal. The injury persisted and eventually required laser surgery.

In a recent interview with SLAM editor Adam Figman, Evans’ strength and conditioning coach Lamont Peterson said Tyreke couldn’t walk when he would wake up in the morning and that “he had to limp to the bathroom.”

“It was like someone stabbed [my foot] with a knife,” Evans added. “It was a tough season for me.”

Tough season indeed. The fact that Reke played in 57 games under such conditions is a testament to his dedication and pain tolerance. When suffering from PF, the act of running and jumping can put up to five times the amount of pressure on the foot than walking does, so for a drive-and-create-contact type of player like Reke, the effects of the injury trickled down from his game to the entire Kings offense.

For a franchise in limbo—both financially and on the court—the last thing the Kings needed last season was a step backwards. But with Tyreke finally healthy and a plethora of young talent on its roster, Sacramento is well positioned to breakout next season (whenever that may be).

At 6-6, 220 pounds, Evans is a matchup nightmare for opposing point guards. His monstrous frame overwhelms smaller defenders, enabling him to enter the paint at will. If you don’t possess the lateral quickness of a Derrick Rose or the pestering hands of a Rajon Rondo, you won’t stand much of a chance against Tyreke Evans. Coaches know this, too.

Consider a Kings-Lakers tilt last November, in which Lakers coach Phil Jackson quickly realized the aging and undersized Derrick Fisher didn’t stand a chance to contain Reke. His solution: glue Ron Artest to Tyreke… at half court.

With deceptively quick feet and ambidextrous dribbling skills, Evans is able to plant his foot and change direction on a dime, a la Rose and Dwyane Wade. Except he’s 6-6, 220. Similar to LeBron James, Reke is blessed with certain skills that are uncommon and frankly unnatural for someone his size, which in turn makes him virtually un-guardable. It’s like a positive mutation. Don’t mistake Evans’ humility for aloofness, either; the kid wants to win more than anyone, he just doesn’t embrace the spotlight. Tyreke Evans is a low-key guy playing in a low-key city. Just the way he wants it.

With the off-season additions of Jimmer Fredette, JJ Hickson and John Salmons, and the continued growth of Cousins (another player whose skill set doesn’t match his body: 6-11 immovable object with a jumpshot), the future looks bright in California’s capital.

Drafting Fredette gives the Kings two viable options to run the point and advance the basketball, both in half-court sets and transition. When Tyreke overpowers his defender on the perimeter, the defense will be forced to pick its poison—play help D and leave Jimmer open on the wing (um, gimme that), or give Reke the open lane.

In Hickson, Sacramento gets a young, talented power forward to compliment Cousins down low. Hickson plays above the rim, has a feisty motor and feeds off energy, something ARCO Arena never lacks.

Salmons returns to the Kings, this time as an experienced veteran who can score in bunches and also help the team’s infant-like core develop.

Sacramento is a young team ready to bubble, similar to the ’09 Oklahoma City Thunder. And with a healthy Evans leading the way, the Kings will Reke Havoc for years to come.

SLAMonline Top 50 Players 2011
Rank Player Team Position Pos. Rank
50 Luol Deng Bulls SF 8
49 Andrew Bogut Bucks C 7
48 Ray Allen Celtics SG 9
47 Marc Gasol Grizzlies C 6
46 David West Hornets PF 15
45 Kevin Martin Rockets SG 8
44 Andrew Bynum Lakers C 5
43 Brandon Jennings Bucks PG 11
42 Lamar Odom Lakers PF 14
41 Gerald Wallace Blazers SF 7
40 Brook Lopez Nets C 4
39 Joakim Noah Bulls C 3
38 Carlos Boozer Bulls PF 13
37 Kevin Garnett Celtics PF 12
36 Eric Gordon Clippers SG 7
35 Tony Parker Spurs PG 10
34 Andre Iguodala 76ers SG 6
33 Al Jefferson Jazz PF 11
32 Al Horford Hawks C 2
31 Stephen Curry Warriors PG 9
30 Tim Duncan Spurs PF 10
29 Josh Smith Hawks PF 9
28 Manu Ginobili Spurs SG 5
27 Tyreke Evans Kings PG 8

Notes
• Rankings are based solely on projected ’11-12 performance.
• Contributors to this list include: Maurice Bobb, Shannon Booher, David Cassilo, Bryan Crawford, Sandy Dover, Adam Figman, Jon Jaques, Eldon Khorshidi, Ryne Nelson, Doobie Okon, Ben Osborne, Quinn Peterson, Dave Schnur, Abe Schwadron, Dan Shapiro, Irv Soonachan, Todd Spehr, Tzvi Twersky, Yaron Weitzman, DeMarco Williams and Ben York.
• Want more of the SLAMonline Top 50? Check out the archive.

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , , ,

  • jarrett Posted: Oct.3 at 10:28 am
    Fav player in the NBA right here. Definitely better than Steph Curry and E. Gordon thanks SLAM good spot.

  • Double J Posted: Oct.3 at 10:32 am
    I’m really looking forward to this squad next season, give me Demarcus as the big man of the future to battle d12

  • Sean Posted: Oct.3 at 10:40 am
    I would say he’s more of a shoting guard, but yeah, he is going to get a lot better with his game, and will be an All-Star soon enough.

  • Ryne Nelson Posted: Oct.3 at 10:40 am
    Great piece by Eldon. Kings on the rize this season!

  • Sean Posted: Oct.3 at 10:40 am
    shooting*

  • Max Posted: Oct.3 at 11:01 am
    REEEEEEEEEEKEEEEEEE

  • logues Posted: Oct.3 at 11:06 am
    if he is healthy dude is a beast. love watching his game, his jumpshot isnt pretty at all but hes got a very unique style to his game

  • dirk41 Posted: Oct.3 at 11:06 am
    I do not think tyreke is better than Ginobili at the moment . He has potentiel

  • kj Posted: Oct.3 at 11:13 am
    Great player but right now, isnt better Ginobili.

  • B Posted: Oct.3 at 11:17 am
    Not better than Eric gordon…. But he’s nice tho…

  • niQ Posted: Oct.3 at 11:42 am
    I’ve always considered Tyreke a SG. Didn’t Beno play the point? And now with Jimmer in town I guess he’ll finally be known as a full-time Shooting Guard….right?

  • Ben Osborne Posted: Oct.3 at 11:47 am
    He’s gonna kill this year.

  • datkid Posted: Oct.3 at 11:49 am
    idk if he’s better than eric gordon right now tho… but this is still a good ranking for him.

  • UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER Posted: Oct.3 at 11:58 am
    IT WAS BIG O, NOT MAGIC WHO DID 20 5 5 IN ROOKIE YEAR

  • JTaylor21 Posted: Oct.3 at 11:59 am
    Yes, a healthy Reke is better than Ginobili.

  • Niio Posted: Oct.3 at 12:01 pm
    I played with PF last season and we only played 1 game per week. I could barely walk the next 2 days so for him to play in a few games per week plus practices is INSANE!

  • BE.water Posted: Oct.3 at 12:02 pm
    @niQ… not if they wanna let jimmer Gun. Play Reke at the point.

  • UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER Posted: Oct.3 at 12:04 pm
    I DONT SEE HIS PPG GOING MUCH HIGHER THAN 22. HE HAS OTHER SCORERS. IM GUESSING HE WILL DO 21 6 7. REKE HAVOC!!!

  • Luiyo Posted: Oct.3 at 12:05 pm
    This guy really loves Tyreke, but I’m not that high on him… He’s not a PG. He’s a PG that doesn’t move the offense, is not a good passer and looks for his shot first, I think he’s more suited as a Brandon Roy type of player. Let the PG bring the ball a play the offense through him

  • Max Posted: Oct.3 at 12:19 pm
    ^^
    Cosign Caveman

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 12:33 pm
    This was a good write up, except it’s a pipe dream to think they will have an OKC like rise. The Kings are not going to win 35 games. Jimmer is gonna be a net negative in his time on the court, John Salmons won’t be good unless you find a way to trade him to your own team at some point during the season. And JJ Hickson, Demarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson is hardly a big man rotation that is going to win anything. Maybe in 2 or 3 years this team could approach a 7 or 8 seed, but not right now, they are still terrible.

  • EJFANRS Posted: Oct.3 at 12:50 pm
    I just don’t understand these rankings. Eric Gordon is ranked 36 and Tyreke Evans is ranked 9 spots better at 27? Last season when Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans played head-to-head Gordon and the Clippers were 3-0. Gordon averaged 29.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists all while shooting 56.6% FG and 69.2% 3pt. Evans on the season shot just over 40% from the field, and for yet another season, he shot under 30% from 3pt. Evans is also not even a threat from deep. He has made just 79 career 3pt shots. Compare that to Eric Gordon’s 356 3pt shots made for his career. Infact Eric Gordon has made atleast 106 3pt shots in each of his first three seasons.

  • Eldon Khorshidi Posted: Oct.3 at 1:16 pm
    @Caveman Wow. Can’t believe I overlooked that, good looking out… @nbk I disagree. My whole argument is that a) Tyreke is a legitimate superstar, one who takes his team to another level. He’s 6-6, 220 with handles and a developing jumpshot. If you’re smaller than him (which most/every starting point guard is) and you’re not as athletic/quick as Rose, Wade, Westbrook, Rondo, you can’t guard him. He’s too big and too talented. 18, 5 and 5 with a severe foot injury is impressive, at least to me. So he’s a mismatch almost automatically. I think his squad is a lot better than people think. He’s going to play a Derrick Rose/Kevin Durant/Blake Griffin role, where he’s an auto-mismatch…. b) DeMarcus Cousins is the truth. He’s Shaq’s size with quick feet and a face-up game. He drew double teams as a rookie, had no other interior weapons on his team, and still managed 26 double-doubles…. 27 and 10 on Pau, 28 and 11 on LaMarcus, 30 and 9 on Kendrick Perkins, 29 and 7 on Dwight… With another season to develop AND a healthy Reke to command attention/create open space for him inside, the Kings can get real good real quick…. All they need Jimmer to do is shoot, a la Gary Neal last season, and they’ll be straight… I respect your opinion, but the Kings making the playoffs is more of a reality than a pipe dream…

  • omphalos Posted: Oct.3 at 1:19 pm
    It all comes down to whether or not he has confidence in his jumper. He’s already shown the capacity to make clutch defensive plays (poor Gilbert Arenas). If he gets to the point where he’s comfortable with that jump shot, then the NBA might be looking at a legitimate superstar.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 1:25 pm
    Tyreke Evans is going to kill I agree with you 100%. But Demarcus Cousins just wrapped up the season shooting 43%. Samuel Dalembert is a FA. So your down to 1 Center, who shot 43%, and averaged 4.1Fouls Per Game despite only playing 28 minutes. The only way the Kings can even sniff .500 is if John Salmons comes out playing like he did in the 2nd half of the season 2010. Marcus Thornton going into next season is your best SG, and he is the size of a PG, so your “automatic mismatch” is lost right off the bat. And we haven’t even begun to talk about the fact that they are terribly defensively, and have gotten WORSE with their additions and subtractions this off-season. If I could afford it I would bet a year’s salary they don’t make the playoffs. Sh*t I would even bet a year salary they don’t win 40 games if I could.

  • EJFANRS Posted: Oct.3 at 1:34 pm
    @omphalos If we are talking about having confidence in a players jumper, and that player is a guard, they should not be ranked as the 27th best player in the NBA. Tyreke Evans shot 40.9% from the field (45th among all point guards) and just 29% from 3pt last season (57th among all point guards). Those are not shooting percentages of a top 30 player in the NBA.

  • AirForceONE Posted: Oct.3 at 1:45 pm
    Tyreke Evans was ranked 152 in PER last season. Players like Mike Dunleavy Jr., Matt Barnes, and Will Bynum has better PER rankings. Tyreke had an Estimated Wins Added of just 3.6 wins. C.J. Miles, Reggie Williams, and Toney Douglas had higher EWA. Tyreke does not deserve to be ranked #27. I can think of atleast 10 players that should be ranked ahead of Tyreke.

  • LakeShow Posted: Oct.3 at 1:50 pm
    I think it’s most intelligent to dismiss last season of Reke’s as a injured fluke of a season. If he is near 100% Healthy than he will take off right from his Rook season of 20,5,5. I see him nearing 20PPG or meeting that and grabbing 5 of each AST and RBS. His FG% should not be that low by any stretch. He is a slasher and playmaker so he should be able to get easy buckets and find the open man when he can’t get a easy bucket. He should have a somewhat dominating 2nd year player taking allot of defenders space and he has some real nice outide shooters in Thorton and the Jimmer. This team needs to play defense and grow up allot. Which won’t happen next season. But…. in a year expect this team to make some noise.

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.3 at 1:59 pm
    Eldon, I think calling Tyreke “a legitimate superstar” is still a stretch at this point in his career, unless you’re referring to what his ceiling is, but he’s certainly not there yet, in my opinion.
    I have to side with nbk in thinking they have a lot more work to do before they can become a playoff team. Most especially since they are in the Western Conference, where often anything less than 50 wins won’t get you into the postseason.
    I give them 2-4 years, but definitely not next season

  • seriousblack Posted: Oct.3 at 2:01 pm
    Demarcus Cousins is as much the key to the Kings’ success as Reke. The potential is crazy. He needs to lose that excess body fat & gain muscle, work on his back to the basket game, and his defense. Most importantly, he needs to stop being a head case. If Reke improves that DISGUSTING jump shot and gets in better shape he’ll be top four shooting guard next season. That would be a great duo to build around.

  • UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER Posted: Oct.3 at 2:10 pm
    THERE WAS A STORY SOMEWHERE A WEEK OR TWO AGO ABOUT HOW REKE HAD BEEN WORKING HARD ON HIS SHOT ALL SEASON, SO THERES THAT. THE KINGS HAVE A LOT OF GOOD PIECES. THEIR MAIN NEED IS TO IMPROVE DEFENSIVELY.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 2:10 pm
    I feel the same way regarding the conference, if they were in the East I think they would have a chance at a 7 or 8 seed. But in the West that means that have to be better then all but 1 of Phoenix, Houston, Golden State, New Orleans, Minn, Utah, Denver, LAC. (LA, Portland, OKC, Dal, Memphis, Spurs) are shoe-ins for the playoffs. IF I ranked those teams right now, I’d take New Orleans, Golden State, Phoenix, and the Clippers as better teams then the Kings, without a doubt.

  • Greg Posted: Oct.3 at 2:12 pm
    Spell Derek Fisher right please, kind of hurts your cred. It’s spelled like Derek Jeter, not like Derrick Whipple.

  • Showtime Posted: Oct.3 at 2:40 pm
    Reke is a beast,but he not better eric gordon or stephon curry, He does have handles and can cause mismatch problems with his slashing. but he doesn’t have consistant J or the court vision to be a pg. IMO he more a Sg with no shot at this time. He has alot of talent but with all the hands that will be out for ball in Sac-town i dont see him avg above 20..

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 2:51 pm
    I’m Pretty sure Rudy Gay would have (1) 25PPG season as well if he was on a team where he could shoot 19 shots a game. Plus Gay is a much better individual defender then Granger. Gay is also better at creating his own shot & he shoots a higher % from the field. I still think DG makes this list, but I don’t think he’s better then Gay.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 2:51 pm
    ahhhh wrong thread, my bad slamily

  • Bryan Crawford Posted: Oct.3 at 3:01 pm
    Just force Tyreke to go left and you’ve got him under control.

  • LakeShow Posted: Oct.3 at 3:10 pm
    ^Is he really that bad with his left? He has such slick handles it’s hard to imagine he struggles with his off hand that much.

  • niQ Posted: Oct.3 at 3:31 pm
    I noticed that whenever Tyreke slashes right, his left arm/hand pretty much tries to throw the opposition away. He literally pulls the defender out of the way…I’ve always wondered if it was legal…

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 3:33 pm
    Shane Battier had like 8 blocks on Reke cuz he can’t go left.

  • LakeShow Posted: Oct.3 at 4:32 pm
    What can he not do with his left? I’m not saying your wrong. I’m curious. I hadn’t noticed and I usually notice those things. Is he bad dribbling with his left? Driving with his left? Finishing with his left? All of the above?

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 4:38 pm
    He can’t finish. His handle is world class with both hands, But he comes back to his right hand for every single shot attempt. He might even ‘gather’ on his right side. If you know what that means

  • Brahsef Posted: Oct.3 at 4:40 pm
    Reke is def a better player than Steph Curry (steph curry still can’t play defense and is inconsistant) and Eric Gordon (I wanna see how he does this year before I jump on his bandwagon). He’s much more versatile of a player and a matchup from hell. Last season he was just injured. He’s gonna have a huge season this year if he stays healthy.

  • Bryan Crawford Posted: Oct.3 at 4:53 pm
    I mean, for years everybody has known that Tyreke can only go one way. It hasn’t hurt him to this point, obviously, and probably never will. Clyde Drexler was the same way and he’s a HOF’er. Not a big deal, but defenders can gain advantage by forcing him to his left.

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.3 at 5:26 pm
    Tyreke Evans is the one player that can stop KevinDurant n Derrick Rose from bein the number one player n the league 3-5yrs from now…He has a better chance of fixin his major weakness than KD can…If his jumper gets to league avg ….he will be harder to guard one on one than Derrick Rose HANDS DOWN

  • Bryan Crawford Posted: Oct.3 at 5:43 pm
    ^Uhm, no…

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.3 at 5:54 pm
    What the hell is ctkennedy smoking????

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 6:12 pm
    drugs

  • LakeShow Posted: Oct.3 at 6:18 pm
    drugs are a helluva drugs.

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.3 at 6:23 pm
    LOL

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.3 at 6:28 pm
    for Tyreke its all gon come down to winning…Kobe n Manu will be out the door by then …the only wings will be him,Durant,n Gay ….Tyreke has the size advantage at the 1-2 …Elite handles n can finish with anybody n the league…Durant wont ever get the strength up …he dont have the body type to pick up the weight …he just gets his jumper to Rose level(which is just avg itself)..Evans will be harder to guard just off the size advantage n elite length advantage at the 1n2…u can make the case he already the best the defender out the 3 …he hits the boards n only 2dimes a game behind Rose …with a Center that has the ability to be a Elite one in this ERA of bigs n Jimmer a legit shooter …so his dimes will go up n match Rose…will Tyreke get it done dont know but it aint far fetch for it to happen

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.3 at 6:31 pm
    I trust OKC n Bulls front office more than the Kings
    he could easily get n a McGrady Orlando situation …where he has the better numbers n sh*t …but Durant n Rose will be on better teams ala Kobe n Kidd when they was ranked higher than McGrady off the winning

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 6:35 pm
    Evans is not even a good defender, let alone the best defender of the 3. Evans is also Selfish. And has been called a black-hole, and a horrible guy to play with by his teammates or former teammates (i don’t remember who if anyone was actually named, but their were more then 1 of Evans teammates complaining about him over the last 2 years). He has no ability to finish with his left hand. And the idea that he is a PG is crazy ridiculous, he’s as much of a PG as LeBron is. He handles the ball a ton in Sacramento because their is nobody else to do it. Not because he is a PG.

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.3 at 6:42 pm
    Rose n Durant is just as SELFISH…they just play with better role players that know they ROLE…which is slept on when builtin a team …Cousins,Thorton,n Hickson only go hard at ALL TIMES when they feel more included n all that …Evans isnt bad on D…he not a pure PG by no means but u can say that about Rose n Westbrook too that aint sayin much n the league now…its on them to be scorers n playmakers n Evans can do that with the best of them

  • LakeShow Posted: Oct.3 at 6:46 pm
    What is Evan Elite at? Nothing. I love the kid but he’s good at everything great at nothing at this point. Rose and Durant are both elite scorers. Evans has not shown up till this point that he is as good as Westbrook. Let alone Durant.

  • LakeShow Posted: Oct.3 at 6:47 pm
    Evans*

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 6:49 pm
    Durant is the best scorer in the league, & a small forward, he is supposed to be selfish. And Rose is selfish in the way he is supposed to. He is the primary scoring option, and the bail the team out of trouble option. Tyreke Evans is selfish in that he doesn’t care if he is supposed to be doing one thing, he is going to do whatever he wants with the ball. And standing at the top of the key doing various dribbling moves to get an angle at the hoop is his biggest weapon. Derrick Rose doesn’t waste time, he makes his decision and makes the offense move. And Evans is horrible on defense, especially against PG’s. The fact that your arguing this shows how informed you are in this whole argument. Also, Evans doesn’t actually improve Sacramento’s offense, over his 2 years in the league the kings score more points per possession with him on the bench.

  • Eldon Khorshidi Posted: Oct.3 at 6:57 pm
    This is what happens when Rose and Reke play: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrF0oE94yIg … pure art.

  • zach Posted: Oct.3 at 7:04 pm
    Evans with a jumpshot> Derrick Rose. It’s not a reality yet, but it will be in a couple of seasons.

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.3 at 7:12 pm
    Evans with a jumpshot still wouldn’t be better than Derrick Rose.
    Rose can score in so many more ways than Evans can, and does more on the court than Evans does as well.

  • LakeShow Posted: Oct.3 at 7:22 pm
    That’s a tuff one for me. Evans with a jumpshot is pretty unstoppable. And he’s bigger so he should be able to deal with someone like LBJ guarding him a little better. But this is neither here nor there cause right now Evans is a bum next to D-Rose. Buuut the future might tell a different tale.

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.3 at 7:26 pm
    Does more on the court or plays with a CLEARLY better team

  • zach Posted: Oct.3 at 7:33 pm
    Plays with a clearly better team. Plus Rose is more unselfish. I still think Evans with a better shot is a better player. Rose’s game is heavily dependent on his athleticism. I like Tyreke better long-term too.

  • AirForceONE Posted: Oct.3 at 7:34 pm
    For those that think Tyreke Evans is better than Eric Gordon, look no further than their head-to-head matchups. Eric Gordon turns into the best player in the NBA when Tyreke Evans is guarding him. 29+ ppg, 5+ rpg, 4+ apg, 60% FG, 70% 3pt. I understand that Tyreke was injured last season, but so was Eric Gordon. If one player (Evans) gets a pass, and still gets ranked in the top 30 all while having a VERY average season, the other (Gordon) should get more credit for having a breakout season while playing with injuries.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 7:41 pm
    Rose plays on a much better team. He also does more on the court, and wastes less time doin it. Evans is a good individual who doesnt understand what best helps his team win. Derrick Rosee is the former who understands what it takes to win. And until Evans proves he can actually make a team better I dont see any way he could eclipse Rose, even with a better jump shot.

  • zach Posted: Oct.3 at 7:46 pm
    ^^All issues that can be fixed with better coaching. The only thing Evans can’t fix is the fact that Rose will always be a better athlete.

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.3 at 7:48 pm
    @NBK thats what i said its all about winning with Evans for him to have a chance at bein that guy

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 7:57 pm
    He’s got Westphal. Who is actually a very good coach. Demarcus Cousins is almost the Key to evans success IMO, as he is also the Key to Sacramento winning

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.3 at 8:36 pm
    @NBK i agree DeMarcus Cousins is a big part of the Kings success …EVERY team need 2-3 legit players to get it done n the league …no argument here
    But lets not act like Tyreke aint one of the best one on one players n the league ..to justify not handlin the ball longer than some other players on the Kings

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 8:50 pm
    I realize why he handles the ball the majority of every game. But that doesnt mean he’ll just magically translate that into becoming a winning type player.

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.3 at 8:56 pm
    @NBK …thats what i been sayin hes the one player that could change all that …if he can get the Ws …no argument outta me on that
    I feel the same way bout John Wall …McGee gon determine his rankin n the league too like Cousins to Evans
    Will Evans get it done …idk

  • Galagu Posted: Oct.3 at 9:08 pm
    right now i still would take ginobili over evans. ginobili just adds more versatility on both sides of the court and will do those little things you don’t notice on a stat sheet but help a team win.

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 9:12 pm
    John Wall gonna turn the Wizards into a winner, and soon if he stay healthy. That kid already gets it

  • zach Posted: Oct.3 at 9:17 pm
    Yea Wall is the truth. His court vision is pretty advanced for this stage. He’s another one with an awful jumper but once he gets that going he’s going to be crazy to watch.

  • ctkennedy Posted: Oct.3 at 9:51 pm
    @NBK thats gon be something good to see …both guys gon keep help like hell …n the Kings cast is better IMO n the West is gon be weaker n the future

  • Enigmatic Posted: Oct.3 at 9:57 pm
    Nowadays THIS is what happens when Rose plays against Evans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtJ4puu_FTU

  • nbk Posted: Oct.3 at 10:03 pm
    Man idk, the Wizards are built around Wall and clearly are building towards getting better. The kings are grasping at straws (Jimmer) and wasting money (Salmons). They are gonna suck and stay sh*tty till management proves it can make more then 1 good decision every summer.

  • Irfan Posted: Oct.4 at 12:59 am
    Wait Whaaaaaaaaaaat? Evans at #12? Are you legally authorize to consume weird substance while writing for SLAM?
    Even Evans at 27 is way too high. The guy has been hurt and has played a lot worse in his second year than his first. But even at 100% he’s not better than Tony Parker right now.
    I don’t know if it’s that you’re taking the prospective too far but him & Stephen Curry are barely top 50, not top 30!

  • Eldon Khorshidi Posted: Oct.4 at 6:13 am
    @enigmatic I was waiting for someone to bring that up… here’s my response: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chvednC0p7A

  • UNFROZEN CAVEMAN LAWYER Posted: Oct.4 at 7:23 am
    ELDON, THAT WAS SOME LEGENDARY ISH RIGHT THERE.

  • Rainman Posted: Oct.4 at 8:00 pm
    i wouldnt put him ahead of Ginobili on this list…

  • 3kings Posted: Oct.30 at 12:09 pm
    Dissapointed in his second year, to high in my opinion shuold hav been in the 30s. and why the hell is ray allen in 48th

Comments




The comments section is a place to further discuss the topics in this post. Commenters who seek to accomplish any of the following may be banned: - Personally attack other commenters. - Make derogatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation or religion. - Troll, or comment with the intention of creating problems. Trolling includes, but isn't limited to, baiting people to flame at you, encouraging people to leave the site, spamming and using alternate IDs.