我们离2021-2022赛季的开始越来越近了，这意味着CBS体育年度排名前100名NBA球员的时候到了。今年夏天，球员在联盟中的流动改变了NBA的一些人才平衡，但与上赛季不同的是，所有30支球队的名单中至少有一名球员

纽约尼克斯队从一年前的名单上的零名球员发展到现在的前100名中只有五名球员的六支球队之一。其他球队，如洛杉矶湖人队，在一些休赛期的转会后，失去了一些深度，而像萨克拉门托国王队，他们有四名球员在名单上，印第安纳步行者队希望收集人才转化为球队本赛季的成功。

这并不是一支球队成功的唯一决定因素，但从我们的角度来看，这是一个很好的指标，表明了人才在联赛中的分布情况。所以，仅仅因为尼克斯队有五名球员在这个名单上，而湖人队只有三名球员，并不意味着纽约队就一定会获得总冠军，但这让人大开眼界。

哥伦比亚广播公司体育总部通讯

通过提交我的电子邮件，我同意收到“CBS体育总部通讯”以及CBS体育的其他营销和促销电子邮件，其中可能包括我们的附属公司和/或合作伙伴提供的信息、产品和服务。有关我们的数据实践的更多信息，请咨询我们的隐私政策

查看所有时事通讯摩纳哥推荐分析预测

尽管今夏围绕开拓者队的交易传闻不绝于耳，里拉德对波特兰队的失败越来越厌倦，而麦科勒姆是本·西蒙斯潜在交易的中心，但这份名单显示开拓者队拥有联盟中最多的人才。然而，缺乏天赋从来都不是开拓者的问题，而是将天赋转化为季后赛的成功。随着南斯加入了一个充满活力的大个子，也许这是波特兰在季后赛中取得更大进展的赛季。

前100名中有5名球员的球队

这是名单上处理最响亮的贸易谣言的一个团队。西蒙斯还没有向76人训练营报告，以迫使他们进行交易。但在那之前，费城仍然有很大的深度，这就是为什么这支球队在一个赛季前还是东部的头号种子队。西蒙斯潜在的交易将影响76人本赛季的最终表现，如果他整年都缺席，那么这将给埃姆比德更多赢得MVP的机会。

2.

在2013年以来首次进入季后赛后，尼克斯队在休赛期出人意料地采取了明智之举，以提高球队实力，迎接下一轮季后赛。一开始，考虑到福尼尔将获得的报酬数额，福尼尔的加入被认为是有问题的，但后来沃克被交易并从合同中买断后，令人震惊地签下了他。纽约队在季后赛中除了兰德尔外一直在努力创造进攻，而在福尼尔和沃克的带领下，这将确保所有的进攻工作量不会落在兰德尔的肩上。

3.

太阳队在上赛季闯入NBA总决赛后，被认为是联盟中最有天赋的球队之一，这是唯一正确的。保罗不仅有了另一个复兴的职业生涯，而且提升了布克和艾顿的表演水平，这有助于改变他们周围的故事。再加上布里奇的双向能力和克劳德的3D天赋，菲尼克斯将作为一个合法的冠军争夺者重返2021-22赛季。

4.

你可以说，鉴于杨在上赛季季后赛中的出色表现，他应该在这个名单上排名更高，这帮助老鹰队进入东部决赛。但是低排名肯定只会给老鹰队和年轻人带来更多的动力，以证明上赛季不是侥幸。确保柯林斯获得一份新合同，并让扬的新秀马克斯续约，确保了亚特兰大将成为下个赛季的潜在冠军争夺者。

5.

犹他在上赛季以西部头号种子结束比赛后没有达到预期，但爵士在与康利续约后将归还他们所有的核心球员，因此他们仍然应该被视为边缘冠军争夺者。在季后赛第二轮被一支没有卡瓦希·伦纳德的快船队反弹后，犹他本赛季将更有动力在季后赛中走得更远。

6.

在过去的几年里，印第安纳州一直有四五名球员在我们的前100名中排名，然而这些天才的聚集并不等于场上的成功。这完全是由于过去两个赛季中的每一个赛季都有严重的伤病困扰步行者队，而沃伦和勒弗特两人都在处理伤病问题，这一赛季似乎也不会有什么不同。但是，通过引进里克·卡莱尔作为他们的新教练，步行者应该是一支能够随机应变的球队，因为卡莱尔在调整和充分利用球员方面是最优秀的教练之一。

前100名中有4名球员的球队

勇士队将在没有汤普森的情况下进入本赛季，汤普森预计将在圣诞节左右回归，但即使他仍然缺席，金州勇士队仍然拥有一支强大的队伍。库里即将结束一个赛季，在这个赛季中他获得了MVP，格林证明了他在球场两端的重要性，而维金斯在汤普森缺席的情况下表现出色。在过去两个赛季错过了季后赛之后，勇士队可能会再次回到那里，如果汤普森的状态和他一样的话，那么他们将是一支可怕的球队。

2.

健康是上赛季网队面临的最大问题，但当所有这些球员都完全健康时，布鲁克林被认为是要击败的球队。除了杜兰特排名第一外，布鲁克林是联盟中唯一有三名球员进入前20名的球队。尽管围绕着这支球队的场外争议不断，但当杜兰特、哈登和欧文都在场上时，这是一支极难击败的球队。再加上哈里斯的投篮能力，很容易看出为什么篮网被认为是联盟中最好的球队之一。

3.

卫冕冠军在我们的前100名名单上有着所有常见的嫌疑，安特托库恩波（Antetokounmpo）突出了这一点，考虑到他上赛季职业生涯决定性的NBA总决赛表现，你可以说他应该是第一。进入本赛季，密尔沃基队的大部分核心球员都完好无损，他们将有机会捍卫自己的王冠，在体验了赢得冠军的感觉之后，这支球队肯定会渴望再次回到那里。

4.

公牛队作为最难控制的球队之一进入本赛季，因为从纸面上看，他们拥有一支至少可以晋级季后赛第一轮的球队的天赋，但当你试图想象所有的部分如何组合在一起时，就会开始变得棘手。拉文在成为全明星球员一年后签订了一份合同，他将拥有更好的支持阵容，最终进入季后赛。德洛桑和皮球的加入确保了芝加哥队有更多的得分深度和一个真正的控球后卫来组织进攻，但由于有如此多的球员需要用手中的球来取得成功，这一计划最终可能达不到预期。

5.

迈阿密队在洛里得到了他们一直关注的球员，在上赛季季后赛首轮出局后，他们将再次被认为是东部的精英。从肯德里克·纳恩到劳里的控卫升级将为热火队创造奇迹，这支热火队拥有像罗宾逊和泰勒·赫罗这样的深度球员以及巴特勒和阿德巴约这样的明星力量，成为争夺冠军的球队。

6.

国王队一直处于永久重建模式，但在哈利伯顿选秀、福克斯和霍姆斯的自然发展以及巴恩斯的老练领导下，如果萨克拉门托能够进入锦标赛，它可能最终打破16年的季后赛荒。至少，萨克拉门托可以享受哈利伯顿和福克斯的二人组合在未来几年可能成为国王队的后场，这本身应该是令人兴奋的。

前100名中有三名球员的球队

一个赛季前，湖人队有五名球员跻身前100名。然而，在一笔交易让他们以韦斯特布鲁克交换蒙特勒·哈雷尔、凯尔·库兹马和肯塔维·考德威尔·波普，以及丹尼斯·施罗德的离开之后，洛杉矶的人才库已经萎缩。作为回应，湖人队增加了卡梅隆·安东尼、德怀特·霍华德和拉琼·隆多等几位老将，但随着阵容的老化，球队在季后赛中的深度还有很多明显的问题。由于詹姆斯和戴维斯两位前10名球员，你当然不能抹杀这支球队，但湖人队将是一支值得关注的球队。

2.

沃克现在在纽约，波士顿有了新的主教练，凯尔特人将看看塔图姆、布朗和斯马特三人能否在季后赛走得更远。上赛季，布朗和塔图姆都将他们的比赛提升到了一个新的水平，以表明在任何一个晚上，他们中的一个都可以成为这支球队中最好的球员。斯马特现在将成为全职的首发控球后卫，而波士顿希望在欧文和沃克之间经历了几个赛季令人怀疑的配合之后，这次不会有任何这样的问题。

3.

莱纳德可能会在上赛季季后赛撕裂ACL后在本赛季回归，如果他全力以赴，他可能会在我们的名单上排名更高。但他的伤病让他少了几个位置，随着他的缺阵，让这支球队在西部大联盟中保持稳定将取决于乔治。上个赛季，在莱纳德缺席的情况下，乔治驱散了一些季后赛的恶魔，他将能够证明他仍然是联盟的精英之一，是快船队的头号选择。在帕特里克·贝弗利的离开、塞奇·伊巴卡的受伤和交易卢·威廉姆斯之后，莫里斯失去了一些深度，但莫里斯仍然是一名可靠的后卫，在需要的时候在进攻上做出了贡献，尽管他们没有突破我们的前100名，但尼古拉斯·巴图姆和雷吉·杰克逊仍然是洛杉矶的重要贡献者。

4.

鹈鹕队可能不像几个赛季前那样激动人心，当时这支球队还保留着假日和足球，但威廉姆森上赛季证明了他是真正的球员。新奥尔良没有一个很好的记录，因为它周围的明星球员有足够的天赋来让他们在那里踢球，但是威廉姆森和英格拉姆的二人组合对鹈鹕来说是一个坚实的开端。瓦兰齐乌纳斯的加入给了威廉姆森一个比上赛季史蒂文·亚当斯更合适的前场搭档，因为他是一个能够伸展地板的双人机器。亚特兰大赛事预测

5.

随着洛里的离开，多伦多的一个时代结束了，现在猛龙队将集中精力在西亚坎和范弗利特周围建设。不要让上个赛季球队的失败愚弄你；西亚卡姆和范弗利特尽管没有像两个赛季前那样受到关注，但他们的工作效率仍然令人难以置信。两名球员都证明了他们能够场均拿下20多分，阿努诺比也证明了他可以成为可靠的第三选择。

6.

黄蜂队成为上赛季观看比赛最激动人心的球队之一，这在很大程度上要归功于鲍尔的年度新秀选战。在联赛中出场是夏洛特发展的必要一步，随着海沃德本赛季的回归，黄蜂队可能会为季后赛做出贡献。在跑垒得分、海沃德是可靠的得分手和罗齐尔是阵容中的另一位组织者之间，黄蜂队拥有一支多才多艺的球队，几乎可以在联盟中的任何球队得分。

7.

尽管多年来伤病缠身，托尔斯仍然是联盟中最优秀的年轻球星之一，能够单枪匹马摧毁防守。爱德华兹的加入表明了他是一个多么有前途的球员，如果他能提高自己的效率，那么他在这个名单上的排名将在今后几年中不断攀升。尽管有很多批评，罗素仍然是一名充满活力的控球后卫，如果他和托尔斯能够保持健康，狼队将最终看到他们两人合作得有多好。

9

莫兰特和灰熊队在战胜勇士队的比赛后进入季后赛，这让所有人都感到惊讶，而期待已久的杰克逊的回归提醒了所有人这位年轻中锋是多么有天赋。布鲁克斯在防守上成了一个绝对的害虫，在进攻上也有职业生涯的记录。除了德斯蒙德·班恩和泽维尔·蒂尔曼，这三人组合使灰熊队成为联盟中最优秀的年轻核心之一。

前100名中有两名球员的球队

格兰特在把掘金队留在活塞队的自由职业生涯中赌了一把之后，上赛季他扭转了一些局面，场均得分超过20分。在重建的年轻底特律队的所有失利中，他的表现是一个亮点，在所有失利之后，他们获得了第一顺位，最终成为坎宁安。尽管坎宁安还没有打过一场比赛，但他在名单上的位置与他所拥有的潜力相呼应，这对他来说应该是令人兴奋的新秀年。

2.

从教练组到花名册的构建，华盛顿特区进行了一些重大改革，在交易韦斯特布鲁克后，这让奇才队有了更深入的发展，并让他们有机会以自由球员身份签下丁维迪。所有的目光都将集中在比尔与奇才队的幸福上，因为奇才队试图再次进入季后赛，因为他可能会选择在明年夏天退出合同的最后一年，并有可能前往其他地方。在那之前，奇才队在比尔和丁维迪有一个坚实的后场，这将使他们在本赛季保持竞争力。

前100名中有一名球员的球队

虽然他的赛季被缩短了，但吉尔吉斯·亚历山大在他踢过的35场比赛中给出了荒谬的数字。随着雷霆队慢慢完成重建工作，吉尔吉斯·亚历山大的不断发展标志着OKC队拥有了自己的加盟明星。双方同意在今年夏天将新秀马克斯续约五年，这将使他在可预见的未来留在俄克拉荷马城。现在该由团队来充分围绕他进行建设了。

2.

随着哈登时代的结束，休斯顿现在将注意力转移到以伍德为中心的年轻球员群体上。有人可能会说，2021年NBA选秀中排名第二的杰伦·格林（Jalen Green）应该出现在这个名单上，就像坎宁安代表活塞队一样，但将他排除在外只会让他证明所有人都错了。休斯顿现在可能正在重建，但阵容中大量年轻、有才华的球员将使它成为本赛季值得关注的球队。

3.

德罗赞已经不在球队，马刺已经完全接受了青年运动，在这批年轻球员中，穆雷是最好的。如果没有德罗赞的进球依靠，我们可以看到穆雷在圣安东尼奥的重建过程中又一次提高了产量。

4.

塞克斯顿可能是联盟中下一个被贴上“空数据”标签的年轻球员，因为骑士队正慢慢地接近这一目标。一个赛季前，他场均拿下职业生涯最高的24.3分，但这并没有转化为球队的成功。但我们已经看到这个故事在联盟中上演了数百次，上个赛季的表现表明，随着这些年轻的明星们得到更好的支持，这些标签很快就会消失。问问布克和杨。

5.

艾萨克在撕裂ACL后从奥兰多泡沫赛开始就没有参加过比赛，但在22岁的时候，这位6胜11负的中锋仍然有优势，这就是为什么他被列入我们的名单。进入职业生涯的第五年，他只有一个完全健康的赛季，打了75场比赛，在2019-20赛季，他表现出了作为一个大个子的希望，表现出能够击倒3分的能力。如果他能在这个赛季保持健康，他应该在他的发展中迈出新的一步。

原标题：

NBA Top 100 player rankings, a team-by-team breakdown: Blazers with most for 2021-22; Lakers in middle of pack

原文：

We're inching closer to the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, and that means it's time for CBS Sports' annual ranking of the Top 100 NBA players. Player movement around the league this summer shifted some of the talent balance in the NBA, but unlike last season all 30 teams have at least one player represented in the list. 

The New York Knicks managed to go from having zero players on this list a year ago to now being one of just six teams to have five players in our Top 100. Other teams, like the Los Angeles Lakers, lost some depth after some offseason moves, while squads like the Sacramento Kings, who have four players on the list, and the Indiana Pacers are hoping that collection of talent translates to team success this season.

This breakdown isn't the sole determiner of a team's success, but it's a good indicator of how talent is distributed around the league from our perspective. So just because the Knicks have five players on this list and the Lakers only have three doesn't mean that New York is bound for a championship, but it is pretty eye-opening to see.

CBS Sports HQ Newsletter Your Ultimate Guide to Every Day in Sports We bring sports news that matters to your inbox, to help you stay informed and get a winning edge.

By submitting my email I agree to receive the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" and other marketing and promotional emails from CBS Sports, which may include information from our affiliates and/or partners' offers, products and services. For more information about our data practices consult our Privacy Policy

See All Newsletters Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Thanks for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox. Sorry! There was an error processing your subscription. Team with six players in the Top 100 1 Trail Blazers Top 100 players: Damian Lillard , CJ McCollum , Robert Covington , Norman Powell , Larry Nance Jr. , Jusuf Nurkic

Despite all the trade rumors that surrounded the Trail Blazers this summer, between Lillard growing weary of Portland's lack of success and McCollum being the center of a potential trade for Ben Simmons, this list shows that the Blazers have the biggest collection of talent in the league. However, lacking talent has never been an issue for the Blazers, but rather turning that talent into postseason success. With the addition of a dynamic big man in Nance, perhaps this is the season that Portland makes a deeper run in the playoffs.

Teams with five players in the Top 100 1 76ers Top 100 players: Joel Embiid , Ben Simmons , Tobias Harris , Seth Curry , Danny Green

Here's the one team on this list dealing with the loudest trade rumors. Simmons has yet to report to Sixers training camp in an effort to force a trade. But until that happens, Philadelphia still has a great deal of depth, which is why this team finished as the No. 1 seed in the East a season ago. A potential Simmons trade will impact how the Sixers ultimately fare this season, and if he sits out the entire year, then it'll just give Embiid more of an opportunity to win MVP.

2 Knicks Top 100 players: Julius Randle , Kemba Walker , Evan Fournier , Derrick Rose , R.J. Barrett

After making the postseason for the first time since 2013, the Knicks spent the offseason making -- surprisingly -- smart moves to improve their squad for another playoff run. The addition of Fournier was considered questionable at first, considering the amount of money he'll be paid, but then came the shocking signing of Walker after he was traded and bought out of his contract. New York struggled to generate offense in the playoffs outside of Randle, and with Fournier and Walker in tow it will assure that all of the offensive workload won't fall on Randle's shoulders.

3 Suns Top 100 players: Chris Paul , Devin Booker , DeAndre Ayton , Mikal Bridges , Jae Crowder

It's only right for the Suns to be recognized as having some of the most talent in the league after making a run to the NBA Finals last season. Paul not only had another rejuvenated career, but he elevated the play of Booker and Ayton, which helped changed the narrative around them. Add on the two-way capabilities of Bridges and Crowder's 3-and-D talents, and Phoenix is returning as a legitimate title contender entering the 2021-22 season.

4 Hawks Top 100 players: Trae Young , John Collins , Bogdan Bogdanovic , Clint Capela , Kevin Huerter

You could argue that Young should be higher on this list given his remarkable performance in the playoffs last season, which helped get the Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals. But the low ranking will surely only fuel the Hawks and Young more to prove that last season was no fluke. Securing Collins to a new deal and giving Young his rookie max extension ensured that Atlanta will be potential title contenders for seasons to come.

5 Jazz Top 100 players: Donovan Mitchell , Rudy Gobert , Mike Conley , Bojan Bogdanovic , Joe Ingles

Utah fell short of expectations after finishing with the No. 1 seed in the West last season, but the Jazz will be returning all of their core pieces after re-signing Conley to a new deal, so they should still be considered fringe title contenders. After getting bounced in the second round of the playoffs by a Clippers team that was without Kawhi Leonard, Utah will be motivated this season to make it even further in the postseason.

6 Pacers Top 100 players: Domantas Sabonis , Malcolm Brogdon , Myles Turner , Caris LeVert , TJ Warren

Indiana has consistently had four or five players ranked in our Top 100 the past couple years and yet that collection of talent hasn't equated to much on-court success. That's entirely due to injuries wreaking havoc on the Pacers in each of the last two seasons, and it appears this season will be no different to start out with Warren and LeVert both dealing with injuries. But by bringing in Rick Carlisle to be their new coach, the Pacers should be a team that will be able to roll with the punches well, as Carlisle has a reputation for being one of the best coaches at making adjustments and making the most of the players at his disposal.

Teams with four players in the Top 100 1 Warriors Top 100 players: Stephen Curry , Draymond Green , Klay Thompson , Andrew Wiggins

The Warriors will enter the season without Thompson, who is expected to return around Christmas, but even with him still sidelined, Golden State has a formidable team. Curry is coming off a season where he was putting up MVP numbers, Green showed just how important he is on both ends of the floor and Wiggins excelled in his role in Thompson's absence. After missing the playoffs in the past two seasons, the Warriors could return there again, and if Thompson is even 85 percent of who he was, then they'll be a scary team.

2 Nets Top 100 players: Kevin Durant , James Harden , Kyrie Irving . Joe Harris

Health was the biggest issue for the Nets last season, but when all these players are fully healthy Brooklyn is considered the team to beat. On top of having the No. 1 player on our Top 100 list in Durant, Brooklyn is the only team in the league to have three players inside our Top 20. Despite all the off-court controversies that surround this team, when Durant, Harden and Irving are all on the floor together this is an extremely difficult team to beat. Add in the shooting abilities of Harris and it's easy to see why the Nets are considered one of, if not the best team in the league.

3 Bucks Top 100 players: Giannis Antetokounmpo , Khris Middleton , Jrue Holiday , Brook Lopez

The reigning champions have all the usual suspects on our Top 100 list, highlighted by Antetokounmpo, who you could argue should be No. 1 considering his career-defining NBA Finals performance last season. With most of their core intact entering the season, Milwaukee will have a good shot at defending its crown, and after tasting what winning a championship feels like, this team will surely be eager to get back there again.

4 Bulls Top 100 players: Zach LaVine , Nikola Vucevic , DeMar DeRozan , Lonzo Ball

The Bulls enter the season as one of the toughest teams to pin down, because on paper they have the talent of a team that could at least advance past the first round of the playoffs, but when you're trying to imagine how all the pieces fit together it can start to get tricky. LaVine enters a contract year after becoming an All-Star and he'll have a better supporting cast around him to finally get to the postseason. The additions of DeRozan and Ball ensure that Chicago has more scoring depth and a true point guard to orchestrate the offense, but with so many players who need the ball in their hands to succeed, this plan could end up falling short of expectations.

5 Heat Top 100 players: Jimmy Butler , Bam Adebayo , Kyle Lowry , Duncan Robinson

Miami got the player it's been eyeing in Lowry, and will once again be considered among the East's elite after a first-round playoff exit last season. The upgrade at point guard from Kendrick Nunn to Lowry will do wonders for a Heat team that has the depth in players like Robinson and Tyler Herro and the star power in Butler and Adebayo to be a championship-contending team.

6 Nuggets Top 100 players: Nikola Jokic , Jamal Murray , Michael Porter Jr. , Aaron Gordon Jokic is coming off an MVP season, but the Nuggets will be without Murray after he tore his ACL in April. With Murray, in addition to Porter, the Nuggets were one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the league, and the trade to bring in Gordon improved Denver on the defensive end. The loss of Murray will be a significant blow for the Nuggets, and while there isn't a timetable for his return, if he manages to come back this season then Denver could be a sleeper team in the playoffs. 7 Kings Top 100 players: De'Aaron Fox , Tyrese Haliburton , Richaun Holmes , Harrison Barnes

The Kings have been in perpetual rebuild mode, but after hitting on the draft selection of Haliburton, the natural progression of Fox and Holmes and the veteran leadership of Barnes, Sacramento could finally break its 16-year playoff drought if it manages to get to the play-in tournament. At the very least, Sacramento can relish in the fact that the duo of Haliburton and Fox could be the backcourt for years to come for the Kings, and that should be exciting in itself.

Teams with three players in the Top 100 1 Lakers Top 100 players: LeBron James , Anthony Davis , Russell Westbrook

A season ago, the Lakers boasted five players on the Top 100. Yet after a trade that landed them Westbrook in exchange for Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, as well as the departure of Dennis Schroder, L.A.'s talent pool has shrunk. The Lakers responded by adding several veterans in Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo among others, but with an aging roster there are obvious questions surrounding how deep this team will go in the playoffs. With two top 10 players on the roster in James and Davis, you certainly can't write this team off, but the Lakers will be an intriguing team to watch.

2 Celtics Top 100 players: Jayson Tatum , Jaylen Brown , Marcus Smart

With Walker now in New York, and a new head coach in Boston, the Celtics will see if the trio of Tatum, Brown and Smart can go far in the playoffs. Last season, both Brown and Tatum elevated their games to a new level to show that on any given night one of them can be the best player on this team. Smart will now be the full-time starting point guard, and Boston will hope that after a couple seasons of questionable fits between Irving and Walker, there won't be any of those problems this time around.

3 Clippers Top 100 players: Kawhi Leonard , Paul George , Marcus Morris

Leonard could possibly make a return this season after tearing his ACL in the playoffs last season, and at full strength he would likely be higher on our list. But his injury dropped him a few spots, and with him sidelined it will be up to George to keep this team afloat in a deep Western Conference. George exorcised some of his playoff demons last season in Leonard's absence, and he'll be able to show that he's still among the league's elite as the No. 1 option on the Clippers. Some depth was lost after the departures of Patrick Beverley, injuries to Serge Ibaka and trading Lou Williams, but Morris is still a reliable defender and contributor on offense when needed, and although they didn't crack our Top 100 list, Nicolas Batum and Reggie Jackson are still valuable contributors for L.A.

4 Pelicans Top 100 players: Zion Williamson , Brandon Ingram , Jonas Valanciunas

The Pelicans may not be as exciting as they were a couple of seasons ago when Holiday and Ball were still on this team, but Williamson showed last season that he's the real deal. New Orleans doesn't have a great track record of surrounding its star players with enough talent to keep them playing there, but the duo of Williamson and Ingram is a solid start for the Pelicans. The addition of Valanciunas gives Williamson a better-suited frontcourt mate than Steven Adams last season, as he's a double-double machine capable of stretching the floor.

5 Raptors Top 100 players: Fred VanVleet , Pascal Siakam , OG Anunoby

An era ended in Toronto with the departure of Lowry, and now the Raptors will focus on building around Siakam and VanVleet. Don't let last season's lack of team success fool you; Siakam and VanVleet were still incredibly productive despite not getting as much attention as they did two seasons ago. Both players proved they were capable of averaging 20-plus points a game, and Anunoby showed he can be a reliable third option.

6 Hornets Top 100 players: Gordon Hayward , LaMelo Ball , Terry Rozier

The Hornets became one of the most exciting teams to watch last season in large part due to Ball's Rookie of the Year campaign. Making the play-in tournament was a necessary step forward in Charlotte's development, and with the return of Hayward this season the Hornets could make a push for the postseason. Between Ball running point, Hayward being the reliable scorer and Rozier being another playmaker in the lineup, the Hornets have a versatile team capable of scoring on just about any team in the league.

7 Mavericks Top 100 players: Luka Doncic , Kristaps Porzingis , Tim Hardaway Jr. Doncic's stellar play last season vaulted him to the top five of the list, but if there was ever a better example of the talent disparity on the Mavericks, our Top 100 certainly shows that. Porzingis' lackluster playoff performance last season dropped him far in the rankings, and a bounce-back season could certainly change things, but the expectations around Dallas compared to the lack of overall talent on the team shows something is still amiss here. However, the addition of Hardaway on this list shows some improvement from a talent perspective. 8 Timberwolves Top 100 players: Karl-Anthony Towns , Anthony Edwards , D'Angelo Russell

Despite injuries over the years, Towns still remains one of the league's best young stars, capable of single-handedly dismantling a defense. The inclusion of Edwards shows just how promising of a player he is and if he can improve on his efficiency he'll only climb higher on this list over the years. Russell, for all the critiques, is still a dynamic point guard, and if he and Towns can stay healthy the Wolves will finally get to see how well those two work together.

9 Grizzlies Top 100 players: Ja Morant , Jaren Jackson Jr. , Dillon Brooks

Morant and the Grizzlies surprised everyone when they made the playoffs after a play-in win over the Warriors, and the long-awaited return of Jackson reminded everyone just how talented the young center is. Brooks became an absolute pest on defense, on top of putting up career numbers on offense. That trio, in addition to guys in Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman, gives the Grizzlies one of the best young cores in the league.

Teams with two players in the Top 100 1 Pistons Top 100 players: Jerami Grant , Cade Cunningham

After betting on himself by leaving the Nuggets in free agency for the Pistons, Grant turned some heads last season and averaged over 20 points a game. His production was a bright spot amongst all the losing for a rebuilding, young Detroit team, and after all that losing they were gifted the No. 1 pick, which ended up being Cunningham. Although Cunningham hasn't played a single game yet, his spot on this list echoes the potential he has and what should be an exciting rookie year for him.

2 Wizards Top 100 players: Bradley Beal , Spencer Dinwiddie

There was some major overhaul in D.C. from the coaching staff down to the construction of the roster, and it landed the Wizards more depth after trading Westbrook and gave them the opportunity to sign Dinwiddie in free agency. All eyes will be on Beal's happiness with the Wizards as they try to make the postseason again, as he could opt out of the final year of his deal next summer and potentially leave for somewhere else. Until then, the Wizards have a solid backcourt in Beal and Dinwiddie, which should keep them competitive this season.

Teams with one player in the Top 100 1 Thunder Top 100 players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Though his season was cut short, Gilgeous-Alexander put up ridiculous numbers in the 35 games he did play. As the Thunder slowly work through a rebuild, Gilgeous-Alexander's continual development is a sign that OKC has its franchise star. The two sides agreed to a five-year rookie max extension this summer which will keep him in Oklahoma City for the foreseeable future. Now it's up to the team to adequately build around him.

2 Rockets Top 100 players: Christian Wood

With the Harden era over, Houston now shifts its focus to its group of young players centered around Wood. It could be argued that Jalen Green, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, should be on this list as Cunningham is for the Pistons, but the exclusion of him will only lead to him proving everyone wrong. Houston may be in a rebuild right now, but the slew of young, talented players on the roster will make it an intriguing team to watch this season.

3 Spurs Top 100 players: Dejounte Murray

With DeRozan no longer on the team, the Spurs have fully embraced the youth movement and of that crop of young players, Murray is the best. Without DeRozan to rely upon for scoring, we could see another uptick in production from Murray as San Antonio goes through its rebuild.

4 Cavaliers Top 100 players: Collin Sexton

Sexton may be the next young player in the league slapped with the "empty stats" label as the Cavaliers slowly inch toward relevance. He averaged a career-high 24.3 points a season ago, but it didn't translate to team success. But we've seen this story play out hundreds of times in the league, and last season showed that as these young stars get better supporting casts around them, those labels quickly fall away. Just ask Booker and Young.

5 Magic Top 100 players: Jonathan Isaac

Isaac hasn't played since the Orlando bubble after tearing his ACL, but at age 22 there's still upside to the 6-11 center, which is why he landed on our list. Entering Year 5 of his career, he's had just one fully healthy season in which he played 75 games, and during the 2019-20 season, he showed promise as a big man who showed flashes of being able to knock down 3s. If he manages to stay healthy this season, he should take another step in his development.