It's Year 5 for #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.
Today, we're unveiling Nos. 71-80 on our list -- one at a time every hour -- starting at 8:30 a.m. ET.
#NBArank: 71-80
71. Nicolas Batum
Charlotte Hornets | SF
@nicolas88batum | Score: 46.6
Last year's rank: 52
2015-16 RPM: 0.39
Insider profile: The Hornets have sorely lacked a secondary playmaker ever since Josh McRoberts left town, so they'll be thrilled to get the pressure release. Batum has to do better from downtown as he shot just 32.4 percent overall and just 35.9 percent from the corners, from which he used to be deadly. Read more »
72. Nikola Mirotic
Chicago Bulls | SF
@threekola | Score: 46.5
Last year's rank: 163
2015-16 RPM: 3.06
Insider profile: Mirotic looks like a future All-Star, and he could seize a starting role in Chicago as soon as this season, regardless of the company he keeps on the Bulls' front line. Read more »
73. J.J. Redick
Los Angeles Clippers | SG
@JJRedick | Score: 46.3
Last year's rank: 89
2015-16 RPM: 0.68
Insider profile: Coming off screens and pin-downs, Redick is a passing threat, as he's one of the best in the league at delivering the pocket pass to the slipping big. That passing ability also comes in handy in running side pick-and-rolls, which Redick does well. Read more »
74. Marcin Gortat
@MGortat | Score: 46.2
Last year's rank: 57
2015-16 RPM: 1.62
Insider profile: Simply put, he's a burly big man straight out of the 1990s. His range extends only to the foul line, but that's OK as long as he's surrounded by shooters. That's usually not the case. The basket area can get really congested with another paint-dwelling big man like Nene, but that's not Gortat's fault. Read more »
75. Karl-Anthony Towns
@KarlTowns | Score: 46.1
Last year's rank: N/A
2015-16 RPM: N/A
Insider profile: He's got good touch down low and decent footwork and showed great court vision -- though occasionally a desire to do too much -- passing out of double-teams at the Las Vegas Summer League. Towns might ultimately be best as a pick-and-pop player. Read more »
76. Nerlens Noel
@NerlensNoel3 | Score: 46.0
Last year's rank: 102
2015-16 RPM: -1.40
Insider profile: His jumper remains a work in progress. Noel shot 29.1 percent beyond 3 feet, and must improve his accuracy to keep defenders from sagging to Jahlil Okafor in the post. On the plus side, Noel is already a capable entry passer from the high post. Read more »
77. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist*
Charlotte Hornets | SF
@MKG14 | Score: 46.0
Last year's rank: 131
2015-16 RPM: 3.70
Insider profile: Gilchrist, who is out six months after having surgery on a torn labrum, is an elite defender (third in defensive RPM at his position) despite almost never stealing the ball. By comparison, MKG's top comp, Tony Allen, has four times the steal rate as the former No. 2 overall pick. Read more »
*Note: Voting held before injury.
78. Timofey Mozgov
Score: 45.6
Last year's rank: 179
2015-16 RPM: 1.86
Insider profile: Mozgov is an excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor. He's versatile enough on the offensive end to score rolling to the basket but also operate effectively in the post. Mozgov is most definitely a finisher though, with some of the worst passing metrics in the league and a too-high turnover rate. Read more »
79. Kemba Walker
Charlotte Hornets | PG
@KembaWalker | Score: 45.5
Last year's rank: 61
2015-16 RPM: 0.78
Insider profile: At what point do the Hornets move on from Walker? The 2014-15 campaign marked the third straight season the Hornets have watched Walker score 17-something points per game on volume, not efficiency -- and the third straight season with the Charlotte offense in the tank. Read more »
80. Harrison Barnes
@hbarnes | Score: 45.5
Last year's rank: 122
2015-16 RPM: -0.47
Insider profile: By focusing his efforts onto his core competencies of spot-up shooting and attacking mismatches, Barnes was far more valuable and efficient, acting as a release valve on offense when primary, secondary and sometimes tertiary options were counteracted by rotating and loading help defenses. Read more »