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#NBArank 3: Kevin Durant

For the sixth season in a row, ESPN.com is ranking the top players in the NBA. Who will be the best player this season?

To get the final ranking, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players.

LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry. Russell Westbrook vs. Kevin Durant. Damian Lillard vs. Chris Paul.

We asked, "Which player will be better in 2016-17?" To decide, voters had to consider both the quality and the quantity of each player's contributions to his team's ability to win games.

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.

On to the list ...

3. Kevin Durant

Insider profile: There's little historical track record for the move Durant made this summer, leaving the Thunder to sign with the Warriors as an unrestricted free agent. While Golden State's collection of stars has drawn inevitable comparisons to the Miami Heat's big three, that was a team built from scratch. In this case, Durant is joining a largely intact Golden State core. As a result, the former MVP will likely have to adapt more to his new team than the other way around. Read more »


#NBArank 1-5