NBA Player Power Rankings - March edition
Injuries have wreaked havoc on some of the NBA's top teams and forced big changes to the fourth edition of our 2016-17 NBA player power rankings. Remember, these rankings only take this season's performance into account.
Just missed the cut
Stephen Curry, Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul, Karl-Anthony Towns, Rudy Gobert, Kyrie Irving
The six players in question each received at least one top-10 vote, but failed to accumulate enough total voting points from our panel of NBA editors to crack the official rankings. In the case of Lowry and Paul, that was due to somewhat significant injuries limiting their availability at some point this season. In the case of Curry, no one would argue the two-time, reigning MVP isn't a top-10 player, but judging players solely on their 2016-17 performances makes it tough to slot Steph ahead of the guards that made our actual list.
10. Jimmy Butler
The Bulls may be falling apart, but don't blame Butler for the team's demise. With few reliable players around him, the three-time All-Star has been forced to carry the offensive load for Chicago on a nightly basis, while also playing All-NBA-level defense on the other end of the floor.- Patrick Britton
9. John Wall
Wall has crept into our top 10 because the Washington Wizards are 35-14 since Dec. 1 and their point guard is the catalyst. Even as Wall averages a career-high 23.1 points per game, he's allowed to Bradley Beal to assume more of the scoring load this season. That's part of the reason he's also hitting career highs in assists and assist percentage. Defensively he's been a machine at times, earning yet another career high in steals. - John Chick
8. Isaiah Thomas
Not since the days of Allen Iverson has a sub-6-foot-guard meant more to a team's offense than Isaiah Thomas. The sixth-year player is the main reason why Boston sits near the top of the Eastern conference, ranking second in the league in both points per game and offensive win shares. - Patrick Britton
7. Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Greek Freak, who's logged over 400 minutes more than the second-most-played Buck this season, leads his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, keeping Milwaukee firmly in the East playoff race despite injuries to Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker. - Joseph Casciaro
6. Anthony Davis
New frontcourt mate DeMarcus Cousins hasn't had a seamless integration, but since Boogie's arrival, Brow is rolling. Davis is averaging 30.2 points since the All-Star break, good for second in the NBA. He's also pulling down 11 boards a game and shooting 39 percent from deep. - John Chick
5. Kevin Durant
If Durant were to miss the remainder of the season, he'd likely slip out of our top 10. For now, the former MVP has suited up for 59 of 66 games, and though he posted his lowest scoring average in eight years, the 28-year-old was enjoying the most efficient and complete season of his illustrious career. - Joseph Casciaro
4. LeBron James
In his 14th season - at 32 years old - LeBron is on track to log his most minutes played in three years, while posting career highs in assists and rebounds, while posting the second-best 3-point percentage of his career. That's a sobering reality for Eastern Conference rivals desperately waiting for James to show signs of age and deterioration. - Joseph Casciaro
3. Kawhi Leonard
Leonard's awe-inspiring two-way performance this season has quelled any notion that the MVP race is only a two-man event. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 26.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 steals on roughly 49-38-90 shooting, leading the Spurs to a 64-win pace. - Joseph Casciaro
2. Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City's place in the Western standings may prevent him from capturing MVP honors, but Westbrook's counting stats still rank among the best in league history. The 6-foot-3 point guard is still averaging a triple-double, and looks poised to match Oscar Robertson's 55-year-old feat. - Patrick Britton
1. James Harden
Going down the stretch, it should be Harden's Maurice Podoloff Trophy to lose. The Houston Rockets' success gives him the edge over Westbrook, and there's still an outside chance he could become the first player in 44 years to lead the NBA in both scoring and assists. Consider some advanced metrics too: Harden's first in win shares and second in VORP. - John Chick
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)