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2017-18 NBA player rankings: The top 5

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

Ahead of the 2017-18 season, theScore's basketball editors ranked the top 30 players in the NBA, with the cumulative rankings unveiled over the course of this week. As a reminder, these rankings are based solely on how we project players to perform in the coming season.

Related: Players ranked 30-21, Players ranked 20-11, Players ranked 10-6

5. Russell Westbrook

Westbrook makes his own narratives and dares you to believe them. You think he's stat padding, but his team couldn't win when he failed to record a triple-double. You think he holds the ball too much, but he averaged 10 assists passing to some extremely limited scorers. You think he isn't efficient, but nobody was better in the clutch. - William Lou

4. Stephen Curry

It feels as though we're taking Curry for granted at this point. Everything he does for the Warriors is done in such spectacular fashion on such a regular basis that it's easy to grow numb to it. He still managed to put up top-notch numbers in what was viewed as a "down" year for him, smoothing Kevin Durant's transition. Regardless, Curry remains a once-in-a-lifetime talent who will, as head coach Steve Kerr so eloquently put it recently, continue to put the fear of God into defenses like very few players in league history ever have. - Chris Walder

3. Kawhi Leonard

Any questions about whether Leonard could shoulder the offensive load of a primary scoring option while maintaining his All-World defense have been answered emphatically over the last couple seasons, as The Claw averaged 23.4 points on 49-41-88 shooting between 2015-16 and 2016-17, remaining insanely efficient despite a notable usage rate (28.5 percent) during that time.

If you're looking for a 2018 MVP pick, look no further than Leonard, a two-way beast who doesn't have a superstar teammate to split votes with (apologies to LaMarcus Aldridge), who's finished in the top-three in voting in each of the last two years, and whose team has won at least 55 games in each of his six seasons (prorated in 2011-12). - Joseph Casciaro

2. Kevin Durant

It's remarkable that a guy who wasn't even really missed by his team when he was injured last season would be the second-best player in the league, but that's the Warriors, and here we are with Kevin Durant.

KD became the most efficient scorer in NBA Finals history against the Cavs in June, becoming just the second player other than Magic Johnson to average more than 30 points in the Finals while going 50/40/90. Based on scoring efficiency, size, and defensive ability, who else in this league do you take after The King? - John Chick

1. LeBron James

Another year, another top billing for The King.

Father Time may be undefeated, but James is certainly waging a helluva battle as he approaches age 33. The pieces around him may be different this year, but James continuing to dominate the NBA is as close to a sure thing as there is across sports. As if the four-time MVP wasn't tough enough to guard, James showed an improved shooting touch from deep in his third season since returning to Cleveland, connecting on 36 percent of his triples last season and 41 percent during the playoffs. If he keeps pouring it in from range with that accuracy, we could see the best James yet; a truly remarkable prospect to consider.

It seems silly to list all the reasons why James tops these rankings when the real debate that should be had is whether he's now firmly ahead of Michael Jordan as the greatest of all-time. - Dane Belbeck

The top 30

Rank Player Team
1. LeBron James Cavaliers
2. Kevin Durant Warriors
3. Kawhi Leonard Spurs
4. Stephen Curry Warriors
5. Russell Westbrook Thunder
6. James Harden Rockets
7. Anthony Davis Pelicans
8. Giannis Antetokounmpo Bucks
9. Karl-Anthony Towns Timberwolves
10. John Wall Wizards
11. Chris Paul Rockets
12. Draymond Green Warriors
13. Jimmy Butler Timberwolves
14. Paul George Thunder
15. DeMarcus Cousins Pelicans
16. Blake Griffin Clippers
17. Damian Lillard Trail Blazers
18. Rudy Gobert Jazz
19. Kyrie Irving Celtics
20. Klay Thompson Warriors
21. Kyle Lowry Raptors
22. Nikola Jokic Nuggets
23. Marc Gasol Grizzlies
24. Gordon Hayward Celtics
25. Mike Conley Grizzlies
26. DeMar DeRozan Raptors
27. Kevin Love Cavaliers
28. Kemba Walker Hornets
29. Hassan Whiteside Heat
30. Bradley Beal Wizards

Honorable mentions: Isaiah Thomas (injured), Kristaps Porzingis, Paul Millsap, Devin Booker, C.J. McCollum, Al Horford, Joel Embiid, DeAndre Jordan, LaMarcus Aldridge.

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