Ranking Top 25 Players In NBA Bubble: Where Are Luka & KP?

Sports Illustrated is Ranking The Top 25 Players In The NBA Bubble: Where Are Dallas Mavericks Stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis Positioned?

All the NBA teams aren't in the Bubble in Orlando. But it can be argued that an all-time collection of talent is - and that the collection includes a pair of young Dallas Mavericks stars in Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.

The Mavs have landed in Orlando as one of 22 teams included in the "seeding games'' that will take us to an unprecedented NBA Playoffs in which a COVID-19-era champion will be crowned.

And the ability of each teams' stars to carry them would seem to be key.

Locally, we sometimes talk about Doncic and Porzingis as "blossoming stars'' and maybe we are being too conservative there - as a Sports Illustrated project ranking the top 25 NBA players in the bubble suggests.

Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving and Bradley Beal are not in Orlando. But LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard - both among their eras greatest champions - are. And Giannis Antetokounmpo is. And then there is another generation that features Zion Williamson.

SI suggests, "The league’s current crop of top-tier talent may be the best we’ve ever seen.''

So .... who's who? As Dallas gets ready to start practices on Friday, Mavs fans will be pleased to know that Porzingis does indeed make it into The Crossover's selection of top 25 guys (if only barely.) And Luka? SI writes:

It’s a testament to Doncic’s immense talent that he’s No. 7 on our list without even a single playoff minute. ... No player outside of LeBron manipulates defenses to such a degree. ...''

Read more on Luka, KP and the 25 here at Sports Illustrated's The Crossover.