The NBA and the entire sports world was sent into pandemonium on Sunday evening as LeBron James made ‘The Decision 3.0’ Through Klutch Sports, James announced that he would be joining the Los Angeles Lakers on four-year/$154 million deal.
The decision by James was a major power move as another star player decided to take his talents to NBA’s Western Conference.
After James made his decision, Skip Bayless of FS1’s morning debate show ‘Undisputed’ tweeted out that Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is the best player in the Eastern Conference.
This tweet caused a firestorm of debate among NBA fans and even got a response from Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Here at the Metro, we decided to come up with our own list of the 10 best players in the Eastern Conference. Do you agree with us or do you think we got it wrong? Email me at [email protected] or hit me up on Twitter.
1. Kyrie Irving
Sorry Skip, the best player in the NBA’s Eastern Conference is not Joel Embiid, it’s actually Irving. Even though he played in 60 games this past season, Irving has an outstanding NBA resume, which includes an NBA championship.
Uncle Drew is an outstanding point guard with amazing handles and has the ability to take over a basketball game.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
If Irving is the best, then Antetokounmpo is right behind him. The Greek Freak has improved over his five-year career and eventually took off this past season.
Antetokounmpo had a career-year with 26.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 36.7 minutes per game. He can impact the game in various ways and is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams in the NBA.
3. Joel Embiid
Embiid could have easily been the second best player in the East, especially with the season he had. The former third overall pick averaged a double-double this past season, consisting of 22.9 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.
4. DeMar DeRozan
Over the last two seasons, DeRozan has become a go-to scoring option for the Raptors. The ninth-year guard out of USC was one of the main catalysts behind Toronto getting the first seed in the conference this past season.
DeRozan also slightly improved his three-point shooting this past season and appears to be adding more things to his repertoire.
5. Kristaps Porzingis
The Unicorn was on pace to have a breakout 2017-18 season, before suffering a knee injury 48 games in. Porzingis, just like Antetokounmpo and Embiid, is a matchup problem for opposing teams as he can kill you from the perimeter or inside the paint.
6. Jayson Tatum
Tatum is the first rookie to make this list and for good reason. The kid is a baller. The former Duke product had an amazing season, averaging 13.9 points and shooting 43.4 percent from three-point range.
7. John Wall
The electrifying point guard out of the District of Columbia is always a blast to watch. This past season, Wall really tapped into his skills of being a facilitator, which only helped the Washington Wizards. He averaged 19.4 points and 9.6 assists in 41 games and deserves to be in the top 10.
8. Kemba Walker
Sticking with the theme of point guards, Charlotte’s Kemba Walker is a baller too. Even though the Hornets did not make the playoffs, Walker still averaged 22.1 points and shot 38.4 percent from three-point range.
If Kyrie Irving has the best handles in the NBA, then Walker is not too far behind. He can break down a defense like it’s no one’s business.
9. Victor Oladipo
Sneaking into the top 10 is Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo. The former Indiana Hoosier returned home and put on an absolute show.
Oladipo had a career-year across the board and helped the Pacers get back to the playoffs. This is only the beginning for the former second overall pick.
10. Ben Simmons
The Rookie of the Year award winner helped get the Sixers to the playoffs and win 52 games in the regular season.
Simmons nearly averaged a triple-double this past season consisting of 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game. He might not be the next coming of LeBron James, but the Magic Johnson comparisons aren’t too far off.
