Sports Illustrated's 2022 NBA Player Rankings Stink

Sports Illustrated released their 2022 NBA player rankings a few hours ago, and my goodness do they stink. Giannis, who was the last man standing after an injury-plagued playoff run, is suddenly better than LeBron, and Damian Lillard sits outside the top 10 behind three big men, which is laughable.

This list is cheeks.

I think we can all agree Kevin Durant is the best player in the world since he has no flaw. I hated his move to Golden State as much as anyone, but I can also admit that no one can score like Durant. He's also a wildly underrated defender, making him an all-around superstar deserving of the NBA's top spot.

But take a look at No. 2: Giannis Antetokounmpo, who still hasn't polished a jump shot. How can you become the second best player in the NBA when you can't take and make jump shots at a consistent level? He doesn't need to slide out of the top five, but giving him this much credit is nothing more than a massive case of recency bias. Let's all try and remember the Greek Freak leaned on Bucks teammate Kris Middleton to close games, so we must take a step back here. Giannis just can't be listed above some of the names I'm about to list. And don't you dare compare his dominance in the paint to Shaq -- the Lakers star closed games.

LeBron isn't going to fall much with how important he's been to team success these past few years, so we don't really need to dive into his ranking. His spot is more age related.

Here's where I believe Sports Illustrated got it right. Steph Curry is ranked as the fourth-best player in the NBA. That's accurate because, when he's got it going, he's still the most deadly player on the planet. He can pull up from 35 feet while finishing with sweet touch high off the glass to avoid the sudden return of the big man. Curry is the ultimate offensive weapon who deserves this type of love. He also gets Klay Thompson back this season, which will spread the floor even more in 2022.

James Harden ranked at SEVEN?! How? Numbers aside, we have to take a closer look at impact and execution. Harden gets it done in the regular season, just as most players high on this list do, but what's he done when it matters? He either comes up small when it really counts, or he's hurt. Being available for your team is part of the job, and Harden isn't very good at it. Lack of clutch performance, availability, and defensive effort makes this seven pick for Harden asinine. Still an elite player -- just not a top 7 guy.

Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis sitting late in the top 10 doesn't really bother me, so let's address who follows: Damian Lillard. I almost feel like Sports Illustrated does this type of list on purpose to get Dame to lash out and leave Portland. The Blazers star clearly gets undervalued every offseason because of his inept organization. Dame is the second-best point guard in the NBA -- he deserves a spot way up on this list.

Lastly, we should acknowledge how some of these ball handlers flew up this list. They're simply more valuable with the ball in their hands than centers, and that's an objective fact. Big men who need point guards to set them up just can't be at the top of this list. It's the reason why Kareem and Bill Russell never get love in the GOAT conversation over skill players with the ball in their hands all the time like Jordan, Magic, or LeBron. Doesn't make it true -- it's just how narrative works.

For that reason, don't sleep on Steph Curry catapulting up to the No. 2 spot in this league. He's that good.