It’s less than a month from the start of the 2017-2018 NBA regular season so you know what that means: pointless preseason predictions and rankings!  It really is the ultimate premature sign that a new season is upon us.  Similar to all of this pumpkin flavored madness being thrust upon the world when it’s still 90-plus degrees here in DFW.  Anyway, while these types of predictions and rankings don’t really mean much, they are fun and come at a time when we’re all desperate for NBA content and coverage.

Last week, both ESPN and Sports Illustrated put out their respective lists of the top 100 NBA players for this season.  Each year these spark some buzz and harsh responses, but this year has seemed to provide even more reaction than usual.  Including from players!

F SI…#ProveEm

— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan) September 12, 2017

We need to start ranking these weak ass journalist. With descriptions of their strengths, weaknesses and ability to make up "sources"

— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) September 12, 2017

DeMar DeRozan and C.J. McCollum were not happy with their rankings and they took to Twitter to share their opinions about it.  

How did the Mavericks do on these lists? Gut reaction would be not that great since they don’t seem to get much national attention these days, but their recent investment in younger talent has them decently represented in the top 100 for both ESPN and Sports Illustrated.

Seth Curry
Following his breakout season with the Mavs in 2016-2017, Curry went from fringe NBA player to being included on Sports Illustrated’s “Biggest Snubs” list.  So not quite in the top 100, but right there.

Notable quote: “Seth’s game doesn’t pick up much speed as he works downhill, but what he lacks in momentum he makes up for in savvy and shot-making. At worst, Curry can be the looming threat in the weakside corner that opponents are loathe to leave. Give him some room to work, however, and he can freelance his way into bursts of scoring out of even the most simple situation.”

Not bad for a guy who had played less than 50 career NBA games heading into last season.  

Nerlens Noel
2017 Sports Illustrated Ranking: 86
2017 ESPN Ranking: 91 (Up from 126 in 2016)

Despite only playing in 51 games last season, Noel saw his stock rise in the rankings this year.  His status as the best big man on the free agent market this summer obviously didn’t do him much as far as landing the max contract that he wanted, but the consensus seems to be he has all the tools to become the player who will earn a big contract next summer if he’s able to live up to his potential.

Notable quote: “If Noel, who is just 23, ever finds the equilibrium between these skills, he could become one of the best defenders in the league. As it stands, he’s still incredibly disruptive—the kind of player who can blow up a pick-and-roll by either attacking a ball handler or by erasing a shot in the air. That’s more than enough. Everything else is upside.”

Dirk Nowitzki
2017 Sports Illustrated Ranking: 71
2017 ESPN Ranking: 98 (Down from 41)

It’s understandable for the Big German to have a significantly lower ranking after the season he had last year.  His first couple of months were virtually lost due to injury, and he had a couple prolonged slumps that really took a toll on his shooting percentages.  He shot only 42% from the field before the All-Star break and it was going to be a major challenge for him to get it back to the career 47% that we’re used to seeing. 

With better health, a set roster, and more playmakers who will create better shots for him and draw more defenders to give him more space to shoot, Dirk should have a much better shooting year even if that doesn’t necessarily mean increasing his points per game average back up to the high teens or low twenties.

Notable quote: “Defenses still have the utmost respect for his shooting, which in turn frees up lanes and angles for Nowitzki’s teammates. There’s just no way for a defense to fully account for a big with Dirk’s shooting ability and reputation—much less his unblockable release. “

Dennis Smith Jr.
Sports Illustrated did not include rookies in their list.
2017 ESPN Ranking: 75

Even though it means nothing, it feels pretty good to have a Maverick rookie rated this high on a list like this.  His summer league and Twitter video performances have the entire nation buying into the hype.

Notable quote: “The Mavericks may have struck gold with the No. 9 overall pick as the two most similar prospects over the past 15 years, according to ESPN Analytics draft model, are John Wall and Derrick Rose.”

Harrison Barnes
2017 Sports Illustrated Ranking: 49
2017 ESPN Ranking: 58 (Up from 74 in 2016)

Barnes saw a steady jump in his rankings following his exceeding of expectations in his first season with the Mavs.  The more you read about Barnes from national writers, however, suggest that they think he’s a long, long way from being an elite player in the game due to many analytics suggesting he wasn’t as good as his 19.2 points per game would suggest.

Notable quote: “He (Barnes) proved not only that his offense was scalable (sic), but that his game could accommodate a different degree of shot creation than he had seemed comfortable with previously.”

For what it’s worth, Wesley Matthews was not included on either Top 100 list after ranking 92nd on SI’s and 84th on ESPN’s 2016 lists.

Where would you rank these Mavericks on your top NBA players list?  

All stats, information and quotes via ESPN and Sports Illustrated.