Simmons reveals his NBA top 15 players ranking: LeBron and Durant are not on the roster

According to Gautam Varyl, a contributor to US sports media F/W. Bill Simmons of The Ringer recently shared his NBA top 15 players pyramid in May, which turned out to be quite controversial. Simmons unexpectedly excluded James and Durant altogether, adding some new stars in the NBA. This does look like a microcosm of the present. Everyone on the rankings shines in the 2024-25 season, but you can’t keep James away from it.

James averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks per game for the Lakers this season. The 40-year-old is also quite efficient, shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from the field from outside the 3-point line and was named the NBA's best second team for his performance. The team’s failure is not an argument against James, as he has led the Lakers to a 50-32 record in recent years, making them the No. 3 seeds in the Western Conference. Of course, the Wolves eliminated the Lakers in five games, but that wasn't enough to get James kicked out of the top 15. You can say the 21-time All-Star is also his team's best all-around player against the Timberwolves, averaging 25.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.

James' teammate Doncic is also in the third row of the pyramids, although the Lakers' season is over. So, it really doesn't make much sense. If the Lakers had Jaylen Williams, Cunningham or Towns instead of James, would they have a better season? Almost certainly not. James is no longer a top 5 player in the NBA, but he should still have a place in the top 15.

As for Durant, you can use the argument of the team's success to deal with him. His Phoenix Suns are ranked 11th in the Western Conference with a bad record of 36-46 this season. Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game for the Suns. He is always super efficient, shooting 52.7% from the field and 43.0% from the field from outside the three-point line. While Durant does have to take some responsibility for the Suns’ struggles, he can easily be their best player. The two biggest reasons they didn’t even make the play-offs were their defense (No. 27 in the defensive rating) and their biggest star missed 20 games. With Durant on the court this season, the Suns have a record of 33-29 and no one has a record of 3-17. This shows how valuable he is despite being 36 years old.

Leaves a surprising omission, and you might be wondering why Celtics fans like Simmons don't have Jason Tatum on this pyramid. The reason is simple: Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the playoffs against the New York Knicks and will spend a long time on the sidelines. Simmons will not put long-term injured players on the pyramid, so he is not on the pyramid.

As for the top of the pyramid, it is not surprising that Jokic is on the top. The Denver Nuggets have been eliminated in the league semifinals for several consecutive seasons, but you can’t be too harsh on Jokic for those early exits, while Alexander is in the second tier with Antetokounmpo. You could say these two guys and Jokic are the three best players in the NBA right now, so there won't be too much objection. But the overall list given by Simmons is still very controversial. What do you think?