by Tony East
ESPN released its top 100 NBA player rankings ahead of the 2023-24 season earlier this week. It’s the 13th year that ESPN has done the project.
The list is meant to be predictive rather than reflective, meaning it is intended to be a forecast of the best 100 players in the coming season rather than an analysis of past play.
Three Indiana Pacers players made the cut. The first player listed is sharpshooter Buddy Hield, who came in at 87th.
Hield, 30, is entering a contract year for the Pacers. That has primarily dominated the storylines for the shooting guard in recent weeks, but Hield’s play will soon become important to monitor. He had a great 2022-23, finishing second in the NBA in made three-point field goals before a historic run with the Bahamas in the offseason.
During the ongoing preseason, Hield has been moved to the bench. His shot hasn’t fallen yet, but he had nine assists in a loss against the Houston Rockets earlier this week. His shooting and secondary playmaking will be valuable this year, and that’s why he comes in at 87 — a three-spot jump from ESPN‘s rankings last season.
The next Pacer listed is center Myles Turner. The eight-year veteran is slotted in 65th, a small improvement over his 66 ranking from the prior year.
The big man deserved to climb lists. Last season was a career year, he finished 2022-23 with a career high in points per game (18.0), rebounds per game (7.5), and true shooting percentage (65.1%). Essentially, Turner was a better scorer, more efficient, and more effective on the glass.
He was already a valuable player, but he became critical for the blue and gold last year. And his defense, while less effective in 2022-23 than in year’s past, is still among the best in the league. Turner is hoping to be more of a leader this season as his fit next to Obi Toppin develops.
The final Pacer to make the cut in ESPN‘s top-100 players is Tyrese Haliburton, who lands at 21st in the rankings. It is a well-earned jump from last season where he was listed at 59th.
Haliburton is hoping to build off of his breakout campaign, where he was named an All-Star for the first time. The high-pace point guard averaged 20.7 points, 10.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game while knocking down over 40% of his threes. Nobody in the league matched his scoring, passing, and shooting accuracy numbers.
He makes the Pacers go in every way, and the 35-47 club was .500 when Haliburton suited up. If he is healthier this season, Indiana could reach the postseason again. Haliburton hopes so, and long term, he will aspire to improve his on-court chemistry alongside developing guard Bennedict Mathurin.
Speaking of Mathurin, he and Bruce Brown have been ranked on other NBA top-100 lists this summer. Mathurin is on the fringes of the top 100, but Brown not being included on ESPN‘s ranking is interesting. He had a terrific season with Denver last year and helped the Nuggets win the title. The Pacers paid him like someone that they believe can have a similar impact in their program.
The top-10 players from ESPN‘s project can be found here, as can the entire top-100 list.
This article first appeared on FanNation All Pacers