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Russell Westbrook named No. 9 in Slam's Top 50 NBA players

According to Slam, it's not if Russell Westbrook is the ninth-best player in the NBA. The question is, are you willing to concede it?

By James Pennington
Steve Dykes-US PRESSWIRE

Slam has been revealing its Top 50, its ranking of the best 50 players in the NBA, one player at a time. Tuesday it revealed No. 9: Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook.

Slam's Eddie Maisonet III wrote the article on Westbrook, and his argument therein isn't designed to justify Westbrook's spot on the list.

This article isn't about proving whether Westbrook's worthy of the No. 9 spot on SLAMonline's Top 50 list, but rather your willingness to accept that Westbrook is just that damned good.

Arguing against Westbrook's accomplishments is difficult. He was fourth in the NBA last season in points scored and fifth in points per game despite sharing the ball with Kevin Durant, who led the league in both of those statistics.

Maisonet's piece makes a comprehensive argument in favor of Durant, both as a player and, perhaps more so, as a figure increasingly undeniable in the basketball landscape.

Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka was named No. 43 on Slam's Top 50, and guard James Harden earned the No. 20 spot. The top eight will be revealed over the next eight days, among which Durant will appear.