2021 NBA player rankings, Nos. 91-101: Dion Waiters will always be a cult hero

We begin our countdown of the 101 best players in the NBA in four years with a cult favorite, then hit a couple intriguing young prospects, some old reliables, and a particularly interesting case at No. 92.

Age in 2021: 29 (9 seasons)

TOM ZILLER: The one and only. Miami saved his career, and Waiters will be in his physical prime in 2021. I wouldn’t be surprised if he were top 50. He wouldn’t be surprised if he were top 10.

CHRIS GREENBERG: I hope that we can all find someone who unconditionally believes in us the way that Ziller believes in Waiters.

TIM CATO: Given the current geopolitical state of the world, Waiters Island seems like a rather safe place to be. I’m gonna take the SB Nation yacht out for an extended stay if anyone wants to come.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Well, yeah:

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: We started out with the most perfect pick. I hope the rest of this lives up.

MATT PINEDA, HOT HOT HOOPS: DO. NOT. TELL. DION. He won’t like this.

But by this time, he’ll just be an iso scorer.

Age in 2021: 21 (2 seasons)

CHRIS GREENBERG: I’ll let our neighborhood high school hoops expert handle this one: “Bol Bol is the 5-star recruit carrying a famous name and a tantalizing game” was the headline on a story published by Ricky in May.

That sounds impressive. Bol outscored Marvin Bagley III in a high-profile matchup that his team won handily around that time. That also sounds impressive.

This 7’2 kid is the son of Manute Bol. He was another tall gentleman who blocked lots and lots of basketball shots.

TIM CATO: If we were picking based off names, he’d go No. 1.

TOM ZILLER: Just beating out Mo Bamba.

Age in 2021: 26 (5 seasons)

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: My guy, Caris. They can sleep on you all they want. I ain’t gonna do it.

Real recognize real, and I see you, my guy. You finna develop a consistent three-point shot, be a legitimate two-way wing, show the world you can handle the ball especially in pick-and-roll scenarios, and be part of a Brooklyn team that will be .500 in 2021. Salute, fam.

MIKE PRADA: I thought long and hard about taking LeVert instead of the guy I took at 95, but I need to see more than a handful of intriguing games with a crappy team to fully jump on board. It wouldn’t stun me if he’s a lot higher than this, though.

MATT ELLENTUCK: I covered Maryland basketball for two years and saw this dude play a total of zero times at Michigan. Congrats to Caris on finally being healthy, and I hope things work out for him now.

TOM ZILLER: Quincy Douby once scored 32 points in an NBA game.

TIM CATO: More importantly, Rodrigue Beaubois dropped 40.

Age in 2021: 29 (8 seasons)

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Oladipo is going to have a nice little career-saving experience in Indiana. He’s going to be a fan favorite in the Hoosier state, so his confidence will be sky high and he’ll be free to grow alongside a young and promising Myles Turner.

CAITLIN COOPER, INDY CORNROWS: Barely clinging to the top 100 amid pesky Gary Harris-hindsight will probably be inevitable for Oladipo, unless he blossoms into the elite defender he was projected to become or stops being reliant upon higher usage to compensate for limited shooting ability and sometimes-questionable decision-making.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Sneak peek at the Oladipo-Pacers:

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Thought this was a receipt-free zone, Matt.

ZITO MADU: Look, I can’t even vouch for him as a Nigerian. You’re on your own here.

Age in 2021: 31 (7 seasons)

TIM CATO: Green’s already older, turning 27 in June. But he’s an athletic dude with a really solid jumper who reminds me of a Serge Ibaka starter kit, at least offensively. This is only his third year in the league after a four-year college stint and some time spent overseas, so it’s safe to call him a late bloomer. He’s already a decent player, so a few years of slight improvements should put him near the top 100, if not actually there.

JOE MULLINAX, GRIZZLY BEAR BLUES: JaMychal Green still being a relevant NBA player in 2021 would be a major accomplishment for a player who began his career in the D-League.

TOM ZILLER: This presumes JaMychal Green actually has a contract by 2021, right?

MATT ELLENTUCK: Can’t NOT be ranked in the top 100 if you don’t have a contract.

Age in 2021: 31 (12 seasons)

KOFIE YEBOAH: Shrugs. I’m not that confident about this pick at all. While his athleticism will surely decline, I feel that he can still be a serviceable stretch four for championship teams in four years. It would be his 12th year in the league, but he will be 31 years old. I’m torn.

MIKE PRADA: His game has really fallen off in the last couple of years. I was optimistic that his athletic decline in Oklahoma City was due to playing out of position with the emergence of Steven Adams, but he looked even less springy this year.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: I’m a huge fan of Serge the person but not a big fan of the basketball player he’ll be in 2021. Thirty-one is still pretty young, but his game won’t age well.

TIM CATO: Whatever the reason, it feels like he has hit his athletic peak and is on the decline at this point. Yes, he has developed his skill set, but his talents are still wrapped too far around athleticism for his decline to be a good thing for his future.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Ditto everyone else. Ibaka’s drop-off has been a sad one.

Age in 2021: 27 (5 seasons)

MIKE PRADA: I just love this dude’s game. No idea if he’ll ever be good enough as a pick-and-roll player to be a high point scorer, but he’s forever the kind of player who every good team needs. A Jae Crowder for a new generation, and I mean that as a compliment.

JEFF SIEGEL, PEACHTREE HOOPS: Prince has the physical traits to be a high-level starting wing, but there are certainly questions about whether he’ll be able to put it all together and if his skill on either end of the floor will be enough to vault him into the top tier of wings in the league.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Prince had a really solid rookie year, and I almost took him with me next pick. It’s still tough to deduce what his future will be like after one season, but with the Hawks in tank mode, he’ll get plenty of opportunity in 2018.

TOM ZILLER: Saying he’ll get plenty of opportunity for a moribund, invisible Hawks team is like saying I’ll get plenty of opportunity as an architect when I bust out the Legos with my kid this weekend. It’s technically true!

Age in 2021: 30 (10 seasons)

MATT ELLENTUCK: Tristan Thompson is an extremely solid player who undoubtedly makes the Cavaliers way better in any series that isn’t against the Golden State Warriors. A clean-up and lob-finish player like him will last in this league, and though he may not have the tools to develop into a team’s best two or three players, he’s going to have a starting role for a while.

CHRIS MANNING, FEAR THE SWORD: Thompson’s two best skills — rebounding and switching — and his durability should keep him on this list. Just imagine if he could develop just a bit of range between now and 2021.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Only problem here is that for Tristan to be this good, he needs to be on a good team. Who knows what happens to him in the inevitable LeBron James fallout with Cleveland.

TOM ZILLER: I remember how anonymous Thompson was on pre-LeBron Cleveland. That could be back next year.

TIM CATO: No doubt — but anonymous players can still fall in the fringe top 100.

Age in 2021: 25 (6 seasons)

RICKY O’DONNELL: This is a total reach given what Johnson has done in his first two years in the league so far. I still believe, though. He has the size and mindset to defend anyone, and he can do a little bit of everything on offense. Give him a chance, Stan!

MATT ELLENTUCK: Stanley @ed SB Nation on his Instagram story to prove to us he hugged Frank Kaminsky one time. I don’t know what that means for his basketball future though.

TOM ZILLER: When your minutes get cut by 23 percent in your second season and not because the team improved its roster, that’s generally a bad sign.

MIKE PRADA: Ricky will starve on Stanley Johnson Island once Stan Van Gundy lays siege to it.

Age in 2021: 30 (9 seasons)

JOHN KETCHUM: I think Jae Crowder can only improve. As his career goes on, he’ll be seen as consistent and an asset on both ends of the floor. His trade to Cleveland will make him more valuable, and he’ll put up better numbers playing with a great passer like LeBron James.

Even though he’ll be over 30 by 2021, I think playing with LeBron will do a lot for his career, the same way it has for others.

TIM CATO: Crowder’s the type of player who’s primed for the best season of his career simply because he’s playing with LeBron James. But the most impressive trick would be if Crowder can somehow play all four of the following seasons with James, wherever he ends up signing.

CHRIS MANNING, FEAR THE SWORD: If his 2016-17 shooting numbers hold up, and he doesn’t slip too much defensively, Crowder should still be one of the league’s best complementary players in 2021.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: I really hope Crowder doesn’t get stuck in Cleveland after LeBron bolts.

MATT ELLENTUCK: I think the opposite of Whitney. If LeBron bolts and Crowder builds on the improvement we saw from him on the offensive end last season, he’s a deserving starting small forward. Cleveland would suddenly have money to pay him, too.

CHRIS GREENBERG: Agree that Crowder can be a high-leverage, two-way asset while LeBron is in Cleveland. And I’m always here for ALL CAPS TWITTER. But it’s probably not a good sign for this pick that we’re referring to him as simply a “deserving starting small forward.”

Age in 2021: 28 (8 seasons)

TOM ZILLER: Just as a preview of what’s to come from my erstwhile comrades, I thought Fournier was going to be my pick in the 60s. But these folks just kept picking worse prospects who will either still be children in ‘21 or will be on their athletic deathbeds. I should also note that this is Fournier’s ultimate triumph over Mario Hezonja, who unbelievably went unpicked.

CORY HUTSON, ORLANDO PINSTRIPED POST: Fournier will be 29 in 2021, so it’s fair to say he won’t have fallen off a cliff by that point.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Tom is right! Just google him and see for yourself!

TIM CATO: Whitney. This is a family website.

MATT ELLENTUCK: I googled him, and you’re all invited to my funeral.

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