2021 NBA player rankings, Nos. 70-61: Jahlil Okafor still has one believer

When reading this ongoing projection of the 101 best NBA players in 2021, it’s important to remember that this is not a consensus list. Instead, 10 of us picked one after the other, fantasy draft style. That way, we could defend our picks while the rest of the crew argued for or against them.

That’s an important prelude to the surprising choice one of us made at No. 70. Let’s get to it.

Age in 2021: 25 (6 seasons)

CHRIS GREENBERG: We’re all understandably excited about the future of the 76ers. Jahlil Okafor is not the future of the 76ers. But that does not mean he has no future.

Okafor is only 21 years old right now. Sure, he hasn’t delivered on all — or any — of that silky post game promise he used in a lone season at Duke to earn all sorts of hardware and the No. 3 spot in the 2015 draft. His two seasons in Philly have been a disaster. But Philly has also been totally fine with being an outright dumpster fire for his entire time in town.

Maybe he’s not the next Tim Duncan. But what about the next Al Jefferson? That’s pretty useful. Like Jefferson, Okafor will benefit from a change of scenery, either by way of a trade soon or free agency. Needless to say, this pick will look much smarter after the Spurs pick him up on the cheap and Pop maximizes his offensive talents.

KYLE NEUBECK, LIBERTY BALLERS: This is absolutely insane.

There is no evidence he can live up to the defensive responsibilities of a modern center, he’s not a good enough rebounder to compensate for that issue, and his offensive strengths are increasingly useless with the way teams play. Maybe going vegan magically changes all those things, but I just don’t see it right now.

TOM ZILLER: Chris, is this a cry for help?

CHRIS GREENBERG. Not help, necessarily. Just attention.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Chris, I’m ordering you lunch for tomorrow. You must have been hungry making this pick.

CHRIS GREENBERG: Lunch would be great.

MIKE PRADA: Feels odd to say this about a 21-year-old, but the game has passed Okafor by. You just can’t get away with that many deficiencies for your big man.

Age in 2021: 22 (4 seasons)

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: You lost your mind if you thought I wasn’t going to take at least one Knick.

In all seriousness, though, Frank Ntilikina isn’t flashy. He’s not going to break ankles or wow crowds nightly. But he’s going to do two things: Play defense and play smart basketball. And if the Knicks are winning basketball games in four years, stability at the point guard position will play a major part in it.

MIKE PRADA: Ntilikina will be 22 in four years. How many good 22-year-old point guards are playing today? Spoiler alert: not many.

TIM CATO: I’m concerned Ntilikina won’t even be starting in four years.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: The Knicks spelled his name wrong on his first practice jersey. Save all of these potentially great players from the Knicks please.

CHRIS GREENBERG: So ... you’re saying he is a potentially great player?!?!

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: I STAND BY THIS PICK DAMMIT.

JOE FLYNN, POSTING AND TOASTING: In a league of freaks and unicorns, it’s hard to place a 6’6’’ point guard with a 7-foot reach. If Ntilikina can stick at point guard, this ranking could end up extremely low given the way he already defends.

Age in 2021: 26 (7 seasons)

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Nurkic will thrive in Portland alongside Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. He’s the perfect big man to fit with that team. They’ll bring out the best in Nurkic and he’ll be averaging a double-double at 26. He’ll also have the 2018 NBA’s Most Improved Player Award on his shelf at home.

TOM ZILLER: If you need the perfect situation to be a passable NBA player, I hold little faith for your long-term future.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: Situations and environment matter!

MATT ELLENTUCK: This is pretty high for a guy most thought was trash except for like the last three months of the season. Recency bias, or is Whitney on to something here?

MIKE PRADA: Gonna need to see a little more than a couple good months considering the way he sulked out of Denver.

DAVE DECKARD, BLAZERS EDGE: Teammates, health, and conditioning will determine whether he becomes a potent weapon or a passing curiosity.

TIM CATO: The only thing that could prevent Nurkic from being a top-100 player in four years is if he gives up basketball to pursue the family business as a Bosnian policeman like his dad.

Age in 2021: 31 (11 seasons)

TIM CATO: I mean, this all comes down to health. But Holiday’s at least a top-70 player right now, and there’s no reason why a 31-year-old Holiday won’t be around the same unless he just simply can’t stay healthy. Which is a real possibility, given his track record so far!

OLEH KOSEL, THE BIRD WRITES: With NBA mileage not being an encumbrance, Holiday is primed for success despite being on the wrong side of 30. If he develops a confident, deadly three-point shot, a ranking of 67 is going to be far too low.

Yes, I enjoy living out on this little ledge.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: In four years, Jrue will still be a physical defender at the point guard, a solid shooter and a game-managing point guard. If he can stay healthy, he should still be a top-70 player.

MIKE PRADA: I love Holiday’s game, but I’m scared he looked so off once DeMarcus Cousins arrived. Then again, an adjustment period is to be expected and who knows how much longer Cousins is in New Orleans anyway.

Age in 2021: 28 (8 seasons)

KOFIE YEBOAH: The Pistons fan in me misses KCP. I don’t know what team he’ll be on in four years, but he could thrive depending on his new destination. He’ll be in his prime, so that’s a plus.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Can KCP do anything else besides shoot? Can he even shoot well enough to just be a guy who can shoot? I don’t think he’s settled the many questions he came in with four years ago.

TOM ZILLER: He can defend, and the shooting is a question mark. I think he’ll settle in as a plus two guard somewhere. I just don’t know if that’s worthy of a top-75 player.

MIKE PRADA: I want him to be good and all the parts suggest he should be good, but will the full package ever come together?

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: I think it depends on where KCP is playing in four years. I agree with Ziller, but I’d like to think he’ll develop offensively by 2021.

Age in 2021: 21 (2 seasons)

MIKE PRADA: My Limited Upside podcast cohort Ben Epstein has spent the last few days raving about this guy, so consider this a show of faith in Ben’s ability to evaluate talent. Ricky seems to like him too, which is good enough for me.

More interesting question: will R.J. be the best Canadian player in the world in four years, or will it be that other guy in Minnesota? (Foreshadowing!).

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Let the high school picks begin.

RICKY O’DONNELL: Easily could have been the first high school player taken. Barrett might end being what everyone thought Wiggins would be.

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: I like this pick and wish I would’ve made it myself. Every Canadian I know is bonkers over this kid. He led Team Canada to a shocking win over Team USA in the U19 division in July with 38 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. Great pick.

TIM CATO: It’ll be neither when the Anthony Bennett comeback happens.

TOM ZILLER: Prada’s talking about Andrew Nicholson, right?

Age in 2021: 27 (7 seasons)

MATT ELLENTUCK: Clint Capela was extremely productive in Year 3 with the Rockets as a clean-up man with a rapidly developing defensive game. He’s just 22 years old now, and his job will become that much easier with Chris Paul coming into town alongside James Harden. I have a feeling this potential “Big 3” will stay together for some time.

TOM ZILLER: This is a pretty good pick, though I’m not sure he’s irreplaceable for the Rockets if that makes sense.

RICKY O’DONNELL: It feels like the league is trending toward players with ball skills at all five positions. Capela is good at what he does, but he’s still fairly limited offensively.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Capela might be a backup’s backup somewhere in four years.

MIKE PRADA: Terrific pick and I think there will still be a space for him in the league. I dunno what Kristian is talking about here.

Age in 2021: 24 (5 seasons)

RICKY O’DONNELL: Murray can really shoot the ball and I think he has some sneaky potential to handle point guard duties on offense, too. He might never be a good defender, but No. 63 feels right for a player with his skill level.

TOM ZILLER: It’s so disappointing that he didn’t put up numbers last season, because he’s the type of fun player everyone could have gotten behind for an insurgent Rookie of the Year campaign.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: This is a good pick. I like Jamal Murray and he’s an interesting piece to a young mosh pit of talent in Denver. He should be the starter in four years, if not way sooner.

Age in 2021: 23 (4 seasons)

ZITO MADU: Last year, Rick Pitino described John Collins as a “terrific basketball player, the best post player in our league by far, if not the country.” He put on a offensive highlight show in summer league, but it’s not just that he can dunk. He’s generally active, which leads to initial and second chance points for him and his teammates.

JEFF SIEGEL, PEACHTREE HOOPS: The Hawks are very excited about how Collins can develop as an ultra-athletic power forward in an era that demands such athleticism from that position. But with zero minutes of NBA action to his name, it’s impossible to tell if he’ll be in the top 25 four years from now or off the list altogether.

MATT ELLENTUCK: Collins could be a solid clean-up guy in the league later down the line, but a top-65 player in four years? Nah.

TOM ZILLER: I totally forgot who drafted Collins, and I’m honestly not interested enough to look it up. That’s how much I hate this pick.

MIKE PRADA: You just put him here because of that one Summer League dunk, didn’t you?

WHITNEY MEDWORTH: To be fair, it was a pretty great dunk.

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: POSTER MACHINE.

Age in 2021: 25 (7 seasons)

TOM ZILLER: Someday, Aaron Gordon’s coaches will figure out how to use Aaron Gordon. Here’s hoping it comes before 2021.

CORY HUTSON, ORLANDO PINSTRIPED POST: Sixty-one feels like an appropriate median outcome, but Gordon could very well land far ahead or far short of that rank.

RICKY O’DONNELL: I still believe. Playing Aaron Gordon at the three last season was a crime against humanity. Get this man in a Draymond role!

KRISTIAN WINFIELD: Aaron Gordon will be better than Blake Griffin in four years. Blake Griffin has not been picked yet. Y’all are tripping.

MIKE PRADA: It’s the year 2020. Magic coach Randy Wittman announces his intention to play Gordon at small forward, with Jonathan Isaac at power forward and Nikola Vucevic at center. Gordon shoots 30 percent from three and looks lost until Orlando salary-dumps Vucevic at the deadline. Gordon then shifts to the 4, intrigues next to Isaac at the 5, and we get excited again.

Then, the Magic sign Jahlil Okafor in free agency. Wittman announces his intention to play Gordon at small forward, with Jonathan Isaac at power forward. Gordon shoots 30 percent from three ...

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