My annual ESPN Insider position rankings are back.
To formulate the rankings, I study each player's on-court performance and advanced metrics, including wins above replacement player (WARP) and real plus-minus (RPM). Then I slot the players as I see them, according to their predicted quality of play for this season.
1. LeBron James
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
RPM SF rank: No. 1
WARP SF rank: No. 1
Overall #NBArank: No. 1
Hidden talent: Now that "Trainwreck" has shown James to be a fine comedic actor, what do we have left?
Taking it to the next level: If there is one player for whom you can say there is no next level, it's James. That said, James' playoff shooting dip has bled into this season, as he's just 5-for-26 from deep and is shooting worse than 60 percent from the line. With every other indicator in line with his career standards, you anticipate a regression.
2. Kevin Durant
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
RPM rank: No. 3
WARP rank: No. 2
#NBArank: No. 2
With Russell Westbrook's mushrooming cloud of dynamism now encompassing efficiency, has Durant become the Thunder's 1-B superstar? He's creating a little less off the dribble. No matter -- Durant remains a top-five player and can dial it up when needed.
Hidden talent: Since Durant can raise up from the outside against anyone, it's sometimes forgotten just how good he is off the bounce. Two years ago, Durant's 1.06 points per drive was the best number of any player over the last three years, per SportVu.
Taking it to the next level: If Westbrook dominates the playmaking, Durant could stand to improve to his middling catch-and-shoot accuracy.
3. Kawhi Leonard
Team: San Antonio Spurs
RPM rank: No. 2
WARP rank: No. 3
#NBArank: No. 8
As Leonard makes the delicate transition from finisher to creator, his defensive impact remains so strong that he's a top-three player at his position regardless of his offensive role.
Hidden talent: Leonard is an exceptional post player, and LaMarcus Aldridge's arrival hasn't stymied that burgeoning trait. Leonard's points-per-post-up over the last two seasons ranks in the top 10 percent of the league.
Taking it to the next level: This season, Leonard's 28 percent usage rate threatens to subsume his formerly improving assist rate. If Leonard is ever going to be a bona fide MVP candidate, playmaking has to be a big part of his arsenal.
4. Carmelo Anthony
Team: New York Knicks
RPM rank: No. 6
WARP rank: No. 4
#NBArank: No. 27
Anthony may not be the top-five overall player many believe he is. Still, though he's not on the same tier as the big three at his position, Anthony remains an easy pick for the fourth slot. His defensive issues will always undermine his offensive prowess.
Hidden talent: One of the reasons Anthony's teams function better with him at power forward is that the less you make him move on defense, the better he performs. Before last season's injury-plagued campaign, Synergy's metrics rated him in the top five percent as a post defender for two straight seasons.
Taking it to the next level: Stop taking so many midrange shots. Really, just stop.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Team: Milwaukee Bucks
RPM rank: No. 9
WARP rank: No. 12
#NBArank: No. 40
Like Jimmy Butler last season, Antetokounmpo's body is different. He's stronger and more explosive. He's figured out that when he decides to attack the paint, there aren't many defenders who can do anything about it.
Hidden talent: Antetokounmpo's improving strength has increased his defensive versatility, which is now as good as anyone's in the league. Two years ago, he ranked in the last percentile defending big men in the pick-and-roll. Last season, he was in the 91st.
Taking it to the next level: Antetokounmpo has become more selective -- and accurate -- with his jump shot. If this keeps up, look for him in the All-Star Game.
6. Gordon Hayward
Team: Utah Jazz
RPM rank: No. 4
WARP rank: No. 5
#NBArank: No. 32
Hayward is as well-rounded as any player at his position beyond James and Durant. Given the Jazz's problems at point guard, Hayward's playmaking skills are James-like in terms of importance to team success.
Hidden talent: Hayward has averaged as many as 5.2 assists per game. That figure is not merely a function of having the ball in his hands a lot. His per-pass metrics the last two years have ranked in the top 10 percent of the league, according to SportVu.
Taking it to the next level: With good size and plus athleticism, Hayward can have even more of a defensive impact now that he's stronger.
7. Chandler Parsons
Team: Dallas Mavericks
RPM rank: No. 17
WARP rank: No. 6
#NBArank: No. 62
The Mavericks badly need a secondary playmaker in their starting five, and when he gets back to full health, Parsons is well equipped to fill that role.
Hidden talent: Parsons shines off the bounce, which is a big reason to hope his passing can be more productive. In two of the last three seasons, Parsons has ranked in the top four percent of small forwards in shooting off the dribble, per Synergy.
Taking it to the next level: Parsons is an average defender according to RPM. Given Dallas' lack of rim protection and Dirk Nowitzki's age, the Mavericks need Parsons and their other defenders to make an impact.
8. Danilo Gallinari
Team: Denver Nuggets
RPM rank: No. 13
WARP rank: No. 10
#NBArank: No. 69
Knee surgery limited him to 59 games over two years, but the sharp-shooting Gallinari has nearly returned to his pre-injury level of play. He is being judged accordingly.
Hidden talent: Take your pick. Gallinari is not just a fine post-up option, but he's a terrific pick-and-roll ballhandler. On the latter front, he ranked in the 92nd percentile in limited time last year and is in the 98th percentile so far this season, per Synergy.
Taking it to the next level: Not surprisingly, Gallinari was brutal on defense after returning last season. He was a solid defender before that and, at 27, it's too soon to abandon hope he gets back there.
9. Harrison Barnes
Team: Golden State Warriors
RPM rank: No. 25
WARP rank: No. 19
#NBArank: No. 80
In these rankings, we focus more on what a player does as opposed to what he could do in a different situation. Increasingly, Barnes is leaving less to the imagination and more in the box score.
Hidden talent: Barnes' dribble-drive game is taking off -- literally, as evidenced by some highlight-reel dunks. Assist rate is up. Foul-drawing is up. Turnovers are down.
Taking it to the next level: Barnes' usage rate is up some, but he'd have to really amp up the volume to get into the elite level at his position. Only way that happens in Golden State is if someone vital gets hurt. Barnes will have to console himself with that championship ring.
10. DeMarre Carroll
Team: Toronto Raptors
RPM rank: No. 10
WARP rank: No. 8
#NBArank: No. 61
Carroll is an ideal role player who over the years built himself into the coveted asset that landed him the four-year, $60 million contract he got from the Raptors over the summer.
Hidden talent: Carroll gave up .33 points per play last season defending roll men, the best qualifying number of any player over the last three seasons, according to Synergy.
Taking it to the next level: It's early, but Carroll's usage rate is up and his efficiency is way down. It's a new system and things are tighter. The portion of Carroll's shots taken with at least 4 feet of cushion has dropped by 18.1 percent, per SportVu.
The middle third
11. Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets
12. Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies
13. Luol Deng, Miami Heat
14. Jae Crowder, Boston Celtics
15. Rudy Gay, Sacramento Kings
16. C.J. Miles, Indiana Pacers*
17. Al-Farouq Aminu, Portland Trail Blazers
18. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers**
19. Mike Dunleavy, Chicago Bulls
20. Marcus Morris, Detroit Pistons
You have no idea how badly I wanted to slot Tony Allen into the top five. One of the joys of next-level metrics is elite defenders can get their due. I like watching Allen defend as much as I like watching any other player score. In the end, though, he's 34 years old and does not play a full rotation role. If he only had more minutes and a jump shot.
* Indiana's Paul George has played the majority of his minutes at PF and will be ranked with that group.
** Jordan Clarkson has started at shooting guard for the Lakers this season, moving Bryant to small forward.
The bottom third
21. Otto Porter, Washington Wizards
22. Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets
23. P.J. Tucker, Phoenix Suns
24. Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers
25. Evan Fournier, Orlando Magic
26. Lance Stephenson, Los Angeles Clippers
27. Dante Cunningham, New Orleans Pelicans
28. P.J. Hairston, Charlotte Hornets***
29. Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks
30. Tayshaun Prince, Minnesota Timberwolves
It seems like Bazemore is playing out of position, but he's off to a blazing start, so perhaps he moves up by the end of the season. You can say the same things about Fournier. Covington is struggling with an MCL sprain at the moment. The metrics love him, as he's in the top 10 in both RPM and WARP. That's based on less than 2,000 minutes with a terrible team and obviously I'm not sold. But he bears watching.
*** Charlotte's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, out for the season with a dislocated shoulder, was not ranked.