NBA Draft Kit: Expert Composite Rankings

Written by

Gabriel Allen

Updated on October 7, 2021 7:08PM EST

With the 2021-22 regular season rapidly approaching, the RotoWire NBA crew presents their Expert Composite Rankings.

Some notes about the project:

These are the individual and average rankings of Nick Whalen, Alex Barutha, James Anderson, Ken Crites and Gabe Allen.
The process was different than in previous seasons. Rankings were not organized by hand, but rather through a program that had the user choose between two presented players -- which one would you rather draft? The process was completed enough times to generate rankings. Participants were also encouraged not to look at statistical projections while completing the task.
- Why was this method chosen? In theory, it better represents the standard draft process. You can do plenty of preparation before the season -- and maybe you have time to check projections during the draft -- but when you're on the clock, the decision often comes down to a gut feeling.
Some participants went through a list of 150 players, and some went through a list of 200, resulting in some players going unranked for individuals. However, those players still end up in the average rankings.
The project started in mid-September, meaning some rankings would presumably change if it were re-done today. For example, less was known about Kyrie Irving's vaccination status, and Caris LeVert's back injury wasn't revealed.
Rankings are based on eight-category leagues.

Note: Column headers are sortable

Player	Barutha	Anderson	Whalen	Allen	Crites	AVG RK
Nikola Jokic	1	1	1	1	1	1
James Harden	2	2

With the 2021-22 regular season rapidly approaching, the RotoWire NBA crew presents their Expert Composite Rankings.

Some notes about the project:

These are the individual and average rankings of Nick Whalen, Alex Barutha, James Anderson, Ken Crites and Gabe Allen.
The process was different than in previous seasons. Rankings were not organized by hand, but rather through a program that had the user choose between two presented players -- which one would you rather draft? The process was completed enough times to generate rankings. Participants were also encouraged not to look at statistical projections while completing the task.
- Why was this method chosen? In theory, it better represents the standard draft process. You can do plenty of preparation before the season -- and maybe you have time to check projections during the draft -- but when you're on the clock, the decision often comes down to a gut feeling.
Some participants went through a list of 150 players, and some went through a list of 200, resulting in some players going unranked for individuals. However, those players still end up in the average rankings.
The project started in mid-September, meaning some rankings would presumably change if it were re-done today. For example, less was known about Kyrie Irving's vaccination status, and Caris LeVert's back injury wasn't revealed.
Rankings are based on eight-category leagues.

Note: Column headers are sortable

Player	Barutha	Anderson	Whalen	Allen	Crites	AVG RK
Nikola Jokic	1	1	1	1	1	1
James Harden	2	2	2	2	3	2.2
Stephen Curry	3	4	3	3	2	3
Luka Doncic	6	5	4	8	6	5.8
Damian Lillard	5	11	5	5	10	7.2
Karl-Anthony Towns	4	6	6	7	9	6.4
Kevin Durant	10	10	7	4	5	7.2
Giannis Antetokounmpo	8	3	8	6	4	5.8
Paul George	7	8	9	10	15	9.8
Jayson Tatum	9	12	10	9	7	9.4
Trae Young	15	7	11	11	14	11.6
Joel Embiid	12	20	12	12	11	13.4
Anthony Davis	14	9	13	14	18	13.6
Bradley Beal	11	15	14	16	12	13.6
LeBron James	13	13	15	13	8	12.4
Bam Adebayo	19	22	16	15	21	18.6
Domantas Sabonis	16	33	17	20	17	20.6
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	30	16	18	24	22	22
Zach LaVine	17	14	19	35	24	21.8
Fred VanVleet	29	18	20	18	13	19.6
Jimmy Butler	28	32	21	21	29	26.2
Brandon Ingram	32	34	22	23	20	26.2
LaMelo Ball	24	17	23	19	46	25.8
Devin Booker	22	21	24	33	27	25.4
Zion Williamson	26	23	25	17	38	25.8
Julius Randle	20	56	26	25	16	28.6
Michael Porter	39	19	27	30	34	29.8
Nikola Vucevic	46	28	28	31	19	30.4
De'Aaron Fox	31	29	29	32	25	29.2
Jaylen Brown	18	30	30	22	23	24.6
Donovan Mitchell	27	25	31	29	40	30.4
Kyrie Irving (pre-vaccine concerns)	23	26	32	37	70	37.6
Jrue Holiday	33	27	33	36	42	34.2
Dejounte Murray	36	36	34	34	68	41.6
Pascal Siakam	45	35	35	27	36	35.6
Khris Middleton	48	37	36	26	47	38.8
Tobias Harris	41	31	37	28	48	37
CJ McCollum	34	52	38	43	49	43.2
Christian Wood	47	42	39	45	30	40.6
Myles Turner	50	41	40	49	26	41.2
Rudy Gobert	21	38	41	50	28	35.6
John Collins	42	24	42	38	35	36.2
Russell Westbrook	25	49	43	47	61	45
Chris Paul	37	44	44	42	32	39.8
Deandre Ayton	40	55	45	40	33	42.6
Tyrese Haliburton	77	54	46	48	39	52.8
OG Anunoby	80	40	47	41	79	57.4
Clint Capela	49	61	48	51	31	48
Draymond Green	58	60	49	44	85	59.2
Ja Morant	35	51	50	39	43	43.6
Lonzo Ball	57	39	51	70	67	56.8
Robert Covington	61	81	52	66	109	73.8
Richaun Holmes	56	45	53	58	44	51.2
Malcolm Brogdon	52	53	54	56	37	50.4
Ben Simmons	53	106	55	57	110	76.2
Darius Garland	66	58	56	67	66	62.6
Jaren Jackson	44	46	57	46	65	51.6
Anthony Edwards	62	62	58	69	50	60.2
Mikal Bridges	82	47	59	53	92	66.6
Buddy Hield	67	108	60	78	56	73.8
Collin Sexton	65	80	61	71	57	66.8
Terry Rozier	55	67	62	64	52	60
Jusuf Nurkic	81	57	63	65	104	74
Kyle Lowry	38	43	64	52	45	48.4
Jonas Valanciunas	59	59	65	61	55	59.8
Gordon Hayward	79	63	66	73	88	73.8
Jerami Grant	72	68	67	68	58	66.6
DeMar DeRozan	51	50	68	62	60	58.2
Kristaps Porzingis	64	48	69	55	74	62
Chris Boucher	102	93	70	84	54	80.6
P.J. Washington	105	78	71	63	95	82.4
Jarrett Allen	88	71	72	60	73	72.8
Dillon Brooks	85	94	73	100	102	90.8
Mike Conley	54	86	74	74	53	68.2
Cade Cunningham	68	65	75	54	72	66.8
Robert Williams	69	72	76	77	41	67
Caris LeVert	43	77	77	87	64	69.6
Norman Powell	83	85	78	99	111	91.2
Kevin Porter	92	66	79	98	51	77.2
Bogdan Bogdanovic	76	76	80	86	75	78.6
Andrew Wiggins	93	70	81	80	80	80.8
Nerlens Noel	121	133	82	115	105	111.2
Harrison Barnes	100	87	83	90	69	85.8
De'Andre Hunter	60	107	84	136	96	96.6
Keldon Johnson	86	75	85	72	63	76.2
Chuma Okeke	129	111	86	142	146	122.8
Miles Bridges	82	47	87	53	92	72.2
Nickeil Alexander-Walker	130	142	88	101	101	112.4
Jonathan Isaac	87	176	89	59	82	98.6
D'Angelo Russell	89	73	90	76	106	86.8
Wendell Carter	103	104	91	109	94	100.2
Spencer Dinwiddie	78	64	92	82	83	79.8
Devonte' Graham	70	98	93	79	71	82.2
Dennis Schroder	110	110	94	123	112	109.8
Tim Hardaway	NR	121	95	NR	NR	108
Jordan Clarkson	114	122	96	112	81	105
Isaiah Stewart	90	82	97	75	89	86.6
Mitchell Robinson	104	143	98	118	142	121
Brook Lopez	96	83	99	88	98	92.8
RJ Barrett	111	90	100	116	90	101.4
Aaron Gordon	120	99	101	119	118	111.4
Khem Birch	145	147	128	94	115	125.8
Jakob Poeltl	97	89	103	104	122	103
Derrick White	63	74	104	81	86	81.6
Kyle Anderson	108	91	105	117	120	108.2
Jalen Green	91	69	106	107	59	86.4
Will Barton	99	100	107	120	93	103.8
Kemba Walker	94	113	108	85	107	101.4
Malik Beasley	75	112	109	125	119	108
Bojan Bogdanovic	84	129	110	128	103	110.8
Dorian Finney-Smith	149	114	111	110	141	125
Marcus Smart	73	92	112	83	62	84.4
Thomas Bryant	142	163	113	150	148	143.2
Evan Mobley	113	141	114	95	84	109.4
Kelly Olynyk	101	157	115	91	91	111
Larry Nance	107	105	116	126	113	113.4
Kelly Oubre	124	84	117	127	123	115
Reggie Jackson	74	124	118	144	144	120.8
Tyler Herro	NR	101	119	NR	NR	110
Jaden McDaniels	140	109	132	145	137	132.6
Aleksej Pokusevski	137	183	121	135	117	138.6
Gary Trent	NR	139	134	NR	NR	136.5
Saddiq Bey	126	130	123	134	87	120
Royce O'Neale	146	170	124	111	143	138.8
Josh Hart	NR	162	125	NR	NR	143.5
Daniel Gafford	136	152	126	138	99	130.2
Kevin Huerter	123	119	127	96	116	116.2
Jalen Suggs	95	103	102	106	97	100.6
Seth Curry	127	96	129	92	133	115.4
Nicolas Batum	144	153	130	129	136	138.4
Ivica Zubac	131	88	131	108	126	116.8
Thaddeus Young	112	115	120	105	131	116.6
Joe Harris	NR	140	133	NR	NR	136.5
Luguentz Dort	NR	97	122	NR	NR	109.5
Duncan Robinson	NR	145	135	NR	NR	140
Isaiah Roby	150	189	136	148	149	154.4
Al Horford	98	123	137	89	130	115.4
Coby White	NR	178	138	NR	NR	158
Maxi Kleber	147	95	139	139	129	129.8
Daniel Theis	122	138	140	131	76	121.4
Doug McDermott	NR	150	141	NR	NR	145.5
T.J. Warren	117	102	142	149	135	129
Steven Adams	118	167	143	146	145	143.8
Evan Fournier	109	144	144	133	108	127.6
Andre Drummond	143	155	145	130	138	142.2
Jae'Sean Tate	139	160	146	113	77	127
Cole Anthony	NR	172	147	NR	NR	159.5
Klay Thompson	NR	131	148	NR	NR	139.5
Eric Bledsoe	NR	144	149	NR	NR	146.5
Derrick Rose	125	134	150	132	125	133.2
Darius Bazley	NR	187	151	NR	NR	169
Kyle Kuzma	NR	135	152	NR	NR	143.5
Talen Horton-Tucker	133	168	153	122	140	143.2
Matisse Thybulle	NR	180	154	NR	NR	167
Patrick Williams	119	125	155	93	132	124.8
Goran Dragic	NR	132	156	NR	NR	144
De'Anthony Melton	NR	174	157	NR	NR	165.5
Mason Plumlee	NR	146	158	NR	NR	152
Blake Griffin	NR	151	159	NR	NR	155
Lauri Markkanen	106	118	160	143	139	133.2
Marcus Morris	NR	137	161	NR	NR	149
Cameron Johnson	NR	120	162	NR	NR	141
Cam Reddish	NR	127	163	NR	NR	145
Davis Bertans	NR	166	164	NR	NR	165
Markelle Fultz	135	179	165	140	128	149.4
Kawhi Leonard	134	198	166	103	78	135.8
Josh Richardson	NR	161	167	NR	NR	164
Kira Lewis	NR	188	168	NR	NR	178
Derrick Jones	NR	190	169	NR	NR	179.5
Terrence Ross	116	154	170	124	121	137
Danuel House	NR	173	171	NR	NR	172
Killian Hayes	NR	196	172	NR	NR	184
Mo Bamba	NR	184	173	NR	NR	178.5
John Wall	NR	164	174	NR	NR	169
Monte Morris	132	117	175	97	134	131
Malachi Flynn	NR	181	176	NR	NR	178.5
Rui Hachimura	NR	126	177	NR	NR	151.5
T.J. McConnell	NR	199	178	NR	NR	188.5
Brandon Clarke	NR	158	179	NR	NR	168.5
Jalen Brunson	NR	159	180	NR	NR	169.5
Donte DiVincenzo	NR	128	181	NR	NR	154.5
Scottie Barnes	NR	169	182	NR	NR	175.5
Marvin Bagley	NR	192	183	NR	NR	187.5
Kenyon Martin	NR	148	184	NR	NR	166
Devin Vassell	NR	171	185	NR	NR	178
Joe Ingles	115	136	186	102	124	132.6
Justin Holiday	NR	175	187	NR	NR	181
Otto Porter	NR	182	188	NR	NR	185
Nemanja Bjelica	NR	191	189	NR	NR	190
Victor Oladipo	NR	200	190	NR	NR	195
Bobby Portis	NR	185	191	NR	NR	188
Kevin Love	138	186	192	144	150	162
Jamal Murray	NR	197	193	NR	NR	195
Rudy Gay	NR	197	194	NR	NR	195.5
Danny Green	NR	193	195	NR	NR	194
Danilo Gallinari	NR	149	196	NR	NR	172.5
Ricky Rubio	NR	165	197	NR	NR	181
Jae Crowder	141	156	198	147	127	153.8
Isaac Okoro	148	177	199	141	147	162.4
Franz Wagner	NR	194	200	NR	NR	197