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The NBA is in constant flux. A trend here, and a fan-friendly trend there, and the NBA adapts to suit the current generation. The evolution of the NBA slasher is simply another nuance augmenting the game before the not too distant future changes the game again. There are obvious slashers missing from this list, and that's certainly no disrespect to those that should be mentioned in the comment section. I went more with the versatility, for an NBA player with multiple seven-foot slashers is a great one indeed.
Shouts to Elgin Baylor and Julius Erving elevating what a slasher could be.
Without further ado, let's get to it. Here are the top 10 slashers ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season.
#10 Ben Simmons
For all the criticism of a lack of outside games, what Ben Simmons does best on the floor is get to the basket. At 6'10" and 240 pounds, Ben Simmons has an advantage over most defenders looking to overpower him on the way to the rim. He is a prototype of athleticism and skill packaged in a power forward frame. The question for Ben Simmons is, will he ever grace the NBA floor before NBA fans forget that yes, he too would be great? The adversity as social media scorches his name, it could be the darkside Ben Simmons needs to dominate the NBA - as he should. Slashing left, and slashing right before the flight eye level to the rim. An almost perfect mix of size, speed, strength, ball handling and agility shouldn't be something the NBA has to miss, yet the game will go on, and other generational slashers wow the game.
#9 Zion Williamson
Are you serious? A 6'7" 284 pound 21 year old hulking tank with tremendous athleticism and unknown in full skill will have the rock at the top of the key, and stare at the basket downhill as defenders move out of the way or get crushed? Zion Williamson is the reason for so many busted lips on the asphalt from unaware defenders ill prepared for a power move after receiving a great pass, snatching a high point rebound or gliding magnificently with powerful precision to a rim about to scream.
He is also an anamoly of physical deception. Big men aren't supposed to be able to move like this. Big men like Zion Williamson should have their backs to the basket and about to flush another one after pivoting quickly scant nanoseconds from receiving an interior pass. Not in this current dimension.
Prepare to witness many rim attacks from the free throw line extended and even further from the basket. Who will stop this basketball behemoth from tearing down the rim on a drive originating at the top of the key? That's a serious question.
#8 Luka Doncic
Another dynamic phenom of youthful wonderment is Luka Doncic. The moves just move you. The 6'7" 230 pound 22 year old playmaker is also an evolution of sorts. He was battling men when so many were happy to hit puberty, and to garner so much international attention at such a young age just shows how much of a ringer Luka Doncic is. He powers his way to the rim with either side brillance, and the prowess of the defender is immaterial. Luka Doncic will bulldog you and put you through the rim before you realize what's going on. We've all seen crafty players along the way of basketball love, and Luka Doncic, the Slovenian slasher of current might, will also help redefine what a slasher should resemble.
#7 Paul George
Paul George is a 6'8" 220 pound lean mass of chill momentum and classic basketball exceptionalism. His skills are a gift reserved for the elite few fortunate to arrive on this Earth as hoops globally thrive. His ups and career downs notwithstanding, there is no other more skilled athlete in the game in full use of his abilities as Paul George. Deftly fluid in such a way that fans watching Paul George are able to see in his example just how unguardable a top NBA player is one-on-one. If his jumper is falling like the water it is off secondary breaks? The next meme with your favorite player getting dunked is about to go viral.
Also Read: What is Paul George’s Current Contract?
#6 Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler slashes to the cup another way. He mixes hesitation drives with resilient ambition to win the moment. Defenders don't know if he will pull up in and around the lane because of his outstanding mid-range game, or reverse spin at the rim for two. Jimmy Butler's NBA will might be overstated, yet it is an NBA constant: a Jimmy Butler definition. You will not outwork him in front of him. Butler driving to the basket is a journey into why he is one of the best in the game without being called the best in the game. Battle-tested teammates are present this season, so watch for the many Jimmy Butler slashing NBA highlights you wouldn't believe you just saw.
#5 Giannis Antetokounmpo
NBA world champion Giannis Antetokounmpo is the embodiment of an Ernie Barnes painting. The length of his limbs and bliss of his otherworldly lift contributes to a player who will be seen as one of the most athletic players of all-time in any sport. He gets to the rim with relative ease. To be seven-foot with that much agility and power still at the edge of his youthful prime is unlawful. Giannis didn't have to shoot from the outside in the playoffs as much as any superstar usually would because his forays to the basket were just as efficient. As the NBA adapts to his current prominence, who are the defenders able enough to somehow neutralize a player still hungry to win it all again?
#4 LeBron James
Think back to the early mentions of LeBron James. The driving force in his early superstardom was his versatility at 6'8" 250. He is also an athlete that will populate future lists of what the greatest athlete of all-time looks like. Operating at the left elbow just beyond the arc, he'll use a step back to hit threes and then crush the opposition with bully drives to the glass. He finishes with either hand because he's ambidextrous, and his dexterity is an underrated part of his game. LeBron James teams win because with a usage rate of 31.55 - which sits fifth all time in the NBA - he gets to the goal and scores more than most. To hit a career 50% clip with such consistency highlights how players can be effective when getting to the rim at will. No wonder it won't be long before he's the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
#3 Russell Westbrook
At number two in usage rates behind Michael Jordan and just ahead of Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook's rim attacks are legendary stuff. Westbrook is relentless. His competitive will is also one of the best of all time in the NBA. How else could the career triple-double king amass so many versatile numbers at 6'3"? He once told me he didn't dunk a basketball until the last game of his senior year in high school.
It was crazy to hear then, and still sounds insane now, for Russell Westbrook is another in the greatest athletic realm. With a will not be denied mind and bunnies of strength and speed, Russell Westbrook the slasher is a natural one. Watch the former Westwood collegiate star add to the celebrity of Tinseltown this season, and his drives to the basket will be memorable with so much star quality around him.
#2 Kevin Durant
That very same day, when Russell Westbrook told me of his late blooming dunking exploits, Kevin Durant spoke of his ambition to be great. Eleven years later, Durant is a basketball icon. He's one of the most feared scorers in NBA history and will most likely finish his career as the NBA's leading scorer - passing a future crowned LeBron James. Another seven-footer, Kevin Durant's passionate strides into the cup are set up by his dominant jumper from anywhere on the floor. He's a great enough athlete that he's easily able to get his shot off over anyone, yet when he drives, let it be known he will dunk on you as if you stole something from him.
#1 James Harden
If James Harden began his prolific scoring binge early in his career, he'd be higher on the scoring list by now. Some players take their talented time to settle in their prime, and James Harden is more than his signature move, the step back three. Having complete control of the defenders in front of him with such left-handed flair and patience makes James Harden the NBA's top slasher - right now. His ball handling breaks down the opposition just enough to expose a weakness that he willingly exploits on the way to the basket. While James Harden doesn't play above the rim too often, rest assured his bounce is enough to throw it down just when it's unexpected. That's the allure of James Harden's game: the sure ability to do the unexpected. To score in a myriad of ways that only he can. We are privy to one of the most unique NBA talents, and the slasher plays alongside two other extraordinary slashers, and we'll get to see just how good James Harden is at driving to the rim to NBA win.
