Top 5: Current NBA players who have redefined the Basketball

The NBA is the backyard of all the experimentation and creativity in basketball. It has continuously embellished the game since its inception. It has evolved a lot since it began. Once there was no three-point line in the NBA and the game was pretty much conducive to tall gigantic players only.

The American Basketball Association introduced the concept of the three-point line which was later also followed by the NBA. The major ABA teams were also merged with the NBA in order to create a single larger league. The introduction of the three-point line offered a greater chance for shorter, swifter and acrobatic players. Many other progressive changes have also been effectively absorbed by the NBA. Modern-day basketball offers almost equal opportunities to all the players irrespective of their build.

The ground reality is also perceptible, in which much smaller players can be seen faring equally to their taller counterparts. Players such as Muggsy Bogues and Earl Boykins are living legends for many. Another conspicuous parallelism can also be observed in the body types i.e. heavy body type and leaner body type. Discernible examples are Shaquille O'Neal and Dirk Nowitzki, both of them have a great reputation in the basketball world.

There are always a few players who are creative and innovative enough to add their own flavour to the game. Michael Jordan's stay airtime was something which was never witnessed and then it became his signature mark. Another aesthetic which comes to the mind is Allen Iverson's crossover, something which no one ever imagined to be so much effective. Today, we will take a look at the top 5 NBA players playing this season, who have redefined the game of basketball with their own unique style.

#5 James Harden

The first thing that comes anyone's mind on hearing James Harden, is his long beard and his step-back shot. Step-back is very hard to guard as it creates a lot of space between the two opponents. Sometimes his step-back is actually travelled, but most of the time it is calculated enough to call it legal.

Everyone has their own version of step-back, but James Harden has entirely revolutionized the move by making it so much conspicuous. Harden has exploited the step-back to the most bolstered by his left-handedness dexterity. Harden is also shooting more than six step-back per game this season, which is more than enough to create a big impact in every game.

The key player of Houston Rockets is also in the MVP contention this season. The stats are also mind-boggling, averaging almost more than 36 points with 6.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. This season has been one of the best seasons of James Harden with 42% shooting accuracy. He has also scored more than 60 points two times in a single game.

#4 Giannis Antetokounmpo

One can plausibly argue that the greatest modern-day discovery of the NBA in Europe is the 'Greek Freak'. Giannis is an epitome of a complete basketball player. Giannis is almost 7 feet tall, an excellent ball handler and aggressive in both offense and defense.

The driver of Bucks juggernaut started his career as a small forward but his versatility has completely shattered the traditional views about the role of a tall player. What makes him different from the rest of the players is his capacity to defend well and also lead his team in the points table. The big impact player is also considered to be the heir to the Lebron James.

This season is one of the best seasons for Antetokounmpo, with 72 games played with an average time of 32.8 minutes. He is scoring almost 27.7 points per game, mind-boggling 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. The leader of the eastern conference voting in 2019 is also three times NBA All-Star and also leading scorer from bucks this season.

#3- Russell Westbrook

Oklahoma City Thunder v Charlotte Hornets

Also known as the 'Beastbrook', Russell is a powerhouse in himself, able to lit up the crowd and invigorate the spirit of his team at the same time.

6 feet and 3 inches may not look very impressive on papers, but the vertical jump and speed of Russell are always enough to put him in his own orbit. His extreme athleticism and multifarious finishes can easily daunt any defender. Even after being so much wavering and acrobatic he didn't get any severe injury.

The brightest streak of OKC is a quintessence of following natural instincts. The star has several titles which include, eight times NBA All-Star, most triple-double in a season, 2010 FIBA World Championships and many more.

This season Russell is scoring almost 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game. The dominance level of Russell in OKC can be reconciled from an almost unbreakable record of possessing the ball for more than one-third of the total team possession time.

#2 LeBron James

New Orleans Pelicans v Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James is also known as the 'King' of the NBA, who is of course currently in exile. Speculations about him being a great basketball player started early in college time. James played his rookie season with his hometown Cleveland. Winning three times NBA championship and multiple appearances in the NBA finals is a spectacular feat in itself.

LeBron James has redefined playing positions, the game IQ and physicality make him capable of playing anywhere in the court. His no-look backdoor pass is almost flawless. The skipper has been 4 times MVP (2009, 2010,2012 and 2013), monstrous 15 times NBA All-Star in a row, 2 Olympics Gold Medal, 1 Olympic Bronze Medal and 1 Bronze in 2006 FIBA World Championship.

One of the hottest topic before this season was about who is better 'Kobe' or 'James'. Lebron James is the only player who is closest to the status of being the greatest current NBA player after legendary Michael Jordan. One thing is sure, that we will definitely watch him breaking many major records previously held by great NBA legends in next season.

#1 Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors v Charlotte Hornets

The child prodigy of the former NBA Star 'Dell Curry', Stephen Curry has proved to be sensational. Under the guidance of Steve Kerr and with fellow teammates i.e. Green, Kevin Durant, and Thompson GSW have been successful to put forward almost a super team equipped with best players of NBA.

Stephen Curry is considered as the best shooter NBA ever had. Curry has revolutionized the game by increasing the focus of the team management on shooting more number of three-pointers.

Stats of Stephen Curry runs deep, which include 2 times MVP, 6 times the NBA All-star, NBA scoring champion and many more. Curry has recorded the maximum number of three-pointers by a single player in a game (13) against New Orleans. This season Curry is averaging 27.8 points with 43% shooting accuracy behind 3 point line.

The arsenal of Curry includes moves like hesitation, sharp crossovers, pump fake and exceptional shooting abilities far beyond the three-point line colluding him to be formidable on the court. Defenders have a hard time guarding Curry, as he moves way too much and keeps vacillating in terms of intention of passing, shooting or drawing fouls.

For over 6 years Curry has proved to be the quintessence of hard work in Basketball. Stephen Curry has a net worth of 90 million in 2019 and multiple endorsements from 'Under Armour', 'Britta' and 'JP Morgan Chase'.