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NBA Season Preview: 5 best off-the-dribble creators

By John Buhler

Oct 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during a game against the New York Knicks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during a game against the New York Knicks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 8, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) passes the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers won 108-105. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) passes the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers won 108-105. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

1. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers SF

LeBron James is the only forward to make this list. There isn’t a comparable player to James in the current NBA. He’s essentially a better version of Magic Johnson for his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. James’ game will continue evolve as he ages, but he is the best point forward in basketball.

James is 6-9 and 250 pounds of pure muscle for Cleveland. His basketball IQ is off the charts. James can get buckets at will, but clearly prefers to be the facilitator for the Cavaliers with point guard Kyrie Irving being their primary scoring threat.

James has never been an elite shooter, but is a world-class distributor, and is at his best attacking the rim from the point forward position. Traditional power forwards don’t have the lateral quickness to keep pace with a driving James. Even the best wing defenders can’t match up with his goliath frame out on the perimeter.

Until we see his game regress ever so slightly, James will remain the best player in basketball. He’s selfless, highly intelligent, and more physically dominant than any ball handler in the game. There’s maybe one player that can guard James one-on-one in the NBA Playoffs: Golden State’s Andre Iguodala.

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Should those two teams meet for a third straight NBA Finals, it will be the most watched NBA Playoffs series in league history. When James has the basketball in his hands, the other team just has to hope that he’s having an off day. Nobody is going to stop King James when he’s playing his A game.