ESNY’s Top 5 NBA players through the All-Star break: Has James Harden passed LeBron James?

Elite Sports NY’s 17-writer panel votes on the top five players in the NBA over the first-half of the 2016-2017 season.[sc name=”NBA Center Right” ]

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]tephen Curry and DeMarcus Cousins found themselves outside of ESNY’s 2017 top five NBA players at the All-Star break, which should give you an idea of just how onerous coming up with such a list actually is. Now, we reveal the five players our panel did vote as the league’s best ahead of this year’s NBA All-Star game.

To restate the mission, our 17-writer panel was tasked with sorting through the NBA’s cream of the crop — think guys like Kyrie Irving, DeMar DeRozan, Anthony Davis, LeBron James & friends — and listing the very best from one through five.

Players are ranked in order of total votes received, with 1st-place votes serving as the tiebreaker in the event players shared an even number of votes. Total votes follow the player’s name (1st-place votes are in parentheses).

[sc name=”Generic Link Next” link=”elitesportsny.com/217/02/18/esny-top-5-nba-players-through-all-star-break-video-james-harden-lebron-james-444/2/” text=”NBA Player No. 5″ ]