4 big mistakes ESPN made with Top 100 player rankings

If injuries matter, then why are Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram ranked so highly?

Cade Cunningham missed all but 12 games last season, which is why he fell from the 35th spot last year all the way to 74th.

I can’t argue with this, and considering Cade is already nursing an injury in preseason, it’s certainly a concern.

He has to prove he can stay on the court before being anointed as the savior of the Detroit Pistons. Results matter a lot more than potential.

But couldn’t you say the same about Zion Williamson? He came in at 57th on the list, only a 17-spot drop after playing 29 games last season and zero the season before.

Brandon Ingram’s 27th ranking might be even more egregious, as he actually went up two spots after playing just 45 games last season and then being completely irrelevant in the FIBA World Cup even though he was one of the featured players.

Both of these guys are stars when healthy, but they haven’t been and weren’t penalized for it nearly as much as Cade Cunningham.

They do have more of a resume to fall back on, but if these rankings are really based on projections for the 2023-24, then Cade should probably be higher.