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Two Kings Ranked in SI’s Top 100

Sports Illustrated recently released its list of the Top 100 NBA players for 2015.

Compiled by Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney, the rankings are based on a “fluid combination of subjective assessment and objective data.” Applied to each player sans “influence of team context”, the pair’s goal was to project solely the players’ upcoming season without affect of the team for which they play.

Based upon the aforementioned criteria, two Kings standouts landed in the Top 100 – Rudy Gay (67) and DeMarcus Cousins (27).

 Following an efficiency revival over 55 games in Sacramento, Gay reaffirmed himself as a top-tier small forward in the NBA with career-best averages of 20.1 PPG and 48 FG%.

 In its evaluation, SI shared the following about the 28-year-old.

Although No. 8 made positive strides overall, Golliver and Mahoney cited his slight decline in three-point shooting and rebounding as reason for Gay’s three-spot drop from the 2014 rankings.

In the 2014 edition of SI’s grades, Cousins was slotted at No. 53, which is pretty solid for a 23-year-old coming off of his third season as a pro. Following a stellar 2013-14 campaign and an eye-opening summer with the U.S. National Team, DMC jumped 26 spots to the No. 27 position. The Mobile, Ala. native recorded career-highs in points (22.7 PPG) and rebounds (11.7 RPG), and an All-NBA-worthy 26.2 PER.

SI gushed when summarizing Boogie’s year:

Another key factor in Big Cuz’s meteoric rise in SI’s rankings was, again, his brilliant play over the summer in which he tallied an 11-point and nine-rebound performance in the finale.

To view the complete list, check out the Sports Illustrated Top 100.