Who Are The Fastest Players In The NBA Right Now?
Basketball is well known as one of the most intense sports about with its end to end nature very much a key component of the sport. Who though are the fastest players in the NBA right now? Here we take a look.
Number 5. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Kicking off our list of the fastest players in the NBA lines right now is the ‘Greek Freak’, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He isn’t usually talked about in regards to speed but when you consider his monstrous frame and long legs it’s not all that surprising that he’s up there where pace is concerned.
The Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward can fly from one end of the floor to the other at ridiculous speed. Usually, those explosive runs end up turning into poster dunks or some huge transition slams. Every time you see a fastbreak kick off with the ball in Giannis’ hands, you might as well just pull over to the side and wait for him to pass you by. Very rarely is there any stopping him once he is moving.
Number 4. Zach LaVine
We’ve just touched on the dunking prowess of Antetokounmpo and now we turn our attention to another dunking specialist in the shape of the two-time Slam Dunk Champion Zach LaVine, who also makes it onto this list.
LaVine is now coming into his prime at 27-years-old and he’s currently on a Chicago Bulls team that loves to get out into transition and ‘let it fly’. We all know the athleticism that LaVine has when he rises up to throw it down but we often forget the speed that it takes to separate himself consistently from the rest of the pack in transition.
Combine those physical attributes with the phenomenal body control LaVine possesses and you have a basketball player with serious talent.
Number 3. Ja Morant
Ja Morant is one of the sure-fire candidates on this list. He’s just one of those guys that you never want to try and catch up to during a fastbreak or a transition play. You also don’t want to see him one-on-one either because he can torch you with his lightning-fast burst that will leave you just standing around five steps behind him.
The former NBA Rookie of the Year just had his best season as a pro just to top it all off. He’s getting tons of recognition and sprinting past people at full speed while he’s doing it. It makes him a seriously tough player to contain and his trajectory is only going one way. Up.
Number 2. Russell Westbrook
Seeing Russell Westbrook make the cut of the fastest players in the NBA right now might surprise a few; despite betting markets labelling Westbrook and co as a serious contender for the Championship, Westbrook endured a rather poor season and he’s seemingly been in decline for a couple of years now – particularly where output and star power are concerned.
Regardless of the criticism the Los Angeles Lakers point guard comes in for though, you simply cannot ignore his pure pace. His explosiveness and speed when the ball is in his hands hasn’t changed over the years. For nearly his entire playing career, Westbrook has been arguably the fastest player in the league.
That face hasn’t changed now with his fitness and running power not in question. If you catch Westbrook opening his legs, he’ll be hitting the rim pretty damn soon. The trouble with Westbook is what happens outside of his pace across the court.
Number 1. De’Aaron Fox
Last but not least in our look at the fastest players in the NBA right now is De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings. NBA 2K made sure to give the fans what they wanted as they handed Fox the fastest speed in the game with a 97 rating. While ratings aren’t always great evidence to go off of, it does back up the eyeball test.
Since entering the league, where Fox was picked up by the Kings as the number five overall pick, Fox has been up there with Westbrook as the only players consistently mentioned in the quickest player category. On top of his raw pace, Fox keeps on getting better and better for the Kings whilst his speed is always there to threaten his opponents whenever the ball is in his hands as well.
When you sit back and watch him play, you always just feel like he is a full step ahead the entire time. That’s a credit to not only his physical speed but his mental understanding of the game too.
There you have it, the fastest players in the NBA right now. Will anyone step up from the crowd to challenge Fox for the title in the coming season? We sure look forward to finding out!
Also Read: WILL LUKA DONCIC BE THE TOP PICK IN THE 2018 NBA DRAFT?
