Flow Rankings
Which NBA Players have the best Flow?
Defining a player’s flow is tricky. Flow aligns with what our eyes tell us. A player with good flow commands the game with an effortlessness that can leave the viewer in a trance. They get their stats routinely, at times, so casually that the viewer loses track of just how impressive they are. They make it look easy. A player with good flow is like a driver cruising alongside the salt flats in Utah. The viewers are passengers conflating the translucent highway burn with the sky above. In basketball, flow may be best defined as players’ ability to move at their own pace and impact the game. Several players can do this, but some do so more gracefully. Kawhi Leonard in his prime did not wow viewers with his quickness and above-the-rim athleticism, rather he could control the pace of the game which was his most masterful quality. Let’s not confuse Flow with the cliche “Go with the flow.” Sure, A hip-hop artist with a good flow allows the beat to work in their favor in the same way a basketball player with a good flow allows the game to come to them. But flow is not a passive term. Much like the hip-hop artist who commands the beat smoothly and eloquently, a player with good flow dictates tempo without static and chop. If there were a criterion for quantifying flow, it may look something like this:
Ease: Do they make the game look easy?
Command: Do they control the game’s pace when they want to?
Aesthetic: Do you use words like “beauty” or phrases like “Poetry in Motion,” when describing them
Fluidity: Are their movements fluid?
So which current players have the best flow? Let’s rank and score them.
1.) Shai Gilgeous:
The current king of cruise control and MVP darkhorse is a sight to behold. While there is an element of pick-up ball herk and jerk to his game, he moves with such an ease, that it almost seems like he’s not breaking a sweat. SGA doesn’t appear to get rattled either. His matter-of-fact disposition can only help a young core of players yet to land on the big stage. At only 25 years of age, SGA is the elder statesman of the bunch, and his play is far more advanced than his age suggests. Check the clips below. In the first clip, SGA catches a sideline out-of-bounds pass, reverse pivots, takes one dribble with his left hand, and knocks down a slight fadeaway for the game-winner. When watching this, it almost looks like he does this in one motion. When comparing Shai to a Hip-Hop artist, Nas comes to mind. Both are slightly unassuming and mysterious, both smooth and relentless. How can we compare the Midwest’s best basketball player to one of New York City’s grittiest vocalists? Take geography out of the equation and the answer is simple.
Ease: 5 Command: 5 Aesthetic: 5 Fluidity: 5 Total Score: 20
2.) Nikola Jokic:
The league’s best player is also in the running for the best flow. Jokic’s flow is not demonstrative, nor is it overly assertive. When watching Jokic, it appears that the game is too easy for him in the same way playing the guitar was too easy for Jimi Hendrix. Not only does he do everything well, but he does so with rhythm and cadence. There is no greater irony in the NBA than a seemingly slow and clunky big man playing the most beautiful and poetic form of basketball in the world. Jokic isn’t much for interviews and glamor, but his genius is unparalleled. He is the Andre 3000 of basketball, willingly sacrificing for his teammates while enhancing their skill, only to emerge and take control when the moment demands it. And when the moment demands, few things are as mesmerizing to watch.
Ease: 5 Command: 5 Aesthetic: 5 Fluidity: 5 Total Score: 20
3.) Devin Booker:
D Book, like the others above him, can take control of a game at will. Unlike SGA and Jokic, Booker does so with a stylistic flare that has shades of prime Kobe. His inside-out game leaves defenders panicked and confused and he has no issue letting his opponents know when he is hot. What makes his flow unique compared to other shot-makers or great scorers is the ease with which he gets to his spots. When he needs to get somewhere on the court, he does so without much interference and when he’s running hot, it looks like he is deliberately toying with his opponents, calculating his next move as a test of his own skill. Initially, I compared Booker to Canibus for their hard hitting and ruthless flow, one that is both cutthroat and rhapsodic. I then considered early “Reasonable Doubt” Jay-Z Both have that cool rhythmical swagger but aren’t afraid to talk some shit. When blending the two together, Kendrick Lamar emerges as Booker’s best flow comp. Two bona fide stars whose creativity and authenticity shine in the spotlight.
Ease: 5 Command: 5 Aesthetic: 4 Fluidity: 4 Total Score: 18
4. Lebron James:
The King makes the cut. Lebron’s game may not be as aesthetically pleasing as his counterparts on this list, but his command of the court is second to none. His basketball IQ is triumphant, and he is flowing up and down the court seamlessly. Last year, his efforts looked more labored during the game-he was fatigued, didn’t have the same lift, and was front rimming three-point shots. This year, the king is leading fast breaks with the charge of a cheetah, throwing down his trademark dunk and single-handedly winning games with his fourth quarter brilliance. Against the clippers, he scored from everywhere on the court, threatening the defense with an impending drive to the basket that mimicked early 2010’s Lebron. This freed up his jumper, allowing him to shoot without much contest. Last year, Lebron relied too heavily on deep step-backs and post-ups that started at the elbow as a means to score. When we disregard all of these details, the eye test suggests that a shift in flow from labored and forceful to commanding and graceful is taking place. Last year, Lebron was the artist that produced a cursory album after the big hit. This year, he has rediscovered a new sound, one that has shades of an earlier self but is complimented by rare genius. Lebron is Black Thought. Just when we think the new generation is passing him by, he takes over a game or drops this freestyle.
Ease: 4 Command: 5 Aesthetic: 4 Fluidity: 4 Total Score: 17
