Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell receive the ultimate snub in recent rankings

The Los Angeles Lakers are a polarizing franchise with a permanent residence under the NBA spotlight. It's a fact that's inevitably resulted in Lakers players being praised more consistently than the athletes who operate in a smaller market.

The pendulum can swing in the other direction, however, and that seems to be the case with a recent list naming the top 100 players in the NBA.

Los Angeles is coming off of a season in which it finished 47-35 and lost in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. As such, it's understandable for the general idea to surface that Lakers players beyond Anthony Davis and LeBron James should have trouble cracking the top 100.

It becomes far more difficult to agree when one considers who two of the omitted players were: Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell.

Brandon Anderson and Matt Moore of Action Network recently released their rankings of the top 100 players in the NBA. Two Lakers made the cut, with James checking in at No. 7 and Davis, who played 76 games in 2023-24, appearing at No. 13 due to concerns over his availability.

Reaves and Russell were omitted, however, in favor of a number of players to whom one could argue they compare favorably.

Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell omitted from recent Top 100 Players list

Russell has become one of the most under-appreciated players in the NBA in recent months. His name routinely surfaced in trade rumors ahead of the 2024 trade deadline and the same transpired once he accepted his player option for the 2024-25 season.

This transpired despite the fact that he was one of just five players to average at least 18.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 three-point field goals made per game in 2023-24.

Russell's postseason woes were troubling, but his play in the regular season was crucial to Los Angeles even reaching the playoffs. That was evident in the fact that he became the fourth player in NBA history to average at least 18.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 three-point field goals made per game on 40.0 percent shooting or better from beyond the arc.

It's also worth noting that one of the players ranked in the top 100 instead of Russell was fellow point guard Jose Alvarado of the New Orleans Pelicans, who averaged 18.4 minutes per game last season.

An argument could be made that the more egregious snub was Reaves. He took a massive step forward individually, averaging career-best marks of 15.9 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 three-point field goals made per game during the regular season.

Reaves also continued to play well during the playoffs, which one would think would prevent him from facing the same criticism as Russell.

Instead, two of the more dynamic guards in the NBA were left on the outside looking in of the top 100. It's a decision that should act as fuel to the fire that's already raging within a locker room that's been undervalued around the Association.

If there's a silver lining to be found, it could be as simple as JJ Redick not needing to look very far for ways to motivate his players in 2024-25.