ESPN: Thunder Has Four of the Top Fifty Bubble Players

ESPN Is ranking the top 50 players inside the NBA bubble. We'll tell you which Thunder players made the list.

The Oklahoma City Thunder may not have any of the NBA top five players (right now), but that doesn't mean they are heading into the restart short-handed. 

According to ESPN, the Thunder have four of the top 50 players inside the bubble. The rankings come from a panel of experts Tim Bontemps, Kirk Goldsberry, Tim MacMahon, Kevin Pelton, Jorge Sedano, and Andre Snellings. Each writer made a list, ESPN took the composite (from those lists) to come up with the final rankings, and here is how the Oklahoma City came out. 

50. Dennis Schroder: Snelllings Says:

Schroder has played himself into contention for the Sixth Man of the Year. His ability to create offense for the second unit while slotting in as a scorer next to Chris Paul on a dynamic first unit makes the Thunder a dangerous opponent for any team in the postseason.

40. Danilo Gallinari: Snellings Says

"Gallinari has quietly produced his second straight high-impact season to help lead his team to the playoffs. He benefits from great looks created by Chris Paul, and his ability to stretch the floor with volume 3-pointers at strong percentages opens up the action for his teammates to thrive."

35. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: MachMahon Says:

"Gilgeous-Alexander was a solid role player last postseason as a rookie with the Clippers. This season, he'll probably need to perform like a star for the Thunder to make a run. As a sophomore, he has led a balanced OKC offensive attack with 19.3 PPG, thriving as Chris Paul's young sidekick."

15. Chris Paul: Sedano Says: 

"Paul has had a resurgence in Oklahoma City, back to being the CP3 we all were accustomed to seeing before his two seasons in Houston. Paul is shooting an extraordinary 48.9% from the field, his highest percentage in a decade. He has brought a businesslike intensity to OKC that permeates both ends of the floor. His play and the success of the Thunder have been one of the biggest surprises in the league this season".

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With more than 20 years of experience hosting local and national radio shows, Erik Gee is a fixture of Oklahoma sports media. He has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder for the past six seasons. He is also the co-host of the Pat Jones show on 97.1 The Sports Animal in Tulsa.