Top 25 Players in the NBA Entering This Season

These rankings can be summed up in one statement: “If I am an NBA GM and can have one player for this season to help me win a championship, who am I taking 1st, 2nd, 3rd…etc”. There’s no concrete equation here where I plug in the numbers and spit out the answer….it’s all subjective. However, there are plenty of things I take into account like regular season and playoff counting stats, advanced stats, the eye test, and injury history. There are also questions I ask myself when I compare two players. What does this player do that contributes to winning, particularly in the playoffs? Do they make others around them better, and in what ways? There are plenty of other questions I ask myself, and it becomes very difficult when looking at a player who may have played very little last season (or did not play at all). Again…all subjective. Let’s get into the rankings.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo

It’s now clear Giannis is the best basketball player in the world. Giannis averaged roughly 32 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists in the playoffs….is that good? The Bucks did fall short in the Semis to the Boston Celtics in 7 games, but given the weight Giannis had to carry with Khris Middleton out, it’s impressive they even got the series to 7.

2. Stephen Curry

We just witnessed peak Steph Curry in June. I did not imagine that would be the case coming off the left leg injury he suffered in March, but that was pretty clearly his best Finals performance averaging about 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. This performance included a heroic Game 4 which helped the Warriors avoid going down 3-1 and really seemed to shift the momentum in the series.

3. Nikola Jokic

Jokic is the back-to-back MVP and just posted the greatest player efficiency rating (PER) in a single season of any player ever in NBA history. He rarely misses games, and his improvement on defense last season helps boost him to 3rd on this list. If the Nuggets can stay healthy, they could have a real shot this year.

4. Kevin Durant

KD falls to number four for me this season. The negatives are the recent injury history and his performance in the playoffs against the Celtics which may imply the decline has begun having just turned 34. However, we can’t put too much stock into one playoff series when Durant has been so exceptional outside of that series and was arguably the favorite for MVP before he got hurt in January.

5. Luka Doncic

At such a young age, it is insanely impressive what Luka has already accomplished in his career. He helped get the Mavs to the Conference Finals last season before falling to the eventual champions. Coming into this season seemingly in much better shape than he did entering last season, the sky is the limit for the numbers he could put up.

6. Joel Embiid

Embiid came very close to winning MVP last season as he once again improved on his game. He became even more of a dominant scorer and without him the 76ers defense can fall apart. Could this finally be the year Embiid helps Philly validate ‘The Process’?

7. LeBron James

We have to take a moment to acknowledge how wild it is for a player who is about to turn 38 years old to still be one of the top ten players in the NBA. LeBron averaged 30 points last season and had plenty of great moments. The fall in the rankings can mainly be attributed to recent injury history, his declining play on defense, and his age.

8. Jayson Tatum

Tatum and the Celtics came very close to winning the championship last season. He took strides on the defensive end and as a playmaker and had quite a few signature performances in the playoffs including his Game 6 against the Bucks when he had 46 points and refused to lose. I want to see him continue to improve as a playmaker and be aggressive in getting to the rim more often.

9. Kawhi Leonard

The biggest question with Kawhi has been his health. When we see him play, he’s proven time and time again what he is capable of as an elite two-way player. This Clippers team could be dangerous. If they are able to capture their first championship in franchise history Kawhi will be the number one reason they do so.

10. Jimmy Butler

There has to be some merit to Jimmy Butler saving his best for the playoffs. The Heat’s shooting woes put them in trouble a lot in the playoffs and yet, they still came very close to making the NBA Finals. How did they do it? Jimmy Butler put the team on his back. It’s difficult not to include Jimmy in the top 10 entering this season when he was without a doubt one of the 4 best players during the playoffs.

11. Damian Lillard

After Dame’s abdominal surgery, he says he is stronger than ever coming into this season. I have no reason to think he won’t have an awesome season this year after a sluggish start last season before the injury. Lillard is still one of the best scorers in this league and has become a better playmaker in recent years. The Blazers’ team success could be a different story however in a deep Western Conference that will have 11 teams fighting for 8 playoff spots.

12. Ja Morant

Ja took a huge leap last season that I thought he could make and even exceeded my expectations. He became a more efficient and high volume scorer from three, midrange, and in the paint, and led Memphis to the 2 seed in the West. He should continue to build off of this success and continue to improve as a shooter. The biggest weak point for Morant right now is his defense.

13. Devin Booker

Booker has already been an elite shooter and scorer for years now, but his improvement on the defensive end is what has taken him to the next level. Now with Chris Paul continuing to get older, Devin will need to become a better playmaker in order for the Suns to get back to the Finals.

14. Donovan Mitchell

I did drop Mitchell compared to where I had him last year due to him underperforming in the playoffs and his poor on-ball defense. However, on a new team with a slightly different role, I’m excited to see him with the Cavs this season. Mitchell will need to play more off the ball compared to last season in Utah and really lock in on defense. The scoring threat he carries is something Cleveland really could have used last season and will certainly make them better this season.

15. Paul George

After the disappointing showing from George in the 2020 playoffs, he shook that off with some great showings the following year to help the Clippers make the Conference Finals without Kawhi. George can be incredible at times, but I’m hoping he can finally play 55 games this regular season which is something he hasn’t been able to do the last three seasons.

16. Trae Young

Another player with a lot of early success is Trae Young. After at one point being dubbed as a good stats, bad team guy, he shook that narrative led his team all the way to the Conference Finals in 2021. He is someone who can put on a show and is never afraid of the moment. This season will be super interesting for Trae with the addition of Murray since Trae is such a ball dominant player.

17. Anthony Davis

There’s the saying that goes “availability is the best ability”. Davis has not been very available: he has played an average of about 49 games over the last four seasons. The other strange thing was that when Davis was out there last season his outside shooting dipped and he seemed to not play with as much intensity. With Davis looking healthy and lighter on his feet in the pre-season, he could be primed for a huge bounce back season.

18. Jaylen Brown

I have felt that Jaylen has been underrated for a few years now. He was a super solid and consistent two-way player for the Celtics last season and had the Celtics won the championship, he probably would have been Finals MVP.

19. Anthony Edwards

After having a sensational showing in the playoffs, Edwards is primed for a jump similar to the one Ja Morant had last season. He definitely does not lack confidence, and I expect him to make his first all-star team and lead the Timberwolves back to the playoffs.

20. Karl-Anthony Towns

Towns had a sensational offensive statistical season and made All-NBA Third Team. You might look at his numbers and think this is too low for him, but there are concerns about his defense and I thought he was inconsistent in the playoffs. This season with the addition of Gobert, it’s going to be very interesting to see how Minnesota’s defense looks when both are on the floor at the same time.

21. Chris Paul

The longevity of Chris Paul’s career is amazing, but how much longer can he keep it up? After having two cracks at a championship with legitimate contenders, many people are saying Chris Paul and the Suns missed their window. I do not believe that is necessarily true, but it will be more difficult this year with a deeper West.

22. DeMar DeRozan

With DeMar, everyone is asking if he can replicate the season he had last year. He had an incredible season and there was a short stretch were he was being talked about as an MVP candidate. He’s one of the few guys that has really proven how valuable the midrange can still be despite all the people telling him he needs to shoot more 3’s. I don’t expect him to have quite the same season he did, but I do think he will be the Bulls best player again this year.

23. Zion Williamson

Trying to figure out where to rank Zion makes me feel like I’m back in my college Macroeconomics class. I can sit in the library studying for 4 hours the night before the exam, and when I’m sitting there taking it I’m still gonna have to guess on certain questions. If he stays healthy he will have awesome numbers and will make an All-NBA team. Will it translate to the Pelicans being the 4 seed or the 8 seed? Will he put it all together on the defensive end? Guess we will find out.

24. Pascal Siakam

Siakam had a huge turnaround near the end of last season after the slow start. He made the All-NBA Third Team and led the Raptors to the 5 seed. I’m looking to see Siakam continue to improve as a playmaker and as a shooter. The tough thing for the Raptors is that so many other teams improved in the off-season.

25. Brandon Ingram

Brandon Ingram was balling in the first round in the playoffs against the Suns and they had a real shot to win the series. He had another solid season and led the Pelicans to rally in order to make the playoffs. This season might be the one where they put it all together and make a huge leap.