50 BEST
PLAYERS
IN THE NBA
There are roughly a million ways to rank and order players in today’s analytically inclined NBA where stats and information can overwhelm those of us who don’t have a degree in quantum physics. Seriously, pick just about any stat or specific skill—like offensive rating, win shares, +/-, or shooting percentage on corner threes—and we can neatly order the 500-plus players who will be on an NBA roster this season into a coherent hierarchy.
But when wading into a topic as arbitrary, and often inflammatory, as who are the NBA’s 50 best players, you often reach a state of chaos before ever approaching any sort of consensus. Which, honestly, is the way it should be when the rankings rely largely on the eye test mixed in with a few other factors.
While it’s kind of an absurd proposition, of course, to accurately and definitively order basketball’s best players, it’s what we love to do. And we have the chutzpah to tell you that we do it better than anybody else out there. So we’re back, before the start of what we hope is a truly normal basketball season after two straight weird ones, to offer up our annual NBA player rankings.
Exhaustively argued and astutely ordered, our readers know ranking the top 50 players in the NBA is a tradition here at Complex Sports. But before wading into this year’s version, you should know that we’ve anointed someone new as basketball’s best. Spoiler alert: the reign of LeBron James as the NBA’s unquestioned No. 1 baller has ended. While LeBron stans and Lakers fans may protest, we expect the majority of readers will not have any issues with our new No. 1. Nor will they have any issues with our top 5. Or probably the top 10. The controversies and complaints start once we get into the teens and we’re prepared to never hear the end of it for placing the forever polarizing Draymond Green on our list yet again.
We think you’ll agree with how the majority of our rankings shook out, knowing, of course, that this exercise will forever be rooted in imperfect science. You’ll probably raise a few eyebrows or possibly even curse our name as you scroll through. We get it. We respect it. Just read the reasons why we moved Khris Middleton way up and left a few familiar names from previous seasons off before roasting us on Twitter, please.
No. 50
LaMelo Ball
What can you say about the kid? He’s already a star and worth the price of NBA League Pass alone. LaMelo had a stellar rookie season by living up to his father’s hype on a team owned by the GOAT himself. That’s a tall task if you ask me. No doubt in my mind, LaMelo should be higher on this list and I’m sure by season’s end he will be. His shot selection and defense can use some work, but his craftiness on both ends of the floor more than makes up for those minor slights. The Hornets should be seeing themselves as playoff regulars if they continue to build a team around their young superstar in the making. We gotta call his father a prophet from now on.
No. 49
Draymond Green
Don’t get mad if you end up seeing Draymond Green make the NBA 75, the league’s list of 75 greatest players that will be released shortly in celebration of its 75th season. I write that because I’ve seen enough media members espouse Green’s resume as being worthy of serious consideration, if not outright inclusion. If he makes it I’m sure Twitter will explode since Green just might be about the most polarizing player in the NBA, if not the most ridiculed. Frankly, I really don’t get why so many basketball fans pile on the three-time NBA champion who is a three-time All-Star, made two All-NBA teams, has been named to six All-Defensive teams, and was the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year. Yeah, he ain’t great on offense and he plays alongside two of the greatest shooters in NBA history and he called up Kevin Durant from the Oracle Arena parking lot immediately after Game 7 of the 2016 Finals. So what? You’d love to have Green on your squad playing gritty defense every possession, making the ball move as Golden State’s top facilitator, and doing a ton of the dirty work. Sure he’s flawed, picks up way too many flagrants, and will frustrate the hell out of you with the occasionally horrific shot that ricochets off the backboard, missing everything else. But Green’s gonna be a Hall of Famer one day and he’s still way better and more valuable than 90 percent of the other players in the league.
No. 48
Pascal Siakam
The Raptors forward is hanging onto his top 50 privileges by a thread after a disappointing campaign last season that ended with him needing shoulder surgery over the summer. Pascal Siakam should return to the Raptors lineup full-time in the next few weeks fully recovered and motivated to prove last season was an aberration. Toronto hopes the Siakam who returns to the lineup resembles either the All-NBA performer from the 2019-20 campaign or the one who won the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award for his breakout 2018-19 season. But at age 27, it’s not like Siakam doesn’t still have a high ceiling and the best, ideally, should still be yet to come. The hype around his play has obviously waned, but when healthy he’s still a very good two-way player who should pour in 20-plus points a night for the rebuilding Raptors. We’d like to see Siakam develop into a consistent 3-point shooter since his numbers from beyond the arc nose-dived last season, but there’s a lot more to love than loathe about Siakam’s game.
No. 47
Fred VanVleet
The guy who used to be one of the most underrated players in the league has quietly morphed into one of the most indispensable. Sure, there are better point guards in the NBA, but I’d be more than happy to have Fred VanVleet running my offense after watching the Wichita State product work his ass off, entering the league as an undrafted rookie who only saw action in 37 games that first campaign to a few short years later becoming Toronto’s most valuable bench player on its 2019 title team. The season after that VanVleet got bumped up to a starter and taking advantage of the opportunity he showed he was worthy of a longer term investment. The Raptors gave him a richly deserved five-year, $80 million contract before the start of the 2020-21 season then watched VanVleet average 19.6 PPG and 6.3 APG, proving—as if there was any doubt—that he was worth the money since $20 million a year for a guard who can give you 20 points a night, distribute, rebound, and be a menace on defense is practically a bargain. VanVleet may never stroke it like Damian Lillard or leap like Ja Morant, but I’ll take Steady Freddy (an official Basketball Reference nickname in case you had any doubts) over a lot of other guys at the point.
No. 46
Michael Porter Jr.
The first player on our list who got PAID this summer. The Nuggets dished out a massive extension—five years, $207 million—to the young sharpshooter/scorer who averaged 19.0 PPG last season and rightfully so. The ceiling on Michael Porter Jr. is through the roof, thank you very much MJ, because there aren’t that many 6’10” forwards out there with as silky and smooth of a jumper as the fourth-year player who, let’s not forget, missed what was supposed to be his entire rookie campaign during the 2018-19 season. Porter was shelved that year because of back surgery and, quite frankly, that’s the reason he dropped to the Nuggets at No. 14 in the 2018 NBA Draft in the first place. Between health issues and his non-existent effort on defense almost all of the time, there are holes in the 23-year-old’s game. But Denver knows what it has in Porter, who connected on a scintillating 44.5 percent of his threes last season and was a beast down the stretch of the season, stepping up after Jamal Murray went down with a torn ACL. The kind accuracy and scoring acumen Porter brings to the court will forever be financially rewarded in the NBA.
ADVERTISEMENTSWIPE FOR NEXT SLIDE
No. 45
John Collins
We ranked John Collins 46th last year. Just because we only bumped him up one slot doesn’t mean his 2020-21 season wasn’t impressive. Or that he hasn’t taken bigger strides on his way to establishing himself as a force at power forward who can throw down thunderous slams, rebound the hell out of the ball, and knock down nearly 40 percent of his threes. The career 38.0 percent shooter from beyond the arc also plays some very respectable defense (he averages 1.0 BPG) and after another standout season playing sidekick to Trae Young in Atlanta, the Hawks opened their checkbook to give Collins a huge five-year, $125 million deal. Only 24, Collins is among the most athletic forwards in the game and actually is a better shooter across the board compared to Young. Now we all know Young’s responsibilities are different, he plays a different position, and he’s a volume shooter who takes ridiculous threes and crazy twos when he’s trying to get fouled so his numbers need context. But let the record show Collins yet again finished among the league leaders in effective field goal percentage (.610, 15th place) and true shooting percentage (.645, 16th place). No shade to Trae, but that’s the kind of company only Collins can keep.
No. 44
Deandre Ayton
There were times this past postseason where Deandre Ayton looked like he could be a top 25 player heading into the 2020-21 season. Ayton didn’t quite keep the same energy in the NBA Finals that we saw out of the young center in the Western Conference finals where he put up 17.8 PPG, 12.8 RPG, and 1.7 BPG over six games against the Clippers. But if you weren’t overly familiar with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft out of Arizona you for sure know his future is incredibly bright and Phoenix would be wise to lock up one of the most talented young centers in the game. Ayton’s in a standoff with the Suns over a max extension he thinks he’s worth and the Suns, reportedly, are hesitant to dish out. Ayton believes he deserves to get paid—like young stars Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Michael Porter Jr. all did this summer. Ayton’s eligible to ink a five-year, $172.5 million pact just before the season tips and after showing that he’s a more consistent scorer with an impressive and ever-improving touch around the rim, coupled with that defensive acumen, the Suns are going to get roasted by their fan base if they don’t pay the 23-year-old.
No. 43
Mike Conley Jr.
We can finally stop writing about how Mike Conley Jr. is one guy who’s never made an All-Star team who deserves it. The Jazz point guard finally was honored with a long-awaited invite last March as helped guide Utah to that ultra-impressive start to the season. At the end, Conley finished his All-Star campaign averaging 16.2 PPG and 6.0 APG, with a career-high 55.2 EFG%, as the Jazz featured the NBA’s best regular-season record. Of course injuries cropped up, as they always do with Conely, and his inability to stay healthy throughout his career will forever be the biggest knock on his game. But when he’s healthy he’s incredibly effective and easily in the mix for the mythical honor of being a top 10 point guard in the league (which we’ve previously made the case for so you can Google it). A good shooter from three (37.9 percent for his career ) and a better defender than he gets credit for, although he’s certainly nowhere near what he used to be now that he’s 34, the Jazz brought back Conley on a three-year deal this summer to keep running the show. As long as he stays in the lineup he won’t disappoint.
No. 42
Tobias Harris
I don’t know if Tobias Harris is the most disrespected player in the league, but unofficially it kind of feels like it. The Sixers forward gets roasted on the regular because he signed that big five-year, $180 million contract with Philadelphia and he’s never made an All-Star team. And when teams shell out gigantic deals, fans (and the media) place massive expectations on you then rip you apart if you don’t live up to them. But if you look at Harris’s numbers and if you watch him play you know he’s an offensively gifted small forward—he flirted with a 50-40-90 campaign last season—while averaging close to 20 PPG the past three seasons, two-and-a-half of which have been spent with the 76ers. While he never may be a true Nos. 1 or 2 option for an elite team, miss me with the talk that Harris isn’t one of the best 50 players in the league. He’s put up All-Star numbers the past few seasons, has steadily improved his effective field goal percentage since he entered the league in 2011, and most interestingly, has three career game-winning buzzer beaters, the same number as Damian Lillard. Harris may never quite get to Khris Middleton’s level or whatever premier small forward currently in the league you want to compare him to, but he’s a much better player than the Twitter tough guys make him out to be.
No. 41
De'Aaron Fox
Nobody’s faster with the basketball than De’Aaron Fox—just ask all the NBA general managers who named him as such in the league’s annual preseason survey. But Fox’s game, of course, is more than just being a blur in transition. Playing in relative anonymity in Sacramento—the Kings currently own the longest playoff drought in the Association—hurts his brand. But what that brand is all about, if you actually catch a Kings game, is an incredible ability to get to the rim, draw fouls, and finish at a high level—76.7 percent of his field goal attempts over his career have been twos, he’s drawn nearly an identical amount of fouls the past two seasons (385 vs. 386) compared to Trae Young, and converted 69.3 percent of his career attempts three feet and closer, which is better than Russell Westbrook’s mark (65.0). Fox needs to improve that outside shot and do a better job converting at the free throw line, but it’s a progression. And if you’ve paid close enough attention you know he’s headed in the right direction.
ADVERTISEMENTSWIPE FOR NEXT SLIDE
No. 40
Domantas Sabonis
It’s easy to ignore how good Domantas Sabonis, only 25, has become in just five short seasons in the NBA considering where he plays. A 20.3 PPG scorer who pulled in 12.0 RPG last season, did you know that Sabonis finished the 2020-21 NBA season with a higher VORP (value over replacement player) rating than Jayson Tatum and Russell Westbrook? You probably didn’t because that’s a nerdy stat and Sabonis tends to be an afterthought playing in Indianapolis for a team that’s usually good, but never good enough. A two-time All-Star who rebounds like an animal, has developed into a dynamic scorer and defends at a surprisingly high level, it’s only going to get harder to earn an All-Star nod in the East thanks to the infusion of talent the conference has experienced the past few offseasons. But if he keeps doing what he’s been doing the past few campaigns, and manages to nudge up some of his already impressive numbers, it’s going to be damn near impossible to keep Sabonis from annually earning the kind of honor his game deserves.
No. 39
Nikola Vucevic
The Bulls’ big man enters his second season with the club after Chicago got ultra-aggressive at the March trade deadline and acquired the two-time All-Star who has flown under the radar spending nine of his 10 seasons in the league with the Magic. Eastern Conference heads know Nikola Vučević has been a highly-skilled offensive force for the last handful of years, never averaging less than 19.6 PPG and gobbling up double-digit boards every night like it’s nothing. His defensive metrics—which you need to be careful relying too heavily on—will tell you that Vučević is an above average defender while the eye test might not quite paint such a rosy picture. But the point I’m trying to make is the center is definitely a better two-way player than he generally gets credit for. The revamped Bulls are going to be fascinating to watch to see how all their new pieces—Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan—fit with Zach LaVine and Vučević. But Vooch might be the guy you least have to worry about. Sure, his numbers might take a hit since Chicago upgraded its offense and there are only so many shots to go around. But Vučević’s numbers have been incredibly steady over the past five seasons. He’ll be fine and back on this list again next season.
No. 38
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SGA got paid this summer. As he should. The Thunder guard was a revelation during his rookie campaign with the Clippers three seasons ago when he started 73 games for the club and Los Angeles wishes it could’ve kept him long term. But the price of signing Kawhi Leonard included parting ways with the Kentucky product in a trade to pry Paul George from Oklahoma City. What the Clippers are missing, and what the Thunder are raving about, is Gilgeous-Alexander’s maturity and an excellent all-around game that’s rapidly improving despite having just turned 23. While we think of him as a point guard, SGA only played 7 percent of his minutes last season at the position yet still averaged career-highs in assists (5.8 per game) and points (23.7 per game), ending the season with a 57.1 EFG%, albeit in just 35 games thanks to injuries. Before Oklahoma City shut him down for the season in late March, Gilgeous-Alexander was putting up monster numbers against playoff contending teams—like 42 against the Spurs in late February and 32 against the Mavericks the first game following the All-Star break—helping the incredibly young and talent-deficient Thunder win games they otherwise had no business winning. So when Gilgeous-Alexander became eligible for an extension this summer, the Thunder didn’t balk at locking up for five years and $173 million. It’ll be money well spent.
No. 37
Brandon Ingram
Has Brandon Ingram lived up to the hype of being the No. 2 pick in the draft five years ago? The answer is no if you’re one of those people who foolishly believes every top 5 pick is a bust if he isn’t a Hall of Famer. But we also place absurd expectations on every lottery pick and most never come close to having the kind of success Ingram’s enjoyed the past three seasons—first with the Lakers when he enjoyed a breakout campaign during the 2018-19 season and then the following two seasons as a member of the Pelicans following the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade. Ingram has averaged 23.8 PPG while in New Orleans while teaming him up with Zion Williamson to form one of the most exciting young offensive duos in the league. Now that obviously hasn’t led to successful campaigns, but we’re here to tell you why Ingram deserves top 50 recognition, not why the Pelicans can’t field a playoff-caliber squad in the Western Conference. If you’ve watched Ingram progress from a rookie who couldn’t average double-digits to the dynamic scorer he is now—he was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2020 and made his first All-Star squad that same season—then you know he belongs here. At 24, with his lanky frame that makes him incredibly difficult to defend, Ingram should have at least a few more All-Star appearances on his resume before he’s done with the game.
No. 36
CJ McCollum
It still feels like Damian Lillard’s sidekick doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Which is ridiculous since CJ McCollum’s averaged at least 20.8 PPG for the past six seasons in Portland and finished the 2020-21 campaign averaging a career-high 23.1 PPG and connected on 40.2 percent of his triples. His per 100 possessions statistics aren’t vastly different from the numbers Lillard puts up, but for some reason parts of the basketball public needs to see more from McCollum before anointing him. Maybe validation will come when he finally makes an All-Star team, but we all know that ain’t easy when you play in the Western Conference that’s full of A-list guards. In the meantime, appreciate that McCollum, who just turned 30, has become one of the steadiest scorers in the game. There’s room for him to keep rising on our list.
ADVERTISEMENTSWIPE FOR NEXT SLIDE
No. 35
DeMar DeRozan
The DeMar DeRozan experiment in Chicago will be an interesting one. Making the offseason move to acquire the offensively-gifted small forward wasn’t expected by many league observers. And the fit may ultimately turn out to be questionable. But let’s be careful pigeonholing DeRozan as an antiquated isolation-heavy, mid-range scorer who doesn’t do anything else. He does a whole lot more. DeRozan has become much more adept at distributing and facilitating, finishing with a 32.0 assist percentage last year with the Spurs, by far the highest mark of his career. Meanwhile, we’ve seen his usage rate drop over recent years while his true shooting percentage has slowly, but steadily improved. He may never be a league-average shooter from three, which will always be the knock on DeRozan playing in an era where the three is everything. But the Bulls don’t need him to bomb away from beyond the arc. Just keep averaging 20-plus points per game, like he has for the past eight campaigns, and keep the ball moving and DeRozan—a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection—will turn out to be an excellent addition for the Bulls.
No. 34
Julius Randle
As a Knicks fan I can admit that my guy was exposed bad during the postseason, but I’m used to buying fool’s gold when it comes to this team. However, what I do know is that Julius is the type of cat to learn and get better. I mean, he turned himself into an MVP candidate seemingly overnight. He had career highs in almost every category while bringing the Knicks back to relevance (the good kind.) Now is he a franchise player? I still say no, but he’s 26 and on an upwards swing. I just know he worked on his game this summer, hopefully with his left hand tied behind his back. It won’t matter unless he does it in the playoffs and lifts the Knickerbockers into the second round and back to basketball glory. No pressure.
No. 33
Kyle Lowry
I wrote last year that Kyle Lowry is underrated and entering his first season in Miami I stand firmly behind my statement. Lowry’s going to be a future Hall of Famer and while that realization might piss off some basketball fans—for whatever ridiculous reason—analytically he compares quite favorably to Hall of Famers like Allen Iverson, Joe Dumars, Lenny Wilkens, and future immortal Manu Ginobili. So clearly Lowry’s getting in when he decides to call it a career since he’s a six-time All-Star and NBA champion who has averaged at least 6.7 APG for the past 11 seasons and played some of his best basketball in his early 30s. But that ain’t happening anytime soon now that the 35-year-old Lowry has taken his talents to South Beach, instantly upgrading the Heat at point guard and arguably making Miami’s roster worthy of top 3 status in the Eastern Conference. While he’s not young and there are miles on his tires, diminishing or even dismissing what Lowry brings to the table this season now that he’s playing with elite talent again (remember how that worked out in 2019?) would be dumber than saying he’s not worthy of the Hall.
No. 32
Ben Simmons
Did you know that Ben Simmons wants to be traded out of Philadelphia? Shockingly, the three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive Team honoree has asked that the 76ers trade him to a different squad after things turned sour in the Eastern Conference semis. Surprisingly, it’s created a ton of drama off the court that NBA insiders did their best to breathlessly document during the offseason and into training camp and the preseason. Incredibly, Simmons—who is a supremely gifted distributor and defensive player—doesn’t think things will ever work out with the squad that drafted him in 2016 and watched him blossom into a difference maker that the other 29 teams around the league would love to employ. Frustratingly, Simmons remains an offensive liability who famously shied away from looking for his shot against the Hawks and that’s a big reason why his future with the team remains so murky. Predictably, there’s no end in sight to the drama and Simmons could be forced to play with the 76ers way before they find a suitable trade for the 6’11” point guard. Fittingly, we’ve slotted Simmons lower on our list this year because he’s shown zero improvement offensively and he’s become the second most exhausting distraction in the NBA.
No. 31
Klay Thompson
A healthy Klay Thompson easily resides higher on this list, but since it’s been a couple of seasons since we last saw him suit up for the Warriors thanks to back-to-back devastating injuries, we’ll slot him here, thank you very much. Since Thompson’s game was never predicated on explosive athleticism, you’d expect one of the best shooters in league history—at 41.9 percent, he’s 14th on the NBA’s career 3FG% list —to pick right up where he left off in the 2019 NBA Finals. Few guys in the league have the ability to catch fire like Thompson, who doesn’t really create his own shots, but puts numbers on the board playing off of his Splash Brother, Steph Curry. Thompson once was one of the best individual defenders and rebounding guards in the league, but at age 31 and coming off the ACL injury followed by the torn Achilles expect to see a slightly different version of Klay than we’re used to once he’s cleared to play. "I'm probably like 75 or 80 percentile of what I need to do," Thompson told reporters before training camp kicked off for the Warriors. When Thompson finally feels close to 100 percent I don’t doubt he’ll be bombing threes with regularity and providing the Warriors with a secondary scoring punch they desperately missed the past two seasons.
ADVERTISEMENTSWIPE FOR NEXT SLIDE
No. 30
Jrue Holiday
Is the “most underrated player in the NBA” tag still applicable to Jrue Holiday? I think that title is now a thing of the past as he’s an NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist. Holiday has always been regarded by his peers as one of the best, if not the best, defenders in the league, and he proved that last summer. Even with some of his playoff struggles, Holiday shined on the biggest stage, helping the Bucks win their first title in 50 years by averaging 16.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 9.3 APG while taking on the tough defensive assignments against the Suns. Whether it was his elite on-ball defense or his timely shot-making, the world should now understand the impact of Holiday. He was vital to Milwaukee finally exorcising their playoff demons and ultimately hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Holiday solidified his title as one of the best defensive guards—and one of the better guards–in the game last summer.
No. 29
Jaylen Brown
The ascension of Jaylen Brown should continue in Year 6 after he made his first All-Star team last season. One of the best two-way guards 25 and under, Brown’s scoring prowess has blossomed over the past two seasons as he’s topped the 20 PPG mark in each to form a dynamic offensive duo in Boston with Jayson Tatum. Brown, of course, does it on both ends of the floor and while he might not be a Ben Simmons caliber lockdown defender, he’s menacing and annoying enough to give guys a really hard time on the wing. And Celtics’ opponents be forewarned: Brown said he’s completely focused on defense heading into the season. A steadily improving 3-point shooter who shot 39.7 percent from distance last season, Brown is more than living up to expectations placed on him after he was the third pick in the 2016 draft since it feels like he’s perennially mentioned as a possible trade candidate should the Celtics ever go big game hunting. Not that there are ever any serious rumors about him being shipped anywhere, but Celtics trade proposals always start with Brown. Going forward, they probably shouldn’t. Because Boston has a good thing going with Brown and Tatum and if they’re smart about it, those two should be the cornerstones of the franchise until their early 30s. Because unless you’re getting a truly transcendent superstar in return, why wouldn’t you continue to rock with, and protect, a guy who will be an All-Star caliber player in the increasingly competitive Eastern Conference for years to come?
No. 28
Zach LaVine
The third and final Bulls player on this year’s rankings saw his stock soar after a stellar 2020-21 campaign. LaVine was No. 44 on our list last year, but vaulted up on this year’s list thanks to an All-Star campaign—his first—in which he averaged a career-high 27.4 PPG and shot 41.0 percent from beyond the arc, way above his previous best. His true shooting percentage of 63.4 last season was good enough for 23rd in the league, which way not wow you, but it kind of should considering he’s a two guard and the upper echelon of that list largely features bigs or certified snipers like Kevin Durant and Steph Curry. Only 26 years old, LaVine’s entering the prime of his career and has clearly taken on the mantle of big shot taker and maker for the Bulls since he hit a number of clutch jumpers for Chicago. He actually finished with the eighth most points in clutch situations—defined as under five minutes with a point differential of five or less—last season, ahead of Steph Curry, Trae Young, and Joel Emiid. Yeah, LaVine deserved to be this high.
No. 27
Rudy Gobert
Who’s the best interior defender in the NBA? Rudy Gobert. So says 77 percent of NBA general managers who were surveyed by the league before the start of the season. But tell me something I didn’t already know. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-Defensive squad member, who was slotted at No. 35 last year, remains the elite of elite when it comes to swatting shots and cleaning up the glass. The NBA’s leader in defensive win shares last year was an All-Star for the second straight season and clearly was a big reason why the Jazz ran out to the NBA’s best regular-season record. The knock on Gobert, of course, is that his game doesn’t necessarily translate to the modern postseason. His defensive rating the past two playoff runs for the Jazz have been startlingly high compared to his three previous appearances. So Gobert has a few ghosts to deal with when basketball matters the most—plenty of other guys in the league do. Regular-season Rudy is a monster who has improved his offense impressively since he entered the league as a late first-round pick in 2013. So put some respect on Gobert’s name since he’s quietly posting numbers that, should he keep stacking season after season like we’ve seen outta him the past few campaigns, will soon start to be mentioned in the same sentence as some of the best centers of the past 25 years.
No. 26
Zion Williamson
Coming into the league, Zion Williamson was the most hyped prospect since LeBron James. Everyone was itching to see if Williamson would live up to the hype. After two seasons, it’s fair to say the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft is the real deal and he has lived up the hype. Two years in and he’s already an NBA All-Star and one of the most dominant players in the league. There’s virtually no way to slow him down offensively except to pray he’s having an off-night or he’s out of the lineup. His health has been a big issue his first two years in the league and there is serious concern his surgically repaired foot—he suffered a fracture over the summer that the Pelicans kept quiet until training camp—could be a long-term issue. But we’re looking at a 21-year old force who’s averaging an extremely efficient 25.7 PPG in his young career off the bat and is practically unstoppable when he’s on the court. Williamson easily has top 5 potential in this league, he just has to stay healthy.
ADVERTISEMENTSWIPE FOR NEXT SLIDE
No. 25
Ja Morant
I don’t think Ja Morant gets enough credit for what he did last season. As a sophomore, he led an extremely young Memphis team into the postseason, which included a Play-In Tournament victory over Steph Curry and the Warriors on the road. Morant dropped 35 points in that game against the two-time league MVP with plenty of cold-blooded back-to-back buckets down the stretch. He didn’t stop there either. He had a 47-point game on the road in Game 2 against the Jazz a few nights later, the team with the best record in the NBA. He did all of that at 21 years of age. He’s a flat-out special talent, a top 10 point guard, yet he’s ignored because he plays in one of the league’s smallest markets. The 2020 Rookie of the Year’s time is about to arrive shortly.
No. 24
Jamal Murray
Hopefully we see Jamal Murray back in a Nuggets uniform during the second-half of the season, but Denver’s going to be without the services of its sniper for a good chunk of the season while he recovers from that torn ACL suffered this past April. While it was awesome seeing Michael Porter Jr. take on a larger offensive role when Murray went down last season, the Nuggets need the Kentucky product in tip-top shape if they’re going to start to take some serious shots at winning the West these next few seasons. That’s because Murray’s established himself as one of the best young shooting guards in the game and when he’s 100 percent there are few guys who can catch fire like him. We saw the Kentucky product take another step last season when he averaged a career-high 21.2 PPG and connected on 40.8 percent of his shots from deep. Putting Murray this high on the list when he doesn’t have an All-Star appearance might catch some by surprise, but he backed up that explosive run in the bubble with the best season of his career. Forming an incredibly potent one-two offensive punch with the MVP Nikola Jokic, as long as his knee is good to go it won’t be long before the 24-year-old Murray cracks our top 20.
No. 23
Khris Middleton
Are we done disrespecting Khris Middleton? Listen, I get that he isn’t as flashy or athletically gifted as a bunch of other All-Stars out there, but Middleton’s as steady as they come and has transformed himself into the Bucks’ closer who can reliably knock down a big bucket whenever needed. So this absolutely isn’t too high a spot for Middleton. While Giannias Antetokounmpo will remain the focal point of the offense and the unquestioned leader of the Bucks, Middleton’s a damn good sidekick who came up clutch numerous times during Milwaukee’s run through the postseason. And if not for a few of his key late fourth quarter daggers who knows if the Bucks end up becoming NBA champions? That might sound like hyperbole to some, but if you watched the games you know that Middleton raised his game this past spring/summer and the stats back it up—his scoring average ticked up a few notches (23.6 PPG) compared to his regular-season average (20.4) and after the Bucks swept the Heat in the first-round, Middleton’s series shooting percentages peaked in the Finals. Durable and dependable, do you realize the two-time All-Star (and Olympic gold medalist, thank you very much) ended his 2020-21 campaign a few free throw percentage points short of having a 50-40-90 season? After starting last year at No. 40 on our list, Middleton is easily a top 25 player and any arguments against it will immediately be dismissed.
No. 22
Russell Westbrook
I’m pretty damn skeptical that the Russell Westbrook experiment will ultimately be a success for the Lakers, but I get why Los Angeles went out and completed the blockbuster trade to bring in the point guard with a motor that only knows one speed. It’s that boundless energy and drive that separates Westbrook from just about everybody else in today’s NBA and watching him go 145 mph every single night he takes the court deserves the respect and admiration of every basketball fan. On the other end of the spectrum, there are some ugly flaws in Westbrook’s game that holds him back from reaching truly elite status. He turns the ball over too often, you don’t even have to defend him when he’s floating around the 3-point line, and his track record in the postseason has been disappointing, to say the least. But he’s still a former MVP with a resume that long ago earmarked him for the Hall of Fame. A nine-time All-Star and a two-time scoring champ who made his ninth All-NBA squad last season leading the Wizards to the postseason, Westbrook is one of the few guys in the league who can legitimately carry a team for long stretches of the regular-season. We obviously saw it in Oklahoma City, we saw it briefly with the Rockets when they switched to small ball a few seasons ago, and we saw it again in DC this past spring. Watch him do the same now that he’s back home in LA playing for the purple and gold.
No. 21
Bam Adebayo
What can Bam do for you? If you’re the Heat, a little bit of everything. And while we can debate who truly is the most indispensable Miami player on the roster, if you’re going to argue that it’s Adebayo, who has developed into one of the NBA’s premier defensive players, you won’t be shouted down. All the Kentucky product has done since he arrived in Miami four seasons ago is develop into one of the premier power forwards in the game who will body anybody who enters the paint, suck up rebounds, while continuing to develop into a reliable shot blocker, and, most importantly, a secondary or tertiary scorer for the Heat. He’s certainly come a long way since that rookie campaign considering Adebayo’s developed into a reliable offensive player over the past few seasons whose scoring average and shooting percentages have steadily risen. But we all remember Adebayo’s coming out party against the Celtics in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, when he announced he was a force to be reckoned with. That’s when the now 24-year-old averaged 21.8 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 5.2 APG to let the rest of the NBA know Miami wasn’t just Jimmy Butler’s team and a bunch of nobodies. The ultra-generous Adebayo, who signed a massive extension before the 2019-20 season tipped, is easily one of the best young bigs in the game. A two-time All-Defensive team honoree and an All-Star this past season, big things are expected out of Bam over the coming years. No reason to believe he won’t deliver on those promises.
ADVERTISEMENTSWIPE FOR NEXT SLIDE
No. 20
Chris Paul
Thirty-six-year-old point guards aren’t supposed to have the kind of season Chris Paul just blessed us with. But the Point God is just built differently. That or he’s found the fountain of youth. If that’s the case CP3 should quit making all those State Farm commercials and start bottling up the magic elixir and sell it to the masses. He’d be a billionaire in no time because Paul did things in Year 16 we’ve never seen from someone running the show for his third team in three seasons. The league leader in free throw percentage, an 11th All-Star appearance, a second-team All-NBA selection, and the magic run to the NBA Finals cemented Paul as a living legend who nearly pulled off the unthinkable. Paul and the Suns ran out of gas against the Bucks, or more precisely into the indomitable force that is Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that absolutely should not distract from the brilliant season Paul put together, leading the young Suns to the franchise’s first Finals appearance in nearly three decades that absolutely no one predicted. Since there’s zero reason to expect a major regression—go check Basketball Reference to see how consistent he’s been in his 30s, except for maybe that second Houston season if you want to get nit-picky–slotting CP3 into the top 20 felt appropriate.
No. 19
Jimmy Butler
One of the top small forwards in basketball, Butler truly elevated himself to a new tier with that 2020 NBA Finals performance when he had a 40-point and 35-point triple double in Miami’s two wins. His 2020-21 campaign wasn’t his most sterling, but it was pretty damn good—21.5 PPG, 2.1 SPG which was tops in the NBA—considering the season started a month and change after MIami ran out of gas against the Lakers and Butler didn’t have enough time to rest and recover from the grueling grind. Regardless, he still earned third-team All-NBA status and remains an elite two-way player who has been named to five All-Defense squads. Jimmy Buckets will never shoot like Steph Curry and never blow you away with his athleticism like some of the guys we have ranked ahead of him. Never the biggest or fastest on the floor, what you do get with Butler is a grade A trash talker and ball buster who has a knack for making big baskets, will dog you as a defender on the other end of the court, hold his teammates accountable, and find ways to help the Heat win games that don’t always show up in the box score.
No. 18
Karl-Anthony Towns
We can debate whether Karl-Anthony Towns will ever be a true alpha on a winning team. Many detractors out there don’t think he has it in him—they peg him more as a No. 2 option on a title contending team—and considering how miserable his tenure in Minnesota has been you get why they say that. Because when you’re arguably the most gifted offensive big man in today’s game, and worthy of being considered among the best ever, way more is expected out of you than one playoff appearance in six seasons. But we’re here to give the 2015 No. 1 pick his props because he definitely deserves them. A shade under 7’, Towns has the kind of offensive acumen to flirt with a 50-40-90 season every year and owns a career offensive rating (119) that’s light years ahead of the numbers legends like David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon put up and way ahead of Joel Embiid’s (112) so far. The Admiral and the Dream obviously played in much different eras than Towns—plus they actually played defense—but just because Towns can’t single-handedly lift the Timberwolves up by himself shouldn’t diminish his brilliance as an offensive player. You can quibble with his inability to get stops and some of his intangibles all you want. But as a bucket-getter, few players that play his position have ever been as lethal as KAT.
No. 17
Bradley Beal
One of the premier scorers in the NBA who will continue to be one of the top rumored trade targets until he officially commits to an extension with the Wizards, Bradley Beal’s vaulted himself into elite territory. Averaging 30.5 and 31.3 PPG the past two campaigns—he finished second in the race to be crowned scoring champ both seasons—Beal has developed into a lethal bucket-getter who scorches defenses on the regular. Remember that 60-point effort against the Sixers this past January? Or that 55-point explosion against the Bucks two seasons ago? Yeah, few can rip the net like Beal when he’s feeling it. And few offer up incredible meme-able moments like the three-time All-Star who made his first All-NBA squad last season. Defense will never be his strong suit, but when you can launch and light up the scoreboard like Beal does you live with his liabilities. His brand is elite offense and the brand is strong.
No. 16
Donovan Mitchell
You’re not supposed to come into the league and average 20.5 PPG, especially when you thought you were going to be a second-round selection. But Donovan MItchell has been exceeding expectations since he entered the NBA four seasons ago out of Louisville (13th selection overall, by the way). The Jazz selected a keeper who’s among the most athletic and dynamic shooting guards in the league who has made improvements each season to catapult himself into the discussion of that mythical, and ultra-hard to define, elite status in the NBA. What that precisely entails is, of course, up for debate, but at age 25 Mitchell is closing in on it. A 26.4 PPG scorer last season who put up his best shooting numbers of his career, Mitchell’s on the short list of premier two guards in the league, with a extra-springy bounce, and the 14 other teams in the Western Conference better pray he’s about to hit a plateau in his development this season because the idea of him only getting better should scare the shit out of Utah’s rivals. The only knock on Mitchell is his inability to stay healthy since he’s missed a few too many regular and postseason games the past couple of seasons. But finding things to knock about Mitchell is a millions times harder than finding things to praise. It’s nuts that he seriously thought he didn’t have the kind of game that would’ve made him a first-round pick. But here we are, two All-Star selections later, with Mitchell the face of the Jazz franchise and one of the most gifted/exciting players 25 and under in the league.
ADVERTISEMENTSWIPE FOR NEXT SLIDE
No. 15
Trae Young
The villainous Trae Young—at least if you ask Knicks fans—raised his game to a new level this past spring when he took on an entire city and shut it up. Watching Young taunt the Madison Square Garden crowd as he averaged 29.2 PPG, morphing into the new Reggie Miller, as the Hawks dispatched the Knicks in the first-round of the Eastern Conference playoffs was performance art at its finest. But it just goes to show that despite his small frame Young’s all about punching up. And when he lands, it’s often a doozy. After scorching New York, Young set his sights on the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semis. Over that seven-game series, Young averaged 29.0 PPG and hit 20 threes, ushering Philly to a summer (and now fall) of discontent and drama. Atlanta’s magical run ended in the Eastern Conference finals, in which Young missed a few games due to an ankle injury, but the damage was done and a new pedigree was established. The Hawks point guard—easily one of the premier floor generals in the game who’s also an adept distributor and more than just a guy who launches crazy-long shots and gets fouled a lot—proved he’s a certified stud when the lights are brightest. And when we’re talking about progression in the NBA, nothing matters more than performing—no matter the role—on the biggest stage.
No. 14
Paul George
Did Playoff P do enough during the postseason to shut up the haters? I would hope one of the premier two-way players in the game finally earned the respect of all the Twitter tough guys out because what more could you ask for from Paul George? The embattled Clippers forward went HAM in the Western Conference semis and finals when the Clippers needed PG to step up in the absence of Kawhi Leonard. All George did was average a personal playoff series career-high 29.0 PPG against the Jazz and backed up that scintillating series by putting up 28.7 PPG against the Suns. Still one of most dynamic defenders in the NBA, George remains on the cusp of truly elite and if you think a statement like that is ridiculous then I’d like to know what personal vendetta you have against George? A seven-time All-Star who has made six All-NBA teams and four All-Defense squads, PG-13 can consistently score from just about anywhere on the court and takes on tough assignments on the other end of the floor. He may not be one of the premier defenders in the league anymore like he was back in his Pacers days, but he’s still a menace to deal with at age 31. What he’s previously lacked in creativity, or self-awareness when it came to giving himself that “Playoff P” nickname he made up for in chutzpah and gile this past spring. It was cool to see George shed some of his past postseason ghosts by showing up and truly showing out.
No. 13
Devin Booker
Devin Booker’s been on the cusp of leaping into that mythical next level of NBA stardom for a few seasons now, but Phoenix’s run to the NBA Finals this past summer certified the two-time All-Star belongs amongst the game’s best players. Averaging 27.3 PPG during the Suns’ 22 postseason games, Booker was a boss scoring 42 and 40 points in back-to-back NBA Finals contests. The Suns, of course, dropped four-straight to the Bucks, but watching Booker put up 28.2 PPG in his first Finals appearance was a revelation that his talent has reached full bloom. That means the expectations placed upon his shoulders are only increasing, but Booker looks like he’s built for it. A Kobe Bryant disciple who can knock down deadly jumpers just like his idol and explode for 50-point or greater performances whenever he takes the court, Booker’s a premier two guard who could be a few seasons away from cracking our top 10.
No. 12
Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum is going to be the best player in the NBA sooner rather than later. He showed out in the playoffs last year when he put up 50 in Game 3 in the first round against the Brooklyn Nets to keep Boston in the series. The Celtics lost that series in five games, but Tatum put them on his back and gave KD and them 37 a game. That’s what you need to see from a superstar. Under rookie head coach Ime Udoka, he’ll have to take that next step into the stratosphere of the greats like his idol Kobe and I fully expect him to do that whether Ime works out or not. Tatum put up 26.4 per game last year and I think he can raise that to 30 points this season. We need a Finals appearance from him soon, though, and he’s going to need a new nickname because Taco Jay just doesn’t do him justice.
No. 11
Kyrie Irving
If we’re strictly talking basketball—and putting off-the-court issues to the side here—Kyrie Irving is one of the best players in the league and arguably the most skilled guard in the game. He’s fresh off a season that landed him on his third All-NBA team last season. Last season was arguably his best ever in the NBA. He averaged 26.9 PPG that ranked top 10 in the league as a relatively healthy Irving became just the ninth player in NBA history to finish 50-40-90. Unfortunately, his good health didn’t last in the postseason, but the Kyrie of last year shouldn’t be taken for granted. I don't see how you can argue he’s not a top 15 player in this league. Kyrie is one of the few players we’ve seen in this game with absolutely zero holes offensively. He can kill you on all three levels with his deep range, unstoppable midrange game, finishing ability at the rim, elite handle, and heck, he even has an elite post game that doesn’t get enough credit. Let’s hope he rejoins the Nets at some point to validate it because him alongside James Harden and Kevin Durant is must-see television.
ADVERTISEMENTSWIPE FOR NEXT SLIDE
No. 10
Damian Lillard
How much longer Damian Lillard ends up balling for the Blazers remains to be seen, although he sounds fully committed to the only franchise he’s played and to the city he’s grown to love. Portland features a bonafide superstar who deserves more respect than he gets from fans, and maybe even the media, since he’s made six All-NBA teams and is a cold-blooded killer when the game’s on the line. He’s easily on the short list of shooters you actually believe it’s going in when it’s do-or-die time. In fact, Lillard has three career buzzer-beaters, tied for second with two others behind the active leader in the stat, LeBron James who has seven. Analytically, Lillard was incredible last season finishing eighth in player efficiency rating, fifth in value over replacement player rating, third in win shares, and second in offensive win shares. His traditional numbers scream elite and the only thing really holding him back from achieving way more acclaim is his chill personality and Portland’s playoff flameouts that are way more a product of the Blazers’ construction than anything Lillard is or isn’t doing on the court.
No. 9
Luka Doncic
He’s a 22-year-old triple-double machine who regularly accomplishes feats that end up with his name mentioned in the same sentence as NBA legends. We knew there was a lot of hype surrounding Luka Dončić when he entered the league in 2018, but he’s exponentially exceeded all of them and if you want to have a fun argument with your crew, ask them who would you rather build a franchise around: Dončić or Giannis Antetokounmpo? When the leagues surveyed 30 general managers this preseason, Dončić won out with 43 percent of the vote. And while the Greek Freak truly is a freak, Dončić is the kind of generational stud at combo guard, like Magic Johnson, who is too tantalizing, too crafty, too clutch, and too damn good only three seasons in his career not to be the clear cut choice in the above scenario. I could go on and on and on about Dončić, but we’ve all seen enough to know that a talent like him comes around once every few decades.
No. 8
Joel Embiid
We all know the knock on Joel Embiid—he can’t stay healthy. Appearing in just 46.8 percent of Sixers games since he was drafted in 2014, Embiid’s suspect availability is quite possibly the only thing holding him back from being a top 5 player in the league. That’s because he’s arguably the most gifted offensive center and undoubtedly a force that’s practically unstoppable around the rim. Combined with his incredibly silky jump shot and surprising athleticism, Embiid put it all together in ways we hadn’t seen through his previous four seasons in the league to finish second in MVP voting after the 2020-21 campaign. The biggest reason why Jojo finished a distant second to Nikola Jokic was he only played in 51-of-72 games. If he missed only 10, I think the voters would’ve had an incredibly tough choice to make. Owner of one of the easiest yet most mischievous smiles in the NBA, it’s awesome watching Embiid flash it after lighting it up from beyond the arc or working the Philadelphia fans into a frenzy in the fourth quarter after frustrating opposing defenses that basically have no ability to slow him down. Here’s hoping Jojo can stay in the lineup and appear in way more games this year because if you love the mix of old school low-post moves with picking-and-popping from three, there are few who do it better than him. Or make it look as fun and effortless.
No. 7
Anthony Davis
We didn’t quite see the same Anthony Davis last season as the one who was the perfect sidekick to LeBron James during LA’s bubble run to the title. An inability to stay on the court cost Davis a ton of games during the 2020-21 campaign, but when AD’s available he’s still the best two-way big in basketball who can defend at a Defensive Player of the Year level while practically being unguardable on the other end of the court. It’ll be interesting to see how Davis looks and performs should he end up playing more center than he prefers thanks to the Lakers completely revamping their roster this summer. According to Basketball Reference, AD played roughly 40 percent of his minutes at center his first season in LA and just 9 percent of his minutes at the five last season. He hasn’t spent the majority of his time at center since his final season with the Pelicans when he desperately wanted out of the New Orleans. You get why he’d prefer to spend more time at power forward in order to preserve his body better. But the Lakers will need AD to get a little uncomfortable to accommodate Russell Westbrook and LeBron James in the same lineup. Easily one of the most dynamic players in basketball, AD’s ranking on our list may fluctuate year-to-year, but never forget that there are few guys in the league who make a difference like he does in all facets of the game.
No. 6
Nikola Jokic
He looks nothing like your typical NBA superstar since he’s built like a butcher, but few players have carved up defenses while exceeding expectations upon entering the league like Nikola Jokic. Rightfully named MVP after last season’s brilliant campaign, the Joker is in a class all by himself since he’s an offensive dynamo who can barely jump over a stack of coins. Yet his rainbow threes are a marvel only rivaled by his incredible passing acumen that few men his size have ever possessed. LeBron James just might be the best passing big in NBA history, but Jokie may end up giving the King a run for his money because nobody comes up with the kind of creative kick outs, length of the court football heaves, or perfectly placed passes out of the pick-and-roll like the Nuggets center does on a nightly basis. His court vision is out of this world and knowing what we know now it’s nuts to think back how Jokic was a second-round pick in 2014. He’s an exquisitely skilled big who is a three-time All-Star, has made three All-NBA teams, and, just recently, a survey of NBA general managers identified Jokic as the game’s best center after he earned 63 percent of the votes. Now, not every NBA GMs a genius. But when that many identify you as the best at your position, who are we to argue?
ADVERTISEMENTSWIPE FOR NEXT SLIDE
No. 5
James Harden
At one point last season, James Harden was in the MVP discussion alongside Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. He arguably might’ve been the frontrunner before a hamstring injury shut him down for nearly the entire month of April and the beginning of May. Because as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving kept missing sporadic games, Harden carried the Nets when his co-stars took a night off. We watched The Beard go into Phoenix without Kyrie and KD and lead the Nets’ comeback from a 24-point second half deficit against the Western Conference champions. After he came to Brooklyn and assumed point guard duties, Harden changed his game, flourished in his pass-first role, averaging 10.8 APG and killing off any narratives that the Nets’ trio couldn’t co-exist on the court together. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see a healthy Harden against the Bucks because even without Irving, that series—and the rest of the playoffs—would’ve been completely different if Brooklyn had regular-season Harden.
No. 4
Steph Curry
Unquestionably the top point guard in the NBA, if you keep waiting for the best shooter in league history to fall off the joke’s on you. All Curry did last season was offer up an MVP-caliber campaign as he almost carried a severely undermanned and talent-deficient Warriors squad into the playoffs by himself. The league’s leading scorer last season nearly authored his second 50-40-90 campaign while finishing third in the most valuable player voting. I think he deserved more than the five first-place votes he received, but if the Warriors had managed to win enough games to comfortably finish in the top 6 of the Western Conference then Curry’s case for winning a third MVP may have been too strong to ignore. And if that happened, he would’ve joined the likes of Bird, Magic, Moses, MJ, LeBron, Kareem, Wilt, and Russell as the only players in league history with three or more of those trophies. I say all that to remind us that Curry’s one of the all-time greats—owner of an absurd 43.3 3FG%—who is an incredible ball-handler, excellent distributor, and an offensive genius who has influenced the game in ways that will warrant multiple books. You need a bucket, there are few plays you’d rather have shooting than Curry who is still playing like he’s in his prime despite the fact he’s entering his age 33 season.
No. 3
LeBron James
The King can’t wear the crown forever. But there’s zero shame in LeBron James no longer being the NBA’s top player. It’s not like LeBron’s a shell of himself and we had to bump him down into the teens. It’s more a case of the two names above him have elevated themselves to a level 99.9 percent of ballers can only dream about reaching while James is clearly in the twilight of his career. That being said, he’s far from washed. Entering his 19th season, James remains one of the top playmakers in the league and one of the few alphas you can trust to drag his team to wins they otherwise have no business pulling off. However, he’s played more minutes than anyone in NBA history entering this season except for Jason Kidd, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And we’ve seen signs of wear and tear take its toll as injuries cost him major chunks of two of his three seasons with the Lakers. LeBron losing the top spot was inevitable, but the four-time MVP, who owns a resume that’s unmatched in NBA history, is still an elite among the elites. Until James starts showing some serious decline in his skills—which considering the way he keeps himself in shape and invests in his body, ain’t happening anytime soon—there’s no way we couldn’t have him lower than No. 3.
No. 2
Giannis Antetokounmpo
There are things he’ll (probably) never be able to do offensively as precisely and competently as his superstar peers, but after we witnessed Giannis Antetokounmpo morph from Greek Freak to NBA immortal thanks to that epic Game 6 performance in the Finals, he’s worthy of being considered the best player in today’s game. He fell just short in our estimation and we doubt you’ll have an issue with who we crowned as basketball’s best heading into the new season, but the reason we have Antetokounmpo so high is he now possesses a resume few players in NBA history can match and all-around game that’s incomparable. One of the best defenders in the game and an unstoppable force when he’s driving to the basket, featuring a tolerance for pain that mere mortals can’t fathom and a devotion to winning and his small-market city that’s unheard in the modern NBA, Antetokounmpo does things different. But he does them dominantly and ferociously and he’s become the kind of unstoppable force around the basket that Shaquille O’Neal two decades ago. Eight full seasons into his career, it’s incredible the leaps and bounds he’s made to become an All-NBA player. Yeah, his jumper remains a work in progress and his free throw shooting—except for the aforementioned Game 6—makes him a liability on nights when his rhythm at the line is off. But you try stopping him when he’s barreling toward the rim. You try sneaking a shot around the glass when he’s guarding his man or lurking as a help defender. You try out-muscling him for a rebound. After leading the Bucks to the title in July, Antetokounmpo became the third player in NBA history with two MVPs and a Finals MVP by age 26, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan as the only others to pull off the feat. He’s also only the third player in NBA history to earn an MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year award, and Finals MVP, joining the likes of Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. At age 26 it’s stupefying that he’s in that kind of company knowing he’s still a few years away from his basketball prime.
No. 1
Kevin Durant
For the first time since Complex Sports started these rankings, LeBron James is not atop our list. The torch has been passed to Kevin Durant and I don’t believe it’s debatable at this point that he is the best player in the NBA. In his own words, what we saw from him last season was a “spiritual experience.” Let’s not forget Durant’s toe was two inches away from eliminating the NBA champion Bucks from the playoffs. Let’s not forget that KD almost did it himself as Kyrie Irving was out with injury and James Harden was playing on one healthy leg. And who can forget his Game 5 performance as he dropped 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists while playing all 48 minutes to carry the Nets to a big win. Some thought Durant would never return to MVP form after his Achilles injury. That narrative is dead and you might be able to argue the brand of basketball he’s playing right now is the best we’ve ever seen from him. KD’s skill is UNMATCHED.
ADVERTISEMENTSWIPE FOR NEXT SLIDE