The 30 Best Players in the NBA Right Now, Ranked

Image via Complex Original

For Chris Paul to have held on this long due to his injury history and size is amazing, still claiming an All-Star selection and All-NBA selection last season in his 17th season. But for as great as the “Point God” looked in the regular season, he showed signs of age and his limits against length and athleticism in the Sun’s second round collapse to the Mavericks. Paul isn’t getting any younger, and his best days are probably behind him. But he is still a high-level  starting point guard in this league, he just isn’t the point guard anymore. But in fairness, nobody is on top forever. – Kameron Hay

Ant Edwards is quickly becoming one of my favorite players in the NBA. If he’s not providing one of the most jaw-dropping dunks you’ll see, he’s providing one of the best interviews in the entire NBA. A true quote machine. But despite the entertainment value, there is true substance to Anthony Edwards’ game as his sophomore campaign showed true ascension for the Georgia-native. The new trio in Minnesota, with the addition of Rudy Gobert, provides a truly formidable frontcourt to pair with Ant Edwards’ ability to dominate the perimeter and give opposing two-guards hell on a nightly basis. – Pierce Simpson

It isn’t always pretty with Siakam, in fact, it hardly ever is. But what he definitely can be labeled as is effective. Siakam just brings his hard hat and lunch pail to work everyday and stacks days, and at the end of the season the Raptors have made the postseason, he has averaged 22.8 points and has made an All-NBA team. He doesn’t have the deepest bag, the prettiest jumper or is the most graceful player in the halfcourt, but the numbers and results speak for themselves. He’s averaged at least 21 points for the last three seasons, there aren’t many players more effective than Siakam in the current NBA. – Kameron Hay

At points during the 2022 NBA Finals, you could make a strong argument for Jaylen Brown being Finals MVP. However, the Celtics enter the season amid turmoil, and one small anecdote of a tumultuous offseason was the reports of Boston dangling Brown as a part of a trade package for future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. Rumors and innuendo began to circulate online that Brown was not happy about that; which was essentially confirmed by Brown himself during this year’s media day. 

However, if Brown is to find the silver lining in the trade rumors, it’s that his talent is coveted around the NBA. He’s the perfect wing player for this era of NBA basketball; coupled with the ability to be, at times, a bonafide stopper on the defensive end. The sky continues to be the limit for Jaylen Brown who assuredly wants to add his name to the elite category of NBA talent. – Pierce Simpson

Whew, New Orleans has something brewing right now. With CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson, and this star right here in Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans will be one of the best League Pass teams to watch this season. It feels like Brandon Ingram fell under the radar when he was traded from the Lakers but he finally got his moment to solidify why he’s a real star in this league. Even with an All-Star appearance and multiple 20+ points per game seasons already under his belt, it felt his playoff performance against the Suns was his breakout moment in the league. Well ladies and gentlemen, Brandon Ingram has arrived and the Pelicans are knocking. – Zion Olojede

The Chicago Bulls’ ceiling as a team this year will depend on two things: the collective health of the entire roster and the ability of Zach LaVine to really solidify himself as a top three 2-guard in the NBA. Zach’s up-and-down season last year was much attributed to a nagging knee injury that ultimately resulted in season-ending knee surgery; but according to early reports from training camp, the well-accustomed explosiveness from LaVine is back. His running mate Demar DeRozan mentioned on The Old Man and the Three’ Podcast with JJ Redick that LaVine has “top five, top 10 talent”; which is obviously high praise from an individual who has accomplished his own fair share of success in the NBA. Lavine inked a 5-year, $215-million max contract with the Bulls, tying him to the Windy City for the foreseeable future. – Pierce Simpson

Very few people anticipated DeMar DeRozan having the season that he had last year prior to his signing with the Bulls. There were questions about fit, his place in the league, and if a slightly ball-dominant guard worked well alongside Zach LaVine – well, after earning All-NBA honors and having one of the best statistical performances of his entire career, it’s safe to say things worked well for Derozan in the Chi. Collectively, however, the Bulls hope to regain their play during the first half of last season, as the latter part of the year became disastrous due to injuries. Derozan’s level of play in the 2021-22 campaign resulted in him being selected to an All-NBA team last year.  – Pierce Simpson

Bradley Beal had a year to forget in the 2021-2022 campaign, missing 42 games and seeing his scoring average drop eight points from the season before. Even with the scoring dip, Beal still averaged 23 points, still proving he is one of the elite scorers in the NBA. With him locked into a new deal with the Wizards, it’s now time for him to help turn the Wizards into a legitimate playoff team again, with the franchise missing the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. If Beal can help right the ship in the nation’s capital and return to the NBA’s postseason, he can remind people of just how good he truly is. – Kameron Hay

I think it’s pretty hard to debate that when Kyrie Irving is on the floor, he is one the most talented players the game has ever seen. A player with essentially no holes in his offensive game. He has the potential to give you a 50-40-90 season every year and I do believe NBA fans take that for granted. The biggest issue with Kyrie over the years has been availability and it’s become a consistent problem for the Brooklyn Nets the past few years. If the trend of contract year performances continue after Aaron Judge and Lamar Jackson, Kyrie is due for a monster year and I don’t think I’d be shocked if he landed on the All-NBA team once again. Another big narrative Kyrie will definitely have to shake this season is the recent playoff performances. While he has one of the biggest shots in NBA history, Kyrie’s recent playoff games have been incredibly inconsistent including his last series against the Celtics. – Zion Olojede

This may be the last year Donovan Mitchell is the only Cleveland Cavalier that makes this list. It may be the last time he’s the highest Cav ranked on this list too with the rise of Darius Garland. Now in a new environment Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell will be tasked with getting the Cavs back to the playoffs for the first time since LeBron left.  If they do accomplish that feat, there is one thing that doesn’t get enough attention about Donovan Mitchell and that’s his playoff performances. With Utah, Mitchell averaged 28.3 points per game in the postseason over five seasons. We’ll see this year if Playoff Don can continue that stretch. – Zion Olojede

If Kris Middleton was healthy during the Eastern Conference Semifinals, it’s hard to argue against the Milwaukee Bucks beating the Boston Celtics. The Big 3 of Giannis, Jrue Holiday, and the aforementioned Kris Middleton makes the Bucks a perennial contender in the East. Middleton’s ability to be a clutch ‘last two-minute’ scorer for the Bucks provides the perfect complement to the best player in the world in Giannis Antetokounmpo. – Pierce Simpson

With the acquisition of Rudy Gobert, it’s evident that the Minnesota Timberwolves envision themselves on the precipice of something special. After last year’s effort against the ascending Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs – there’s a reason to be optimistic in the twin city. However, that optimism hinges on the play of Karl Anthony-Towns. It’s tough to ask for better play from a four who has constantly given you over 24 points and over 10 rebounds for the past four seasons, but in a loaded Western Conference, it’s necessary. KAT continuously shows immense confidence in his abilities, and many times he’s justified in his assertion, but for the Wolves to make that leap, so does KAT. – Pierce Simpson

Jimmy Butler deserves a lot of credit after last year’s playoff performance. He carried a lackluster Miami Heat offense through the postseason and gave his team, that was outmatched talent wise, a chance to advance to the NBA Finals. His 47-point playoff showing in Game 6 with the Heat’s back against the wall on the road in a hostile environment was one of the best playoff performances we’ve seen in the past decade. You have to factor in that this is a player that tends to struggle beyond the 3-point line and went 4-for-8 from deep in the biggest game of the season. Jimmy Buckets took his game to another level when it mattered the most. He had his few struggles but over the 17-game stretch in the postseason, he put 27-7-4 and that doesn’t factor what he did on the other side of the ball. In this new season, the question will be if Butler can replicate that performance for a team that people are kind of sleeping on following the 2022 offseason. – Zion Olojede

Long viewed as one of the NBA’s top scorers, it seems as if Devin Booker finally got the respect he deserved last season with his first ever All-NBA selection. Though the Suns weren’t able to make it back to the NBA Finals, Booker has proven what many questioned was possible with him after these last two seasons. He is more than capable of being the best player on legitimate contending teams, showing he isn’t just an empty stats guy. After guiding the Suns atop the Western Conference each of the last two seasons, Booker will have to keep them afloat as the hunted in 2022. – Kameron Hay

It feels weird to have Damian Lillard outside the top 15 but it may be more of a testament to the league’s surplus of young talent rising. Last season was a struggle for Lillard dealing with injuries and quite frankly, a Blazers team that wasn’t to built to win. Playing through pain, Lillard saw his numbers dip dramatically and the production just wasn’t there on a consistent basis. I do feel Lillard is a bit under the radar this year especially with the West being so deep and folks kind of sleeping on Portland again. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dame has them sneaking into the playoffs this season if he stays healthy but that will be a difficult task. – Zion Olojede

Although the last time we saw Trae Young he was walking off the court after an abysmal playoff series against the Miami Heat, Ice Trae’s 2021-22 season may not have got the respect it deserves. Trae put up 28 points per game in his most efficient season of his young career to go along with just under 10 assists per game. It was disappointing to see the Hawks go from two wins away from the NBA Finals to a first round beatdown suffered to the Miami Heat but Trae’s individual performance all year was still impressive and I’d expect that to continue into this year now playing next to All-Star guard Dejuonte Murray. – Zion Olojede

There’s no need to sugarcoat it, James Harden looked a step slow in 2021-2022. After forcing his way out of Brooklyn less than a year after forcing his way there, all eyes will be on him in Philadelphia this season to see if he can return to the form of the player who became one of the most dominant offensive weapons in basketball history from 2014-2020. If Harden can show he has fully recovered from nagging hamstring injuries and is in peak condition, then there is a possibility that he is still one of the best guards in the world alongside Curry and Doncic. For the Sixers, their NBA title hopes likely depend on that version of Harden showing up. – Kameron Hay

A lot of fans might debate and question why Zion Williamson is being ranked so high without playing a game since May 2021. I think the world has forgot how dominant Zion actually is. Some NBA fans have managed to diminish and discredit a season where a 20-year old kid averaged 27 points per game on 61 percent shooting from the field. Not to mention, the 2020-21 Zion Williamson was still not in the best shape he could’ve been and worked with some of the worst spacing in the league. Zion has grown beyond the “dunker” labels and when he’s been on the court, he’s met and arguably exceeded expectations. Health will be the biggest factor for the Pelicans’ All-Star but if he’s on the floor, he will dominate. – Zion Olojede

Since winning his first NBA championship in the NBA bubble, life on the court has been hard for Anthony Davis as a Laker. He has missed the better part of the last two seasons with various lower body injuries, and has seen his stature amongst the NBA’s elite big men begin to be questioned. But as bad as it may have seemed for Davis last season, he still managed to average 23.2 points and 9.9 rebounds while shooting 53% from the field. Davis still remains one of the elite talents in the NBA, but now he has to prove he can not only stay healthy but turn that talent into what was once guaranteed production. If so, the Lakers could prove the still be a tough out this coming season. – Kameron Hay

The last time Kawhi Leonard was on an NBA court in the 2021 playoffs, he was orchestrating what was shaping up to be the best playoff run of his career, averaging 30.4 PPG while shooting 57.3 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from the 3-point line. But after missing the entire 2021-2022 season while recovering from a torn ACL, the Clippers superstar has been out of sight and out of mind. Missing the entire season has caused him to slide down the rankings while others have risen, but make no mistake about it: if Leonard is healthy and whole when he returns to play, he is still one of the most dominant players in the NBA. With the Clippers slated to be one of the NBA’s best teams this season, Leonard will have a chance to remind those who may have forgotten just how special he is as a scorer and defender, specifically when the stakes are the highest. The reality is that Leonard is likely closer to the top five than No. 10 on this list if he is at full strength, and next season he will have his chance to prove it. – Kameron Hay

After the Grizzlies concluded NBA Media Day and the photos began to circulate online, the hilarious image emerged of Ja Morant’s tattoo accompanying his right hand; and the message is simple: ‘HIM.’ After jumping into the top-10 of plenty of NBA rankings for the ‘22-’23 season, it’s easy to see why Ja feels that way. Each and every night, he can make the case for being the best player on the floor; and on the rare occasion that isn’t the case, he’s undoubtedly the most electrifying. The Grizzlies go from being the hunter to being one of the hunted in the NBA, with plenty of people eyeing their young nucleus as one of the most promising the association has to offer. After averaging over 27 points per game last season, and taking home Most Improved Player honors (albeit controversial), the Grizzlies making the conference finals is not a hyperbolic notion with Ja running the show. – Pierce Simpson

Tatum’s sour ending to last season could be what many fans choose to focus on when evaluating his place in the NBA’s hierarchy. But his body of work to this point, specifically last season, paints the picture of one of the NBA’s truly elite wings. First-team All-NBA, a third All-Star appearance, and winning the first ever Larry Bird trophy as the eastern Conference Finals most outstanding player, Tatum had a year to remember in 2021-2022. With his scoring average, rebounds and assists rising each season, there’s reason to believe there is even more in store for the Celtics superstar this coming season, and if so, he will prove his placement on this list is not only correct, but possibly too low. – Kameron Hay

If there’s one thing we can’t question, it’s Joel Embiid’s toughness. Say what you want about his game and all the flopping to get to the line but returning to the conference semifinals against Miami to play with an orbital fracture and a torn ligament in his thumb was a true testament to his resilience to win. Unfortunately, Embiid’s return wasn’t enough to propel the Sixers to the next round and there’s a lingering blemish on his resume as he’s yet to make the Eastern Conference Finals once in his career. Despite the postseason result, Embiid had another special year, finishing second once again in the MVP conversation, leading the league in scoring, and garnering All-NBA honors. – Zion Olojede

If Luka Doncic retired today, his NBA resume alone would already be good enough to merit legitimate Hall of Fame induction. Already a three-time first-team All-NBA selection and three-time All-Star, Doncic has proven to be not only one of the NBA’s best players, but most trustworthy postseason performers as well. After dismantling the top-seeded Phoenix Suns this past postseason and reaching his first Western Conference Finals, it’s safe to say Doncic is now entering the championship-or-bust phase of his career. Though he is only 23 years-old, those expectations don’t seem misguided for the future face of the NBA. If his play to date is any indicator, those expectations are likely warranted. – Kameron Hay

LeBron James entered the NBA in 2003, by the end of the 2004-2005 season he was firmly in the top five players in the NBA conversation, and he realistically hasn’t left that perch since, evidenced by his 18 consecutive All-NBA and All-Star appearances. Detractors will look at this past season from James through a jaded lens and point out that his Lakers missed the playoffs for a second time in four seasons, but the reality is that when he was on the floor, few were better than the kid from Akron. His 30.3 PPG average trailed only Joel Embiid for the season, and it was the highest scoring average he had posted in 15 years. At age 37, the fact James is still expected to contend and be dominant night-in and night-out is remarkable, but the expectations still remain championship or bust for teams with the King on them, even as he heads into his 20th season. Whether he can still turn his individual brilliance into the ultimate team success in the twilight of his career remains to be seen. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. – Kameron Hay

2021-2022 was a rollercoaster of a season for the greatest shooter in NBA history. Curry shot the lowest field goal percentage of his career for a full season (43.7%) as well as the lowest 3-point percentage of his career (38%), while enduring the worst shooting slump of his career in the middle of the season. This caused people to wonder if he was beginning to show signs of slippage after being the premier guard in the NBA for the better part of a decade. He silenced critics and made anybody who questioned him look foolish while embarking on what could be described as the greatest postseason of his career, winning his fourth ring and first Finals MVP award. It’s still Stephen Curry’s world, we are all just living in it. – Kameron Hay

It’s hard to have to someone with back-to-back MVPs outside the top three. Nikola Jokic’s biggest knock right now is his lack of playoff success as a MVP winner. To be fair, he’s played the last two postseasons without his co-star in Jamal Murray and this year’s playoffs without Michael Porter Jr. after their respective injuries. Other than that, you can’t question what he does on the basketball floor. We saw in his lone playoff series this year that he truly couldn’t do anything more. In his final game of the season he put up 30 points, 19 rebounds, and 8 assists in 32 minutes on the road. He showed why he was named league MVP. The now two-time MVP averaged 31-13-6 in the series entirely. With his team healthy this season, the pressure will be on to now make a deep playoff run. As a back-to-back MVP, you should have your team contending to make a run at a championship. – Zion Olojede

Kevin Durant received a lot of criticism for his performance against the Boston Celtics and rightfully so. When you’re a player of his caliber, you are held to different standards than everyone else. That playoff series could end up being the worst playoff performance of his career when you factor in the fact the Brooklyn Nets were swept with KD and Kyrie Irving available for all four games. One of the most efficient scorers the game has ever seen was held to 38 percent shooting from the field in four games and tallied a whopping 21 turnovers during the series. Granted the Celtics were throwing the kitchen sink at KD defensively, having two or sometimes three defenders mirroring his every step but there’s no excuse to perform that poorly when you’re considered a top 2 player in the association.

With all that being said, we are not going to let a four-game stretch eliminate what Kevin Durant did last season. With all the drama that went on with the Nets last season (which continued into the offseason), Durant still had them a half game out of first place while leading the league in scoring at 27.9 PPG before his MCL injury. That was with Kyrie missing a majority of the season and James Harden underperforming. KD was arguably leading the MVP conversation so let’s slow down on judging his season off that playoff series alone. – Zion Olojede

I think it’s fair to say Giannis Antetokounmpo has solidified his title as the best player in the NBA. Even after his dominant playoff run last season, the consensus around basketball fans was still that Kevin Durant was the best player in the league (we ranked Durant No. 1 as well) and quite frankly, it was hard to debate after he nearly single-handedly took down the Bucks in a 7-game series without his co-stars Kyrie Irving and James Harden. After last postseason, the narrative has completely flipped in similar fashion. It’s impossible to debate Giannis being anywhere other than No. 1 on this list. He became the first NBA player to have at least 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 50 assists in a playoff series. Even with the loss and his Game 7 struggles, you can’t ignore what Giannis did that series especially without Khris Middleton. – Zion Olojede