25. Anthony Davis
One of the biggest skills any player can have is availability. It’s truly a skill to be able to stay healthy/on the floor. Despite how talented Anthony Davis innately is, we can’t propel him above this spot. On ability alone, he ranks within the top-10. However, he still seems like a player not capable of reaching his lofty ceiling.
While Davis deserves credit for helping the Lakers win the (bubble) title, fans and pundits alike seem dissatisfied with Davis’ and his play. He’s out injured far too often for Laker Nation’s taste. Even then, when available, Davis falls on the floor more than any player in recent memory. For a guy who can literally do anything and everything on the court, he should be far more dominant than what we’ve seen this season.
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24. Khris Middleton
Middleton is as consistent as a warm stack of buttery pancakes on Sunday morning. You know what you’re going to get, it’ll never disappoint you, and it’s utterly satisfying each and every time.
The multi-time All-Star still seems weirdly underrated. We aren’t sure why, since Middleton has proven time and time again to be one of the league’s best No. 2 options. He can score from every level — not to mention this is done in a very efficient manner. Aside from that, Middleton is both humble and low maintenance. He simply goes about his business in a very workmanlike yet potent manner.
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23. Bradley Beal
Beal is a fantastic talent. He can fill it up from the perimeter, and there’s little doubt that Washington will likely ink him to a super max. After all, he is without a doubt their franchise player. However, we are wondering whether Beal is more of an ’empty stats guy’ rather than a winning basketball player.
Much of the Wizards’ futility does stem from poor front office decisions. However at some point, when does Beal become culpable for the Wizards’ struggles? Also — can Beal be a No. 1 option on a title-contending team?
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22. Rudy Gobert
People love to nitpick at Gobert as to what he can’t do on the basketball court. There’s a narrative where people assume Utah is worse with him on the floor in the playoffs. However, from an analytics standpoint, that narrative is false. Utah is actually better with Gobert — and for legitimate reason.
He’s consistently proven to be one of the league’s very best in terms of shot blocking and protecting the paint. He allows the Jazz to freelance a bit on defense — knowing that the gigantic big man is prowling the baseline ready to erase anything coming his way. When you throw in his efficiency from a field-goal conversion standpoint, you’re looking at a premier big man in a league with few of them.
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21. Kyrie Irving
We can’t have a top-25 list without the inclusion of Kyrie. People will lament over his personal views (and inevitably his absence for large chunks of the season). However, if we’re strictly analyzing him from a basketball standpoint, there are few humans on this planet with his ability to ball.
Irving manipulates the basketball as if it were on a string. His handles are ridiculous — as is his overall efficiency as a shooter. We’re talking about efficiency on all levels — from the free throw line, from three, and in the paint. His ability to finish in traffic is even more astounding considering Irving is far from being an athlete the caliber of Ja Morant or Russell Westbrook. Instead of dunking on guys, he manipulates angles as well as anyone. Plus, Irving is one of those guys who can explode for 15-20 points in a quarter without breaking a sweat.
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20. Zach LaVine
The former UCLA star has blossomed into one of the league’s most prolific perimeter scorers. LaVine always was dripping with natural ability. There were times where he was prone to making mental mistakes — whether turning the ball over carelessly, or missing a defensive assignment.
Now, we’re seeing a more mature player in all facets of the game. He’s relishing the opportunity to be a leader for the surging Chicago Bulls. LaVine is gifted as a scorer, though his defensive effort has also ramped up in a big way. Without a doubt, Chicago is thrilled by his overall development.
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19. Jimmy Butler
We have to give respect to Jimmy Buckets. The 32-year-old wing continues to grit and grind for the Miami Heat. There may be nights where Butler isn’t hitting his shots. However, without a doubt, you KNOW he will be giving your team a ton of effort and energy. When you’re the best player on your team, that sort of thing has a habit of rubbing off on your teammates.
Butler’s ability to score in isolation situations — as well as play-make for others — makes Miami as dangerous a threat to Milwaukee as any team in the Eastern Conference.
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18. Trae Young
There were questions whether Young could handle the physicality of the NBA when he came into the league four years ago. The diminutive guard out of Oklahoma has more than answered those concerns — as he’s averaged 25.0 PPG and 9.0 APG thus far in his young yet illustrious career.
Even more exciting for Hawks’ fans, Young is becoming a more efficient player. Currently in Year 4, he’s setting career highs in field-goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three-point percentage. Young could stand to cut down on his turnovers. With that said, Atlanta has the face of its franchise for probably the next decade-plus.
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17. Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell is one of those players who seems to take small incremental leaps season after season. At first, he was an exciting flash-in-the-pan as a rookie. He then took on more of a leadership role when entrusted to be the team’s primary option. From there, expectations grew — where Mitchell worked tirelessly in trying to get Utah over the proverbial hump in the treacherous Western Conference. Now in Year 5, he’s working on maintaining that high level — all while becoming a more efficient player.
The three-time All-Star is having a career season from the field in terms of conversion percentage. Mitchell has cut down on ‘bad’ shots, and is looking to attack the paint with more frequency. Thus far in 2022, it’s been paying off quite well.
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16. Damian Lillard
Dame has been slowed by injury this year. With Portland in full rebuild mode, it will be fascinating to see what sort of team it tries to build around its franchise player. Lillard has been steadfast in wanting to stay in the Pacific Northwest. Despite being now on the other side of 30, Lillard’s game should appreciate quite well.
He changes speed as well as anyone (while still maintaining his dribble). Though he’s not the same threat attacking the cup, Lillard’s combo of the mid-range plus step-back threes still makes him immensely lethal as a lead guard.
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15. Jayson Tatum
The 24-year-old St. Louis native has officially arrived. In a league with a ton of talented wings, Tatum’s ceiling is up there among the best of them. He’s averaging 26.0 PPG as of early March. While his field goal numbers are down, Tatum is getting to the line at a much higher clip. Celtics’ fans also must be intrigued by the thought that there’s plenty of room for improvement.
Tatum still doesn’t have much of a post-up game, and he does turn the ball over far too much. Imagine how good he’ll be once those aspects of his game (in addition to shot selection) get cleaned up?
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14. Chris Paul
‘The Point God’ might be 36 years old with a vast injury history. But, ask yourself this one question: where would the Phoenix Suns be without Paul? Well, they certainly wouldn’t be atop the Western Conference, that’s for sure. Paul stirs the proverbial drink for the upstart Suns. There’s not another player today possessing Paul’s skills in terms of controlling tempo.
He’s a master at getting the ball to teammates in advantageous spaces. After revamping his diet a few years ago, Paul has become quicker and leaner. In the process, it’s enabled him to recapture some of the defensive prowess he once had.
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13. Karl-Anthony Towns
KAT really is a unicorn — and is perhaps developed into the player many thought Kristaps Porzingis would be. It’s astonishing to see a 7-footer shooting 40-percent from three, over 50-percent from the field, over 80-percent from the line, AND still averaging 10 rebounds per contest.
Towns is as skilled as any big man not named Joel Embiid. He can pick and pop with the best of ’em, and also take you down on the block and score with ease. Fortunately for Minnesota and its fan base, the T-Wolves are finally in playoff contention. Towns is the ultimate reason why that’s the case.
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12. Kawhi Leonard
Despite sitting out this entire season with a knee, we still have to put respect on Kawhi’s name. We don’t know how he’ll respond from yet another leg injury (which is why he’s conservatively ranked at No. 12). With that said, few possess his two-way skills as a scorer and as a defender.
Kawhi doesn’t nearly get the credit for his anticipatory skills on both ends of the floor. While quiet as a person on and off the court, his game speaks volumes. He’s still going to be an integral cog in the Clippers’ team next season.
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11. James Harden
Harden sits at No. 11 based upon his volatility. We don’t know which Harden we’re going to get on a seemingly night-to-night basis. There are times where he appears out of shape, unenthused, and bored. Then, we see a highly motivated player with the ability to roast anyone in a one v. one situation.
Heading to Philly should give him a jolt of energy. There may be some long-term questions as to how each will coexist with one another. This is especially the case because both see themselves as alpha face-of-the-franchise guys. However, from a positive standpoint, the pick-and-roll possibilities with these two are mind-boggling. Try stopping that duo in any capacity.
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10. Devin Booker
Booker has ascended into the world of being a top-10 player. Much of that has to do with Chris Paul. With Booker now able to play off the ball, he doesn’t have to expend as much energy bringing the ball up the court. His efficiency has gone up, and Booker has become more savvy in terms of picking his spots.
Whenever Phoenix’s offense gets into a lull, you can count on Booker’s aggressiveness to kick in. He’s not going to settle for jumpers (as he did in the past). Instead, he’s become very adept at using his size and strength to bully smaller players. His defensive effort has also perked up — as Booker is currently averaging more than 1.0 steals a game for the first time in his career.
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9. DeMar DeRozan
Whenever you break a record set by Wilt Chamberlain, you know you’re having a good run of play. It’s even more phenomenal when considering that DeRozan isn’t even a big man. The Los Angeles native won Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the month of February — and for good reason.
DeRozan broke Chamberlain’s 60-year record by scoring at least 35 points on at least 50-percent shooting in eight consecutive games. It was a ridiculous stretch for the forward, who has always been known as a rather efficient player. However, the reigning All-Star has taken his game to another level for the Bulls. Whenever given the opportunity to shoot a mid-range jumper, it’s akin to a layup for DeRozan. He’s a big reason why the Bulls are in position to be a top-three seed this year in the East.
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8. Steph Curry
He really does make everything look Stephortless. The sharpshooter out of Davidson continues to be one of the league’s most dynamic players. We’ve seen countless times how Curry can get a shot off in the blink of an eye. His ability to fill it up is a large reason for Golden State’s reemergence as a title contender this year.
While he might not be the best defensively — or the most fleet of foot — Curry’s game will continue to age like a fine wine. Simply put, you may never see a better shooter in your lifetime. The man is ridiculously confident, and has the basketball I.Q. to truly knock out the opponent.
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7. Luka Doncic
Larry Legend? How about Luka Legend. The Slovenian prodigy (along with Ja Morant) is making a strong case to become the eventual face of the league. People forget Doncic just turned 23 years of age. Based upon his pedigree in in Europe, he’s a battle-tested player — having played against adults professionally since he was a teenager.
There are numerical metrics which do tell the story of Luka’s progression, not to mention his rising stardom. We’ll compare LeBron James to Luka Doncic in terms of their stats after their first 245 games in the league. For instance, LeBron had 61 double-doubles during this timespan. In the same period of time, Luka’s registered 121 double-doubles. Luka is also averaging more rebounds per game, more assists per game, and more overall wins.
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6. LeBron James
This isn’t a typo.
At this point, LeBron James is no longer a top-five player in the NBA. Let us first offer this disclaimer: What he’s doing at his age is absolutely bonkers. We’ve never seen a 37-year-old average nearly 29 PPG in a single season. He’s the lone bright spot in what’s otherwise been a dreadful season for the Lakers. However, when comparing him currently to his peers, we’re seeing a bit of a disconnect. LeBron’s defense seems to have taken a backseat — particularly when isolated.
Secondly, he’s averaging a career high eight three-point attempts per game. This signals that he’s not attacking the rim as much (most likely due to diminished athleticism). For as great as he is, LeBron isn’t that same player capable of carrying a mediocre team to the promised land as he once was.
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5. Ja Morant
The future face of the NBA has officially arrived. Ja Morant is box-office whenever he steps foot on the court. You’re essentially guaranteed to see some sort of highlight reel play from him on a nightly basis. With that said, Morant is far from just a spectacle. The dude is playing at an exceptionally high level.
Among his better traits, perhaps his best one includes getting his teammates involved. Shockingly, Memphis is gunning for a top-three spot in the uber-competitive Western Conference. Morant is not only the best guard in the game today, but he’s got a real chance to one day become the best player in the entire league.
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4. Nikola Jokic
As of March 4, take a look at Nikola Jokic’s stats:
25.4 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 7.9 APG, .567 field-goal percentage
It must be the quietest ‘best season’ in NBA history. Only a few have been pumping Jokic as a viable MVP candidate. It’s just fine for the Nuggets, who enjoy being under-the-radar. Assuming Jamal Murray gets back healthy this season, Denver may take off in a massive way.
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3. Kevin Durant
When healthy, an argument can still be made that Kevin Durant is the best player on the planet. No one in today’s NBA can score the basketball like he can. Also despite the injuries he’s endured of late, Durant still can be highly effective when combining his length/size with his skill-set.
He’ll back smaller players down on the block, and he’ll simply shoot over everyone else. Without James Harden, you can expect Durant to get even more touches — particularly since Ben Simmons is a pass-first player. When the game’s on the line, there’s only one player you’d want on the your team taking the last shot…
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2. Joel Embiid
There’s a case to be made that Joel Embiid is playing the best basketball of his career. Some of that has to do with his ability to stay healthy. However, he’s DESTROYING people during this 2021-22 NBA season. The Kansas product has a toolbox possessing every major post move known to man. His background as a youth soccer player enables him to move like Olajuwon with the jaw-dropping size of a svelte Shaq.
Whether it’s shooting threes, scoring in the paint, rebounding the basketball, or blocking shots, Embiid has proven to be a highly dominant force. He’s most likely the front-runner to win MVP of the league this year.
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1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Once Giannis got over the Championship hurdle, his game has taken another step forward. You can sense the confidence he plays with whenever he steps foot on the floor. Simply put, Antetokounmpo wants to punish you from the opening whistle.
We could go on and on about his laundry list of physical tools. However, we’re simply more captivated by his mindset at this point. You can see the game slowing down for the man they call ‘The Greek Freak’. As such, that should be a terrifying proposition for the rest of the league as a whole. Giannis is undoubtedly the best player in the NBA at this current time.
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