With NBA tip off in a few hours, excitement amongst fans is at its peak. This eagerly anticipated season is bound to be thoroughly entertaining due to the high level of talent NBA teams have at their disposal. Deciphering the good players, from the truly great players has its difficulties. But after some thought, the most accurate list has been curated. This list is based primarily off the last NBA season, combined with the players' overall NBA career and their individual skillset.
Honourable mentions
Ja Morant
NBA fans have been void of Morant's sensational highlights this pre season and will continue to miss his presence when the season starts, due to his suspension. When Morant is on the floor however, his basketball ability is unquestionable. His ability to play above the rim is absurd and when this is added to his tendency to play well in transition, he makes for a perfect modern day guard. He averaged a more than respectable 26.2 PPG to go along with a career high 8.1 assists. NBA fans will be happy to see this precocious talent back on the court once his suspension is served.
Damian Lillard
The All-Star guard embarks on a new journey this season, taking his talents to the east coast to team up with fellow MVP caliber player Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lillard spent 11 hard fought years with the Blazers, managing to lead them to the play-offs 8 times, making the conference finals once in the process. Dame was prohibited from making The Finals on numerous occasions due to a multiple of reasons: lack of team talent, injuries to key players and the inability to overcome Steph Curry (who will be on this list later) and the insurmountable Golden State Warriors. Lillard's basketball ability can not be understated though. He is one of the greatest shooters of all time and one of the best point guards of the modern era. He will be looking to replicate or better the 32.2 Points per game he averaged last season, this upcoming campaign.
Devin Booker
The 13th pick in the 2015 NBA draft has been a certified bucket ever since he entered the league. He is an accomplished 3-level scorer and he also happens to possess the best one and two dribble pull up in the league, a skill that allows him to manipulate close outs consistently and effectively. The main reason why Booker is one of the best players in the league is due to his tendency to raise his game in the play-offs. His first play-off appearance in the 2020-21 season saw him lead the Suns to the Finals where they were outplayed by the Bucks in a very entertaining series. In last years Play offs, he put on a stunning display in the series's against the Clippers and Nuggets. Though his efforts were not enough to make another Finals appearance, he procured 33.7 points in the 11 games he played and was instrumental in everything well the Suns did.
10
Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler. Himmy Buckets. Michael Jordan's long lost Son. His Heroics have been widely applauded by NBA fans in the last 5 years, but this somehow has not enabled him to appear high in lists when the NBA's best players our discussed. In the last four seasons he has made the conference finals a remarkable three times and has also managed to make the finals twice in that period. A truly astonishing accomplishment especially when you consider that his Heat teams were not expected to be serious challengers for the NBA title in any of these seasons. He has averaged 27.1 points over the last two Post Seasons and this season, fans now expect Butler to produce when the Heat need him most. He is fundamentally sound, his footwork is flawless, his defense is rugged. Another great season is more than plausible for the versatile forward.
9
Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis, for all his critics, is easily still one of the best players in the league. On any given night he is the best offensive and defensive player in the league. He is the best pick and roll defender in the league, simultaneously managing to defend the guard and the roller and his guard like coordination allows him to catch and receive difficult passes regularly on offense. If injuries had not derailed him at key points in his career, he would be more appreciated than he is at the moment. Nevertheless he is one of the best college players of all time and one of the best players in the league. Coming off a season averaging 25.2 points and 2 blocks in the regular season, a deep play off run and an all defensive campaign is very likely.
8
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant- the next 8 names on the list are all interchangeable. At this point it gets very difficult to discover who is better than who. Because this list also considers who the best players are heading into this season, I have Kevin Durant at 8. This might seem illogical at first. KD is probably the most natural scorer on this list and has been one of the best scorers in the world ever since he was drafted by the Sonics, averaging more than 27 points his whole career, managing to secure a few scoring titles along the way. The former MVP's defence has also increased steadily over the last few years, using his height and length to become one of the most underrated rebounders and weakside defenders in the league. Though when considering the fact that he still has not been able to make a finals appearance since leaving Golden State, coupled with the fact that he is not the unequivocal number 1 option on his team anymore, the 35 year old might be ready to take up a lesser role in Phoenix. The other 7 names on this list are all number 1 options on their respective teams. Because of these things it makes it very hard to put KD any higher, especially when the Suns' lack of squad depth likely means he fails to make The Finals this year.
7
Luka Doncic
Hands down my favourite player in the NBA. The Slovenian savant is the best pick and roll ball decision maker in the NBA. When so much of modern NBA offenses are predicated on pick and roll success, this makes him an invaluable asset to the Mavericks. His ability to distort and disrupt defences with this tactic is second to none and it normally results in him taking advantage of a mismatch to score for himself, or an open shot for one of his teammates. He is also sufficient in isolation, using his patented step back jumper to create space for threes. A tremendous scorer, passer and rebounder, Luka is a triple double machine, able to affect the game in a variety of ways. Though he is my favourite player, when trying to be objective, I have to concede that he greatly underachieved last year. When more than 50% of NBA teams make the play offs, it is imperative that your team makes it to the Post Season. The fact that he did not make it last year greatly hurts his stock. He has also never managed to make the Conference Finals. He has made the Top 10 purely due to his individual skill. Even if his team has been subpar, someone of Luka's quality needs to be achieving great things during the business end of the campaign. With Kyrie now on his team, his chances of Play Off success our increased so hopefully the star guard can start accumulating more play off wins.
6
Jayson Tatum
Tatum has managed to get better every year he's been in the league. The 6'10 forward is in a league of his own as it pertains to players his size who can shoot, break his man down off the dribble and defend. His playstyle also clearly leads to success. The Celtics have managed to reach the Conference Finals 3 times in the last 6 years, making The Finals on one of those occasions. Tatum was a prevalent figure in all of those stints. Last season he averaged a fantastic 30.1 points to go with roughly 9 rebounds and 5 assists and it is likely that he improves his output this year. One thing that is going to be key for Tatum's progression is his willingness (rather than his ability) to get to the line. Because JT is such a skilled offensive weapon, he has the tendency to settle for threes and difficult mid range jumpers instead of using his ball handling skills and size to create easier shots and get to the line. f he can abate some of the flaws in his game, we could be in for a special season from the former number 3 pick, which could see him earn him his first MVP award.
5
Joel Embiid
Honestly, Joel does not deserve to be higher than the likes of KD, Luka or Tatum. But putting the current MVP outside of the top 5, does not seem plausible, at least while the season has not started. Embiid is of course still a wonderful player. He has managed to overcome a multitude of injuries in his career and at 2, he is now a top 2 Centre in the league. On attack, he gets to the line religiously(and makes most of his free throws), causing all sorts of problems for opposing teams in the interior. On defense, the 7ft bruiser is an imposing figure and uses his size and strength to help block and deflect shots. Last season he averaged 33.1 points on incredible efficiency to go along with 11.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. But regardless, he should count himself lucky to be as high as he is on this list. Especially when his apparent subordinate Tatum destroyed him and his 6ers in the eastern Semi final last year. As good as Embiid is individually, his playstyle doesn't equate to winning basketball. This is supported by the fact he has made exactly 0 Finals appearances. He needs to increase his leadership qualities on and off the floor if he aims to win a championship and become the best big man in the game.
4
Lebron James
The King still manages to assert his greatness on the biggest stage. Even while being the oldest player in the league, he finds himself high on every top 10 list imaginable. I expect the King to start managing his minutes more cautiously in the regular season to make sure he is 100% ready to go when the play offs arrive. His CV speaks for itself. 4 time MVP, 4 time FMVP, 19 all star appearances, most points in NBA history. Do I need to continue? His accolades are endless. Him and fellow top 10 player AD will be attempting to garner another Championship banner for the LakeShow.
3
Stephen Curry
Another player whos remarkable CV speaks for itself. The greatest shooter of all time is still at the peak of his powers, both physically and technically. His off the ball movement and relentless stamina make him the biggest perimeter threat in the league. He will certainly be playing more off the ball this year with the arrival of CP3 to the Warriors. It is possible that someone who has averaged 42.8% from three in his career, might be able to increase his efficiency. What a prospect! Another deep play off run is more than attainable for the Dubs.
2
Nikola Jokic
The best Centre in the league had himself a year to remember. Winning The Finals and earning himself finals MVP. Arguably, he also should have won the regular season MVP award as well. The Nuggets' star averaged 30, 12 and 7 in a historic Championship run. He is the epitome of a selfless superstar. One that always puts his team mates in situations to be successful, using his extraordinary passing abilities to make the most of mismatches. If the Nuggets are to repeat their accomplishments from last season, the big Serb will need to keep up his excellent standards, something the two time MVP is definitely capable of.
1
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Although Giannis did not have the most illustrious post season ( mainly due to injuries) his dominance is to hard to ignore. He is now at the stage in his career where the regular season is very easy for him. He is simply too fast, too strong, too powerful and too brilliant for opposing defenders. Last season, he averaged 31 points, 12 rebounds and 6 points. Stats as great as they seem, are quite feasible for the Greek Freak to achieve. Every night he walks on to court as the best offensive and defensive player, something that few NBA players in history have been able to say. For that reason alone, the former MVP (X2) and DPOY is the best player going into the 2023/24 season. He is a on course for another MVP run and will be looking to acquire another Championship ring for himself and the city of Milwaukee.