Here are the very best players for the season. To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on pairs of players: Kevin Durant vs. James Harden , Luka vs. Zion Williamson , Giannis vs. Stephen Curry , LeBron vs. Nikola Jokic We asked, "Which player will be better in ? Note: Because of knee injuries that will sideline both for most of the season, the LA Clippers ' Kawhi Leonard and the Denver Nuggets ' Jamal Murray were excluded from this season's rankings.
His legacy is secured no matter what happens this season, but Curry and the Warriors are confident that they can vault themselves back toward the top of the Western Conference if he has another MVP-like season and Klay Thompson returns to form. As usual, the sky is the limit for Curry. The two-time MVP led the league in scoring last season with He did everything for a Warriors squad playing without Klay Thompson that struggled to find consistent offense outside of Curry's brilliance.
Curry believes he can stretch his prime out a little longer, but he'll be 34 in March and, aside from a fluke tailbone injury, stayed relatively healthy. If the Warriors want to return to the top of the West, Curry will need to have another huge season -- even with Thompson expected to make his return.
Swing skill: Curry is widely regarded by many peers and former players as the greatest shooter of all time. He is a career If he puts it up, the expectation is that it's going in, and his mere presence on the court creates the gravity that allows his teammates to shine.
One thing to watch for: Curry enters the season just 3-pointers behind Ray Allen for the top spot on the all-time list.
Given that Curry made 3s last season, he figures to eclipse Allen before the All-Star break. At 22, Doncic has already established himself as one of the NBA's elite.
It only seems like a matter of when -- and how many times -- Doncic wins MVP. He's finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in the last two MVP votes.
One big question: Can Doncic carry the Mavs to postseason success? It would be wrong to blame Doncic for the Mavs' failure to get out of the first round, considering he's averaged an efficient Just as in the past, these rankings were a collaborative effort, with 10 members of our staff submitting a list of who they believe are the top 30 players in the league after a busy offseason.
Each first-place vote was worth 30 points, second-place votes worth 29 points, third-place votes worth 28 points and so on until 30th place, where votes are worth one point. Got it? Cool, now onto the rankings, which are our first since the second half of the season began …. Ball, the year-old phenom who took the league by storm during his rookie campaign, appeared on two ballots but didn't accumulate enough points 9 to crack the top The same applies to LaVine, who earned two 30th-place votes, a 29th-place vote and a 27th-place vote.
DeRozan, Green and Sabonis each appeared on multiple ballots but fell shy of receiving enough points. Of the above list, DeRozan 26th and Sabonis 30th fall out after appearing in our top 30 list in March.
The injury bug bit Davis and the Lakers hard last season, as the superstar forward missed half of a possible 72 regular-season games before returning ahead of the postseason, where he suffered a groin injury in LA's first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns.
After a full offseason of rehab and recovery, Davis will look to bounce back to the form he showed during the NBA Restart, where he won the first NBA title of his career.
There were few players who our voters could agree on to this extent, but it was clear that everyone considers Lillard to be a top player in the league.
Dame is coming off of a season in which he averaged In the postseason, Lillard upped his production to Despite Lillard's heroics, Portland was eliminated in six games, prompting an offseason headlined by a coaching change. The Blazers face many questions in the season, but with Dame on the roster, they'll be good enough to compete every night. The Nets were dealt an awful hand with injuries this past season, but Harden averaged Davis is extremely skilled for his size, able to shoot and dribble, as well as being ridiculously mobile, which, coupled with his otherworldly length, make him an elite defender.
Worthy was especially terrific in transition as a member of the Showtime Lakers. NBA rank: 10th in scoring, 85th in rebounds, th in steals, th in assists, th in blocks. One of the smoothest scorers in the wing the league has ever seen, Carmelo Anthony has become renowned for his jab step in the mid-range, but he had many more moves than that. Melo also likes to bully smaller defenders and hit them with turnaround fadeaways. NBA rank: 16th in scoring, 20th in steals, 78th in assists, 84th in rebounds, th in blocks.
Paul Pierce has become underrated by younger fans due to his post-playing days media career, but make no mistake: Pierce was a beastly scorer in his prime, one who could fill it up from all three levels and score on even the most elite of defenders. Pierce was also quite clutch, hitting a ton of big shots in his day. A monster-scoring big man who led the league in scoring three consecutive seasons, including once at Of course, like with any active player on this list, Damian Lillard could see himself outperform his ranking depending on how the rest of his prime goes.
Even as is, however, Lillard is one of the best score-first point guards ever, with outstanding shooting ability and clutch shots galore on his resume already. Despite standing just 6-foot-7, Wes Unseld was one of the most physically imposing centers ever thanks to his incredible strength and stout frame.
Unseld was one of the best rebounders in NBA history, averaging One of the finest shooters ever, Reggie Miller ranks third in league history in made three-pointers 2, He was also extremely clutch about his shot-making, with a career highlight tape featuring multiple game-winning threes from high-pressure postseason contests. Celtics legend Kevin McHale was known for putting opponents in something called the torture chamber, which basically meant when McHale would post up, it was torture for foes to defend due to his sharp elbows, long arms and ridiculous array of moves in the paint.
Still, Allen carved out a Hall-of-Fame career in his era anyway as one of the best shooters ever, and arguably owns the biggest shot in league history under his belt from Game 6 of the Finals. One of the greatest international NBA players of all time, Pau Gasol was a menace in his heyday, a supremely skilled big man who could shoot, dribble a bit, pass and create for teammates, and use his long limbs well when tasked with protecting the rim.
Walt Frazier , remembered partly by his cool nickname Clyde, was one of the smoothest point guards of his era, one who could also take over the bulk of the scoring load for the Knicks.
Frazier was also one of the best point-guard defenders ever, making a ridiculous seven 1st Team All-Defenses in his career. The starting center on those legendary Celtics teams of the s, Robert Parish was a great complement to the likes of Bird and McHale, willing to do all of the dirty work down low while still providing a solid scoring punch in the paint.
Parish ranks in the Top 10 in both career rebounds and blocks. Best-known for limping out onto the court for Game 7 of the Finals for New York and hitting his first two shots on a bad thigh, Willis Reed is now widely considered one of the greatest Knicks of all time, a big man slightly short on stature but not on talent and sheer will. Reed was a monster rebounder and shot-blocker despite standing just 6-foot Schayes could also dribble past opponents and drive to the hoop on hard closeouts.
Schayes paved the way for the modern stretch At one time, Dwight Howard was the best big man in the NBA, an era that lasted for multiple seasons during his time with the Magic. Howard was an awe-inspiring athlete for his size, who would often sky for rebounds, to block shots or to finish alley-oops. Now in the late stages of his career, Howard is approaching Top 10 in NBA history in both rebounds and blocks, an incredible feat for the future Hall-of-Famer.
Rodman was also an elite defender of multiple positions using absurd strength to bully opponents trying to body him. An underrated passer, his mind games destabilized many a team… including his own sometimes. Bosh went from being a No. Archibald was also a very solid playmaker and could hit jumpers from the short midrange area. Tony Parker , surely the best European guard the NBA has seen, dominated opposing backcourt players with quickness, a tight crossover and a beautiful tear-drop floater in the lane.
He changed the game for guards trying to reach the NBA from overseas. He was a bundle of energy in his prime, one who was a monster rebounder, averaging Aside from being one of the most explosive dunkers in league history, Vince Carter was a productive player for 22 years — something that not many could have expected considering how reliant on athleticism he was during his prime.
NBA rank: 20th in scoring, 95th in assists, rd in rebounds and blocks, th in steals. Even without a reliable three-pointer, English averaged Injuries in his prime really hurt his place on this list, as Bernard King blew out his knee the year he earned the second 1st Team All-NBA of his career, missing the entire following season and never regained his explosiveness after that.
A more impressive playoff career he never made it out of the first round in his prime could have greatly changed where Tracy McGrady finished in this ranking, as could have more longevity. But at his peak, McGrady was one of the most explosive and productive do-everything wings in basketball, one who would have dominated in the modern NBA.
One of the best and underrated guards of the s, Hal Greer was an All-Star 10 times that decade and an All-NBA 2nd Teamer seven times, helping lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship in alongside Chamberlain in what was one of the most slept-on guard-big duos in league history.
The Pistons' decision to sign Grant, who to that point in his career had been a role player, and give him the keys to their offense was one of the most interesting experiments we've seen in the league in some time. And while the team obviously struggled on the floor, that was through no fault of Grant's, who understandably put up the best numbers of his career. It will be fascinating to see how he develops in this new role, especially with Cade Cunningham's arrival.
Brogdon is coming off a breakout season, having averaged a career-high He dished out nearly six assists per game, but was also an effective weapon as an off-ball shooter, landing in the 82nd percentile in catch-and-shoot situations, per Synergy.
At a stout , Brogdon is capable of defending both guard positions, and he was one of Indiana's most effective clutch scorers and playmakers. Wood looked like a potential All-Star during his first season with the Rockets. He averaged 21 points and 9. He will continue to play a big role for the Rockets moving forward, and at 26 years old he could still get even better. Haven't we seen this story before?
The Raptors draft a raw prospect knowing that they can refine his game and make him a star. That pick defends well as a rookie, starts making shots in Year 2 or 3, and by Year 4 or 5, he's started creating his own shots against opponents ill-equipped to handle yet another Toronto developmental masterpiece. It happened for Pascal Siakam, and right before our eyes, it's happening for Anunoby. Had he remained healthy last season, he likely would have earned All-Defense honors, and he would have done so on a career-best 6.
The real story, though, is his career-high That's not exactly high, but it tells the story of a player slowly becoming more comfortable with the ball in his hands. Anunoby averaged a career-high Now, with Kyle Lowry gone, he'll have enough opportunity to push for The reigning Rookie of the Year winner, Ball dazzled us all last season making the Charlotte Hornets must-watch television.
With every no-look pass and impressive finish at the rim, his profile grew into a player who could be making All-Star Games in the very near future.
He still has work to do in terms of his efficiency and limiting his turnovers, but to nearly crack the top 50 of NBA players in the league right now after just one season in the league is incredibly impressive for the young point guard. Ayton has averaged a double-double in each of his first three seasons in the league, but last season is when he really started putting things together.
He's a decent face-up shooter, but trimming those long-mid-range attempts in half 15 percent of his shots to eight percent, per Cleaning The Glass for more higher-percentage looks at the rim netted him Ayton has also made great strides defensively. He isn't going to be schemed off the court with his ability to drop for rim protection and also hold his own on higher pick-and-roll coverage.
Ayton will always be the guy who was drafted No. Collins secured the bag, as they say, after another wildly efficient offensive season for the Hawks in which he ranked in the 96th percentile with 1. Collins' counting stats went down a bit last year, but his role on the Hawks and contributions to winning are as valuable as ever. Smart is an all-world defensive player, more versatile than a 6-foot-4 guy has any right to be. He has playmaking chops, too, and is a confident shooter, if far too streaky, shooter.
Despite playing a different position, he's much more similar to Draymond Green than most of the undersized bigs who get those comparisons every season. DeRozan has almost single-handedly proven that a wing can remain efficient in the modern NBA without consistently shooting 3-pointers, and that's largely due to his improved playmaking to go along with deadly mid-range shooting. He took the seventh-most mid-range attempts in the league last season with the Spurs, and knocked down 47 percent of them, helping him become one of the most efficient offensive players in the NBA.
He was in the 94th percentile in halfcourt offense including assists, per Synergy, and his 1. Vucevic is a big-time offensive talent who, as a give-or-take percent 3-point shooter, theoretically meshes well with Zach LaVine, keeping the lane open and representing a dangerous pick-and-pop weapon. The small-sample returns, however, weren't great after Vucevic was moved from Orlando last season; With LaVine and Vucevic on the court, the Bulls were outscored by 3. Porter could be in line for a huge season with the Nuggets.
As a rookie, Porter averaged 9. Last season, his playing time and stats both jumped up in a major way. He appeared in 61 games and started in 54 of them for Denver and averaged In the process, Porter established himself as a legitimate go-to guy on the offensive end for the Nuggets, and clearly a player the team has extremely high hopes for, given the fact that they signed him to a max extension over the offseason.
As tough and beloved as the Grizzlies were with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph pushing people around, part of me wishes Conley hadn't had to wait so long to play this style of basketball. Launching pull-up 3s in transition and making the absolute most of Utah's spacing, Conley had something of a career season offensively at the age of When healthy, he's still an effective defender at the point of attack, too. He finally made an All-Star team, so the only milestone left is a championship.
His play on both ends of the floor set the tone for the Knicks hard-nosed, defensive mentality last season, and his Prior to a foot injury that cost him the final 24 games of the season, Hayward was in the middle of the comeback season he hoped for when he signed with Charlotte. His Hayward's ability to be a facilitator and a spot-up shooter makes him a dangerous offensive weapon, and he was excellent in transition for a team that likes to get up and down the floor. Health has been Hayward's main issue over the past few seasons, but there's no doubt about his effectiveness when he's on the floor -- the Hornets' net rating was four points better per possessions in his minutes last season.
VanVleet is an All-Defense-caliber defender at the point of attack, a lights-out catch-and-shoot guy and one of the few point guards on the planet who has the requisite toughness and intelligence to be a natural successor to Kyle Lowry.
His efficiency took a slight dip with his career-high usage last season, but if this year plays out perfectly both numbers will rise. At 27, with his own team to run, can he make yet another leap? It may seem like Siakam took a step backward last season for the Raptors, who struggled as a team during an odd year playing home games in Tampa. But in reality, Siakam's only significant drop-off came in his 3-point percentage.
His two-point percentage, free throw shooting and assists per game all went up, while his points and rebounds per game remained relatively unchanged from his All-Star season in And that's all in addition to his stingy, versatile defense. With Kyle Lowry in Miami, Siakam should have even more offensive responsibility this season, which could lead to some impressive numbers if his 3-point shooting returns to its previous levels. Ingram has averaged The next step for him is to continue to develop defensively.
If he can do that he has the potential to be one of the best two-way players in the league, thanks to his combination of size and athleticism. He still finished with career highs in points, assists and 3-pointers per game while landing in the 84th percentile in half-court offense, according to Synergy. In addition to being one of the best pull-up shooters in the league, McCollum was in the 94th percentile in catch-and-shoot situations, proving his ability to play both on and off the ball.
Westbrook has averaged a triple-double in four of the last five seasons, a testament to his still-elite speed and athleticism as well as a motor that never quits. But does he help a team win games at a meaningful level?
We might get our answer to that question this season as he teams up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, only now his impact will have to be felt in a reduced role. Whether Westbrook embraces a lower-usage existence and controls his worst shooting impulses could largely determine how far the Lakers go.
Murray was in the midst of his best campaign as a pro last season before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in April. There's no firm timetable for Murray's return at this point, but he's likely to miss a large portion of the ' season.
When he does ultimately return to action, look for him to pick up where he left off last season. The only player in the NBA to average at least 20 points and 12 rebounds last season, Sabonis is also one of the best playmaking bigs in the league.
He averaged a career-high 6. An excellent finisher around the basket, Sabonis increased his 3-point volume last season with mixed results. If he improves in that area, he'll become one of the most complete offensive players in the NBA.
The last time we saw Thompson on the court was Game 6 of the Finals. Since then he's gone through multiple significant surgeries, one on his ACL and the other on his Achilles tendon. There are real questions about what level he'll be at after so much time off, which is why he's fallen so far on this list.
But whenever he gets back on the court this season, we know he'll be one of the best shooters in the league and make the Warriors much more dangerous. Is there a better match between player and team in all of basketball than Lowry and the Heat?
The player that has made his name taking charges, diving for loose balls and outsmarting more talented opponents now plays for a team that very recently made the Finals taking charges, diving for loose balls and outsmarting more talented opponents.
Lowry just spent the bulk of his career sharing those gifts with the Raptors. Now, in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, he has two star teammates who bring them in abundance. The Heat were already a nightmare to play against. Now they've added among the NBA's most frustrating possible opponents, a basketball genius that's tougher than rivals twice his size. Fox's career has gone somewhat under the radar because the Kings have failed to earn the national spotlight of a playoff appearance.
Case in point -- did you know that he averaged more points per game than LeBron James last season? Fox's 3-point shooting hasn't come along quite yet, but he was in the 76th percentile in offensive efficiency including assists last season, per Synergy, and the Kings offense improved by 4.
One of six players to average at least 25 points and seven assists per game last season, the future is bright for the year-old point guard. Morant's efficiency dropped considerably last season, but a jaw-dropping performance in his debut playoff series Improved 3-point accuracy would make him nearly unguardable given his athleticism and passing ability, and it's a good sign that his free throw attempts increased from 4.
At 22 years old, Morant is already a borderline All-Star who will only get better as he matures. You would be forgiven for not watching much of Gilgeous-Alexander last season considering he was limited to just 35 games due to plantar fasciitis and the Thunder were actively trying to lose. But when he was on the court, it was special.
If he stays healthy this could be the season he becomes a breakout star. He gets into the paint at will, where he's a terrific finisher and playmaker, is a legitimate 3-point threat now and has the size to defend multiple positions. When it comes to Simmons, the main questions at this point are when will he play his next NBA game, and what team will that be for?
Simmons is in the midst of a messy public divorce from the 76ers, and he has made it clear that he doesn't plan to play until he is traded. The Sixers, though, are in no rush to make a move, so the two sides are basically locked in a stalemate for the time being. Whenever Simmons does ultimately play again, he'll bring elite defense and playmaking to whatever team he's on. Green isn't quite the defender he used to be, but you could still make the case that he's the best defender in the league.
His impromptu instincts are a gift, and with the Warriors back in position to compete for a top-four seed, his competitive juices should be flowing in full force this season. Offensively, Green, who finished tied for fourth league-wide with 8. The Bulls are still struggling to turn LaVine's individual success into team success, but after several years of being snubbed as an All-Star, LaVine finally climbed that mountain top last season.
Not only did he put up career numbers in points He ranked in the 90th percentile in the league in effective field goal percentage 60 percent , and the 88th percentile in 3-point percentage 42 percent. His time spent with Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics gave LaVine a taste of what winning on the biggest stage feels like, and now he'll be able to take what he's learned and use it to get the Bulls into the playoffs.
Up until last season, Holiday had played in just 31 career playoff games, but the Bucks mortgaged their future to trade for him because they thought he would make the difference in winning a title. It turned out they were right.
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