Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, and Joel Embiid are all some of the great NBA players right now. With the start of the 2023-2024 season approaching, this leads to the big question: which players would make the top 5 this season?
#5 Kevin Durant
Durant is entering his 17th season in the NBA with his new team, the Phoenix Suns, after playing on four different teams previously: the Nets, Warriors and Thunder in the past. In other words, he has been around the block a time or two. Durant joined Devin Booker last year in a blockbuster trade that set up the Suns for success. In the eight games he played with the Arizona-based team last year, he averaged 26 points per game (PPG), 6.4 rebounds per game (RPG), and 3.5 assists per game (APG), all impressive stats. As a 35 year-old power forward, however, Durant is coming to the end of his career. He is still one of the best in the league, but may be winding down.
Curry is arguably the best 3-point shooter of all time. He led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA Championships, winning the Finals MVP once and the regular season MVP twice. Curry has the most made 3’s of all time. Although he has 500 more attempts than second place finisher Ray Allen, his 3-point percentage is 0.28% higher than Allen’s. As one of the best shooters of all-time, and the best point guard in the league right now, Curry will look to continue his Hall of Fame career and lead the Warriors to the playoffs this year.
#3 Luka Dončić
Dončić has been one of the best players in the league since he was drafted in 2018 by the Dallas Mavericks. Dončić led the Mavs to the playoffs in three of the five years he has been in the league, and Dončić is also the second player of all-time in playoffs PPG – following Michael Jordan. Dončić is, no doubt, one of the best offensive players in the NBA; he has the ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor, and he also has amazing passing skills. Tim MacMahon, an NBA reporter from ESPN, also said Dončić could win a scoring and assists title in the same year. He will certainly be one to watch this season.
Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player in basketball right now, and historically, as well. He averaged at least 25 points per season in each of his last five seasons, and also averaged at least 10 rebounds spanning over the same length of time. What makes Antetokounmpo so good is his ability to play offense like a guard, but with the height and defensive ability of a center. He led his team to the NBA Finals in the 2020-2021 season where they beat the Phoenix Suns in six games; the event marked Antetokounmpo’s first ring, but potentially not his last.
#1 Nikola Jokic
When it comes to the number one spot, there can be no debate: Jokic has undoubtedly emerged as the best player in the NBA. In 2021 and 2022, he won the MVP award, and – honestly – should have won it in 2023 as well. Last year, he was 0.2 assists away from averaging a triple double for the first time in his career. Instead, he lost to Joel Embiid, who averaged 9 points more, but 1.6, and 5.6 less assists than Jokic did. Although Jokic did not win the 2023 MVP, he won the 2023 Finals MVP when he led the Denver Nuggets to their first Championship in franchise history.
