NBA Top 100 Players
The top 100 NBA players, ranked.
A ranking of the top 100 NBA players following the 2023-24 season. These are not “projections” for where each player will be at the end of the upcoming season, but simply an evaluation of each player—right now—based on their current resume and what we’ve seen from them to this point of their career. All factors are taken into account—individual accolades, stats, advanced metrics, team success, reliability, and overall perceived impact. Keep reading for a deep-dive into the top 50, as well as a brief overview of players 51-100. Incoming rookies are excluded for this exercise.
Interested in seeing how everyone stacked up last year? Check out last year’s rankings: 2023 Top 100
NIKOLA JOKIC
Last Year’s Rank: 1
CENTER, DENVER NUGGETS
BASICS: 6-11 | 29 Years Old | 9 Seasons | Drafted 41st in 2014
ACCOLADES: 3x MVP | 1x Champion | 6x All-NBA | 6x All-Star
COUNTING STATS: 26.4 PTS | 12.4 REB | 9.0 AST | 2.3 STK
EFFICIENCY: 58.3% FG | 35.9% 3PT | 81.7% FT | 65.0% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 131 ORTG | 108 DRTG | 12.0 OWS | 5.1 DWS
Last year, there wasn’t much debate about who owned the belt for “Best Player in the World”—it was Nikola Jokic. But with the reigning Finals MVP falling well short of a repeat—losing to Minnesota in round two—there was at least a small opportunity for someone to challenge Jokic for the top spot. But despite the disappointing end to the season for Denver, Jokic still did enough to remain atop the NBA world.
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He is now a three-time MVP—yes, not one, not two, but three. A feat that only nine players in NBA history have achieved. Jokic just continues to be a cheat code offensively for the Nuggets—putting up video game numbers on a nightly basis on way to averaging an absurd 26.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 8.7 assists on .588/.364/.828 shooting splits over the past four years combined. In that four-year span, he also has led the entire NBA in PER, win shares, box plus minus, and VORP in each of those individual four seasons. He is truly an advanced stats god.
Offensively, the Joker has no weakness. He is probably the best passer in the game, has genius-level basketball IQ, is automatic as a finisher anywhere remotely near the paint, is an elite rebounder on both ends, and is a true “pick your poison” player. Play him straight up? He’ll have no problem scoring at-will every time down the court. Send a double his way? He’s finding the open man every time.
If you really wanted to poke holes in his game, his jump shooting hasn’t been as consistent as of late and his defensive reliability was questionable at best in the postseason last year. But man, we are knit-picking now. He’s still—at worst—a league average three-point shooter at just about 7 feet tall and anchored a championship-level defense just a year ago.
LUKA DONCIC
Last Year’s Rank: 4
GUARD, DALLAS MAVERICKS
BASICS: 6-7 | 25 Years Old | 6 Seasons | Drafted 3rd in 2018
ACCOLADES: 5x All-NBA | 5x All-Star
COUNTING STATS: 33.9 PTS | 9.2 REB | 9.8 AST | 1.9 STK
EFFICIENCY: 48.7% FG | 38.2% 3PT | 78.6% FT | 61.7% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 122 ORTG | 113 DRTG | 8.5 OWS | 3.5 DWS
Only six seasons into his NBA career, Luka’s resume from a statistical and accolade perspective is comparable to just about any all-time great in the history of the league. He’s now made All-NBA first team in five(!!!) consecutive seasons and is fresh off his first scoring title, having averaged 33.9 points per game—a number only Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and James Harden have matched since the merger.
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After a disastrous 2022-23 season for the Mavs—missing the play-in altogether—Luka and Dallas bounced back in a big way en route to the first NBA Finals appearance of Doncic’s career. Luka’s flashy play and gaudy stats have now led to a trip to the conference finals in two of the past three seasons, and any doubts of his helio-centric playing style translating to postseason success were largely put to bed.
When Luka is on your team, he is the system in itself. He is the best isolation scorer in the league—elite at all three levels—and he pairs that scoring prowess with what might be the best playmaking ability in the NBA. Overcommit on a drive and he’ll lob the ball to his rim-running big for an easy alley-oop. Stay at home and allow him to get downhill and he’ll hit you with a pump fake, get you leaning, and score with an and-one. There’s really no slowing him down offensively, you just have to hope the jumper isn’t falling. But if it is—good luck.
Despite his resume, Luka is far from a perfect player. His defensive deficiencies were put under a microscope in the Finals against Boston—looking like a traffic cone for large portions of the series. Additionally, he often can get a little jump shot happy—especially for a career 34.7% three-point shooter. But Luka’s dominance is undeniable, and the fact that Dallas even made it to the Finals in the stacked West with only one other even semi-reliable offensive option is a testament to how great he truly is.
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Last Year’s Rank: 2
FORWARD, MILWAUKEE BUCKS
BASICS: 6-11 | 29 Years Old | 11 Seasons | Drafted 15th in 2013
ACCOLADES: 2x MVP | 1x Champion | 8x All-NBA | 8x All-Star | 5x All-Defense
COUNTING STATS: 30.4 PTS | 11.5 REB | 6.5 AST | 2.3 STK
EFFICIENCY: 61.1% FG | 27.4% 3PT | 65.7% FT | 64.9% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 126 ORTG | 112 DRTG | 9.5 OWS | 3.7 DWS
Prior to Nikola Jokic’s dominant run to the NBA Finals in 2023, Giannis was regarded by most as the consensus “Best Player in the World,” and rightfully so. But since Giannis’ own Finals run back in 2021, he and the Bucks have had three consecutive early postseason exits—including back-to-back seasons in which Milwaukee was bounced in the first round.
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Because of that, Giannis has sort of become the forgotten superstar in the NBA. Jokic has won three of the last four MVPs, Luka just carried his team to the Finals, Tatum got his first ring, SGA and Ant appear to be the next big things, and Steph, LeBron, and KD just shined in the Olympics. Then there is Giannis, who somehow appears to be flying under the radar despite coming off his most efficient season as a pro this past year. Not only did he put up a career high in true shooting, field goal percentage, and effective field goal percentage, but he also averaged the most points per game in NBA history for a player shooting 60% or better from the field—a full 3.4 points higher than the next highest.
Giannis is still undoubtedly a top-three player in the league, and one of the most elite two-way players in recent memory. Offensively, he is lethal in transition as a ball-handler getting downhill and is as dominant a force in the paint as there is in today’s game. Defensively, he is maybe the most versatile player in the league, with legit claims as the only player that can guard all five positions.
Without a doubt, Giannis’ greatest deficiency is his shooting—a career 28.6% shooter from three and 70.2% from the line—and at 29 years old, it’s unlikely he ever develops a reliable jump shot. With three straight early playoff flame outs, it’s now or never for Giannis to prove that 2021’s dominant postseason run wasn’t a fluke, that he can stay healthy, and that the Bucks can overcome the offensive issues his shooting woes can create.
SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER
Last Year’s Rank: 16
GUARD, OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
BASICS: 6-6 | 26 Years Old | 6 Seasons | Drafted 11th in 2018
ACCOLADES: 2x All-NBA | 2x All-Star
COUNTING STATS: 30.1 PTS | 5.5 REB | 6.2 AST | 2.9 STK
EFFICIENCY: 53.5% FG | 35.3% 3PT | 87.4% FT | 63.6% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 129 ORTG | 110 DRTG | 10.5 OWS | 4.2 DWS
After what was a significant leap from a good-stats-bad-team guy for most of his career to a top-five MVP finish in 2022-23, it was fair to wonder if Shai could replicate his breakout year. But during the 2023-24 season, we found out the answer to that question was a resounding yes, as he once again found himself in the MVP discussion—this time finishing second to Jokic—and even carried his team to the number one seed in the West.
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At this point, SGA has solidified himself as a bonafide superstar. Over the past two seasons combined, he’s averaged 30.7 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.2 rebounds on 52.3% from the field and finds himself among the leaders in virtually every single advanced metric as well. Offensively, Shai lives in the midrange. Last season he shot a ridiculous 51% there—ranking third among all guards behind only Kyrie Irving and Tyrese Haliburton. He’s equally as elite at getting downhill and to the basket—where he not only is a phenomenal finisher—but also dabbles as a professional foul baiter. I mean that as no slight—SGA is spectacular at drawing contact, which has led to a combined 9.7 free throw attempts per game over the past two seasons—behind only Giannis and Embiid in that span. All of this is even more impressive when you consider how impactful he is on the defensive end as well—finishing seventh in Defensive Player of the Year just last season.
Shai’s biggest flaw is undoubtedly his three-point shot—where he remains a 34.9% shooter for his career on relatively low volume compared to his usage. On top of that, he’s now 26—the same age as Jayson Tatum and a full year older than Luka—yet only has one playoff series win to show for it. With top five status comes top five pressure—and with a supporting cast in OKC loaded with talent—if they once again get bounced in the second round, then we may see Shai’s approval rating start to slip a bit.
JOEL EMBIID
Last Year’s Rank: 6
CENTER, PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
BASICS: 7-0 | 30 Years Old | 8 Seasons | Drafted 3rd in 2014
ACCOLADES: 1x MVP | 0x Champion | 5x All-NBA | 7x All-Star | 3x All-Defense
COUNTING STATS: 34.7 PTS | 11.0 REB | 5.6 AST | 2.9 STK
EFFICIENCY: 52.9% FG | 38.8% 3PT | 88.3% FT | 64.4% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 124 ORTG | 109 DRTG | 5.2 OWS | 2.3 DWS
Embiid followed up his MVP season with an even more impressive and dominant year, averaging a career high in both points and assists—and if it weren’t for a serious meniscus injury that limited him to only 39 total games—he may very well have gone back-to-back with the award.
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Dominant—that is the word to best describe Joel Embiid. Over the past four seasons, he’s won two scoring titles, finished top two in MVP voting three times, and has averaged an otherworldly 31.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists on .522/.364/.849 shooting splits. Those numbers peaked out this past season in which he became only the second player in NBA history to average more points than minutes played per game. He joined Mr. 100 Points himself—Wilt Chamberlain—who also only managed to accomplish the feat one time.
Embiid’s dominance is apparent in so many aspects of the game—as a three-level scorer, as an improved playmaker, with his ability to get to the free throw line—leading the NBA with 11.6 attempts per game, and on the defensive end as well, where he’s made three All-Defensive teams in his career. Because the Sixers finished as a play-in team, it’s easy to forget how spectacular they were with Embiid in the lineup—finishing with a 31-8 record when he played, good for 65-win pace.
However, with yet another early postseason flameout and an underwhelming performance in the Olympics—Embiid’s approval rating pendulum has officially swung back in favor of the haters. In a lot of ways, it’s fair. His regular season dominance has not translated to even an inkling of postseason success, with his scoring volume and efficiency noticeably dropping off. Not to mention the fact that Embiid is the only MVP in NBA history to have never made a conference finals—and honestly, until he does—the haters will continue to hate, and they’ll continue to have a case.
JAYSON TATUM
Last Year’s Rank: 7
FORWARD, BOSTON CELTICS
BASICS: 6-8 | 26 Years Old | 7 Seasons | Drafted 3rd in 2017
ACCOLADES: 1x Champion | 4x All-NBA | 5x All-Star
COUNTING STATS: 26.9 PTS | 8.1 REB | 4.9 AST | 1.6 STK
EFFICIENCY: 47.1% FG | 37.6% 3PT | 83.3% FT | 60.4% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 121 ORTG | 111 DRTG | 6.4 OWS | 4.1 DWS
After making the conference finals in four of his first six seasons in the league—including a trip to the Finals in 2022—Jayson Tatum and his Celtics finally captured that ever-so-elusive NBA championship this past year. Despite the fact that Tatum didn’t win Finals or Conference Finals MVP, don’t get it fooled—Tatum is still far and away the best player on the Celtics.
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Not only did he lead the team in points, rebounds, and assists in the postseason, but this is a guy who has earned three(!!!) consecutive first-team All-NBA honors—and over that same three-year span—has put up averages of 27.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists on .596 true shooting. Aside from being among the most prolific scorers we have in the league right now, Tatum continues to refine his game and grow it in every other aspect. He’s significantly improved as a playmaker—posting a career high 6.3 assists per game in this year’s postseason. His defensive versatility is up there with anyone in the league—so much so that he was guarding centers in the NBA Finals and doing a damn good job of it. And underratedly, he is durable as hell—missing an average of only 6 games per year in his career.
However, before this postseason, the questions about if Tatum could be the best player on a championship team were real. And while he technically answered those doubts, he did it in a rather unconventional way. This title was certainly not one in which Tatum willed his team to the promised land—but instead—a collective team effort. Tatum shot only 38.8% in the Finals, 42.7% in the postseason overall, and he particularly struggled from deep. He shot 28.3% from three in the postseason, and far too often settled for low-percentage, isolation, step back three pointers—a shot he has not made with any consistency. He got his ring, but the Tatum-critics will likely remain until the winning coincides with greater individual production.
LEBRON JAMES
Last Year’s Rank: 11
FORWARD, LOS ANGELES LAKERS
BASICS: 6-9 | 39 Years Old | 21 Seasons | Drafted 1st in 2003
ACCOLADES: 4x MVP | 4x Champion | 20x All-NBA | 20x All-Star | 6x All-Defense
COUNTING STATS: 25.7 PTS | 7.3 REB | 8.3 AST | 1.8 STK
EFFICIENCY: 54.0% FG | 41.0% 3PT | 75.0% FT | 63.0% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 120 ORTG | 114 DRTG | 5.7 OWS | 2.8 DWS
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer. A four-time champion. A four-time MVP. A three-time Olympic gold medalist. Twenty All-Star appearances. Twenty All-NBA appearances. At worst, the second-best basketball player to ever live—and at best—the G.O.A.T. The resume is undeniable—LeBron James has accomplished everything there is to accomplish in the game of basketball.
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Somehow, some way, LeBron continues to do the unthinkable. At the ripe age of 39, LeBron is putting up numbers that the average player could only dream up producing—even in their prime years. Coming off his 21st NBA season—a number only five other players in league history have matched—LeBron averaged more points per game than those other five players combined in their 21st year. Now heading into year 22, he will tie Vince Carter for most seasons played in NBA history. While Vince was on his last legs—managing only 5.0 points per game on 35.2% from the field for a 20-win Hawks team, LeBron will continue to put up All-NBA-level production for a Lakers team with real postseason aspirations. Still an elite scorer with a god-level basketball IQ, LeBron somehow also managed to shoot a career best 41.0% from three-point land this past season, highlighting the ridiculous evolution and adaptability of his game over his storied career.
Due to slippage with his consistent defensive effort, some recent durability issues, and the year-after-year underwhelming performance by the Lakers as a team, general consensus on LeBron was that he’d fallen down the rankings of the NBA world considerably over the past few years. But with his sustained statistical excellence and his undeniable impact during the Olympics—in which he was the clear-cut best player on a team with ten other All-NBA-level talents—it’s hard to drop him any lower than this, because on any given night, he can still look like the best player in the world.
KEVIN DURANT
Last Year’s Rank: 5
FORWARD, PHOENIX SUNS
BASICS: 6-11 | 36 Years Old | 16 Seasons | Drafted 2nd in 2007
ACCOLADES: 1x MVP | 2x Champion | 11x All-NBA | 14x All-Star
COUNTING STATS: 27.1 PTS | 6.6 REB | 5.0 AST | 2.1 STK
EFFICIENCY: 52.3% FG | 41.3% 3PT | 85.6% FT | 62.6% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 118 ORTG | 114 DRTG | 5.1 OWS | 3.2 DWS
Easy Money Sniper could not be a more fitting nickname for Kevin Durant, because everything this guy does, somehow looks easy. KD has cemented himself as one of the greatest scorers of all-time, and he just continues to score and produce with a combination of volume and efficiency that’s rarely been matched in NBA history—especially at his age.
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With the unprecedented longevity of LeBron James, it’s become easier and easier to overlook the sustained excellence of Kevin Durant during the twilight years of his career. Heading into his age-36 season—and even after his devastating Achilles injury back in 2019—he’s barely lost a step. Since that injury, he somehow has developed into an even more efficient player—putting up .532/.409/.891 shooting splits over the past four seasons combined—which is insane. Only eight players in NBA history have joined the 50/40/90 club—with Durant being a multi-time member—and yet KD is less than one free throw percentage point away from having shot that over an entire four-year span, while averaging 28.2 points per game to go along with it—fourth most in the league over that time.
We truly have not seen a player at his size be able to move and shoot the way he can. He is a true unicorn and is legit un-guardable—at nearly seven feet tall, he can get a shot off over any defender from any spot on the court whenever he wants.
However—despite playing 75 games in 2023-24—KD has had major durability issues in recent years, averaging only 46 games per season over the three years prior to last. On top of that, he’s failed to accomplish what he set out to do when he left the Warriors—win big with his “own” team. Since departing Golden State, he’s failed to make it out of the second round even once in five seasons—including two separate first round sweeps. Until we seen him carry “his” team to a Larry O’Brien, it’s fair to wonder if he ever will.
STEPHEN CURRY
Last Year’s Rank: 3
GUARD, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
BASICS: 6-2 | 36 Years Old | 15 Seasons | Drafted 7th in 2009
ACCOLADES: 2x MVP | 4x Champion | 10x All-NBA | 10x All-Star
COUNTING STATS: 26.4 PTS | 4.5 REB | 5.1 AST | 1.1 STK
EFFICIENCY: 45.0% FG | 40.8% 3PT | 92.3% FT | 61.6% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 119 ORTG | 117 DRTG | 5.2 OWS | 2.0 DWS
The greatest shooter to ever touch a basketball—with no room for debate. Just like KD and LeBron, Steph is another former-MVP in his mid-to-late-30s that just continues to produce at a level that is scarily close to what he was doing in his prime. In other words—his game is aging like fine wine. With his redemption title run in 2022, Steph really has nothing less to prove—and he now sits comfortably as a borderline top-ten player in NBA history.
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When Steph is on a heater, there may not be a more dangerous player in the NBA today—including any of the players ranked above him. The Paris Olympics this summer were no better example of that, where Steph averaged 30.0 points per game in the final two games—including draining a combined 17 three pointers between those two games. And while his shot is obviously the deadliest part of his game, the threat of that shot is almost equally as dangerous on its own—the gravity he creates on the court is truly like no other player.
Steph is also so much more than a shooter, as he’s proven to be one of the greatest connective pieces we have in the league offensively, has elite handles, and is an underrated finisher at the basket for his size. Oh yeah, and did I mention he is a four-time NBA champion?
However, Steph obviously has his limitations. He is a small guard that—at times—can struggle defensively, as we’ve seen him get targeted in the postseason in the past. And as mentioned, Steph is getting up there in age. He will be 37 by the end of this upcoming season, and while he’s still been an All-NBA-level player, his numbers did take a noticeable dip last year. He posted the second lowest percentages of his career from both the field and from three, as well as his worst advanced stats in over a decade. Might the increased inconsistency be signs of Steph’s decline? It’s possible, but this is still a shooter’s league, and Steph is the best to ever shoot it.
ANTHONY EDWARDS
Last Year’s Rank: 26
GUARD, MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
BASICS: 6-4 | 23 Years Old | 4 Seasons | Drafted 1st in 2020
ACCOLADES: 1x All-NBA | 2x All-Star
COUNTING STATS: 25.9 PTS | 5.4 REB | 5.1 AST | 1.8 STK
EFFICIENCY: 46.1% FG | 35.7% 3PT | 83.6% FT | 57.5% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 112 ORTG | 110 DRTG | 2.9 OWS | 4.7 DWS
For a few years now, Ant has been talked about as being the next big thing in the NBA and an up-and-coming superstar in the league. Well, that time is already here—Anthony Edwards has arrived. In his best season yet, he put up career highs in points and assists, posted by far the best advanced stats of his career, and made second team All-NBA—the first of his career.
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While his regular season was still noteworthy, it’s the postseason where he really shined. Despite still being only 23(!!!) years old, Edwards carried Minnesota all the way to the conference finals by way of knocking off his self-proclaimed idol—Kevin Durant—and the defending champion Denver Nuggets, both in impressive fashion. He had three separate 40-point performances, upped his scoring volume and efficiency, and through 27 career postseason games, sits ninth in NBA history in postseason points per game—ahead of guys like Nikola Jokic, Steph Curry, and even Kobe Bryant. While Ant has always been a freak athlete, he continues to polish his offensive game and has developed into one of the game’s top scorers. But perhaps the area he’s shown the greatest strides is as a playmaker—and while still far from perfect there—his continued ability to make the right reads offensively will be what takes him to even another level as a player.
Despite the media love-fest with Ant, he still has a lot of room for improvement as a player—most notably—his efficiency offensively still needs some work. He often gets tunnel vision, which can lead to suboptimal shot selection at times—highlighted by his below-league-average true shooting percentage. Additionally, Ant’s advanced stats still reflect that his impact is significantly below what the eye test would suggest. But of course, the guy is only 23, so those flaws may very well work themselves out. However, when you’re ranked this high, the critiques are part of the gig.
DEVIN BOOKER
Last Year’s Rank: 8
GUARD, PHOENIX SUNS
BASICS: 6-6 | 27 Years Old | 9 Seasons | Drafted 13th in 2015
ACCOLADES: 2x All-NBA | 4x All-Star
COUNTING STATS: 27.1 PTS | 4.5 REB | 6.9 AST | 1.3 STK
EFFICIENCY: 49.2% FG | 36.4% 3PT | 88.6% FT | 61.1% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 124 ORTG | 117 DRTG | 7.2 OWS | 2.0 DWS
Devin Booker has come a long way from the good-stats-bad-team narrative that plagued his reputation in the early stages of his career. But with Phoenix now a regular mainstay in the postseason—including a trip to the Finals back in 2021—Booker’s production has not only remained steady, but he’s continued to evolve his game in nearly every facet possible.
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First and foremost, Booker is a professional bucket getter. He’s averaged 25.0 or more points per game in six straight seasons now—a number matched by only LeBron, Giannis, and KD. He can operate and score at all three levels but does most of his damage as a midrange assassin—an area he’s shot 50% or better in three of the past four seasons. He’s also underratedly a great finisher—shooting 70% at the rim last year, which was third in the NBA among guards with at least 150 attempts.
But what has propelled Booker into the superstar, borderline-top-ten discussion is not just his scoring, but his versatility in playing different roles and impacting the game beyond bucket getting. Need someone to run your offense and be the primary initiator? He did exactly that last season as Phoenix’s full-time point guard. Need a three-and-D guy that’s going to seamlessly fit in around other stars? He just shined during the Olympics in this exact role, where he shot 56.5% from three and routinely guarded the other team’s best player.
However, despite some strong individual numbers, his team has been bounced out of the postseason in ugly fashion in three consecutive seasons—which Booker certainly cannot be absolved of. And even with his well-rounded game, Booker still hasn’t quite proven to be at the MVP-level of many of the guys ranked above him, but rather a step behind them. He continues to improve and is still in his prime years, so another leap of sorts can’t totally be ruled out, but another ugly playoff exit would not reflect well.
KAWHI LEONARD
Last Year’s Rank: 10
FORWARD, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
BASICS: 6-7 | 33 Years Old | 12 Seasons | Drafted 15th in 2011
ACCOLADES: 2x Champion | 6x All-NBA | 6x All-Star | 7x All-Defense
COUNTING STATS: 23.7 PTS | 6.1 REB | 3.6 AST | 2.5 STK
EFFICIENCY: 52.5% FG | 41.7% 3PT | 88.5% FT | 62.6% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 124 ORTG | 114 DRTG | 6.0 OWS | 2.9 DWS
When he’s on the court and at his best, there’s a legitimate argument to be made for Kawhi Leonard as one of the five or so best players in the entire NBA. There are only so many guys across the league that you can say for certain are capable of carrying their team to the promised land, and Kawhi has proven to be one of them with his unimpeachable postseason resume.
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It feels like every season—after continually being overlooked—Kawhi reminds us how dominant he can still be when he’s right. This past year was no different, when Kawhi led the Clippers to one of the most dominant stretches of any NBA team—going 26-5 over a two-month span. And while he is getting up there at 33 years old, he somehow appears to only be getting more efficient with age. In his last three seasons played, Kawhi is only two percentage points away from joining the very exclusive 50/40/90 club—putting up ridiculous .517/.411/.880 shooting splits over that span.
He is still among the best shot creators we have in the league, shoots the midrange with top-tier efficiency, is underratedly great from three-point range, and rarely ever gets sped up offensively. Oh, and he also has two DPOY awards and can still dominate that end of the court when engaged.
But sadly, we know the story with Kawhi—the guy just cannot stay on the court. Despite—miraculously—playing 68 games this past season, Kawhi once again got hurt in the playoffs, and he’s now failed to healthily make it through four(!!!) consecutive postseasons. Not only are his injuries frequent, but they’re often ambiguous and they linger—which sadly remains true for the upcoming season as well with the recent report that he likely won’t be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season.
So, while Kawhi is spectacular when he’s on the court, what good does that really do if he never is? The greatest ability is availability, and that’s something that he just has not had.
JALEN BRUNSON
Last Year’s Rank: 31
GUARD, NEW YORK KNICKS
BASICS: 6-2 | 28 Years Old | 6 Seasons | Drafted 33rd in 2018
ACCOLADES: 1x All-NBA | 1x All-Star
COUNTING STATS: 28.7 PTS | 3.6 REB | 6.7 AST | 1.1 STK
EFFICIENCY: 47.9% FG | 40.1% 3PT | 84.7% FT | 59.2% TS
ADVANCED STATS: 124 ORTG | 117 DRTG | 8.8 OWS | 2.4 DWS
Jalen Brunson’s ascension since arriving in New York is not something that even seemed plausible at the time of his signing. Nothing more than a modest 16-point-per-game-scoring role player in Dallas, he has since evolved into a one-man offense and has almost singled-handedly turned around a Knicks franchise that—just two years ago—seemed directionless.
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Every time you think Brunson has maxed out what he’s capable of being as a player, he somehow bursts through the proverbial ceiling once again and finds yet another level to elevate his game to. After a huge leap in his first season with the Knicks, he followed it up with another massive jump, en route to a top-five MVP finish and a career high 28.7 points per game, all while leading the Knicks to the number two seed in the East. He also put on a truly heroic postseason performance, including a stretch in which he scored 40 or more points in four consecutive games—the first player to do so since Michael Jordan.
Brunson has a throwback, old man’s game—dominating with his elite footwork, head fakes, crafty moves, and deceivingly burly build—all of which allow him to dominate offensively despite his limitations as a small guard. He has a unique ability to get his shot off and has displayed extremely impressive efficiency for a guy his size, especially considering the increased defensive attention he’s faced.
For as great as Brunson has been, the sample size of his elite play is still relatively small for a guy entering his age-28 season—with only one single All-Star and All-NBA appearance to his name. There are also questions about the sustainability of a player his size being the lead guy on a true contender—with very few historical examples to point to.
But with that said, Brunson doubters have continued to be proven wrong and putting a ceiling on what he can accomplish has proven to be a regrettable exercise.
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