HurricaneDij's Top 50 NBA Players List (Year 16)

[HurricaneDij39]

Published a week ago...



*Last year’s ranking in parenthesis.

1. Nikola Jokic (3)
2. Joel Embiid (4)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (1)
4. LeBron James (2)
5. Stephen Curry (7)
6. Kevin Durant (5)
7. Jayson Tatum (11)
8. Luka Doncic (8)
9. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (42)
10. Devin Booker (12)
11. Anthony Davis (19)
12. Jimmy Butler (15)
13. Ja Morant (6) (stay smart)
14. Kawhi Leonard (9)
15. Donovan Mitchell (21)
16. Damian Lillard (16)
17. Jamal Murray (38)
18. Jaylen Brown, (25)
19. Anthony Edwards (34)
20. Trae Young (10)
21. Paul George (18)
22. De’Aaron Fox (45)
23. James Harden (14)
24. Tyrese Haliburton (NR)
25. Mikal Bridges (NR)
26. Jalen Brunson (NR)
27. Kyrie Irving (20)
28. Brandon Ingram (28)
29. Bam Adebayo (29)
30. Julius Randle (NR)
31. Domantas Sabonis (46)
32. Jaren Jackson Jr. (NR)
33. Karl-Anthony Towns (17)
34. Klay Thompson (26)
35. Darius Garland (33)
36. Paskal Siakam (37)
37. Bradley Beal (23)
38. DeMar DeRozan (13)
39. Lauri Markkanen (NR)
40. Zach LaVine (32)
41. LaMelo Ball (41)
42. Jrue Holiday (36)
43. Khris Middleton (27)

 

[HurricaneDij39]

44) C.J. McCollum, SG, New Orleans Pelicans (24)

45) Dejounte Murray, G, Atlanta Hawks (30)

46) Evan Mobley, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers (NR)

47) Desmond Bane, SG, Memphis Grizzlies (NR)

48) Chris Paul, PG, Golden State Warriors (22)

49) Deandre Ayton, C, Portland Trail Blazers (31)

50) Kristaps Porzingis, C, Boston Celtics (44)

Honorable Mention: Spencer Dinwiddie, Tyrese Maxey, Jarrett Allen, Nikola Vucevic, Cade Cunningham, Bojan Bogdanovic, Myles Turner, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Jordan Poole, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Mike Conley Jr., Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson, Draymond Green (DOUCHEMAN!) Andrew Wiggins, Zion Williamson (stay healthy), Keldon Johnson, Victor Wembanyama.

Dropped from last year’s list: Gobert, Fred VanVleet, Tyler Herro, Williamson, Ben Simmons, Gary Trent Jr., Allen.

Toughest player to rank: Khris Middleton (see below). Injuries limited Middleton to 33 games during the 2022-23 season and an average of 15.1 points per game on 31.5 percent three-point shooting. In spite of this, Middleton declined his player option and earned yet another nine-figure contract from the Bucks. Can he bounce back? Even with Dame in the fold, Middleton's zero-drama approach and championship pedigree suggest that he is worth the investment.

HurricaneDij's Reach Pick: Mark Williams, C, Charlotte Hornets - With the exception of one good season from Al Jefferson and one season from Dwight Howard, Charlotte has not deployed a solid big man in some time. Williams has a chance to be that guy with more PT. As a 2022 draft prospect, Mark had drawn comparisons to Clint Capela, though his steady free throw percentage for a big suggests he could potentially develop a midrange game at some point down the line. Williams averaged 10.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in an average of 24.1 minutes per game after Feb. 1 last season.

Shown in the clip below (by way of Cookies and Kareem on YouTube) is one of Middleton showing out against the team that would later eliminate Milwaukee from the playoffs...

 

[fightinfunbags]

Big slight keeping Tyrese Maxey off this list.

 

[Mebert]

Big slight keeping Tyrese Maxey off this list.

That has to be an honest mistake. That is so far out of pocket I will even give hurricane the benefit of the doubt.

 

[fightinfunbags]

That has to be an honest mistake. That is so far out of pocket I will even give hurricane the benefit of the doubt.

He put him in his Honorable Mention category so he is aware. He has a lot of players who are on the back end and not nearly the same player that they once were.

 

[Shanemansj13]

That has to be an honest mistake. That is so far out of pocket I will even give hurricane the benefit of the doubt.

Honorable Mention: Spencer Dinwiddie, Tyrese Maxey, Jarrett Allen, Nikola Vucevic, Cade Cunningham, Bojan Bogdanovic, Myles Turner, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Jordan Poole, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Mike Conley Jr., Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson, Draymond Green (DOUCHEMAN!) Andrew Wiggins, Zion Williamson (stay healthy), Keldon Johnson, Victor Wembanyama.

Looks like he meant to keep him off

 

[Mebert]

Honorable Mention: Spencer Dinwiddie, Tyrese Maxey, Jarrett Allen, Nikola Vucevic, Cade Cunningham, Bojan Bogdanovic, Myles Turner, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Jordan Poole, Michael Porter Jr., Aaron Gordon, Mike Conley Jr., Rudy Gobert, Jordan Clarkson, Draymond Green (DOUCHEMAN!) Andrew Wiggins, Zion Williamson (stay healthy), Keldon Johnson, Victor Wembanyama.

Looks like he meant to keep him off

That will teach me to give benefit of the doubt.

 

[CitySushi]

Julius Randle and Klay Thompson are probably the two biggest reaches on this board. Randle shouldn't even be in the 30's let alone 30. Might be a small sample size too but Klay just isn't the same right now. I don't even think I could realistically rank him above Bane at this point. I think Klay should be right on the fringe of 50.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Lebron isn't a top 5 player any more. Maybe not even top 10.

What he's doing is more than impressive, especially for someone in Year 21, but there are better players out there.

I'd probably drop him down to 11th at this point and have everyone else move up a spot.

 

[jontaejones]

I understand why he's ranked high by everyone, but I just think Tatum is overrated.

I mean, if he had a couple of titles, it would be a different story, but he's really primarily only a scorer and he doesn't win.

He's an odd player to rank, but he's definitely not better than Doncic

Bridges is not better than Brunson.

 

[Mebert]

I understand why he's ranked high by everyone, but I just think Tatum is overrated.

I mean, if he had a couple of titles, it would be a different story, but he's really primarily only a scorer and he doesn't win.

He's an odd player to rank, but he's definitely not better than Doncic

Bridges is not better than Brunson.

I agree with Doncic over Tatum, but you can't really use lack of rings as a core reason for one then use another player without a ring as an example of better. Doncic has only made it out of the 1st round once.

Doncic should be in the top 5, but I am fine with where Tatum is on this list.

 

[jontaejones]

I agree with Doncic over Tatum, but you can't really use lack of rings as a core reason for one then use another player without a ring as an example of better. Doncic has only made it out of the 1st round once.

Doncic should be in the top 5, but I am fine with where Tatum is on this list.

I wasn't doing that.

Doncic is more efficient in every way, at least numbers wise. But just in a basketball sense, he makes players around him better. Tatum, less so.

A good comparison for Tatum is Kobe.

The difference is ... all Kobe did was win and hit big shots.

If Tatum wins a couple of titles, the narrative totally changes.

 

[Mebert]

I wasn't doing that.

Doncic is more efficient in every way, at least numbers wise. But just in a basketball sense, he makes players around him better. Tatum, less so.

A good comparison for Tatum is Kobe.

The difference is ... all Kobe did was win and hit big shots.

If Tatum wins a couple of titles, the narrative totally changes.

I think Tatum is Carmelo Anthony, at his peak worthy of a top 10, At it's worse around 25. I still am ok with his placement on this list, a little lower would not upset me.

We still absolutely agree on Doncic.

 

[jontaejones]

I think Tatum is Carmelo Anthony, at his peak worthy of a top 10, At it's worse around 25. I still am ok with his placement on this list, a little lower would not upset me.

We still absolutely agree on Doncic.

Carmelo was more low to high post, but I agree rankings/value wise

 

[jontaejones]

I would go...

1) Jokic
2) Giannis
3) Doncic
4) Embiid
5) Durant (assumes healthy)
6) LeBron
7) Curry

And then there's a dropoff. If Durant is in true form, he's higher.

 

[HurricaneDij39]

I understand why he's ranked high by everyone, but I just think Tatum is overrated.

I mean, if he had a couple of titles, it would be a different story, but he's really primarily only a scorer and he doesn't win.

He's an odd player to rank, but he's definitely not better than Doncic

Bridges is not better than Brunson.

He doesn't win???

He's been to four conference finals... Doncic has been to one, and Carmelo has been to one for the duration of his 19-year career.

 

[jontaejones]

He doesn't win???

He's been to four conference finals... Doncic has been to one, and Carmelo has been to one for the duration of his 19-year career.

He hasn't won the title.

And in some of those years, he's lost when he's had the better team.

Eye test wise, he also hasn't been good when it counts.

Being the best player on a goo team will take you pretty far.

 

[trojanfan12]

He hasn't won the title.

And in some of those years, he's lost when he's had the better team.

Eye test wise, he also hasn't been good when it counts.

Being the best player on a goo team will take you pretty far.

Last year vs. the Heat is a good example.

 

[jontaejones]

Last year vs. the Heat is a good example.

There was a time (not long ago) when Giannis was also considered a player who couldn't get it done in big spots, and his team couldn't win.

So that's how fast it can change.

That said, Giannis win or lose always had efficient numbers, like a lot of guys on the list, and that counts for quite a bit.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Where is Tyrese Maxey? He’s a top 15 player here.