Ranking The NBA’s TOP 30 Players For 2024

the 2024 NBA season is right around the corner in the blink of an eye all the best hoopers around the world are going to lace up their sneakers and there's going to be another grueling battle for the Larry O'Brien trophy things aren't going to be the same anymore the last Vanguard of NBA superstars are in the Twilight of their careers while the new Bloods are done patiently waiting for their turn to stamp their names into the history books It's a Brand New World in the league today change has never been more apparent and with that being said let's go over who the new top 30 players in the NBA are starting this list off at number 30 we have Donovan Mitchell the spider is one of the most electrifying guards in the NBA today and he's not just a walking bucket but a Human Highlight Reel as well in 2023 Mitchell averaged a career high of 28 points per game while shooting just a bit shy of 50 40 and 90. that's nothing short of elite guys in terms of just pure skills he's right up there with the best of the best but the reason why I have him only at number 30 is because of his poor decision-making skills in high stakes games Time After Time After Time in the playoffs he hoists up bad threes and just shoots his team straight to Cancun for example he shot 21 for three on eight attempts per game in 2022 and then 29 in 2023 on nine attempts per game that's a recipe for disaster still though despite his flaws he's still electrifying and that's why out of the 450-ish players in the league I still have him in the top 30. at number 29 we have the underrated guard out of Villanova Jalen Brunson now some people may say I'm crazy for putting Brunson ahead of Mitchell but the truth is Jalen is beating Mitchell twice now when all the marbles were on the line and although I'll admit that Donovan is the more skilled player of the two Brunson just makes better decision that affects the outcome of games that in terms of numbers he's not bad either I mean 24 points and six assists on decent efficiency than in the playoffs he's one of the rare players who's able to turn things up a notch Brunson continues to defy expectations and I have him as the 29th best player currently at number 28 we have the beard James Harden may not be the offensive MVP Dynamite type of player he once was but he's still a double double machine who runs one of the most potent offenses today this past season Hardin averaged 21 points and 11 assists while shooting an effective field goal percentage of 54. I would have him higher on this list but his inability to get over postseason humps hurts his stock significantly still though despite all his shortcomings I still have James as one of the best players in the league and he's number 28 on this list at number 27 we have Jamal Murray Murray is like the opposite of Hardin Mitchell he plays like an average star in the regular season but in the playoffs he literally turns into a superstar like just compare 20 points six assists to 26 points and seven assists he's the second best player on the nuggets and as good as Nikola jokic is it's clear from the previous years that the Joker cannot win without Murray for these reasons I have him at number 27. at number 26 we have Lowry marketing the dude was such a stealing that Donovan Mitchell Utah trade I mean seven foot tall 25 points nine rebounds 50 39 88 guys marketing surprised the entire NBA in 2023 by that electrifying start that he and the Jazz got off to and because of him the entire Jazz organization had to rethink their strategy for Tanki the scary truth about this man is he's only 26 years old and has yet to really enter his prime years Utah either needs to hurry and pair him up with legit stars or trade him to a contender otherwise it'll be a sad waste of talent but anyway he's currently the 26th best player in the league and right after him at number 25 is none other than Paul George PG-13 isn't the player he once was but he's still a six foot eight two-way player who can get hot at any moment 24 points six boards and five assists on efficient shooting percentages is what he averaged in 2023 and the only thing that really hurts his stock is his inability to stay healthy players that needs to hire a Glazer to follow him everywhere because he's practically made of glass at this point but all jokes aside he's still one of the best players in today's game and I have him at number 25. at number 24 we have Zach Levine the Chicago Bull star is a Human Highlight Reel and it's unfortunate that his backcourt partner Lonzo ball went down because of injuries I mean if you all remember when the Bulls were healthy a few years back they were at one point the best team in the East and a lot of that had to do with Levine 25 points with an effective field goal percentage of 56 shows just how hard he is to guard and at 28 years of age he's now entering his prime for 2024 I have him as the 24th best player in the league following Levine at number 23 we have domantas ankle Levin sabonis a poor man's jokic is what people call him on the streets and for good reasons 19 points 12 rebounds and seven assists while shooting an effective field goal percentage of 63. sheesh the Kings have propelled themselves out of mediocrity and their honestly a legit team in the west now and a huge part of that is because of sabonis he would be higher on this list but unfortunately he doesn't play nearly as well in the postseason so because of that I have him at 23. at number 22 we have the Ant-Man Anthony Edwards honestly he's one of my favorite young players to watch in the league I mean sure he posterizes people from time to time and the numbers he puts up are good but more than anything on the stat sheets it's his no-nonsense demeanor that really elevates him then on top of that as evident from his postseason numbers he's one of the few players who really has another gear or two when the lights shine their brightest after Ant-Man at number 21 we have the one and only ice tray Young's ability to sneak past defenses and hit the floater is second to none and in 2023 the man averaged 26 points and 10 assists but on bad efficiencies from the floor that's the one area of his game that he needs to work on but other than that if Atlanta could just pair him up with an All-Star big man and get him a true vet on the team young has the ability to be something special how special he can be has yet to be determined but remember this man single-handedly destroyed whatever relationship that Ben Simmons had with Joel embiid and thus is the main culprit for destroying the process right after young at number 20 though we have Brandon Ingram a huge reason why no one ever talks about him is because he's so quiet but looking at the numbers Ingram just finished a season where he averaged 25 points while collecting 5.5 rebounds and six assists then on top of that get a load of this 48 from the field 39 from 3 and 88 of the free throw line peace guys when did Ingram get so good honestly it's a shame that his running mate Zion Williamson is always injured otherwise the Pelicans would truly be a special team and would be legit contenders to win it all but still whatever the case may be we can't deny the fact that Ingram is a special talent and rightfully deserves his spot here at number 20. then at number 19 we have the best shooter in the NBA I'm talking about John Morant okay okay okay that may have been a tasteless joke but yeah I got John Morant here at number 19. he's the Derrick Rose of the modern NBA and is currently the most athletic guard in the league his ability to carry the ball not get noticed by the refs then blow past his Defenders as second to none and because of that he was able to average 26 points and eight assists on OK efficiencies overall honestly if he just developed a consistent three-point shot he'd be a legit top 10 player in the league and if he just uninstall Instagram he'd quite possibly be the new face of the NBA but all jokes aside I got Morant here at number 19. at number 18 we have the fastest guard in the NBA D Aaron Fox my image of fox has always been a high volume inconsistent scorer who can't win games but he sure changed all that around in 2023 when he averaged 25 points on effective field goal percentages of 55 LED his team to the number three seed in the west and push the Golden State Warriors to seven games you know sometimes it's hard to tell if a Coach is good or not but man Mike Brown sure did a heck of a job with the Sacramento Kings because of the new system and with a large thanks to Fox the kings are now relevant and for those reasons and many more I have Fox at number 18. at number 17 I got Uncle Drew Kyrie Irving is still one of the best Premier scorers in today's NBA 27 points per game 59 effective field goal percentages while Razzle dazzling the crowd on a nightly basis makes Kyrie what I like to call box office his ability to score is one of a kind and there's an argument to be made that he's the most talented player in the entire league he'd be a lot higher on this list if he improved his intangibles such as leadership but still even without all that he's number 17. at number 16 we have the man who just signed the biggest contract in NBA history Jalen Brown he's the other half of what makes the Boston Celtics so deadly and is a huge reason why they've been knocking on the doors of the Larry O'Brien trophy for the past few years 27 points seven rebounds with an effective field goal percentage of 55 puts Brown into the category of elite he still has a few holes in his game however as most players do but the scary truth is he's only 26 years old according to Draymond Brown's biggest weakness is his inability to drive left but imagine he tightens his handles a bit then my goodness guys watch out but anyway with just his athleticism and sheer will alone he could dominate most of the NBA by just driving right and because of that he deserves to be right here at number 16. at number 15 we have shea gilges Alexander there's not too many players who can break down defenses the way he does and that's evident from the numbers he's been producing 31 points while shooting over 50 percent from the field and 90 at the free throw line this man single-handedly breathed life back into the OKC franchise and is going to be a problem in the NBA for a really long time especially if he works on his three-point shot and gets that consistently over 40 percent if Chet holgrum and Josh giddy can become All-Star caliber players this young team is going to be a serious problem next off at number 14 we have Anthony Davis when A.D is healthy when A.D is aggressive when A.D is playing his game he's right up there with Giannis embiid and jokic as the best big men in the game today this near seven foot Behemoth who's quick on his feet just finished a season where he puts up 26 points 12.5 rebounds and two blocks while shooting 56 percent from the floor and 78 percent of the free throw line the only knock on him besides his durability is that he's inconsistent with his effort levels he can be the best player on the floor one night then turn invisible for the next game then rotate through those lousy patterns for the entire season still though he's a menace and I have him here at number 14. for number 13 we have Zion Williamson now I know a lot of people are going to hate this because the Dude barely plays and is always injured but remember in 2023 when he was playing the Pelicans were the best team in the West 26 points per game might not look like Superstar levels but the man had an effective field goal percentage of 61.5 percent just for a quick comparison Giannis has never been that efficient when it comes to getting a bucket and that just shows how massive of a force Zion is when he's on his game and that's why I got him at number 13. I also have a feeling that he'll be playing the majority of games in 2024 because well his career almost depends on it at this point at number 12 we have Luka doncic's son Devin Booker [Music] man that game seven Beatdown is going to be tied to Booker's name for the rest of his life but anyway that doesn't diminish how good Booker actually is this man is an assassin and single-handedly made the Nuggets look beatable for two games in the playoffs and the scary truth is he's only entering his prime I'm going to use his Playoff stats here but through 11 games this dude averaged nearly 34 points while shooting 58 percent from the field 51 from 3 and 87 percent of the line for those reasons I got him here at number 12. at number 11 I got Dame time it's really unfortunate that the Portland Trailblazers have refused to put a championship level team around him he's the best point guard in the league not named Steph Curry and when I think of Lillard I think of that spinning step back three he did against the Nuggets a few years back the man is still at the top of his game as evident from his recent 71 Point performance and for 2023 Lillard averaged 32 points five rebounds and seven assists while shooting 46 percent from the field 37 for 3 and 91 at the free throw line again it's such a shame that Portland hasn't paired him up with an all-nba Talent since LaMarcus Aldridge back in 2015. but anyway I still have him as one of the best players in the league today and with that being said at number 10 I Got King James true story although his athleticism isn't quite where it used to be did you know that the numbers he just pulled in are better than when he first won the MVP back in 2009. the four-time champion just averaged 29 8 and 7 with an effective field goal percentage of 55 percent which is pure Insanity considering that he's practically 40 years old he's still the best player on his team and that speaks volumes especially when you have a prime Anthony Davis on that Squad too despite him flopping and crying to the refs on a nightly basis you can't deny that he's still a top 10 player in the league today and I have him right here at number 10. number nine would be Kawhi Leonard now I know I know I know this guy always misses games and is the Godfather of the term load management but I don't think any true Hoover can deny what the man is when he's actually healthy I mean I know it was just a two-game sample size but in the 2023 playoffs the dude put up 34.5 points 6.5 rebounds and six assists on shooting splits of 55 60 and 88. for those of you who understand numbers those are top tiered legendary numbers and it's no wonder why Paul George once said that he's okay with taking a back seat to the claw this man is a machine he's a cyborg and although he's always in the factory getting repaired he's the ninth best player for 2024. at number eight we have Luca Magic he's not the quickest person in the league he doesn't have a high vertical either but when it comes to getting buckets he's right up there with the best of them 32 8 and 8 is what the man just put up with an effective field goal percentage of 56 percent if it wasn't for the big three of embiid jokic and Giannis Luca would be a top three perennial MVP candidate for years and years he's one of the few players in the league that you shouldn't trash talk to and no one understands that better than Devin Pucker for all the reasons above he deserves his spot at number eight then at number seven we have Joel embiid he was the 2023 MVP and when he's healthy he needs trouble that 52-point game performance to close the regular season against the Celtics was one of the best games I've seen all year Unstoppable a force of nature dominant these are the adjectives I'd use to describe embiid in the regular season and the only reason I don't have him higher on this list is because of his playoff woes he and James Harden are a match made in heaven two dominant regular season players but for some reason they always shrink when the lights are shining the brightest but anyway embiid is still a monster and is rightfully number seven on this list at number six we have Jimmy Butler 23 points six rebounds and five assists while shooting an effective field goal percentage of 56 doesn't sum up the value of Jimmy buckets this man is an All-Star in the regular season but turns into a superstar in the playoffs since LeBron did it with the Cavaliers I've never seen any one player carry his team the way Jimmy does I mean he single-handedly beat Giannis twice then with a bunch of undrafted players got onto the biggest stage that basketball has to offer he's an Underdog Story and when push comes to shove he never shies away from The Challenge for everything he does for his team he deserves a spot at number six at number five we have Kevin Durant for 2023 the slim Reaper averaged 29.6 boards and seven assists while shooting 56 percent from the field 40 from 3 and 92 percent of the free throw line he's not a leader by any stretch but he's still one of the ultimate weapons in the game today in one-on-one situations he's pretty much as good as it gets the outside shot the mid-range getting to the basket he does everything at an elite level which is why he's here at number five at number four we have Jimmy Butler's son Jason Tatum 39 and 5 with an effective field goal percentage of 54 percent is good but it's not as good as Durant the thing about Tatum though is that he's also an excellent defensive player discipline size length and a willingness to play hard on both ends of the chord is why Tatum is one of the best players in today's NBA he's the leader of a team that's been knocking on the doors of the Larry O'Brien trophy for the past few years and for that he's number four at number three we got Giannis antetokumpo when people think of Giannis they probably think of an Unstoppable freight train as of today he's the most physically dominant player in the league and that's not a debate if he just developed a consistent three-point shot he'd probably be number one on this list but anyway 31 12 and 6 are the numbers he just put up with an effective field goal percentage of 57. he's one of the nicest superstars in the league today and when I think of him I think of a force of nature who's true to the game and I don't think anyone would argue that he's a top three player in today's game at number two we have the 2023 Finals MVP Nicola jokic I still have a hard time believing this dude was drafted in the second round a walking triple double an efficiency monster and a puzzle that has yet to be solved for the 2023 playoffs over the course of 20 games the dude averaged 30 points 13.5 boards and 9.5 assists while playing nearly 40 minutes a night which is unheard of it's clear that the man is no longer out of shape which was one of the criticisms of his game earlier in his career with his size and length he's also an underrated Defender who can oftentimes alter shots the reason why he's number two and not number one is that he's still not completely tested the best team in the East didn't have Lady Luck on their side as Jason Tatum suffered an ankle injury that ultimately cost them a trip to the finals I know the Joker beat the Suns and the referees and that he's the most skilled Center of all time but until he's truly been tested I'm gonna have to go with Steph Curry at number one 29 6 and 6 is what the chef averaged in 2023 while shooting just a hair shy of 50 40 and 90. Joe laka once made the remark that the Warriors are still light years ahead of the NBA but that statement was only true because of Steph Curry over the years many teams have tried to copy the Warrior system and failed and the reason why they couldn't do it was because they didn't have staff he's the only reason why the Warriors have a dynasty and the scary truth is he's still at the top of his game looking at his numbers he just arguably had his second or third best season of his career and even dropped a 50-point game seven he's the definition of skills he's the definition of a leader and for all of the above I got Steph Curry as the best player in the NBA going into 2024. anyway pivoting here really quick I honestly had a tough tough time creating this list the NBA is so talented today that so many tough choices were made when deciding who made the cut and who didn't for that reason I want to give some honorable mentions not in any particular order to these players who were on the doorsteps of this list Michael Bridges Jared Jackson Jr Tyrese Halliburton Carl Anthony towns DeMar DeRozan bam at a bio Pascal siacom Desmond Bain Drew holiday and Dylan Dynasty Brooks okay okay okay I'm just kidding about Dylan [Music] thank you

Channel: Hoop Reports

Views: 129,918

Keywords: nba, nba news, nba today, nba trades, nba trade, nba trade rumors, nba rumors, undisputed, first take, espn, nba draft, golden state warriors, warriors, stephen curry, steph curry, klay thompson, lebron james, giannis antetokounmpo, nikola jokic, joel embiid, kevin durant, ja morant, victor wembanyama, scoot henderson, devin booker, jimmy butler, damian lillard, luka doncic, kyrie irving, jayson tatum, james harden, trae young, zion williamson, kawhi leonard

Id: UrLIkWWV3oQ

Length: 22min 32sec (1352 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 11 2023