Who is the best basketball player in 2023?

The NBA season just concluded and Bleacher Report recently created an article ranking the top 10 players of the next 5 seasons https://t.co/NgzmEbhKBg (link for reference). In my opinion this list is completely wrong. This list features Bam Adebayo ranked higher than Ja Morant and Joel Embiid. Lebron is also not on this list even though there is no evidence of him slowing down. I have made my own list of the top 10 players, but this is only regarding their performance next season.

I just want to clarify that this list is not based on ability but mostly based off of projected success in the regular season and the playoffs.

10. Kawhi Leonard

In terms of pure ability and production, it can be argued that Kawhi Leonard is the best player in the world. Kawhi has championship DNA, clutch shot-making ability, and relentless defense, but coming off an ACL injury that kept him sidelined for the whole 2021–2022 season, returning is no easy task for Kawhi. Kawhi’s nagging injuries as well as his perpetual habit of sitting out games most likely will take him out of MVP and First team all NBA considerations.

9. Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum’s performance in the finals was lackluster to say the least. Although his stats were not too poor, he often looked like he was shying away from the game and not taking initiative. He heavily relied on his teammates to pick up the slack, and when he did shoot, many of his shots were low percentage, rushed shots. Tatum’s skillset is clearly up there with the best of them, and he is undoubtedly a perennial all-star, but unless he proves that he has that killer instinct in him under any circumstances, I don’t see him being the same caliber of a player as Curry or Giannis just yet.

8. Ja Morant

Ja Morant last year was very impressive. He led the league in points in the paint as an undersized guard and had a decent playoff outing while also being one of the favorites to win MVP before his ankle injury. My main concerns with Morant are his sustainability because of his reckless playstyle and his overall impact on his team. The Grizzlies were 21–6 without Morant and managed to beat the Warriors by 39 points in a playoff game without him hinting that Morant does not really make his team that much better. Morant also has some injury concerns as his landing mechanics are not good, but overall I anticipate Morant to replicate his previous season barring injuries.

7. Joel Embiid

Coming off a historically great year, it might be surprising that Joel Embiid only ranks as 7 on my list, but there are various factors to this that are not necessarily his fault. I anticipate James Harden to stay on this team next year and honestly have no hope of them working out. Harden is an extremely ball-dominant player, and although Embiid’s numbers have actually increased in the 21 games he played with Harden, I expect Harden to try to replicate his days in Houston and look to primarily be a scorer. I also don’t trust Embiid to stay healthy for a full season as he has a deep history with serious injuries.

6. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is coming off a nearly legacy shattering playoff series, getting utterly embarrassed by the Boston Celtics. Despite these drawbacks, KD is one of the greatest, if not the greatest scorer ever. Even though the situation in Brooklyn is riddled with trade rumors of Kyrie Irving and questions about Ben Simmons’s willingness to play basketball, I don’t expect KD’s numbers to drop. I expect KD to average 27+ points plus and be in First Team All NBA considerations.

5. Lebron James

Lebron James clearly hasn’t slowed down one bit. Although the Lakers had an extremely disappointing season, James came off one of his best years in terms of scoring, averaging over 30 points and only second in ppg to Joel Embiid. Lebron is also still one of the best passers in the league and arguably the most versatile defender when he wants to be. I expect Lebron to match his levels of success from last year and also believe that the Lakers will make the necessary moves in free agency to be a championship-level team again.

4. Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic is coming off back-to-back MVP seasons and had statistically one of the greatest seasons ever. Jokic is one of the most unique players with his slow yet effective playstyle and elite playmaking/vision making him undoubtedly the best passing big man ever. I don’t think Jokic will have a real chance at winning MVP again due to voters fatigue, but with the return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr, the Nuggets will have more success as a team. Jokic’s ppg might drop a little with the return of these players, but I think that his production will relatively remain the same.

3. Stephen Curry

Steph Curry’s resume is officially complete with the addition of a finals MVP, and he has absolutely nothing left to prove on the court. I don’t see any regression in Curry’s game, at least for the next 3 years, and right now Curry is just playing to cement himself as a top 10 to top 5 greatest players of all time. The Warriors will most likely come back with their main core of Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Draymond Green and I feel like Stephen Curry has a legitimate shot of having another MVP season if he stays healthy.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo

There is no doubt in my mind that the Milwaukee Bucks would have beaten the Celtics if Khris Middleton did not get injured in the first round and I also believe that the Bucks would have matched up perfectly with the Warriors giving them a great chance to win another ring. Giannis is simply an unstoppable freak of nature. His work ethic as well as the effort he plays with makes him a favorite to win MVP almost every year. If Giannis stays healthy there is absolutely no chance I don’t seem him being at least a top 3 player in terms of production.

1. Luka Doncic

Picking Luka over Giannis was an extremely hard choice, but I truly believe that it is Luka’s Doncic’s year to emerge as the best player in basketball. Doncic is only 23 but is already statistically one of the greatest playoff performers of all time and already has shown that he excels in high pressure games. He also has 3 first team all NBA selections under his belt, which is more than Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving combined. Free agency has just started and the Mavericks have acquired Christian Wood, giving Doncic a real weapon inside the paint. I expect the Mavericks to make more free agency moves and they will be at least the third seed this year, making Doncic win his first MVP.

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