Jerami Grant (Portland Trail Blazers)
Sometimes aligned on the wing, Jerami Grant is still more effective in position four where he can outrun heavier opponents. He is strong enough to withstand the shock in defense and mobile enough to be able to switch on all screens. He caps between 30 and 38% three-point success but it’s a pretty decent percentage for a strong winger. He’s going to do the Blazers some good.
Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
A talented but equally boring player. Its flattering statistics only tell part of the story. Despite his 20-10-5 average, Julius Randle sometimes proves to be a defensive and even offensive brake on his team. On the other hand, part of the problem is simply a lack of effort, which explains why he can drop from ninth to fifth place from one year to the next.
Aaron Gordon (Denver Nuggets)
Nikola Jokic’s ideal complement in painting. He lacks a really reliable outside shot to turn around but Aaron Gordon remains an interesting player. His defense is perhaps what sets him apart from Julius Randle. He is less brilliant offensively but easier to incorporate with another star. He will have a greater impact with his rebounds and even his passing quality. Or just his game without the ball.
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Tobias Harris (Philadelphia Sixers)
He is often criticized, especially when the Sixers lose. But despite his limits, Tobias Harris remains a fairly safe bet. Especially when he plays in position four. He is too slow to play as a winger. But it’s the perfect interior to stretch the lines. 17 points, almost 7 rebounds and 36% three-point success last season.
Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)
A dazzling arrival in the top for the player who should have been named ROY (or at least co-ROY) last season. Evan Mobley is a generational insider and he’s going to have a very, very important role in Cleveland this season. The workforce of the Cavaliers is attractive but the mayonnaise will not take if the young man does not bring the binder between the explosive backcourt and the rest of the team.
That’s good, he knows how to do a lot of things on the ground. Good passer, not bad at the head of the racket, big defender and solid rebounder, the third choice of the 2021 draft has not finished showing himself and climbing in the rankings.
Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)
Returning to his best level, Draymond Green was one of the main players in the Warriors’ fourth title since 2015. His statistics are obviously lower than any other player mentioned in this top-10. But few have an impact greater than his. Centerpiece of the Californian defense, he can change the course of a match without scoring a basket.
Ben Simmons (Brooklyn Nets)
The discussions are so often centered on his injuries, his absences or his clumsiness in shooting that they almost make you forget how Ben Simmons is a good basketball player. Maybe even the missing piece for the Nets. Yes, he can’t shoot. But everything else, he controls. He’s one of the best defensemen in the league, if not the best. It’s time for the Aussie to put some respect back on his name.
Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors)
From the start, Pascal Siakam announced that he would like to establish himself as one of the 5 best players in the league. Well, that’s not gonna happen. But he is already one of the three strongest in his position and that is already not bad. Often underestimated, a little less prominent for a while, the Cameroonian remains quite a unique player in this league. He doesn’t really have a weak point.
He gained strength last year (22-8-5) and could continue to progress. At 28, the native of Douala is fully in his prime.
Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
It’s cheeky of us to put it so high after a white season for the guy. Zion Williamson has only played 85 games with the Pelicans since his draft in 2019. He swears he worked hard during the offseason to break everything in 2022-2023. We want to believe him and take him at his word.
Breaking everything is what he knows how to do best on the pitch. The problem is that it also breaks its own body. Let’s not forget that he still compiled more than 27 points and 7 rebounds per game during his second season in the league. No one can stop it once launched. Except himself.
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Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers)
He says he has only one goal this season: to play all 82 matches. It would be a first in more than ten years of career and it honestly seems unlikely. But if Anthony Davis avoids the constraining physical glitches, those that follow him throughout the year, then he can no doubt remind everyone how strong he is. Certainly the strongest in his position.
AD remains an outstanding basketball player, briefly considered the best in the world during the Lakers’ 2020 title-winning run. His impact on the game is impressive, both on defense and offense. It is a large size small ball pivot. He is a modern and traditional strong winger at the same time. He’s a scorer, a rebounder, a defender, a shooter. But all of that is mostly when he’s healthy.
