Talent, technique, but also leadership and performance: the ranking of the stars according to Gazzetta.it
Who are the top 25 players at the start of the NBA season? Gazzetta.it offers you its ranking. Disclaimer: the evaluation criterion is twofold, first the absolute value of the player, intended as the impact of performance / leadership on the team’s results, then the seasonal expectation based on the aggregate count less bombastic, but better team results. They are a team and a franchise. After presenting our ranking from 26 to 50, here is the top 25.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) – The best player of what is probably the best starting team. The one with fewer problems in the locker room, at least, among the contenders in the ring. Giannis makes a difference on both sides of the pitch, he’s at the peak of his career.
2. Nikola Jokic (Denver) – The MVP of the last two seasons. With the covers of the best supporting cast members, he will be able to physically manage the regular season. His workforce could be affected, there will now be more weapons to “feed” on offense, but the effectiveness could still increase.
3. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) – The unknown factor for him has always been physical continuity. Well, thanks to the better diet, it looks like he’s now reversed. The 76ers are racing like never before with him as pack leader. Less imagination than Jokic in attack, but he defends better.
4. Luka Doncic (Dallas) – According to bettors and CEOs, the NBA is the favorite in the race for the next MVP. Since the Mavericks will play for him, his overall numbers “risk” going galactic. He wants redemption after the European and grows as a leader of men.
5. Steph Curry (Golden State) – No, in absolute terms it is not only the fifth on this list. But logic dictates that coach Kerr at 34 can sip it in the regular season, all the more so with Thompson’s full-time return and Poole’s growth. It’s easy to imagine his numbers going up in the playoffs, but not before.
6. Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers) – He was injured all last season. At best, he has proven he can get the best acting titles, with San Antonio and Toronto. He will never have the leadership of Curry, but he will make the pitch talk.
7. Kevin Durant (Brooklyn) – For the first time in his franchise career as a man, in two seasons with the Nets, he failed the second round of the playoffs. Outstanding soloist, but asking him to handle Irving and Simmons … results matter in the sport and beyond his overflowing talent, Brooklyn has so far struggled too much to find him higher on the charts.
8. LeBron James (LA Lakers) – The years are almost 38 years old. He still makes a difference when he accelerates, but he can’t keep up in every game and on both sides of the pitch. He appears to be at a stage in his career where personal bests and marks come before team results. But it remains a privilege to admire one of the greatest of all time.
9. Jimmy Butler (Miami) – Last season, he dragged the Heat one step away from the finals alone in power. Eternal special effects underestimated, minimal, but “delays”, in terms of results, like very few others, even much more publicized.
10. Chris Paul (Fenice) – Everyone has arrived at the Suns: the Sarver affair, the Aventinian Crowder, the unfortunate Ayton… it’s up to him, as head of the locker room, to pick up the pieces. The orchestra plays on the floor, as well as personal numbers. Great sprint.
11. Damien Lillard (Portland) – He took a sabbatical, renewed his contract, comes back rested with a strengthened team around, albeit with relative ambitions. Expect bursts of 40 points per game, most of the time.
12. Paul George (LA Clippers) – The only second violin, among those mentioned so far. He admitted it himself, reiterating that Kawhi is no. If he doesn’t think he is overdoing it, playing only attack / defense basketball, he can bring out the best.
13. James Harden (Filadelfia) – He never said he would accept a supporting role as a violinist, behind Embiid. The ground obliges it anyway. If he understands that he is the key to winning the first ring, beware! Double two so it becomes difficult for everyone.
14. Ja Morant (Memphis) – The first under 25 years. The Grizzlies had a better record without him than with him last season, but in the playoffs he proved to bring out the best when it mattered most. Sensational attack instincts, without fear of pressure.
15. Anthony Davis (LA Lakers) – How are you? How many games will he play? The problem is always the same. Sano might be in the same sentence as Jokic and Embiid when it comes to dominating long, but he’s often sidelined and has a Robin mentality, not Batman.
16. Devin Booker (Fenice) – Paul is the enlightened spirit of the Suns, “Book” the arm. Top scorer, there is still doubt as to what it would be, and especially his team, without CP3 nearby. But stylistically, it’s a beauty. And he makes the basket with disarming ease.
17. Jayson Tatum (Boston) – Great scorer, the courage of the Celtics allows him to hide his limitations of character. He has the potential to become a star of the first magnitude, but the flop of the 2022 finals reaffirms it: more suited to being dragged than dragged.
18. Zion Williamson (New Orleans) – The question is physical: the best under-25 team in the NBA would be healthy. But he can’t stay sane, historically. Let’s see if it’s the right time. The Pels are excellent, at least 60 of them are played and there will be a lot of talk about them.
19. DeMar DeRozan (Chicago) – The limitations of the playoffs are obvious. But in the regular season it represents an indisputable added value. He has a small ego and scored a lot of winning baskets last season, with the match up for grabs.
20. Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland) – The coexistence with Garland, on both sides of the land, is to be verified. But the Cavs are intriguing and far-sighted, and they just needed the man for the last few possessions in attack. Here it is…
21. Jaylen Brown (Boston) – He supports the temperament that Tatum lacks, but envies him the naturalness and offensive elegance. But he is decisive in attack / defense, relentless, and he has shown over time to improve considerably. Work hard.
22. Bradley Beal (Washington) – How motivated will he be? A bit. The Wizards are not competitive. He chose to try to establish himself with a franchise that hasn’t moved well, not valuing his best years so far. In a higher context, it would be later.
23. Trae Young (Atlanta) – Two seasons ago, he coached the Hawks in the conference finals. Then the regression. And the impression that this was the exception rather than the rule. He invisible defense and minimal leadership, but makes Curry baskets …
24. Brandon Ingram (New Orleans) “He always seems to doze off. Subtle, indolent. If one day he wakes up, and it could be the right season, you might find him in the top 15, 12 months from now. Unlimited potential, like his arms.
25. Klay Thompson (Golden State) – He played in flashes last season, from a performance point of view. Normal, back from two years of inactivity. Expect better, which doesn’t mean Thompson better, after Crusader and broken Achilles tendon are a thing of the past, but Thompson better than the 2022 playoffs.
