Today, I'm going to be giving you my list of the top 25 players this season. last night, we had the first 2 games of the NBA play-in, and once the play-in is finished, I will make an article on the results. the way this is going to work is I'm going to list off each player's stats (ppg, rpg. apg, FG%), along with a brief explanation on why I have them where they are. Let's get started.
Enjoy!
Honourable Mentions:
Karl Anthony Towns
Trae Young
Demar DeRozan
Russell Westbrook
Nikola Vucevic
25. Zach LaVine
27.4ppg 5.0rpg 4.9apg 50.7 FG%
Zach LaVine carried the Bulls for the whole first half of the season and was named an all-star. With a few injuries in the second half of this season, LaVine fell a bit in the rankings. Still, just made it in.
24. Jaylen Brown
24.7ppg 6.0rpg 3.4apg 48.4 FG%
Devastating news that Jaylen Brown won't be able to compete in the playoffs, or even the play-in this year due to an injury. That doesn't change the fact that he had a monster regular season, and is in the most improved player conversations. And he was named an all-star, to top it all off.
23. Bradley Beal
31.3ppg 4.7rpg 4.4apg 48.5 FG%
Came second only to Curry in ppg, and helped take the Washington Wizards to the 8th seed in the east. Playing alongside Westbrook, the Wizards will have a chance to show the league what they can do together in the play-in, after really picking it up in the second half of the season.
22. Devin Booker
25.6ppg 4.2rpg 4.3apg 48.4 FG%
Booker is a big part of the Suns' success this year, being their first scoring option on offence. He was also named an all-star for the second time in his career, both times being an injury reserve. He is really proving to the world that he is in fact, a winning player.
21. Donovan Mitchell
26.4ppg 4.4rpg 5.2apg 43.8 FG%
Mitchell, in just his fourth year in the league, is the first scoring option on the best team in the league. Impressive, right? He is a huge part of the Jazz success this season and was also named a second-time all-star.
20. Julius Randle
24.1ppg 10.2rpg 6.0apg 45.6 FG%
Julius Randle is the undeniable most improved player this year. Undeniable. He took the knicks, a lottery team, and made them into a top 4 seed in his conference, as the number 1 option. He was also named a first-time all-star this season, a great accomplishment indeed.
19. Ben Simmons
14.3ppg 7.2rpg 6.9apg 55.7 FG%
Ben Simmons doesn't really have the stats the people below him do, but his impact on the 76ers doesn't show up on the stat sheet. A top 2 DPOY candidate, and one of the best playmakers in . the league today, all mixed in with another all-star appearance this season, Simmons truly deserves this spot.
18: Rudy Gobert
14.3ppg 13.5rpg 1.3apg 67.5 FG%
Gobert in my opinion has been the best player on the best team in the league. He is also my pick for the NBA DPOY this year, which would be his 3rd one in the past 4 years. Like Simmons, Gobert's stats don't tell the whole story. he is one of the best players in the league, and only casuals think otherwise.
17: Paul George
23.3ppg 6.6rpg 5.2apg 46.7 FG%
George made a huge comeback after many people called him "trash" and "washed" after his performance in the playoffs last season. Another all-star appearance this season, and is the second-best player on a championship contender, in the Clippers. we will see who Paul George really is in the playoffs, and see if Playoff P is a real thing, or if it was just a fluke.
16. Zion Williamson
27.0ppg 7.2rpg 3.7apg 61.1 FG%
Zion has been nothing short of unstoppable this season and is a future superstar in the making. The way Zion can score so effortlessly at such a young age really separates him from the rest of his draft class. He was also named a first-time all-star, in just his second season in the league. Who knows what the future holds for Zion, but it's definitely bright.
15. Chris Paul
16.4ppg 4.5rpg 8.9rpg 49.9 FG%
Chris Paul has lead the Phoenix Suns . to the second seed in the western conference, and like Simmons and Gobert, he is another player where his stats don't show his full impact on the game. Being an MVP candidate this late into his career, along with everything else he does, makes Chris Paul a top 15 player in this league. (in my opinion)
14. Jayson Tatum
26.4ppg 7.4rpg 4.3apg 45.9 FG%
Tatum's impact on the Celtics goes so unnoticed, it drives me crazy. Without Tatum, the Boston Celtics would probably be competing to be the worst team in the league. Not even close to what they are now. Tatum's efficiency with the tough shots he takes is actually pretty high. He is one of the most gifted scorers in the league today.
13. Kyrie Irving
26.9ppg 4.9rpg 6.0apg 50.6 FG%
Kyrie Irving, arguable the worst of the big 3 on the nets, has been their best player this season. averaging almost 27ppg on 50 40 90 shooting splits combined with the fact that he's played the most games, proves the statement above. Waiting to see how he performs in the playoffs is really the next step for him.
12. Jimmy Butler
21.5ppg 6.9rpg 7.1apg 49.7 FG%
Jimmy Butler, like Simmons, Gobert, and CP3, his stats don't show the whole story. The difference is that his stats alone are very impressive. That's what puts him above the others in my opinion. one of the best defenders in the league, and also one of the best leaders in the league, Butler is really proving his value to the heat, with a few people choosing them to beat the bucks in the 1st round.
11: Damian Lillard
28.8ppg 4.2rpg 7.5apg 45.1 FG%
Damian Lillard started off the season as one of the top MVP candidates. He has cooled down a bit since then, but he's still Damian Lillard. Leading Portland to the 6th seed in the west, above teams like the Lebron-led Lakers and the Curry-led Warriors, Lillard is truly showing what he can do on the court this season.
Top 10:
10. Anthony Davis
21.8ppg 7.9rpg 3.1apg 49.1 FG%
Anthony Davis is undoubtedly having a bit of a down year, but that's mainly due to injury. He's still Anthony Davis, and while this is a pretty low ranking for a guy like him, I think Davis will be able to bounce back in these playoffs and remind us what he is really capable of.
9. Joel Embiid
28.5ppg 10.6rpg 2.8apg 51.3 FG%
Embiid would definitely rank higher if it wasn't due to injuries because he is having one of the most dominant offensive and defensive seasons by a center in NBA history. He was leading the MVP race before he went down with an injury and has been able to lead the 76ers to the 1st seed in the east, ahead of teams like the Brooklyn nets and Milwaukee Bucks.
8. James Harden
24.6ppg 7.9rpg 10.8apg 46.6 FG%
Harden would also probably be higher on this list if it wasn't for an injury as well. when he wasn't injured, the Nets have a way better record with him on the court than with him off the court. The fact that Harden could put up these numbers and some people still say he is having a down year, shows how great he really is.
7. Nikola Jokic
26.4ppg 10.8rpg 8.3apg 56.6 FG%
Nikola Jokic is having a historic offensive season by a center in NBA history. No center in NBA history has playmaked and facilitated the way Jokic has been able to do this season, and Jokic is the MVP no question. we can put a top 3 or a top 5 but at the end of the day, it's Jokic. and he's doing all this at the young age of 26, in just his 6th season in the league.
6. Kawhi Leonard
24.8ppg 6.5rpg 5.2apg 51.2 FG%
The difference between Kawhi and some other superstars in the league is that he is a legendary offensive and defensive player. we have players like Rudy Gobert, who specialize in defence, and players like Damian Lillard, who specialize in offence. and then we have Kawhi, a mix of the 2. Leading the clippers to the 4th seed in the west, Kawhi has a chance to go down as one of the best players in the history of basketball.
5. Luka Doncic
27.7ppg 8.0rpg 8.6apg 47.9 FG%
Luka Doncic is one of those players who are just so good, you don't know what to expect from them in the future. Luka at his age is putting up historic numbers and is leading the Mavericks to the 5th seed in the western conference this season. Even if Dallas can't make it far in the playoffs this season, who knows what the future holds for them.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
28.1ppg 11.0rpg 5.9apg 56.9 FG%
Giannis is coming off of a season where he became a back-to-back MVP and a first-time DPOY, so it cant be easy to top that with a better season. That being said, Giannis is still top 5 in MVP and DPOY candidacy, just proving how good he is. He is also leading the Bucks to the 3rd seed in the east and is favourited to beat the Heat in the 1st round.
3. Stephen Curry
32.0ppg 5.5rpg 5.8apg 48.2 FG%
Look at Curry man. So inspirational. Averaging a career-high and league-high in ppg, leading the Warriors to the 8th seed, playing the Lakers in the 1st round. The greatest shooter this game has ever seen, and Curry can explode for 40 any given night. One of the most unguardable players we have ever seen play the game of basketball.
2. Kevin Durant
26.9ppg 7.1rpg 5.6apg 53.7 FG%
Kevin Durant is the greatest scorer the game of basketball has ever seen. his ability to shoot from anywhere on the court makes him such a huge threat to the defence, and even with missing all the games he's missed, he is still a top 2 basketball player in the world. with the Nets being the 2nd seed in the east, we'll see if KD can lead them to a championship this season.
1. LeBron James
25.0ppg 7.7rpg 7.8apg 51.3 FG%
And a number one, yes. It's still LeBron James. Even though Lebron James has missed games this season when a person is arguably the greatest of time, how can he not be the greatest now? LeBron is gonna once again show people what he does in the playoffs, even if he isn't 100%. That's just how good LeBron is. He can really do it all, on both ends of the court too. And what separates him from the rest, is just how long he's been doing it. At age 36 and still dropping these numbers and competing for a ring? That's unheard of.
This has been my top 25 players of the 2020-21 regular season. If you enjoyed it, please consider returning 5x a week on weekdays for more articles!
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