The NBA’s 10 best players, ranked! Who claims the No. 1 spot?
Credit to Author: ESPN| Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2024 14:36:51 EST
NBA Rank is back for its 14th season counting down the best players in the league. Who made this season’s cut for the top 100?
Where do MVP contenders such as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic check in? Which young stars are making their debut? Did LeBron James rise or fall down our list as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer embarks on his record-tying 22nd season?
To get the final NBA Rank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on player vs. player matchups from more than 15,000 possible pairings. Voters were asked, “Which player will be better in 2024-25?” and had to predict how each player will perform this season.
Our countdown kicked off earlier this week ranking players Nos. 100-51 and then Nos. 50-11. Now, our rollout has reached the top 10 finale, where we have a new No. 1 player, a sliding former MVP and three NBA legends still putting up elite numbers.
Note: ESPN’s NBA Rank panel, composed of more than 150 reporters, editors, producers and analysts, was asked to rank players based on their predicted contributions — quality and quantity — for the 2024-25 season only.
NBA Rank: Nos. 100-51 | 50-11 | NBA Rank debate |
Who’s next in 2025?
2023 Rank: 13
Why he rose 3 spots: Edwards was the breakout star of the 2024 season with an All-Star appearance, an All-NBA selection and a dominant performance in the playoffs that peaked with a Wolves victory over the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the second round. Edwards averaged 27.8 points on 48% shooting and led the Wolves to their first conference finals since 2004. He then followed it up this summer by playing a key role for Team USA’s gold medal campaign in the Paris Olympics. With the NBA in the midst of an unprecedented run of international players dominating both the MVP race and discussions on the best players in the league, the 23-year-old has an opportunity to grab the mantle as the league’s next best American-born player.
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Biggest question for 2024-25: How will Edwards respond to becoming the unquestioned No. 1 in Minnesota? By trading Karl-Anthony Towns before the start of the season, the Wolves are officially Edwards’ team. Being a young face of the franchise comes with new pressures, expectations and also some new offensive burdens. The Wolves still have a talented and deep team expected to contend in the Western Conference, but without Towns, Edwards will be expected to share more of the offensive load on a team that finished 17th in inefficiency last season. Edwards showed a glimpse of how he can carry an offense during the postseason. Now the challenge is replicating that through the entire season.
Stat to watch this season: Fourth-quarter scoring. By his own admission, the next task on Edwards’ to-do list is to start taking over games in the fourth quarter. The Wolves won 56 games last season with a dominant defense, but their late-game offense was often clunky and failed to execute when it mattered — Minnesota had a minus-13 net rating during clutch minutes last season (27th in the NBA). Edwards wants the challenge of taking the most important shots of the game. If his closeout instincts can continue to grow, his game and status as a superstar could reach the next level.
— Jamal Collier
2023 Rank: 7
Why he fell 2 spots: Durant’s ranking is more of a reflection of the ascension of others than any atrophy of his game. After all, last season he appeared in 75 games — 20 more than he played in any season since suffering a torn Achilles in 2019. He was his usual efficient self, averaging 27.1 points on 52/41/86 shooting splits and earning his 14th All-Star nod. While he could have been dinged for the Suns’ underwhelming playoff performance, it’s hard to peg the first-round loss on him after he averaged 26.8 points on 55/42/82 shooting splits against Minnesota in the four-game series. He showed off his sustained excellence all over again during the Paris Olympics as the team’s third-leading scorer, behind Stephen Curry and LeBron James.
Biggest question for 2024-25: Can the Suns win as constructed? Durant is already recognized as an all-time great, but the only way he can even further solidify his reputation is to replicate the championship success he had with Golden State. That pursuit has stalled in recent seasons, as he has been swept out of the first round in two of the past three seasons with Brooklyn and Phoenix. The franchise replaced coach Frank Vogel with Mike Budenholzer in the offseason and signed point guard Tyus Jones, but the team’s ceiling still figures to be determined by how well Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal mesh together.
Stat to watch this season: 2,495 points. That’s how many Durant needs to move past Wilt Chamberlain from No. 8 to No. 7 on the NBA scoring list. Championships aside, Durant’s ability to climb that list as he closes out his career will be a guaranteed way to boost his legacy. It’s a lofty number to reach in a season — he has totaled that many points just once before, when he scored 2,593 points in 2013-14 for the Oklahoma City Thunder — but he did score 2,032 points last season. It was the first time he topped 2,000 since his final season with the Warriors in 2018-19 and the seventh time he eclipsed that total in his career.
— Dave McMenamin
2023 Rank: 3
Why he fell 5 spots: Injuries. When Embiid was healthy last season, he was having a truly historic season, as he was on pace to become the second player — alongside only Wilt Chamberlain — to have more points than minutes played. Then a knee injury derailed his season. As a result, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player wound up being ineligible to defend his crown, playing just 39 games. He came back in time to play against the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs but clearly was less than 100 percent due to the combination of his knee and a case of Bell’s palsy, across Philadelphia’s six-game exit.
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Biggest question for 2024-25: A common theme here: Can Embiid stay on the court and return to last season’s dominant form while doing so? Throughout his career, he has repeatedly said that he just hopes to have one full playoff run with a clean bill of health. And while there have been a host of bad breaks along the way, the simple fact is that has yet to take place. If Embiid can make it through this season healthy, he could easily rocket back up into the top five of this list next season. But if he can’t? Falling out of the top 10 is on the table for the 2023 MVP.
Stat to watch this season: What else could it be besides games played? After missing his first two seasons with foot injuries, Embiid has played more than 60 games in four of his eight seasons, playing an average of 54 games. Philadelphia’s hopes of finally having the playoff breakthrough both Embiid and the team have been longing for will largely be determined by the seven-time All-Star’s ability to be available and provide arguably the league’s most dominant interior presence.
— Tim Bontemps
2023 Rank: 9
Why he rose 2 spots: The best basketball players in the world descended on Paris this offseason to compete in the Summer Olympics, vying for the gold medal and national pride. When it was all said and done, James won the third gold medal of his career and was named tournament MVP — another win in his unrelenting battle against Father Time. Anyone who watched him spark a second-half comeback against Serbia by guarding Nikola Jokic on one end and attacking the hoop on the other was reminded exactly who LeBron is when the chips are down. And the fact that he put up 25.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists in his 21st season while becoming the first player in history to top 40,000 career points again reaffirmed his elite level in the game at 39 years old.
Biggest question for 2024-25: If you listen to James, there’s nothing left for him personally to put on his résumé. “Everything else is extra credit,” James said at the start of training camp when asked what’s left for him in the NBA. “I love what I do. But no, I don’t need to [accomplish more]. No. I’ve got everything.” Which means the biggest question for James aligns with his biggest remaining priority: How will it go with him and his son Bronny together on the Lakers? They have already made history as the first father-son duo in NBA history to be on the same team. Now the question is whether the 20-year-old Bronny, who L.A. selected with the No. 55 pick in the draft, can develop quickly enough for the pair to play meaningful minutes together.
Stat to watch this season: Games played. Last season, James played his most games (71) since joining the Lakers. He only missed consecutive games once, bookending the All-Star break, as he used the time to seek treatment on his left ankle. Otherwise, he was healthy, a consistent status that has eluded him since signing with L.A. in 2018 as a series of groin, ankle and foot injuries have sidelined him in the twilight years of his career. For James, who turns 40 in December, playing upward of 70 games again will not only give the Lakers their best chance to be competitive, but it will keep him as engaged as possible as JJ Redick begins his coaching career.
— McMenamin
2023 Rank: 5
Why he fell 1 spot: If Curry’s ranking were based on his performance in his first Olympics this summer, the 16-year veteran probably would have climbed this list. But last season, Curry’s average assists (5.1) and steals (0.7) were at a career low and his 45% field goal shooting was his third worst. It’s impossible to say Curry had a “bad season”; he led the league in points (189), made field goals (59) and 3-pointers (32) in the clutch on his way to being named Clutch Player of the Year. He also led the league with 357 3-pointers. But the Warriors’ lack of depth was apparent in the postseason as they failed to make it past the first leg of the play-in tournament.
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Biggest question for 2024-25: Does Curry have enough support around him? For the first time since 2010, Curry is without backcourt running mate Klay Thompson. Draymond Green‘s availability hopefully won’t be an issue this season, and Golden State is boasting about its depth despite it being one of the most unknown factors surrounding the team. Will younger players such as Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga provide enough support for Curry?
Stat to watch this season: It might sound silly to choose 3-point shooting, but in particular it’ll be about the type of 3-point looks he gets. Since 2011, Curry has played alongside Thompson — an excellent floor spacer and sharpshooter. But without him, not only will the Warriors have to make up for his nine 3-point attempts per game, but Curry will likely have less room to operate. In 2020-21 — Curry’s only full season without Thompson (who was injured) — Curry averaged a career-high 12.7 3-pointers per game. The high volume of attempts continued over the past three seasons, shooting just over 11 3s a game. During training camp, Warriors coach Steve Kerr emphasized how he wants his team’s identity to hinge on shooting, even after Thompson’s move to Dallas. “We’re going to have to fill that void. It’s going to come from multiple people,” Kerr said.
— Kendra Andrews
2023 Rank: 6
Why he rose 1 spot: The Celtics star had another consistent season, making his fifth straight All-Star team, third straight All-NBA team and, most importantly, claimed the franchise’s record-setting 18th NBA title (and the first of Tatum’s career). With repeated averages in the range of 26 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists a night, coupled with the ability to guard several positions and play more than 70 games a season, Tatum is one of the most reliable stars in the league.
Biggest question for 2024-25: It’s weird to ask about a top-five player, but is there another level left to Tatum’s game? He has proved to be an elite player and finally got over the playoff hump before going on to win a second straight gold medal with Team USA. But, bizarrely, the discussion around Tatum was just as much about what he didn’t accomplish — from finishing behind Jaylen Brown for Eastern Conference finals and NBA Finals MVP, and then playing a limited role on a loaded Olympic squad. After never finishing higher than fourth in MVP voting, could Tatum make a run at the league’s top individual honor?
Stat to watch this season: Free throw attempts per game. Tatum saw his FTAs rise steadily for six years in a row, reaching 8.4 per game in 2022-23, before sliding back to 6.7 per game last season. But everyone on the team saw individual stats take a hit because of the star depth of the team. If Tatum can increase his trips to the line on a consistent basis, that would be a boon for himself and for Boston’s offense, as the Celtics can sometimes become a jump-shooting-heavy team.
— Bontemps
2023 Rank: 8
Why he rose 4 spots: Oklahoma City finished with the top seed in the West last season, and perhaps slightly ahead of schedule due to Gilgeous-Alexander emerging as an MVP candidate. He averaged 30 or more points for the second straight season and averaged a career-high 6.2 assists last season. The Thunder are loaded with perhaps the best young core in the league, and the additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to complement Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have the Thunder as a favorite to win the West. Gilgeous-Alexander has everything in place to take that next leap forward to not only win MVP but get the Thunder to their first Finals since 2012.
Friday, Oct. 18
Lakers at Warriors, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Wednesday, Oct. 23
Bucks at 76ers, 7:30 p.m.
Suns at Clippers, 10 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 25
Pacers at Knicks, 7:30 p.m.
Suns at Lakers, 10 p.m.
All times Eastern
Biggest question for 2024-25: He has shown he can be clutch and hit game-winning shots. And he has led the Thunder to the top of the West standings. Now Gilgeous-Alexander has to win deep into the playoffs. Entering his seventh season, Gilgeous-Alexander got the Thunder to the second round of the playoffs before falling to Dallas and Luka Doncic. Can SGA get OKC back to the Western Conference finals?
Stat to watch this season: Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points, 54% shooting and 2.0 steals. He also averaged a career-high 53.5% shooting from the field. He became just the third player to average 30 points, 50% shooting and 2 steals in a season since 1973-74, joining Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry. Jordan and Curry have both won multiple scoring titles. Can Gilgeous-Alexander get his first scoring title this season? With the emergence of Holmgren and Williams, it may be difficult, but he has come close in the past two seasons, ranking third and fourth, respectively.
— Ohm Youngmisuk
2023 Rank: 1
Why he fell 2 spots: After an up-and-down regular season featuring a whirlwind of changes for his team, Antetokounmpo watched from the sideline with an injury as the Bucks were eliminated in the first round for a second straight season. The Bucks’ two-time MVP has not consistently been healthy enough to help provide an answer for whatever ails the team in recent seasons. However, when he does take the floor, his production has hardly dropped off. He averaged 30.4 points and 11.5 rebounds while putting up career highs with 6.5 assists and shooting 61% from the field in 73 games last season, earning him votes for MVP despite an underwhelming overall season in Milwaukee.
Biggest question for 2024-25: How will Antetokounmpo continue to build chemistry with Damian Lillard? The Bucks made their blockbuster trade to acquire Lillard on the eve of training camp last season, but it didn’t give their star duo much time to build a rapport before the season began. Ideally, Antetokounmpo and Lillard should make a perfect pick-and-roll combo that will be unstoppable. With one season behind them and a coach with experience meshing stars together in Doc Rivers, the Bucks are hoping to unlock an even better version of their team and, perhaps, an even better version of Antetokounmpo.
Stat to watch this season: Milwaukee’s defensive efficiency. Health may be one of the top priorities for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, but another stat worth watching is how he and Milwaukee bounce back defensively. The Bucks finished in the middle of the pack in defensive efficiency last season after losing Jrue Holiday, and Antetokounmpo’s impact was seemingly limited all season. Milwaukee hopes a better scheme can help Antetokounmpo get back to the two-way force that made him a perennial MVP candidate.
— Collier
2023 Rank: 4
Why he rose 2 spots: Doncic won his first NBA scoring title while producing an unprecedented stat line — averaging 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game — in the most efficient shooting season of his career (57.3 effective field goal percentage). He answered any questions about whether his astounding production could truly drive winning by leading the sixth-seeded Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals while becoming the first player in league history to lead a single postseason in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Doncic also showed dramatic improvement on defense for a team that had the league’s stingiest unit on that end of the floor for the final quarter of the season.
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Biggest question for 2024-25: There are two major questions for Doncic: Will this be the season that he breaks through to win his first MVP? And can he push the Mavs over the finish line for his first NBA championship? He’s a five-time first-team All-NBA selection who hasn’t yet hit his prime. He has finished in the top five in MVP voting three times, including last season’s career-best third-place finish. This is the most talented Dallas team in the Doncic era, as GM Nico Harrison added Klay Thompson to the mix this summer after their trade-deadline deals helped the Mavs morph into a contender last season.
Stat to watch this season: Dallas’ ranking among teams on defense. There is no doubt that Doncic will have a MVP-caliber season, barring injury, and the Mavs’ offense, featuring Thompson as a floor-stretching complement to Doncic and Kyrie Irving, should be at the top of the league. The challenges will be figuring out how to piece together a quality defense, likely a necessity for Doncic on top of Dallas making another deep playoff run, in order to land atop MVP ballots. Coach Jason Kidd and his right-hand man, Sean Sweeney, did it in 2021-22, when the Mavs had the seventh-ranked defense and went to the West finals. The defensive turnaround after the trade deadline last season keyed an 18-2 record and a run to the Finals. It’s on Doncic to be part of the solution, a challenge he embraced last season.
— Tim MacMahon
2023 Rank: 2
Why he rose 1 spot: After winning three of the past four MVP trophies, Jokic has a chance to reach legendary status by becoming only the sixth player to win four or more MVP awards should he repeat this season. Considering that only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James have accomplished that, it’s easy to see why Jokic is the best player in the world right now. Listed as the top passer and smartest player in the NBA in a recent GM survey, Jokic will be counted on to do perhaps even more this season with different pieces around him. But that might not even matter with Jokic’s greatness.
Biggest question for 2024-25: For the second straight offseason, the Nuggets lost a key piece from their 2023 title team. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is now in Orlando, and with Bruce Brown‘s departure the summer before, the Nuggets have lost arguably two of their three best defenders from their championship team. Younger players such as Christian Braun and Peyton Watson will need to step up alongside new acquisition Russell Westbrook. Will the Nuggets’ supporting cast be able to make enough outside shots and get enough stops for Jokic? And can on-court partner Jamal Murray stay healthy the entire season?
Stat to watch this season: Jokic ranked in the top five in total points, rebounds and assists last season. If he does it again, he will join Chamberlain as the only players to do so three times, according to ESPN Research. And after recording 54 triple-doubles the past two seasons, Jokic is nine away from passing Magic Johnson for third on the all-time list.
— Youngmisuk