After a torn ACL at the worst possible time, a whole season on the sideline and a couple of false starts, Leonard finally looks like himself again. As a result, he's got the Sixers right in the thick of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. While DeRozan's scoring has taken a dip, his efficiency from the field is the second-highest of his career. Can he be the best player on a championship team? We ranked him above Chris Paul, but I truly believe he might be the second-most important player on his own team. Chasing regular-season wins at the expense of putting additional miles on his legs could be their downfall. -- Jack Maloney, Memphis has been a top-shelf defense all season and JJJ is the leading that charge. The playoffs are now an expectation for this team. He does all this while taking on the burdensome task of guarding the other team's best perimeter player, making him one of the league's finest two-way stars and a perfect complementary piece to Kawhi Leonard. It's remarkable how much more dynamic New Orleans' offense is when Williamson is healthy, as the Pelicans were near the top of the West to start the season. He's playing top-flight defense while averaging an extremely efficient 17 points. Until he can round out his game and find ways to impact the game in areas other than scoring, hell continue to leave us wanting more. If Embiid is finally able to claim his elusive MVP award and help lead the 76ers to a deep postseason run, look for him to challenge for the top spot in our Top 50 list next season. 50 Greatest Players in NBA History Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Nate Archibald Paul Arizin Charles Barkley Rick Barry Elgin Baylor Dave Bing Larry Bird Wilt Chamberlain Bob Cousy Dave Cowens Billy. He wasnt able to repeat his 2020-21 All-Star selection in 2021-22, but he still averaged 23.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. However, the Bulls guard still is a scoring machine who can help lead his team to the playoffs. The Golden State Warriors contention window is closing and the team will be looking to capitalize on however long they have left. It has remained elite offensively, too. Injuries derailed last season for both Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers. With the addition of Gobert to the team, Towns wont have to use a lot of energy defensively protecting the paint and will be able to focus more exclusively on offense, which is the best part of his game. The players who fell out of the top 25 from last year were as follows: Adebayo, George, Irving, Lillard, Julius Randle, Bradley Beal, Zion Williamson, and Kawhi Leonard. Lowest Vote: 2 In the regular season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most dominant force in the NBA. -- Brad Botkin, James Harden may not have been named an All-Star this season, but he certainly had a strong case. Throughout the playoffs, he had his ups and downs, understandably, considering that he went more than two years without playing on an NBA court. So that should tell you something about just how productive Harden has been. Probably not, but surely they eventually have to make it right? If Edwards can match the progression from his first two years, the Timberwolves star will not only reach that goal but could push for an All-NBA spot, as well. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Young's defensive deficiencies are sometimes glaring, but he's a truly special offensive player capable of turning almost any unit into a juggernaut. He ranks first in the NBA with 100 steals this season, and he doesn't back down from guarding some of the best players in the league on a nightly basis. Every all-in-one advanced stat tells the same story, and Jokic's on/off numbers are insane. Working on developing a consistent offensive shooting repertoire will be the biggest task for the second-year standout. Washington fans should just sit backm enjoy Beal and pray to someone that a young player the team drafted works out. Williamson is an athletic freak and a walking highlight, but I had to force myself to rank him this high. He keeps defenders off balance, and when defenses decide to crowd or double him, he finds the open man. Ball also will need to improve on his defense and his somewhat-erratic shot selection to stamp in this optimistic ranking. -- James Herbert, It's taken some time to shake off the rust given that he hadn't played NBA ball since tearing his ACL in April 2021, but the Murray we remember has started to come around in the last couple months. What he's gained is far more valuable: Garland is up to nearly 42 percent from deep this season with defenses focusing on Mitchell. From Nikola Jokic to Evan Fournier, take a look at the fantasy landscape across the league. At the start of the 1996-97 season the 50 players had accumulated 107 NBA Championships, 49 Most Valuable Player Awards, 17 Rookie of the Year honors, 447 All-Star Game selections, 36 scoring titles, 923,791 total points and 410,327 total rebounds. He played 29 games throughout the season, scored 30-plus points in 11 of those and had a 50- and 60-point game within a week of each other. Click 'Save/Download' and add a title and description. These are all time great players who have proven their ability to lead their teams to an NBA championship. -- Jack Maloney, Once again, Jokic has been the best offensive player in basketball. On the court, Edwards is continuing to ascend into one of the leagues premier players. Voters for the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (player), Marv Albert (media), Al Attles (team), Red Auerbach (team), Elgin Baylor (team), Dave Bing (player), Larry Bird (team), Marty Blake (team), Fran Blinebury (media), Bill Bradley (player), Hubie Brown (team), Wilt Chamberlain (player), Mitch Chortkoff (media), Bob Cousy (player), Billy Cunningham (team), Chuck Daly (team), David DuPree (media), Wayne Embry (team), Julius Erving (player), Joe Gilmartin (media), Sam Goldaper (media), Alex Hannum (team), Lester Harrison (team), John Havlicek (player), Chick Hearn (media), Red Holzman (team), Phil Jasner (media), Earvin Johnson (player), John Kerr (player), Leonard Koppet (media), Bob Lanier (player), Frank Layden (team), Leonard Lewin (media), Jack McCallum (media), Dick McGuire (team), George Mikan (player), Bob Pettit (player), Harvey Pollack (team), Jack Ramsay (team), Willis Reed (team), Oscar Robertson (player), Bill Russell (player), Bob Ryan (media), Dolph Schayes (player), Bill Sharman (player), Gene Shue (team), Isiah Thomas (team), Wes Unseld (team), Peter Vecsey (media), Jerry West (team). The Pistons have a true franchise player to build around in Cunnigham, and we are excited to see what this season will look like for him and what improvements he has made to his game over the offseason. His shot has been a work in progress, as Barnes was never viewed as a threat in that area. Last season, he averaged 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. Now, they add back Zion Williamson and have a full offseason to jell and learn to play together. Updated Aug. 10, 2022 11:18 a.m. EDT . The big man is averaging a near-double-double with 14.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per performance, and he's also adding 1.7 assists and 1.2 blocks while serving as a dangerous lob threat. It is not a coincidence that a surprisingly successful Indiana season went off the rails as soon as Haliburton hurt his knee and elbow in mid-January. Garland is a scoring threat at multiple levels, even if the guard ended up not taking as many 3-point attempts as some would have liked to have seen. An extended absence due to injury is the only reason KD isn't higher on this list. Edit the label text in each row. However, there are still a few holes in Morants game, and addressing those will help propel him to that next level. The disruptive defense on and off the ball. Jayson Tatum continued his ascent to the top tier of NBA stardom last season, making his third straight All-Star appearance and posting career-high averages of 26.9 points, eight rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. -- Jasmyn Wimbish, Remember when critics worried what Brunson would look like without Luka Doncic? Expect the rebounds to dip some, but the points and assists could jump up by a significant number. His offensive feel for the game is extraordinary and he's a good defender. Voters did not rank their selections and former players were not allowed to vote for themselves. Last season, he averaged 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. 2 defense. Green's offensive skills continue to be overlooked. Still, you can't help but wonder what the next dose of drama will bring. Last season was forgettable for the Trail Blazers. Bad Traes shot selection and flat-out indifference on the defensive end can make the Hawks extremely exploitable. The drive-and-kicks. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. You can find minor nits to pick here. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Anthony Davis didnt make an All-Star team in 2021-22 for the first time since his rookie year in the NBA back in 2021-13. While his scoring average has remained steady, he's grabbing more rebounds and dropping more dimes on a nightly basis, and he again has the Grizzlies near the top of the Western Conference standings as a result. -- Sam Quinn, Morant has continued his ascension up the ranks of the league's elite this season. Ball does not lack confidence and makes highlight passes look routine. Joel Embiid was dominant last season for the Philadelphia 76ers. Unfortunately, Embiid had a facial fracture and thumb sprain during last Philadelphias playoff run and seems to be hurt during each of Philadelphias postseason appearances. In his rookie season, he showed his ability to score in the paint and sometimes out to the 3-point line, as well as his defensive ability to protect the paint and versatility to defend on the perimeter. In 2022, his shot was off, and he struggled to find ways to impact the game. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Against the Pelicans, CP3 put the team on his back and went absolutely nuclear to close New Orleans out. With Ben Simmons taking charge of playmaking, we may see a scoring explosion from Irving. Here is the 2022 NBA player tier list. -- Michael Kaskey-Blomain, Butler levels up in the playoffs, but he's been very good, in his typically subtle ways, in the regular season as well. Still, he has been more than good enough to receive the supermax extension he signed this offseason. He started the season on a tear, upping his averages across the board, and improving his efficiency to a career-high 50.5 percent from the floor. The Suns ability to keep their title window open depends entirely on how they manage Pauls workload in the regular season. Barnes was able to be a playmaker on a Raptors playoff team as well as play a high level of defense. So why isn't Curry in the MVP race? Brown had a worse individual season last season than the season before but still took a jump in our rankings, probably due to the fact that we now know a team with him as the No. Despite losing some of his touch from 3-point land, Brown is averaging career-high marks in scoring (26.5 points per game), field goal percentage (48.7 percent) and rebounding (7.0 per game), all of which was good enough to earn him his second-ever All-Star nod. . Butler may have averaged 21.4 points per game during the regular season, but Playoff Jimmy is a whole different animal. Anthony . This is a stat dominated by bigs, with 18 of the top 25 being listed as centers or PF/C's. Among centers, only Nikola Vucevic, Mo Bamba, Bobby Portis, Al Horford and Chimezie Metu were lower, all. Lopez is not just the anchor of the league's No. He's the anchor of a defense that, by design, has made his job more difficult this time around. NBA Commissioner David Stern announced the 50 Greatest Players at a press luncheon on Oct. 29, 1996, in New York City. Is he good enough to carry the Kings to the playoffs? This gave DeRozan a career-high 27.9 points per game and helped push the Chicago Bulls to their first playoff appearance in five seasons. Between DeRozan at absolute best being only average defensively and his lack of a 3-point shot, you wont see him much higher than 25 player-ranking lists. However, with all the talent between LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls haven't managed to put it together enough to find steady success this season. His minutes per game last season (37.9) ranked second-highest in the NBA, and its fair to wonder how this dose minutes will affect his smaller body in the NBA, especially with a player who plays as physically defensively as VanVleet does. Randle's also been a more aggressive rebounder, averaging a career-high 10.8 a night. James could still arguably be the top player in the NBA. How many NBA Players belonged in the Elite tier?SUBSCRIBE IF YOU ENJOYED! Denver's No. The Warriors want to repeat as champs, and Wiggins is ready for the adventure. He was named to his first All-Star team and is a legitimate candidate for the Most Improved Player of the Year Award as a result. 2. So, everyone knows the Kings are a bit dysfunctional, to say the least. His defense compliments Young perfectly, and the Hawks should be very fun to watch this season. Browns limitations were on full display in certain parts of last years postseason, when he struggled to keep his dribble to himself, particularly in matchups against Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo. After missing all of last season with a foot injury, the 2019 No. He has no one to help ease the offensive burden. 25 in our rankings. Alignment Chart View Community Rank Top 5 6-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 Save or Download Presentation Mode Reset While he may be an analytics lovers worst nightmare, he showed that you can still have offensive firepower without the 3-point shot. Garland finished with a career-high 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per game en route to his first All-Star selection. So it's incredible now, at 34, that he is playing more minutes than he has in seven years and having the best defensive season of his career. a tastier adventures brand Fresh off of his fourth NBA Championship and his first NBA Finals MVP, Stephen Curry doesnt really have anything to prove to anyone. His ability to shoot over defenders at will makes him impossible to gameplan against. He can also credibly guard wings that are taller than him. AndIrving's role in how a Nets team that had gone 18-2 for a six-week stretch through the holidays wound up selecting the nuclear option just a month after that run won't be forgotten in Brooklyn anytime soon. -- Jasmyn Wimbish, Gordon had a strong All-Star case as the second-best player on the top team in the West. -- Michael Kaskey-Blomain, After a disappointing defeat in last year's NBA Finals, a series for which he took plenty of blame, Tatum responded by making another leap. The wrist injury he sustained last week, three days before Team Giannis bested Team LeBron over All-Star weekend is a microcosm of what this campaign has been like for Antetokounmpo. He played just 31 games in the regular season, but he did average 24.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in those outings. Edwards still isnt a finished project but like his draft class-mate LaMelo Ball is progressing in all the right ways. This is a 21-year-old big who is already a superstar on defense, and his offensive game is starting to come into focus. He has played significantly fewer minutes than them, though, and his team has had to be patient with him. He remains a maestro in the pick-and-roll, able to hit floaters in the lane and deliver lobs to his big men with equal acumen. And that's not even including his much-improved defense, which helped Brooklyn overachieve on that end before his departure. -- Brad Botkin, There's a reason the Suns were willing to make a Godfather offer to the Nets for Durant -- even at 34, his mere presence still immediately transforms practically any team into a title contender. Allen sometimes feels like the forgotten man next to Clevelands exciting, young, star-laden roster that features Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and now Donovan Mitchell. While Ball had a great season, some could point to 26 as a little high on this list a still-ascending prospect. Nearly one million points scored. Then, he won the Defensive Player of the Year award and was a key player in the Celtics run to the NBA Finals. As Cleveland needed Garland to be more of a playmaker, one thing that also went up was his turnover rate. Edwards still is looking for his first All-Star appearance after being passed over during his sophomore season. Because of his impact on both ends of the floor, Golden State has actually suffered more when Green sits than when Curry does. The Celtics have dealt with some turbulence before training camp started, but the team still has to be considered one of the top teams in the East, and Smart is the emotional heart that will keep them going. For the last six weeks, he's been playing at an All-NBA level. In the end, he is one of the greatest shooters in the history of the league, but his injuries have made him slide into the 40s in our rankings. Jokic posted career-best averages of 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game to go along with 7.9 assists. Drag the images into the order you would like. And if not for Nikola Jokic, Embiid might very well be the big staring down a third straight MVP Award. Lowest Vote: Unranked Scottie Barnes comes in at No. Joel Embiid, 76ers. Playing him next to a traditional big means you need three really good shooters on the floor. The only knock against Pau; is his ability to withstand the rigors of an 82-game season and maintain his level of play during the playoffs. December 27, 2022 News Bot Leave a Comment on NBA PLAYERS TIER LIST 2022 . NBA player tier list: S-Rank. Aside from that unfortunate moment, the duo have been on the same page all season long for the league-leading Celtics. 9. 6:00 am ET, 45-point explosion right before the break, Warriors have climbed standings without Steph Curry, Knicks vs. Nets odds, picks, prediction, bets, Celtics vs. Cavaliers odds, picks, prediction, bets, Bulls vs. Pistons odds, picks, prediction, bets, OKC is better on offense than you think | Best bets, NBA DFS picks, lineups, advice, March 1 strategy, Giannis, Jokic vie for No. With a revamped supporting cast and the return of his running mate things should be different this season. After winning the NBA's Most Improved Player Award last season, Morant has elevated his game again. No rookies are included in our top 50 NBA players list because we havent seen them in NBA action yet (preseason and Summner League dont count). -- Sam Quinn, If Porzingis weren't on a middling team, his return to form would be a much bigger story. Create a ranking for Create 2022-2023 Top 50 NBA Players ranking 1. -- Otto Strong, Adebayo was Miami's All-Star but ranks below Jimmy Butler on this list. Right now, a play-in game looks like a very real possibility. A major storyline this season will be James unofficial chase for Kareem Abdul-Jabbars all-time scoring title. In his first year with the Jazz, Markkanen is averaging career highs across the board -- 24.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, while shooting 51 percent from the field and 41 percent from long range. Click 'Save/Download' and add a title and description. Last season, Ball improved in all areas of his game, finishing the season with 20.1 points, 7.6 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game. It is entirely possible that the Washington Wizards believe in Bradley Beal a bit too much. But he's spreading his wings on offense, too. Currently, Jokic and Embiid are the two top centers in the league, but Towns is at the top of the next tier. 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