Michael Nyarko
National Basketball Association (NBA), by popular acclamation, is the biggest professional basketball league in the world. The league, which boasts of 30 teams, is divided into two conferences namely; the Eastern conference and the Western conference. All the 30 teams are divided between these two conferences.
As the league is big, it involves hundreds of professional basketball players who all play for their respective teams. To however, identify the top 10 NBA players right now; one needs to assess performances of each of the players in the ongoing 2022-2023 regular season.
Per the rules, each team is required to present a roster of just 15 players in regular seasons. This means all the 30 teams participating in the tournament this year, presented a total of 450 players. Just as in professional football where some players are ranked above others; NBA also has player rankings. These rankings are based on techniques and general performance put up by players in a particular regular season. Therefore, it would be logical to say not all of those 450 players are equal. Some will definitely be ahead of others.
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In today’s article, however, we will tell you who the top 10 players are in the ongoing regular season. The ranking was a professional collaborative work done by 11 members of The Sporting News‘ Global NBA staff. Each participating member ranked their top 35 players in the league, with a sliding scale of points attached to each ranking. From there, the top 10 players were determined in order of total points.
The 10 top players in NBA at the moment
10. LeBron James
LeBron James is a professional basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. He is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. James has won four NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, and two Olympic gold medals. Also, he has been selected to the All-NBA First Team 17 times and the All-Defensive First Team three times.
In high school, he was highly touted as a future NBA star and was selected as the number one overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 38-year old veteran is currently among the top 10 NBA players right now. He’s ranked the 10th best in the 2023 season. He was previously 8th on the list.
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, LeBron attained a new feat in his career when he scored 46 points in the Lakers’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. This made him to become the first player in NBA history to score 40-plus points against all 30 teams in the league.
He is now 177 points behind Abdul-Jabbar for most in league history, with a total of 38,210 points.
9. Devin Booker
Devin Booker plays for the Phoenix Suns. He was drafted 13th overall by the Suns in the 2015 NBA draft. Booker is a shooting guard known for his scoring ability and has established himself as one of the top players in the league.
In 2017, the 26 year-old star became the youngest player in NBA history to score over 60 points in a single game. He has also been named to the NBA All-Star team in 2021.
Currently, he averages 27.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per contest while shooting 47.7% from the field and 37.0% from the three-point range.
Booker has been off the court since late December due to a groin injury. He has so far missed 15 games since he picked the injury. On January 25, his team gave an updates on his injury, saying the star’s left groin strain continues progressing and will be re-evaluated again in one week’s time.
He is currently the 9th best player in the league. This means he is among the best NBA players right now.
8. Ja Morant
Ja Morant is a professional basketball player from the United States. He currently plays as the point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies. Morant was selected with the second overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, after a standout college career at Murray State University. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in the 2019-2020 season.
The 23 year-old star is 8th on the list of the top 10 players currently in the league.
Morant’s name was recently surrounded with controversies. He was sued for allegedly punching a teenager at a basketball game in his home at Tennessee. According to TMZ, the incident took place in July last year.
It has also been reported days ago that Morant was in a verbal exchange with his mother, and his mother is said to have told his son that he should become a billionaire by the age of 30.
7. Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid is a player from Cameroon who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was drafted by the 76ers with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, after playing one season of college basketball at the University of Kansas.
Embiid is a two-time NBA All-Star and has been named to the All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive Second Team. He is known for his scoring, rebounding, and shot-blocking abilities, as well as his trash talking and social media presence.
Together with Zion Williamson, he was named by NBA as players of the week (Dec. 5 – Dec. 11).
Embiid is 28 years old, and hold three nationalities namely; American, Cameroonian, and French.
He is among the top 10 NBA players right now, placing 7th ahead of LeBron James, on the list.
6. Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum, 24, plays for the Boston Celtics. He was drafted third overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Celtics. Tatum has been named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, and has been selected to participate in the NBA All-Star Game.
He is considered one of the best young players in the league and has a bright future ahead of him. Currently, he is the 6th best player in the league.
On Thursday, Jan. 26, Tatum was named a starter for the 2023 All-Star game. It’s his third straight year as a starter for the exhibition.
5. Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic plays for the Dallas Mavericks. He was selected third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 NBA draft, but was traded to the Mavericks on draft night.
Doncic began his professional career with Real Madrid of the Spanish League, where he won multiple championships and individual awards before joining the NBA.
He is considered one of the most promising young players in the league, and has already achieved a great deal of success in his short time in the NBA, including being selected to the All-NBA Second Team and All-Star Game. Doncic also won the EuroLeague MVP award.
The Slovenian will miss a game at Utah on Saturday, Jan. 28. This is after he sustained a sprain his left ankle when his side was in action against The Suns in the opener of a two-game trip. He is ranked 5th on the list of best players in the league at the moment, and was previously ranked 6th.
4. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is a renowned basketball player who plays in the league for the Brooklyn Nets. The veteran was drafted second overall by the now-defunct Seattle SuperSonics in the 2007 NBA draft. He played for them until the team relocated to Oklahoma City and rebranded to become the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008. Durant played for the Thunder until 2016. He then joined the Golden State Warriors where he won two championships. In 2019 he signed with Brooklyn Nets.
Durant is a ten-time NBA All-Star, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, and the 2014 NBA MVP. He is considered one of the best basketball players in the world and has a very accomplished career.
The 34 year-old power forward is at the moment the 4th best basketball player in the NBA. He has so far put up wonderful performances for his side this season. In the top 10 NBA players right now, Durant ranks 4th.
3. Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic plays in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets. He was drafted 41st overall by the Nuggets in the 2014 NBA Draft, and has since established himself as one of the best centers in the league.
The Serbian national plays for the Serbian national basketball team. He is known for his high accuracy passing skills and ability to score from all over the court.
Jokic has been named an NBA All-Star, All-NBA First Team, and won the NBA MVP award in 2021. He led the Nuggets to the Western Conference finals in 2019 and to the playoff berths in several seasons. Jokic is considered one of the best centers in the league and a key player for the Nuggets.
2. Stephen Curry
One of the household names you will hear among NBA fans, is Stephen Curry.
Stephen Curry is a player for the Golden State Warriors, the NBA 2022 champions. He was selected seventh overall by the Warriors in the 2009 NBA Draft, and has since become one of the best point guards in the league.
Curry is a six-time NBA All-Star, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, and a three-time NBA champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, and has set numerous records for 3-point field goals made.
Curry is also known for his leadership and playmaking abilities, helping the Warriors become a dominant team in the league. He reached multiple finals and won four championships.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo is currently placed 1st of the top 10 NBA players right now. His epic performance this season is enough evidence that he deserves the number one spot.
The 28 year-old Greek-Nigerian star plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. He was selected 15th overall by the Bucks in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Antetokounmpo quickly established himself as one of the best young players in the league and has continued to improve each season. He is a six-time NBA All-Star, a two-time NBA MVP, a four-time All-NBA First Team, and a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Furthermore, he led the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA Finals in 2019 and has been considered as one of the best player in the league.
Antetokounmpo is known for his versatility and athleticism, and is often referred to as the “Greek Freak” due to his rare combination of size, speed, and skill.
He has been voted as a starter of the 2023 NBA All-Star game.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the NBA is home to some of the most talented and skilled players in the world. The players on this list represent the cream of the crop, and are all capable of leading their teams to victory on any given night. Whether it’s through scoring, passing, defense, or leadership, each player has a unique set of skills that make them stand out in the league.
However, the ranking of players is subjective and always debatable. It’s important to remember that basketball is a team sport and individual success doesn’t always equate to team success. Nevertheless, it’s always entertaining to discuss and debate the top players in the league.
Source: NBA Republic