Top 100: 66-34
Love means never having to say you're sorry.
Welcome back, as we move right along with the LBB Top 100. For anyone who may not have seen 100-67, start here.
You may be asking why this is done in three segments? The answer: Substack limits the amount of material I can email out at once.
It’s amazing that I could devote all the time I have to this list and still come to question some players I omitted. So let’s get a few of those guys out of the way now:
Jabari Smith Jr. — I love me some JSJ, I just need to know that he has added some dimensions to his offensive game
Ausar Thompson — I just need more data.
Isaiah Hartenstein — Not totally convinced that elements of his game didn’t get exposed, and the role is just limiting.
T.J. McConnell — I need to see what he looks like coming back from the injury in an increased role.
Cason Wallace — Love him; I just don’t think he’s tasked with doing as much as the players on this list.
Santi Aldama — Made great leaps last season in terms of toughness, but I still don’t love the defensive side of the ball.
Aaron Nesmith — Very limited in terms of offensive demands, but man, I love me some Nesmith.
And yes, there are several other players you could argue for. This is why I almost extended the list to top 125. But my poor senses are fried enough just trying to get through this beast.
With that out of the way, let’s get to our second act:
#66 Alex Caruso, G/F, OKC
Age: 31 Height: 6’5” Weight: 186 Exp: 8
PTS: 7.1 STL: 1.6 3PT%: 35.3 3PM: 1.1
There is likely no player in the league whose on-court impact surpasses their statistical measures more than Alex Caruso. The two-time All-Defensive honoree (1st in ’23 & 2nd in ’24) can, by sheer effort alone, define the entire identity of a defense. Caruso has great quickness in his feet and tremendously strong hands, coupled with great physical strength that allows him to guard all five positions for stretches—the work he did against Jokic in the playoffs, even if aided by a friendly whistle, is the stuff of legends.
Yet, Caruso’s game goes beyond the physical. Watch how he jumps actions, positions himself in advance to be right in the belly of the play, or directs teammates on what to expect, and you see a player whose ability to metabolize and distill opposing team actions is as good as any player (not named LeBron James) in the league. And in terms of playmaking, he actually finished with more deflections per 36 (6.4) than Dyson Daniels (6.3) last season.
#65 Zach LaVine, G/F, SAC
Age: 30 Height: 6’5” Weight: 200 Exp: 11
PTS: 23.3 AST: 4.2 FG%: 51.1 3PT%: 44.6 3PM: 3.2
Whether you think him overrated or underrated, when it comes to LaVine, you’re right. Over-leveraged as a primary option, but too damn efficient and effective a scorer to be in a purely complimentary role, LaVine fits in that Gilbert Arenas mold of players who can dazzle when they get going but whose game feels like it lacks the substance to make their teams better. Still, when it comes to efficient scoring, LaVine was elite last season, finishing as just one of four players to average at least 20 points while shooting better than 50% from the field and 40% from distance—joining Nikola Jokic (29.6, 57.6%, 41.7%), Kevin Durant (24.4, 52.7%, 43.0%), and Karl-Anthony Towns (24.4, 52.6%, 42.0%).
The issue with LaVine is that, despite somewhat successfully working to improve many of the liabilities in his game—defense, playmaking, shot selection—critical errors in judgment still occur too frequently over the course of a game. Offensive flow struggles with a player like LaVine, who isn’t quite selfish, but whose initial impulse is always to get to his shot, leaving his playmaking rigid and unnatural.
#64 Brandon Miller, G/F, CHA
Age: 22 Height: 6’7” Weight: 200 Exp: 2
PTS: 21.0 REB: 4.9 AST: 3.6 FG%: 40.3 3PT%: 35.5
Miller is primed to take a big leap in year three. The combination of movement shooting, downhill drives, and playmaking from the forward position are skills that Miller has flashed in really tantalizing moments. He also competes on the defensive end in a way that inspires hope of being a plus-defender as he further develops.
But like most of the players in Charlotte, his efficiency now needs to take a turn upwards. The lack of reps last season is a factor in evaluating this year, as, much like Cade Cunningham, Miller will enter year three with only about a full season under his belt. But also, much like Cade, his third year will be when Miller puts the league on notice that he is one of the most exciting young forwards we have.
#63 Brandon Ingram, F, TOR
Age: 28 Height: 6’8” Weight: 190 Exp: 9
PTS: 22.2 REB: 5.6 AST: 5.2 FG%: 46.5 3PT%: 37.4
Ingram can fill a stat sheet, and do so effectively, but his impact on winning basketball is just not what you feel it should be. Some of that has to do with the way Ingram operates, hijacking continuity by slowing down before getting into his own stuff or distributing. In a Toronto offense that wants to work fast, it’ll be interesting to see what the balance is, because he is a good finisher and has turned himself into a viable off-ball threat as a movement shooter. Yet, it seems he too often returns to the comfort of trying to operate at the elbow, and with a Raptors team that has a million and a half forwards, that space may be a little crowded. The Raptors will need his offense and shooting though and expect Ingram to have what will feel like a bounce back year.
#62 Jaden McDaniels, F, MIN
Age: 25 Height: 6’9” Weight: 185 Exp: 5
PTS: 12.2 REB: 5.7 STL: 1.3 BLK: 0.9
In the elite category of wing defenders, thanks in large part to his ability to swallow the opposition’s drives with his seven-foot wingspan, it’s the offensive game McDaniels flashed last season that inspires the most excitement going into the ’26 campaign. If McDaniels can maintain the form he had from January 15 onward—averaging 14.3 points on 50.1% from the floor, along with posting four different postseason games with at least 20 points—then he becomes a player who can work his way into All-Star conversations as one of the best two-way wings in the league. But even if that leap doesn’t come this season, McDaniels is the type of defender who will be in consideration for All-Defense every season he qualifies.
#61 Trey Murphy III, G/F, NOP
Age: 25 Height: 6’8” Weight: 206 Exp: 4
PTS: 21.2 REB: 5.1 AST: 3.5 3PT%: 36.1
The Murphy star turn finally came to fruition last season, as the fifth-year forward averaged career-highs nearly across the board before suffering a dislocated right shoulder in March. Murphy put the league on notice that there is much more to his game than long-range shooting, including a nice off-the-dribble game, improved playmaking, and an ability to finish in impressive fashion.
The three-point shooting took a dip last season in terms of efficiency, as he shot the worst percentage of his career. But when you’re the only offensive option on a bad team, you’re going to garner the type of attention that will have that effect. The defense also wasn’t as consistent, particularly in the passing lanes and with on-ball pressure. However, both of those are likely downstream factors impacted by the increased workload Murphy took on last season.
#60 Myles Turner, C, MIL
Age: 29 Height: 6’11” Weight: 250 Exp: 10
PTS: 15.6 REB: 6.5 BLK: 2.0 3PT%: 39.6
Never quite the consistent offensive threat you would like him to be—Turner had 33 games with less than 15 points last season—Turner’s ability to stretch the floor and block shots will be the perfect fit in Milwaukee as a replacement for the aging Brook Lopez. Particularly as a pick-and-roll defender, where Turner has much more mobility, he will unleash some things with Giannis because of his capacity to hedge and recover.
Aside from the offensive inconsistency, you would like to see Turner more active on the boards than he is, and while some of that has to do with him being a big who covers a lot of space, too often he gets buried beneath the basket by more physically aggressive players. Fortunately for him and the Bucks, Giannis will gladly take those boards when available, but it will be interesting to track the difference from Lopez, who was phenomenal at boxing out and then just letting the Greek Freak swoop in.
#59 Deni Avdija, F, POR
Age: 24 Height: Weight: Exp:
PTS: 16.9 REB: 7.3 AST: 3.9 FG%: 47.6 3PT%: 36.5
Amongst the leaders in the punditry clubhouse for best breakout season, that framing does a bit of disservice to just how good Avdija has been over the last season and a half (Just look here. And here. And here). The soon-to-be 25-year-old forward was damn near excellent for most of last season, posting career-highs in points, assists, rebounds, steals, and threes made. But it was over his last 20 games of the year when Avdija started to catch the attention of many, posting 23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on 50.8% FG, 41.7% 3PM.
With his combination of size and ball skills, Avdija was already among the league’s most dangerous operators in the open court, but his improvement as a shooter—particularly off the dribble—along with rapidly accelerated processing as a playmaker, unlocked a far more complete version of Avdija as a halfcourt operator. If this shooting holds, Avdija’s dimensionality as a forward—including being a physical defender who moves well in space and is adept at getting underneath players who attempt to close space on drives—should make him a player whose name is floated in All-Star consideration this season.
#58 Mikal Bridges, G/F, NYK
Age: 29 Height: 6’6” Weight: 209 Exp: 7
PTS: 17.6 FG%: 50.0 3PT%: 35.4 AST: 3.7
In just a relatively short career, Bridges has worn many hats:
Elite defender
Burgeoning offensive star
Underrated two-way performer
Underutilized playmaker
Overrated defensive player
At times, like a Key & Peele skit, he’s worn several of those hats at once.
But after a strange reworking of his shot mechanics last summer, a mixed bag of a season where he got a bit lost in the Knicks’ offensive scheme, and a postseason where he reminded everyone of the dimensions his offensive game can offer, Bridges seems to have settled into a comfortable perception as a very additive tertiary option who can scale his offensive game as the bell tolls.
Not quite the defensive stud he once was—especially on-ball and navigating screens—Bridges is still an excellent team defender who can offer impact in a Knicks system that doesn’t need him to be their best wing defender.
#57 Julius Randle, F/C, MIN
Age: 30 Height: 6’9” Weight: 250 Exp: 11
PTS: 18.7 REB: 7.1 AST: 4.7 BLK: 0.2
Opinions of Randle have shifted almost as much as his playing style. Once a pure pivot in New Orleans, and later a more perimeter-oriented player in New York, Randle entered Minnesota as a somewhat awkward fit due to his tendency to dribble into his own stuff and halt offensive flow. But after missing a 13-game stretch in March, he returned looking like a new player, having become more aware of how to tailor his skills to Chris Finch’s offense.
The improvement was particularly noticeable on the defensive end. While his lack of playmaking—especially as a rim protector, where his 0.2 blocks per game matched Damian Lillard—is still vexing, Randle’s effort shifted dynamically. By the time Minnesota faced the Lakers in the playoffs, he had figured out how to weaponize his strength and mobility, creating problems for opponents as a physical deterrent through sheer size alone. Few big men are better passers, so expect Randle to rank among the league’s best forwards in assists now that he has a clearer sense of his teammates and his role in the offense.
#56 DeMar DeRozan, G/F, SAC
Age: 36 Height: 6’6” Weight: 220 Exp: 16
PTS: 22.2 AST: 4.4 FG%: 47.7 3PT%: 32.8
Image search “professional bucket” and right after U-Line, you should get a thumbnail of DeRozan, who is coming off his 12th straight season averaging at least 20 points. What makes that stat even more impressive is the way DeRozan has increased his efficiency in the latter half of this run. DeRozan shot just 45% from the floor in the first six years of this stretch but has been at 49.8% over the second half.
The maturity in his game should come as no surprise for those who have watched DeRozan over the years, as he is a player who understands how to get to his spots and manipulate a defender with footwork and head fakes as well as any we’ve seen. Along with that has come a greatly increased ability to playmake for others, making his midrange destruction of defensive integrity all the more impressive. The long-range shooting—though more willing than ever—remains a liability. And DeRozan is just a meh defender. But this is a player who can get twenty without thinking about it.
#55 Austin Reaves, G/F, LAL
Age: 27 Height: 6’5” Weight: 197 Exp: 4
PTS: 20.2 AST: 5.8 REB: 4.5 FG%: 46.0 3PT%: 37.7
The list of players who officially averaged at least 20 points, 5 assists, and 2.5 threes last season is only 9 players long, and Reaves is the sole non-starter on it. When it comes to third options, you’d be hard-pressed to present a more dangerous and efficient weapon than the former undrafted guard. Reaves combines elite shooting, a crafty handle, and a very smart understanding of when to attack for himself and when to create for others, making him an ideal combo guard in the modern NBA.
The defense is a bit of a different story, as Reaves offers little resistance to ball handlers and lacks the lower-body strength to compete in the post. But he has become a smart positional defender who was among the league leaders in charges drawn last season.
#54 Jalen Suggs, G, ORL
Age: 24 Height: 6’5” Weight: 205 Exp: 4
PTS: 16.2 AST: 3.7 STL: 1.5 3PT%: 31.4
Another player whose injury frequency is a flashing yellow light, when healthy, there is no more menacing perimeter defender when it comes to navigating screens. Over, around, or through, Suggs’ ability to hound guards during the course of 48 minutes is a weapon unto itself. Suggs is a tone-setter defensively and a perennial All-Defense–level player on that end—already having earned one nod in his last full season (’24).
The offensive game is where the most future excitement lies, as Suggs has become a much more competent and confident shooter. Even though his percentage took a significant dip last season, much of that was due to the amount of attention he was drawing, often as the only shooting threat on the floor for a Magic team that was largely bereft of it. This was especially true when Wagner and Banchero went out, and Suggs was the lone offensive option on many nights.
Speaking of which, it’s worth noting that the Magic were able to weather the competitive storm during the absences of Wagner and Banchero, but when Suggs went down, the team fell off a cliff.
It’s been 268 days since Suggs last laced them up, but when he returns, the additions of Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones should really help. He’s not a true point guard in terms of distribution—which is fine, but just not a natural strength—and he should be able to toggle between guard spots depending on matchups and need.
#53 Scottie Barnes, G/F, TOR
Age: 24 Height: 6’8” Weight: 237 Exp: 4
PTS: 19.3 REB: 7.7 AST: 5.8 BLK: 1.0 STL: 1.4
The list of players who were in the top two on their team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks last season is just one player long, and it’s Barnes. There are just not many players in the league who flash the type of versatility that the former Rookie of the Year (’22) can. But the real question with Barnes is whether his offensive game can scale enough for him to be more than just an eminently additive player whose best role is as second fiddle. With the alarming regression in shooting efficiency, and the fact that he tends to be a bit too robotic and deliberate in his attacks—don’t bet on it.
Even so, this is a player whose effort and intensity, along with his willingness to stick his nose into everything, can be a galvanizing force for a Toronto team that is going to want to play tough defense and get out and run. That desire to push the pace should also benefit Barnes, who takes a minute to get to top speed but runs very well and finishes with elite strength from the wing position. Likely never a superstar, Barnes still has the type of game that makes you take notice over the course of 48 minutes.
#52 Jarett Allen, F/C, CLE
Age: 27 Height: 6’9” Weight: 243 Exp: 8
PTS: 13.5 REB: 9.7 BLK: 0.9 FG%: 70.6
Perhaps no player has been more perennially perched atop the league’s most underrated list than Allen. Despite the lack of reputation or accolades, Allen is one of the league’s best rim protectors, rebounders, and finishers—he led the league in field goal percentage last season. Allen has also become a very adept operator at the high post, where he’s a good passer, can knock down a shot or take a player off the dribble—albeit just one dribble—and elongate to finish at the rim.
While he’ll never be a “dump it into him and let him work” offensive force, Allen can beat you on the block if you don’t send help and passes well out of it when you do. But where Allen makes his money is on the defensive end, where he is fearless on contests and eats on the glass. Oddly, for a player who has averaged 78 games per season the last two years, Allen has been plagued by nagging injuries at the worst times and hasn’t had nearly the impact in the postseason that the Cavs need from him.
#51 Rudy Gobert, C, MIN
Age: 33 Height: 7’1” Weight: 258 Exp: 12
PTS: 12.0 REB: 10.9 BLK: 1.4 FG%: 66.9
The cosmic link between Rudy and Draymond endures, as Gobert, much like the player directly ahead of him, continues to be among the league’s absolute best defensive players. Last year, the four-time Defensive Player of the Year (’18, ’19, ’21, ’24) remained as imposing as ever. Gobert’s mobility remains a major strength, and the novelty of watching him personally shut down an entire possession—contesting literally every shot—has not worn off (vid).
We all know the warts: hands of stone, an over-extended sense of worth offensively, and a knack for saying the wrong thing at the right time. But as far as a player you can literally center an entire ecosystem around, Rudy remains among the league’s absolute best.
Gobert doing Gobert things:
#50 Draymond Green, F/C, GSW
Age: 35 Height: 6’6” Weight: 230 Exp: 13
PTS: 9.9 REB: 6.1 AST: 5.6 STL: 1.5 BLK: 1.0
It’s such a strange combination of attributes that makes Draymond Green such a special player. And we’re not just talking about an undersized big man with a freakish wingspan, questionable touch, and excellent vision. No, it’s that one of the league’s all-time great basketball minds is also responsible for some of the league’s all-time worst lapses in judgment. But that’s the beauty, brilliance, and befuddlement of Draymond—a player whose best moments are often found in such splendid nuance, and whose worst moments have the subtlety of a Sam Kinison monologue (that’s for my old heads).
There is still no better defensive general than Green, who made a strong case—literally stumping for himself in somewhat irritating fashion—as last season’s Defensive Player of the Year. Whatever steps the 14-year pro has lost athletically, his mental prowess and physical toughness more than compensate. No one in the league is better at recognizing what a player or team is doing and baiting them into making the absolute worst choice in the situation.
The offensive game is plagued by the same duality of elite decision-making and terrible choices, as Draymond still peppers the ball around like Chuck Knoblauch trying to throw to first (I really leaned into the aged references here as a testament to the Olden State Warriors). But his ability to get players open with his screening and playmaking remains a foundational asset for the Warriors.
#49 Zion Williamson, PF, NOP
Age: 25 Height: 6’6” Weight: 284 Exp: 6
PTS: 24.6 REB: 7.2 AST: 5.3 FG%: 56.7
Look, if skinny Zion is here to stay—and that augers a run of health heretofore unseen—then trash this ranking and take the express route to the top 20. He’s just that good. But with a player who has played fewer than 30 games in four of his six seasons in the league, having any faith in the fidelity of his body feels foolish. (On a personal note, six years later and I’m still disappointed that the Spruce Goose comparison never got more traction—also, I still have a long way to go as a writer, but yikes.)
Yet no player activates the salivary glands more than Zion over the brief glimpses we’ve had. Part bulldozer, part springboard, part Fred Astaire, Zion is a player model that has never existed—perhaps for good reason, because lower extremities aren’t meant to take that type of consistent impact.
This season, on a Pelicans team that seems as though they’re really going to lean into Point Zion, it will likely help that he’s gotten so lean. Additionally, before getting shut down last season, there were some encouraging signs of increased defensive activity, as the player who entered the league as a defensive wrecker out of Duke just has not come to fruition at this level. Some of that likely has to do with workload and weight load, and while the former will probably not lighten up this season on a New Orleans team that doesn’t have a ton of offensive options, the lessening of the latter will hopefully finally allow us to see Zion in sustained flight.
A look at the new swelt Zion:
#48 Lauri Markkanen, F, UTA
Age: 28 Height: 7’1” Weight: 240 Exp: 8
PTS: 19.0 REB: 5.9 FG%: 42.3 3PT%: 34.6
Markkanen’s excellent EuroBasket showing served as a stark reminder of just how good the Jazz Finnish star is capable of being when allowed to simply play basketball. Markkanen is a three-level scorer fitted into a bruising big’s body, who can rise and square to get a good shot from literally anywhere on the floor. The dip in shooting percentages last season wasn’t great, but who the hell else was the opposition defending in Utah? Added to his elite perimeter shooting, Markkanen also offers strong rebounding.
The injury issues are a bit hard to assess after he’s been shelved by a Utah organization that has been trying to stay in the lottery, but it’s worth noting that he has never played 70 games in his eight-year career, which now spans three organizations. That all said, expect Markkanen to continue his strong play from the summer, possibly positioning himself for a trade come winter.
#47 Aaron Gordon, F, DEN
Age: 30 Height: 6’8” Weight: 235 Exp: 11
PTS: 14.7 REB: 4.8 AST: 3.2 3PT%: 43.6
Another player in the mix for the best third option, Gordon provides the least glamorous statistical argument of the bunch, but he may in the top of the category of eminently additive players. The versatile defense and excellent finishing have been staples of his game since coming to Denver four and a half seasons ago, but the jump to elite perimeter shooting is the perfect example of a player just building out his game to best suit his role.
Yes, like anyone with a pulse, Gordon greatly benefits from playing alongside Jokic, but the ways in which he’s optimized his skills to enhance their synergy—and the toughness and resilience he’s shown on and off the court—are testament to both the quality of player and person that the 12th-year forward is in this league.
#46 Desmond Bane, G/F, ORL
Age: 27 Height: 6’6” Weight: 215 Exp: 5
PTS: 19.2 REB: 6.1 AST: 5.3 3PT%: 39.2
*Bane has now entered both the “best third option” and “best players to not have made an All-Star Game” chats*
Few guards are a better blend of elite shooting and high-caliber playmaking. Bane isn’t discussed enough amongst the league’s best perimeter threats, but this is a player that has averaged 2.8 three-point makes on 40.7% from distance over his last four seasons. Add great positional rebounding, and the Magic’s newly acquired muscle-bound menace is one of the league’s more complete guards.
The defense, while not bad by any measure, has gotten a bit too much credit—probably largely in part because of his imposing stature. But Bane doesn’t move particularly well in space and struggles to get quality contests because of his short arms and just-okay vertical athleticism.
That said, this is one of the biggest additions we saw in the offseason, and I expect Bane’s versatility to be a great asset for a Magic team that will really benefit from his shooting and his secondary playmaking.
#45 OG Anunoby, G/F, NYK
Age: 28 Height: 6’7” Weight: 240 Exp: 8
PTS: 18.0 REB: 4.8 STL: 1.5 BLK: 0.9
While he may not be the best perimeter defender in the league, there may not be anyone who showcases a better combination of physical presence and intellectual awareness than Anunoby. Much like Herb Jones, this is a player who can close down an entire side of the floor for an offense just by jumping passing lanes and blowing up actions by beating offensive players to their spots.
Yet, it wasn’t the defensive play from the league’s former steals champion (’23) that garnered the most attention last season, as we were finally given a full look at the offensive package of Anunoby. In the absence of the injured Jalen Brunson, Anunoby went off during a 19-game stretch that covered all of March and a few days in April, averaging 23.8 points on 49.4% from the floor, including a flamethrowing 41.7% from distance on 3.1 makes.
With the wealth of weapons that the Knicks have on the offensive end, those numbers aren’t sustainable, of course. But the confidence and assertiveness that Anunoby showed should carry over to this season and will hopefully continue to foster more opportunities. Injury concerns always loom with a player who has played fewer than 51 games in three of his last five seasons, but coming off a year where he tied a career high in appearances with 74 while setting another by averaging 36.6 minutes—and with the fact that Mike Brown should demand less from him—are great signs.
#44 Tyler Herro, G, MIA
Age: 25 Height: 6’5” Weight: 195 Exp: 6
PTS: 23.9 AST: 5.5 REB: 5.2 3PT%: 37.5 3PM: 3.3
Herro took his surname to heart with his efforts for a very poor Heat offense last season, posting career highs in both counting stats and efficiency. A rare feat for such a perimeter-oriented guard who tends to take a pretty hefty load of tough shots. And the Heat guard was justly rewarded with his first career All-Star appearance.
Yet, even with the leaps his game took last year, it felt pretty obvious that he is over-leveraged as a primary option, especially in the game’s most important moments, where Tyler went from Herro to goat, shooting the worst percentage in the clutch (30.8) of any player in the NBA (min. 35 games). This, despite Herro taking the third-most field goal attempts in the entire league in those situations. Add to that a pretty suspect defensive profile, and the Heat guard does not have the makeup to be a team’s best option.
Despite all of that, Herro’s production last season was very impressive, and once he returns from foot surgery, he will only benefit from the additions of Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins as perimeter players who will draw more defensive attention and give the lethal sniper more clean looks.
#43 Derrick White, G/F, BOS
Age: 31 Height: 6’4” Weight: 190 Exp: 8
PTS: 16.4 AST: 4.8 3PM: 3.5 3PT%: 38.4
There may not be a better player in the NBA right now at filling in the needs of his team based on the personnel on the floor than White. And to that end, on a Boston team that will need to find a lot of scoring in the absence of four of its top seven scorers from last season, expect White to have the best scoring season of his career this year. The improvement in his shooting in particular has been insane to watch, as this is a player who once averaged 0.7 made threes per game but finished 4th in the league last season at 3.5 makes per.
However, it’s not the counting stats with White that impress the most. Watch the way he dashes in to blow up a play from the opposite side. See the way he runs all the way through to drag a tag defender to create a lane for a teammate. Watch him fight through a screen, hard show on a help, or execute any of a countless number of incredibly intelligent plays, and you’ll get why White is perhaps the league’s best basketball filament.
#42 Darius Garland, G, CLE
Age: 25 Height: 6’1” Weight: 192 Exp: 6
PTS: 20.6 AST: 6.7 TOV: 2.5 3PT%: 40.1
While yet another entry in the “too-frequently injured All-Stars,” Garland is an elite playmaker who combines phenomenal shooting and preternatural playmaking into a package that excels equally as a complementary player when on the floor with Mitchell or as a driver of offense when without. That’s because there are only a handful of players in the league who can shoot the way Garland can—both off the dribble (41.4%) and in catch-and-shoot situations (42.0%).
The defense is the major question here, as teams now focus their offensive attack on getting Garland caught in cross-matches where bigger guards just give him the “mouse in the house” treatment. That doesn’t change how phenomenal a player Garland is, but it does raise serious questions about whether you can construct a championship defense around him. Those questions may be answered this season, where the Cavaliers, as the only team in the second apron, may be forced to make a hard decision on the seventh-year guard, who starts the season injured following toe surgery in the summer.
#41 Joel Embiid, C, PHI
Age: 31 Height: 7’0” Weight: 280 Exp: 9
PTS: 23.8 REB: 8.2 AST: 4.5 FG%: 44.4
Is there a player in the league who has been more frustrating to follow than Embiid over the last few years? Due to a series of knee injuries—and a spate of other random and significant issues—the last few seasons have been a collection of fits and starts, with Embiid’s disposition exemplifying much of the former. Yet, there is no denying that Embiid is a player capable of hitting all-time levels of offensive greatness when he’s on the floor.
This year, as a slimmed-down version of himself, we’ll see what Embiid has to offer and whether his body can still access God mode. If not, this may be the basketball version of Gale Sayers—a player that burned too bright, too fast, but whose impact just didn’t have the ability to last.
#40 Damian Lillard, G, POR
Age: 35 Height: 6’2” Weight: 200 Exp: 13
PTS: 24.9 AST: 7.1 3PT%: 37.6 3PM: 3.4
We are obviously in the injury wing of the list, but even without the Achilles tear suffered in the first round of last season’s playoffs, Dame’s glaring defensive issues are enough to drop him from any top-25. With the combination of injury and age, the presumed athletic drop-off for a player whose game is highly accentuated by a dynamic first step may ultimately mean this is the highest we’ll ever see Dame again. That said, a player with this legacy and track record still warrants the respect owed to him, as Dame was still a spectacular offensive threat last season.
#39 Ja Morant, PG, MEM
Age: 26 Height: 6’2” Weight: 174 Exp: 6
PTS: 23.2 AST: 7.3 FG%: 45.4 3PT%: 30.9
Morant remains one of the league’s most lethal penetrators, but the continued reduction in frequency—he has gone from 39.6% of his shots at the rim as a rookie to just 23.3% last year—combined with shaky long-range shooting (he’s shot below 31% for three straight seasons) presents some challenges as his game evolves. Ja advocates will argue that a return to an offense more focused on the pick-and-roll could lift some of those numbers, but that remains to be seen, as does Morant’s ability to stay on the floor.
Those concerns aside, Morant remains one of the league’s most athletically electric players, capable of collapsing defenses by attacking the heart of the defense—either spreading out to perimeter shooters or finishing with aplomb at the rim, where he shoots nearly 66% for his career. Combine that with his desire to take over in the most tense moments, and Morant is still a superstar-level player who can will a team to victory on his own.
#38 Jalen Johnson, F, ATL
Age: 23 Height: 6’8” Weight: 219 Exp: 4
PTS: 18.9 REB: 10.0 AST: 5.0 3PT%: 31.2
The list of players last season who averaged at least 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists is just four players long—and collectively, they account for six MVP awards. This means the hype around Johnson isn’t just about what he may become; it’s very much about what he’s already shown, albeit in brief glimpses. Johnson is a springy athlete with excellent size and strength for a wing, rebounds exceptionally well, and has become a solid playmaker, particularly when attacking the basket and making the connective pass. That’s to say nothing of his open-court play, where he is a load to contend with as he bounds down the floor.
Johnson also provides good versatility as a defender, capable of holding his own against all forwards and even centers for short bursts. The primary concern here—as with every player in this grouping—is health. Johnson was injury-prone in college, and he has proven to be much the same as a professional, having played in just 56% of all available games since entering the league in the 2022 season.
#37 Chet Holmgren, F/C, OKC
Age: 23 Height: 7’1” Weight: 208 Exp: 2
PTS: 15.0 REB: 8.0 BLK: 2.2 3PT%: 37.9
This may feel a bit low, but Chet still has some glaring vacancies in his game and benefits greatly from a system that asks exactly the right amount of him. That said, this is also the lowest Chet should be for years, as long as he can overcome a troubling injury history that has cost him nearly half of all available appearances since he entered the league—now that also comes with him playing literally every single game in his second season.
Chet being a defensive menace:
No player in the league better weaponizes verticality than Holmgren, who gets clean contests more than any big at the rim. The fact that that comes along with a high level of switchability and a great capacity to cover space, means Chet will be a Defensive Player of the Year honoree before it’s said and done.
The greatest areas for growth in Chet’s game are his processing speed, off-the-dribble attacks, and consistency as a perimeter shooter—a series of interlocking skills that, if opened to greater success, will catapult the Thunder’s fourth-year big man into the top 25 considering what he already is defensively. He may never gain the weight that you’d like, and that is a concern, but mainly because despite, or in spite of, his slightness, Holmgren plays a surprisingly physical brand of basketball.
#36 Amen Thompson, G/F, HOU
Age: 22 Height: 6’7” Weight: 200 Exp: 2
PTS: 14.1 REB: 8.2 AST: 3.8 STL: 1.4 BLK: 1.3
Not a player in the league enters this season with more collective optimism than Thompson, who is the odds-on favorite for the Most Improved Player award after finishing last season with a strong flourish. The third-year guard/forward took several impressive leaps last season—both figuratively and literally—showing a much-improved drive game that is now complemented nicely by a floater when teams try to wall him off. In the open court, Thompson’s ability to reach top speed may be the best in the entire league.
On the other side of the floor, Thompson is one of the game’s premier athletes and defensive playmakers, capable of shutting down a player as a point-of-attack defender or causing havoc in passing lanes and as a help-side rim protector. He possesses all the physical tools you could ask for in a perimeter defender: elite quickness, good strength, incredible hips, and a natural instinct to find the ball. Thompson could be the next wing player to win a Defensive Player of the Year award.
The only real question in Thompson’s game is his perimeter shooting, where he has hit just 22.1% from distance in his young career. If that improves, he could become an elite scorer. Even if it doesn’t, his ability to pressure the rim and the space defenders give him as a shooter often works to his advantage, giving him sufficient runway to take off.
Yes, there’s a lot of hype—and it is absolutely all real.
#35 Jamal Murray, G, DEN
Age: 28 Height: 6’4” Weight: 215 Exp: 9
PTS: 21.4 AST: 6.0 FG%: 47.4 3PT%: 39.3
Murray’s career has become the NBA’s version of the Jastrow Duck/Rabbit test. Some see a perennially undervalued player who deserves top billing in the “best player to never make an All-Star appearance” conversation. Others see a superstar talent who often feels like he’s performing just short of his immense abilities. Whatever the perception, we have all shared the vision of Murray’s capacity to elevate his play in the game’s highest-leverage moments.
It didn’t always feel like that last season, in large part due to a slow start that appeared to stem from conditioning issues. But Murray is coming off one of his best statistical seasons, averaging a career-high in points per game on his typically strong efficiency—particularly when considering the difficulty of many of his shots—while making his most regular-season appearances (67) since the ’19 season (75). One of the things that makes Murray such a dangerous offensive weapon is his versatility: with his ability to handle the ball, shoot off the catch, and finish at the rim—where he shot 66.7% last season—he is an incredibly valuable complement alongside Jokic.
#34 Franz Wagner, F, ORL
Age: 24 Height: 6’10” Weight: 220 Exp: 4
PTS: 24.2 REB: 5.7 AST: 4.7 3PT%: 29.5
Let’s get the ugly out of the way early: Wagner’s three-point shooting is bad—both aesthetically and statistically. The good news is that last season, even without a reliable shot, Wagner performed at an All-NBA level—falling just five games short of qualifying—shining most brightly over a stretch in November and early December when he averaged 27.3 points before suffering an oblique injury that kept him from postseason award consideration. Only LeBron and Giannis can challenge Franz as the league’s most intimidating drivers.
And like those two—and now Cooper—Wagner leverages his size to access passing angles, creating real advantages as a playmaker.
While his long-range mechanics are the visual equivalent of chewing gravel, in the midrange, Franz has great strength and balance, with a hard-drive, stop, and turnaround that serves as a bread-and-butter counter move. He also worked hard this offseason to improve his post game, which, with his size and strength, should be a significant advantage against other small forwards.
As a defender, Wagner’s strength and length make him a nightmare to try to get by, as he corrals and stands up drivers about as well as you’ll see. He also presents as a one-man fastbreak with his ability to grab and go. The only glaring issue is his ability to chase smaller forwards around the floor, but even in those situations, Wagner is very effective at using his length to contest shots.
We’re almost there y’all. Thank you so much for reading.