We’ve seen the decline in long-standing stars like James Harden, whom we ranked No. 5 at the start of this season. The rise of Jimmy Butler and other long-time All-Stars, whom we ranked No. 19 in October.
Harden and Anthony Davis were notable dropouts in our preseason lists. Damian Lillard was also absent. Check Top 5 Basketball Players in the World Right Now.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo has earned his place as the NBA’s greatest player. Even after Durant’s dominating playoff run last year, the consensus among basketball fans was still that Kevin Durant is the best player.
And it was not hard to disagree after he nearly took down the Bucks 7-games without Kyrie Irving and James Harden.Similarly, the narrative has changed after this postseason. Giannis’s position at No.1 is impossible to dispute.
It’s no surprise that Giannis is ranked No.1 on this list. He became the NBA’s first player in a playoff series to record at least 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 50 assists. Even with his Game 7 loss, it is hard to overlook the work that Giannis did during that playoff series.
4. LeBron James
LeBron entered the NBA in 2003. After the 2004-2005 NBA Season, he was one of the top five players in the NBA discussion. Since then, he has not left that spot, as evidenced by his 18 consecutive All-NBA/All-Star appearances.
Although some may view James’ past season as a disappointment, and note that his Lakers failed to make the playoffs, it is clear that no one was better than him when he was playing on the floor.
For the season, his 30.3 PPG average was better than Joel Embiid’s. This was his highest-scoring score in 15 years.
3. Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic’s biggest flaw right now is his inability to win MVP. He has not been able to compete in the playoffs since Jamal Murray’s injury. He is a great player on the basketball court.
His playoff series was his only one. We saw that he couldn’t have done more.In 32 minutes of travel, he had 30 points and 19 rebounds. He was the league MVP. He demonstrated why he was the league MVP two times.
2 . Jimmy Butler
It was difficult to choose Jimmy Butler for the final spot despite the tough competition. However, this year’s playoff performance made it hard to not give it to Jimmy Butler.
He led the Miami Heat’s postseason offense and gave his team, with its outmatched talent, a chance at the NBA Finals. His playoff showing in Game 6, with the Heat’s back against a wall on the road, in hostile conditions, was one of our most memorable playoff performances.
1. Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid’s toughness is one thing we cannot doubt. Although you can disagree with his game and the fumbling to get to the line.
Joel Embiid’s resilience to win was evident when he returned to the conference semifinals in Miami with an orbital break and a torn tendon in his thumb.
Embiid was not able to lead the Sixers into the next round. His only other appearance in the semifinals against Miami was a testament to his resilience to win.
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