NBA MVP Rankings - 9 Mar

Joel Embiid's injury has made him officially ineligible for this season's MVP award, though I still have him in my top 10 due to the impact he had while he was playing. It is now virtually a 4-player race, and it's as close now between the 4 as it has ever been this season, and it may come down to where each player's team ends up in the playoff seeding next month. Here are my current MVP rankings:

Most Valuable Players

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

26.0 Pts (#13), 12.3 Reb (#3), 9.2 Ast (#4), 1.2 Stl (#19), 0.9 Blk, .579 FG% (#11), .350 3P%, .824 FT%

2 (3) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG - OKC

31.2 Pts (#2), 5.6 Reb, 6.5 Ast (#13), 2.1 Stl (#1), 1.0 Blk, .546 FG% (#20), .374 3P%, .881 FT% (#15)

3 (2) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

30.8 Pts (#3), 11.2 Reb (#6), 6.4 Ast (#16), 1.2 Stl, 1.0 Blk, .618 FG% (#8), .303 3P%, .661 FT%

4 (5) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

34.6 Pts (#1), 9.0 Reb (#18), 9.8 Ast (#3), 1.4 Stl (#9), 0.6 Blk, .496 FG%, .382 3P%, .786 FT%

5 (8) Domantas Sabonis - C - SAC

20.0 Pts, 13.5 Reb (#1), 8.4 Ast (#5), 0.9 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .610 FG% (#9), .420 3P%, .693 FT%

6 (9) Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS

26.8 Pts (#10), 8.4 Reb, 4.8 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .475 FG%, .373 3P%, .828 FT%

7 (6) Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND

20.8 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 11.4 Ast (#1), 1.1 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .483 FG%, .377 3P%, .848 FT%

8 (4) Joel Embiid - C - PHI *

35.3 Pts, 11.3 Reb, 5.7 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.8 Blk, .533 FG%, .366 3P%, .883 FT% (#13)

9 (7) Trae Young - PG - ATL

26.4 Pts (#11), 2.7 Reb, 10.8 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl (#8), 0.2 Blk, .426 FG%, .371 3P%, .856 FT%

10 (10) Anthony Davis - C - LAL

24.7 Pts (#16), 12.3 Reb (#4), 3.6 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 2.4 Blk (#5), .555 FG% (#18), .257 3P%, .816 FT%

Honorable Mention: Jalen Brunson - PG - NYK, LeBron James - PF - LAL, Damian Lillard - PG - MIL, Anthony Edwards - SG - MIN, Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS, Donovan Mitchell - SG - CLE

*Embiid is not qualified for per game stat leaderboards.

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS

20.7 Pts, 10.3 Reb (#10), 3.4 Ast, 1.3 Stl (#17), 3.4 Blk (#1), .469 FG%, .335 3P%, .815 FT%

2 (2) Chet Holmgren - C - OKC

17.0 Pts, 7.8 Reb, 2.7 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 2.5 Blk (#4), .540 FG%, .391 3P%, .786 FT%

3 (3) Dereck Lively II - C - DAL

8.6 Pts, 7.0 Reb, 1.2 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 1.4 Blk (#15), .743 FG%, .000 3P%, .529 FT%

4 (5) Keyonte George - PG - UTA

12.0 Pts, 2.8 Reb, 4.4 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .393 FG%, .353 3P%, .822 FT%

5 (4) Ausar Thompson - SF - DET

8.9 Pts, 6.4 Reb, 1.9 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.0 Blk, .488 FG%, .189 3P%, .600 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Chris Paul has passed Russell Westbrook to move back up to #18

James Harden has passed Larry Bird to move up to #20

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Charles Barkley to move up to #33

Nikola Jokic has passed Patrick Ewing to move up to #35

Anthony Davis has passed George Gervin to move up to #55

Draymond Green has passed Manu Ginobili to move up to #64

Kyrie Irving has passed Bob McAdoo to move up to #67

Jimmy Butler has passed Rod Strickland, Cliff Hagan, and Walt Frazier to move up to #84

There is also a very good chance that we will be seeing a new player joining the top 100 by the end of the month. Watch for my next update to see who it is and whether it happens.

NBA All-Stars 2023

The NBA All-Star Game will take place this weekend, and while most of the players who were selected belong there, there are always several snubs, as well as some players who just don't belong. Using my player rating formula, these are the players who deserve to be All-Star starters and reserves for their play so far this season, with actual starters in bold and actual reserves in italics:

Eastern Conference

Starters

PF - Giannis Antetokounmpo - MIL

PF - Jayson Tatum - BOS

C - Joel Embiid - PHI

PG - Trae Young - ATL

PG - Tyrese Haliburton - IND

Trae Young wasn't even selected to the All-Star team, even though he's the best guard in the East right now. Embiid and Haliburton should have been voted starters (Embiid was named an injury-replacement starter), rather than Kevin Durant (who is injured and won't play), Kyrie Irving (who is a borderline reserve), and Donovan Mitchell (deserving All-Star, should be a reserve).

Reserves

PF - Kevin Durant - BKN*

PF - Julius Randle - NYK

SF - DeMar DeRozan - CHI

PG - James Harden - PHI

PG - Darius Garland - CLE

PG - Jalen Brunson - NYK

SG - Donovan Mitchell - CLE

C - Kristaps Porzingis - WAS (injury replacement)

Bam Adebayo, Jrue Holiday, Pascal Siakim, and Jaylen Brown are the reserves I would leave off the team, though the first 3 on that list are all right on the edge of being reserves.

Western Conference

Starters

C - Nikola Jokic - DEN

PF - LeBron James - LAL

C - Domantas Sabonis - SAC

PG - Luka Doncic - DAL

PG - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - OKC

Ja Morant and Lauri Markkanen were named as injury-replacement starters for Stephen Curry and Zion Williamson, I would have left both on the bench and put Sabonis and SGA in the starting lineup, but I understand Markkanen being named a starter on his home court. Williamson should not be on the All-Star team, he has missed far too many games.

Reserves

C - Anthony Davis - LAL

SF - Lauri Markkanen - UTA

C - Deandre Ayton - PHX

PG - Damian Lillard - POR

PG - Ja Morant - MEM

PG - Stephen Curry - GSW*

PG - De'Aaron Fox - SAC

PG - Russell Westbrook - LAL (injury replacement)

Anthony Edwards, Paul George, and Jaren Jackson Jr are the reserves I would leave off the team, though Edwards is the next player I would choose behind the ones listed above. Davis has missed a lot of games, but has been so dominant when he plays that he deserves a spot, and Ayton has come on very strong over the past several weeks to keep Phoenix afloat as they fought injuries.

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Chris Paul has passed Russell Westbrook back to move up to #17

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Dwight Howard to move up to #41

Damian Lillard has passed George McGinnis and Paul Pierce to move up to #56

Kawhi Leonard has passed Ben Wallace and Bob McAdoo to move up to #64

Draymond Green has passed Carmelo Anthony to move up to #71

NBA Playoff MVP Rankings - Thru Round 1

The first round of the playoffs ended last night without a single series going the full 7 games, and there have been a lot of impressive performances so far. I've gone through all of the numbers in the first round to determine which players are the current leaders in the race to win the Finals MVP award this season, even though the actual award doesn't take the full playoffs into account. Obviously players are only eligible if their team is still alive, so Nikola Jokic, who was the third-best player of the first round, is not on this list, and neither is Brandon Ingram, who came in at #11. Here are the 10 players who had the most impact on their teams advancing past the first round:

Playoff MVP

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

28.6 Pts (#4), 13.4 Reb (#2), 6.2 Ast, 0.2 Stl, 1.4 Blk, .568 FG% (#9), .154 3P%, .683 FT%

2. Chris Paul - PG - PHX

22.3 Pts, 4.3 Reb, 11.3 Ast (#1), 1.8 Stl (#3), 0.2 Blk, .567 FG%, .308 3P%, .960 FT% (#3)

3. Ja Morant - PG - MEM

21.5 Pts, 8.7 Reb, 10.5 Ast (#2), 1.5 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .386 FG%, .200 3P%, .712 FT%

4. Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

28.0 Pts (#5), 3.4 Reb, 5.4 Ast, 1.6 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .500 FG%, .404 3P%, .744 FT%

5. Jimmy Butler - SF - MIA

30.5 Pts (#2), 7.8 Reb, 5.3 Ast, 2.8 Stl (#1), 0.5 Blk, .543 FG%, .438 3P%, .794 FT%

6. Jayson Tatum - SF - BOS

29.5 Pts (#3), 4.5 Reb, 7.3 Ast (#5), 1.8 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .456 FG%, .419 3P%, .868 FT%

7. James Harden - SG - PHI

19.0 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 10.2 Ast (#3), 1.0 Stl, 1.2 Blk, .405 FG%, .382 3P%, .860 FT%

8. Jalen Brunson - PG - DAL

27.8 Pts (#6), 4.8 Reb, 4.2 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 0.0 Blk, .484 FG%, .364 3P%, .846 FT%

9. Joel Embiid - C - PHI

26.2 Pts (#9), 11.3 Reb (#7), 2.3 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .520 FG%, .190 3P%, .831 FT%

10. DeAndre Ayton - C - PHX

20.5 Pts, 9.8 Reb (#9), 2.5 Ast, 0.7 STl, 1.2 Blk, .700 FG% (#2), .500 3P%, .750 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Chris Paul has passed Russell Westbrook to move up to #17

Stephen Curry has passed Dwyane Wade and Jason Kidd to move up to #21

James Harden has passed Moses Malone to move up to #25

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Clyde Drexler, Mark Jackson, and Rajon Rondo to move up to #48

Nikola Jokic has passed Ray Allen, Alonzo Mourning, Terry Porter, Dikembe Mutombo, Louie Dampier, Tracy McGrady, Tim Hardaway, Chris Webber, and Kyrie Irving to move up to #73

Draymond Green has passed Rod Strickland, Cliff Hagan, Walt Frazier, and Ray Allen to move up to #82

Kyle Lowry has a decent chance of reaching the top 100 this postseason, Jrue Holiday has a small chance, and Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid could maybe make it with a dominant Finals MVP-type performance.

NBA MVP Rankings - 9 Apr

With the NBA season wrapping up this weekend, it's time to post my final rankings for MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year. I feel that there are 2 deserving candidates in each race that have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, but many in the media are championing the guys ranked at #3 in the MVP and ROY rankings. Here are my final rankings, with previous rank in parentheses:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

29.9 Pts (#2), 11.6 Reb (#5), 5.8 Ast (#18), 1.1 Stl, 1.4 Blk (#11), .553 FG% (#11), .293 3P%, .722 FT%

2 (2) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

27.1 Pts (#6), 13.8 Reb (#2), 7.9 Ast (#8), 1.5 Stl (#13), 0.9 Blk, .583 FG% (#8), .337 3P%, .810 FT%

3 (5) Joel Embiid - C - PHI

30.4 Pts (#1), 11.6 Reb (#6), 4.2 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.5 Blk (#9), .495 FG%, .365 3P%, .816 FT%

4 (7) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

28.5 Pts (#3), 9.1 Reb (#18), 8.7 Ast (#5), 1.1 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .457 FG%, .353 3P%, .740 FT%

5 (3) Chris Paul - PG - PHX

14.7 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 10.8 Ast (#1), 1.9 Stl (#2), 0.3 Blk, .493 FG%, .317 3P%, .837 FT%

6 (6) Trae Young - PG - ATL

28.4 Pts (#4), 3.7 Reb, 9.7 Ast (#3), 1.0 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .460 FG%, .380 3P%, .903 FT% (#4)

7 (8) Devin Booker - SG - PHX

26.8 Pts (#8), 5.0 Reb, 4.8 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .466 FG%, .383 3P%, .868 FT% (#18)

8 (4) Ja Morant - PG - MEM*

27.6 Pts, 5.7 Reb, 6.7 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .493 FG%, .340 3P%, .762 FT%

*missed too many games to qualify for statistical leaderboards

9 (NR) James Harden - PG - PHI

22.0 Pts (#17), 7.8 Reb, 10.2 Ast (#2), 1.3 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .410 FG%, .333 3P%, .875 FT% (#13)

10 (9) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

25.5 Pts (#10), 5.2 Reb, 6.3 Ast (#15), 1.3 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .437 FG%, .380 3P%, .923 FT% (#1)

Honorable Mention: Jayson Tatum - SF - BOS; DeMar DeRozan - PF - CHI; Karl-Anthony Towns - C - MIN; Kevin Durant - PF - BKN; Dejounte Murray - PG - SAS

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Josh Giddey - SG - OKC

12.5 Pts, 7.8 Reb, 6.4 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .419 FG%, .263 3P%, .709 FT%

2 (2) Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

17.4 Pts, 5.5 Reb, 5.6 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .416 FG%, .314 3P%, .845 FT%

3 (3) Evan Mobley - PF - CLE

14.9 Pts, 8.2 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 1.6 Blk (#7), .507 FG%, .250 3P%, .665 FT%

4 (4) Alperen Sengun - C - HOU

9.6 Pts, 5.5 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .478 FG%, .252 3P%, .711 FT%

5 (NR) Jalen Green - SG - HOU

16.9 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 2.6 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .422 FG%, .342 3P%, .796 FT%

Sixth Man of the Year

1 (1) JaVale McGee - C - PHX

9.2 Pts, 6.6 Reb, 0.6 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 1.1 Blk (#18), .630 FG%, .222 3P%, .711 FT%, 15.7 MPG

2 (2) Tyler Herro - SG - MIA

20.7 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 4.0 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .447 FG%, .399 3P%, .868 FT% (#19), 32.6 MPG

3 (4) Andre Drummond - C - BKN

7.8 Pts, 9.3 Reb (#17), 1.8 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .561 FG%, .519 FT%, 19.7 MPG

4 (3) Kevin Love - PF - CLE

13.4 Pts, 7.2 Reb, 2.2 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .426 FG%, .384 3P%, .844 FT%, 22.6 MPG

5 (NR) Hassan Whiteside - C - UTA

8.2 Pts, 7.6 Reb, 0.4 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 1.6 Blk, .649 FG%, .620 FT%, 17.9 MPG

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Chris Paul has passed Larry Bird to move up to #18.

Kyrie Irving has passed Tracy McGrady, Tim Hardaway, and Chris Webber to move up to #73.

Nikola Jokic has passed Gus Williams, Dennis Rodman, Tom Heinsohn, Draymond Green, Rod Strickland, Cliff Hagan, and Walt Frazier to move up to #82.

NBA MVP Rankings - 12 Mar

It's been a couple of months since I've posted an update to my MVP rankings, and there have been a lot of changes, aside from the top 2, who have by far the best players in the game and the winners of the past 3 awards. Chris Paul still appears on the list, but it's unlikely that he will win because he is going to miss most of the remainder of the regular season with a thumb injury, so I would say that the MVP is currently a 4-player race. Here are my current rankings, with previous ranking in parentheses:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

29.7 Pts (#3), 11.5 Reb (#5), 6.0 Ast (#19), 1.1 Stl, 1.4 Blk (#11), .549 FG% (#10), .307 3P%, .721 FT%

2 (2) Nikola Jokic - DEN - C

26.1 Pts (#9), 13.9 Reb (#2), 8.1 Ast (#7), 1.4 Stl (#20), 0.8 Blk, .571 FG% (#8), .349 3P%, .804 FT%

3 (4) Chris Paul - PHX - PG

14.9 Pts, 4.5 Reb, 10.7 Ast (#1), 1.9 Stl (#2), 0.3 Blk, .487 FG%, .330 3P%, .843 FT%

4 (NR) Ja Morant - MEM - PG

27.7 Pts (#7), 5.8 Reb, 6.7 Ast (#15), 1.2 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .493 FG%, .344 3P%, .764 FT%

5 (NR) Joel Embiid - PHI - C

29.7 Pts (#2), 11.2 Reb (#8), 4.3 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.4 Blk (#10), .489 FG%, .355 3P%, .819 FT%

6 (3) Trae Young - ATL - PG

27.8 Pts (#6), 3.8 Reb, 9.4 Ast (#3), 0.9 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .455 FG%, .378 3P%, .894 FT% (#9)

7 (NR) Luka Doncic - DAL - PG

28.1 Pts (#5), 9.3 Reb (#17), 8.6 Ast (#5), 1.2 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .452 FG%, .337 3P%, .737 FT%

8 (NR) Devin Booker - PHX - SG

25.5 Pts (#11), 5.2 Reb, 4.8 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .451 FG%, .373 3P%, .864 FT%

9 (6) Stephen Curry - GSW - PG

25.8 Pts (#10), 5.3 Reb, 6.4 Ast (#17), 1.4 Stl (#17), 0.4 Blk, .434 FG%, .378 3P%, .921 FT% (#2)

10 (8) DeMar DeRozan - CHI - PF

28.1 Pts (#4), 5.4 Reb, 5.1 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .509 FG%, .354 3P%, .868 FT% (#16)

Honorable Mention: James Harden - PHI - PG, Dejounte Murray - SAS - PG, Karl-Anthony Towns - MIN - C, Donovan Mitchell - UTA - SG, Jayson Tatum - BOS - SF

Sixth Man of the Year

1 (2) JaVale McGee - PHX - C

9.2 Pts, 6.8 Reb, 0.6 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 1.1 Blk, .629 FG%, .684 FT%

2 (1) Tyler Herro - MIA - SG

20.7 Pts, 4.7 Reb, 3.9 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .442 FG%, .385 3P%, .864 FT%

3 (3) Kevin Love - CLE - C

13.8 Pts, 7.1 Reb, 2.2 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .422 FG%, .388 3P%, .856 FT%

4 (NR) Andre Drummond - BRK - C

6.7 Pts, 8.9 Reb (#20), 2.0 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .544 FG%, .508 FT%

5 (4) Montrezl Harrell - CHA - C

13.9 Pts, 6.7 Reb, 2.0 Ast, 0.4 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .639 FG% (#4), .709 FT%

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Josh Giddey - OKC - SG

12.5 Pts, 7.8 Reb, 6.4 Ast (#16), 0.9 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .419 FG%, .2263 3P%, .709 FT%

2 (3) Cade Cunningham - DET - PG

16.8 Pts, 5.8 Reb, 5.2 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .403 FG%, .324 3P%, .850 FT%

3 (4) Evan Mobley - CLE - PF

14.8 Pts, 8.3 Reb, 2.6 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 1.7 Blk (#7), .501 FG%, .256 3P%, .677 FT%

4 (2) Alperen Sengun - HOU - C

9.0 Pts, 5.1 Reb, 2.4 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 1.0 Blk, .468 FG%, .244 3P%, .688 FT%

5 (NR) Jalen Suggs - ORL - PG

12.1 Pts, 3.6 Reb, 4.4 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .363 FG%, .224 3P%, .770 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Stephen Curry has passed Steve Nash to move up to #23

James Harden has passed Dirk Nowitzki to move up to #26

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Paul Gasol and Scottie Pippen to move up to #51

Kyrie Irving has passed Terry Porter, Dikembe Mutombo, and Louie Dampier to move up to #76

Nikola Jokic has passed Shawn Kemp, Walter Davis, Vince Carter, Bob Lanier, Amare' Stoudemire, Wes Unseld, and John Wall to move up to #89

LaMarcus Aldridge has massed Andre Miller to move up to #97

NBA All-Star Teams

The NBA just announced the starters for this year's All-Star teams, and they were pretty good overall, though there was one very notable outlier, Andrew Wiggins being named a starter for the West. The Western Conference is the weakest it has ever been at forward, but have far too many guards who deserve to make the team. Below I've listed the players I feel should be All-Star starters and reserves in each conference, as well as several potential players that should be considered as injury replacements if needed, with actual starters marked with an asterisk.

Eastern Conference

Starters

F - Giannis Antetokounmpo - MIL *

F - DeMar DeRozan - CHI *

C - Joel Embiid - PHI *

G - Trae Young - ATL *

G - James Harden - BKN

Reserves

F - Kevin Durant - BKN *

F - Zach LaVine - CHI

C - Domantas Sabonis - IND

G - Darius Garland - CLE

G - LaMelo Ball - CHA

F - Jimmy Butler - MIA

F - Jayson Tatum - BOS

Injury Replacements

G - Bradley Beal - WAS

C - Jarrett Allen - CLE

G - Jrue Holiday - MIL

F - Khris Middleton - MIL

F - Kevin Love - CLE

Western Conference

Starters

F - LeBron James - LAL *

F - Draymond Green - GSW

C - Nikola Jokic - DEN *

G - Chris Paul - PHX

G - Stephen Curry - GSW *

Reserves

G - Ja Morant - MEM *

G - Dejounte Murray - SAS

C - Rudy Gobert - UTA

C - Karl-Anthony Towns - MIN

F - Jaren Jackson Jr - MEM

G - Luka Doncic - DAL

G - Devin Booker - PHX

Injury Replacements

G - Donovan Mitchell - UTA

G - Russell Westbrook - LAL

C - JaVale McGee - PHX

F - Paul George - LAC

F - Brandon Ingram - NOP

All-Time Player Rank Updates

Chris Paul has passed Oscar Robertson to move up to #19

James Harden has passed Dirk Nowitzki to move up to #26

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed George Gervin to move up to #53

Kyrie Irving has passed Alonzo Mourning to move up to #79

Nikola Jokic has passed LaMarcus Aldridge, Mel Daniels, and Andre Miller to move up to #96

LaMarcus Aldridge has passed Mel Daniels to stay at #98

NBA MVP Rankings - 15 Jan

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on a tear lately, scoring at least 25 in 9 straight games while helping the Bucks move up to #4 in the East, and it has helped him take back the #1 spot in this week's MVP rankings, moving ahead of the defending MVP, Nikola Jokic. Here are my full current rankings for MVP, Sixth Man, and Rookie of the Year:

Most Valuable Player

1 (3) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

28.5 Pts (#3), 11.5 Reb (#6), 6.1 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 1.5 Blk (#10), .543 FG% (#12), .279 3P%, .699 FT%

2 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

25.5 Pts (#9), 14.0 Reb (#2), 7.0 Ast (#12), 1.3 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .566 FG% (#10), .356 3P%, .776 FT%

3 (5) Trae Young - PG - ATL

27.6 Pts (#4), 4.0 Reb, 9.4 Ast (#3), 0.9 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .453 FG%, .367 3P%, .900 FT% (#5)

4 (6) Chris Paul - PG - PHX

14.0 Pts, 4.3 Reb, 10.0 Ast (#1), 2.0 Stl (#2), 0.3 Blk, .475 FG%, .322 3P%, .837 FT%

5 (2) Kevin Durant - PF - BRK

29.7 Pts (#1), 7.5 Reb, 5.9 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .520 FG% (#19), .371 3P%, .893 FT% (#8)

6 (4) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

26.3 Pts (#6), 5.4 Reb, 6.0 Ast, 1.4 Stl (#19), 0.5 Blk, .421 FG%, .384 3P%, .914 FT% (#4)

7 (7) James Harden - PG - BRK

22.6 Pts (#18), 8.0 Reb, 9.9 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .414 FG%, .337 3P%, .877 FT% (#18)

8 (NR) DeMar DeRozan - PF - CHI

25.7 Pts (#7), 5.1 Reb, 4.7 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .492 FG%, .352 3P%, .852 FT%

9 (NR) Zach LaVine - SF - CHI

24.9 Pts (#11), 4.8 Reb, 4.2 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .491 FG%, .412 3P%, .872 FT%

10 (NR) LeBron James - SF - LAL

29.1 Pts (#2), 7.4 Reb, 6.6 Ast (#18), 1.7 Stl (#8), 1.1 Blk, .524 FG% (#16), .366 3P%, .769 FT%

Honorable Mention: Ja Morant - PG - MEM, Joel Embiid - C - PHI, Donovan Mitchell - SG - UTA, Rudy Gobert - C - UTA, Dejounte Murray - PG - SAS, Luka Doncic - PG - DAL, LaMelo Ball - PG - CHA

Sixth Man of the Year

1 (4) Tyler Herro - SG - MIA

20.8 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 4.1 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .429 FG%, .386 3P%, .879 FT% (#15)

2 (1) JaVale McGee - C - PHX

9.9 Pts, 7.0 Reb, 0.7 Ast, 0.4 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .649 FG% (#4), .250 3P%, .679 FT%

3 (NR) Kevin Love - PF - CLE

14.1 Pts, 7.3 Reb, 2.0 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .433 FG%, .409 3P%, .885 FT% (#10)

4 (2) Montrezl Harrell - C - WAS

14.5 Pts, 7.3 Reb, 2.2 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .647 FG% (#5), .300 3P%, .738 FT%

5 (3) Ricky Rubio - PG - CLE

13.1 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 6.6 Ast (#17), 1.4 Stl (#18), 0.2 Blk, .363 FG%, .339 3P%, .854 FT%

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Josh Giddey - SG - OKC

11.5 Pts, 7.3 Reb, 6.4 Ast (#19), 1.1 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .404 FG%, .280 3P%, .681 FT%

2 (2) Alperen Sengun - C - HOU

9.0 Pts, 4.8 Reb, 2.6 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .504 FG%, .293 3P%, .700 FT%

3 (3) Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

15.5 Pts, 5.8 Reb, 5.3 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .390 FG%, .321 3P%, .848 FT%

4 (4) Evan Mobley - PF - CLE

14.9 Pts, 8.1 Reb, 2.7 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 1.7 Blk (#7), .506 FG%, .294 3P%, .713 FT%

5 (NR) Franz Wagner - SF - ORL

15.7 Pts, 4.7 Reb, 2.9 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .455 FG%, .358 3P%, .848 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Nikola Jokic has passed Bill Sharman to move up to #99.

There are several players who are extremely close to moving up again within the next month, including Nikola Jokic, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kyrie Irving, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Chris Paul.

NBA MVP Rankings - 24 Dec

The MVP race is more wide-open right now than it has ever been, with 7 players running very close together at this point. A couple of them will probably be eliminated from the running if they aren't able to get their teams near the top of the league, but there is a lot of time left in the season, so winning percentage isn't as big a factor as it will be later in the season. At this point, the best overall player in the league has taken over the top spot in my rankings, but that could, and probably will, change many times over the next several months. Here are my full current award rankings, with previous rankings in parentheses:

Most Valuable Player

1 (6) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

25.9 Pts (#7), 13.5 Reb (#2), 7.2 Ast (#11), 1.3 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .575 FG% (#10), .365 3P%, .756 FT%

2 (4) Kevin Durant - PF - BKN

29.7 Pts (#1), 7.9 Reb, 5.9 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .523 FG% (#18), .382 3P%, .886 FT% (#16)

3 (1) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

27.0 Pts (#4), 11.6 Reb (#6), 5.8 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.6 Blk (#11), .529 FG% (#15), .280 3P%, .681 FT%

4 (2) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

27.7 Pts (#2), 5.4 Reb, 5.9 Ast (#19), 1.6 Stl (#14), 0.5 Blk, .438 FG%, .402 3P%, .928 FT% (#2)

5 (5) Trae Young - PG - ATL

27.3 Pts (#3), 4.0 Reb, 9.3 Ast (#3), 1.0 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .460 FG%, .377 3P%, .891 FT% (#12)

6 (7) Chris Paul - PG - PHX

14.4 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 9.9 Ast (#1), 2.0 Stl (#5), 0.3 Blk, .490 FG%, .319 3P%, .814 FT%

7 (3) James Harden - PG - BKN

20.8 Pts, 7.9 Reb, 9.6 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .404 FG%, .337 3P%, .885 FT% (#17)

8 (NR) Rudy Gobert - C - UTA

15.5 Pts, 15.1 Reb (#1), 1.1 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 2.3 Blk (#2), .714 FG% (#1), .683 FT%

9 (NR) Donovan Mitchell - SG - UTA

25.1 Pts (#9), 3.8 Reb, 5.1 Ast, 1.6 Stl (#14), 0.2 Blk, .458 FG%, .342 3P%, .868 FT%

10 (NR) Dejounte Murray - PG - SAS

17.8 Pts, 8.4 Reb, 8.8 Ast (#4), 2.0 Stl (#5), 0.4 Blk, .438 FG%, .341 3P%, .696 FT%

Honorable Mention: DeMar DeRozan - PF - CHI, Zach LaVine - SF - CHI, Luka Doncic - PG - DAL, Russell Westbrook - PG - LAL, LaMelo Ball - PG - CHA, Draymond Green - PF - GSW, JaVale McGee - C - PHX, Devin Booker - SG - PHX

Sixth Man of the Year

1 (1) JaVale McGee - C - PHX

10.5 Pts, 7.5 Reb, 0.6 Ast, 0.4 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .653 FG% (#4), .250 3P%, .688 FT%

2 (2) Montrezl Harrell - C - WAS

14.5 Pts, 7.4 Reb, 2.2 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .647 FG% (#5), .333 3P%, .735 FT%

3 (4) Ricky Rubio - PG - CLE

12.6 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 6.6 Ast (#15), 1.4 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .357 FG%, .335 3P%, .845 FT%

4 (3) Tyler Herro - SG - MIA

20.9 Pts (#20), 5.0 Reb, 3.7 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .445 FG%, .399 3P%, .857 FT%

5 (NR) Jalen Brunson - PG - DAL

15.5 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 5.3 Ast, 0.8 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .497 FG%, .337 3P%, .775 FT%

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Josh Giddey - SG - OKC

11.2 Pts, 7.0 Reb, 6.0 Ast (#18), 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .397 FG%, .250 3P%, .651 FT%

2 (3) Alperen Sengun - C - HOU

9.2 Pts, 4.9 Reb, 2.8 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .495 FG%, .289 3P%, .712 FT%

3 (4) Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

15.3 Pts, 6.2 Reb, 5.2 Ast, 1.4 Stl (#20), 0.6 Blk, .383 FG%, .314 3P%, .849 FT%

4 (2) Evan Mobley - PF - CLE

13.8 Pts, 8.3 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 1.8 Blk (#5), .474 FG%, .333 3P%, .773 FT%

5 (NR) Scottie Barnes - PF - TOR

15.6 Pts, 8.3 Reb, 3.4 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.0 Blk, .494 FG%, .356 3P%, .726 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Draymond Green has passed Gus Williams, Dennis Rodman, and Tom Heinsohn to move up to #85

Nikola Jokic has passed Adrian Dantley to move up to #100

NBA MVP Rankings - 11 Dec

A former MVP put up two 4-point games over the past 2 weeks, while helping his team move up to #3 in the East, which has helped him move up to take the overall lead in my latest MVP rankings. Another former 2-time MVP is in the runner-up spot, and 3 other former MVPs are also in the top 6. Here are my current rankings for MVP, Rookie of the Year, and Sixth Man, along with 1 change in my all-time player rankings (previous rank is in parentheses):

Most Valuable Player

1 (3) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

27.6 Pts (#2), 11.8 Reb (#6), 5.7 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.7 Blk (#10), .534 FG% (#15), .295 3P%, .676 FT%

2 (1) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

27.5 Pts (#3), 5.5 Reb, 6.3 Ast (#17), 1.8 Stl (#10), 0.5 Blk, .439 FG%, .413 3P%, .934 FT% (#2)

3 (5) James Harden - PG - BKN

20.8 Pts, 7.9 Reb, 9.6 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .404 FG%, .337 3P%, .885 FT% (#14)

4 (4) Kevin Durant - PF - BKN

28.5 Pts (#1), 7.6 Reb, 5.4 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .530 FG% (#17), .373 3P%, .872 FT%

5 (2) Trae Young - PG - ATL

26.5 Pts (#4), 4.1 Reb, 9.5 Ast (#3), 1.0 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .452 FG%, .386 3P%, .887 FT% (#13)

6 (6) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

26.1 Pts (#6), 13.4 Reb (#2), 7.2 Ast (#12), 1.2 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .579 FG% (#9), .352 3P%, .745 FT%

7 (7) Chris Paul - PG - PHX

14.4 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 10.2 Ast (#1), 2.0 Stl (#4), 0.4 Blk, .480 FG%, .333 3P%, .828 FT%

8 (NR) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

25.6 Pts (#8), 8.0 Reb, 8.5 Ast (#5), 1.0 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .447 FG%, .326 3P%, .698 FT%

9 (NR) Zach LaVine - SF - CHI

25.8 Pts (#7), 5.2 Reb, 4.2 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .487 FG%, .377 3P%, .848 FT%

10 (8) LaMelo Ball - PG - CHA

20.0 Pts, 7.7 Reb, 8.3 Ast (#7), 1.9 Stl (#5), 0.4 Blk, .418 FG%, .391 3P%, .900 FT% (#8)

Honorable Mention: Draymond Green - PF - GSW, DeMar DeRozan - PF- CHI, Anthony Davis - C - LAL, Ja Morant - PG - MEM, Donovan Mitchell - SG - UTA, Rudy Gobert - C - UTA

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Josh Giddey - SG - OKC

10.6 Pts, 6.7 Reb, 5.9 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .404 FG%, .259 3P%, .700 FT%

2 (3) Evan Mobley - PF - CLE

13.9 Pts, 8.2 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 2.0 Blk, .481 FG%, .333 3P%, .783 FT%

3 (2) Alperen Sengun - C - HOU

8.8 Pts, 4.5 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .500 FG%, .357 3P%, .694 FT%

4 (4) Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

15.3 Pts, 6.2 Reb, 4.5 Ast, 1.4 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .375 FG%, .306 3P%, .854 FT%

5 (NR) Jeremiah Robinson-Earl - C - OKC

6.8 Pts, 6.0 Reb, 0.9 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .419 FG%, .338 3P%, .667 FT%

Sixth Man of the Year

1 (2) JaVale McGee - C - PHX

10.5 Pts, 7.3 Reb, 0.6 Ast, 0.3 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .657 FG% (#4), .500 3P%, .660 FT%

2 (1) Montrezl Harrell - C - WAS

15.2 Pts, 8.0 Reb, 2.2 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .648 FG% (#5), .250 3P%, .752 FT%

3 (3) Tyler Herro - SG - MIA

20.8 Pts, 5.3 Reb, 3.8 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .444 FG%, .392 3P%, .864 FT%

4 (4) Ricky Rubio - PG - CLE

13.0 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 6.4 Ast (#16), 1.1 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .357 FG%, .343 3P%, .843 FT%

5 (5) LaMarcus Aldridge - C - BKN

13.9 Pts, 5.7 Reb, 0.9 Ast, 0.4 Stl, 1.2 Blk (#20), .575 FG% (#11), .345 3P%, .810 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Draymond Green has passed John Wall to move up to #88

Top 100 NBA Players: #20 - Chris Paul

Chris Paul

Teams

New Orleans Hornets - 2005-11

Los Angeles Clippers - 2011-17

Houston Rockets - 2017-19

Oklahoma City Thunder - 2019-20

Phoenix Suns - 2020-current

Playoffs

Appearances - 13 (2008,2009,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021)

Conference Finals - 2 (2018,2021)

NBA Finals - 1 (2021)

Championships - 0

Awards and Honors

Rookie of the Year - 2006

MVP - 0 (2008)

All-NBA First Team - 4 (2008,2009,2012,2013,2014,2015)

All-NBA Second Team - 5 (2009,2011,2013,2015,2016,2020,2021)

All-NBA Third Team - 1 (2011,2017)

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Assists Per Game - #4

Total Assists - #5

Total Steals - #5

Steals Per Game - #10

Free Throw Percentage - #25

Three-Pointers Made - #40

Total Points - #51

League Leads

Assists Per Game (#1-2008,2009,2014,2015, #2-2010,2013, #3-2012,2019,2021, #4-2007,2011,2016,2017)

Steals Per Game (#1-2008,2009,2011,2012,2013,2014, #3-2006,2016,2017,2019, #5-2015)

Total Assists (#1-2008,2009,2015, #2-2011,2013,2021, #3-2012, #4-2014,2016, #5-2006)

Total Steals (#1-2006,2008,2009,2011,2012, #2-2013,2015, #3-2014, #4-2020)

Free Throw Percentage (#1-2021, #2-2018, #4-2016,2020, #5-2015)

After a sophomore season in which he averaged 15.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 2.4 steals per game and was named First Team All-American, Chris Paul was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets with the #4 overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

Paul was already a star in his rookie season, averaging 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.2 steals. He was the second rookie in history to lead the league in total steals, and was one vote away from being the unanimous Rookie of the Year. 

He posted slightly better averages in his second year, then exploded in his third year, averaging 21.1 points and leading the league in assists with 11.6 per game and steals with 2.7 per game. He finished #2 in the MVP voting behind Kobe Bryant, but I believe his dominant league-leading averages should have trumped Kobe's 7-point scoring margin over Paul. He also made his playoff debut that year, and posted a triple double in the final game of the first round, but they fell to the Spurs in the second round.

Paul averaged a career high 22.8 points the next year, and again led the league with 11.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game, but the team fell in the first round of the playoffs. He missed more than a month during the next year with a knee injury that required surgery, and the Hornets missed the playoffs as a result of missing their star.

Paul was back at full strength the next year, leading the league in steals for the third time, and he averaged 22.0 points, 11.5 assists, and 6.7 rebounds in the playoffs, but it wasn't enough for the Hornets to beat the Lakers, who eliminated them in 6 games in the first round.

Paul was traded to the Clippers before the next season, as the Hornets feared that he would leave in free agency the next year. He had another great season, averaging 19.8 points, 9.1 assists, and 2.5 steals, which again led the league, and led the Clippers to the playoffs for the first time in 6 years, even getting them to the second round, but that's as far as he would get in Los Angeles.

After leading the league in steals for the fifth time in 2013, but again losing early in the playoffs, the Clippers switched coaches, and Paul had another great season, even after missing more than a month with a shoulder injury, averaging 19.1 points and leading the league in both assists and steals in the same season for the third time, with 10.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game. It was also the sixth time he had led the league in steals, which is the most of any player in history.

He led the league in assists for the 4th time in 2014-15 while again averaging 19.1 points per game, and in the playoffs he hit the series-winning shot in Game 7 in the first round, but they fell in the second round to Houston. The next year, he had the Clippers up 2-1 in the first round before breaking his hand in Game 4, and the team lost the series in 6 games. He played just one more year with the Clippers before they decided to trade him to Houston, again fearing that he would leave as a free agent the next year.

He missed 14 games at the beginning of his first season in Houston with a knee injury, but once he returned he was able to help Houston finish with the best record in the league while James Harden won the MVP. He closed out the Jazz in the second round of the playoffs with 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists to reach the Conference Finals for the first time in his career. In the Conference Finals, he led Houston to a Game 5 win that gave them a 3-2, but also injured his hamstring in the process, and was forced to miss the next 2 games while his team was eliminated by the Warriors in 7 games.

He suffered another hamstring injury the next year, which caused him to miss 17 games, and he ended up having the worst season of his career, averaging a career-low 15.6 points per game. He was traded after the season to Oklahoma City, where he dragged a rebuilding team to the playoffs, but the result was another first round exit.

Paul was traded last summer to the Phoenix Suns, and for the third time he took a team that had not made the playoffs in a while back to the postseason. He led the league in free throw percentage, shooting .934 from the line for the season, and was great in the playoffs, scoring 37 points with 7 assists to eliminate Denver in the second round, then 41 points with 8 assists to eliminate the Clippers in the Conference Finals, earning him his first-ever trip to the Finals. Unfortunately, they weren't able to close it out, losing to the Bucks in 6 games.

Chris Paul has led the league in steals more times than any other player in history, and also led the league in assists 4 times. He is already ranked #5 in league history in both categories, and is still playing at near-peak level despite being 36 years old. He is the leader among active players in both assists and steals, both total and per game, and has averaged at least 15 points in each of his 16 NBA seasons, in addition to averaging over 8 assists 15 times and over 2 steals 11 times. Judging on last year's performance, he could still move up several spots in this countdown before he hangs it up, but no matter what he is one of the greatest to ever play the game.

NBA MVP Rankings - 1 May

So far, so good for Nikola Jokic, whose Denver Nuggets haven't fallen off at all since losing Jamal Murray for the season, thanks to continued phenomenal play from the big man. A few players who have missed a lot of time or whose teams have failed to move up into playoff contention have dropped this week, paving the way for several players who have their teams outplaying expectations. Here are my full current MVP rankings, with previous rank in parentheses:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

26.2 Pts (#11), 10.9 Reb (#9), 8.6 Ast (#6), 1.4 Stl (#16), 0.7 Blk

.568 FG% (#13), .414 3P%, .855 FT%

2 (2) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

28.0 Pts (#5), 11.2 Reb (#8), 5.9 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 1.2 Blk (#13)

.568 FG% (#14), .305 3P%, .684 FT%

3 (4) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

28.6 Pts (#3), 7.9 Reb, 8.7 Ast (#3), 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk

.485 FG%, .359 3P%, .730 FT%

4 (6) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

31.3 Pts (#1), 5.5 Reb, 5.8 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 0.1 Blk

.487 FG%, .426 3P% (#13), .920 FT% (#6)

5 (NR) Russell Westbrook - PG - WAS

21.6 Pts, 11.2 Reb (#7), 11.0 Ast (#1), 1.3 Stl, 0.3 Blk

.436 FG%, .309 3P%, .635 FT%

6 (8) Damian Lillard - PG - POR

28.3 Pts (#4), 4.2 Reb, 7.5 Ast (#7), 0.9 Stl, 0.3 Blk

.435 FG%, .378 3P%, .926 FT% (#4)

7 (NR) Trae Young - PG - ATL

25.4 Pts (#14), 3.9 Reb, 9.5 Ast (#2), 0.9 Stl, 0.2 Blk

.431 FG%, .356 3P%, .877 FT%

8 (NR) Chris Paul - PG - PHX

16.2 Pts, 4.6 Reb, 8.7 Ast (#4), 1.4 Stl (#14), 0.2 Blk

.494 FG%, .384 3P%, .932 FT% (#2)

9 (NR) Rudy Gobert - C - UTA

14.3 Pts, 13.4 Reb (#2), 1.3 Ast, 0.5 Stl, 2.8 Blk (#2)

.677 FG% (#1), .622 FT%

10 (NR) Kyrie Irving - PG - BKN

26.9 Pts (#7), 4.9 Reb, 6.3 Ast (#16), 1.3 Stl, 0.6 Blk

.502 FG%, .384 3P%, .924 FT% (#5)

Honorable Mention

Julius Randle - PF - NYK

Devin Booker - SG - PHX

Nikola Vucevic - C - CHI

Donovan Mitchell - PG - UTA

Zion Williamson - PF - NOP

Top 100 NBA Players: #63 - Chris Paul

Chris Paul

Chris Paul may seem like a strange choice to put above all-time assist leader John Stockton and 2-time MVP Steve Nash in these rankings, especially since he has had even less playoff success than either of those better-known stars.

The first thing that really helps Chris Paul is that he has been the star of his team for nearly every season of his career, while Nash was only the best on his team during the season Amare missed due to a major knee injury, and Stockton was never the best player on his team. Being the best player on his team means that Paul had more to do with his team's successes, which nearly balances out the fact that he hasn't reached the Conference Finals yet.

Chris Paul is also a better scorer than either of those other point guards, with a career average of 18.8 per game, higher than Stockton ever averaged in any season and tied with Nash's career high. His career rebounding average of 4.4 is higher than either of the others ever reached in a single season as well, meaning that Paul contributes in more categories more consistently than the stars.

All 3 of these guards have been league leaders in assists multiple times, with Stockton the all-time standard with 9 straight seasons leading the league, while Nash had 5 seasons and Paul has already accumulated 4. Nash was never known for his defense, but Stockton holds the all-time total steals record, and Paul is the most likely to break it, with 6 seasons leading the league to Stockton's two.

The biggest thing that has pushed Chris Paul ahead in the rankings are his 3 seasons in which he led the league in both assists and steals in the same season. The first two came when he was playing in New Orleans, and both times he also averaged over 21 points per game as well, and the other came with the Clippers, with an average of 19 points per game. He was the best player on his team in all 3 of those seasons, and twice he led his team into the second round of the playoffs in those seasons.

In the first season Stockton led the league in steals and assists, he averaged 17 points per game on a team led by Karl Malone and saw his team swept in the first round. The second time his scoring dipped to 15.8, but he and Malone did get the Jazz to the Conference Finals, though Malone had more to do with it than Stockton.

Overall, the reason that Paul has reached a little higher in the rankings is that he has had several seasons where he ranked as one of the premier stars in the league, one that could be considered a potential MVP, while Stockton never really reached that level. He hasn't gone deep into the playoffs yet, but he still has plenty of time and a solid team around him, so maybe someday he will be good enough to reach the top 50.

Top 100 NBA Players: #94 - Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson may be remembered most for the injury-plagued seasons that filled the latter half of his career, but many may have forgotten that, once upon a time, he was one of the greatest point guards to ever take the court. Don't believe me? Let's look at a few of the things KJ did that few others have ever done.

Kevin Johnson is one of only three players ever to average over 20 points and 10 assists in three straight seasons. The other two players are guys you've probably heard of: Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas. He is one of only two players to average over 20 points and 12 assists while shooting over 50% from the field in a season. The other is Magic Johnson (no relation).

There are all sorts of variations of these stats that you can come up with that only those four players had ever accomplished, and the only players in the past 20 years to come close to those numbers are Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. During just his second season in the NBA, he was named the league's Most Improved Player and made the All-NBA Second Team because of these numbers:

Johnson - 20.4 pts, 4.2 reb, 12.2 ast, 1.7 stl, .505 FG%, .882 FT%

You have to remember that KJ was not a big man, only 6-1 and 190 pounds, but he was still grabbing 4 rebounds and shooting over 50% from the field. But if KJ was so great, why is he ranked this low? The problem started in the 1992-93 season, when he missed 33 games with various injuries, mostly to his hamstrings. From then on, he never played more than 70 games in a season, and he only reached the 20-ppg plateau two more times.

Johnson saw his teams make it at least to the Conference Finals three times during his career, including two trips to the Western Conference Finals in his second and third seasons, when he was either the best or second-best Sun. In 1993 the Suns made it to the NBA Finals, and he was probably the #3 player on that team, behind Dan Majerle and Charles Barkley. He did set a Finals record during game 3, when he played 62 minutes (out of 63 possible) in the triple overtime victory over Chicago.

What KJ accomplished early in his career was truly historic, and that alone would be enough for me to put him in this top 100, but it's sad that it didn't continue for longer. If he had just had the durability of Steve Nash, we might be talking about him as one of the top 3 point guards of all time, but instead he has to settle for a spot closer to the bottom of the top 100.

NBA Preseason Rankings

The NBA season is only 3 days away, and things have sure changed. LeBron James has returned to Cleveland, where he played his first 7 seasons, and Kevin Durant, last year's MVP, is hurt and will miss several weeks to open the season. One thing that hasn't changed is the Spurs' lineup, which is as strong as it has always been and will keep San Antonio in contention for yet another season. Here are my preseason ranks, including each team's projected final record and playoff seed:

				Rec		Proj
TW	LW	Team	Rating	W	L	W	L	PO Seed
1	1	San Antonio	-9.3268	62	20	64	18	1W
2	2	LA Clippers	-8.27899	57	25	62	20	2W
3	4	Golden State	-4.84046	51	31	54	28	3W
4	9	Toronto	-4.61172	48	34	55	27	1E
5	20	Cleveland	-4.29087	33	49	53	29	2E
6	11	Memphis	-3.42563	50	32	50	32	4W
7	7	Dallas	-3.31462	49	33	50	32	5W
8	10	Washington	-3.11928	44	38	51	31	4E
9	15	New York	-3.0017	37	45	51	31	3E
10	8	Phoenix	-2.98438	48	34	49	33	6W
11	5	Oklahoma City	-2.46164	59	23	48	34	7W
12	12	Chicago	-2.43301	48	34	49	33	5E
13	3	Miami	-2.19292	54	28	49	33	6E
14	14	Portland	-1.39374	54	28	45	37	8W
15	6	Houston	-1.17206	54	28	44	38
16	16	Charlotte	-0.94113	43	39	44	38	7E
17	17	Indiana	-0.36741	56	26	43	39	8E
18	24	Detroit	0.100418	29	53	42	40
19	19	Atlanta	1.155735	38	44	39	43
20	13	Minnesota	1.459585	40	42	37	45
21	21	Denver	1.475349	36	46	37	45
22	23	Sacramento	2.213746	28	54	35	47
23	25	Boston	3.929506	25	57	31	51
24	18	Brooklyn	4.235746	44	38	31	51
25	22	New Orleans	5.905425	34	48	25	57
26	29	Milwaukee	6.656739	15	67	25	57
27	26	Orlando	6.74096	23	59	24	58
28	28	Utah	6.894136	25	57	22	60
29	27	LA Lakers	10.7863	27	55	15	67
30	30	Philadelphia	17.9761	19	63	10	72

The biggest story of the offseason has been the Cleveland Cavaliers, who brought back LeBron James, the greatest player of his generation, then traded for Kevin Love, a great scoring and rebounding big man, which made them an immediate championship favorite. Those two moves weren't the only ones made by the Cavs, who also brought in Mike Miller and James Jones, 3-point specialists who have played with LeBron in the past, and Shawn Marion, a former All-Star who is still a solid NBA player.

New York is also looking to make the playoffs this year after falling just short last year, but they didn't make a ton of big offseason moves like the Cavs. The biggest move was a swap of centers and point guards with Dallas, bringing in Samuel Dalembert and Jose Calderon for Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton, and while there is a small step down at center, Calderon is a more consistent and trustworthy point who should help the Knicks get over the hump this year.

Phoenix is the third team to miss last year's playoffs that I am picking to make it this season. The Suns made very few moves in the offseason, with the resigning of Eric Bledsoe taking most of the headlines, but they also acquired Isaiah Thomas from the Kings, giving them yet another point guard who can score 20 points per game and will allow them to play with two point guards on the court at almost all times.

Playoff Predictions

First Round

(1) Raptors over (8) Pacers
(2) Cavaliers over (7) Hornets
(6) Heat over (3) Knicks
(5) Bulls over (4) Wizards
(1) Spurs over (8) Trail Blazers
(2) Clippers over (7) Thunder
(6) Suns over (3) Warriors
(5) Mavericks over (4) Grizzlies

Second Round

(1) Raptors over (5) Bulls
(2) Cavaliers over (6) Heat
(1) Spurs over (5) Mavericks
(2) Clippers over (6) Suns

Conference Finals

(2) Cavaliers over (1) Raptors
(2) Clippers over (1) Spurs

NBA Finals

(2) Clippers over (2) Cavaliers

Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and the Clippers will each earn a championship for the first time, taking out LeBron James and the Cavs in the Finals, with James making his 5th straight Finals appearance and 6th overall, but losing for the 4th time in those 6, but the first loss to a team from outside Texas.