NBA MVP Rankings - 17 Jan

With Nikola Jokic's injury earlier this month, the top spot in my MVP rankings has changed hands, with reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander taking over the top spot as he continues to lead the Thunder to the best record in the league. The rest of the top 10 shifted around a bit, and there is also a new player in my all-time top 100 rankings. Here are my current rankings, with previous ranking in parentheses and career-highs in bold:

Most Valuable Player

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

31.6 Pts (#2), 4.4 Reb, 6.3 Ast (#19), 1.4 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .545 FG% (#15), .392 3P%, .886 FT% (#15)

2 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

29.6 Pts (#4), 12.2 Reb (#1), 11.0 Ast (#1), 1.4 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .605 FG% (#8), .435 3P% (#13), .853 FT%

3 (3) Cade Cunningham - PG - DET

26.2 Pts (#13), 6.1 Reb, 9.8 Ast (#2), 1.5 Stl (#12), 0.8 Blk, .458 FG%, .329 3P%, .824 FT%

4 (4) Luka Doncic - PG - LAL

33.6 Pts (#1), 7.7 Reb, 8.7 Ast (#4), 1.6 Stl (#7), 0.5 Blk, .468 FG%, .334 3P%, .783 FT%

5 (8) Jamal Murray - PG - DEN

25.8 Pts (#16), 4.5 Reb, 7.5 Ast (#8), 1.0 Stl, 0.3 Blk, .484 FG%, .446 3P% (#7), .892 FT% (#10)

6 (9) Tyrese Maxey - PG - PHI

30.3 Pts (#3), 4.4 Reb, 6.7 Ast (#16), 1.9 Stl (#4), 1.0 Blk, .474 FG%, .402 3P%, .878 FT%

7 (7) Donovan Mitchell - SG - CLE

29.2 Pts (#6), 4.8 Reb, 5.7 Ast, 1.5 Stl (#17), 0.3 Blk, .489 FG%, .391 3P%, .845 FT%

8 (6) Jalen Johnson - SF - ATL

23.1 Pts, 10.1 Reb (#7), 8.1 Ast (#5), 1.3 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .519 FG%, .354 3P%, .795 FT%

9 (5) Jalen Brunson - PG - NYK

28.2 Pts (#8), 3.2 Reb, 6.1 Ast (#20), 0.7 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .481 FG%, .388 3P%, .852 FT%

10 (10) Jaylen Brown - SF - BOS

29.4 Pts (#5), 6.5 Reb, 4.9 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.4 Blk, .491 FG%, .373 3P%, .785 FT%

Honorable Mention - Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS; Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL; James Harden - PG - LAC; Deni Avdija - SF - POR; Chet Holmgren - PF - OKC

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Kawhi Leonard has passed George Gervin to move up to #57

Draymond Green has passed Chauncey Billups to move up to #61

DeMar DeRozan has passed Bob Lanier to move up to #100

NBA MVP Rankings - 13 Apr

There is only a single game remaining in the NBA season, and for the 4th season in a row, Nikola Jokic is the best player in the league, and my pick to win the MVP. A few other players made good cases for the honor, but when the best player in the league has his team tied for first place on the last day of the season, he has to be the winner. Here are my final MVP rankings of the season, along with several updates to my all-time player rankings:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

26.5 Pts (#9), 12.3 Reb (#4), 9.0 Ast (#3), 1.3 Stl (#13), 0.9 Blk, .582 FG% (#11), .359 3P%, .819 FT%

2 (2) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

30.4 Pts (#2), 11.5 Reb (#6), 6.5 Ast (#14), 1.2 Stl, 1.1 Blk (#17), .611 FG% (#7), .274 3P%, .657 FT%

3 (3) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

33.9 Pts (#1), 9.2 Reb (#15), 9.8 Ast (#2), 1.4 Stl (#7), 0.5 Blk, .487 FG%, .382 3P%, .786 FT%

4 (4) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG - OKC

30.3 Pts (#3), 5.6 Reb, 6.2 Ast (#17), 2.0 Stl (#1), 0.9 Blk, .536 FG%, .358 3P%, .873 FT% (#18)

5 (7) Jalen Brunson - PG - NYK

28.6 Pts (#4), 3.6 Reb, 6.7 Ast (#12), 0.9 Stl, 0.2 Blk, .480 FG%, .402 3P%, .845 FT%

6 (6) Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS

26.9 Pts (#7), 8.1 Reb, 4.9 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .471 FG%, .376 3P%, .833 FT%

7 (10) Anthony Davis - C - LAL

24.6 Pts (#15), 12.7 Reb (#3), 3.5 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 2.4 Blk (#2), .553 FG% (#19), .274 3P%, .814 FT%

8 (NR) LeBron James - PF - LAL

25.6 Pts (#14), 7.2 Reb, 8.2 Ast (#6), 1.2 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .540 FG% (#20), .413 3P%, .746 FT%

9 (5) Domantas Sabonis - C - SAC

19.4 Pts, 13.7 Reb (#1), 8.2 Ast (#5), 0.9 Stl, 0.6 Blk, .593 FG% (#9), .388 3P%, .701 FT%

10 (8) Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND

20.3 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 10.9 Ast (#1), 1.2 Stl (#20), 0.7 Blk, .477 FG%, .367 3P%, .857 FT%

Honorable Mention: Damian Lillard - PG - MIL, Victor Wembanyama - C - SAS, Joel Embiid - C - PHI, Anthony Edwards - SG - MIN, Devin Booker - PG - PHX, Trae Young - PG - ATL, Kevin Durant - PF - PHX

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Kevin Durant has passed Karl Malone to move up to #13

Stephen Curry has passed Bob Cousy to move up to #16

Anthony Davis has passed Pau Gasol to move up to #54

Draymond Green has passed Reggie Miller to move up to #63

Joel Embiid has passed Gus Williams, Dennis Rodman, and Tom Heinsohn to move up to #89

Luka Doncic has passed Shawn Kemp and Walter Davis to move up to #97

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 MVP Rankings - 9 Dec

In the past few weeks, the MVP race has become a lot closer and a lot more crowded, with Jokic's lead becoming much slimmer after Denver fell from the top seed in the West down to the middle of the playoff pack. These are my current rankings for this season's MVP and Rookie of the Year, along with a few updates in my All-Time player rankings. Previous ranking is in parentheses:

Most Valuable Player

1 (1) Nikola Jokic - C - DEN

28.4 Pts (#8), 13.0 Reb (#1), 9.6 Ast (#3), 1.1 Stl, 0.8 Blk, .535 FG%, .304 3P%, .774 FT%

2 (2) Joel Embiid - C - PHI

33.3 Pts (#1), 11.5 Reb (#5), 6.4 Ast (#16), 1.0 Stl, 1.9 Blk (#8), .510 FG%, .322 3P%, .875 FT%

3 (3) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

31.9 Pts (#2), 8.4 Reb, 8.7 Ast (#4), 1.3 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .488 FG%, .382 3P%, .766 FT%

4 (5) Giannis Antetokounmpo - PF - MIL

30.5 Pts (#4), 10.6 Reb (#7), 5.0 Ast, 1.4 Stl, 1.3 Blk (#19), .614 FG% (#8), .243 3P%, .657 FT%

5 (6) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - PG - OKC

30.5 Pts (#6), 5.6 Reb, 6.2 Ast (#19), 2.8 Stl (#1), 0.9 Blk, .544 FG% (#19), .348 3P%, .914 FT% (#6)

6 (4) Tyrese Haliburton - PG - IND

26.9 Pts (#13), 4.2 Reb, 12.1 Ast (#1), 1.0 Stl, 0.7 Blk, .525 FG%, .441 3P% (#14), .884 FT% (#19)

7 (8) LeBron James - PF - LAL

25.0 Pts (#15), 7.5 Reb, 6.6 Ast (#14), 1.5 Stl (#13), 0.7 Blk, .553 FG% (#17), .407 3P%, .717 FT%

8 (10) Trae Young - PG - ATL

27.2 Pts (#11), 2.8 Reb, 10.6 Ast (#2), 1.5 Stl (#12), 0.1 Blk, .412 FG%, .352 3P%, .868 FT%

9 (NR) Anthony Davis - C - LAL

22.7 Pts, 12.7 Reb (#2), 3.2 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 2.7 Blk (#3), .533 FG%, .231 3P%, .837 FT%

10 (NR) Kevin Durant - PF - PHX

31.0 Pts (#3), 6.5 Reb, 5.7 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 1.2 Blk, .521 FG%, .500 3P% (#3), .892 FT% (#14)

Honorable Mention: Jayson Tatum - PF - BOS, Damian Lillard - PG - MIL, Tyrese Maxey - PG - PHI, Rudy Gobert - C - MIN

Rookie of the Year

1 (1) Victor Wembanyama - PF - SAS

19.0 Pts, 10.2 Reb (#12), 2.6 Ast, 1.3 Stl, 2.7 Blk (#2), .430 FG%, .255 3P%, .818 FT%

2 (3) Chet Holmgren - C - OKC

17.1 Pts, 7.8 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 0.9 Stl, 2.4 Blk (#5), .518 FG%, .371 3P%, .878 FT%

3 (5) Dereck Lively II - C - DAL

8.7 Pts, 7.7 Reb, 1.3 Ast, 0.6 Stl, 1.6 Blk (#14), .735 FG%, .000 3P%, .593 FT%

4 (2) Ausar Thompson - SF - DET

10.1 Pts, 8.5 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 1.3 Blk (#20), .441 FG%, .130 3P%, .689 FT%

5 (4) Keyonte George - PG - UTA

10.5 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 5.1 Ast, .0.5 Stl, 0.1 Blk, .344 FG%, .304 3P%, .765 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Updates

Nikola Jokic has passed Artis Gilmore to move up to #38

Kawhi Leonard has passed Manu Ginobili to move up to #63

Draymond Green has passed Sam Jones to move up to #65

Jimmy Butler has passed John Wall to move up to #87

Joel Embiid has entered the top 100 at #98, knocking out Mel Daniels and passing Andre Miller and LaMarcus Aldridge

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 - After Round 2

Of the 10 players who were on my list of potential MVP candidates after the first round, only 4 remain, with 6 losing in the conference semifinals, including the top 3 players from the first round. Giannis Antetokounmpo has still been the best player of the playoffs so far, but is left off this list since his team is out. Here are the 10 remaining players who have the best chance of winning the Finals MVP if they are able to win this year's championship, with previous ranking in parentheses:

Playoff MVP

1 (NR) Luka Doncic - PG - DAL

31.5 Pts (#2), 10.1 Reb (#8), 6.6 Ast (#6), 1.9 Stl (#3), 0.4 Blk, .474 FG%, .347 3P%, .769 FT%

2 (5) Jimmy Butler - SF - MIA

28.7 Pts (#4), 7.6 Reb, 5.4 Ast, 2.1 Stl (#1), 0.6 Blk, .525 FG%, .364 3P%, .808 FT%

3 (4) Stephen Curry - PG - GSW

26.9 Pts (#8), 4.2 Reb, 5.6 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .451 FG%, .359 3P%, .816 FT%

4 (6) Jayson Tatum - SF - BOS

28.3 Pts (#5), 5.6 Reb, 6.1 Ast, 1.3 Stl (#9), 1.0 Blk (#10), .438 FG%, .386 3P%, .815 FT%

5 (NR) Draymond Green - PF - GSW

7.8 Pts, 7.2 Reb, 6.6 Ast (#7), 1.0 Stl, 1.2 Blk (#7), .523 FG%, .235 3P%, .667 FT%

6 (NR) Jordan Poole - SG - GSW

19.3 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 4.8 Ast, 0.7 Stl, 0.5 Blk, .500 FG%, .391 3P%, .881 FT%

7 (8) Jalen Brunson - PG - DAL

22.9 Pts, 4.6 Reb, 3.5 Ast, 1.0 Stl, 0.0 Blk, .467 FG%, .321 3P%, .846 FT%

8 (NR) Jaylen Brown - SF - BOS

22.2 Pts, 6.5 Reb, 3.8 Ast, 1.5 Stl (#7), 0.5 Blk, .484 FG%, .373 3P%, .768 FT%

9 (NR) Klay Thompson - SG - GSW

20.4 Pts, 4.5 Reb, 2.0 Ast, 1.2 Stl, 0.9 Blk, .450 FG%, .408 3P%, .769 FT%

10 (NR) Al Horford - C - BOS

13.0 Pts, 9.4 Reb (#10), 3.4 Ast, 1.1 Stl, 1.4 Blk (#5), .524 FG%, .451 3P%, .833 FT%

All-Time Player Rank Changes

Giannis Antetokounmpo has passed Kevin Johnson, Elvin Hayes, Dolph Schayes, Gary Payton, and Dan Issel to move up to #43.

Draymond Green has passed Alonzo Mourning, Terry Porter, Dikembe Mutombo, Louie Dampier, and Tracy McGrady to move up to #77.

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 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 - 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: #93 - Draymond Green

Draymond Green

Teams

Golden State Warriors - 2012-current

Playoffs

Appearances - 7 (2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019)

Conference Finals - 5 (2015,2016,2017,2018,2019)

NBA Finals - 5 (2015,2016,2017,2018,2019)

Championships - 3 (2015,2017,2018)

Awards and Honors

All-NBA Second Team - 1 (2016)

All-NBA Third Team - 1 (2017)

Defensive Player of the Year - 1 (2017)

*(actual in bold, deserved in italics)

All-Time Ranks

Assists Per Game - #99

League Leads

Total Steals (#2-2017, #3-2021)

Steals Per Game (#1-2017, #4-2021)

Assists Per Game (#4-2021)

Draymond Green is the first of 16 active players to appear in this countdown, and the only one of those 16 who graduated from college before joining the NBA, earning a degree in communications after being named the Big Ten Player of the Year in his senior season at Michigan State in 2012. He was then selected in the second round of the draft by Golden State at #35 overall.

Green played sparingly as a rookie, averaging less than 3 points per game, and saw that gradually increase in his second season, but he really started to break through in season #3, when he was named the team's starting power forward and averaged 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, finishing as runner-up for both the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player awards. In that season's playoffs, he recorded a triple-double in the championship-clinching Game 6, becoming the 6th player ever to do that, joining LeBron, Bird, Magic, Duncan, and James Worthy.

He had his best overall season in 2015-16, the season in which his Warriors set a new record for wins in a season with 73, by averaging 14 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists while shooting 49% from the field, by far his career high. In the playoffs, the Warriors were moments from going up 3-1 in the NBA Finals when Green was called for a flagrant foul that resulted in his suspension for the next game. The game he missed may have swung the momentum of the series, though Green cannot be blamed for the series loss, as he put up 32 points and 15 rebounds in the team's game 7 loss.

The next season Green recorded a very interesting first when he became the first player ever to record a triple-double in a game without scoring at least 10 points. He had 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals in a February game against Memphis to set the mark. He finished the season leading the league in steals per game and won the Defensive Player of the Year award, while also playing a major role in earning the second championship of his career.

The following season saw Green become the Warriors' all-time leader in triple-doubles when he recorded his 21st in January, a total that has since increased to 30, and once again the season ended with Green and Warriors hoisting the championship trophy. In 2018-19, he struggled with injuries during the season, failing to record a triple-double for the first time since 2013, but he had 6 in the playoffs, tying Magic Johnson for the all-time record in a single postseason, though it ended in a loss to Toronto in the team's 5th straight trip to the final round.

Green's numbers look like they have dipped in recent seasons, but if you look a little closer, he's still making major contributions without scoring as much. In fact, last season he averaged 7.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 8.9 assists, which shows that he does a little bit of everything well. His assist number is particularly interesting, because he finished #4 in the league in that stat, despite being Golden State's starting power forward, a position not generally known for generating big assist totals.

In addition to all that, Green also won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics and is on the team currently competing in the 2021 Olympics. His scoring average is lower than most of the other players on this list, but he has the kind of all-around game that few players in this range of the countdown possess. He's been a big contributor to 5 NBA Finalists and 3 champions, and he still has many years ahead of him to try to climb this list of the greatest players of all time.

NBA Finals Odds

The NBA Finals begin this weekend, with the two-time defending champs facing the Toronto Raptors in a very interesting matchup. (By the way, this is the matchup I predicted at the beginning of the playoffs.)

First of all, the Golden State Warriors are only the second team to reach the NBA Finals for 5 straight seasons, joining the Boston Celtics, who reached 10 straight from 1957-1966. The Toronto Raptors, meanwhile, are playing in their first ever championship series, meaning Game 1 will be the first Finals game ever played outside the United States.

This series also boasts 4 of the past 5 Finals MVP's, with 2014 MVP Kawhi Leonard now in Toronto, 2015 MVP Andre Iguodala playing an important supporting role for the Warriors, two-time defending MVP Kevin Durant questionable to play for the Warriors after injuring his leg a couple weeks ago. Though Durant may be the best player on either team, his absence doesn't kill the Warriors' chances. In fact, the Warriors are 33-4 when Curry plays but Durant does not over the past 3 seasons, meaning that Curry is stepping in to fill that void when he is needed.

This series also boasts 3 of the past 4 Defensive Players of the Year, with 2017 winner Draymond Green and Kawhi Leonard, who won the award during the two previous seasons, facing off this year. Both are versatile defenders who are usually assigned to the opponent's best player, but the Warriors also have Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala available to defend Leonard, while Golden State's best player is Curry right now, and his speed may be tough for Leonard to cover.

I've broken down the odds of any possible pattern of wins happening in this series, and am breaking it down by winner and length of series:

Raptors in 4 - 3.5%
Raptors in 5 - 9.9%
Raptors in 6 - 10.1%
Raptors in 7 - 15.9%
Raptors total - 39.4%

Warriors in 4 - 9.4%
Warriors in 5 - 14.8%
Warriors in 6 - 21.8%
Warriors in 7 - 14.5%
Warriors total - 60.6%

The first two games in Toronto will be super important. Toronto's best chance comes in a long series, which means they need to win their home games to keep the series going. The Warriors' best odds come in a medium length series, so they will need to steal home court from Toronto, which will be easier to do in the first two games, because a 2-0 road hole is difficult to overcome, though the Raptors proved it was possible just a couple days ago.

Taking everything into account, my prediction for this year's champion is:

Warriors in 6

Top 100 NBA Players: #90 - Klay Thompson

Klay Thompson

Klay is the 2nd current Warrior to appear in the top 100, just a few spots ahead of teammate Draymond Green. Although he has been in the league for 5 seasons, it wasn't until the last 2 that he made his mark, becoming a big scorer to go along with his strong shooting numbers.

Thompson has increased his scoring average in each season he has been in the league, starting out at 12.5 points per game as a rookie and reaching 22.1 per game this past season. He has also shot over 40% from 3-point range in each of his seasons, and along with Stephen Curry has set new records for three-point shots made in a season by teammates for 3 straight seasons.

For the past two seasons he has been among the best players in the league, averaging over 20 points and being named to the All-NBA Third Team each time, while also helping lead the Warriors to the top record in the West and a trip to the NBA Finals both years. In 2015, he set a new NBA record with 37 points in a quarter, going a perfect 13 for 13 from the field, including 9 three-pointers, and set his career high with 52 points in the game.

Thompson was the #3 player on the Warriors team that won the title in 2015, and was the second-best Warrior throughout this season's playoffs due to Curry's injuries. Just like in the regular season, Thompson has increased his scoring average in each successive postseason, jumping from 15.2 points in his first playoff experience to 24.7 this past season.

It is also difficult to gauge how high Thompson will rise in these rankings over the course of his career. Just like his two star teammates, it's unclear whether he has hit his peak, and it's tough to tell how high that peak will be, but he's off to a great start, with big contributions to two Finals teams and a title by age 25.

Top 100 NBA Players: # 95 - Draymond Green

Draymond Green

Green is the youngest player currently in the top 100, although only by just over 3 weeks. He was a 2nd round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors in 2012, and has shown consistent improvement throughout his 4 seasons.

After coming off the bench during his first two seasons, he became a starter in 2014 when David Lee went down with an injury in the preseason, and his play kept him in the starting lineup even after Lee returned. He averaged 11.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game that season, finishing 2nd in the Defensive Player of the Year voting as well as the Most Improved Player voting.

He raised his level of play even more in the playoffs, putting up 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game as Golden State won its first championship in 40 years. Although Klay Thompson was a little more recognizable, it was Green who was the #2 player on the Warriors through the playoffs, behind only regular season MVP Stephen Curry. Green cemented his status as a star by putting up a triple double in the championship-clinching game, becoming only the sixth player in history to achieve that feat, joining only Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, James Worthy, Tim Duncan, and LeBron James.

His upward trajectory continued last season, when he averaged 14.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and led the team with 7.4 assists per game, twice his previous high. His performance earned him a well-deserved spot on the All-NBA Second Team, and his team set a new record for wins in the regular season.

He raised his performance again in the playoffs, helping the Warriors to their second straight NBA Finals, and took over as the team's best player while Steph Curry missed multiple games to injury and struggled to regain his form after returning. Klay Thompson took over more of the scoring load for Golden State, but Green filled the gaps everywhere else. Here are their averages for this season's playoffs:

Green - 15.4 pts, 9.9 reb, 6.0 ast, 1.6 stl, 1.8 blk
Thompson - 24.3 pts, 3.7 reb, 2.3 ast, 1.1 stl, 0.4 blk

With the consistent improvement Green has shown throughout his career, there is no telling how far he could rise up these rankings in the future. It's hard to know when he will reach his peak and how high that will be, or whether he has already reached it, but another 5 years at his current level could be enough to make him top 30 material. We'll just have to wait and see.

NBA MVP Rankings - 20 Feb

There are just a couple months remaining in the regular season, with fewer than 30 games left for each team, so at this point it's pretty easy to see which players have had the greatest impact this season, but how can you tell which has been the most valuable? I have taken into account each statistical category, as well as positional averages and team winning percentage to determine the 10 top players of the season so far. Here are my current MVP rankings:

1. Stephen Curry - GSW - 29.8 P, 5.3 R, 6.5 A, 2.1 S, .508 FG, .456 3P, .912 FT

Last season Curry was given the MVP award after posting numbers similar to what he had achieved in each of the previous 2 seasons while playing nearly 5 minutes fewer per game, which means he got more efficient while leading Golden State to the league's best record and eventually a championship. This season, he is averaging career highs in scoring, rebounding, steals, field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage, and the Warriors are on a record pace. It would be hard for him to lose the MVP award at this point.

2. LeBron James - CLE - 25.0 P, 7.2 R, 6.6 A, 1.3 S, .505 FG, .719 FT

You can't have an MVP discussion without including LeBron, one of the greatest players in history, who still happens to be in his prime. His scoring average is the lowest it has been since his rookie season, but he still has Cleveland in first place in the East, and it is looking like he could make his 6th straight appearance in the NBA Finals.

3. Russell Westbrook - OKC - 24.1 P, 7.5 R, 10.1 A, 2.3 S, .460 FG, .823 FT

Westbrook's scoring has dipped a little this season with Kevin Durant back at full health, but he is currently setting career highs in rebounds, assists, and steals, along with shooting percentage, and he has the Thunder in 3rd place in the West, with a record that would normally be in contention for a #1 seed in a normal season. Add in that he is #2 in the league in assists, despite being known as a shoot-first point guard, and he is having a very special season worthy of recognition.

4. James Harden - HOU - 28.0 P, 6.4 R, 7.0 A, 1.6 S, .426 FG, .350 3P, .867 FT

The Rockets have been struggling this season, so a lot of people have overlooked Harden, who probably should have won the award last year, but he is also averaging career highs in scoring, rebounds, and assists this season, although his shooting percentage has dropped to the lowest it has been since his rookie year. If the Rockets can put together a second half run, he could get into contention.

5. Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.8 P, 7.9 R, 4.5 A, 1.0 S, 1.2 B, .508 FG, .389 3P, .896 FT

Durant joined the exclusive 50/40/90 club 3 years ago, and he is right on the edge of doing it again. Stephen Curry is currently looking like a lock to join the club this year, but very few have done it more than once, with only Larry Bird and Steve Nash doing it multiple times so far.

6. Draymond Green - GSW - 14.2 P, 9.6 R, 7.3 A, 1.3 S, 1.3 B, .488 FG, .427 3P, .679 FT

Green has one of the lowest scoring averages ever for a player receiving MVP attention, but when you look at his all-around numbers, you can see that it is merited. His only weakness is at the free throw line, where he is below average, but not a liability. He is the league leader in triple doubles, with 10 of the 40 recorded this season, ahead of Russell Westbrook, who is second with 8.

7. Kyle Lowry - TOR - 21.1 P, 4.9 R, 6.3 A, 2.2 S, .427 FG, .390 3P, .857 FT

Lowry often gets overlooked because he plays north of the border, but he is a very good player who is averaging more than 20 points per game for the first time in his career. Not only is he scoring a lot of points, he is grabbing nearly 5 boards a game, pretty impressive for a 6-0 point guard, and the Raptors are #2 in the East.

8. DeMar DeRozan - TOR - 23.4 P, 4.3 R, 4.1 A, 1.0 S, .444 FG, .337 3P, .837 FT

DeRozan is the leading scorer for Toronto, but other than points and shooting percentage, he is being outplayed by Lowry in every way, especially considering the fact that he is 7 inches taller. His scoring average is also a career high, and the two guards are giving a lot of hope to Raptor fans.

9. Kawhi Leonard - SAS - 20.2 P, 6.7 R, 2.5 A, 1.8 S, .510 FG, .482 3P, .875 FT

If not for the Warriors' success, people would be talking about this year's Spurs team as one of the all-time great teams, but they are flying under the radar while on pace for 68 wins. Leonard keeps getting better each season, and is leading the league in three-point percentage, hitting nearly half of his attempts this season, and the Spurs have the best chance at knocking off Golden State this season.

10. Klay Thompson - GSW - 21.3 P, 3.7 R, 2.2 A, .470 FG, .420 3P, .845 FT

The other Splash Brother is a star in his own right, scoring over 20 points per game and beating his teammate in the All-Star Weekend 3-point contest, but his all-around game just doesn't match up with most of the other on this list. Even with that said, you can't ignore his contributions to a great team with a real chance at a repeat championship.

Honorable Mention: Kevin Love, Paul George, Isaiah Thomas, Kemba Walker