Fadeaway World’s countdown of the top 100 NBA players for the 2023-24 season concludes with the top 10 featuring LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Nikola Jokic.
The time has come for us to reveal the top 10 players in the NBA for the 2023-24 season. We began this journey of counting down from 100 just a few weeks ago, and now just a week away from Opening Night, we have reached the reveal of our top 10. To be a top 10 player in the NBA means a few things in my opinion so let’s break those down briefly before we reveal our list.
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First, a player must be a legitimate MVP candidate for the upcoming season which all 10 of these players certainly are. They are all at a level currently that I could see any one of them being crowned MVP at the season’s end. All 10 of these players are virtual locks for All-Star and All-NBA honors as well and impact both sides of the floor which has a direct impact on their team’s success at the highest level.
If you have not taken a look at our previous rankings of the top 100 NBA players for the 2023-24 season, the rest of them are here for reference:
Ranking The Top NBA Players For The 2023-24 Season: 100-51
Ranking The Top 100 NBA Players For The 2023-24 Season: 50-31
Ranking The Top 100 NBA Players For The 2023-24 Season: 30-11
Based on comments on our previous rankings, we must reiterate that these are rankings based on what these players accomplished last season and how they are projected to perform this season. Anything they have accomplished before that is completely irrelevant to their standing here today.
With that out of the way, it is time to reveal the NBA players ranked 10-1 for the 2023-24 season.
10. LeBron James
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 28.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 6.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.6 BPG
I know a certain fanbase is absolutely about to lose their minds right now but hear me out. I understand that LeBron James is having the greatest career ever for someone who has played 20-plus seasons in the NBA. I also understand and have witnessed all of the amazing things he has done in his NBA career. However, none of that has anything to do with his status in 2023-24 as it pertains to his ranking as a player this season.
James is still a bully with the basketball in his hands, capable of taking over any game he wishes as a scorer and playmaker. How often he chooses to, or his body allows him to, is the issue at hand. Defensively, he has dwindled to barely non-existent but still shows flashes in critical moments when the team needs him to be tough and make a stop. Again, this is what we have come to expect from James at 39 years of age.
Even as he ages, LeBron James is still better than 99.0% of the NBA which is something that is unheard of at his age. James is going to be as important to the Lakers success this season as he has been since he arrived in 2018-19. What I would like to see from him is to be able to pass the torch to Anthony Davis as the main guy in Los Angeles this season while maintaining his All-Star level of play. To even expect that from him this late in the game is a testament to his greatness and the amount of fuel he still has left in the tank.
9. Anthony Davis
Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 25.9 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG
When healthy, Anthony Davis is undoubtedly a top-five talent in the NBA. The problem is, that Davis has not been considered fully healthy since the Lakers won the NBA championship in 2020. Since that magical run four years ago, Davis has yet to play 60 games in a season for the Lakers and has played in a total of 132 out of 246 possible games.
We got a glimpse of just how dominant he could be if he stayed on a healthy streak in the 2023 playoffs. In 16 games for the Lakers on their run to the Western Conference Finals, Davis averaged 22.6 points, 14.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game on 52.0% shooting from the field. He completely controlled games particularly on the defensive side of the floor up until they were swept by the Nuggets in four games in the Conference Finals.
Using that playoff run as momentum, this has to be the year that Anthony Davis finally steps up and becomes the primary option for the Lakers. He is already very clearly the team’s best defender but now it is time that Davis calls for and continues to call for the ball on offense as well. The Lakers will end up in a much better spot if this is Davis’ team moving forward. All he has to do is seize the opportunity from the opening tip on October 24.
8. Devin Booker
Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 27.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.3 BPG
The 2022-23 season was somewhat unkind to Devin Booker just a year after his first All-NBA First Team selection. Booker struggled with injury for most of the season, missing 29 games and missing put on All-Star and All-NBA honors due to that fact. While he was away, the Phoenix Suns looked lost and like an entirely different offense. Once the NBA playoffs arrived, things went differently for Booker and his team.
Devin Booker went nuclear during the Suns’ 2023 playoff run. He averaged 33.7 points and 7.2 assists per game on 58.5% shooting overall and 50.8% from three. He showed that he could be Phoenix’s number-one option as a scorer when they needed him to be as well as the team’s top playmaker if that is what they asked of him as well, even if he was sharing the court with Kevin Durant.
Booker’s performance in the NBA playoffs cemented the idea that Chris Paul’s time in the desert was finally over. It is time for Booker to take full reign of the Suns and lead them into their new era with a Big 3 of himself, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. The presence of Durant and Beal are going to make Booker a much better well-rounded player, elevating his status as both a scorer and playmaker. Barring any health setbacks, I expect Booker to be both an All-Star and MVP candidate in 2023-24, and for the Suns to be in the hunt for an NBA championship.
7. Kevin Durant
Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 29.1 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Kevin Durant comes in at No. 7 on our list, one spot ahead of teammate Devin Booker with their positions set to switch should Booker outshine the 7-footer this season. Durant doesn’t look like he is ready to pass that torch just yet coming off one of the better seasons in his career offensively speaking.
In 2022-23, Durant split time with the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns as a result of a trade deadline blockbuster that sent Durant out west after three years in Brooklyn. Durant put together a historic season between his performance for both teams, averaging 29.1 points per game on over 55/40/90 shooting splits. Although he played just 47 games, it was still clear that with a full bill of health, Durant is still one of the most dangerous players in the NBA.
More than ever, the pressure is mounting on Durant to deliver an NBA championship away from Golden State in his career. With Devin Booker and Bradley Beal at his side, Durant is now a part of yet another elite trio in the NBA heading into 2023-24. With the ability to turn over the keys to the offense to either Booker or Beal at any moment, the pressure on Durant should be alleviated enough to play a full season and be his typical All-NBA self. More importantly, it should have the Phoenix Suns in contention for their first NBA championship.
6. Jayson Tatum
Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 30.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG
In 2022-23, Jayson Tatum nearly secured his first MVP award with one of the best regular season performances by a Boston Celtic over the last 20 years. Tatum became the first player in Celtics history to average 30.0 points per game in a season, and he did it on 46.6% shooting overall and 35.0% shooting from three-point range.
Behind Tatum’s elite level of play, along with teammate Jaylen Brown and their high-powered offense, the Celtics would win 57 games and secure the second overall seed in the Eastern Conference. For the fourth time in his young career, Tatum helped his team advance to the Eastern Conference Finals with 27.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks in the playoffs. Although their season was cut short in Game 7, the message was clear that at age 24, Tatum was ready to become one of the new faces of the NBA.
In the offseason, the Celtics made some drastic moves to their roster in order to bring in the likes of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. This may be Tatum’s best-supporting cast he has ever had and in order to take that next leap into superstardom, has to deliver on the opportunity ahead of him. The next step for Tatum could be toward an MVP but I think he would much rather have the NBA championship.
Credit: Chris Coduto-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.7 BPG
To kick off the top five NBA players for the 2023-24 season is reigning MVP and scoring champion, Joel Embiid. After finishing runner-up to Nikola Jokic for MVP in both 2021 and 2022, Embiid finally overtook him for the honor in 2023 leading the 76ers to 54 wins and the third seed in the Eastern Conference. He also took home his second straight scoring title with 33.1 points per game and earned All-Defensive First Team Honors.
Unfortunately for Embiid and the 76ers, an MVP season did not equate to a deep playoff run. For the third season in a row, the 76ers were ousted in the second round of the NBA playoffs after building a 3-2 series lead on the Boston Celtics. The stigma of being a dropper in the NBA playoffs continues to follow Embiid like a dark cloud hanging above his head and 2023-24 has to be the year he rids of it.
The road is already tough for Embiid to shed that darkness before the season even started. Teammate James Harden has made a spectacle of the offseason by feuding with the front office as they try to facilitate a deal to rid themselves of him. Once again, distractions plague Philadelphia which has led to speculation about Embiid’s own future with the team. The 76ers have the reigning MVP on their side, and by all accounts should be in contention for an NBA championship in 2023-24.
4. Luka Doncic
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 32.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.0 SPG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
It may seem a bit out of touch to rank a player whose team missed the playoffs in 2022-23 ahead of the reigning MVP but remember, this is also a prediction for next season. Over the last few seasons, we have watched as Luka Doncic takes everything we know about a successful player in the NBA and smashed it to pieces. Doncic remained toward the top of the MVP race all season long before Dallas’ collapse that led to missing the playoffs but things will be different in 2023-24.
Doncic was absolutely incredible last season with one of the worst supporting casts ever put together for a superstar. That was until the team acquired Kyrie Irving at the trade deadline. Doncic still averaged a career-high 32.4 points per game on 49.6% shooting from the floor and 34.2% from three. He earned his fourth straight All-NBA First Team selection as well, cementing his spot, at least for me, as a top-five player in the NBA.
All eyes will be on Doncic for the 2023-24 season as many have anointed him even higher than we have right now. With his ability to slow down the pace of play and pick apart opponents at the pace he wishes, Doncic is as unique of a talent in the league today as there is. His s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 set along with Kyrie Irving better have the Mavericks in the playoffs at minimum this season because if not, the narrative will quickly turn on him.
3. Stephen Curry
Credit: David Butler II/USA Today Sports
2022-23 Stats: 29.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 6.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Along with being the highest-paid player in the NBA this season, Stephen Curry also heads into 2023-24 as the NBA’s top-ranked point guard. I am not ready to ᵴtriƥ Curry of that crown just yet as he showed he is still the most lethal weapon in the NBA when he gets hot in both the regular season and playoffs.
The Warriors were clearly a team facing their fair share of inner turmoil in 2022 as they went into the season with teammates fighting and proceeded through the season as one of the worst teams on the road in the entire NBA. Still, Curry managed to right the ship for the most part, helping lead them to a fifth-seed in the playoffs and a first-round win over the Sacramento Kings. Curry finished with 30.5 points per game in the playoffs on 46.6% shooting from the field and just 36.7% from three.
Heading into 2023-24, this team is still reliant on Curry being healthy and productive as he has been since 2015. Curry is still joined by Draymond Green and Klay Thompson but the addition of Chris Paul is an interesting one to Curry’s game. Everyone knows that Curry is far more effective coming off screens and moving without the ball. Can Paul’s addition be the catalyst for another MVP season and championship run for Curry and Golden State? It is well within the realm of possibility.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 31.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 5.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG
We all knew the race for the No. 1 spot was going to come down to two players in the end. One of those players has claimed rights to the top spot in each of the last three seasons but this year, Giannis Antetokounmpo falls to No. 2. Giannis had a serious case for MVP in 2022-23, averaging over 31.0 points per game for the first time in his career, shooting 55.3% from the field, and leading the Bucks to 58 wins.
Although Giannis and the Bucks would embarrassingly lose in the first round of the NBA playoffs to the Miami Heat, the season was far from an epic failure. This offseason, Giannis put out an ultimatum of sorts to his organization that he wanted to win now. They responded by landing Damian Lillard, setting up for exciting times to be a Milwaukee Bucks fan.
The duo of Giannis and Lillard are easily the best in the NBA heading into the season. Their games complement each other perfectly as Giannis can get back to his job in dominating the paint while Lillard can focus on scoring from the perimeter. The duo has set Milwaukee on a collision course with the NBA Finals if this duo can remain healthy and diligent in their ways. It could also end with Giannis’ third career MVP and second career NBA championship.
1. Nikola Jokic
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 24.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 9.8 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG
With every passing possession, game, and achievement for Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, he is rewriting how the center position is played, and the NBA history books. Already a two-time MVP heading into 2022-23, Jokic put on a clinic as the Nuggets’ go-to option once again, nearly averaging a triple-double for the entire season and helping Denver lead the Western Conference from start to finish as the No. 1 seed. In reality, it should have been his third MVP season in a row.
Then, the NBA playoffs hit and Nikola Jokic was ready to dispel all the narratives about his brand of basketball being unworthy of an NBA championship. Jokic tore through the Western Conference to lead Denver to their first NBA Finals appearance ever. Jokic was no less special in the NBA Finals as he led Denver to victory in five games, earning Finals MVP honors with 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game.
The Finals win was just a glimpse into the future for Denver as long as Jokic is there to run the show. They are a well-oiled machine with Jokic as their engine, fueling their every move with precision and efficiency. We should all be on the lookout for his third MVP season incoming but more importantly, another championship run is not out of the question for back-to-back title reigns. That is, unless he wants to get home to his horses earlier this year.
