- The 2020-21
NBA season is about halfway through - With the season underway, we adjusted our preseason rankings of the best players in league right now.
- Somehow,
LeBron James is still No. 1, but some big men are climbing the ranks.
The 2020-21 NBA season is about haflway through, and we have three months of basketball to consider when analyzing the best players in the league.
We first made this ranking before the season tipped off. While LeBron James still tops our list - it's hard to argue against the reigning Finals MVP and longest-running dominant player in the league - our order has changed a bit, thanks to some MVP-worthy seasons this year.
Check out the 14 best players in the NBA today.
Honorable mentions: Bradley Beal, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Devin Booker, Khris Middleton, Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert
14. Jayson Tatum
Team: Boston Celtics
Position: Forward
Age: 23
Previous ranking: 13
2020-21 stats: 24.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 43.7% FG, 36.8% 3FG
Where he stands right now: Tatum made "The Leap" in 2019-20. His progress in 2020-21 hasn't been as great, but he is also recovering from COVID-19. Few players possess Tatum's three-level scoring ability, and he has improved as a playmaker and a defender. The list of players you'd take before Tatum when starting a franchise is short.
13. Paul George
Team: LA Clippers
Position: Forward
Age: 30
Previous ranking: n/a
2020-21 stats: 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 49.9% FG, 45% 3FG
Where he stands right now: George had a rough showing in the NBA's bubble, but has come out with a vengeance this season. He is having his most efficient scoring season of his career while averaging a career-high in assists per game and playing his usual solid defense. The Clippers have destroyed opponents with George on the floor, outscoring them by 12 points per 100 possessions.
12. Jimmy Butler
Team: Miami Heat
Position: Guard/Forward
Age: 31
Previous ranking: 11
2020-21 stats: 20.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 1.9 steals, 45.4% FG, 23.5% 3FG
Where he stands right now: Butler doesn't always fit the profile of an elite player because of his lack of shooting and occasional hesitancy to score. But just five other players this season are averaging 20-7-7 per game. Butler is averaging career-highs in rebounds and assists all while playing his usual stout defense, and the Heat are 14-8 with him in the lineup. Let's not forget that he's just a few months removed from a dominant postseason run where he went toe-to-toe with LeBron James in the Finals.
11. Luka Doncic
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Position: Guard/Forward
Age: 22
Previous ranking: 9
2020-21 stats: 28.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 47.8% FG, 31.8% 3FG
Where he stands right now: Doncic's efficiency is up and his usage is down slightly. Some consider him an MVP candidate. So why did his ranking fall? Doncic started the season slow, coming into training camp out of shape and struggling with efficiency. In the meantime, his Mavericks struggled out of the gate while Doncic faced critiques about complaining to refs and poor attitude. His play has ticked up lately, and his team has followed suit. Don't worry, Mavs fans: it feels like a matter of time until Doncic is a consensus top-three player.
10. Damian Lillard
Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Position: Guard
Age: 30
Previous ranking: 10
2020-21 stats: 29.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 44.5% FG, 38.4% 3FG
Where he stands right now: Lillard is showing his value this year, carrying a battered Blazers squad missing three projected starters. Lillard rises to the occasion like no one else in the NBA: he is second in points scored in the "clutch" - defined as the last five minutes of a game with the score within five points - with a ridiculous 63-58-100 shooting line. The Blazers are 14-5 in those situations.
9. Stephen Curry
Team: Golden State Warriors
Position: Guard
Age: 32
Previous ranking: 8
2020-21 stats: 29.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 47.8% FG, 41.1% 3FG
Where he stands right now: Curry has re-established himself as one of the NBA's elite players in perhaps stronger fashion than most would have anticipated. He's carrying a so-so Warriors roster to playoff contention all while scoring at near career-best levels. No player carries more gravity when he steps on the court, and Curry's unique ability to play off the ball supports the players around him.
8. James Harden
Team: Brooklyn Nets
Position: Guard
Age: 31
2020-21 stats: 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 11.1 assists, 48.4% FG, 40% 3FG
Where he stands right now: Rejuvenated in Brooklyn, Harden has tweaked his game from all-encompassing offensive engine to, well, just playing point guard. The step-back threes and line-drives to the rim are still there, but Harden has also willingly dished the ball to teammates and selflessly advanced the ball on fastbreaks to drive the Nets offense. The Nets' plethora of offensive weapons makes it a bit harder to separate Harden's brilliance from circumstance, but he's nonetheless thriving with a change of scenery.
7. Anthony Davis
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Forward/Center
Age: 27
Previous ranking: 4
2020-21 stats: 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.9 blocks, 53.3% FG, 29.3% 3FG
Where he stands right now: Davis got off to a puzzling slow start to the season and has only played in two games since early February because of an Achilles issue. We're betting the slow start is an aberration and Davis will return to the floor ready to carry the Lakers in stretch run. Perhaps the best two-way player in the NBA, Davis combines elite rim protection with a varied offensive game that extends comfortably to the three-point line. At his best, he is a problem opponents can't solve.
6. Nikola Jokic
Team: Denver Nuggets
Position: Center
Age: 26
Previous ranking: 7
2020-21 stats: 27.1 points, 11 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 56.7% FG, 41.8% 3FG
Where he stands right now: Jokic is on the periphery of two incredible statistical groups, and he's doing it at the same time: averaging a triple-double with a 50-40-90 shooting line. No one has ever done both. The stats are just a glimpse at one of the league's most dominant offensive players. Jokic is more aggressive than ever, willingly shooting threes, bullying opponents in the post, and even dunking. When he's not looking for his shot, he's whipping one-handed assists around the court and serving as the fulcrum of the Nuggets offense. Denver has under-performed this season, but not because of Jokic.
5. Joel Embiid
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Position: Center
Age: 26
Previous ranking: 12
2020-21 stats: 30.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, 52.1% FG, 41.6% 3FG
Where he stands right now: We've always wanted to see peak Embiid - here he is. The frontrunner for the MVP is in the best shape of his life, scoring more efficiently than ever, all while holding down the middle for the best team in the East. The question is if Embiid can carry it over a full season and into the playoffs, but he is currently prime Shaq with a more diverse offensive game.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Team: Milwaukee Bucks
Position: Forward/Center
Age: 26
Previous ranking: 5
2020-21 stats: 29 points, 11.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 55.7% FG, 28.5% 3FG
Where he stands right now: Antetokounmpo and the Bucks haven't consistently found their groove this season. It says a lot that the two-time, reigning MVP's slow start has him putting up almost identical numbers to his last two seasons. Antetokounmpo's outside shot still evades him, but his defense hasn't taken a break and he has improved as a playmaker. Players like Embiid and Jokic are threatening to pass him, but let's give it a full season before dropping Antetokounmpo.
3. Kawhi Leonard
Team: LA Clippers
Position: Forward
Age: 29
Previous ranking: 3
2020-21 stats: 26.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 51.1% FG, 38.7% 3FG
Where he stands right now: Leonard is a two-way wrecking ball who can function as the leading scorer on a championship team and has continued to improve his playmaking each year. Last year's Clippers team fell well short of their goals, but they are once again dominant with Leonard on the floor this season. After a blazing-hot start to the season, Leonard's shooting has cooled off slightly. Expect Leonard to kick things up a notch in the stretch run and postseason.
2. Kevin Durant
Team: Brooklyn Nets
Position: Forward
Age: 32
Previous ranking: 2
2020-21 stats: 29 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 52.4% FG, 43.4% 3FG
Where he stands right now: You wouldn't know Durant missed over a year of basketball recovering from a torn Achilles, one of the toughest injuries in basketball. The smooth jumper, quick first step, and ability to read the floor and turn it up on defense when needed are all still there. Durant had likely become the best overall player in the NBA from 2017-2019 before suffering his injury in the 2019 Finals. Health is still a big question, as he's played just 19 games this season, but when he's been on the floor, he's been as dominant as ever
1. LeBron James
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
Position: Guard/Forward
Age: 36
Previous ranking: 1
2019-20 stats: 25.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 50.9% FG, 35.8% 3FG
Where he stands right now: How is this still happening? James is past the point at which he should still be an All-Star-caliber player, let alone an MVP-caliber player. He's lost a step physically, but is still a masterful chess player, arranging the court to his will to pick apart defenses. He led the league in assists last year for the first time in his career, at age 35. And when it comes to the postseason, his track record says it all - nine Finals appearances and four championships in 10 years. There may be more spritely, explosive players today, but in a must-win game, there isn't someone you'd take over James.