Top 5 NBA Players in 2022-2023

In this article, we ranked the top 5 NBA players for the upcoming season. We explained our rankings in each subsection. This list is based on last season’s regular and post-season performances and the projections for the upcoming season. We also included odds for the MVP award for all five players.

Each year, ESPN releases a top 100 players list, ranking the talent in the NBA. They reveal the rankings in waves and finish the list by revealing their top 5. While such lists are based heavily on opinions, ESPN’s top 100 is what the media and fans stand by. At least it gives a certain idea about where things stand. We agree with their list, for the most part. So in this article, you’ll see a somewhat altered version of ESPN’s top 5 NBA players list.

Year 10 looks promising for Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Greek Freak is about to enter his 10th season in the league and he only seems to keep improving. Giannis averaged a career-high 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game last year. He did this on 55.3% shooting, coupled with 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. The Bucks finished 3rd in the East with a 51-31 record, clinching the division title. At the end of the regular season, Giannis also picked a Player of the Month trophy and finished 3rd in the MVP voting.

The injury-ridden Bucks couldn’t defend their 2021 title either as they fell to Boston in the Eastern Conference Semis. In seven games, Antetokounmpo averaged 33.8 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. This summer, Giannis finished 5th in the EuroBasket with Greece. He put up impressive numbers there as well. On Bet Online, he’s currently the 3rd MVP favorite with odds of +650. So we’re in full agreement with ESPN here that Antetokounmpo is the best player in the NBA right now.

Is Nikola Jokic underrated at times? – Top 5 NBA players

Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic is the most complete player in the league. He’s a 6’11” center that can do it all. The Joker averaged 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game last season. He also recorded 19 triple-doubles in 74 games, which is highly impressive from a center.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeH3lKKISFQ

Jokic was the most impactful and valuable player on his team. The Nuggets were missing their 2nd and 3rd best players for the entirety of the season. Nikola’s efforts saw Denver earn a 6th-place finish with a 48-34 record.

Unfortunately, Jokic and the Nuggets met the Warriors in the First Round, which doesn’t end well most of the time. The Serbian MVP finished 9th with his country in the EuroBasket this summer. Projections for this season are showing an expected rise in Jokic’s performance. However, most online sportsbook sites in the US do not favor the Joker to win his third straight MVP award. Such a feat is nearly impossible and his odds are currently +1000 for it. We still think Nikola is tremendous and one of the top 5 NBA players right now.

Luka Doncic has the world at his feet

Luka is about to enter his 5th season and he’s still only 23 years old. The Slovenian will most likely be the face of the league sooner or later, and he was also one of the top 5 U23 players in the previous years. Doncic finished last season averaging 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game. He also led the league in individual turnovers, averaging 4.5 per game. But when your whole team’s offense runs through you, this is bound to happen. This season is looking promising for Luka.

Projections indicate a rise in nearly every category for the young Doncic. He’s also the favorite to win the MVP award, as of the Preseason. On Bet Online, the odds for this are +450. Dallas finished 4th with a 52-30 and gave us the best playoff series of the season. By beating the 64-18 Suns, Luka shook opinions up a lot. Doncic and Slovenia were also the favorites for the EuroBasket but they only managed to finish 6th in the competition. Luka should be a no-brainer on every top 5 NBA player list. We can imagine him moving up a few spots during the season.

1x Finals MVP Stephen Curry remains a top 5 NBA player

Here’s where we part ways from ESPN’s list. We think Steph Curry is undoubtedly a better player than Joel Embiid. Curry and Golden State finished in a solid 3rd place with a 53-29 record. In the playoffs, they went through Denver, Memphis, Dallas, and Boston. And for most of the Finals, they were considered the underdogs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flm-cZ7r6eE

Last season taught people not to underestimate a team that won four of the last eight Finals. Steph also got his long-awaited first Finals MVP Award.

As for the regular season, Curry’s numbers were a bit lower than usual. He averaged 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. The 34-year-old shot only 43% from the field and 38% from deep, which is not that good if your name is Stephen Curry. We’re expecting a performance rise from Golden State’s starting point guard but this is also seen in the season projections. At this point, it’s a bit unlikely that Curry will win MVP this year, as his odds on online sportsbook sites in the US are +1600.

Does LeBron James deserve a spot on this list?

This might cause some controversy but we’re moving Embiid further down this list. If LeBron wants to be a better player, he can be a better player. This is why he’s taking the last spot on our top 5 NBA players list. Last season was a disaster for the Lakers, but not for James individually. He only played 56 games but he was averaging 37.2 minutes per game at age 37. He also put up 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. James gave up on chasing the scoring title after the Lakers failed to make it to the playoffs.

The King will turn 38 this season and he will most likely never win another MVP trophy. His odds for it are +2000 on BetOnline. LeBron didn’t show many signs of slowing down last year and he remains the best player on the Lakers roster. His team might not be among the best but James will no doubt be a top 5 NBA player this season.

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