It seems as though the players in the NBA are getting better day by day. New stars emerge during the season while other stars take a step back. Some can argue that the NBA’s talent level is at an all-time high right now, making it necessary to rank the top players this season.
The conversation for league MVP has dwindled down to two players: James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo. But, it’s our duty to acknowledge other superstars that deserve to be known for their stunning regular season. Here’s a list of the top 10 players in the league this season.
10. Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid has transformed himself into one of the most dominant big men in the league. He’s averaging an elite stat line notching in at 27.6 ppg and 13.7 rpg. Although the 76ers do have essential assets that helped them be a threat during the regular season, Joel Embiid’s presence and the ability to create mismatches allowed their other stars to prosper and find shots within Brett Brown’s system. Joel’s ready to contend for the conference championship in the East.
9. Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard has yet again had an outstanding season. The Trailblazers find themselves having another 50 win season. Along with the help of CJ Mccollum and the rising star in Jusuf Nurkic, Lillard makes the Trailblazers a dominant team in the competitive Western Conference.
Game in and game out Lillard has proved that he has been one of the most elite guards in the league this season and is poised to make a deep run in the playoffs.
8. LeBron James
The playoffs are going to look completely different without LeBron James making a run for the championship. Although the Lakers have had a subpar season, LeBron James had an elite year proving that age is just a number. He’s averaging 27,8, and 8. If not for the poor Lakers record, LeBron James would have found himself once again within the conversation for the 2018-2019 NBA MVP.
7. Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard is a winner. Fueling the Raptors to a 60 win season and a two seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, Kawhi once again proves he’s an elite force in the league. He’s arguably one of the best two-way players in the league ready to lead the city of Toronto to the NBA Finals.
6. Kevin Durant
It seems as though Kevin Durant has been the talk of the media for a while now. With speculations he might leave the Warriors for either the Clippers or Knicks, Durant hasn’t let this affect his play. He’s put up crazy stat lines and once again shows that he is one of the purest scorers in today’s game.
5. Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is the epitome of this generations new big men. He’s an elite rebounder, passer, and scorer with an incredibly high IQ. Along with Jamal Murray, Jokic has led the Denver Nuggets to a remarkable regular season. Jokic is putting up a near triple-double stat line while shooting an efficient 51% from the field. The mile high city is poised to make a deep run in the NBA playoffs and is ready to give the Warriors a run for the Western Conference title.
4. Paul George
Paul George has had an excellent season. Until these past few weeks, Paul George was considered one of the front runners for the league MVP. Although the Thunder have been struggling recently, Paul George has taken the driver seat and leads the Thunder to be a very competitive team in the West. Along with guarding the best player on the opposing team, George has taken a lot of the offensive load the Thunder require. Paul George is having the best season of his career and is ready to use last year’s playoff disappointment as fuel to do well in the playoffs this year.
3. Stephen Curry
It seems as though we are taking Steph Curry for granted this season. As one of the most efficient players in the league, Curry has proved that the Warriors need him to succeed. When Curry got injured earlier in the season, the Warriors had a below .500 record despite having four other elite starters. Stephen Curry is one of the most valuable players in the league and yet again had an outstanding season finishing with the third highest points per game average. Curry is ready to win his third straight title and continue this dominant Warriors legacy.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis is having an exceptional year. He’s single-handedly guided the Bucks to being the number one team in the league. Without a doubt, he’s performing at an MVP level. He’s averaging 27.7 ppg, 12.5 rpg, and 5.9 apg. As one of the most unguardable players in the league, Giannias is ready to continue the Bucks commanding regular season performance into the playoffs.
1. James Harden
James Harden has undoubtedly had the best season in the league. Going on a historic run by scoring at least 30 points in a game consecutively, scoring above 50 points in a plethora of games, and creating his own signature step back, Harden shows that he’s a dynamic offensive threat. It’s a difficult assignment to guard Harden because of his ability to create his own shot in unique ways.
With Chris Paul out due to injury the majority of the season, Harden took charge of the Rockets and leads them to the third seed in the Western Conference. James Harden has had the best regular season in recent years and is ready to make noise in this year’s playoffs.
