Continuing our series following our March 2024 rankings, it is time to list the 25 Best NBA Players By Tiers for April. This tier system separates the best talents in the NBA from the rest, and we will see one final time if anyone can knock Nikola Jokic off his perch. With the Playoffs just around the corner, this will be the final rankings of the regular season.
The April 2024 rankings will show which two players are above the rest right now and see who is behind them. Remember, a player’s status is not considered but rather the performance and impact over a month based on stats, impact, and all-around play regarding team performance.
Tier 1
Nikola Jokic (Tier 1 in previous month – March)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Tier 1 in previous month – March)
Luka Doncic (Tier 1 in previous month – March)
Nikola Jokic will very likely win his third MVP award this season, posting 26.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.2 assists per game on 58.2% from the field. The Serbian has managed to guide the Denver Nuggets to the top record in the West and the voters do not seem to have any fatigue giving the center MVP votes. To be fair, Jokic is the best player in the world so his MVP award could be well-deserved.
Canadian superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is simply a wonderful talent, averaging 30.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is one of the most unstoppable offensive players in the league and somehow has the team sitting with 55 wins despite being so young. He has to be the runner-up to Jokic for the MVP trophy.
The final member of Tier 1 is Luka Doncic, the Slovenian superstar who is averaging 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game. The Mavericks are competing against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, and it will be one heck of a series for Doncic to put his mark on. It is likely Luka will finish top-three in MVP voting as a top-three player in the world.
Tier 2
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Tier 2 in previous month – March)
Jayson Tatum (Tier 2 in previous month – March)
Giannis Antetokounmpo is still one of the best players in the world, among the top five, and arguably the best two-way player in the world. The Greek Freak is posting 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game which is a major reason why the Milwaukee Bucks are gunning for the NBA title despite their 21st-ranked defense.
Jayson Tatum is the best player on the Boston Celtics this season, a team that has the best record in the NBA. Tatum is one of the best offensive players in the league (27.0 PPG) and an improved leader, and his scoring will be a key part of what the Celtics will aim to do this postseason. Tatum will only be judged on what he does in the playoffs because it is championship or bust for the Celtics.
Tier 3
Jalen Brunson (Tier 3 in previous month – March)
Kevin Durant (Tier 3 in previous month – March)
Devin Booker (Tier 3 in previous month – March)
Domantas Sabonis (Tier 3 in previous month – March)
Anthony Davis (Tier 4 in previous month – March)
Anthony Edwards (Tier 3 in previous month – March)
LeBron James (Tier 4 in previous month – March)
Donovan Mitchell (Tier 4 in previous month – March)
Jalen Brunson has been on an absolute tear in his breakout season when it comes to potentially being a superstar point guard. Posting 26.9 points and 6.6 assists per game, Brunson has posted 39, 45, and 43 points over his last three games and the Knicks have climbed the East rankings for the third seed.
Kevin Durant’s offense has kept the Phoenix Suns in contention because he is averaging 27.2 points per game on 52.4% from the field and 41.3% from three. Durant is a top-10 talent in the world but the regular season is irrelevant for the player’s legacy because he has to at least reach the Western Conference Finals with the Suns.
Devin Booker has been on fire since the turn of the year, and his scoring average sits firmly at 27.2 points per game so far despite playing alongside Kevin Durant. The shooting guard is an elite offensive player and is getting better as the playoffs arrive. Similar to Durant, Booker will be judged in the postseason.
Domantas Sabonis might be one of the most underrated players in the NBA right now. Averaging 20.1 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game, Sabonis is a walking triple-double threat and the most impactful player for the Sacramento Kings right now. The big man is easily one of the best rebounders and playmakers at his position over the past decade.
Anthony Davis is another star who is having an excellent individual campaign and is a contender for Defensive Player of the Year. The big man is posting 24.5 PPG and 12.6 RPG and has helped the Lakers win 45 games for a chance to make the playoffs through the play-in tournament.
Anthony Edwards might be receiving less love than he should, but there is simply too much competition in the NBA right now. He is a player who wants to be in Tier 2 someday, but he needs to improve his decision-making, defense, and free-throw shooting to get there. Once he does, Edwards will be very tough to stop.
The King, despite missing an important game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, dropped 33 points and 11 assists against the Golden State Warriors and still proved he can be a top-10 player in the world when needed. LeBron James is undeniable once the playoffs start so he climbs to Tier 3 before the season ends.
Donovan Mitchell missed a game against the Clippers this week and only had 10 points against the Lakers a game prior, but he is the best player on a team that is fourth in the East and he deserves the bulk of the credit. He is posting 26.5 PPG and is in the conversation with Devin Booker for being the best shooting guard in the world.
Tier 4
Kawhi Leonard (Tier 3 in previous month – March)
Jaylen Brown (Tier 3 in previous month – March)
Tyrese Haliburton (Tier 3 in previous month – March)
Damian Lillard (Tier 4 in previous month – March)
Kyrie Irving (Tier 4 in previous month – March)
De’Aaron Fox (Tier 4 in previous month – March)
No one can deny how dominant Kawhi Leonard can be on both ends of the court as he is posting 23.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting a scintillating 41.7% from three. The Clippers have missed Leonard as the player has not appeared in a game in April which drops his ranking to Tier 4.
Jaylen Brown has an incredible impact for the Celtics, posting 23.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. Boston has a ton of talent but Brown is easily the second option on the team behind Jayson Tatum and has thrived in his role.
Tyrese Haliburton is the player we knew he would become, posting 20.7 points and 11.4 assists per game meaning he is an entire offensive system behind the number-one-ranked offense in the league. He needs to elevate his game if he wants to be in MVP conversation and might have to score a little more to get there.
Damian Lillard is one of the best point guards in the world, averaging 24.4 points and 7.0 assists per game on 35.6% shooting from three. Despite some doubts, Lillard is still at his best and he needs to be once the playoffs start because the Bucks might have some deep issues when looking at their inconsistency this season.
Kyrie Irving was supposed to be primed for retirement after years of off-court antics, but he is back to his best this season and already has an iconic game-winner to his name this season. Averaging 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, Irving looks to help Luka Doncic defeat the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.
De’Aaron Fox’s numbers have been solid this season as he is averaging 26.6 points and 5.6 assists per game as the Kings’ floor general. Sabonis has been more dominant across the board but Fox is the go-to scorer on the team and needs his respect in Tier 4.
Tier 5
Victor Wembanyama (N/A in previous month – March)
Rudy Gobert (N/A in previous month – March)
Stephen Curry (Tier 5 in previous month – March)
Zion Williamson (Tier 5 in previous month – March)
Bam Adebayo (Tier 5 in previous month – March)
James Harden (N/A in previous month – March)
Victor Wembanyama has separated himself in the Rookie of the Year race ahead of Chet Holmgren. He is dominant defensively, averaging 3.4 blocks per game, and is improving as an all-around scorer. The Frenchman will lead the league in blocks this season and is on the way to pure superstardom once next season starts.
Rudy Gobert is the key behind Minnesota’s number-one-ranked defense in the NBA and will likely win his fourth Defensive Player of the Year trophy. Despite criticisms of his aggression at times, Gobert is a hellacious paint defender with his long arms and timing.
Stephen Curry is still one of the best point guards in the world even if the Golden State Warriors are only in the play-in tournament. Curry is not quite as dominant as he was during his MVP seasons, but he somehow guided a struggling side to the play-in tournament and never count him out when it comes to big games.
The New Orleans Pelicans are playing solid basketball and Zion Williamson needs to get most of the credit for that. The big man is averaging 22.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season on an impressive 57.6% from the floor. Armed with the sixth seed, Zion needs to make sure New Orleans is in the playoffs for certain or risk more criticism.
Bam Adebayo is the best performer on the Miami Heat this season and is immensely valuable to the team. Adebayo is posting 19.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while being a contender for Defensive Player of the Year, although he might not win the award.
James Harden makes the final tier list of the regular season because his ability as a playmaker makes the Clippers a far better team. He is posting 16.7 points and 8.6 assists per game this season as the third option on the team and is draining over 38% of his threes. He isn’t MVP Harden and will never be again, but he is a top-25 player in the world.
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