Who is the best player per individual skill or a particular situation? The NBA game has some areas that need some players to impact with their specific skill sets, and only one player does each category best. For example, an NBA game has half-court situations where shooting, ball-handling, passing, and defense all come into play. On the fast break, athleticism and passing can create some exciting alley-oops.
- Half-Court Shot – Damian Lillard
- 3-Pointer – Stephen Curry
- Mid-Range Shot – Kevin Durant
- Poster Dunk – Ja Morant
- Fast Break – Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Rebound – Domantas Sabonis
- Assist – Nikola Jokic
- Free Throw – Kevin Durant
- Steal – OG Anunoby
- Ankle Breaker – Kyrie Irving
- Set Screen – Draymond Green
- Game-Winner – LeBron James
- Hustle – Marcus Smart
- Alley-Oop – Zion Williamson
- Draw A Foul – Luka Doncic
- Block Shot – Nic Claxton
- Call The Play – LeBron James
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Here is every NBA player that is best in every situation, and it might yield some impressive results. Some names will be easy to predict, such as who the best three-point shooter or poster dunker is, but there might be stiff competition in other categories, including rebounding, mid-range shooting, and of course, slamming down an alley-oop.
Half-Court Shot – Damian Lillard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fiGAenRZWc
Stephen Curry might be the first name that comes to people’s minds, but Steph would rather play nearer to the three-point line than show off his ability to make shots from everywhere. In fact, Damian Lillard could be the best half-court shooter in the NBA. Dame made a lot of half-court shot in his career, and this is a very easy decision.
Of course, we have seen Lillard make deep shots to end a host of the team’s playoff runs, including the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder, among others. But Lillard has seemingly mastered the half-court shot, and if there was one player who would be chosen to heave shots, it’s Portland’s superstar point guard.
3-Pointer – Stephen Curry
As expected, the man who holds the record for most threes made is the greatest pure three-point shooter right now. Thanks to his deep-range prowess and unlimited range, Steph completely changed the game for the foreseeable future. Steph has taken a whopping 375 threes in 32 games, an indication that he might have the biggest green light in basketball history.
Teams are always scrambling to plan for ways to stop Curry on the court and are willing to give up layups if it means stopping the point guard from draining threes. Even at age 34 today, no player can create their own shot from three and attract 3 defenders on them at a time. With an open or contested three on the line, Curry is the man from deep.
Mid-Range Shot – Kevin Durant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soGGctNENRU
Kawhi Leonard is a dynamic mid-range scorer, but nobody can stroke a mid-range shot like 4-time scoring champion Kevin Durant. Durant is the current leader in mid-range field goal percentage (57.1%), and that is evident in what he can do despite only playing 39 games so far. Thanks to his 6’10” height, Durant can shoot over anybody.
KD is averaging 29.7 PPG this season, doing it at 55.9% from the field as a whole, of which 57.1% comes from mid-range. The superstar forward can get into his dribble package to get defenders stunned before rising and drilling a jumper. Quite frankly, Kevin Durant is unstoppable and could be the greatest mid-range marksman ever when taking skill and height into account. Only Kawhi and DeMar DeRozan have arguments for competing with Durant in this particular skill.
Poster Dunk – Ja Morant
Nobody creates a better poster dunk than Ja Morant right now. Poor Jakob Poeltl, because he has become the poster boy for posters…no pun intended. Ja Morant does not need much room to elevate, and when he does, it yields tremendous results. The superstar point guard is becoming a more dominant player by the year, and his athleticism is off the charts.
Morant’s explosiveness is evident by the two monster jams he has put Poeltl on this season. The first one came against Poeltl, and that could have been a happy coincidence. But a second poster rocked the NBA world, and nobody is more exciting than Ja Morant is. Number 12 is simply the king of the poster dunk, and it isn’t likely he will be dethroned.
Fast Break – Giannis Antetokounmpo
LeBron James is still unstoppable when he attacks the rim on the fast break, but he is 38 years old. There is a man who is 10 years younger and 3” taller who does it slightly better, and his name is Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak is not only a locomotive at 242 lbs, but he is extremely long and athletic.
The Greek Freak can explode to the rim for poster dunks, draw fouls (470 fouls drawn which is second in the NBA), or create shots for others. Since Giannis is in his prime at 28 years old, he can attack the break anytime he wants, and the Milwaukee Bucks are befitting with their 30-17 record, which is 3rd in the Eastern Conference.
Rebound – Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis currently leads all players in rebounding by quite a margin, as he is posting 12.5 RPG ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo (11.9 RPG) and Rudy Gobert (11.6 RPG). Sabonis is elite at pulling down boards, and at 6’11”, 240 lbs, he has the size to hold the ball tightly when coming down.
Of course, Sabonis is also elite at pushing the break because he is averaging 7.4 APG as a center. His skill set is unique because he is a capable back-to-the-basket player, yet can do many things on the court. Since he is pulling down the most rebounds per game for the 27-19 Sacramento Kings, he is the rebound master right now.
Assist – Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is the leader in assists at his position and ranks 2nd in the NBA in APG behind Tyrese Haliburton. Jokic averages 9.9 APG, which is behind 10.2 APG by the assist leader, but Nikola’s passing makes the Denver Nuggets much better than the Indiana Pacers. Quite simply, Nikola is a gifted playmaker as he can read the floor like a point guard and can set up plays thanks to his leadership and basketball I.Q.
Jokic is unstoppable as a playmaker on the fast break and at half-court. On the break, Nikola has outstanding court vision and always makes the right play. At 6’11’ and 284 lbs, defenders can’t stop the center from making pinpoint passes in the half-court, and Jokic is almost averaging a triple-double with 9.9 APG this season.
Free Throw – Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is not only the most efficient mid-range shooter in the NBA but the best free-throw shooter as well. The 4-time scoring champion is nailing 93.4% from the stripe, leading all players in pure percentage. Even without percentage, nobody can make free throws better than KD beyond Stephen Curry.
Curry is averaging 91.6% from the line, but Durant’s number is just higher and, quite frankly, phenomenal. Durant is nailing that many free throws even when attempting over 7 free throws per game on average. Over his career, Durant is posting 88.6% from the line, and he is posting his career-high so far this season.
Steal – OG Anunoby
OG Anunoby is one of the game’s best perimeter defensive players, as evidenced by the fact he leads all players in steals at 2.1 SPG ahead of De’Anthony Melton (1.9 SPG) and Gary Trent Jr (1.8 SPG). At 6’7” and 232 lbs, Anunoby has the size to defend 4 positions and is also elite at playing passing lanes for easy steals.
Anunoby is also improving as a one-on-one defense, and at age 25, he is coming to his prime as a two-way wing player. The current Toronto Raptors player is doing his best to poke balls away from defenders and play passing lanes, and the proof is in the stats because Anunoby is also the leader in total steals (90 steals) ahead of Anthony Edwards (86).
Ankle Breaker – Kyrie Irving
No player in the NBA right now has better handles than current Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving. Kyrie handles the ball better than any point guard and makes easy plays that are necessary for his team to win games. He has great handles that allow him to alter his speed anytime he wants, beat his defender with dribble moves, and maintain possession of the ball when he is moving through traffic.
Irving can slice to the basket, stun defenders, and constantly break ankles. Every season, Kyrie has a spectacular mix of ankle-breakers, and nobody does it better. Some other players have elite handles, such as Stephen Curry and Ja Morant, but no player has shattered ankles more than Kyrie, and he has not slowed down this season at all when judging by the never-ending number of highlights.
Set Screen – Draymond Green
Draymond Green sets a mean pick, and that is not a joke. The 4-time NBA champion is often semi-ridiculed for his “triple-single” exploits on the stat sheet, but he is one of the most versatile defenders of all time and the best player in the world right now when it comes to setting effective picks for his teammates.
Draymond’s greatest asset might be his pick-setting, even beyond his elite playmaking and defensive abilities. Green knows the angle and speed to throw defenders off and allows the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole to go ballistic from deep. Even if the Golden State Warriors are 23-24 this season, Draymond’s presence worked last year as the team won the NBA title.
Game-Winner – LeBron James
LeBron James is not considered an all-time great closer because he prefers to be a passer rather than a scorer, but he is the man who is trusted to make a game-winner. At the very least, James has plenty of experience in tight situations and has developed an angry streak down the stretch of games.
The King has greatly improved his mid-range shooting and is the model of efficiency, now nailing 60.1% on two-pointers. If James takes fewer threes, his overall field-goal percentage would be even higher than 50.8% from the field. Even if The King would likely make a layup at the buzzer than a jumper, he would be the man to end games.
Hustle – Marcus Smart
Reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart has built a career out of being a hustler. This season, Smart is posting 1.3 SPG and 0.4 BPG, which shows he is still an elite defender, but he is even better at diving for loose balls and doing the dirty work that does not appear on the stat sheet.
Patrick Beverley is another player who is built on hustle, but he seems to be more irritating than effective at times. Smart can be dominant on defense when he is locked in but is literally willing to take a hit for the team to gain possession. Hopefully, Smart’s efforts will result in another Finals appearance for the Boston Celtics.
Alley-Oop – Zion Williamson
Nobody can finish an alley-oop like Zion Williamson, one of the best talents in the world right now. The superstar big man has dealt with injuries yet again but has done enough to show he can be an impact player by posting 26.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 4.6 APG for the New Orleans Pelicans. Hopefully, he can keep healthy because the potential is there for Zion and his team.
On the break, Zion is unstoppable at 6’6” and 284 lbs. His massive frame means once Zion is in the air, he can dunk defenders and the ball through the basket. We saw what Williamson could do on a physical level in college with Duke University, but he is just as great at catching oops in the NBA. With Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Jose Alvarado throwing him lobs, Zion is the master alley-ooper.
Draw A Foul – Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic is unstoppable on offense right now, averaging 33.6 PPG for the Dallas Mavericks as the only true star on the team. Luka does everything for the Mavericks, and his scoring is coming in bunches, whether it is from deep, mid-range, or near the rim. The Slovenian is posting an obscene amount of touches from the foul line, as well.
Doncic has elite post-moves and footwork, which allows him to fool defenders and get to the free-throw line consistently. This season, Luka is averaging 11.3 attempts per game and has accumulated the foul shots in the NBA with 485 total attempts, of which he has made 353 at 72.8% efficiency.
Block Shot – Nic Claxton
Brook Lopez deserves credit, but the man leading all shot-blockers is an athletic and explosive big man, Nic Claxton. At 6’11” with a 7’2” wingspan, Claxton has the size to be an elite shot-blocker, but he can also explode off his feet at 215 lbs which makes him even more deadly. Claxton is quite skinny, considering his height, but that allows him to be quick off his feet to get to players.
This season, Nic Claxton is averaging 2.7 BPG, which leads all players, including Brook Lopez (2.5 BPG), Myles Turner (2.4 BPG), and Mitchell Robinson (1.8 BPG). Even when it comes to total blocks in the season, Claxton leads Lopez (118 to 114) and has had a major impact on the Brooklyn Nets this season as the team stands 29-17.
Call The Play – LeBron James
LeBron James has the highest basketball IQ in the game, even today, at 38 years old. He reads the game better than anyone else and calls a play that is almost always the right move. It is widely known that The King has a photographic memory of the playbook and simply knows the right plays to call to place the team in an advantageous position.
James once led the NBA in assists in the 2020 season (10.2 APG) and has a career average of 7.3 APG as a pass-first small forward. The King can make any pass on the court, but he is just as effective at dictating what happens in the offense. Even if James no longer wants to be a primary passer and wants to score non-stop to catch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record, he calls a play and leads an offense better than anyone else.
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