With the 2022-23 NBA season finally starting next week, the debates about who the best players in the league are one of the top discussions among fans and the media. Each person has a different opinion about it for whatever reason.
But if there’s one thing that most of them can agree on, it’s that Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player in the league as of now. The Greek Freak has an impressive resume and still has plenty of prime years left in him.
However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t players who are close to his level. One player who many believe can be viewed as a better player than Giannis is none other than the reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
Matt Barnes’ Controversial Top 5 Current NBA Players List
Ever since appearing on the recent episode of Shannon Sharpe’s ‘Club Shay Shay’ podcast, Barnes has given his opinion on a plethora of things. He previously shared a starting five featuring the best teammates he had during his NBA career.
Following that, Barnes has now revealed the five best players according to him heading into the 2022-23 NBA season. Surprisingly, Barnes snubbed Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic’s names from the list.
.@Matt_Barnes22 Top 5 NBA Players list doesn't include Luka Dončić or 2x MVP Nikola Jokić:
1. Giannis
2. Kevin Durant
3. Stephen Curry
4. LeBron James
5. Joel Embiid
"Giannis is incredible. He’s the one superstar who comes back better every single year in a different aspect." pic.twitter.com/MROgsBcGIk
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) October 12, 2022
“Giannis, KD, Steph, LeBron, and Embiid.”
Barnes’ list is not bad by any means. If anything, all the players he mentioned are some of the top players in the league. But the fact that he skipped the names of Luka and Jokic won’t sit well with NBA fans.
Many may understand not picking Doncic since he is still young and still has plenty of time to showcase his talents, snubbing Jokic is arguably the thing that will put Barnes in the hot seat. Jokic may not have won an NBA Championship, but he has won back-to-back NBA MVP awards. So, not picking him as one of the top 5 players in the league is pretty controversial.
