Here are my top 75 players heading into the 2025–26 season. I project less than other people who make these lists, and instead place a greater weighting on what they have done. If you think players should be higher or lower in the same tier, you probably could convince me with a long enough chat.

Here are some metrics that will be cited heavily in the article.

LEBRON – An all-in-one impact metric, it can be broken down into offensive and defensive LEBRON

Playmaking Talent – Our advanced passing metric

Shot Making/Shooting Talent – These shooting stats look at how well a player performs relative to shot quality + volume and self-creation 

Defensive Playmaking – This looks at defensive box score stats, deflections, steals, blocks, and offensive fouls drawn per 75 possessions

True Shooting + – It’s a way to measure scoring efficiency where 100 is the league average. 101 would be one percent better than the league average

 

A+ Tier

1. Nikola Jokic – DEN

Jokic has been the best player in the league for a while now. Entering his age 30 season, we’re now in the back half of his prime, but that shouldn’t concern anyone. He posted career highs in assists and free-throw attempts per game last season and can still easily carry the Denver offense. Efficiency is something that’s often mentioned when talking up Jokic. Normally, it’s regarding his otherworldly scoring, but the amount of passing value relative to how much he has the ball is by far the best in the league. He was 2nd in Playmaking Talent and 109th in Ball Dominance% (The literal percentage of the time he has the ball on offense). Defensively, his rim protection is bad, but he makes up for it with legitimately great Defensive Playmaking (88th Percentile). He’s also good at defending pick and rolls away from the basket. 

 

2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OKC

SGA is coming off an MVP, Finals MVP, and an NBA championship. Quite the resume. He led the league in scoring and finished with a True Shooting+ of 111(extremely good). Couple that with a 16th-place finish in Playmaking Talent, and you’ve got yourself a player capable of carrying any offense. The conversation around his defense needs a lot of context. Yes, He’s on one of the greatest defenses in NBA history. No, he’s not asked to do much defending on the perimeter (13th percentile in Matchup difficulty). However, his defensive impact numbers over his career have been pretty strong, leading me to believe he’s not just benefiting from fantastic teammates. He adds most of his defensive value through elite steal and block numbers, roaming away from his man, which historically are difficult to fake.

 

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo – MIL

Giannis has averaged 30 points a game for the last 3 years, it would have been four years, but he missed it by 0.1 a few years back. Absurd volume on amazing efficiency (TS+ 108). His passing was a topic of conversation this offseason, and this is a place he’s been chronically underrated his entire career. He’s averaged about a top 20 finish in Playmkaing Talent over the last nine years (22nd last season). On defense, he’s still very good, he’s just not at the insane defensively player of the year level he was at the beginning of the decade. His average finish in D-LEBRON over the last three years has been 73rd, while his average finish from 2019-21 was 5th. Like I said, still good (86th percentile ) but not hyper elite.

 

A Tier

4. Luka Doncic – LAL

We all agree that Luka had a down year last season. What’s crazy is he still averaged 28 pts, 7.7 assists, 102 TS+. “Down years for me are career years for most quarterbacks” – Aaron Rodgers. I’m expecting his shooting to rebound, his one-on-one eFG% went from about 54% over a 3-year sample to 46% last year. That’s probably a combination of bad shooting luck, lack of separation from poor conditioning, and injury. It was the perfect storm to put a real dent in his efficiency numbers. Expect a heck of a bounce-back season.

 

A- Tier

5. Stephen Curry – GSW

Heading into his age-37 season, Steph is still an elite player. We always theorized that his skill set would age like wine, and the turns out we were all right. In his mid 30’s his efficiency has seen a noticeable drop, from all-time great to just very good. The overall production remains high and his off-ball shooting still warps defenses in a major way. His time spent on-ball has been slowly trending down in recent years, but that’s to be expected given his age.

 

6. Victor Wembanyama – SAS

Vic is the best defensive player in the league by a noticeable margin. He was third in Defensive Playmaking last year, but had a strangely low steal rate given his 2024 results and his deflection numbers (Meaning it should be higher next year). He also finished first in our Rim Protection metric. Offensively, he took a huge shot making leap, thanks to an improved three-point shot (35%). He’s flashed great passing, but does have turnover issues. San Antonio will have a lot more ball handling this season, so his off-ball scoring should see a nice boost.

 

7. Anthony Edwards – MIN

In year five, Ant traded some inside-the-arc shot attempts for threes. This resulted in him finally finishing a season with above-average efficiency relative to the league (103 TS+). That’s an important milestone for an on-ball creator. He was the most improved pull-up 3pt shooter in the league last season, and that added dimension could help negate any potential teammate spacing concerns as he enters his prime. He saw his defensive impact drop below league average last season, but he was used in our “Helper” defensive role, which doesn’t make a lot of sense given his size. He found a little more success as a “Chaser” and “Wing Stopper” in recent years. Also, anytime someone is nitpicking a star’s defense, it means they are really good.  

 

8. Jalen Brunson – NYK

Brunson made the ALL-NBA second team in back-to-back years, cementing himself as a top 10 player. He features a dynamic scoring package headlined by a deep midrange bag of pull ups, counters moves, and floaters. He doesn’t spend a ton of time off-ball, but he was one of the most efficient players in the league on spot ups last year. A fun fact about his passing is that his assists per game have increased every year of his career. A big part of his game is getting to the strong free line, which helps bolster his fantastic scoring efficiency (TS+ 105). Defensively, he’s not very good, but for a 6’2 guard with a massive offensive workload, that’s to be expected. 

 

9. Donovan Mitchell – CLE

Donnie was fifth in O-LEBRON and headed the number one offense in the league. He was a monster in transition (First in Transition Shot Making) and had strong on/off-ball gravity in the halfcourt. He’s not known for his passing, but he was one of the best players in the league when it came to limiting bad pass turnovers last year. Defensively, he’s fine, and he’s not often asked to do much. Mitchell has a very long track record of being a top 10ish player.

 

10. Anthony Davis – DAL

The pendulum swings so hard in terms of public opinion of AD. Normally, it comes down to the topic of health, and the average fan at home being furious that somebody has unlimited sick time at their job. I’ve always put him in the category of, this guy isn’t supposed to exist, so any amount of games played is a miracle. He’s only 32, meaning the future Hall of Famer should have another 3ish elite seasons in him. Whenever he does play his impact is always absurdly high thanks to his on/off-ball scoring, rebounding, and versatility on both ends of the floor. Post-ups, as a roll man, cuts, iso’s, he can best you in so many different ways. Defensively, he’s always in the defensive player of the year race and has the versatility to excel in any playoff matchup. Yes, the injuries can be frustrating, but when he plays, he’s a monster.   

 

11. Devin Booker – PHX

Booker was actually pretty good last year, but the Suns were not. The roster didn’t make sense, but that’s not his fault. He’s a really effective off-screens, and ideally would play with a true point guard. He doesn’t have the vertical pop that other stars have, but he’s great in the midrange and has elite touch. Defensively, he’s quite bad. 

 

12. Kevin Durant – HOU

The bad news is Kevin is 37 and his offensive impact has been declining every year since his Achilles tear. The good news is he’s probably the most portable star in the history of the league. A true plug and play scorer. He’s still a hyper elite volume scorer that doesn’t need the ball a ton to be effective. Kevin is lethal in the midrange and one of the better off-ball scorers in the league. He gives you a little help with rim protection, rebounding, and lineup flexibility, which helps bolster his defensive value.  

 

13. LeBron James – LAL

Heading into his age 41 season, LeBron is in uncharted territory. He’s had to alter his game over the last few seasons now that his first step is nonexistent. However, he remains a strong finisher and passer, and has even made himself into a good spot up option. The defense has been slowly declining, but he is still a pretty good rebounder, and he’s still able to turn it up a gear in the playoffs. The analysis comes down to him just being incredibly old.

 

14. Jayson Tatum – BOS

Tatum is a really really good all around player, but the torn achilles makes projecting his future murky. On the plus side, he’s still in his 20’s so he should heal better than someone like Dame, but if he loses some of that special movement ability, do some of those rim attempts become midrangers? KD came back and played at an elite level, but his height and pull-up shooting made his decreased mobility less of an issue. Tatum is smaller and is a much worse self creator. If he didn’t sustain such a serious injury, he probably would have been ranked 7th.

 

15. Tyrese Haliburton – IND

Another torn achilles case, sans injury, I would have had him one spot behind Tatum if they were both healthy (7 and 8). Tyrese already didn’t have much burst, which is concerning when you wonder what he’ll be athletically when he comes back. He was already a poor defender, and he had issues self creating for himself in the playoffs. On the plus side, his passing is generational, like savant sage level stuff.

 

B+

16. Kawhi Leonard – LAC

Kawhi is in a weird spot in terms of his overall value. He only played in 37 games last season, and he’s heading into his age 34 season. His elite seasons are most likely behind him, but he’s still a pretty good scorer. His O-LEBRON has plummeted over the last two seasons (3.97 in 2023 and 1.57 in 2025). He’s still pretty good on defense, but his energy bar feels so much smaller than it used to be. He wasn’t asked to guard anybody last year, and he spent more time away from the ball.

 

17. Joel Embiid – PHI

Everything you think about Embiid hinges on his health. He only played in 19 games last year and clearly wasn’t right physically. Before getting shut down in 2024 he was in the midst of one of the greatest scoring seasons of all time. It got to the point where he could dominate a game by just catching the ball at the elbow and facing up every possession. If he can be 80% healthy, he’s probably still an all-star.

 

18. Zion Williamson – NOP

Yet another injury case. In the 30 games Zion looked fantastic. He was overwhelming defenders and getting to the rim, and the passing looked really good. I’m a big believer in point Zion and think he’s primed to make his first All-NBA team if he can play enough games. He’s right up there with Giannis when it comes to driving and finishing at the basket, and it’s not all athleticism. His touch is otherworldly around the rim. The surrounding talent is pretty bad, which might hurt his efficiency some

 

19. Cade Cunningham – DET

Cade took a huge leap forward last season and made his first All-NBA team. His ability to run the show and carry a huge offensive load is really valuable. He’s one of the best playmakers in the league thanks to his handle and elite court vision. He’s really strong and uses his size to bully smaller defenders in the midrange. One of the oddest things about his game is how inefficient he is at the rim given his size. What makes it extra weird is that he’s one of the best players in the league in our Rim Shot Making metric. This means his actual efficiency is low, but he’s really good at hitting tough shots at the rim. His lack of vertical pop is pretty apparent on tape and probably caps his high-end potential.

 

20. Trae Young – ATL

Trae has been an elite passer for years now, regularly finishing in the top 10 of our Playmaking Talent. He’s a gifted lob thrower and blends them with floater finishes to keep defense guessing. In the past, he hasn’t played with a lot of talent, but this year the Hawks look better on paper. Trae is one of the worst defenders in the league, but playing with Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker should help hide that this season. It’s pretty clear to me that Trae isn’t a number 1 guy, instead a high end number 2 option

 

21. Jalen Williams – OKC

Jalen took a massive leap forward last season on his way to a championship. He’s one of the most versatile players in the league on both ends of the court and has an extremely high basketball IQ. He can do it all on offense, scoring on volume, spacing, and passing. He leverages his insane wingspan well and gets really creative with his finishes at the rim. On defense, he guarded one through five last year due to injuries and performed really well. He’s a good defensive playmaker and can make an impact both on/off ball. He has a well-rounded game that makes him ideal to be a secondary star.

 

22. Jimmy Butler – MIA

I always thought that if Jimmy was a number two option, his team would almost certainly win the championship, however, I think that’s happened a little too late in his career. He’s going to be 36 this year, and there doesn’t seem to be much tread left on the tire. He’s still really efficient, he still takes care of the ball, he still defends, but he’s visibly limping seemingly all of the time. He hasn’t played 65 games in a season this decade, and at his advanced age, I don’t think that’s going to change this year. The bright side is his per 75 stats are still strong, and he has a really high basketball IQ. 

 

23. Ja Morant – MEM

Over Ja’s first 6 years, he’s been a good player. He had one season (2022) where he looked like an elite player. That was the only season he finished with his true shooting % over league average. I think he’s similar to Trae, clearly a great playmaker, terrible defensively, and hasn’t shown the ability to add value as an off-ball player. This is his age 26 season, and he’s running out of time to have potential.

 

24. Kyrie Irving – DAL

Kyrie will miss a big chunk of the year while he rehabs his torn ACL. A torn ACL isn’t nearly as devastating as it once was, but it’s still significant. For a guy who’s so reliant on shiftiness, you wonder what he will be like when he’s back. Prior to his injury, the scoring was great, and the playmaking was still pretty solid for a secondary option. 

 

25. Damian Lillard – POR

The days of Dame being an elite player are most likely over. He tore his Achilles and will miss the entire season. When he comes back he will be 36 years old, which is normally the cliff for most Hall of Famers. He may be able to transition into a lesser role and remain effective. He was already a liability on defense, and getting slower isn’t going to help anything. 

 

26. Evan Mobley – CLE  

He won Defensive Player of the Year in his fourth season and is the closest thing we’ve seen to AD since he’s joined the league. He showed significant improvement in every season and took a noticeable jump on offense last year. Unfortunately, he was hampered by an injury in the playoffs and didn’t get to show out on a larger stage. He shot 37% from three on 3 attempts a game, if he can increase that to 5 to 6 attempts a game, his offensive value will skyrocket. There’s so much to like about his game, especially his switchability on defense.

 

Tier B

27. Dereck White – BOS

Derek is an analytics darling. He’s one of the most well-rounded guards in the league. He’s a quality scorer both on/off ball, a good passer, and an excellent defender. He’s a true two-way player. He’s the best guard in the league defending at the rim, as well as in transition. He shot 9 threes a game at 38% last year, I’m not sure if people realize how good of a shooter he’s become

 

28. Franz Wagner -ORL

Franz is another player who the analytics love, a two-way wing with some scoring juice and really exciting playmaking. Orlando should lean into him more as a point forward. Relative to how much he has the ball, he was one of the passers in the league. One of the more confusing things about Franz is his three-point shooting. In his first two seasons, he was pretty solid on volume (36%), but the last two years have been horrid (29%). His pull-up shooting is by far his biggest weakness. This is concerning when talking about his long-term ceiling. Defensively, he’s good.

 

29. Pascal Siakam – IND

Siakam is another two-way wing who can score and pass. Since joining the Pacers a year and a half ago, he’s shot 39% from three, and a scorching 43% during their Finals run. He has a nice midrange game, specifically the short midrange, and he’s quite effective at the rim. He leverages his size well and has a better handle than you would assume. He’s a solid rebounder and provides some resistance at the rim.

 

30. Bam Adebayo – MIA

Bam offers elite switchability and was the number one big in our Perimeter Isolation Defense metric last year. He made the BBI All-Defensive Team but didn’t crack the media’s squad.  His scoring efficiency has been pretty bad the last few years, but that’s in part due to situation. His on-ball scoring has never been very good, and the Heat lack a PnR maestro. It looks like he added a three point shot, shooting 36% on almost 3 attempts a game. That’s something to monitor this season. If he can up the volume, that could add to his offensive game.

 

31. Tyrese Maxey – PHI

Maxey missed a chunk of the season and had a down year. He struggled from the three point line, which really affected his overall efficiency. His scoring pressure is really good, and he’s one of the quickest players in the league, but his passing is a bit concerning. He doesn’t have great vision and the quality he creates for others is near the bottom of the league. His high assist numbers are a function of him having the ball a lot.

 

32. Chet Holmgren – OKC

Chet is already one of the best rim protectors in the league and a good pick for any preseason All-Defensive team prediction list. He has good mobility on the perimeter and had flashes of dominance during OKC’s title run. However, we’re still waiting on the offense to catch up. The on-ball scoring is a work in progress, but he’s already an above average off-ball, with the ability to space beyond the three point line. His handle is intriguing, but he currently loses the ball more than any player in the league.

 

33. Jamal Murray – DEN

Jamal is a very hot and cold player. When he’s on, he scores like an All-NBA guy, when he’s not, he disappears. He’s a solid secondary playmaker and the most underrated pull up shot maker in the league. If he took more threes and fewer midrange shots, he would be a better player. Defensively, he’s a sieve that doesn’t have any redeeming qualities. Think Kyrie lite.

 

34. Jaylen Brown – BOS

Jaylen had a down year, struggling to score away from the rim. His three point shot has completely disappeared, he’s shot below 34% from in two of the last three seasons. Defenses have slowly started to realize this fact and play off him more. He’s been one of the better midrange shooters in recent years, but performed well below expectations last year. Even with declining off-ball gravity he’s one of the best players in the league at getting to the rim. Defensively he’s been an average player for years now that’s pretty good on-ball. 

 

35. Karl Anthony Towns – NYK

KAT’s first season in NY went about as well as it could have. He was a phenomenal scorer and he rebounded the heck out of the ball on defense. We’ve known the KAT scouting report for years, unreal offensive, very bad defense. It helps he’s played more of the four these past few years, It makes his defensive issues less catastrophic.   

 

36. Daruis Garland – CLE

Daruis had a career year last season, making his second all-star team. He is an elite playmaker and good scorer. His quickness lets him touch the paint and collapse defenses and his 3pt shooting makes him a good off-ball option. His passing as a secondary option makes him a great fit next to most score first stars. Defensively, I always thought he was a little better than his reputation, capable of providing competitive possessions on the perimeter. 

 

37. LaMelo Ball – CHA

LaMelo is one of the most gifted passers in the league, but because of his situation, it makes evaluating everything else he does difficult. Pair that is his lack of games played in recent years, and anybody claiming they have a high confidence evaluation of him is fibbing. He took 11 threes a game last season (that’s Steph Curry territory). This bombs away approach didn’t yield the best results (34% from three), but it did crank up his scoring volume to 25 points a game. He carries one of the largest offensive loads in the league, thanks to the Hornets’ lack of on-ball options. I think he’s bested suited as a number two option next to a score first wing/big.

 

38. Desmond Bane – ORL

Bane is a really good shooter, like a really really good shooter, like every time he takes a three it’s a great shot, level shooter. Orlando made a big splash by adding him in the offseason, and along with the off-ball scoring, he provides some secondary initiation that should help bulk out their offense. If the Magic’s other young up and coming stars progress and Bane’s left hitting wide open spot ups, he’s going to produce some gaudy efficiency numbers.

 

39. Amen Thompson – HOU

Amen is heading into year 3 and is an obvious most improved candidate. He made first team all-defense last year and is one of the best athletes in the league. Thompson’s one of the most versatile defenders in the league and and his Defensive Playmaking is elite. The flashes on offense have been exciting, we’ve all seen that one highlight of him going behind the back against the Warriors about 100 times this offseason. While he’s not a perimeter shooter, his effectiveness scoring in the paint is impressive. 

 

40. Zach LaVine – SAC

If it wasn’t for Zach’s contract, he would be regarded much higher around the league. He has one of the most omptimized scoring games in the league. LaVine is coming off an absurd 3pt shooting season where he connected on 44% of his pull ups (4.4 attempts a game!). For context, there are only three seasons in the BBI database (Going back to 2014) where a player had a higher Stable Pull Up 3PT%, and two of those seasons were Steph. The issue with LaVine is he doesn’t do much else but score, but again, he’s really really good at scoring. He was only one of six players to average +20 Points Per 75, +2 in Overall Shot Making, and +5 in Relative True Shooting %. Meaning he was hyper efficient, while converting difficult shots, on volume.

 

41. Austin Reaves – LAL

Reaves took a big leap last season in terms of total output while remaining ultra efficient. He checks a lot of boxes as a third option. As an on-ball scorer, his 3pt pull up shooting is dangerous, and he’s great at getting to the free throw line. Off-ball he’s one of the best spot up options in the league (5th in Stable Spot up PPP in 2025). He even finished 18th in Playmaking Talent. Defensively, he’s a negative,  in part due to his defensive playmaking being nonexistent.   

 

42. James Harden – LAC

This will be Harden’s age 36 season and while his playmaking still gives him a great floor, his lack of scoring in the paint caps his ceiling raising potential. Harden’s a strange player because his regular season value is so much higher than his playoff value. This has always been the case on some level, but it’s more extreme now. His D-LEBRON has been solid over the last two years which is a surprise to most people.

 

43. Jaren Jackson Jr.

The two time All Star is a dynamic defender with the mobility to consistently disrupt plays from the four. That type of versatility is a massive value add to any defense. For a big, he’s a bad rebounder, which limits the Grizzles’ lineup flexibility somewhat, but as long as you play with with a center it’s not an issue. His offensive game seems good on paper, he shot 38% from 3 last year on five attempts a game, and he best floater in the league in our Floater Talent metric. But in reality, he’s very inconsistent and disappears frequently. 

 

44. Lauri Markkanen – UTA

Lauri had a down year last season, but it is important to note that he is playing on a team that was actively trying to lose. There isn’t much NBA talent around him. We should be careful not to overreact to one bad year especially when the two prior were so good.

 

45. De’Aaron Fox – SAS

Fox is a solid starting point guard who takes care of the ball and can hit tough shots inside of the arc. His quickness pressures defenses and he provides solid playmaking. He’s not a very efficient player, with only one season with a True Shooting% above league average. His lack of size hurts him on both ends of the floor .

 

46. Kristaps Porzingis – ATL

When he’s played over the last few seasons KP has been a really effective offensive player. Scoring in the post, hitting spots ups, roll man possessions, he’s been great on all of them. The issue with KP is health, he misses so much time and has been mostly unavailable in the playoffs over the last two seasons. At 7’3 he’s great at contesting shots at the rim, but strangely, he’s not a good rebounder.

 

Tier B-

47. Paolo Banchero – ORL

The Paolo hype got out of control this offseason. Yes, there are things to like, He’s great when getting downhill and attacking the basket, he has an amazing free throw rate, even flashes nice passing chops. But the raw scoring efficiency has been bad. Shot making, which looks at how well you shoot relative to shot quality, has been bad for Paolo in the Half Court. I’m not saying it can’t get better, but we need to see some evidence in year four. His defensive impact has been so so, and I worry that number is being artificially propped up by his teammates. His defensive playmaking is poor, and he’s not very effective contesting shots at the rim. 

 

48. Alperen Sengun – HOU

Heading into his age 23 season, people are very excited about Sengun. He has some fantastic post moves, touch, and a surprising amount of slither for his size. His off-ball scoring efficiency is a problem and does hurt his overall scoring impact. Sengun’s passing looks to be special and his defense is improving. He’s not good at challenging shots at the rim, but his help defense numbers are good, and his PnR coverage grades were near the top of the league.

 

49. Aaron Gordon – DEN

Gordon is an elite glue guy that brings defensive versatility, great cutting, and underrated passing. Couple that with a high basketball IQ and you have a guy that can make an impact in a lot of different ways. He randomly shot 44% from three last year, that’s probably going to regress, but efficiency isn’t an issue for him. His chemistry with Jokic is unreal, and he seems ready and willing to fill whatever need the Nuggets have on a night-to-night basis.

 

50. OG Anunoby – NYK 

OG is an ideal role player in his prime. He’s an incredible perimeter defender with great versatility.  He has a long history of being a quality spacer, and he’s able to provide some additional scoring on top of that. OG has one of the most portable skillsets in the league. Durability isn’t his calling card, but he did appear in 74 games last season.

 

51. Ivica Zubac – LAC

Zu has been a quality big for a long time, who’s a good rim protector, rebounder, and play finisher. Last season he elevated his game to and made an All-Defense team. He’s a classic anchor big thriving in the modern game. His positioning is sound, he leverages his size well, and does a good job of staying within himself. I talk a lot about defensive playmaking because it’s decently correlated with defensive impact, but Zu is a rare example of a high-end defender who is one of the worst event creators on defense. Again, this goes back to smart positioning, understanding how to leverage being huge, and not fouling.  

 

52. Draymond Green – GSW

Dray is entering his age 35 season but remains an elite defender. Not much to report other than that. The passing is nice, the scoring is awful. Being a crazy person is sometimes a double-edged sword. We’ll see which way it cuts this year.

 

53. Alex Caruso – OKC

I have been higher on AC than probably anyone else in the world. He’s the greatest perimeter defender of his generation, and he collected his second championship ring as a key rotation player. His on-ball defense is amazing, and he was even guarding Jokic at points during the playoffs. What separates him from other top-tier perimeter defenders is his team defense. He’s so disruptive roaming and helping that he will sometimes take over a quarter without scoring. He’s finished in the top 10 in our Defensive Playmaking metrics in each of the last four seasons (3rd in 2025).

 

54. Rudy Gobert – MIN

Nothing I say here is going to change your mind about Rudy. He’s going to be 33, so he’s slowing down a little, but he remains a top 10 defender.

 

55. Cam Johnson – DEN

Prior to last season, Cam was one of the better spot up options in the league. Then last season Brooklyn started sending him off screens and getting him more involved via dribble handoff. He responded by scorching teams. He’s always been an efficient shooter, and now he’s going to be playing with Jokic. He might lead the league in 3pt%.

 

56. Mikal Bridges.- NYK

Bridges was the fascination of a lot of people in NBA circles the last few seasons. Originally, he was an elite 3&D guy on the Suns. Some people thought he could be a star, but I never understood why. His lack of passing and limited handle seemed like obvious obstacles. But that doesn’t mean he’s not a quality starter. He’s a good shooter, both from three and the midrange. His defense has declined with the larger offensive workloads in recent years, but he still can be good on the perimeter. I would call these types of players 3&D+ guys.

 

57. Tyler Herro – MIA

Herro took a big jump last season thanks to an improved midrange game and free throw rate. He was always a talented shooter, both from three and the free throw line (Led the league in FT% in 2023), but his midrange game had always lagged behind. Last year, specifically from the short midrange, he put up an elite season. His playmaking was noticeably better, posting the best playmaking Talent of his career without having the ball more than in previous seasons. Another part of his game is his great spacing. Defensively, he’s bad, he gets matchup hunted, and his defensive playmaking is among the worst in the league.

 

58. Paul George – LAC

PG had a terrible season last year, there’s no way to sugarcoat it. Everything went wrong for the Sixers and he was put into a role he can no longer fill. However, I don’t think George instantly became a bad basketball player. He’s going to be 35 this season, so things are slowing down on the offensive end, but his Defensive Playmaking is still really strong. Surprisingly, he posted the highest number of his career. That leads me to believe that once the Sixers get everybody back, he can transition into a solid starter that’s more defense-oriented. 

 

59. Trey Murphey III – NOP

 Trey is one of the more exciting up-and-coming offensive players in the game. He was used as a Movement Shooter last year, and should be used more on-ball this season. He saw a jump in his Rim Shot Creation last year, which is encouraging. Couple that with his off-ball gravity being elite, and he has a chance to be a very dynamic offensive player. I can’t praise his shooting enough, the volume, the range, the form, it’s very impressive. On defense, he was kept away from the ball in his first three years, but was used as a Wing Stopper last season and got toasted. 

 

60. Isaiah Hartenstein – OKC

IHart has popped in the defensive metrics for years. I remember sitting and thinking about him and Caruso joining the Thunder last offseason. They already had a good defense, and they added two great defenders, what would it look like? Turns out you get one of the greatest defenses in NBA history. He’s probably never going to make an All-Defense team, but in any given season, he’s not far off from that kind of impact. He’s a strong rim protector with good mobility. He’s disruptive, and he’s improved a lot in regard to controlling his fouling. On offense, he’s not much of a scorer outside of his floater, but he has been known to uncork a nice pass here and there.

 

61. Payton Pritchard – BOS   

Pritchard won 6th Man of the Year thanks to a historic bench scoring season. He was 85th% or higher in Stable 3pt%, Long Midrange%, Short Midrange%, and Rim%. That’s crazy. He was 96th percentile in Overall Shotmaking and 92nd in One-on-One Shot Making. It’s hard to describe how crazy this is from a bench player. On top of the on-ball stuff, he was one of the best spacers in the league (93rd percentile in C&S 3pt%). He had struggled defensively to start his career, but last year, he was about a neutral defender, even in a Point Of Attack role. 

 

62. Naz Reid – MIN

Naz Reid is a quality stretch four. Big Jelly was in the 91st percentile for Overall Shot Making, and at 6’9 was shockingly good at hitting pull up threes last season. His handle is pretty nasty, and he can put it on the floor and get to the rim. He’s a nice team defender and has the ability to switch onto perimeter players and slide with guards.

 

63. Jalen Johnson – ATL

Jalen is one of the more promising young players in the league. He’s a two-way wing that’s posted some impressive defensive impact numbers as a Wing Stopper. Jalen is a dynamic finisher and elite defensive rebounder for his position. One of the most interesting stats on him is how often he both catches lobs and throws them. His passing is a really interesting part of his game that makes me want to give him an Aaron Gordon comp. Johnson is a versatile player heading into his age-24 season.   

 

64. Julius Randle – MIN

I’ve never been a Randle guy. He’s a pretty good passer, an ok scorer, and terrible defender. He had a nice regular season and honestly a good playoff run. I just can’t see a team winning the title with Randle as one of their primary guys. I always say, he’s a good player, he’s just not better than the other good players in the league.

 

65. Domantas Sabonis – SAC

You might be sensing a trend here, I don’t like bigs that are bad at defense. There isn’t much of a history of teams winning with them. He is literally the worst defensive playmaking big in the league. Sabonis’ offense is amazing on paper, very efficient, decent volume, and a good passer, but in real life, it feels like so much less watching the games. Being a great DHO hub is nice, but I don’t think it provides any kind of difference-making. 

 

66. Jalen Suggs – ORL

Suggs missed most of the season with an injury but was fantastic in 2024. He’s an elite defensive guard, that’s the heart and soul of the Magic. He’s a decent passer who has flashed some shot making ability. Think Celtics Marcus Smart with the upside of a better outside shot. He’s an elite defensive playmaker who plays insanely hard. 

 

67. Brandon Ingram – TOR

Brandon is a really really good tough shot maker. The problem is that he only takes tough shots. He’s heading into his age 28 season, so what you see is what you get. He’s similar to Julius Randle in my mind. He’s a pretty good NBA player, but he’s just not better than the other good players. Outside of scoring, he’s a decent playmaker, but a horrible defender who does not look interested on that end of the floor. He had the 3rd lowest rate of defending on-ball in the league last year. 

 

68. T.J. McConnell – IND

McConnell was fantastic for the Pacers in the playoffs and specifically the Finals. I’ve always had a soft spot for ultra quick point guards that can consistently break down defenses in the half-court. The value of being able to force rotations and help avoid stagnation on offense is one of the most underrated skills in basketball. On defense, he applies an absurd amount of ball pressure, racking up plenty of deflections and steals. I’m very high on role players that provide impact without scoring.

 

69. Dyson Daniels – ATL

Dyson is a world-class defender. He averaged three steals a game last year, which no one had done in my lifetime! The Great Barrier Thief made 1st Team All-Defense and won Most Improved Player. His offense is still shaky, but he flashed some passing, and he’s improved his efficiency every year. If he can become a neutral on offense, he probably shoots up to the top of this tier.

 

70. Jarrett Allen – CLE

Allen is a quality big with an ideal skillset. He’s a good play finisher and strong defender. He can protect the basket and comfortably switch out onto the perimeter. He’s a good help defender and overall has good awareness, but he isn’t the strongest guy, and can struggle with physicality at times. On offense, he’s great at finishing lay downs around the basket and even has some touch away from the rim. His game is very straightforward and plugs in well next to stars.

 

71. Myles Turner – IND

Turner is a solid rim protector and good spacer. If you actually look at how many spacing bigs there are in the league, you will be shocked at how short the list is. There were 8 bigs in the league with a D-LEBRON above average relative to their role (Meaning they were above average defensively for being a big), that took four 3pt attempts per 75, and shot over 33%. It’s so hard to find a useful stretch big. That’s the entire case for Myles Turner. 

 

72. Jaden McDaniels – MIN

Jaden is one of the top on-ball defenders in the league. I can not overstate how difficult he is to score on in isolation. He guards the best players every night and has them in fits. His length and fluid movement are very difficult to deal with at (6’9). He doesn’t have a lot of offensive skill, but because he is so big, he’s pretty good at finishing at the rim when an advantage has been created for him. He’s also capable of knocking down a midrange shot, which is a nice value add. 

 

73. Bradley Beal – PHO

Hear me out, forget about the contract, cast aside your expectations. If I told you your team’s 6th man would score 17 points a game, shoot 39% from three, and post a 104 TS+, you would probably think that’s one of the top sixth men in the league. Big reveal, those were Brad’s numbers last year. He doesn’t provide value anywhere else, but the man can put the ball in the basket.

 

74. Scottie Barnes – TOR

I’ve said this for years, Scottie is this generation Andre Iguodala. He’s an elite glue guy who is versatile, can pass, and can defend. He’s very obviously not a lead scorer or spacer, and has been used in that role in Toronto out of necessity. If he were a third option on a good team, he would flourish.   

 

75. Steven Adams – HOU

He dominated a playoff series with offensive rebounding…That’s folklore stuff