Best Player for All 30 NBA Teams in 2023-24
/granite-web-prod/72/58/7258908b11484e5d834107457b4d30f1.jpeg)
This could be a truly amazing season to watch the NBA, with rule changes that make it so players have to be on the court for at least 65 games in order to qualify for postseason honors, a midseason tournament, and penalties for "load management" — meaning teams can't sit players for no reason like they've grown accustomed to.
One thing that hasn't changed? You can't win without stars. Here's a look at the best player for all 30 NBA teams headed into the 2023-24 season.
Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young, Point Guard
/granite-web-prod/be/ed/beedebd2127a4407b5fd789334f1c7f5.jpeg)
Age: 25 (sixth season)
2022-23 stats: 73 games, 26.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 49.6 FG%
Bottom line: Trae Young is a brilliant offensive player who has already run off several head coaches and his teammates, for all intents and purposes, seem to hate playing with him. You know what's not fun? Running clear outs on offense all game for someone who doesn't play defense and doesn't pass.
Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum, Small Forward/Power Forward
/granite-web-prod/2b/28/2b285bede43d4055807cd6d28536e1f6.jpeg)
Age: 25 years old (seventh season)
2022-23 stats: 74 G, 30.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 46.6 FG%
Bottom line: Jayson Tatum is a brilliant player who seems to get better every single year. The Celtics have built a team around him with the only goal of winning an NBA championship. Can he deliver?
Brooklyn Nets: Mikal Bridges, Shooting Guard/Small Forward
/granite-web-prod/ca/f5/caf5fbde83604a13aed5ea965a5783c3.jpeg)
Age: 27 years old (sixth season)
2022-23 stats: 83 G, 26.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.7 APG, 47.5 FG%
Bottom line: Mikal Bridges has shown flashes of greatness but finds himself on a pretty average team. Getting the Nets to the playoffs would be a huge accomplishment. Pulled off a rare feat last year after his trade from the Suns to the Nets in that he played 83 games — one more than on the NBA regular-season schedule.
Charlotte Hornets: LaMelo Ball, Point Guard
/granite-web-prod/25/c4/25c471850e4649779d1dafa993b14358.jpeg)
Age: 22 years old (fourth season)
2022-23 stats: 36 G, 23.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 8.5 APG, 41.1 FG%
Bottom line: LaMelo Ball played less than half of last season after he broke his wrist. He's one of the NBA's great young point guards and it's not hard to see the Hornets making a run to an Eastern Conference playoff spot with Melo's running mate, Miles Bridges, back in the fold after sitting out all of last season.
Chicago Bulls: DeMar DeRozan, Forward/Shooting Guard
/granite-web-prod/7c/8f/7c8f805cd17943718b1bcddfd0e5f0ab.jpeg)
Age: 34 years old (15th season)
2022-23 stats: 74 G, 24.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 5.1 APG, 50.4 FG%
Bottom line: DeMar DeRozan seems destined to be a player who sees his entire career play out on average to below-average teams. The Bulls are going to be worse this year than they were last year, when they went 40-42 and finished 10th in the Eastern Conference. DeRozan, to his credit, is surprisingly durable for someone his age.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell, Shooting Guard/Point Guard
/granite-web-prod/57/0d/570d7919e8b44db6903ad1bc8a522786.jpeg)
Age: 27 years old (seventh season)
2022-23 stats: 68 G, 28.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.4 APG, 48.4 FG%
Bottom line: Donovan Mitchell was a revelation for the Cavs in his first season after being traded from the Utah Jazz, where he'd spent his first six seasons. Mitchell made his first All-NBA Team as Cleveland finished fourth in the Eastern Conference — all that goodwill went by the wayside when the Cavs got hammered by the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. True story.
Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic, Point Guard/Shooting Guard
/granite-web-prod/0c/45/0c458a6947f040a9833b76aa06343e50.jpeg)
Age: 24 years old (sixth season)
2022-23 stats: 66 G, 32.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.0 APG, 49.6 FG%
Bottom line: All we've heard since Luka Doncic has been in the NBA is how special he is, but you know what special players do? They make the playoffs every year. Which Doncic and the Mavs didn't do last season despite making a midseason deal to bring in Kyrie Irving. Doncic gets more credit for being a "great" player without results than perhaps anyone in recent memory.
Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokic, Center
/granite-web-prod/7d/f9/7df9e2d410c0414b8a9bccc1442bb420.jpeg)
Age: 28 years old (ninth season)
2022-23 stats: 69 G, 24.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 9.8 APG, 63.2 FG%
Bottom line: Nikola Jokic cemented his place among the NBA's greatest players of all time last season by leading the Denver Nuggets to an NBA championship for the first time in franchise history. That's following back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player honors in 2021 and 2022. Jokic is truly one of one.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham, Point Guard
/granite-web-prod/44/bd/44bd2131fa7c4f26a8ab5854a34cdf07.jpeg)
Age: 22 years old (third season)
2022-23 stats: 12 G, 19.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 6.0 APG, 41.5 FG%
Bottom line: Cade Cunningham never seemed quite right in the brief appearance he made in 2022-23 — he only played 12 games before a stress fracture in his left shin sidelined him for the rest of the season. Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, was one of the NBA's most promising rookies two years ago and seems to be 100 percent headed into 2023-24 but the Pistons have one of the league's worst rosters.
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry, Point Guard
/granite-web-prod/e3/a7/e3a76e74ab3c45d4b1f94e9b705e85ba.jpeg)
Age: 35 years old (15th season)
2022-23 stats: 56 G, 29.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 6.3 APG, 49.3 FG%
Bottom line: The Golden State Warriors saw their season come apart before it even got going last season thanks to a devastating right-hand jab from Draymond Green to the face of shooting guard Jordan Poole during preseason practice. There wasn't much Curry could do after that — will be fascinating to see how the Warriors bounce back this year.
Houston Rockets: Jalen Green, Shooting Guard
/granite-web-prod/b8/3c/b83c95660bbe4fe5a2ba5c84d6d1bf49.jpeg)
Age: 21 years old (third season)
2022-23 stats: 76 G, 22.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 41.6 FG%
Bottom line: Because of his age and athleticism I'm giving Jalen Green this spot over free agent point guard Fred VanVleet, who is getting paid $40 million this season, but I don't expect Green to be Houston's best player by the end of the year. Watch how the team responds to VanVleet's leadership early on if you want to know how things will go for the Rockets this year.
Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Point Guard
/granite-web-prod/4e/c7/4ec7f8bb5eb2426dbdfa0c9f234d4e15.jpeg)
Age: 23 years old (fourth season)
2022-23 stats: 56 G, 20.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 10.4 APG, 49.0 FG%
Bottom line: Tyrese Haliburton had a breakout season last year as he became just the 15th player in NBA history to average over 20 points and 10 assists while shooting over 40 percent from beyond the three-point arc. The Pacers rewarded Haliburton with a five-year, $260 million max contract extension. Forgive me if I'm not totally sold — Haliburton missed almost 30 games last season.
Los Angeles Clippers: Kawhi Leonard, Small Forward
/granite-web-prod/70/64/7064f5f608e44542a891abecf36b530f.jpeg)
Age: 32 years old (13th season)
2022-23 stats: 52 G, 23.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, 51.2 FG%
Bottom line: Is Kawhi Leonard the least durable franchise player of all time? Leonard has played over 70 games just twice in 12 seasons and has two years in which he's played less than 10 games or missed the entire year. Leonard's act has grown tired.
Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James, Small Forward/Power Forward
/granite-web-prod/ad/88/ad88f6ccbf354c3eae677f07d7d72b2e.jpeg)
Age: 38 years old (20th season)
2022-23 stats: 55 G, 25.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 6.8 APG, 50.0 FG%
Bottom line: No one in NBA history has ever been this good for this long — LeBron James seems completely reinvigorated headed into his 20th season and now has two legitimately top-tier running mates with center Anthony Davis and guard Austin Reaves. Expect the ultra-competitive James to do everything possible to make sure he plays the minimum 65 games to qualify under the new rules for the All-NBA Team.
Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant, Point Guard
/granite-web-prod/7f/c8/7fc8adb614524cd0a066591737f836c9.jpeg)
Age: 24 years old (fifth season)
2022-23 stats: 61 G, 26.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 8.1 APG, 46.6 FG%
Bottom line: There are few players in the NBA, if any, who can match the talent Ja Morant brings to the court. Morant's off-the-court behavior has seen him kneecap his own franchise. Morant will miss the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season for his second gun-related incident in the last year — a staggering fall for a team that seemed like legit NBA title contenders before last season.
Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler, Small Forward
/granite-web-prod/22/5a/225a0db4865d47629cc2f4e133cfbc94.jpeg)
Age: 34 years old (13th season)
2022-23 stats: 64 G, 22.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG 5.3 APG, 53.9 FG%
Bottom line: Call him what you want — Himmy, Emo Jimmy, Playoff Jimmy — this is the guy you want when your team hits the playoffs. Jimmy Butler has led the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals twice in the last four seasons and has done it with very little help in terms of running mates. If Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro are all on the same page this year … watch out.
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Small Forward/Power Forward
/granite-web-prod/14/fc/14fc69aef1c44c32b2573b37ae43315e.jpeg)
Age: 28 years old (10th season)
2022-23 stats: 63 G, 31.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 5.7 APG, 55.3 FG%
Bottom line: The Milwaukee Bucks looked like a shell of their 2021 NBA championship team last season and the frustration from star Giannis Antetokounmpo was palpable in the offseason. The franchise responded with a blockbuster trade to bring in All-Star guard Damian Lillard. A happy Giannis is a good Giannis. One of the NBA's legit title contenders.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards, Shooting Guard
/granite-web-prod/5a/b6/5ab6939d847a464e8479ee27fa705c8b.jpeg)
Age: 22 years old (fourth season)
2022-23 stats: 79 G, 24.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.4 APG, 45.9 FG%
Bottom line: Don't buy the hype on Anthony Edwards or anything to do with the Timberwolves — don't forget they still have Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert on the roster. This is a team that could miss the playoffs entirely this season and Edwards isn't the guy you build a team around.
New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson, Power Forward
/granite-web-prod/ae/23/ae239f80d2104e37bc65e167dcb33b9b.jpeg)
Age: 23 years old (fifth season)
2022-23 stats: 29 G, 26.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.6 APG, 60.0 FG%
Bottom line: When Zion Williamson is healthy it makes the New Orleans Pelicans one of the best teams in the Western Conference and he's a legit top five player in the NBA. The problem is that he's never healthy — Williamson has played in 114 out of a possible 318 regular-season games in his first four seasons, including missing the entire 2021-22 season and only playing 29 games in 2022-23. Unreliable and uncommitted to being a great basketball player. Bad combination.
New York Knicks: Jalen Brunson, Point Guard
/granite-web-prod/1f/4d/1f4de2bbef724a2486bd2d56d6114ed7.jpeg)
Age: 27 years old (sixth season)
2022-23 stats: 68 G, 24.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 6.2 APG, 49.1 FG%
Bottom line: I'm aware the New York Knicks have an All-NBA Team player returning with power forward Julius Randle. Jalen Brunson is still the Knicks' best and most important player and the reason Randle was able to thrive last season after essentially being written off in 2021-22. I don't care if he's 5-foot-11 or whatever he is — dude can ball.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Point Guard/Shooting Guard
/granite-web-prod/b6/23/b623d82d6d4348208a45ff35b222b220.jpeg)
Age: 25 years old (sixth season)
2022-23 stats: 68 G, 31.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 5.5 APG, 51.0 FG%
Bottom line: The NBA's true revelation in 2022-23 may have been Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, who showed he was one of the league's elite players as he averaged 31.4 points and made the All-NBA Team for the first time. I'm probably more excited to watch the Thunder play this year than any team in the NBA with SGA and his crew of young stars around him. This could be fun.
Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero, Power Forward
/granite-web-prod/ca/43/ca432e956fe14a58818ec204b122de88.jpeg)
Age: 20 years old (second season)
2022-23 stats: 72 G, 20.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, 42.7 FG%
Bottom line: Paolo Banchero showed why the Orlando Magic made the right decision when they selected him No. 1 overall in 2022 by winning NBA Rookie of the Year honors. Banchero could be one of the NBA's best power forwards in several years, but the Magic going .500 this season could be looked at as a huge step forward. And a long shot. They're not very good.
Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid, Center
/granite-web-prod/05/15/0515a9f1daf542318b4acce23c17fd3b.jpeg)
Age: 29 years old (ninth season)
2022-23 stats: 66 G, 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG 4.2 APG, 54.8 FG%
Bottom line: Joel Embiid whined his way to winning an NBA MVP in 2022-23 and then we all go to watch as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic showed why he was still the league's best player. Embiid plays the same position. Look what the two players do for their teams. It's not comparable, it's not close and Embiid isn't going to get better with age. He'll just get hurt more and be slower.
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker, Shooting Guard
/granite-web-prod/47/41/47418b39b80343efafe50839a1cf22e4.jpeg)
Age: 26 years old (ninth season)
2022-23 stats: 53 G, 27.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 49.4 FG%
Bottom line: Devin Booker gets the slight edge here over Kevin Durant but it's kind of stunning to see he missed almost 30 games last season. If Booker, Durant, and Bradley Beal can all get on the same page and all stay healthy — which is a long shot — the Suns could be one of the better teams in the Western Conference. Just don't see that happening with their collective history.
Portland Trail Blazers: Deandre Ayton, Center
/granite-web-prod/be/dd/bedd66db3aee480db172e05a82846955.jpeg)
Age: 25 years old (sixth season)
2022-23 stats: 67 G, 18.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 58.9 FG%
Bottom line: I almost just gave this spot to rookie point guard Scoot Henderson but it's important to point out that Deandre Ayton has been a pretty decent NBA center for most of his career. Out of the gate, he's Portland's best player after an offseason trade from the Phoenix Suns, where he did some serious damage to his career and reputation by just not playing hard. It's the one thing fans can't ever really forgive or forget. Doubt that improves here but he's getting a fresh start. But Scoot's the alpha. How long it takes him to assert himself will be interesting to follow, and probably the only compelling thing about the Blazers this year.
Sacramento Kings: De'Aaron Fox, Point Guard
/granite-web-prod/4f/cc/4fcc401bff084592a2c56377b6356ae1.jpeg)
Age: 25 years old (seventh season)
2022-23 stats: 73 G, 25.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.1 APG, 51.2 FG%
Bottom line: This was really a toss-up between De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis — the two young stars for the Sacramento Kings who both made the All-NBA Team and led the franchise to the postseason for the first time in 16 years in 2022-23. The Kings got their souls ripped out in a first-round playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors in which both Fox and Sabonis choked magnificently. If that still lingers, it could spell doom for the Kings.
San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama, Center
/granite-web-prod/0f/3f/0f3f88b25b524452bb3e7987d7f99d23.jpeg)
Age: 19 years old (first season)
2022-23 stats: N/A
Bottom line: The only rookie to make this list, 7-foot-5 French center Victor Wembanyama has been hailed as the greatest prospect since LeBron James and the greatest center prospect since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. There's no reason to act like he's not the Spurs' best player. I'm guessing he wins Rookie of the Year and puts up a stat line that's close to 20 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks per game.
Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam, Power Forward
/granite-web-prod/1c/8b/1c8bcb869bfb43cea6856b11384b15f6.jpeg)
Age: 29 years old (eighth season)
2022-23 stats: 71 G, 24.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.8 APG, 48.0 FG%
Bottom line: There's not much to like about the Toronto Raptors — I really believed Scottie Barnes was the player who would have stepped forward and taken over as the team's best player in 2022-23 but it didn't happen. It's still Siakam. Take a nap when these dudes play.
Utah Jazz: Lauri Markkanen, Small Forward/Power Forward
/granite-web-prod/68/29/68297cd6d781490e9a155c63f44d5333.jpeg)
Age: 26 years old (seventh season)
2022-23 stats: 66 G, 25.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.9 APG, 49.9 FG%
Bottom line: Lauri Markkanen finally had a breakout season in 2022-23 as he was named an All-Star for the first time and the 7-foot native of Finland showed he can be a legit wing player and not a center. The Jazz have a very good head coach in Will Hardy, who was responsible for tapping into Markkanen's potential. Someone else needs to step up alongside him to make this work but it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Washington Wizards: Jordan Poole, Point Guard/Shooting Guard
/granite-web-prod/78/db/78dbf2cf142d422c93c225d03532d494.jpeg)
Age: 24 years old (fifth season)
2022-23 stats: 82 G, 20.4 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, 43.0 FG%
Bottom line: Jordan Poole gets the green light to be the best player on what will almost certainly be the NBA's worst team after rendering himself almost unplayable with the Golden State Warriors at the end of last season. Then they mercifully traded him. Light it up, man!