Ranking all 150 projected starters in the NBA is a challenging exercise. In case you missed part 1 of this series, where I covered players 150 through 11, this is the first year where I'm attempting to do exactly that.
As a reminder, only players who are projected to play the whole season are included, so you won't see Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, or other injured stars on this list.
The top 10, filled with true superstars, is going to come under much heavier scrutiny. Everybody has an opinion when it comes to this range, and there is no real consensus. Here's my top 10.
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Ranking all 150 starters in the NBA: Top 10
| Rank | Player | Team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nikola Jokic | Nuggets | Best passer and scorer in the league |
| 2. | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Thunder | Gumby driver, steals magnet |
| 3. | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Bucks | Best motor of any superstar |
| 4. | Luka Doncic | Lakers | Unguardable savant |
| 5. | Victor Wembanyama | Spurs | Will go down as an all-time defender |
| 6. | Stephen Curry | Warriors | Still the most dangerous shooter |
| 7. | Anthony Edwards | Wolves | Great shooter now to go with drives |
| 8. | Donovan Mitchell | Cavs | All-around scorer, improved defense |
| 9. | Jalen Brunson | Knicks | Physicality + deep bag |
| 10. | LeBron James | Lakers | Still this good in Year 23 |
| 11. | Anthony Davis | Mavericks | Lobs + elite defense |
| 12. | Kevin Durant | Rockets | Scoring unc |
| 13. | Cade Cunningham | Pistons | Tall floor general |
| 14. | Devin Booker | Suns | Three-level scorer |
| 15. | Tyrese Maxey | Sixers | Best no. 2 in the league |
| 16. | Pascal Siakam | Pacers | Star in any and every role |
| 17. | Evan Mobley | Cavs | DPOY with improved offense |
| 18. | Karl-Anthony Towns | Knicks | Best shooting big |
| 19. | Joel Embiid | Sixers | Still great at 70 percent |
| 20. | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Grizzlies | Improved offense / killer defense |
| 21. | Jimmy Butler | Warriors | Thunder to Curry's lightning |
| 22. | Jalen Williams | Thunder | Do-everything star |
| 23. | Jaylen Brown | Celtics | Consistent scorer, inconsistent habits |
| 24. | Kawhi Leonard | Clippers | Still that guy when healthy |
| 25. | Franz Wagner | Magic | Shooting hitch holding him back |
| 26. | Trae Young | Hawks | Nightly floater/lob 15-hit combo |
| 27. | Zion Williamson | Pelicans | Top 10 player when healthy |
| 28. | Bam Adebayo | Heat | Amazing defender with limited bag |
| 29. | Paolo Banchero | Magic | Highly skilled, needs better efficiency |
| 30. | De'Aaron Fox | Spurs | Gifted with the ball in his hands |
| 31. | James Harden | Clippers | Still makes all of the passes |
| 32. | Ja Morant | Grizzlies | Acrobatic at the cost of hard falls |
| 33. | Darius Garland | Cavs | Underrated passer, shoots from Mars |
| 34. | LaMelo Ball | Hornets | Best in creativity, worst in tattoos |
| 35. | Jamal Murray | Nuggets | One of the best with 0 All-Star games |
| 36. | Domantas Sabonis | Kings | Monster stats, flaws exposed in big games |
| 37. | Ivica Zubac | Clippers | High feel, do-your-job on both ends |
| 38. | Alperen Sengun | Rockets | Turkish Kevin McHale |
| 39. | Amen Thompson | Rockets | Freak athlete with a great motor |
| 40. | Derrick White | Celtics | Best glue guy in the league |
| 41. | Desmond Bane | Magic | Shooter with T-Rex arms |
| 42. | Chet Holmgren | Thunder | Go-go-gadget arms and silky-smooth 3s |
| 43. | Lauri Markkanen | Jazz | Three-level scorer in a bad situation |
| 44. | Draymond Green | Warriors | A+ defender but declining offense |
| 45. | Aaron Gordon | Nuggets | Safety blanket who can shoot now |
| 46. | Tyler Herro | Heat | Big scorer, defense exposed in playoffs |
| 47. | O.G. Anunoby | Knicks | Steals magnet and play finisher |
| 48. | Julius Randle | Wolves | Monster scorer who can pass now |
| 49. | Scottie Barnes | Raptors | Point forward with versatile defense |
| 50. | Jalen Johnson | Hawks | Do-everything athlete |
| 51. | Trey Murphy III | Pelicans | All-star talent fighting Pelicans injury curse |
| 52. | Norm Powell | Heat | Score-first guard with infinite confidence |
| 53. | DeMar DeRozan | Kings | Deadly pump fake / midrange game |
| 54. | Mikal Bridges | Knicks | Talented but floats through games |
| 55. | Zach LaVine | Kings | Electric scorer stuck in bad fits |
| 56. | Austin Reaves | Lakers | Overrated by Lakers fans, underrated by the rest |
| 57. | Dyson Daniels | Hawks | Steals savant with a nice floater |
| 58. | Jrue Holiday | Blazers | Elite defense, offense has fallen off |
| 59. | Rudy Gobert | Wolves | Historic rim protection with zero bag |
| 60. | Jarrett Allen | Cavs | Athletic rebounder who needs to show up in big games |
| 61. | Myles Turner | Bucks | Stretch big who is still a good defender |
| 62. | Brandon Ingram | Raptors | High volume scorer, must shoot more 3s and defend harder |
| 63. | Coby White | Bulls | Gunner/playmaker with size limitations |
| 64. | Isaiah Hartenstein | Thunder | Automatic floater, rock-solid on both ends |
| 65. | Jaden McDaniels | Wolves | Streaky offense, consistently awesome defense |
| 66. | Cam Johnson | Nuggets | High feel 3-and-okay-D |
| 67. | Lu Dort | Thunder | Hellacious defender with moon ball 3s |
| 68. | CJ McCollum | Wizards | Can still shoot it from everywhere |
| 69. | Jalen Suggs | Magic | Physical defender, streaky shooter |
| 70. | Paul George | Sixers | Body starting to fail him |
| 71. | Deni Avdija | Blazers | Good defender, physical driver |
| 72. | Michael Porter Jr. | Nets | Black hole gunner, good rebounder |
| 73. | Herb Jones | Pelicans | Not on Herb, 3-pointer comes and goes |
| 74. | Andrew Nembhard | Pacers | Insanely smart on both ends |
| 75. | Josh Hart | Knicks | Plays with reckless abandon |
| 76. | Aaron Nesmith | Pacers | Physical defender, knockdown shooter |
| 77. | Christian Braun | Nuggets | High motor role player |
| 78. | Brandon Miller | Hornets | Poor man's Paul George |
| 79. | Anfernee Simons | Celtics | Great shooter who can't defend |
| 80. | Brandin Podziemski | Warriors | Do-it-all coach's favorite |
| 81. | Josh Giddey | Bulls | Flawed stat stuffer |
| 82. | Rui Hachimura | Lakers | Physical scorer with defensive issues |
| 83. | Toumani Camara | Blazers | Amazing defender, capable shooter |
| 84. | RJ Barrett | Raptors | Bull in a china shop |
| 85. | Ausar Thompson | Pistons | 90's center in a wing's body |
| 86. | Andrew Wiggins | Heat | Good role player, weak motor |
| 87. | Cooper Flagg | Mavericks | Should be good right away |
| 88. | Jakob Poeltl | Raptors | Solid at everything but shooting |
| 89. | Devin Vassell | Spurs | Inconsistent 3-and-D talent |
| 90. | Dereck Lively II | Mavericks | Lobs, blocked shots, and passing |
| 91. | Onyeka Okongwu | Hawks | Undersized but makes it work |
| 92. | Dorian Finney-Smith | Rockets | Reliable 3-and-D vet, knows his role |
| 93. | Jalen Duren | Pistons | Great athlete and rebounder |
| 94. | Jordan Poole | Pelicans | Closer to his Warriors form now |
| 95. | Jalen Green | Suns | Up-and-down scorer |
| 96. | Bradley Beal | Clippers | Can still score |
| 97. | Stephon Castle | Spurs | Great defender, inefficient scorer |
| 98. | Immanuel Quickley | Raptors | Can he ever stay healthy? |
| 99. | John Collins | Clippers | Underrated all-around scorer |
| 100. | Tobias Harris | Pistons | Reliable veteran leader |
| 101. | Jaden Ivey | Pistons | Can he play off the ball? |
| 102. | Miles Bridges | Hornets | Big scorer with low feel |
| 103. | Klay Thompson | Mavericks | Still shoots well, has lost a step |
| 104. | Keegan Murray | Kings | 3-and-D wing who had a down year |
| 105. | Dillon Brooks | Suns | A pest with an edge |
| 106. | Quentin Grimes | Sixers | Scorer who can scale down |
| 107. | Cam Thomas | Nets | Pro bucket-getter who can't defend |
| 108. | Khris Middleton | Wizards | Can still shoot, body is failing him |
| 109. | Max Strus | Cavs | Ultimate competitor on both ends |
| 110. | Deandre Ayton | Lakers | Talent with effort issues |
| 111. | Nikola Vucevic | Bulls | Talented scorer who can't defend |
| 112. | Buddy Hield | Warriors | Mistake-prone but elite gunner |
| 113. | Walker Kessler | Jazz | Blocks shots but what else? |
| 114. | Nic Claxton | Nets | Good defender, limited shooter |
| 115. | Wendell Carter Jr. | Magic | Jack-of-all-trades big who forgot how to shoot |
| 116. | Donovan Clingan | Blazers | Rim protector who fouls too much |
| 117. | Mike Conley | Wolves | Getting by on smarts |
| 118. | D'Angelo Russell | Mavericks | Elite shooter, coach's headache |
| 119. | Malik Monk | Kings | Spark plug scorer |
| 120. | Shaedon Sharpe | Blazers | Tremendous athlete, good midrange game |
| 121. | Bennedict Mathurin | Pacers | Athletic scorer with limited vision |
| 122. | Gary Trent Jr. | Bucks | Shooter that lives on the edge |
| 123. | Jaylen Wells | Grizzlies | Reliable with good two-way feel |
| 124. | Matas Buzelis | Bulls | Shot-blocking demon with no fear |
| 125. | Harrison Barnes | Spurs | Veteran shooter whose defense has faded |
| 126. | Mark Williams | Suns | Huge body that can't stay healthy |
| 127. | Zaccharie Risacher | Hawks | Risacher is French for versatility |
| 128. | Alex Sarr | Wizards | Defense is there, efficiency is not |
| 129. | Reed Sheppard | Rockets | Can shoot and get steals |
| 130. | Zach Edey | Grizzlies | Screen-setter, rebounder, and finisher |
| 131. | Royce O'Neale | Suns | Knows his 3-and-D role |
| 132. | Kevin Porter Jr. | Bucks | Talented but mistake-prone |
| 133. | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Grizzlies | Can he recover his 3-pointer? |
| 134. | Chris Boucher | Celtics | Limited stretch big |
| 135. | Isaac Okoro | Bulls | The MJ of Wayne Seldens |
| 136. | Isaiah Jackson | Pacers | High-energy two-way big |
| 137. | Kel'el Ware | Heat | Great athlete who needs more focus |
| 138. | Yves Missi | Pelicans | Raw, talented vertical athlete |
| 139. | Bilal Coulibaly | Wizards | Good defender with shaky offense |
| 140. | Kyle Kuzma | Bucks | The Wizards broke him |
| 141. | Kon Knueppel | Hornets | Shooting gives him a high floor |
| 142. | Ziaire Williams | Nets | Toolsy wing, lacks offensive polish |
| 143. | Bub Carrington | Wizards | Good passer with size |
| 144. | Ace Bailey | Jazz | Natural bucket with limited vision |
| 145. | Moussa Diabate | Hornets | Hustle king |
| 146. | VJ Edgecombe | Sixers | Defensive athlete, transition terror |
| 147. | Isaiah Collier | Jazz | Driver who needs to learn to shoot |
| 148. | Keyonte George | Jazz | Score-first guard with bad efficiency |
| 149. | Neemias Queta | Celtics | Energy big man who can rebound |
| 150. | Egor Demin | Nets | Plus passer, can he generate advantages? |
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— danawhite (@danawhite)