My Top-Ten Players in the NBA Going into the 2021-22 Season

There are a few lists that always hold the attention of online media outlets in the sports sphere. Many of these are basketball lists, as a sport that puts a ton of emphasis on the individual is likely to judge individuals more often than not. You see this a ton with lists such as "top-ten players of all-time" or "top-ten players at each position" and what you will be seeing today in "top-ten players in the league". So, here is my top-ten players in the league of of today.

Notice: I am not going to be hyper-delving into advanced statistics, effectively making this as easy to digest as possible, do not get mad at me for ignoring super specific stats that may give one guy a hair length advantage over another. This is mostly eye test based, some base statistics included. Alright, here we go.

First, before we get into the list, I will just let you know the reason why Kawhi is not here is because he is injured, and we will not be seeing him this season. If any of you are curious, he would be fourth if he were healthy.

10. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers

At the beginning of last season Davis would be sniffing the top five, maybe even comfortably in the top five in many people's rankings. However, this past year was probably the most disappointing season in his entire career. He was an injured mess all season, and when he did play he looked like a timid shell of his former self. If this were a one time thing I may not be so hard on the guy, but he has shown he is going to be consistently injured every year the past several seasons. Come playoff time he was unable to help his team, and they ended up losing in the first round instead of defending their championship. The greatest ability in all of sports is availability, and Davis has shown he is more-than-likely not going to be available.

pc: Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo

9. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail-Blazers

Damian Lillard is an interesting case to say the least. Sometimes he puts himself in the MVP race, while at other times he is easily forgotten during the regular season. At one point this past season he had a decent amount of support for a MVP case, but that did eventually fall off as the season moved along. He consistently wills the Blazers into the playoffs, and once he gets there he has incredible playoff performances. It is up to interpretation whether or not you think him staying in Portland was good for him. On one hand him being the first option in Portland allows him to get the touches he needs to receive the attention he deserves. On the other hand he will never win in Portland, and maybe, just maybe, if he were able to win a ring or get close enough to winning one, he would be better recognized by the league at large.

pc: via The Athletic

8. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid, like Lillard, definitely had their moment of being in the MVP race this past season. However, there are two differences between the two players. One is that at one point Embiid was the legitimate leader in the MVP race, and the other is that Lillard was able to say healthy. It is very likely that if Embiid doesn't get hurt he wins the MVP this past season. Effectively, Embiid is the better version of Anthony Davis. In the regular season Embiid was the best player until he got hurt, and in the playoffs Embiid was able to dominate, unless he was unable to play. Like Davis, Embiid struggles to always be available, dropping him below certain guys on this list. However, unlike Davis, Embiid could be the MVP of the league when he is available.

pc: David Dow/NBAE

7. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic, the past season's MVP, had an incredible year this past season. To be fair, he likely doesn't win the MVP if Embiid stays healthy, but too bad so sad as far as I'm concerned. Unlike Embiid, one of Jokic's best traits is that he plays almost every game in the season. He is the best playmaking big man of all time, and is one of the best scorers in the league as well. If only his defense was better he'd be a bonafide top five player in the league. We haven't seen enough from him in the playoffs to consider him an elite playoff performer, but we seen enough to know he is on the verge of winning in the off-season. If Murray doesn't get injured this season, the Nuggets have a chance of beating the Suns in the playoffs. All in all, one or two more seasons of consistent success from the Joker and he could sneak into that top five.

pc: Getty Images

6. James Harden, Brooklyn Nets

Just a few seasons ago and James Harden is a top five player in the league in everybody's book. He is one of the greatest scorers of all time, and this year he showed he is also one of the best playmakers in the league as well. If we saw a season where he decides to do both, he could be the legitimate best player in the league. However, this past season what we saw of Harden was definitely a lesser version of what we saw in Houston, dropping him a few spots on the list. Come playoff time and he struggled with health issues, adding him to the iffy-availability list that we are slowly but surely building. Harden is in a similar boat as Davis, in that we all know what they can do, the only difference is I feel like Harden is closer to his best than Davis is, which is good enough to move him up on this list.

pc: Frank Franklin/AP

5. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Luka has emerged as one of the greatest young players we have ever seen. He hovered around the outside of the MVP race the whole season, but whenever he was given a healthy roster the Mavericks were one of the best teams in the league. His offensive game is nearly flawless, especially during the playoffs, and this past season his defense improved greatly as well. I firmly believe that if he has a better roster he will lead them to a championship very soon, and at this point the only thing holding him back is the front office. If he continues to progress at his current rate he is sure to move up this list throughout the season and for seasons to come.

pc: AP

4. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron's position on people's lists varies greatly. While he has digressed significantly since he was the best player in the league, he hasn't digressed enough to drop out of the top five for me. His health is now his biggest question mark, as two of the past three seasons, him being injured screwed over the Lakers in the end. On the other hand, the year he was healthy they won the championship. He is probably the most well-rounded player in the league, as well a being the best leader. He is joined by an elderly super team this year to make one final push, and we shall see if they do so, and if he even carries as big of a load as he usually does. I think it is very likely he falls on this list over the course of the year.

pc: Adam Pantozzi

3. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors

If anyone both deserved the MVP and didn't deserve the MVP at once, that would be Steph Curry. He had every stat he needed to win the MVP, but did not win enough games, plain and simple. In the end he failed to beat the Memphis Grizzlies in a must win game to make the playoffs, showing he wasn't as unstoppable as we thought he was. This year he will be once again joined by Klay Thompson as the splash brothers make their return and the Warriors make a final push to prove their dynasty isn't over. If we see the same output from Curry, and the Warriors make the playoffs without having to play their way in then he likely wins another MVP.

pc: via The Athletic

2. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

Another guy who found himself in the MVP lead early, he was screwed by Covid as well as other health issues and missed a ton of games. Luckily he was on the Brooklyn Nets, and didn't have to worry about playing for his team to make the playoffs. However, when it came to the playoffs, KD showed what he was truly made of. Without Kyrie the entire playoffs, and when Harden was playing he was injured, KD pushed the Nets to seven games against the eventual champions. He was an inch away from winning the series against the Bucks, making the game winning "three" which was overturned into a two and the Nets eventually lost. If we see a fully healthy KD and company this season, I wouldn't bet on any other team to win the championship.

pc: via New York Post

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

A lot of people will have either Curry or Durant at the first position, with Giannis sitting at the third spot. However, I think if anyone has earned this spot, it is the Greek Freak. In the regular season he flew under the radar, but was one of the most consistent players throughout the entire season. Come playoff time and we saw a Giannis we have never seen before, and let me remind you this guy is a two-time MVP. He beat the Durant led Nets, and in the end he won his first ring against the surging Suns. He put together some of the greatest playoff performances we have ever seen on the way to his championship, cementing his place as THE unstoppable force in the league. When a guy has a claim to maybe being both the best defensive and offensive player in the league at times, he has to be your best player in the league.

pc: Justin Casterline/Getty Images