Ranking the top 50 NBA players in 2021
Top 50 NBA players: #10 — Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis has continued to expand his offensive repertoire in LA while remaining elite on defense. This season has been a slight bump in the road for Davis — 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.8 blocks on 53.3 percent shooting — but for most, that’s a career-defining year. He can stretch defenses out to the perimeter, or bury them at the rim. The Lakers’ defense is scary in the postseason, largely because of Davis.
Top 50 NBA players: #9 — Joel Embiid
If we were ranking individual performance this season, then Joel Embiid would rank several spots higher — maybe even number one. Unfortunately, Embiid’s uneven playoff record and occasional turnover issues drag him down. The 7-footer has drastically improved as a passer this season, but double teams remain problematic. That said, he’s a ridiculously efficient scorer and one of the three or four best defenders on the planet. This is the absolute bottom of his range. He’s averaging 29.6 points and 11.0 rebounds on 52.0 percent shooting.
Top 50 NBA players: #8 — Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic not going first overall on draft night is confounding to this day. We could have had Doncic, Booker, and CP3 on the same team. That would’ve been fun. Alas, the Mavericks have him, and he’s already on the level of annual MVP candidate. Averaging 28.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.6 assists on 48.6 percent shooting, the only thing keeping Doncic from MVP this season is the ugly roster around him. Doncic can already manipulate and exploit a defense better than anyone. His step-backs, speed changes, and sly dribble moves are the making of a potentially league-best isolation scorer.
Top 50 NBA players: #7 — Nikola Jokic
Fair warning, I probably won’t read the comment section on this one. Nikola Jokic is a cheat code, and while it’s perfectly fine to argue Embiid’s superiority, my criteria is simple — I have a more difficult time picturing a Jokic collapse in the playoffs than I do an Embiid collapse. Jokic is equally, if not more skilled scoring the ball, and he’s possibly the NBA’s best passer. He averages fewer turnovers per 36 than Embiid, and he’s among the league leaders in total steals. His defense is better than reputation would suggest. On the season, he’s averaging 26.2 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 8.8 assists on 56.5 percent from the field.
Top 50 NBA players: #6 — Stephen Curry
He’s back, baby! Despite a less-than-thrilling collective season in Golden State, Stephen Curry has looked like his old self on most nights. He’s still the NBA’s ultimate offensive anomaly — a deep-range threat unlike anything we have seen and possibly will ever see again. If it weren’t for the massive load on Curry’s shoulders, then Golden State would likely be in line for another top-3 pick. He’s averaging 30.4 points and 5.9 assists on 48.5 percent shooting.