The 2023 NBA playoffs are in full swing, which means for half the league, the season is over — kaput. It is now, at this unique junction in the NBA “season”, that we update our rankings of the top 100 NBA players.
Naturally, there is much to consider here. Individual talent vs. use of talent, team context, availability; the difference between performance in the regular season and performance in the postseason. In the end, it’s almost impossible to form a definitive, unimpeachable list of this nature. Think of it more as a conversation-starter or a general map of NBA stardom and its various subsidiaries; not a point-blank argument for why Player No. 70 is better than Player No. 71.
Future iterations of this list will include tier markers. We may also expand beyond 100 once the offseason is fully underway and we start looking toward 2023-24. Until then, here’s the list — and you can compare notes with the previous version here.
NBA player rankings: Top 100 NBA players
Immanuel Quickley finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting on the strength of his spark-plug scoring ability and frenzied perimeter defense. He has been a real tone-setter for the upstart Knicks all season and his role will only expand in the years to come.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has been one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in the NBA this season. In a league where all the best offenses live by the 3-ball, it’s hard to overstate the value of a volume shooter hitting 42.3 percent of his attempts from downtown. KCP also offers solid wing defense to bolster the Denver’s well-rounded starting five.
Tobias Harris has struggled to fully embrace his reduced role in Philadelphia, but the results have been generally favorable this season. He’s an efficient shooter who provides ample complementary value attacking off the catch and using his strength to exploit mismatches inside. He also continues to channel more of his energy into the defensive end.
The Jazz traded Rudy Gobert and replaced him with one of the most impressive defensive centers to come out of the draft in recent memory. Kessler already grades out as one of the league’s best rim protectors. He makes guards think twice about venturing down the lane and he’s a beast on the glass.
Trey Murphy III is making massive strides toward potential stardom for the Pelicans, or at the very least stardom within his role. He’s a deadly 3-point shooter who’s learning to do more attacking closeouts and using his long frame to score closer to the rim.