It’s the dog days of Summer and a good time to take stock of the top players in the NBA and take a look at where these superstars were drafted.
These rankings are about current levels of excellence, not upside/value. For instance, Victor Wembanyama would be no.1 on any list of players to start a franchise with but on this list he barely cracks the top 15 (impressive for a 20 year old!).
What we find is that there are only a few no.1 overall picks among the top 15 and two players drafted outside of the first round. Overall the average draft position (ADP) of this list is 9, a clear sign that the NBA Draft delivers a ton of talent beyond just the first few selections.
The Top 15 Players In The NBA
1) Nikola Jokic – C – Nuggets – Jokic comes in at no.1 on this list and he is also the lowest drafted player on this list, being selected no.41 in the 2014 NBA Draft. He’s just a special talent; the best passing big man in NBA history and an overall juggernaut on the offensive end. The championship in 2023 helped cement his position at no.1.
2) Luka Doncic – PG/SG – Mavericks – I was very tempted to put Luka no.1 overall on this list but in the end decided he still has a little bit to prove before taking over the top spot from Jokic. After being draft no.3 overall in the 2018 draft Doncic has taken over the NBA. He’s a savant with the ball in his hands and is as skilled and crafty as any player in the game. His resume took a big jump this year after he led the Mavs to the NBA Finals.
3) Joel Embiid – C – 76ers – Embiid is a dominant force on both ends of the court and is easily one of the top 5 players in the world. He’s had some injuries along the way but when he’s on the court he’s unstoppable. Winning a championship would cement him as one of the all time great centers in NBA history. Embiid was selected with the 3rd pick in the 2014 draft.
4) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – PG – Thunder – Four might seem a bit high but Shai just keeps taking his game to new levels and has become a dominant force who can single-handedly carry his team to victory. At just 26 years old he’s got many more years of growth ahead for him and it’s scary to think how could he will become. Shai was drafted with the 11th pick in the 2018 draft.
5) Giannis Antetokounmpo – PF – Bucks – It wasn’t a great year for Giannis but he’s still easily one of the best players in the world and I expect him to come back healthy and have a monster year next year. He was selected with the 15th pick in 2013.
6) Stephon Curry – PG – Warriors – I think it’s fair to say that Steph has lost half a step but he’s still one of the elite of the elite players in the league. He’s got a game that should continue to age well and he’s got the work ethic to keep his body in great shape as he…matures. The Warriors might have one or two more deep playoff runs in them before Curry really starts to decline. The greatest shooter in NBA history was selected with the 7th pick in the 2009 draft.
7) Jayson Tatum – SF – Celtics – He’s shown that he can be the best player on a championship level team and I think he’s firmly in the top 15 players in the world. He doesn’t have some of freaky tools or other worldly court vision etc. that some of the other players on this list have but he’s a fearsome offensive talent who can carry a team to victory. Tatum was the 3rd pick in the 2017 draft.
8) Anthony Edwards – SG – Timberwolves – At 22 years old Edwards is already a team leader who gained valuable playoff experience this year, which will only help take his game to new levels. He’s one of the elite scorers in the league and has a personality that teammates can rally around. Edwards was the no.1 overall pick in the 2020 draft.
9) Kevin Durant – PF – Suns – This might be a bit low for Durant but he’s starting to hit the downside of his career at age 35 and has found less success over the past few seasons than he did in his prime. He’s still one of the elite shot makers in the league and hopefully we’ll see him make at least one more run at a NBA title. Durant was drafted no.2 in 2007.
10) Tyrese Haliburton – PG – Pacers – Tyrese is a special talent. He’s far from the biggest name on this list and is still flying a little under the radar with the general public but to me he’s easily one of the top 15 basketball players in the world. Tyrese was drafted no.12 overall in 2020 draft.
11) Jalen Brunson – PG – Knicks – It’s been an amazing rise to stardom for Jalen Brunson and here he rises all the way onto the top 15 players in the league list. Brunson was drafted no.33 in 2018, the second lowest drafted player on this list.
12) Victor Wembanyama – C – Spurs – At just 20 years old Wemby is already an elite player in the league and is well on his way to becoming the best basketball player in the world. He’ll probably be in the top 5 on this list a year from now, possibly even no.1. Wemby was drafted first overall in 2023.
13) Anthony Davis – C – Lakers – If injuries weren’t a factor Davis would be higher on this list. He’s a special all around talent who dominates on the defensive end and has all the tools on offense. Davis was the no.1 pick in the 2012 draft.
14) LeBron James – PG/SF – Lakers – At age 39 LeBron is still one of the best players in the world. He’s certainly lost a step athletically but his processing of the game is truly elite and he’s evolved his game to be more of a floor general and a physical presence rather than a great open court athlete. LeBron was the no.1 pick in 2003.
15) Paolo Banchero – PF – Magic – The top pick in 2022, Paolo is starting to assert himself as one of the elite talents in the league. This might be a bit high for Paolo (there were a few other players I considered here) but I think Paolo has already shown enough to warrant this ranking – and of course his trajectory is pointing way up.
There are a lot of great players that had to be left of this list but who could rise up over the next 12 months and make this list next summer. Likewise, it’ll be interesting to see if some of the older players like Lebron, Curry and Durant can maintain there elite levels of play as they continue to age or if they will fall out of the top 15 by this time next year.
The average draft position of 9 is fascinating to see. The two big outliers, Jokic and Brunson, moved the needle here but even without these two in the mix the ADP would be 4.7. If we replaced Banchero with Jaylen Brown, Jimmy Butler or Devin Booker the ADP would be even higher than 9. However you cut it, this shows that the draft is more of an art than a science and the superstar players aren’t always picked at the very top.
Thanks for reading