It’s now classic that there are two moments that either win favor or anger NBA players. The first is their rating in the NBA2K game, in fact many often share or show disappointment with their overall rating in the game, venting to the creators. The other one that is less social but which is certainly written down in their respective notebooks are the rankings of the top 10-20-50-100 NBA players made by the various newspapers.
We have taken and decided to follow that of ESPN and will propose to you in ten articles the entire progression of the most famous sports portal in the USA, to guide you from position 100 to 1.
Today we start with the last ten: from 100 to 90
100. Anfernee Simons, G, Portland Trail Blazers
2023 NBA Ranking: 85
At 1.91 m tall, Simons is a small guard who can be used defensively in various situations. His usage rate has been too high at times since the Damian Lillard trade, which perhaps explains his field goal rate being the lowest since 2019-2020. However, despite the increased defensive focus, Simons managed to finish last season with an excellent 65.8% near the basket, according to Basketball-Reference.
99. Chris Paul, G, San Antonio Spurs
2023 NBA Ranking: 76
Paul started just 18 games last season for the Warriors, and naturally his production suffered as a result. He finished with career lows in points (9.2), assists (6.8), steals (1.2) and field goal attempts (8.1), but that should change now that he’s starting next again to Victor Wembanyama. Paul’s duties in San Antonio go beyond the pitch: he must help Spurs re-establish their winning culture, as well as being crucial to Wembanyama’s development. With a true point guard on the court like Paul, you expect more efficiency on offense and better execution in decisive moments.
98. Mike Conley, G, Minnesota Timberwolves
2023 NBA Ranking: 93
Conley, heading into his 18th season in the NBA, remains a stable figure. Perhaps the most telling statistic about Conley’s impact on the Timberwolves is that Minnesota was 53-23 with him in the lineup and 3-3 in the six games he missed before reaching the conference finals. He’s still an excellent facilitator (5.9 assists per game) and has shined playing more off-ball alongside Anthony Edwards, shooting a career-high 44.2 percent from three-point range last season.
97. Herbert Jones, F, New Orleans Pelicans
2023 NBA Rankings: NR
Perhaps Jones deserves a higher ranking, considering he’s coming off a season in which he was named to the defensive starting five and finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Jones developed into a reliable three-point shooter (41.8 percent) as a third year. It’s perhaps time to increase its attempts in that area. An amazing defender, Jones could form a fearsome defensive duo with Dejounte Murray in small quintets. Jones deserves to remain in New Orleans’ starting lineup, as he has started at least 66 games in every season of his career and continues to improve.
96. Al Horford, C, Boston Celtics
2023 NBA Rankings: NR
The fact that Horford, a beloved figure in the Celtics locker room, returned to this list at age 38 is a testament to his tireless commitment and versatility. The Celtics will continue to carefully manage and monitor his minutes. But, especially with the absence of Kristaps Porzingis to start the season, Horford will still be a key part of the Celtics’ title hopes, despite his advanced age.
95. Jalen Suggs, G, Orlando Magic
2023 NBA Rankings: NR
Suggs had a breakout season in 2023-24, averaging a career-high 12.6 points per game and shooting 39.7% from three, also a personal best, as well as being placed in the second defensive quintet. Perhaps most importantly, he played in 75 games, compared to 48 in his rookie season and 53 in his second. This year, Suggs is being asked to take on more of a point guard role, as the Magic need someone to run the offense.
94. Keegan Murray, F, Sacramento Kings
2023 NBA Rankings: NR
Last season, Murray entered his second year labeled as a subject matter specialist shooter. But he quickly showed that he had added more offensive tools to his game, such as shooting off the dribble and attacking the rim. The biggest sign of his growth was on defense. Unlike his first year, he now takes charge of the opposition’s best forwards. With the absence of Harrison Barnes, Murray will be required to lead the defense even more and take on even more challenging assignments.
93. Brook Lopez, C, Milwaukee Bucks
2023 NBA Ranking: 69
Neither Lopez nor the Bucks’ defense were the same dominant force in 2023-24 as they were the previous season, when Lopez finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and the Bucks ranked fourth in defensive efficiency. Lopez’s offensive production also took a dip, averaging 12.5 points on 48.5 percent shooting from the field (36.6 percent from three). At 35 years old, Lopez will still be at the center of Milwaukee’s defensive scheme this season, playing a crucial role alongside the team’s stars.
92. Jabari Smith Jr., F, Houston Rockets
2023 NBA Rankings: NR
Smith’s career may be growing slower than expected, but the third-year appears to be on the verge of a real breakthrough, following a 2023-24 season in which he matched his career high with 16 double-doubles and improved his shooting and its rebound effectiveness. Smith said veterans like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks have helped him tremendously with preparation, body care and film analysis. He is expected to apply these lessons early in the season, with significant growth likely.
91. Jonas Valanciunas, C, Washington Wizards
2023 NBA Ranking: 99
Valanciunas showed tremendous durability last season, playing all 82 games and averaging nearly a double-double while shooting 56 percent from the field. The 2023-24 season was the eighth in which the veteran played at least 70 games. Washington, which has the eighth youngest roster in the NBA, will rely on Valanciunas’ leadership. His paint skills will be key, as the Wizards were last in points allowed on second attempts and 29th in paint points allowed.
90. Andrew Wiggins, F, Golden State Warriors
2023 NBA Ranking: 54
Just three seasons ago, Wiggins was considered a potential breakout star. Two seasons ago, he played just 37 games; last year, despite playing 71 games, his production declined. Wiggins averaged 13.2 points, four fewer than the previous two seasons. He lacked the offensive explosiveness and defensive tenacity that helped the Warriors win the title in 2022. Wiggins is determined to return to form, but missed all of training camp in Hawaii. Warriors coach Steve Kerr is confident this won’t jeopardize Wiggins’ start to the season, and the team is counting on him to get back into the playoff race.
