30-20 NBA Pre Season

During this list, I will be going over my top 30 to 20 best NBA players going into the 2021-2022 season.

Coming in at number 30, Rudy Gobert. This might be controversial to some, but it shouldn’t. Everyone knows that Gobert is an elite defender, maybe the best in the league, but his offense is eye-watering. He averaged 14.3 ppg last season which is nothing special for someone who is talked as highly as Rudy Gobert. Until he has a breakthrough with his offense, he will not break through the top 20 let alone top 25.

Coming in at number 29, Jrue Holiday. Jrue Holiday is a fantastic defender and offensive threat. He played a huge role in the Buck’s championship run last year as their third option. He is not as good of a defender as Gobert but is way better at offense which is why he lands at number 29 on this list.

Coming in at number 28, Ben Simmons. If I’m being honest, I hate the Ben Simmons slander. He is nearly 7’00” tall and plays Point Guard. Yes, he cannot shoot, but he is very athletic, can guard any position, and is the second-best passer in the league. 

Coming in at number 27, Julius Randle. Julius Randle practically carried the entire Knicks organization on his back all the way to the playoffs! I definitely think that Randle has peaked and will only get worse after this season, but that does not take away from the fact of how good of a basketball player he is.

Coming in at number 26, Ja Morant. Ja Morant looks very similar to a young Russell Westbrook, and for very good reason. He can drive, shoot, pass, rebound, and much, much more.

Coming in at number 25, Jalen Brown. Not a lot of people see how good Jalen Brown is because of the fact he is in Jayson Tatum’s shadow. If Jalen Brown was traded to a bottom-of-the-barrel team, he would average absurd numbers.

Coming in at 24, Zach Lavine. Zach Lavine and Jalen Brown are the exact same players in my eyes, and the only reason I put Zach in front is that he is just a tad more athletic.

Coming in at 23, Bam Adebayo. Bam is really one of three NBA centers that still dominate. The center position has been dyeing since the three-point line and the fact that Bam, a 6’9” center, still plays great in the position is a testament to how good he is.

Coming in at number 22, Kyrie Irving. If Kyrie focused on basketball he would be higher on the list but it seems like he has lost all motivation, similar to his teammate James Harden.

Coming in at number 21, Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is in the same situation as Ben Simmons in the fact that everyone slanders their name. Westbrook went from being wildly overrated to underrated in a matter of months without his play changing at all. 

Coming in at number 20, Khris Middleton. Khris Middleton was the second option on the NBA champions team. There was a reason every time the Bucks lost Middleton played poorly, and every time they won Middleton was exceptional.

What did you think of my list? Was there anything you would have changed?