The 2022-23 NBA season has come to a close, with the Denver Nuggets winning their first championship in franchise history.
It was a highly competitive season, as the league is enjoying a time of parity. This was the second season in history that an 8th seed made it to the NBA Finals, as the Miami Heat went on an incredible run. It is far different than the superteam era not long ago.
With the conclusion of the season and the offseason in full swing, we will look at the top five NBA players.
Honorable Mentions: Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler
5. Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic is one of the most talented guards in the league. The knock on Doncic is the Dallas Mavericks collapse at the end of the season.
The Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving at the deadline but sacrificed depth in their rotation. Dallas could not keep it together and entirely fell out of the playoff picture.
Although this knocks Doncic down in the rankings, he is still a top-five player. The 24-year-old phenom averaged 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and eight assists while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from three.
Doncic is a triple-double threat every night out on the floor. He is an exceptionally talented offensive player. While he has a lot of room to grow on the defensive end of the floor, he is still the 5th best player in the NBA.
4. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry lands at number four on the list. Curry is one year removed from leading the Golden State Warriors to a title. This season, the Warriors were knocked out in the second round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Curry still had a great season, averaging 29.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. He shot 49.3 percent and 42.7 percent from downtown.
He is the greatest shooter in NBA history and is still performing at a high level at 35 years old. Curry will be looking to lead Golden State on a deeper playoff run next season.
3. Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid finally won an MVP award this season. Embiid is one of the most dominant players in the league. He had a tremendous regular season, averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.7 blocks. He shot 54.8 percent and 33 percent from three.
Embiid is a phenomenal center that can score at all three levels.
Embiid hasn't had the playoff success to make him the top player in the league. He has yet to reach the Conference Finals in his career. However, he is still a great player and one of the best in the league.
If he wants to be in the argument for the top spot, he will need to prove that he can win in the postseason.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best two-way player in the league. Antetokounmpo has been incredible but has been dethroned from the top spot.
The two-time MVP and NBA champion averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists this season while shooting 55.3 percent from the field. Antetokounmpo put up great numbers and led the Milwaukee Bucks to the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference.
Then, Antetokounmpo got hurt in Game 1 of the first round against the Heat. He missed most of Game 1 and missed Games 2 and 3. He returned in Game 4 and 5, but it wasn't enough to overcome Miami.
It was shocking that the Bucks were defeated. Antetokounmpo played well in the series, but it's the second year in a row that Milwaukee hasn't even reached the Conference Finals.
Antetokounmpo will enter next season as one of the league's best, but he is no longer the best player in the NBA.
1. Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic finds himself as the best player in basketball. Jokic has two MVP awards, and the question heading into this season was: Can he win in the playoffs?
Jokic answered that this season as he led Denver to a championship. He took home the Finals MVP and averaged 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists in the playoffs. He shot 54.8 percent from the field and an unreal 46.1 percent from behind the arc.
Jokic rarely has a bad game, as he impacts the game so much. Even if it's an off-scoring night for Jokic, he makes an impact by setting up his teammates for easy looks.
With this incredible season, Jokic takes the top spot and is now the best player in the NBA.
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