TOP 10 NBA PLAYERS GOING INTO NEXT SEASON

The National Basketball Association (NBA) starts its season today, December 22. This season is set to be great as many players and coaches have changed teams. Everyone is asking, “who are the best players in the game?” Well, I have the answer below.

1. LeBron James

Team: Los Angeles Lakers | Entering: 18th Season | Positions: SF & PG

2019-2020 Statistics: 25.3 PTS, 7.8 REBS, 10.2 AST

The number one spot goes to LeBron, which should be obvious. King James reigns again as a 4-time NBA Champion and Finals MVP. All this man does is win and he proved that again this past season. This was by far the most challenging year to win a championship in a very long time, yet LeBron did this without having to go to a game seven in a series. I think it is clear he is the best in the game and honestly, it is not even close.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Team: Milwaukee Bucks | Entering: 8th Season | Position: SF

2019 – 2020 Statistics: 29.5 PTS, 13.6 REBS, 5.6 AST​

Back to back MVP and only number two on this list? Yes! I would rank him lower but I did not want to really disrespect the Greek Freak. He is a tremendous talent and I believe one day he will bring a title to the Bucks. However, the offense they run in Milwaukee is similar to the Rockets last season. Which is – let’s have Gianni’s dribble at the top of the key and drive to the paint or pass it to one of his teams for a three. This is very predictable and very difficult to get away with while in the playoffs. This past season’s loss to the Miami Heat in five games (Gentlemen’s Sweep). You cannot, I repeat cannot be the best in the game and lose in the playoffs time and time again. Giannis needs to expand his offensive game (midrange, post-ups, better free-throw percentage) to become the player we all expect him to be — which is the best in the NBA.

3. Anthony Davis

Team: Los Angeles Lakers | Entering: 9th Season | Positions: PF & C

2019 -2020 Statistics: 26.1 PTS, 9.3 REB, 2.3 BLKS

Anthony Davis had one goal when he got traded to the Lakers, which is to win a championship and he accomplished that in his first season. He finally got players around him that allowed the world to see how dominant he is. Did you know Anthony Davis led his team in all major statistics except for assists? This man is in his prime and only getting better, one day I believe he will be the best player in the game without question.

4. Kevin Durant

Team: Brooklyn Nets | Entering: 13th Season | Position: SF

2019 -2020 Stats: N/A

Yes, you’re thinking “Kevin Durant did not play last year” but I think he will be back to himself this upcoming season. He has taken over a year to fully rehab his Achilles injury. I really wanted to put him at the number two spot, but someone else deserved it. Watching him in preseason action, he looks like he is back. The last time we saw him fully healthy he averaged 26 PTS, 6.4 REBS, and 5.9 AST. This season we get a treat as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving take to stake their claim in the Eastern Conference.

5. Kawhi Leonard

Team: Los Angeles Clippers | Entering: 10th Season | Position: SF

2019-2020 Statistics: 27.1 PTS 7.1 TRB 6.4 AST

Honestly, I wanted to take him off this list because of what he did not do against the Denver Nuggets. Let’s be real, the only reason why he is highly regarded in the league is because of his postseason heroics because he barely plays in the regular season. Yes, he won finals MVP against LeBron James in 2014, and then went nuclear in 2018-2019 leading the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA Championship. This past season he wet the bed, plain and simple. He leads his team to 3-1 and couldn’t close the deal against a guy nicknamed the Joker?! Mind you, they had double-digit leads in ALL three games and could not get it done. He demanded load management during this season, essentially got Doc River fired, and got to pick his teammate Paul George, so all the pressure is on you, Kawhi, to get it done. Honeymoon season is over for you and NBA fans are watching.

6. Damian Lillard

Team: Portland Trailblazers | Entering: 9th Season | Position: PG

2019 – 2020 Stats: 30.0 PTS, 8.0 AST, 4.3 REBS

All this man does is make the most with the teammates he has. Every single year Damian Lillard has been in the league, he makes it into the playoffs. That is a tough thing to do given the turnover in teammates he’s had. Dating back to the 2015-2016 season, Damian came into the season as the only returning starter. Yet, he got them into the playoffs. He is extremely underrated in this league, even now with all the notoriety. He recently got a well-earned max extension contract and hopefully, the Trailblazers can put better pieces around him to get this team into the NBA Finals.

7. Stephen Curry

Team: Golden State Warriors | Entering: 12th Season | Position: PG

2019-2020 Statistics: 20.8 PTS, 5.2 REBS, 6.6 AST​

Chef Curry has not been cooking in a while. He only played five games last season and just did not look right. He must miss Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant as teammates because it was a horrible season for the Golden Staten Warriors as they went 15-50. Stephen Curry needs to remind us why he got those back to back MVPs during the golden years in Golden State.

8. James Harden

Team: Houston Rockets | Entering: 12th Season | Positions: PG & SG

2019-2020 Statistics: 33.2 PTS, 7.4 AST, 6.4 REB

Number eight for the former MVP?! YES! All he does dribble, dribble, dribble, and then shoot. I think his style of play is not conducive to winning championships. However, you cannot deny his offensive prowess. The Houston Rockets acquiesced him wanting talented teammates, whether it was Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, or Russell Westbrook. What do all these players have in common? They all left him! Now according to reports, he is looking to get traded to a contender. We shall see if he gets this last demand from the Rockets. I think James will need to change his style of play in order to capture the one thing missing from his resume — a ring.

9. Luka Dončić

Team: Dallas Mavericks | Entering: 3rd Season | Positions: PG & SG

2019-2020 Statistics: 28.8 PTS, 9.4 REBS, 8.8 AST

The “IT” kid is on the block! Everyone is enamored with Luka and to be honest, they all should be. He is great. He can do it all on the offensive end. However, on the defensive side of the ball, his game is much to be desired. Currently, he is the odds favorite to win MVP. However, I doubt that will be the case as the Western Conference is tough and his best teammate Kristaps Porziņģis will be sidelined with an injury to start the season. It is extremely difficult to be MVP without being a top seed in either conference. The rare occurrence, was Russell Westbrook back in the 2016-2017 season as they were the 6th seed. I think Luka will have a wonderful year, but his defense needs to improve and his overall seeding of his team needs to be better to get higher on this list.

10. Jimmy Butler

Team: Miami Heat | Entering: 10th Season | Positions: SG & SF

2019-2020 Statistics: 19.9 PTS, 6.7 REBS, 6.0 AST

Yes! Jimmy Buckets deserves to be on this list! I do not care about his numbers. All this man does is what is required to win! No matter if it was in Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia, or now Miami, he has helped each team win. In this past playoff season, he showed people what he was capable of. Given the circumstances, the 40-point masterpiece he had in the finals without his two teammates in Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragić was the best performance I’ve seen in the finals in a long time. They were the fifth seed and went to the NBA Finals, the first time that has happened since 1999. Jimmy Butler is not a player who will have gaudy statistics but what he will do is win and that’s why he deserves to be on this list.