NBA Tier List: The Best of the Best
Contents
It’s that time of year again. The time when we separate the best from the rest. The time for our annual NBA Tier List.
The best NBA players of all time
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is widely considered to be the premier Professional Basketball league in the world. It consists of 30 teams, 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. Each team plays an 82-game regular season schedule, which starts in October and ends in April.
The NBA was founded on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The BAA was formed by owners of the major Ice Hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. On August 3, 1949, the BAA agreed to merge with the National Basketball League (NBL), which was founded in 1937. The new league was renamed the National Basketball Association
The first game in NBA history was played on November 1, 1946, between the New York Knicks and the Toronto Huskies at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The Knicks won by a score of 68-66. Since then, many Great players have played in the NBA and helped to make it the global phenomenon that it is today. In this article, we will take a look at some of the greatest players in NBA history and try to rank them according to their overall impact on the game.
The best active NBA players
The NBA is full of amazing players, but some rise above the rest. These are the best active NBA players according to our tier list.
Tier 1: Superstars
Lebron James Kevin Durant Kawhi Leonard
These are the three best players in the NBA. They can all do everything on the court, and they’re all perennial MVP candidates. LeBron is the best player in the world, and Durant and Leonard are right behind him.
Tier 2: All-Stars
Stephen Curry Russell Westbrook James Harden Anthony Davis Paul George
These are all great players who are capable of leading a team to a title. Curry is the two-time MVP and one of the best shooters of all time. Westbrook is an explosive guard who averaged a triple-double last season. Harden is one of the best scorers in the league. Davis is a dominant big man who can do it all. And Paul George is one of the best two-way players in the league.
Tier 3: Very Good Players
Damian Lillard Kyrie Irving Kemba Walker Joel Embiid Rudy Gobert
These are very good players who are All-Stars or close to it. Lillard is one of the best scorers in the league. Irving is a super skilled point guard who can take over a game. Walker is an All-Star guard who can score and distribute well. Embiid is a dominant big man when healthy. And Gobert is the best Defensive Player in the league.
The best NBA players by position
In order to make this list as comprehensive and unbiased as possible, I looked at a variety of different sources. I considered Player Efficiency Rating (PER), win shares box plus/minus (BPM), value over replacement player (VORP), and Net Rating I also looked at how each player has performed in the playoffs, since that is often where legacies are made. Finally, I took into account intangibles such as leadership and work ethic. Below are my picks for the best NBA players by position.
Point Guard: Russell Westbrook
Shooting Guard: James Harden
Small Forward: LeBron James
Power Forward: Kawhi Leonard
Center: Joel Embiid
The best international NBA players
In recent years the NBA has seen a dramatic influx of foreign-born players. In the 18-19 season nearly one in four players (22.1 percent) were born outside the United States up from 6.7 percent in 1990-91 . With this increase comes a new level of competition, as these players bring their own unique skill sets to the court.
Today, we’re going to take a look at the best international NBA players These are the guys who are dominating the league and raising the level of competition for everyone else.
So without further ado, here are the best international NBA players
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)
2. Rudy Gobert (France)
3. Nikola Jokic (Serbia)
4. Joel Embiid (Cameroon)
5. Kawhi Leonard (Canada)
The best NBA rookies
The 2019 class of NBA Rookies has generated a lot of excitement, with many players living up to the hype and others exceeding expectations. With the season now past the midway point, it’s time to take a look at how these rookies have performed and rank them accordingly.
1. Zion Williamson New Orleans Pelicans
Zion has been everything that was advertised and more, averaging 21 points and six rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 58 percent from the field. He’s also been a force on the defensive end, averaging two blocks per game. Williamson has quickly established himself as one of the best players in the league, regardless of experience level.
2. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
After a slow start to the season, Morant has really picked up his play of late and is now averaging 17 points and seven assists per game He’s also shown himself to be a capable scorer from all over the court, shooting nearly 40 percent from three-point range Morant has quickly established himself as the Grizzlies’ franchise player and one of the best young point guards in the league.
3. Kendrick Nunn, Miami Heat
Nunn has been one of the biggest surprises of the season, going from being an undrafted free agent to becoming one of Miami’s best players. He’s currently averaging 15 points per game while shooting nearly 48 percent from three-point range. Nunn has been an important part of Miami’s success this season and looks like a player that will be around for years to come.
4. Tyler Herro Miami Heat
Like Nunn, Herro has also been a pleasant surprise for the Heat this season. He’s currently averaging 13 points per game while shooting nearly 37 percent from three-point range. Herro has shown himself to be a capable scorer and shooter at both ends of the court and looks like he could be a key piece for Miami for years to come.
The best NBA sophomores
Sophomore players in the NBA have had a year to adjust to the rigors of professional basketball and usually show significant improvement from their rookie seasons. These are the best sophomores in the NBA right now.
Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
Booker was one of the best scorers in the league as a rookie, and he’s only gotten better in his second season. He’s averaging 22.1 points per game while shooting 45.2 percent from three-point range, and he’s shown the ability to take over games with his scoring prowess. He’s also become a more well-rounded player, averaging 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Kristaps Porzingis (New York Knicks)
Porzingis has taken his game to new heights in his second season, averaging 20.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game while shooting 34.8 percent from three-point range. He’s been a nightmare for opposing defenses with his ability to stretch the floor and block shots and he looks like a star in the making for the Knicks.
Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Towns is putting up impressive numbers across the board in his second season, averaging 21 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range. He’s been a force on both ends of the court for the Timberwolves, and he looks like a future MVP candidate.
Isaiah Thomas (Boston Celtics)
Thomas has been one of the best scorers in the league over the past few seasons, but he’s taken his game to new heights this year with averages of 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 46 percent from three-point range. He’s been virtually unstoppable on offense, and he’s helped lead the Celtics to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
The best NBA veterans
There are a lot of talented young up-and-comers in the NBA right now. But don’t forget about the veterans. The players in the league who have been around for a while and know how to win. Here is a list of the best NBA veterans
Kobe Bryant: He may be nearing the end of his career, but Kobe is still one of the best players in the league. He’s a master at scoring and knows how to lead a team.
LeBron James: LeBron is in his prime right now and is widely considered to be the best player in the world. He’s an all-around player who can do it all on the court.
Kevin Durant: Durant is one of the best scorers in the league and is only getting better with age. He’s also a great rebounder and defender.
The best NBA players of the decade
It’s that time again. Time to look back at the best NBA players of the decade and see where they all stack up. We’ve seen some truly great players over the last 10 years, and it’s only right that we pay homage to them. So without further ado, here is our NBA Tier List: The Best of the Best.
tier 1
-LeBron James
-Kobe Bryant
-Tim Duncan
tier 2
-Kevin Durant
-Dwyane Wade
-Chris Paul
tier 3
-Carmelo Anthony
-Derrick Rose
-Dwight Howard
The best NBA players of the century
There have been some incredible NBA Players over the last century. From Lebron James to Michael Jordan these athletes have electrified the court and the fans. But who are the best of the best?
Here is our NBA tier list of the greatest players of all time:
Tier 1: The Legendary Superstars
LeBron James
Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant
Tier 2: The All-Time Greats
Larry Bird
Magic Johnson
Wilt Chamberlain
Kareem Abdul Jabbar
Bill Russell
The best NBA players of all time
The NBA is full of talent but only a select few can be considered the best of the best. These are the players who have transcended the game and left their mark on history.
There are many ways to measure greatness in the NBA. Some people look at stats, others look at awards, and some look at championships. But there is one thing that all great players have in common: impact.
The greatest players in NBA history are the ones who have had the biggest impact on the game. They are the ones who have changed the way we think about basketball and left their mark on history.
So who are the greatest players in NBA history? Here is our list of the top 10:
1) Michael Jordan
2) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3) LeBron James
4) Kobe Bryant
5) Magic Johnson
6) Bill Russell
7) Wilt Chamberlain
8) Larry Bird
9) Oscar Robertson
10) Shaquille O’Neal