Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the NBA's Best Players on February 10, 2023
It's time for another look at how the NBA's players stack up according to catch-all metrics from around the internet!
Who has been the best player in the NBA this season?
A number of catch-all metrics from the around the internet endeavor to answer that question every year. And though many of the different adjusted plus-minuses attempt to measure the same thing (an individual player’s impact on the game when he’s on the floor), they have slightly different ways of getting there.
If you want to acknowledge the most accessible ones, you could say something like…
“Luka Dončić is second in Basketball Reference’s box plus/minus, third in Dunks and Threes’ estimated plus-minus, second in FiveThirtyEight’s RAPTOR, second in Basketball Index’s LEBRON and fourth in Basketball Reference’s game score per 36 minutes…”
…but that’s quite a mouthful.
For the last several seasons, I’ve been sharing something of a shorthand for the above. Instead of rattling off that list for any and all players one might want to discuss, I average every qualified player by the average of their ranks in those five stats (as well as their cumulative variants).
The results give credit to each of the metrics, throw a bone to basic numbers (through the use of game score) and reward players for availability (through the addition of the cumulative marks).
The lists produced by this exercise aren’t perfect, but none are. A strictly subjective ranking wouldn’t cut it either. This is at least a guide, though. And it can give you a pretty good idea of who’s been the best (or worst) in 2022-23.
Before diving in, here’s just a little hint. If you’re looking for a specific player (like, oh say, Ben Simmons), do the handy little “control (or command) plus F” trick on your keyboard and type in that player’s name.
Oh, and one more caveat. If Giannis Antetokounmpo looks lower than you thought he should be (totally warranted reaction to his current spot), bear in mind that cumulative numbers (think points, rather than points per game) are in play, and Giannis has already missed three games. This early in the campaign, that makes a big difference.
So, with all of that behind us, feel free to scroll away.
If you’re looking for last week’s rankings, you can find them here.
Rank. Player (average of ranks in rate and cumulative catch-all metrics)
1. Nikola Jokic (1.2)
2. Luka Doncic (2.2)
3. Joel Embiid (4.7)
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo (7.0)
5. Damian Lillard (7.4)
6. Jayson Tatum (8.5)
7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (8.6)
8. LeBron James (9.1)
9. Kevin Durant (9.4)
10. Stephen Curry (10.2)
11. Jimmy Butler (12.5)
12. Donovan Mitchell (16.1)
12. James Harden (16.1)
14. Anthony Davis (16.3)
15. Ja Morant (16.9)
16. Tyrese Haliburton (17.3)
17. Domantas Sabonis (18.0)
18. Lauri Markkanen (19.1)
19. Kyrie Irving (21.4)
20. Darius Garland (22.5)
21. Kristaps Porzingis (23.5)
22. Kawhi Leonard (24.9)
23. Trae Young (25.2)
24. Paul George (27.3)
25. Julius Randle (28.2)
26. Aaron Gordon (30.5)
27. Nic Claxton (31.1)
28. Devin Booker (31.4)
29. Jaren Jackson Jr. (32.6)
29. Zion Williamson (32.6)
31. DeMar DeRozan (32.8)
32. Pascal Siakam (34.4)
33. Bam Adebayo (35.4)
34. Jrue Holiday (36.6)
35. Fred VanVleet (38.5)
36. Jalen Brunson (39.7)
37. Anthony Edwards (42.1)
38. De'Aaron Fox (43.7)
39. Jarrett Allen (46.5)
40. Desmond Bane (51.9)
41. Alperen Sengun (52.4)
42. Myles Turner (54.7)
43. Bradley Beal (55.6)
44. Jaylen Brown (57.4)
45. Walker Kessler (58.3)
46. Jamal Murray (59.8)
47. Chris Paul (59.9)
48. Brook Lopez (61.0)
49. Clint Capela (61.1)
50. Franz Wagner (61.6)
51. Zach LaVine (63.3)
52. Derrick White (64.0)
53. Steven Adams (65.3)
54. Dejounte Murray (66.1)
55. Mitchell Robinson (67.6)
56. Buddy Hield (68.9)
57. Mikal Bridges (73.3)
58. CJ McCollum (73.4)
59. Mason Plumlee (74.6)
60. Nikola Vucevic (75.5)
61. Kevon Looney (75.7)
62. Scottie Barnes (77.3)
63. Rudy Gobert (79.9)
64. Jerami Grant (82.3)
65. Tyler Herro (82.4)
66. Jusuf Nurkic (85.7)
67. Kyle Anderson (87.3)
68. Karl-Anthony Towns (87.5)
69. LaMelo Ball (89.2)
70. Draymond Green (89.4)
71. Malcolm Brogdon (90.2)
72. D'Angelo Russell (90.6)
73. Evan Mobley (91.7)
73. Larry Nance Jr. (91.7)
75. Daniel Gafford (91.8)
76. De'Anthony Melton (92.9)
77. Christian Wood (93.3)
78. Harrison Barnes (93.8)
79. Isaiah Joe (94.8)
79. O.G. Anunoby (94.8)
81. Tobias Harris (95.5)
82. Alex Caruso (95.9)
83. Bobby Portis (96.3)
84. Mike Conley (96.6)
85. Brandon Ingram (97.8)
86. Kevin Huerter (98.6)
87. Andrew Wiggins (99.1)
87. Immanuel Quickley (99.1)
87. Kyle Kuzma (99.1)
90. Anfernee Simons (100.6)
91. Spencer Dinwiddie (101.5)
92. Alec Burks (102.0)
93. Monte Morris (102.4)
94. Marcus Smart (102.6)
95. Josh Hart (103.2)
96. Al Horford (104.6)
97. Tyus Jones (105.1)
98. Gary Trent Jr. (105.5)
99. Wendell Carter Jr. (109.6)
100. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (112.2)
101. Jakob Poeltl (112.6)
102. Kyle Lowry (112.9)
103. Klay Thompson (113.0)
104. Bojan Bogdanovic (114.9)
105. Jordan Clarkson (115.2)
106. Chris Boucher (116.0)
107. Delon Wright (116.5)
108. Kenrich Williams (121.8)
109. Terry Rozier (123.1)
110. Grayson Allen (123.5)
110. Kevin Porter Jr. (123.5)
112. Donte DiVincenzo (123.9)
113. Brandon Clarke (124.8)
114. Thomas Bryant (126.6)
115. Trey Murphy III (127.4)
116. Ben Simmons (127.7)
117. Tre Jones (130.1)
118. T.J. McConnell (131.3)
119. Michael Porter Jr. (131.7)
120. Cole Anthony (131.9)
120. Jose Alvarado (131.9)
122. John Konchar (133.5)
123. Onyeka Okongwu (136.6)
124. Moritz Wagner (137.0)
125. Devin Vassell (137.5)
126. Herbert Jones (138.1)
127. Russell Westbrook (138.4)
128. Jaden McDaniels (138.7)
129. Dwight Powell (139.3)
130. Jordan Goodwin (140.2)
131. Deandre Ayton (140.3)
132. Luguentz Dort (140.7)
133. Tari Eason (142.2)
134. Cedi Osman (142.3)
135. Santi Aldama (143.4)
136. Josh Giddey (144.3)
137. Kelly Olynyk (145.0)
138. Kevin Love (146.3)
139. Tyrese Maxey (146.6)
140. Terance Mann (148.3)
141. Norman Powell (149.0)
141. Paolo Banchero (149.0)
143. Josh Okogie (149.2)
144. Josh Green (150.9)
145. Quentin Grimes (154.0)
146. Jock Landale (154.2)
147. Naz Reid (155.2)
148. Mo Bamba (155.7)
149. Malik Monk (156.5)
150. Terence Davis (156.6)
151. Dorian Finney-Smith (157.4)
152. Cameron Payne (157.9)
153. Dillon Brooks (158.0)
154. Jarred Vanderbilt (158.4)
155. Luke Kornet (159.8)
156. Jonas Valanciunas (160.4)
157. Andre Drummond (160.5)
158. Nickeil Alexander-Walker (160.7)
159. Tim Hardaway Jr. (161.8)
160. Kelly Oubre Jr. (162.3)
161. Nicolas Batum (162.6)
162. Bruce Brown (162.9)
163. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (163.1)
164. Drew Eubanks (163.2)
165. Hamidou Diallo (165.0)
166. Royce O'Neale (167.5)
167. Mike Muscala (168.7)
168. Isaac Okoro (168.9)
169. Marcus Morris (169.0)
170. Austin Reaves (170.3)
171. Markelle Fultz (170.5)
172. John Collins (170.6)
173. Ivica Zubac (171.2)
174. Isaiah Hartenstein (172.6)
175. Nick Richards (173.1)
176. AJ Griffin (173.4)
177. Robert Covington (173.7)
178. Naji Marshall (174.1)
179. Jalen Duren (174.7)
180. Pat Connaughton (175.5)
181. Caris LeVert (176.2)
182. Jevon Carter (176.3)
183. Victor Oladipo (177.1)
184. Collin Sexton (177.8)
185. Caleb Martin (178.1)
186. Jalen Johnson (178.8)
187. Saddiq Bey (179.1)
188. Georges Niang (179.5)
189. Dean Wade (180.7)
190. Keldon Johnson (183.1)
191. Devonte' Graham (183.9)
192. Keegan Murray (184.3)
193. Sam Hauser (184.8)
194. Grant Williams (185.8)
194. Trey Lyles (185.8)
196. Cam Thomas (186.0)
197. Jalen Suggs (186.1)
198. Wenyen Gabriel (187.8)
199. Precious Achiuwa (188.0)
200. Matisse Thybulle (189.1)
201. Anthony Lamb (189.2)
202. Montrezl Harrell (189.4)
203. Jalen McDaniels (189.6)
204. Josh Richardson (190.9)
205. Landry Shamet (191.6)
206. Derrick Jones Jr. (192.0)
207. Kenyon Martin Jr. (192.3)
208. Damion Lee (197.4)
209. Bogdan Bogdanovic (198.3)
210. Marvin Bagley III (198.6)
211. De'Andre Hunter (199.1)
212. Aleksej Pokusevski (199.3)
213. Deni Avdija (200.7)
214. Jaylen Nowell (202.3)
215. Bol Bol (202.6)
216. RJ Barrett (202.9)
217. Jordan Poole (203.1)
218. Yuta Watanabe (203.3)
219. Gary Harris (205.2)
220. Isaiah Jackson (205.4)
221. Max Strus (209.6)
222. Dennis Smith Jr. (209.8)
223. Thaddeus Young (210.6)
224. Obi Toppin (210.8)
225. Coby White (212.2)
226. Zach Collins (212.4)
227. Dyson Daniels (212.8)
228. Ish Wainright (214.4)
228. P.J. Washington (214.4)
230. Darius Bazley (214.5)
231. Bones Hyland (214.8)
232. Torrey Craig (215.4)
233. Talen Horton-Tucker (218.4)
234. Jalen Green (218.8)
235. Jalen Williams (219.2)
236. John Wall (219.3)
237. Edmond Sumner (220.0)
238. Usman Garuba (220.6)
239. Isaiah Stewart (221.6)
239. Malik Beasley (221.6)
241. Dennis Schroder (221.9)
242. Garrison Mathews (223.3)
243. Gabe Vincent (224.5)
244. Jalen Smith (224.6)
245. Shake Milton (226.5)
246. Bismack Biyombo (228.0)
247. Bennedict Mathurin (228.2)
248. Keita Bates-Diop (228.3)
249. Jericho Sims (228.6)
250. Rui Hachimura (230.3)
251. Killian Hayes (231.4)
252. Aaron Holiday (231.6)
253. Ty Jerome (231.8)
254. Andrew Nembhard (232.3)
255. George Hill (232.5)
256. Justise Winslow (234.9)
257. Luke Kennard (237.1)
258. Romeo Langford (237.8)
259. Eric Gordon (238.8)
260. Aaron Wiggins (240.6)
261. Christian Koloko (240.7)
262. Patrick Williams (240.9)
263. Reggie Jackson (242.9)
264. Aaron Nesmith (243.4)
265. Seth Curry (243.7)
266. Gordon Hayward (244.0)
267. Theo Maledon (244.9)
268. Davion Mitchell (245.6)
269. Oshae Brissett (247.6)
270. Dario Saric (247.9)
271. Joe Harris (249.3)
272. Haywood Highsmith (249.5)
273. Miles McBride (249.8)
274. Patrick Beverley (250.6)
275. Lonnie Walker IV (251.4)
276. Maxi Kleber (252.9)
277. Taurean Prince (254.3)
278. Ayo Dosunmu (255.1)
279. Corey Kispert (257.1)
280. Nassir Little (257.3)
280. Vlatko Cancar (257.3)
282. Cory Joseph (260.7)
283. Trendon Watford (261.6)
284. JaMychal Green (262.0)
285. Wesley Matthews (263.9)
286. Troy Brown Jr. (264.2)
287. Jeremy Sochan (267.6)
288. Jonathan Kuminga (268.8)
289. Rudy Gay (269.1)
290. Lamar Stevens (270.7)
291. Zeke Nnaji (275.1)
292. Jabari Smith Jr. (275.9)
293. Kevin Knox (276.4)
294. Tre Mann (277.8)
295. Jaden Ivey (278.2)
296. Goran Dragic (278.5)
297. Chris Duarte (280.0)
298. Isaiah Livers (281.4)
299. Will Barton (282.2)
300. Doug McDermott (285.3)
301. Reggie Bullock (285.8)
302. Terrence Ross (286.3)
303. Duncan Robinson (288.7)
304. Jordan Nwora (289.6)
305. Austin Rivers (290.4)
306. Malachi Flynn (291.9)
307. Caleb Houstan (293.4)
307. Moses Moody (293.4)
309. Daishen Nix (295.2)
309. Juancho Hernangomez (295.2)
311. Christian Braun (299.0)
312. Jeff Green (299.4)
313. Danuel House Jr. (300.2)
314. Kendrick Nunn (301.4)
315. MarJon Beauchamp (302.6)
316. P.J. Tucker (302.9)
317. David Roddy (306.1)
318. Shaedon Sharpe (308.4)
319. Malaki Branham (308.8)
320. Amir Coffey (309.6)
Aaand, if you’d like to see the top 30 if you only use the rate numbers (think points per game, rather than points), those are below.
Rank. Player (average of ranks in rate catch-all metrics)
1. Nikola Jokic (1.0)
2. Luka Doncic (2.2)
3. Joel Embiid (3.4)
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo (6.8)
5. Stephen Curry (7.4)
6. Anthony Davis (8.0)
6. Damian Lillard (8.0)
8. Kevin Durant (8.4)
9. Jimmy Butler (10.4)
10. LeBron James (10.6)
11. Jayson Tatum (12.0)
12. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (12.2)
13. Kawhi Leonard (13.4)
14. James Harden (14.0)
15. Ja Morant (16.8)
15. Tyrese Haliburton (16.8)
17. Jaren Jackson Jr. (18.8)
18. Donovan Mitchell (19.4)
19. Domantas Sabonis (22.4)
19. Kyrie Irving (22.4)
21. Devin Booker (22.8)
22. Lauri Markkanen (23.0)
22. Zion Williamson (23.0)
24. Kristaps Porzingis (23.2)
25. Paul George (26.2)
26. Darius Garland (26.4)
27. Aaron Gordon (30.0)
27. Trae Young (30.0)
29. Nic Claxton (32.0)
30. Julius Randle (37.0)