NBA Top 100 Player Rankings

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They're Coming, apparently.

And soon. Any predictions on how our Hawks will fare?

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https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10087588-predicting-nbas-top-100-players-for-2023-24-season

30. Trae YoungBrian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

2022-23 Stats — 26.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 10.2 APG, 42.9 FG%, 33.5 3PT% (73 games played)

Last Year's Top 100 Ranking: 12 (Down 18 Spots)

World-class maestros would be impressed by Trae Young's ability to conduct an NBA offense. His pick-and-roll prowess is arguably unmatched, and his mere floor presence almost guarantees Atlanta a top-five attack.

Now, this is where some note that Young's defensive limitations (stemming mostly from his lack of size at 6'1" and 164 lbs) might also ensure a bottom-third defense. But that isn't our puzzle to solve; Atlanta's front office and head coach Quin Snyder have to crack that code.

Still, there's a reason the Hawks keep trying to make this work with Young. His all-caps ELITE offense offsets his negatives and then some. Only two players have ever averaged at least 25 points and nine assists in more than two seasons. One is Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson. The other is Young, a 24-year-old who has cleared those marks in four consecutive campaigns (a stretch that started in his sophomore season).

His lack of physical tools should be a hindrance—and are defensively—but he has hidden them on offense under a pile of deep threes, soft floaters, pocket passes and perfectly placed lobs. He is an offensive savant, and this league would be in real trouble if Atlanta ever figured out how to assemble a top-third defense around him.

—Buckley

47. Dejounte MurrayKevin C. Cox/Getty Images

2022-23 Stats — 20.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.1 APG, 46.4 FG%, 34.4 3PT% (74 games played)

Last Year's Top 100 Ranking: 36 (Down 11 Spots)

Having less responsibility (and opportunity) on both ends of the floor understandably limited Dejounte Murray's production a bit last season. His averages for points, rebounds, assists and steals all dropped from their 2021-22 levels.

Perhaps even more alarming than that, when he was on the floor, the Atlanta Hawks' net rating was significantly worse.

For at least the first year of the Murray-Trae Young partnership, things didn't go great. It's too early to give up on the experiment, though. In theory, it still makes sense.

Murray is undoubtedly a better perimeter defender than Young and can spare him some difficult matchups. He might also be able to generate a few more catch-and-shoot opportunities for his point guard. Hopefully, 2022-23 was just the adjustment period.

—Andy Bailey

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The Athletic Top 100:

Trae 3B

Murray 4B

Capela, Hunter, and Bogi 5A

https://theathletic.com/4784508/2023/08/18/nba-player-tiers-kevin-durant-giannis-jokic-curry/?source=user-shared-article

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Trae behind D Fox, Harden and Jamal Murray?!?

wow

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Wait, we only had 2 players in the entire top 100?!?

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Top 25 NBA players 2023-24

Number 24: Trae Young

An elite shooting and playmaking Floor General



In his five years in the league, Trae Young has had elite production and is a dangerous offensive threat. Young is a gifted scorer he has averaged at least 25 points in his past 4 seasons. He is best known as an elite shooter with unlimited range however he is also a good finisher and isolation scorer. Trae pairs his shooting ability with great passing vision and playmaking abilities. The elite combination of shooting and playmaking is perfect for a modern point guard. While Young has proven he is an elite scorer who can lead a high-powered offense developing as an off-ball player and defender would evaluate Young’s spot in the ranking. Although Young is a gifted offensive talent he needs to become more comfortable playing off the ball this would help Atlanta’s offense and Young’s overall impact.

Season recap
Last year was a rocky season for Young. While Young’s production and numbers were still elite. Young’s reputation took a hit in the minds of many. This was the first year of the backcourt pairing of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, the duo yielded mixed results. For the majority of the season, Atlanta held a .500 record ultimately finishing 41-41 and 7th in the conference losing to the Celtics in the first round. The backcourt duo has a lot of upside and showed some great moments during the season.

However, the fit is somewhat questionable and the two guards had trouble sharing offensive responsibility leading to awkward offense at times. Due to mid-season struggles as well as apparent tension between Young and Head Coach Nate McMillan, McMillian was fired in February. Shortly after Quin Snyder was hired as the new Head Coach. Snyder’s offensive is more movement-based both on and off the ball which evaluates the backcourt duo. This potential was shown in the first round against the Celtics where Atlanta was able to steal two games. A full season of Snyder and another season of the backcourt duo could lead to better results.

Season outlook
The pressure is on Young to adapt his game this year. Throughout his career, Young has been an ultra-productive player but needs to improve his off-ball play. This could evaluate both Young’s play and the backcourt pairing with Murray. The Hawks didn’t have any major improvement this off-season however they took the philosophy of less is more. Trading John Collins to the Jazz was their only notable move. The Hawks still have an extremely solid roster around Young and another season with Murray along with a full season with Snyder will benefit Atlanta.

This could lead to the Hawks jumping into the top five in the East. However for this to happen Young needs to change his playstyle while continuing to produce at an elite level. In the middle of last season, there was a flurry of trade rumors surrounding Young. If Young doesn’t make these adjustments and the Hawks disappoint there’s a chance these trade rumors pick back up.

The Last Word
Young is one of the most divisive players in the league. Many people believe he is an ultra-talented guard whose offensive talent and production make him a top-15 level player. However just as many people believe Young is an overrated ball-stopper who will never have true team success. Ultimately, whatever side of the argument you’re on it’s fair to say this year will help solidify Young’s ranking.

Last Word on Sports

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ESPN NBArank: 2023 edition

To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on player vs. player matchups from more than 15,000 possible pairings. Voters were asked, "Which player will be better in 2023-24?" and had to predict how each player will perform this season.

Our countdown kicks off with our rankings of players Nos. 100-51, which include star guards, elite rim protectors and plenty of faces in new places.

No. 60: Dejounte Murray



Atlanta Hawks | SG

2022 NBArank: 42

Swing skill: Despite a drop in his steals per game and steal percentage a year ago, Murray still proved to be one of the NBA's leaders in thievery. Murray, who led the NBA in steals in 2021-22, is the only player in the NBA to have at least 100 steals in each of the past four seasons.

-- Lopez




No. 84: Clint Capela



Atlanta Hawks | C

2022 NBArank: 79

Swing skill: Capela remains one of the league's top offensive rebounders. He has finished top three in offensive rebounds in each of the past three seasons and is the only player with at least 250 offensive boards in each of those campaigns. Also, in 19 games under coach Quin Snyder, Capela's offensive efficiency took a jump; he shot 73.0% over that stretch on 7.2 attempts a game.

-- Lopez

ESPN

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Knicks fans are 'salty'..........

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Trae at #29 behind Jrue Holiday, Lauri Markkanen and Brandon Ingram.

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[Jamaaliver]

ESPN NBArank: 2023 edition

To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on player vs. player matchups from more than 15,000 possible pairings. Voters were asked, "Which player will be better in 2023-24?" and had to predict how each player will perform this season.

Our countdown kicks off with our rankings of players Nos. 100-51, which include star guards, elite rim protectors and plenty of faces in new places.

No. 29: Trae Young



Atlanta Hawks | PG

2022 NBArank: 16

Why he fell 13 spots: While Young saw an uptick in his assists to a career-best 10.2 per game, his efficiency was not the same with his field goal (42.9%) and 3-point percentages (33.5%) dropping to lows he hadn't seen since his rookie season.

One game to watch in 2023-24: March 5 at the Knicks. Broadway Trae makes only one visit to Madison Square Garden this season. After his playoff performance in 2021, Young's games visiting the Knicks are must-see TV. Young struggled there last season -- 17 points on 7-of-22 shooting and 19 points on 9-of-20 shooting -- but the promise of Young putting on a show is always there.

-- Lopez

ESPN

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