RealGM

Once again, It is time for Filthadelphia's annual Top 25 Player poll this offseason.

(Filthadelphia, if you want to take over again, go for it. I just wanted to get it finished before preseason. In any case, this will probably be the last year I can do it for a while).

Your favorite offseason debate is back by popular demand!
Thanks to everyone who voted last go around I'm excited to see where the 6th annual edition ends up.

Here are the Rules:
-Vote ONE player per poll. You'll be able to change your vote just like in previous years so you can self-implement rank choice voting.
-The criteria of ranking the players is YOUR OWN. The whole point of bringing this to the GB is to attract the widest amount of votes/perspectives on the game as possible to form a true consensus. Some people value shooting over defense, team success over individual prowess etc. Filthadelphia wanted to bake all that into this poll set no matter how chaotic.
-Each poll a player will win and then be taken out of the field. There will be 25 polls in all.
-There are only 10 possible poll options so I will start with last year's Top 10.
-As each poll commences I ask you to COMMENT IN THE THREAD your vote for who should be added in the next poll. There will be a large list of players yet to be added to the field below that you can look over to make your vote. I will tally up the votes in the comments at the end of each poll and add the winner accordingly. For example, if you want Xavier Tillman added in the next poll just comment "Nominate: Xavier Tillman"
-If a poll is overwhelmingly skewed towards one guy I will try, time willing, to edit it early and move on to the next one.
-If there is a tie in the poll. There will be a run-off poll created with just the tying parties to determine a winner. The losers of the runoff will then be added back into the field of 10 for the next poll.
-Feel free to ask any questions via pm or comment
-Feel Free to comment on your reasoning for a pick and why
There may be days when I am not able to quickly add the next poll. Just be patient!

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING!!!!

Added to Poll: Trae Young (ATL)

RealGM Top 25 Players 2023-24:
1) Nikola Jokic (DEN) - 72%
2) Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) - 61%
3) Luka Doncic (DAL) - 42%
4) Steph Curry (GSW) - 42%
5) Joel Embiid (PHI) - 43%
6) Jayson Tatum (BOS) - 45%
7) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) - 37%
8) Kevin Durant (PHX) - 34%
9) LeBron James (LAL) - 31%


Yet To Be Added: (If someone is not here that you want here comment THAT and I will add them)
Dejounte Murray (ATL)
Jaylen Brown (BOS)
Mikal Bridges (BKN)
LaMelo Ball (CHA)
DeMar DeRozan (CHI)
Zach LaVine (CHI)
Darius Garland (CLE)
Evan Mobley (CLE)
Kyrie Irving (DAL)
Aaron Gordon (DEN)
Jamal Murray (DEN)
Cade Cunningham (DET)
Draymond Green (GSW)
Chris Paul (GSW)
Klay Thompson (GSW)
Andrew Wiggins (GSW)
Fred VanVleet (HOU)
Paul George (LAC)
Austin Reaves (LAL)
Desmond Bane (MEM)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM)
Bam Adebayo (MIA)
Jrue Holiday (MIL)
Brook Lopez (MIL)
Khris Middleton (MIL)
Rudy Gobert (MIN)
Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN)
Brandon Ingram (NOP)
Zion Williamson (NOP)
Jalen Brunson (NYK)
Julius Randle (NYK)
Paolo Banchero (ORL)
Jerami Grant (POR)
James Harden (PHI)
Tyrese Maxey (PHI)
Bradley Beal (PHX)
De'Aaron Fox (SAC)
Domantas Sabonis (SAC)
Victor Wembanyama (SAS)
Scottie Barnes (TOR)
Pascal Siakam (TOR)
Lauri Markkanen (UTA)
Kyle Kuzma (WAS)


Previous Results:

I think this is the fourth time in a row I vote for Butler. I bit surprised that LeBron, who will be almost 39 years old at the start of the season, finished ahead of Butler, Booker or AD. Booker and AD are the other players I considered here.

For nomination I think this would be the right time to get Harden into the mix. But there are a lot of question marks with him right now. We don't know where he will play, IF he will play and in what shape he's in. So I go with Sabonis again.

Vote: Butler
Nominate: Sabonis

V: Davis
N: Fox

Booker/Harden

Vote: Jimmy Butler. 3rd last year in RAPTOR Wins Above Replacement, 4th in Estimated Plus-Minus. Beast on both sides of the court. Led his team to the finals.

Nominate: Jaren Jackson Jr.

Vote: Butler - should have gone several spots ago
Nom: Siakam

My top-13 (I have a huge drop after 13 where I'm not sure of the order)

1) Jokic
2) Giannis
3) Luka
4) Embiid
5) Butler
6) Tatum
7) Booker
8) SGA
9) Curry
10) KD
11) AD
12) Lillard
13) LeBron

Granted AD would be a few spots higher if I trusted his health/availability more.

Voting: Haliburton --> he's only improving and his next season will probably be better than the previous one, unlike with the two current leaders of the poll
Nominate: Fox

Butler

Nominate JJJ

Vote Butler

Nominate Sabonis

V: Booker
N: Irving

V: AD
N: Fox

Vote: Jimmy Butler
Nominate: De'Aaron Fox

V AD
N Fox

Vote: Jimmy Butler
Nominate: De’Aaron Fox

V:Butler
N:Fox

I think Butler has earned a top 10 spot from his playoff performance last year.

Anthony Davis is a better basketball player than Jimmy Butler

Vote: AD
Nominate: Murray

V: AD
N: JJJ

Vote: AD
Nom: Siakam

Torn between AD vs. Butler and Siakam vs. JJJ.

I really don't see a case for the offense only guys getting in before AD and Butler. Even if you love Booker or Lillard's offense (and I do think they're better offensive players than AD or Butler), there's a bigger ocean on the other side.

I know Jimmy hasn’t shown any signs of age-related decline yet, but he is turning 34 next week and AD’s only 30. I’d say Davis is more likely to maintain his level of play going forward. Can’t really go wrong with either guy though. Both should have gone ahead of KD and LeBron.