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: James Harden (PHI)

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%
10) Jimmy Butler (MIA) - 30%
11) Anthony Davis (LAL) - 34%
12) Devin Booker (PHX) - 43%
13) Kawhi Leonard (LAC) - 39%
14) Damian Lillard (POR) - 47%
15) Anthony Edwards (MIN) - 26%
16) Tyrese Haliburton (IND) - 19%
17) Paul George (LAC) - 23%
18) Donovan Mitchell (CLE) - 27%
19) Ja Morant (MEM) - 22%
20) Jamal Murray (DEN) - 31%
21) Pascal Siakam (TOR) - 19%
22) Zion Williamson (NOP) - 23%
23) Jaylen Brown (BOS) - 28%
24) Domantas Sabonis (SAC) - 26%

Yet To Be Added: (If someone is not here that you want here comment THAT and I will add them)
Dejounte Murray (ATL)
LaMelo Ball (CHA)
DeMar DeRozan (CHI)
Zach LaVine (CHI)
Darius Garland (CLE)
Evan Mobley (CLE)
Aaron Gordon (DEN)
Cade Cunningham (DET)
Draymond Green (GSW)
Chris Paul (GSW)
Klay Thompson (GSW)
Andrew Wiggins (GSW)
Fred VanVleet (HOU)
Austin Reaves (LAL)
Desmond Bane (MEM)
Jrue Holiday (MIL)
Brook Lopez (MIL)
Khris Middleton (MIL)
Rudy Gobert (MIN)
Brandon Ingram (NOP)
Julius Randle (NYK)
Jalen Williams (OKC)
Paolo Banchero (ORL)
Franz Wagner (ORL)
Jerami Grant (POR)
Tyrese Maxey (PHI)
Bradley Beal (PHX)
Victor Wembanyama (SAS)
Scottie Barnes (TOR)
Kyle Kuzma (WAS)


Previous Results:

Vote: Jalen Brunson
Nominate: ---

Vote: Lauri Markkanen
Nom: ______________

Lauri Markkanen:

Lauri is 7th in the league in TS% added as a player who shoots at high volume in the midrange. The players ahead of him are Jokic, Embiid, Sabonis, Durant, Curry, and Lillard. Offensively, I think he is about as valuable of a scorer as you can ask for who isn't in the same tier as the top 15ish players on this list. Defensively he is not a sieve, and is a 7 footer who can keep up with a lot of perimeter players and switch onto bigs. It may be too early to put him this high, but I'm going to make the vote and a small case in his favor.

Vote: Kyrie Irving
Nominate: Kevin Porter Jr. because I can, it doesn't matter who we nominate in this round

Vote: Bam Adebayo. Not gonna get in here because his game is too boring.. but it's the right pick.
Nominate: Garland

Want to vote Fox, but Young is more established...

Nominate Mark Williams... Because I could.

Course I get called out for hate bias by saying Dame isn't a top 15 player in 2023, yet Harden too demanded a trade and he barely makes the poll... Clearly no hate bias there.

Bam is the pick at this spot.

If Real GM was rating these players 2K style. This how I would expect that it would look based on the voting.

1) Nikola Jokic - 99

2) Giannis Antetokounmpo - 97

3) Luka Doncic (DAL) - 96
4) Steph Curry (GSW) - 96

5) Joel Embiid (PHI) - 95
6) Jayson Tatum (BOS) - 95

7) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) - 94
8) Kevin Durant (PHX) - 94
9) LeBron James (LAL) - 94

10) Jimmy Butler (MIA) - 93
11) Anthony Davis (LAL) - 93
12) Devin Booker (PHX) - 93

13) Kawhi Leonard (LAC) - 92
14) Damian Lillard (POR) - 92

15) Anthony Edwards (MIN) - 91
16) Tyrese Haliburton (IND) - 91
17) Paul George (LAC) - 91
18) Donovan Mitchell (CLE) - 91
19) Ja Morant (MEM) - 91

20) Jamal Murray (DEN) - 90
21) Pascal Siakam (TOR) - 90

22) Zion Williamson (NOP) - 89
23) Jaylen Brown (BOS) - 89
24) Domantas Sabonis (SAC) - 89

V: Young

Last yr

Trae +3.3 bpm, +3.9 Raptor, +3.3 epm (worst yr since his rookie yr)

Fox +2.5 bpm, +2.5 Raptor +2.8 epm

Vote Markkanen.

Voted Bam

It's just very hard to dismiss what the Heat have been able to do in the playoffs. Their more offensive guys are up and down, but what Bam brings to the table is every night and it's the backbone of their system.

He's not a high end scorer, so he gets less love from the wider fanbase. But his defensive versatility and offensive facilitation make him one of the most valuable players in the NBA. He's like a stronger mini KG without the shooting.

V: Markannen

Kyrie

Vote: Bam
Nominate: Brunson

HurricaneDij25 wrote:Course I get called out for hate bias by saying Dame isn't a top 15 player in 2023, yet Harden too demanded a trade and he barely makes the poll... Clearly no hate bias there.

Harden hate is eternal, I suspect harden will be elevated more in the future like wilt was, long after he retires

NBA4Lyfe wrote:

HurricaneDij25 wrote:Course I get called out for hate bias by saying Dame isn't a top 15 player in 2023, yet Harden too demanded a trade and he barely makes the poll... Clearly no hate bias there.

Harden hate is eternal, I suspect harden will be elevated more in the future like wilt was, long after he retires

Your obsession with him is quite creepy.