RealGM

Oh hey again good pals! This is the thing where we rank the top 25 NBA players for 2025-26 hooray.

Basically vote for 1 of the guys in the poll, and you can also post a comment that nominates a player to be added for the next round of voting. Then a day or two later I'll pop in and make the next poll.

So like: "Vote Jokic, nominate Kuzma." Or whatever.

If you change your mind, the poll is set up so you can change your vote as often as you'd like until the poll closes and the next thread goes up. (The poll is limited to 10 options.)

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Results so far:

#1: Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets with 63% of the votes;
Added to next poll: Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2472330

#2: Shai Gilgeous Alexander, OKC Thunder with 54% of the votes;
Added to next poll: Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2472418

#3: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks with 50% of the vote
Added to next poll: Jalen Williams, OKC Thunder
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2472506

#4: Luka Doncic, LA Lakers with 62% of votes;
Added to next poll: Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2472644
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Not yet added:
Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
James Harden, LA Clippers
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
Derrick White, Boston Celtics
Jimmy Butler, Golden State Warriors
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
De'Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Lamelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Jaren Jackson Jr, Memphis Grizzlies
Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
Lauri Markannen, Utah Jazz
Chet Holmgren, OKC Thunder
Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers
Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
Etc etc.

This is meant to be a projection of player rankings for this coming season. Guys like Tatum ( ), Hali and Dame are likely not playing, so I begrudgingly left them out.

Enjoy!

I am first vote, voted Victor. Usually skip this practice, just check the results later.

Nominate Alperen Sengun, why not.

Vote Wemby, nominate KD

V: Wemby
N: KD

Well, I don't really agree with most of the choices left here. Embiid, Kawhi, and Durant are better than most players to choose from. Anyway:

Voted Curry

Giving the nod to Curry over LeBron because Curry will shoulder more of the offensive load than LeBron will.

Nominate Kawhi

Going with Kawhi here, but Durant would be a great choice. If Kawhi can play 70 games -- a big if -- he'll be in the running for MVP.

Vote: Wemby.
Nominate: Chet Holmgren

I do think KD or Kawhi should be in the poll by now, but I'm wary of their age. Kawhi is 34, and played just 37 games last year. He's amazing but he's a part time guy. You pray for playoff health. Durant is about to turn 37 and continues to decline at everything besides bucket getting. He basically never gets the ball inside 10 feet anymore, and that has started to chip away at his playmaking value. If you give him shots, he will hit them at an incredible clip. He could fit in well in Houston, where they need him to do just that and can cover the other stuff.

I'm just leaning more towards young guys taking a leap this year. Paolo or Franz, Chet... those are the guys on my radar.

Vote: Wemby
Add: Durant

I'm voting for Wembasuarus and nominating Jaylen Brown this time.

My team is probably going to suck this year, and envisioning JB as a top 15 player at least cheers me up about the whole thing haha.

bisme37 wrote:I'm voting for Wembasuarus and nominating Jaylen Brown this time.

My team is probably going to suck this year, and envisioning JB as a top 15 player at least cheers me up about the whole thing haha.

I gave a thought to Jaylen Brown and Pascal Siakam. The achilles avengers who are going to be in all you can eat situations, for better or worse. My only hesitation is that I'm not sure it's a great role for either of them, or if they'll actually look better with more scoring volume.

It's an opportunity for growth for sure though. It will be interesting to stress test Jaylen Brown's playmaking growth.

Injuries make this really weird but i think either wenbayama, kawhi or embiid would all make good picks if we knew they could stay healthy

The next tier i think brunson is a good pick or tatum if he was healthy

Voted Wemby, nominate Zubac.

Wemby is hard coming off the clot, but if he can stay healthy, I think he creeps into the top 5 with amazing defense and improving offense.

I'm nominating Ivica Zubac.

It is probably a bit too high, but I think very highly of his game on both sides of the ball and think he's much better than Gobert on offense and Towns on defense, so I'd rate him the 4th best center in the league behind Jokic - Davis then Wemby/Davis (assuming they are centers) and maybe even as high as second if they are PFs. (Embiid would be above too, but I don't trust his health at all).

Siakim would be up there for me too. I've underestimated him a few times in the past and he's proven me wrong about some of the limitations I thought I saw in him. Not a top tier player, but given the injuries going into next year, I see the argument for top 15-20.

KD will likely get it, but I just have no idea what to expect for him as he ages. I think he'll fit better on the Rockets, so he is a good choice here too.

(Didn't consider Embiid, Kawhi, Halliburton, Tatum, and Kyrie due to inury worries/absences).

Wemby is premature here. I’ll still take Curry Brunson and Edwards

I’d go AD here, or Edwards. Wemby could be it though.
Nominate Jaylen Brown.

GiannisAnte34 wrote:Wemby is premature here. I’ll still take Curry Brunson and Edwards

In some ways, I think Edwards is premature. He's improved year over year for sure, but I still think his decision making and streakiness keeps him out of being a true Top 5 guy yet. To me, he's an amazingly athletic, streaky volume guy who has the chance to put it all together and be a top 5 guy (ironically given the other current thread on the front page, kind of like an early career guard Hakeem, but without the transcendent defense). Last year, the Wolves actually had a better net rating with Edwards off the floor than on. The other guys mentioned were MUCH better. 100%, 90% (with a super elite second unit, 96%, 96/99% (Mavs/Lakers), then Edwards was 48%. The previous year he was 73%.

Now there are definitely nuances when using on-off data, but they aren't that big. The top 5 level players tend to be at the very top every year. Edwards never has been and last year was one of his weakest, so I don't see it yet.

He stil has a lot of development though, so he may get there, but right now, he is a good, high volume offensive player, not an all world one like the first four guys, and his defense doesn't make up for that. Wemby's defense is at least a level (and probably 2) above anything Edwards has done so far, so I give him the nod even though his offense hasn't been quite as good so far (he was slightly more efficient last year on a bit less volume).

MarcusBrody wrote:

GiannisAnte34 wrote:Wemby is premature here. I’ll still take Curry Brunson and Edwards

In some ways, I think Edwards is premature. He's improved year over year for sure, but I still think his decision making and streakiness keeps him out of being a true Top 5 guy yet. To me, he's an amazingly athletic, streaky volume guy who has the chance to put it all together and be a top 5 guy (ironically given the other current thread on the front page, kind of like an early career guard Hakeem, but without the transcendent defense). Last year, the Wolves actually had a better net rating with Edwards off the floor than on. The other guys mentioned were MUCH better. 100%, 90% (with a super elite second unit, 96%, 96/99% (Mavs/Lakers), then Edwards was 48%. The previous year he was 73%.

Now there are definitely nuances when using on-off data, but they aren't that big. The top 5 level players tend to be at the very top every year. Edwards never has been and last year was one of his weakest, so I don't see it yet.

He stil has a lot of development though, so he may get there, but right now, he is a good, high volume offensive player, not an all world one like the first four guys, and his defense doesn't make up for that. Wemby's defense is at least a level (and probably 2) above anything Edwards has done so far, so I give him the nod even though his offense hasn't been quite as good so far (he was slightly more efficient last year on a bit less volume).

I think this is fair. Ant has performed big on some big stages, and looks the part of fans favorite kind of superstar, but there are some very real statistical signals that he's not yet at the top of the top of the mountain.

The playmaking is what would bring it altogether. Last year he made some improvements hitting corner shooters off his drives. This year he struggled badly to start the year when teams constantly showed him multiple bodies. Eventually, the coaching staff changed the offense, and Ant looked great making reads off the drive. He again looked like he was turning a corner. However, in the playoffs, opponents (especially the Warriors) were able to sit on his preferred passing reads and it really flummoxed him.

He's still a guy coasting off his massive talent, and his brain is trying to catch up. Will it? It looks possible but you never know where development stalls out. This isn't to say Ant is bad. He's a huge star and real all-NBA level guy now. We're talking about the adjustments he'd need to make to get into this top 5 territory.

Vote Wemby
Nominate Durant

Victor missed considerable time last season with health issues. He probably rises to this spot this season, but I picked Ant in the meantime.

Nominate Paolo.

cupcakesnake wrote:

bisme37 wrote:I'm voting for Wembasuarus and nominating Jaylen Brown this time.

My team is probably going to suck this year, and envisioning JB as a top 15 player at least cheers me up about the whole thing haha.

I gave a thought to Jaylen Brown and Pascal Siakam. The achilles avengers who are going to be in all you can eat situations, for better or worse. My only hesitation is that I'm not sure it's a great role for either of them, or if they'll actually look better with more scoring volume.

It's an opportunity for growth for sure though. It will be interesting to stress test Jaylen Brown's playmaking growth.

Yeah Brown's playmaking will be tested. I've seen it from him in small doses but he's never gotten consistent reps handling the ball like JT does, so it could be an adventure haha. He's a guy who puts in the work and takes pride in rising to the occasion, and he's definitely improved his left hand and his decision making, but to what extent? I guess I'm about to find out!

Edit: The C's have White, Pritchard and Simons to handle the ball as well, so it will be interesting to see how much the offense changes up with Tatum out and Brown as the #1 option. I imagine the team wont play exactly the same way. Perhaps less iso and more equal opportunity ball movement.

Voted Wembanyama

Nominate KD - I think the Rockets are a perfect spot for him and he will put together a stellar season

bisme37 wrote:I imagine the team wont play exactly the same way. Perhaps less iso and more equal opportunity ball movement.

That's an optimistic view of a team who is going to use Jaylen Brown more offensively.

More Jaylen Brown definitely doesn't say "Less Iso and more Equality". If anything, I would guess Brown is looking forward to being the true #1.