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.)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

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

#5: Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs with 60% of the vote;
Added to next poll: Kevin Durant, Houston Rockets
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2472702

#6: Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves with 41% of votes;
Added to next poll: Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2472754

#7: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors with 30% of the votes;
Added to next poll: Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2472918

#8: Anthony Davis, Dallas Mavericks with 46% of the vote;
Added to next poll: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2473076

#9: Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks with 36% of votes;
Added to next poll: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?p=119556568#p119556568

#10: Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers with 29% of votes;
Added to next poll: Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers
https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2473174

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Not yet added:
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Karl-Anthony Towns, New York Knicks
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
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
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks
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!

Voted Cade
Nominate KAT

LeBron or Durant

Torn between Cade and Mobley
2021 draft class
Also with LeBron in the mix for me

Nominating KAT

Vote Durant

Nominate Holmgren

Between Mobley and Williams for me.
Vote Mobley
Nominate KAT

LeBronSpaghetti wrote:LeBron or Durant

2018 called….

Voted Kawhi

Nominate Embiid

Durant will be 37 next year and Mobley will be 24.

Durant has played in 65 or more games in 1 season since 2019.

Last year Mobley’s team won 64 games and Durant’s team won 36 games.

We tend to overrate scoring and underrate defense and rebounding. The Suns tended to shoot a higher % than their opponents but lost the game because they had less possessions due to Turnovers and losing the rebounding battle.

Mobley!!
Nominate Holmgren

Vote: Durant
Nominate: Embiid

Cade
N: Amen

Voted Evan Mobley
Nominate: Amen Thompson

Voted Cade, but the more I think about it, I’m not sure I actually like him more than Mobley. I definitely thought Mobley was better last year and Cade’s only a few weeks younger. Cade does seem like he’s a lot more likely to make significant progress this year though. It’s tough.

Nominate: Chet

Voted Cade.

Nominate: Chet. It feels in this range you could take a flier on Embiid, but I'm going with the young guy.

NZB2323 wrote:Durant will be 37 next year and Mobley will be 24.

Durant has played in 65 or more games in 1 season since 2019.

Last year Mobley’s team won 64 games and Durant’s team won 36 games.

We tend to overrate scoring and underrate defense and rebounding. The Suns tended to shoot a higher % than their opponents but lost the game because they had less possessions due to Turnovers and losing the rebounding battle.

Scoring is a proxy for how unstoppable a particular player is. It's imperfect, of course, as is any singular stat. Still, when we talk about the best players in the NBA, it is unsurprising the best ones amongst the best scorers in the league.

Currently the top players per the votes are: Jokic (3rd in scoring last year) - SGA (1st) -Giannis (2nd) - Doncic (4th had he qualified) - Wemby (14th had he qualified) - A Edwards (4th officially, 5th if we include Doncic) - Curry (11th) - Davis (10th, had he qualified) - Brunson (8th) - Mitchell (16th)

The Suns were a horrifically constructed team, but that doesn't mean scoring is "overrated". Nico Harrison just made a massive bet on defense and rebounding. We'll see how that experiment goes. My guess is the Lakers will do better.

At the end of the day, a lot goes into constructing a championship level NBA team, but it almost always starts with great scorers, not with great rebounders or defenders, who usually get added after the fact if the scorer happens to not add those elements himself.

Vote Mobley, nominate Jimmy

Seems like the Mobley/Cade tier. I think the older guys get in next with LeBron and Durant.

Good to see Mobley pulling away here. I think that’s the right choice.
Cade, Williams seem like next to me.
Brown, Siakam maybe Banchero and KAT after that.
Then maybe the old guys. I think it’s so easy to live in the past with LBJ, Durant, Kawhi. They were barely top 20ish last year, so seems a stretch to think they will be better another year older.