RealGM

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6695794/2025/10/15/nba-best-players-nikola-jokic-shai-gilgeous-alexander-giannis/

Behind the athletic paywall, and I wont go into huge detail to his reasoning, but what I like about this list is that he's moved on from some of the old guys that a lot of fans keep clinging to. I have the same projected top 10, but in a different order.

1. Jokic
2. Shai
3. Giannis
4. Luka
5. Wemby
6. Ant
7. Mobley
8. J.Dub
9. Brunson
10. Mitchell

"Five who are hanging on:"
Curry, Lebron, AD, KD, Kawhi

"Five for the future:"
Cade, Coop, Paolo, Amen, Darryn Peterson*

Gonna have to be on the outside in on the Mobley hype. I think he's an excellent player but to say he's approaching top 5 in the league is a bit much for me.

J Dub and Mobley aren't in this conversation. Does anyone realistically think they could singlehandedly flip a lotto team into the play in?

Thaddy wrote:J Dub and Mobley aren't in this conversation. Does anyone realistically think they could singlehandedly flip a lotto team into the play in?

Unless you're talking about a bottom 3 team, getting to the play-in isn't that difficult.

Thaddy wrote:J Dub and Mobley aren't in this conversation. Does anyone realistically think they could singlehandedly flip a lotto team into the play in?

I dont think you should lump these two together, jdub is way more impactful than Mobley especially in the playoffs.

And someone like Mitchell might be better at lifting a lotto team but if i'm a contender i'm taking JDub over Mitchell every single time.

I have to agree with the Mobley comments. Very good player but he's not a #1 go to guy so having him as a top 10 player is vastly overrating him IMO

Brunson too low.

Hollinger has always had it in for Curry ever since Curry destroyed any chances of the Grizzlies to advance further while Hollinger was an executive with that team. If Curry is close to where he was last year there is no reason to believe he isn't top 10.

WarriorGM wrote:Hollinger has always had it in for Curry ever since Curry destroyed any chances of the Grizzlies to advance further while Hollinger was an executive with that team. If Curry is close to where he was last year there is no reason to believe he isn't top 10.

i dont think you have to be a hater to leave steph out of the top 10. the hamstring injury is worrying especially for someone with his playing style. If you could guarantee 100% health then yeah Steph should be a top 10 player, but if anticipated health is part of someone's rankings then i can't blame them for leaving steph or any of the old guys out of the top 10.

ball_takes23 wrote:

WarriorGM wrote:Hollinger has always had it in for Curry ever since Curry destroyed any chances of the Grizzlies to advance further while Hollinger was an executive with that team. If Curry is close to where he was last year there is no reason to believe he isn't top 10.

i dont think you have to be a hater to leave steph out of the top 10. the hamstring injury is worrying especially for someone with his playing style. If you could guarantee 100% health then yeah Steph should be a top 10 player, but if anticipated health is part of someone's rankings then i can't blame them for leaving steph or any of the old guys out of the top 10.

I've noticed a tendency from certain sources trying to consistently nudge or push Curry off the stage as it were, and it has turned out, rather prematurely. I see no reason to give them the benefit of the doubt when their takes have been pretty bad and their biases so obvious.

Mobley at 7 seems shocking. Yea Mobley had an amazing season but i dont recall him being effective in the playoffs. Was there an injury i wasnt aware of? I think they used him differently because Mobley was more of a focal point and even ran pick n roll as the handler during the season.

Isn't Hollinger the PER guy? I remember that being a key stat back in 2008-09.

UnbelievablyRAW wrote:Gonna have to be on the outside in on the Mobley hype. I think he's an excellent player but to say he's approaching top 5 in the league is a bit much for me.

Agreed. Fine player but no way should he be ranked above Brunson or Spida tbh

But overall it's a pretty decent list i think.

I’d love to hear the case for JDub in the top-10. I don’t see it.

Thaddy wrote:J Dub and Mobley aren't in this conversation. Does anyone realistically think they could singlehandedly flip a lotto team into the play in?

Why not J Dub?

Mobley and JDub can be game changers for the right team and aren't even in their prime yet.

I am assuming Hollinger has seen them a lot in person and they pass his eye test so I give him the benefit of the doubt for a controversial take. I personally have them more in the top 15 currently.

Curry is still top 10, but I agree the rest of the old guard doesn't belong to the top 10.

Mobley has the best PR in basketball

Fans need to let go of the old guys.

I don't consider any player over 35 a top 10 player. Top 10 means you can get up and carry a team. What you did over the course of your career, don't make you top 10.


Here's my top 10 for the season.

1. Jokic
2. SGA
3. Giannis
4. Luka
5. Spida
6. Bruson
7. Ant
8. JDub
9. Wemby
10. Paolo


I don't wanna hear about old man players that aren't even consequential to the league anymore.

We still talking about KD, Lebron and Curry like the actually going to win something this year and we know they are not.

I like how he's clear on his criteria/framework. Hollinger understands the difference between conditional value and absolute goodness. Circumstance (teammates, coach, scheme, rotation, etc.) plays an obviously significant factor in how impactful and therefore valuable a player can be.

Because I’m focusing on just the coming season, I’ll frame my process here in a very specific way: If you’re drafting 10 guys for a randomly selected team to be on your roster for the 2025-26 season — and just the 2025-26 season — who are you riding with? Let’s explore.