Top 10 Peaks of the 2020's so far

[wafflzgod]

T10 player peaks of the 2020s so far -- 1 per player and not factoring in games played/durability.
In order, but I think it's pretty close between tiers

1.) '23 Jokic
2.) '20 James
3.) '21 Curry
4.) '22 Giannis

5.) '21 Durant
6.) '20 Davis
7.) '21 Leonard
8.) '20 Harden

9.) '23 Embiid
10.) '22 Doncic

[wafflzgod]

If I were to remove the 1 per player restriction, I think I'd go:

1.) 23 Jokic
2.) 20 James
3.) 22 Jokic
4.) 21 Curry
5.) 22 Giannis
6.) 21 Giannis
7.) 20 Giannis
8.) 22 Curry
9.) 23 Curry
10.) 21 Jokic

[rk2023]

If I were to remove the 1 per player restriction, I think I'd go:

1.) 23 Jokic
2.) 20 James
3.) 22 Jokic
4.) 21 Curry
5.) 22 Giannis
6.) 21 Giannis
7.) 20 Giannis
8.) 22 Curry
9.) 23 Curry
10.) 21 Jokic

Have to think through my 1-10 and tiers once more, but aside from James , Curry * 2 , Jokic * 3 , Giannis * 3 - 20 Davis honestly would be my last shout here. 2022's Peaks Project and 2020's RPOY project (found under the stickied project consolidation post). Anyhow, Davis might not be the greatest first option you'd get on a team out of similarly good players (think he's somewhat underrated / quite friendly to build around that said), but his ability to offer an immense value scaling down to 2/3rd options through an obscenely good off-ball scoring / play-finishing (great roll gravity to open up play of various guards, All-time lob threat along with LBJ, Kemp, Dwight, Shaq, able to absorb contact well and recover through it as a paint scorer) and DPOY level, tactical nightmare level even of defender is very, very impressive for me.

Rim Scoring since 2017-18:

Code: Select all

Proportion of shots from 0-3 feet | Proportion of FGM 0-3 feet
.374 | .744
.368 | .767
.343 | .758
.243 | .785
.376 | .793
.348 | .788

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https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/anthony-davis-was-key-for-the-lakers-title-run-hes-also-the-key-to-their-future/

In the NBA Finals, Davis’s presence swung the Lakers’ net rating by a team-best 26.5 points, more than 11 points higher than second-place LeBron, per NBA Advanced Stats. The Brow proved at various points against Miami that he can both provide and stifle offense.

After Jimmy Butler’s 40-point triple-double for Miami in Game 3, just the third in Finals history, Davis requested the assignment of guarding Butler in the next outing. In Game 4, Jimmy got buckets to the tune of a Heat-high 22 points, but he shot just 1-for-5 when guarded by Davis. The Lakers’ collective effort that night gave them a 3-1 series lead, a championship advantage conquered only once before — by the legend Davis found himself running the league with.

With his aforementioned 7-foot-6 wingspan, Davis is capable of connecting himself to any part of the court when anchoring defenses.

He held opponents to just 41.9 percent shooting throughout the playoffs, according to NBA Advanced Stats, trailing only Markieff Morris for the Lakers’ best mark. Once the Finals rolled around, Davis held Miami opponents to just 39.2 percent shooting as the Heat’s offensive efficiency declined by over 17 points with him on the court.

Though Davis has not yet won Defensive Player of the Year honors, he boasts a case as arguably the league’s most versatile weapon on that side of the court. His combination of length, strength, agility and acumen can pose problems against any action at any spot, as evidenced by him holding opponents to the league’s lowest field-goal percentage on jumpers over the past five seasons, according to Second Spectrum.

During his first season as a Laker, when defending from the paint, Davis ranked seventh among 96 qualified players in field-goal percentage allowed (47.3), the best mark by any Lakers defender in those same five seasons. Throughout his career, Davis has frustrated opponents by stifling their offense just as well as he provides his own.

I personally prefer that package more than what Kawhi/Durant/Harden brought in 2020 & 21 respectively.

[Jaivl]

T10 player peaks of the 2020s so far -- 1 per player and not factoring in games played/durability.
In order, but I think it's pretty close between tiers

1.) '23 Jokic
2.) '20 James
3.) '21 Curry
4.) '22 Giannis

5.) '21 Durant
6.) '20 Davis
7.) '21 Leonard
8.) '20 Harden

9.) '23 Embiid
10.) '22 Doncic

I would move a couple players a bit but I think this is pretty much spot on.

[HeartBreakKid]

T10 player peaks of the 2020s so far -- 1 per player and not factoring in games played/durability.
In order, but I think it's pretty close between tiers

1.) '23 Jokic
2.) '20 James
3.) '21 Curry
4.) '22 Giannis

5.) '21 Durant
6.) '20 Davis
7.) '21 Leonard
8.) '20 Harden

9.) '23 Embiid
10.) '22 Doncic

I would move a couple players a bit but I think this is pretty much spot on.

Who would be #11? Paul? Tatum?

[rk2023]

T10 player peaks of the 2020s so far -- 1 per player and not factoring in games played/durability.
In order, but I think it's pretty close between tiers

1.) '23 Jokic
2.) '20 James
3.) '21 Curry
4.) '22 Giannis

5.) '21 Durant
6.) '20 Davis
7.) '21 Leonard
8.) '20 Harden

9.) '23 Embiid
10.) '22 Doncic

I would move a couple players a bit but I think this is pretty much spot on.

Who would be #11? Paul? Tatum?

23 Tatum or 22 Butler, clearly, for me

[LukaTheGOAT]

2023 Jokic
2021 Kawhi
2022 Giannis/2020 Lebron/2023 Luka
2021 Steph
2020 Davis/Harden
2023 Embiid/2021 Durant

[Ron Swanson]

Putting peak Giannis as only the 4th-5th best peak of the last 3-years is certainly a take. If we're allowed more than one per player than I probably have the first 5-6 as exclusively Jokic/Giannis. If one per player then:

1) '23 Jokic
2) '21 Giannis
3) '21 Embiid
4) '22 Steph
5) '20 Lebron
6) '20 Davis
7) '21 Kawhi
8) '22 Butler
9) '20 Harden
10) '21 Gobert

[Ben AN]

1. 22 Giannis
2. 23 Jokić
3. 20 LeBron
4. 21 KD
5. 21 Kawhi
6. 20 AD
7. 21 Steph

8. 23 Jimmy
9. 20 Harden
10. 23 Embiid

[rate_]

22 or 23 Jimmy is definitely TOP 10