RealGM Top 25 Player Poll-#14 2023-24

[ElectricMayhem]

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: Pascal Siakam (TOR)

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%


Yet To Be Added: (If someone is not here that you want here comment THAT and I will add them)
Dejounte Murray (ATL)
Jaylen Brown (BOS)
Mikal Bridges (BKN)
LaMelo Ball (CHA)
DeMar DeRozan (CHI)
Zach LaVine (CHI)
Darius Garland (CLE)
Evan Mobley (CLE)
Kyrie Irving (DAL)
Aaron Gordon (DEN)
Jamal Murray (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)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (MEM)
Bam Adebayo (MIA)
Jrue Holiday (MIL)
Brook Lopez (MIL)
Khris Middleton (MIL)
Rudy Gobert (MIN)
Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN)
Brandon Ingram (NOP)
Zion Williamson (NOP)
Jalen Brunson (NYK)
Julius Randle (NYK)
Paolo Banchero (ORL)
Jerami Grant (POR)
James Harden (PHI)
Tyrese Maxey (PHI)
Bradley Beal (PHX)
Victor Wembanyama (SAS)
Scottie Barnes (TOR)
Lauri Markkanen (UTA)
Kyle Kuzma (WAS)


Previous Results:

Spoiler:

https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2228998

RealGM Top 25 Players 2018-19:
1) LeBron James (LAL)-72%
2) Kevin Durant (GSW)-39%
3) Stephen Curry (GSW)-53%
4) Anthony Davis (NOP)-39%
5) James Harden (HOU)-45%
6) Kawhi Leonard (TOR)-50%
7) Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)-56%
8) Russell Westbrook (OKC)-47%
9) Chris Paul (HOU)-43%
10) Jimmy Butler (MIN)-33%
11) Joel Embiid (PHI)-37%
12) Nikola Jokic (DEN)-32%
13) Victor Oladipo (IND)-31%
14) Rudy Gobert (UTA)-62%-TIEBREAKER w Kyrie Irving (BOS)
15) Damian Lillard (POR)-32%
16) Kyrie Irving (BOS)-37%
17) Draymond Green (GSW)-31%
18) Paul George (OKC)-27%
19) Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN)-23%
20) Kyle Lowry (TOR)-31%
21) Klay Thompson (GSW)-30%
22) Ben Simmons (PHI)-35%
23) John Wall (WAS)-27%
24) Al Horford (BOS)-33%
25) LaMarcus Aldridge (SAS)-30%

RealGM Top 25 Players 2019-20:
1)Kawhi Leonard (LAC)-39%
2)Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)-42%
3)LeBron James (LAL)-42%
4)Stephen Curry (GSW)-48%
5)James Harden (HOU)-40%
6)Anthony Davis (LAL)-39%
7)Nikola Jokic (DEN)-33%
8)Joel Embiid (PHI)-35%
9)Paul George (LAC)-46%
10)Damian Lillard (POR)-54%
11)Jimmy Butler (MIA)-30%
12)Russell Westbrook (HOU)-26%
13)Rudy Gobert (UTA)-23%
14)Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN)-28%
15)Draymond Green (GSW)-30%
16)Kyrie Irving (BKN)-37%
17)Blake Griffin (DET)-31%
18)Bradley Beal (WAS)-24%
19)Kemba Walker (BOS)-29%
20)Luka Doncic (DAL)-37%
21)Jrue Holiday (NOP)-22%
22)Ben Simmons (PHI)-30%
23)Pascal Siakam (TOR)-41%
24)Kyle Lowry (TOR)-46%
25)Chris Paul (OKC)-32%

RealGM Top 25 Players 2020-21:
1)LeBron James (LAL) - 53%
2)Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) - 47%
3)Luka Doncic (DAL) - 37%
4)Kawhi Leonard (LAC) - 34%
5)Anthony Davis (LAL) - 35%
6)James Harden (HOU) - 39%
7)Steph Curry (GSW) - 33%
8)Nikola Jokic (DEN) - 42%
9)Kevin Durant (BKN) - 46%
10)Damian Lillard (POR) - 38%
11)Jimmy Butler (MIA) - 57%
12)Jayson Tatum (BOS) - 41%
13)Joel Embiid (PHI) - 59%
14)Devin Booker (PHX) - 22%
15)Chris Paul (PHX) - 24%
16)Paul George (LAC) - 21%
17)Bradley Beal (WAS) - 22%
18)Donovan Mitchell (UTA) - 22%
19)Ben Simmons (PHI) - 26%
20)Kyle Lowry (TOR) - 28%
21)Rudy Gobert (UTA) - 26%
22)Bam Adebayo (MIA) - 24%
23)Jamal Murray (DEN) - 29%
24)Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) - 32%
25)Kyrie Irving (BKN) - 33%

RealGM Top 25 Players 2021-22:
1) Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) - 41%
2) Kevin Durant (BKN) - 38%
3) LeBron James (LAL) - 36%
4) Luka Doncic (DAL) - 39%
5) Stephen Curry (GSW) - 42%
6) Nikola Jokic (DEN) - 61%
7) Joel Embiid (PHI) - 32%
8) James Harden (BKN) - 47%
9) Kawhi Leonard (LAC) - 35%
10) Damian Lillard (POR) - 39%
11) Anthony Davis (LAL) - 60%
12) Jayson Tatum (BOS) - 32%
13) Jimmy Butler (MIA) - 34%
14) Paul George (LAC) - 33%
15) Trae Young (ATL) - 30%
16) Rudy Gobert (UTA) - 22%
17) Zion Williamson (NOP) - 27%
18) Chris Paul (PHX) - 26%
19) Kyrie Irving (BKN) - 29%
20) Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) - 24%
21) Devin Booker (PHX) - 28%
22) Bradley Beal (WAS) - 35%
23) Donovan Mitchell (UTA) - 47%
24) Khris Middleton (MIL) - 45%
25. Jrue Holiday (MIL) 27%-

RealGM Top 25 Players 2022-23:
1) Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) - 57%
2) Nikola Jokic (DEN) - 57%
3) Luka Doncic (DAL) - 43%
4) Steph Curry (GSW) - 49%
5) Joel Embiid (PHI) - 37%
6) Kevin Durant (BKN) - 40%
7) LeBron James (LAL) - 44%
8) Kawhi Leonard (LAC) - 46%
9) Jayson Tatum (BOS) - 51%
10) Jimmy Butler (MIA) - 53%
11) Ja Morant (MEM) - 23%
12) Anthony Davis (LAL) - 28%
13) Rudy Gobert (MIN) - 24%
14) Paul George (LAC) - 19% (Tiebreaker: 62%)
15) James Harden (PHI) - 23%
16) Devin Booker (PHX) - 27%
17) Damian Lillard (POR) - 34%
18) Trae Young (ATL) - 25%
19) Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) - 33%
20) Pascal Siakam (TOR) - 40%
21) Jaylen Brown (BOS) - 30%
22) Chris Paul (PHX) - 25%
23) Zion Williamson (NOP) - 27%
24) Bam Adebayo (MIA) - 25%
25. Kyrie Irving (BKN) - 32%

[ElectricMayhem]

Vote: Damian Lillard. He's probably slipped further than he ought to have. He was tied for second in overall RAPTOR and 3rd in estimated plus-minus last year. He was the greatest offensive weapon in the league outside of Jokic. The biggest issue is that he's in a liminal state. We don't know when he'll be traded, how long he'll be sitting at home on the couch. We don't know what his new context will be or how hard it will be to integrate into a new system. Still, his skills are translatable. There are probably five or so guys already on the list I'd have Dame above.

Nominate: Jaren Jackson Jr.

[ForeverTFC]

Vote: PG
Nominate: Jamal Murray

[nikster]

Vote Dame
Nominate Murray

[babyjax13]

Haliburton. I think he is going to take a step this year, after an already amazing season. He was so close to a 50/40/90 season (49/40/87) on high volume, and he is an amazing playmaker and good defender.

Nominate: Zion
Zion is the most impactful player on the nominations list WHEN HEALTHY, and it looks like if he is going to have a healthy year, this is the one.

[HurricaneDij25]

Asinine that anyone would vote Dame after today's report...

Vote Ja Morant
Nominate Jamal Murray

[ElectricMayhem]

Asinine that anyone would vote Dame after today's report...

I wasn't aware of any reports so I just went and checked. I'm assuming it's Charania saying Lillard would only report to Portland or Miami. I don't understand how that moves the needle much on Lillard's status. We already know he is a question mark to play at the beginning of the season. This is just posturing. Does it reflect well on Lillard? Not at all. But he'll eventually get moved somewhere he approves of and he'll be really good. There's a decent chance he sees the court before your pick does. How is that asinine?

[SkyHook]

V: Dame
N: Markannen

[HurricaneDij25]

Asinine that anyone would vote Dame after today's report...

I wasn't aware of any reports so I just went and checked. I'm assuming it's Charania saying Lillard would only report to Portland or Miami. I don't understand how that moves the needle much on Lillard's status. We already know he is a question mark to play at the beginning of the season. This is just posturing. Does it reflect well on Lillard? Not at all. But he'll eventually get moved somewhere he approves of and he'll be really good. There's a decent chance he sees the court before your pick does. How is that asinine?

It just is. It'd be different if he had an impact on a team that made a modicum of playoff noise, but he didn't. Was nothing more than a stat stuffer on a mediocre team in 2023.

It's so unfortunate that this guy has not been fully able to look around and realize he made this entire NBA summer all about him. And in spite of Silver's warnings he still has not leveled off his demands. And with that contract, he best stay comfortable in Portland...

He is a clown and that is that.

Not worthy of a top 15 spot right now. And with Scoot coming in his role should diminish somewhat as he ages.

[dockingsched]

V: PG
N: Zion

[Pistol_Pete10]

V: Lillard
N: J. Murray

[giberish]

Vote: Lillard

Nom: J Murray

[iggymcfrack]

Asinine that anyone would vote Dame after today's report...

I wasn't aware of any reports so I just went and checked. I'm assuming it's Charania saying Lillard would only report to Portland or Miami. I don't understand how that moves the needle much on Lillard's status. We already know he is a question mark to play at the beginning of the season. This is just posturing. Does it reflect well on Lillard? Not at all. But he'll eventually get moved somewhere he approves of and he'll be really good. There's a decent chance he sees the court before your pick does. How is that asinine?

It just is. It'd be different if he had an impact on a team that made a modicum of playoff noise, but he didn't. Was nothing more than a stat stuffer on a mediocre team in 2023.

It's so unfortunate that this guy has not been fully able to look around and realize he made this entire NBA summer all about him. And in spite of Silver's warnings he still has not leveled off his demands. And with that contract, he best stay comfortable in Portland...

He is a clown and that is that.

Not worthy of a top 15 spot right now. And with Scoot coming in his role should diminish somewhat as he ages.

He was loyal to Portland to a fault, and they couldn't build a playoff contender around him despite them actually playing pretty well in the minutes Dame was on the floor. He got shunted down to 3rd team all-NBA as the 2nd best offensive player in the league because they shut him down for the stretch run. Then they got the #2 pick and kept it. He's at the very back end of his prime with only a couple years before the ridiculous salary numbers start coming in, and he only really has value to the Heat and maybe 1 or 2 other teams.

Just getting his contract off the books is a win for Portland since they're so not built to compete in his championship window. And yet, the Blazers aren't negotiating in good faith. They're asking for a ridiculous price for a 33 year old making $53MM/year that no team would possibly match. I don't blame Dame at all for getting a little nasty in return and trying to maximize his leverage to pressure them into a reasonable offer.

[iggymcfrack]

Anyway, feel like it's clearly Dame Time on the main vote.

Nominating Zion again. I'd gamble on a healthy season from him over taking PG or Trae any day.

[Sofia]

Vote: PG
Nominate: Jamal Murray

[germanmav]

Vote: Damian Lillard
Nominate: Jaren Jackson Jr.

[-Luke-]

Vote: Lillard
Nominate: Harden

Our two wannabe trade guys

[The Number 9]

Vote George

Nominate Harden

[ElectricMayhem]

Asinine that anyone would vote Dame after today's report...

I wasn't aware of any reports so I just went and checked. I'm assuming it's Charania saying Lillard would only report to Portland or Miami. I don't understand how that moves the needle much on Lillard's status. We already know he is a question mark to play at the beginning of the season. This is just posturing. Does it reflect well on Lillard? Not at all. But he'll eventually get moved somewhere he approves of and he'll be really good. There's a decent chance he sees the court before your pick does. How is that asinine?

It just is. It'd be different if he had an impact on a team that made a modicum of playoff noise, but he didn't. Was nothing more than a stat stuffer on a mediocre team in 2023.

It's so unfortunate that this guy has not been fully able to look around and realize he made this entire NBA summer all about him. And in spite of Silver's warnings he still has not leveled off his demands. And with that contract, he best stay comfortable in Portland...

He is a clown and that is that.

Not worthy of a top 15 spot right now. And with Scoot coming in his role should diminish somewhat as he ages.

I don't disagree that he's handled this situation poorly. I don't disagree with the fact that he's on a mediocre team. But I do disagree with just about everything else you say here. Any advanced stats metric shows he had a huge positive impact on the team. The only player who could have possibly dragged this team to the playoffs would have been Jokic. And that's just because he's so much better than everybody else. The Trail Blazers were a badly coached team sorely lacking in talent. That's not on Dame. At the moment, 49% of basketball fans who watch just as much basketball as you do are saying he's the best player left on this list. It seems a bit condescending to call that asinine, especially when you're in such a minority. It just feels like you're taking your personal feelings about his approach to the trade demand and letting it bleed into your opinion of who he is as a player to me. I can't claim I don't do the same with Kyrie....

[Saints14]

Vote Lillard
Nominate Murray