Best Player in the world right now?

[No-more-rings]

I feel like KD is perpetually overrated. Not sure how he is placed above a guy like Steph in this poll.

To answer the question, I think it's been Jokic this year and last. Steph is my number 2 over this timespan. Giannis is 2 this year for me though.

Steph when healthy has been better than KD every year since 2015 pretty much. KD does sometimes get overrated, and i think it's because some tend to love the aesthetics of his game over his actual impact. He's a 6'10-6'11 dude who can bomb 3s and move almost like a guard on the court. I also think there's a false belief among many that KD is this great defender too. He's had some seasons where he's been all nba caliber, but he's nowhere near a defensive anchor in fact the Nets have been in the bottom 10 of defense in his 2 seasons there.

Anyway, people need to start being honest about where we're at here. This is Jokic and Giannis' league now and will be for quite a while barring some major injury. It's likely going to be like the Wilt/Russell, Bird/Magic, Duncan/Shaq thing where they take turns as the best player over some number of years. Lebron at 37/38 is done at making a run as the best player, especially now that the league is back to an 82 game format. Curry and KD are too old and too injury prone, Kawhi if he wasn't made of glass he'd be in he conversation.

Luka isnt as good as them now but he'll def have something to say.... It won't just be a 2 player race. Mobley, Ja, Trae, Tatum, Cade, Zion........
One or more could easily take leaps too

I'm talking about the somewhat short term like this season and maybe 4 or 5 that follow it. Trae being mentioned is laughable as is, Tatum is a maybe at some point, don't think he's particularly close to that level yet. Don't know why you're mentioning rookies..those guys are years and years from making a POY push if ever.

[MartinToVaught]

Can't believe people are still talking about Lebron in best player in the world conversations. ESPN yes but anywhere else with objective basketball analysis? Lebron has basically completely stopped playing defense and has been quite clearly saving as much energy as he can to score as many points as he can.

LeBron at least has more of a claim than Embiid, who is 100% ref-reliant and shrinks in the playoffs when he doesn't get his cheap whistles, and KD, who's having a worse season on a team that's nearly as underachieving and dysfunctional as the Lakers are.

Realistically, it's between Giannis, Jokic, and Kawhi (when he comes back).

[scrabbarista]

If you have anyone but Giannis or Jokic, you're wrong, but that's okay.

I have Giannis, but Jokic is a good answer, too.

[scrabbarista]

A very famous podcast recently parroted (what they heard on another podcast):

Best Player: Giannis
MVP: Jokic
Need to Win Tonight: Durant

I agree with the first two 100%. The third one is good, too, but I think Giannis and Jokic would also fit. I would take Jokic, but it might be because my head+heart would want it to be true. I guess I'd rather lose but bet on Joker than take another guy and wonder if my favorite player was actually the right answer, which he might be.

[letskissbro]

i am a bit confused, what do you mean there?

are you saying that he is the worse player to be considered a superstar?

I'm saying he seems to gets the benefit of the doubt a lot more than his peers do. Maybe less of an issue on the PC board but outside of here he's the most popular pick for best player right now outside of Giannis and he's been pushed as the best player in the NBA by the media/unquestionable 2nd best player of his generation since 2014.

Many people's greatest player of all-time, many people's second greatest player of al time, leading the league in scoring, and has been a top 5 player for the majority of his NBA career?

LeBron's a guy that's as long as he's in the league he's one of the best players. If we're playing one Game 7, I'm picking LeBron over any other player in the league.

Also - I think by default, anyone who leads the lead in scoring is by default one of the best players in the NBA, even if they don't contribute much on the defensive end.

Nah I was talking about KD not LeBron.

[falcolombardi]

A very famous podcast recently parroted (what they heard on another podcast):

Best Player: Giannis
MVP: Jokic
Need to Win Tonight: Durant

I agree with the first two 100%. The third one is good, too, but I think Giannis and Jokic would also fit. I would take Jokic, but it might be because my head+heart would want it to be true. I guess I'd rather lose but bet on Joker than take another guy and wonder if my favorite player was actually the right answer, which he might be.

if you think giannis and jokic are the best players why wouldnt you want them in a game 7

[scrabbarista]

A very famous podcast recently parroted (what they heard on another podcast):

Best Player: Giannis
MVP: Jokic
Need to Win Tonight: Durant

I agree with the first two 100%. The third one is good, too, but I think Giannis and Jokic would also fit. I would take Jokic, but it might be because my head+heart would want it to be true. I guess I'd rather lose but bet on Joker than take another guy and wonder if my favorite player was actually the right answer, which he might be.

if you think giannis and jokic are the best players why wouldnt you want them in a game 7

I said I'd take Jokic for one game.

But to elaborate, I usually think of "best player" as "If I could start a specific NBA season with one player, who would it be?"

[Statlanta]

Knee-cola Yo-keetch

[JordansBulls]

How is it not Giannis? Dude has basically same stats as Jokic and won the chip last year.

[feyki]

By the overall ratings(only MVP level )...

Historical:
Doncic 96
Durant 96
Jokic 96
Yannis 95
Curry 94
Embiid 94
.

Daily:
Doncic 99
Jokic 98
Curry 98
Durant 97
. The difference between the two ranking is 100 and 115 offensive rating behind of. Assumed Doncic and Durant's levels as their last playoffs.

[JLei]

Giannis or Jokic and either is a great choice. I think I'd pick Giannis given the fact that he's the reigning Finals MVP and his defensive value edges him out for me. Recent playoff performance is usually a tie breaker for me (not that Jokic was bad in last year's playoffs).

Best player you gotta lose your spot in the playoffs unless it's overwhelming. Made that mistake with Curry in 15 and 16 vs. Bron and by the end of the year it was clear (Curry probably was the best player at certain points in time).

[GSP]

A very famous podcast recently parroted (what they heard on another podcast):

Best Player: Giannis
MVP: Jokic
Need to Win Tonight: Durant

I agree with the first two 100%. The third one is good, too, but I think Giannis and Jokic would also fit. I would take Jokic, but it might be because my head+heart would want it to be true. I guess I'd rather lose but bet on Joker than take another guy and wonder if my favorite player was actually the right answer, which he might be.

You can mention Bill Simmons by name

[scrabbarista]

A very famous podcast recently parroted (what they heard on another podcast):

Best Player: Giannis
MVP: Jokic
Need to Win Tonight: Durant

I agree with the first two 100%. The third one is good, too, but I think Giannis and Jokic would also fit. I would take Jokic, but it might be because my head+heart would want it to be true. I guess I'd rather lose but bet on Joker than take another guy and wonder if my favorite player was actually the right answer, which he might be.

You can mention Bill Simmons by name

No free pub! It's 2022!

[LAL1947]

If the poll is to only have 5 options, then Luka should be an option on it instead of Lebron, as he is a more valid choice at this moment. Let Lebron be among the "Others" that his fans can choose to name if they so wish.

[falcolombardi]

How is it not Giannis? Dude has basically same stats as Jokic and won the chip last year.

jokic has had a better regular season, particularly in playmaking and scoring efficiency

playoffs play is pending tho

[sp6r=underrated]

Can't believe people are still talking about Lebron in best player in the world conversations. ESPN yes but anywhere else with objective basketball analysis? Lebron has basically completely stopped playing defense and has been quite clearly saving as much energy as he can to score as many points as he can.

Lebron is Best Player Emeritus

[falcolombardi]

Can't believe people are still talking about Lebron in best player in the world conversations. ESPN yes but anywhere else with objective basketball analysis? Lebron has basically completely stopped playing defense and has been quite clearly saving as much energy as he can to score as many points as he can.

Lebron is Best Player Emeritus

lol, that is good

honorary best player

[Jaivl]

Best player you gotta lose your spot in the playoffs unless it's overwhelming. Made that mistake with Curry in 15 and 16 vs. Bron and by the end of the year it was clear (Curry probably was the best player at certain points in time).

Well - IMO you were right then (if you did think Curry was the best player in the world until his injury) and overcorrected so you are wrong now.

Please no MMA bull "challenger has to DESTROY the champion" on the PC Board