Pinnacle
Can be the lead players on a championship roster. Proven to win at the highest level.
1. Giannis - best player in the world
2. Curry - congrats on the ring. I love seeing Boston lose
3. Durant - still a stellar player, but a foolish and immature off-court decision-maker
4. *Kawhi - he'll be back to this level in the coming season I believe
5. Lebron - he's got another run left in the tank I think
6. Doncic - hasn't won the championship yet, but I think his play so far and ability to lead a very talent-less Mavericks to the WCF puts Doncic a step ahead to me. The Mavericks roster is far worse than any of his comparable peers in my opinion.
Icons
Could win a championship as the lead player in very ideal circumstances. Can win an MVP and lead a team to a #1 seed. Lacking one key element of being a Pinnacle player.
7. Jokic - lacks defensive ability (regular season was a mirage, exposed in the postseason)
8. Morant - lacks defensive ability (and is shockingly un-clutch from the free throw line, remind you of anyone?)
9. Embiid - lacks determination and priorities
10. Tatum - lacks Mamba Mentality
11. Booker - lacks the ability to bring it every night
Superstars
Can't be the best player on a championship team, but can either be very close or be an elite second best player. Generally have one big flaw.
12. Butler - can't shoot
13. Davis - lacks heart
14. Trae - lacks defensive ability
15. Mitchell - lacks maturity
16. Harden - lacks effort
17. Kyrie - lacks key insights into the way the world works
18. Lillard - lacks defense and elite passing
All Stars
Excellent players who should be in contention for the All Star team. They can be the best player on a mediocre team, or a second best player on an elite team in the right situation.
19. Garland - I'm anticipating a big jump for Garland, who finished the season with an exciting play-in game appearance.
20. Chris Paul - he just influences winning
21. Edwards - the best player in Minnesota this season by a long shot, with amazing athleticism, great size, and a developing skillset to go with a complete lack of fear
22. DeRozan - I'm pretty meh on him, but he's very skilled and continues to improve
23. Paul George - health is a big concern at this point, but if he's healthy, he's still a great player
24. Ingram - very underrated but excellent offensive player
25. *Zion - he has to actually play basketball to be here, but assuming he has an interest in that, Zion is supremely talented on offense
26. Gobert - I think he is slipping a bit as his weaknesses continue to be more exploited
27. Khris - really solid, versatile player
28. LaVine - if he could ever learn how to play defense, he'd be a superstar
29. *Beal - interesting marriage of a guy who loves to lose if he's the star, and franchise who loves to lose if they can keep one faux star. He sucked this past year, but I think he'll bounce back
30. Siakam - continues to be a really quality player who is often overlooked
31. Jaren Jackson Jr. - this would involve improvement from this past season, but he made big strides on defense, and if he does it again, he's an All Star
Stars
32. Jrue Holiday - offensive game is too limited to be a real All Star, but he's an excellent and muti-faceted contributor and the best perimeter defensive player in the game in the postseason
33. Towns - massively overrated as an overall player because his awful defense is detrimental to a team concept, but he is very uniquely skilled as a scoring big
34. Sabonis - great all-around offensive game, but nothing on defense
35. Jamal Murray - hard to evaluate because of his injury status and the Jokic impact, but Murray at his best is better than this. His season stats though aren't particularly impressive
36. Gilgeous-Alexander - OKC fans want him to be a superstar so badly, and maybe he will one day. I like him.
37. Klay - this would constitute a return to form from where Klay is right now, which is quite a bit below this level, but I think he can bounce back for a season or two
38. Jaylen Brown - I think he's a bit overrated, because his handle is very loose and defense is just alright and he's not a good assist guy, but he is a good scorer and shooter
39. Bane - majorly underrated, to the point where even Taylor Jenkins had to be forced to play him by the Grizzlies trading Grayson Allen away, but Bane is way better than anyone realizes
40. Wiggins - I continue to shake my head at the Warriors tricking the Timberwolves into trading Wiggins and major draft capital for Russell
41. Dejounte Murray - not typically the type of guy that I like, but Murray had an excellent season and may still be improving
42. LaMelo Ball - I think the Atkinson hire will be amazing for Ball and the Hornets in general, and he's already an excellent passer
43. Tyrese Haliburton - rapidly improving, fantastic passer, now in a good situation. Sacramento is so stupid
44. Draymond - rapidly declining, but I think Draymond has another year or two as a great player
45. Mobley - there are several rookies that I think have massive ceilings and are already getting to the top levels of the league
46. Scottie Barnes - versatile and in one of the best identification and developmental programs in the league
47. Collins - despite not having a great year, I think Collins is a good player and will be helping a team win next year
48. Valanciunas - he just wins, and puts up great stats
49. Cade Cunningham - another stellar rookie who has a lot of skills in the toolkit
50. Fox - this would involve a return to form after he was somewhat bad, especially as a passer, last year
Thanks for reading! What do you think?