My Top 100 NBA Players 2020-2021

With the NBA season beginning in less than 24 hours from publishing, I am releasing the first of my preseason predictions, my top 100 players for this upcoming season.  The other two posts are going to be award predictions and predictions of standings with analysis for each team.


My rankings are determined by the following criteria:

  • How I predict each player to play this season.  This considers player's skills, execution, reliability in clutch situations, and their value to the team.
  • Team success is considered, but not the sole requirement.
  • While I favor great offense over great defense, defense is incorporated in my rankings.
  • A player will be hurt in the rankings if they frequently miss games.
  • When I am uncertain, I tend to err on the side of caution.  This is reflected in my rankings when I am unsure of a player's health returning from an injury or if a player will be traded.
  • Rookies are typically at a disadvantage if I am unsure of how they will fit into the system they were drafted in as a rookie.  In particular, no rookies made this year's ranking due to uncertainty of how some will play and how much playing time others will get.


This is my first rankings ever, so I cannot comment on how accurate my predictions will be.  This year will likely have several players on this list impacted by Covid-19, but I am treating each player as having an equal chance of catching it (which is unfair, especially considering that James Harden has already violated protocol while holding out of training camp).


Without further ado, here is my list of top 100 players for the 2020-2021 NBA season


  1. LeBron James, SF/PG, LAL
  2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, PF, MIL
  3. Anthony Davis, PF/C, LAL
  4. Luka Doncic, PG/SG, DAL
  5. Nikola Jokic, C, DEN
  6. Damian Lillard, PG, POR
  7. Kevin Durant, SF/PF, BRK
  8. James Harden, SG/PG, HOU
  9. Kawhi Leonard, SF/SG, LAC
  10. Stephen Curry, PG, GSW
  11. Jimmy Butler, SF/SG, MIA
  12. Joel Embiid, C, PHI
  13. Jayson Tatum, PF/SF, BOS
  14. Pascal Siakam, PF, TOR
  15. Bam Adebayo, C/PF, MIA
  16. Rudy Gobert, C, UTA
  17. Devin Booker, SG, PHO
  18. Paul George, SF, LAC
  19. Ben Simmons, PG/PF, PHI
  20. Bradley Beal, SG, WAS
  21. Donovan Mitchell, SG, UTA
  22. Chris Paul, PG, PHO
  23. Kyrie Irving, PG, BRK
  24. Jaylen Brown, SF/SG, BOG
  25. Jrue Holiday, PG/SG, MIL
  26. Kristaps Porzingis, C/PF, DAL
  27. Jamal Murray, PG/SG, DEN
  28. Zion Williamson, PF, NOP
  29. Fred VanVleet, SG/PG, TOR
  30. Russell Westbrook, PG, WAS
  31. Kyle Lowry, PG, TOR
  32. Karl-Anthony Towns, C, MIN
  33. CJ McCollum, SG/PG, POR
  34. Trae Young, PG, ATL
  35. Domantas Sabonis, C/PF, IND
  36. Khris Middleton, SF, MIL
  37. Kemba Walker, PG, BOS
  38. Ja Morant, PG, MEM
  39. Victor Oladipo, SG, IND
  40. Brandon Ingram, SF/PF, NOP
  41. Gordon Hayward, SF, CHA
  42. Nikola Vucevic, C, ORL
  43. De’Aaron Fox, PG, SAC
  44. Draymond Green, PF, GSW
  45. Marcus Smart, SG/PG, BOS
  46. DeMar DeRozan, SF, SAS
  47. Jusuf Nurkic, C, POR
  48. Malcolm Brogdon, PG/SG, IND
  49. Bojan Bogdanovic, SF/PF, UTA
  50. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG/SG, OKC
  51. D’Angelo Russell, PG/SG, MIN
  52. Jaren Jackson Jr., PF/C, MEM
  53. OG Anunoby, SF, TOR
  54. Dennis Schroder, PG/SG, LAL
  55. Bogdan Bogdanovic, SG, ATL
  56. Caris LeVert, SG/SF, BRK
  57. Deandre Ayton, C, PHO
  58. Spencer Dinwiddie, PG, BRK
  59. Tyler Herro, SG, MIA
  60. Eric Bledsoe, PG, NOP
  61. T.J. Warren, SF/PF, IND
  62. Lonzo Ball, PG, NOP
  63. Goran Dragic, PG, MIA
  64. Robert Covington, PF/C/SF, POR
  65. Brook Lopez, C, MIL
  66. Mike Conley, PG, UTA
  67. Myles Turner, C, IND
  68. Clint Capela, C, ATL
  69. Joe Harris, SF/SG, BRK
  70. Kelly Oubre Jr., SF, GSW
  71. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG/SF, LAL
  72. Evan Fournier, SF/SG, ORL
  73. Andre Drummond, C, CLE
  74. Zach LaVine, SG, CHI
  75. Mitchell Robinson, C, NYK
  76. Davis Bertans, PF, WAS
  77. Tobias Harris, PF/SF, PHI
  78. Serge Ibaka, C, LAC
  79. Norman Powell, SG, TOR
  80. Duncan Robinson, SG/SF, MIA
  81. Kevin Love, PF/C, CLE
  82. LaMarcus Aldridge, C, SAS
  83. Kendrick Nunn, PG, MIA
  84. Blake Griffin, PF/C, DET
  85. Lauri Markkanen, PF, CHI
  86. Jerami Grant, PF/SF, DET
  87. P.J. Tucker, PF/C, HOU
  88. Montrezl Harrell, C, LAL
  89. Marc Gasol, C, LAL
  90. Patrick Beverley, PG/SG, LAC
  91. Josh Richardson, SG/SF, DAL
  92. Aaron Holiday, PG, IND
  93. Seth Curry, SG/PG, PHI
  94. Aaron Gordon, PF, ORL
  95. Al Horford, C/PF, OKC
  96. Devonte’ Graham, PG/SG, CHA
  97. Marcus Morris, PF/SF, LAC
  98. Jae Crowder, SF/PF, PHO
  99. Mikal Bridges, SF, PHO
  100. John Wall, PG, HOU


What do you think about these rankings?  Are there any players you think aren't ranked appropriately?  Are there any players you expected to see that aren't on the list?  Let me know in the comments!

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