Who Tops the NBA Player Rankings 2023? Find the Definitive List Here

As I sat watching the Sacramento Kings warm up against the Los Angeles Clippers last Friday night, something caught my eye courtside that reminded me why basketball transcends mere statistics. There was LA Tenorio, the legendary Philippine basketball icon, sharing a heartfelt moment with Jimmy Alapag just before tipoff. Seeing these two Asian basketball legends reunite on NBA hardwood struck me as the perfect metaphor for what makes ranking NBA players so fascinating yet fundamentally imperfect. We're not just evaluating athletic specimens—we're witnessing human stories unfold across continents and generations.

Let me be clear from the outset: ranking NBA players is inherently subjective, and anyone who claims otherwise is selling something. I've been covering the league professionally for fifteen years, and what I've learned is that the "definitive" list changes depending on whether you prioritize raw statistics, clutch performance, two-way impact, or that intangible quality we call leadership. This season has been particularly challenging because we're witnessing one of the most talented eras in league history, with at least eight players having legitimate claims to top-five status. The conversation has shifted from "who's the best" to "who's the best at what," and that nuance makes our discussion far more interesting.

When I compile my rankings, I weigh several factors, though I'll admit my personal bias leans toward players who impact winning beyond the box score. Advanced analytics matter—Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Real Plus-Minus—but they don't capture everything. For instance, Nikola Jokić's PER of 32.1 leads the league, and his impact on Denver's offense is quantifiable: the Nuggets score 122.4 points per 100 possessions with him on court versus 108.3 when he sits. That 14.1-point differential is staggering, yet numbers alone can't convey how his preternatural passing elevates his teammates. Similarly, Giannis Antetokounmpo averages 31.2 points and 11.9 rebounds, but his true value manifests in how he warps entire defensive schemes simply by existing in the paint.

The reunion of Tenorio and Alapag in Sacramento got me thinking about international players' impact on today's NBA hierarchy. When I started covering the league, international stars were exceptions; now they dominate the conversation. Jokić (Serbia), Joel Embiid (Cameroon), Luka Dončić (Slovenia), and Giannis (Greece) represent four of my clear top-six players, a seismic shift from twenty years ago when the top ten was predominantly American-born. This globalization has enriched our evaluation criteria—we now appreciate diverse skill sets beyond traditional American basketball paradigms. Dončić's methodical pace would have been criticized a generation ago; today, we recognize his genius in controlling games without relying on explosive athleticism.

What separates the true elite from the merely excellent, in my view, is sustainability under playoff intensity. Regular season statistics often deceive—we've seen too many players put up gaudy numbers that evaporate when defenses tighten in April. Jayson Tatum exemplifies this distinction; his regular season numbers (30.5 points, 9.2 rebounds) are impressive, but his efficiency dips to 44.8% shooting in the playoffs. Compare that to Stephen Curry, whose playoff scoring actually increases from 25.8 to 27.5 points per game while maintaining nearly identical efficiency. This postseason performance premium is why Curry still ranks in my top eight despite being 35 years old—he's proven his game translates when championships are on the line.

The advanced metrics revolution has given us incredible tools, but they can't measure heart, leadership, or that mysterious "clutch gene." I've always valued players who make their teammates better in ways that don't appear in traditional stats. Chris Paul, even at 38, remains in my top 40 primarily because teams he leads consistently overperform. The Phoenix Suns offense operates 12.7% more efficiently with Paul on the floor, but beyond that, young players develop faster under his tutelage. This leadership quality reminds me of what Tenorio and Alapag represented in Asian basketball—their legacy extends beyond statistics to the culture they built and the players they mentored.

My personal ranking philosophy has evolved to prioritize two-way impact. Offensive specialists can be spectacular—Trae Young's 26.5 points and 10.2 assists are All-Star caliber—but his defensive limitations prevent me from ranking him among the top 25. Meanwhile, players like Jrue Holiday, who might not crack the top fifteen in scoring, reside in my top twenty because they provide elite defense at the league's most important perimeter position. The Milwaukee Bucks allow 6.2 fewer points per 100 possessions with Holiday on court, championship-level impact that often goes unnoticed during highlight reels.

As we approach the business end of the season, my current top five shakes out as follows: Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Luka Dončić, and Stephen Curry. I have Jokić narrowly edging Giannis due to his historic offensive efficiency and playmaking for a big man, though reasonable minds can disagree. The Embiid versus Dončić debate comes down to preference—do you value dominant two-way center play or revolutionary perimeter creation? I've alternated them in my rankings three times this season alone. What's fascinating is the gap between these five and the next tier has narrowed considerably; players like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have compelling cases to crash the top five on any given night.

Watching that Kings-Clippers game in Sacramento, surrounded by fans debating player rankings, I realized these conversations are what fuel basketball's eternal appeal. The definitive list doesn't exist because basketball excellence manifests in too many forms. My rankings reflect my analytical priorities and personal biases—I value playoff performance, two-way impact, and elevating teammates above raw statistics. Your list might understandably differ. What remains undeniable is that we're witnessing a golden age of talent where the difference between the third and thirteenth best player is smaller than ever. Perhaps that's the real takeaway—in 2023's NBA, we're blessed with multiple "best" players, each redefining excellence in their unique way.