We are just over a quarter of the way through the NBA season and there has already been thrills and spills up and down the league. The NBA remains the most popular pro-basketball league in the world with millions of fans all around the world. This is mainly down to the sheer amount of talent they have, boasting some of the best athletes in the world. There have already been some standout players so far this campaign who have separated themselves from the rest. It has been very competitive in the NBA lines with sportsbooks struggling to separate much of the Eastern Conference in particular. Let’s take a look at the best players of the season so far.
Joel Embiid
Last year’s MVP Joel Embiid has started off the season strongly, currently leading the scoring charts with 33.3ppg. He is averaging a double-double with 11.5rpg, putting him fifth overall in the league. The Cameroonian center has led the Philadelphia 76ers to an impressive. 600 win percentage at the time of writing and is the early favorite to win the league MVP award once again.
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic finally got his hands on his first championship ring last year, leading the Denver Nuggets to a 4-1 series win over the Miami Heat. He picked up the finals MVP award, averaging an impressive 30.2ppg across the series. He has maintained that form in 2023, currently averaging just under a triple-double per-game with 28.4 points, a league leading 13.4 rebounds and 9.4 assists. The battle for league MVP seems destined to come down to he and Embiid.
Luka Doncic
At just 24-years-old, Doncic is already firmly in the conversation as the best player in the league. His form so far in 2023 has further cemented that argument with the Dallas Mavericks currently third seed in the western conference. What further accentuates Doncic’s fine form is the fact that the Mavericks have the 23rd ranked defence, making his 31.9pts, 8.4reb and 8.7ast vital to their current seeding.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the biggest surprise packages of the season so far and much of that is owed to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ascent to superstardom. He has averaged 29.9pts, 6.3ast and 5.7reb as well as a league best 2.4 steals. He is now well within the MVP conversation and with the Thunder currently second seed in the West, SGA is coming for the crown.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
It is a testament to the Greek Freak’s talent that even on a relative ‘down-year’ he is still one of the best players in the league in 2023. He averages a double-double right now with 30.5pts and 10.6reb, shooting an incredible 61.4% from the field. With Damien Lillard now finding his footing on the roster, Antetokounmpo’s weak deep shooting should be less of a problem, and he is still in the conversation for league MVP.
Tyrese Haliburton
The Indiana Pacers have been a nightmare for defences this season and much of that is owed to Tyrese Haliburton’s incredible transitional play. They have the top ranked offense and the point guard, who received his first All-star call-up last season, has been the focal point. With a league-leading 12.1ast as well as 26.9pts, Haliburton has been the standout player in the East.
Kevin Durant
At 35-years-old, KD has shown no signs of slowing down, quite the opposite in fact. Currently averaging 31.0pts, if he was to stay around that number he would set the record for the highest scoring average for a player in their age-35 season. Shooting from deep, Durant has been one of the most effective in the league averaging 50.0% from 88 attempts.
Jayson Tatum
Even though we may have yet seen him at his very best this season, Tatum is still setting the league alight. He is averaging 27.5pts and 8.9reb per game so far with the Boston Celtics currently top seeds in the East. The Duke product is shooting 49.9/35.7/79.2 and it is clear he is slowly approaching his finest form, meaning he will firmly establish himself as an MVP contender in weeks to come.
Steph Curry
Like KD, Curry is also in his age-35 season. Like KD, he shows no signs of slowing down. While KD is currently on course to break the discussed age-35 record, Curry is hot on his trail averaging 29.4pts per game. He is still the most electrifying deep-shooter in the league, averaging 5.1 three-pointers per game with a 43.2% success rate. The Warriors have been poor so far this season, but Curry has been their diamond in the rough.
Tyrese Maxey
Tyrese Maxey is currently enjoying his best start to a season since he joined the league in 2020. The Kentucky product carried a heavy burden for the Philadelphia 76ers last year and there was a worry he could suffer from burnout. However, he has gone from strength to strength in 2023 so far, averaging 27.1ppg and 6.7ast.