Best NBA Players Right Now: 2023-24 Rankings

The second round of the NBA playoffs continues to heat up, as the eight remaining teams are doing their best to shake off their opponents, crack a spot in the conference finals, and be one step closer to an NBA Finals berth.

Newly-crowned three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić proved why he’s the best player in the league right now by resurrecting the Denver Nuggets’ hopes and tying up their series with the Minnesota Timberwolves. They are now second on the NBA odds boards at +375 to go back-to-back this season.

But aside from “The Joker,” who are the other superstars who have performed well from the previous week of play? Here’s a list of NBA players I consider to be the best:

Stats and info were from May 12, 2024.

The Best NBA Players Right Now: 2023-24 Rankings

1. Nikola Jokić: Denver Nuggets 

After falling 0-2 behind against the Timberwolves, Jokić led the Nuggets and regained the home-court advantage by winning Games 3 and 4 on the road by an average margin of 17.5 points.

Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards duel, while huge contributions from Aaron Gordon help the @nuggets even the series!

Edwards: 44 PTS (playoff career high)
Gordon: 27 PTS (11-12 FGM), 7 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK

Game 5: Tuesday, 10:30pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/njD6uACirO

— NBA (@NBA) May 13, 2024

In those games, Jokić scored 29.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and eight assists, evening the series and significantly revitalizing the team’s hopes of repeating as champions this season. They now head home for Game 5 for a chance to go up 3-2.

2. Tyrese Haliburton: Indiana Pacers 

After two tough losses to the New York Knicks in Games 1 and 2, the Indiana Pacers have found their groove to even their series with them behind their leading playmaker and All-Star Tyrese Haliburton.

Haliburton spearheaded the team’s offence by posting an average of 27.5 points, five rebounds, and six assists in Games 3 and 4 in front of their home crowd. Their most impressive win so far in the series was the Game 4 victory, in which they trashed the Knicks by 32 points.

3. Anthony Edwards: Minnesota Timberwolves

Although they gave up a sizable 2-0 series lead to Denver, Anthony Edwards sustained his fine play this postseason by doing everything he could to help Minnesota eliminate the defending champions and make it to the conference finals for the first time since 2004.

Edwards averaged 30 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in the last three games against the Nuggets to give them a run for their money and show that he is not only the future face of the league, but also the current top star.

4. Luka Dončić: Dallas Mavericks

After a gruelling opening-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks are now using every ounce of their postseason experience against the young Oklahoma City Thunder, as they now lead the series 2-1.

Dončić remains the team’s leader, producing an average of 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and seven assists in the first three games. His best performance by far was his Game 2 performance, where he tallied 29 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists to steal a game on the road.

5. Jalen Brunson: New York Knicks 

The New York Knicks jumped to an early 2-0 lead against the Pacers thanks to the heroics of Brunson, who logged 43 points in Game 1 and 29 points in Game 2. What’s more impressive is that he’s playing with an injury right now.

His injury is more apparent because his numbers dwindled in the next two games. He only averaged 22 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. Additionally, they missed O.G. Anunoby’s services in the past two games, affecting the team’s performance.

6. Jayson Tatum: Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics were expected to run through the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs, but they still dropped a game at home and lost Game 2 by 24 points. However, they managed to get one back in Cleveland to go up 2-1 in the series.

Jayson Tatum displayed his optimum form by scoring 33 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in the crucial Game 3 victory, steadying the Celtics’ ship. Because of their incredibly deep roster, they remain the favourites to win it all this year.

7. Donovan Mitchell: Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell has extended his brilliance in the second round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics by producing fantastic averages of 31.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists to keep his team’s chances alive.

Despite his heroics, Cleveland is now down 2-1 in the series against Boston after losing by 13 points in Game 3 at home. If they want to give the Celtics a good fight, Mitchell will need more help from his teammates.