This might be one of the hardest lists to compile in NBA history, maybe even sports history. With the plethora of talent, the NBA has today, it's hard to decide who is worthy of being on this list. But after careful consideration and many different factors are taken into account, here are the top 5 NBA players, starting with number 5...
5. James Harden.
The Beard has been an offensive mastermind throughout his entire career, especially since joining the Houston Rockets in 2011, but he turned it to another level this season. After an MVP season the year before, Harden topped it by scoring 36 points per game, something that hadn't been done since the great Michael Jordan did it in the '80s. It's utterly insane what Harden can do offensively and is clearly one of the greatest scorers in the game today, maybe even all-time. He should win his 2nd MVP trophy this season and is well deserved to be on this list. If he can get past his playoff woes and win a title, he may climb higher up in this list, but for now, number 5 is a good spot for "the bearded one".
4. LeBron James.
USA TodayLeBron shouldn't be this low on the list. For a man with his achievements in basketball and him clearly being the best player on the planet for the better part of a decade, he shouldn't be number 4. However, he is currently not playing in these playoffs and was part of the Lakers problems this year. He was supposed to be the key to solving the Lakers problems, not the one to continue them, maybe even make them worse than before. He is still the greatest player of his generation and one of the greatest to ever play the game, but at some point, he can't be number one anymore, and unfortunately, that time has come. It's still mightly impressive that he dominates games in his 15th year in the league, and he will continue to dominate the league for a few more years. He's just not number one anymore, too much talent in the league.
3. Kawhi Leonard.
Fitting that he makes the biggest shot of his career before I wrote this because I had LeBron at 3. Leonard has been beast throughout these playoffs and is fully deserving of the number 3 spot here. He is almost single-handedly leading the Raptors to the Finals, somewhere no one thought they'd ever be anywhere even remotely close to achieving. His offense and defense are both of the highest quality in this league, showing that he is a leader on any team he is put on. And he is doing all of this after not playing the entire season before this one. It's incredible what Leonard is doing right now, and if he keeps it up, he will have a second championship and a very lucrative contract coming his way. Time will tell if this will be true for "the claw".
2. Kevin Durant.
KD is finally out of the shadow of LeBron James. With LeBron not in the playoffs this year, Durant has been the best player in these playoffs, a title LeBron owned many years. He is scoring at an unbelievable rate of 33 points per game, has been the most consistent player on the Warriors roster, and is leading a team full of all-stars to the Finals. If he wins his third championship this year, he will have tied LeBron in rings and will stake a claim in the GOAT conversation and with the way he is playing, there may be a good argument that he deserves to be on that list.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis is a freak. That's pretty obvious since his nickname is "the Greek Freak". Giannis is currently leading the Bucks to the Finals, a huge improvement from their first-round exit last season. His highlight reel plays, unreal athletic ability, and leadership qualities are all that have made Giannis the best player in this league today. Not to mention the incredible strength that he has developed over the past few years, something you could accredit to his development into the best player on Earth. If Giannis continues to play like this, he will go down as the most unguardable player since Kareem, maybe even better. Wow, that's scary to say.
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