Who are the best NBA players right now? As the established acts progress every year, creating and breaking NBA records, there still exists a tough competition to emerge at the top spot in the best NBA players rankings. Find out which of your favourite NBA players made our top-10 list.
Every season in the NBA, we witness the ingenuity and creativity of NBA stars. Most of these stars are so consistent in their top performance that fans are assured that they are in constant top form. But the rise of young stars seeking to establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the courts has threatened the reigns of NBA greatest players. However, the youthful vigour and hunger for success is no match to the experience which the established acts have acquired through the years they’ve spent in the NBA.
The 2019/20 season is no different as the big names in the industry are on again tussling it out for the best players in the league. SportyTell has compiled what we believe are the top-10 best NBA players right now, for the 2019-20 season based on performance.
While this list may be influenced by our personal sentiments, the performance of the players in the 2019/20 plays a significant effect on their rankings.
Table of Contents
The Top-10 Best NBA Players for the 2019-20 Season Ranked
10. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is having one of his best seasons in the NBA. The star who was selected to the 69th NBA All-star game could not play in the game due to a right groin injury which forced him out of the game. None the less, Lillard has had 13 games in the NBA where he has scored nothing less than 30 points, since the beginning of the decade. Making him the only player in the league with a 13, 30 points game.
Despite his amazing performance, the Portland Trail Blazers are currently nowhere near a postseason qualification, which ultimately could affect the young budding star. Lillard probably would have ranked higher if the Portland squad were having one of the best seasons in their 50 years of existence.
9. Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers
Last season Paul George‘s momentum was terrific. The star was among the top finalist for the league MVP award and finished in the third spot and also earned a place in the NBA All-Defensive First team which compensated for his 2019 All-star game snub. But following a move to the Los Angeles Clippers from Oklahoma City Thunder, which was needed in order for him to provide the support ace star Kawhi Leonard needs at Clippers, things began taking a downward path.
The star fell out with injury and since then he’s been struggling. In a recent a game against former team, Oklahoma City Thunder, the star who scored 16 points, said he’s a work in progress, which is true. As we await his return to a 100% top form, it is noteworthy to point out that despite his struggles, he is currently having a good season, but fans expect more.
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8. Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets
The former NBA finalist and 2020 All-star, Russell Westbrook, made history with Rockets teammate, James Harden in February 2020. The pair who though have not fused in perfectly, the way pundits expected when the Rockets secured the deal for Westbrook to move to Houston, became the first teammates in the NBA to register 30+ points and a minimum of 5 assists in the same month.
In February, he ranked second in the NBA for average points earned. Talking about Russell Westbrook’s 2020 season so far without detailing his performance in the All-star game will be an unforgivable shortcoming. The star struggled to find the hoops during the game, missing 8 out of 10 shoots. He finally earned his first points towards the end of the third quarter. At the end of the toughly contested match, he had 6 points, 3 rebound and 3 assists as his team, Team LeBron emerged victoriously.
7. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
Even as the hopes of a playoff spot for the Washington Wizards diminishes, Bradley Beal isn’t letting down on his outstanding performance this season. The star who was one of the several names left out of this season’s All-star game expressed his displeasure over the snub but still continue to dominate on the court.
Bradley Beal who led the entire league in average points in February holds the record for the longest 25 points game streak in the 2019/20 season after registering 35 points on Wednesday (March 4). If the star remains consistent in this form, he definitely will be one of the leading contenders for this season MVP award. The Wizards appearance in the playoffs will also do a lot to help in his MVP race.
6. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
The 2019/20 season is definitely not a season, that will go down in Stephen Curry books as one of his favourite seasons. The star who has missed 58 games since he suffered a fracture in his left hand in October 2020, returned on Thursday (March 5) in the Warriors match against the Raptors, as game fans looked forward to the clash as a rematch of the 2019 NBA Finals. Just like the 2019 Finals, the Raptors conquered the Warriors with Curry registering 23 points on his return. Curry is sure to put on his best performance in the future game, despite the fact that the MVP award may well be out of reach.
5. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles lakers
The former New Orleans Pelicans player is really benefitting from his 2019 move to the Los Angeles Lakers. At Lakers, Anthony Davis is getting in line with the style of play of basketball genius, LeBron James. The pair who appear to appreciate each other’s presence on the team do not hesitate to praise each other when speaking to the media. In the courts, their chemistry is wonderful, as he delivered the first point which spurred Team LeBron in the All-star game. His throw helped his team win the game.
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4. James Harden, Houston Rockets
An amazing player with extraordinary skills, James Harden is one of the most consistent stars in the NBA. The Houston Rockets star, who made history along with teammate Russell Westbrook in February after averaging more than 30 points and 5 assists, as the only player to record such stats, had an amazing outing in the All-star game, where he secured 11 points. In the game, Harden’s knack for long-distance shots came to the fore as well as his defensive skills which led Team LeBron to victory. Harden is currently one of the players in the NBA tipped to win the NBA MVP award.
3. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
No doubt, LeBron is the best player we’ve got in the NBA. The star is currently on a fiery run. Since the 2020 All-star game, LeBron’s average points has shot up to 30.8. He remains a strong contender for the league MVP, but the star who revealed that the MVP has never motivated him to be the best in the league, but his desire to be the best in the world has been his core motivation can twist things around, knocking off Giannis Antetokounmpo as the front runner for the MVP award.
In the 2020 All-star, LeBron who captained a very resourceful team had a not too convincing night, which saw him miss 8 out of 10 3- points attempts. But the star was the reason why Anthony Davis won the game for team LeBron with a free throw.
2. Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Defensively, Kawhi Leonard is dominating as the best NBA player right now. For a star who led the Toronto Raptors to it’s first NBA Championship win in the 2018/19 season, which saw him win the Finals MVP, he’s a constant thorn in the flesh of opponents. As a result, the man who made the move to the Los Angeles Clippers has seen himself surrounded by more opponents which have led him to improve his assists stats. With Leonard in the defensive spots, forwards shooting per cent rates are down to 39.6 and guards are as low as 36.4 which is a lot lower than last season.
In the All-star game, he shined in bright colours. He opened his scoring register in the game with successive 3 pointers. He then went on to earn more points than any other player on the courts which earned him the first-ever Kobe Bryant All-Star MVP trophy.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Reigning NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is having one of the best seasons of his career so far. “The Greek Freak” who is on course to be the best NBA player this 2019/20 season with a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) which is about 32.3, the highest ever seen in the league. The star presence in the Milwaukee Bucks squad has propelled the team to greatness as they are set to become the latest member of teams to have ever recorded 70 or more victories in the regular season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo who is also the only player since the dawn of the century to have recorded a minimum of 40 points, 20 rebounds and 5 assists had a wonderful performance in the All-star game which saw team Giannis lose narrowly, but not without showing his defensive skills. Fans are rooting for Giannis Antetokounmpo to be the first successive winner of the MVP award since Stephen Curry.
There you have it—Our ranking of the top-10 NBA players right now 2019-20 season. What do you think? Which positions would you place these players? Please share with us in the comments section below.
Luka is top 5
how do yall have Bradley Beal over Luka?
How does Beal make the list when his team didn’t even make the playoffs in the east and Luka did
because bradley is doing well this season. 50 point game cough cough