With the all-star break having come and gone, we’re getting into the knitty gritty of the NBA season. The last stretch of the season separates the stars from the upper echelon of NBA talent. The all-time greats typically go on nuclear stretches to will their teams to a comfortable position in the NBA playoffs.
And with the ongoing countdown of the Best 100 players having took place throughout the first half of the year, what better time than the present to display Fantom’s choices as the Best 10 players in basketball this season?
If you missed the first few installments of the series, check out 100-81 here, 80-51 here, 51-26 here and 25-11 here.
Updated Ground Rules
Prior to the season, we gathered together with our own separate lists and took the average position of each player to fully determine our Top 100 as a collective. That determined our 100-26 rankings.
For the final 25, we’ve reconvened to do these rankings of where we think these players rank right now in the 2024-25 NBA Season. However, we still kept the original Top 25 players from the list, just with a new order. Considering the pacing we’re at with the Top 10, there still will not be any rookies included in this list. Without further ado, let’s officially kick off the Final Part of this year’s Fantom Sports Top 100 NBA Players.
10. Anthony Edwards/G/Minnesota Timberwolves
Coming into this season, it seemed like everyone was buying into the hype of Anthony Edwards’ superstar leap. The Wolves went all in for him, shipping out Karl-Anthony Towns and giving him the undivided keys to the franchise. And while the Timberwolves may be middle of the pack in the West right now, Edwards has delivered on his promise.
He’s currently fifth in the league in points per game at 27.5 a night, alongside 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists. And what’s more impressive than anything? His 41.4% three point percentage on an astonishing 10.1 attempts per night. Edwards has redefined his game and will be a mainstay in top ten conversations for the foreseeable future.
9. Anthony Davis/F/Dallas Mavericks
The newest Dallas Maverick has always been one of the best talents in the NBA. Even if his legacy was a bit disrespected over the last few weeks when being discussed about the trade package for Luka Doncic, Davis is still one of the best interior defenders in basketball. And he’s just as talented as the league’s best on the offensive end.
So far this season, he’s averaging 25.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Though he’s set to miss the next few weeks recovering from a shoulder injury, once he’s back and the Mavericks are fully healthy, they’ll be a dangerous matchup for any top seed come playoff time.
8. Jalen Brunson/G/New York Knicks
The Knicks are a really good team. But they are a team with some very glaring issues. Their interior defense is lackluster, their depth is very minimal and health is always a question under head coach Tom Thibodeau. But one thing is certain, Jalen Brunson is a superstar and the franchise cornerstone.
The team captain’s stats don’t jump out at you on first glance, as he’s putting up 26.1 points and 7.5 assists per game, but his efficiency is otherworldly. He’s shooting 49.2% from the field and 39.7% from three, not to mention he’s second in the league in clutch points per game at 5.3 shooting 53.1% from the field.
That’s the type of guy you want on your team come playoff time.
7. Stephen Curry/G/Golden State Warriors
Speaking of famous playoff risers, Stephen Curry is still one of the best players in the world. Now this may not be the Curry from 2021, but he’s still been the most consistent part of a middling Warriors team and the entire reason they’re still hanging in the play-in hunt.
Curry is averaging 23.4 points and 6.1 assists per game, and his efficiency has taken a hit compared to years prior, but he still holds a dominant level of gravity within the Warriors offense. And with the addition of Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, Curry seems primed to finish this season the way he’s used to.
6. Kevin Durant/F/Phoenix Suns
The Suns have essentially been the laughingstock of the NBA this year due to their lackluster performance on the court. But none of that is the fault of the 16-year-vet Kevin Durant. Durant is still one of the most prolific scorers in the league, putting up 27.3 points per game shooting 53.2% from the field and 40.4% from three.
The narrative around the future hall-of-famer seems to point in the direction that he’s bound to be traded in the offseason. Even though Durant is turning 37 next season, there’s no denying his status as one of the most valuable assets to widen the championship window for a great team.
5. Luka Doncic/G/Los Angeles Lakers
The newest Los Angeles Laker is someone that needs no formal introduction. Doncic has been a household name at the top of the NBA since his second season. Although his falling out with Dallas is still one laced with chaos and confusion, his on-court production is still amongst the best in the league.
He’s putting up 26.4 points, 7.5 assists and 8.4 rebounds a night and the Lakers have gone 5-2 since acquiring him. Once he and LeBron James get into a groove offensively, they’re sure to be one of the scariest offensive tandems that the league has ever seen.
4. Jayson Tatum/F/Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum might honestly be one of the most underrated and disrespected stars in basketball. Despite six consecutive all-star appearances, three consecutive All-NBA first-team appearances, four straight seasons averaging more than 26 points and 8 rebounds per game and an NBA championship to top it all off, he’s still looked at by casuals as a fringe top-ten player.
Fantom isn’t falling for that. Tatum is an outright superstar on both sides of the basketball. He has been the undisputed leader of the most consistent team in basketball this decade, and he’s firmly in conversations amongst the league’s best.
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander/G/Oklahoma City Thunder
Everything mentioned in the last paragraph about Jayson Tatum is exactly what applies to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander so far in the 2024-25 season. There is very few people that are capable of leading the league in scoring (32.3 points per game) while simultaneously being a consistent threat on the defensive end.
Not to mention leading the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team with the average age of 24.1, to a 48-11 record despite major injuries to Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Alex Caruso. SGA is separating himself as a mainstay amongst the elite and could very well be on his way to his first ever Most Valuable Player award by the year’s end.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo/F/Milwaukee Bucks
It’s no shock that the Greek Freak is still a top two player in basketball. He’s still one of the most prolific offensive weapons in the game, averaging 30.9 points per game (second only behind SGA). He’s still one of the best rebounders in the game, placing sixth in rebounds per game at 12.1. And most importantly, he’s still one of the best interior defensive threats in the game.
Yes, the Bucks aren’t as good as they’ve been in years past, but none of that is the fault of Antetokounmpo. He’s a matchup nightmare for almost anyone on any given night and he’ll cause chaos for whatever team is unlucky enough to matchup with him come playoff time.
1. Nikola Jokic/C/Denver Nuggets
As more time continues to pass in the career of Jokic, more and more people realize how once-in-a-lifetime his offensive skillset is. Those that watch the game be played sees that Jokic’s impact on the offensive side of the basketball is something comparable to ball-dominant guards and the most elite scoring forwards. The Kevin Durants, Stephen Currys, LeBron James’ of the world.
Then you realize this is a 7’1 Center. And the numbers tell the same story. Jokic is averaging 28.9 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game. That puts him third, third and second in those categories in the league. And his efficiency is even more mind-boggling. 57.8% from the field. 44.3% from three.
Is he a liability on defense? Sure. Are his advanced stats a little inflated due to the Nuggets’ lack of a playable backup Center? Yeah. But is Jokic still one of the most uniquely gifted players on the offensive side of the basketball? Without a doubt.
The Top 100: By the Numbers
With the completion of the rankings, we wanted to throw some arbitrary fun stats from our rankings that stand out when you look at it.
13: The number of players in the Top 100 that switched teams between the first and final installments of the Top 100 list. These players were De’Andre Hunter, Marcus Smart, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Donte DiVincenzo, Brandon Ingram, Khris Middleton, Zach LaVine, De’Aaron Fox, Julius Randle, Karl-Anthony Towns, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic.
7: The number of players in the Top 100 that came from a single team. The Minnesota Timberwolves were represented by Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo and Mike Conley
1: The Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz each had one sole representative on the Top 100 list, being Coby White and Lauri Markkanen respectively.
6: The amount of teams that had at least five players make the Top 100 list. Those teams being the Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans.
Now that the dust has settled on this chapter of Fantom Sports’ Top 100, who do you think were the biggest snubs? Who is due for a huge jump next year? Stay tuned on our page for some more basketball content and a Top 50 WNBA players ranking as that season inches closer!
***
Click here for more basketball content!
Join the best sports community on Discord!
Follow Fantom Sports on X!