Let's take a fun journey five years down the road....
who you got as the top 5 players in 2023?
I got Giannis Antetokounmpo (28)
Jayson Tatum (25)
Anthony Davis (30)
Kevin Durant (34)
Harden (33)
Honorable mention:
Karl Towns (27)
Simmons (27)
They can be there if they stay healthy:
Porzingis (27)
Embid (29)
39 year old Lebron = dark horse to make the list.
If all healthy I see
1. Davis
2. Giannis
3. Embiid
4. Porzingis
5. D Mitchell
HM Simmons
KP
Townes
Giannis
Davis
Knox....The next Durant!!!!
Honorable......
Tatum
Embiid (injury will slow him)
Mitchell
Frank (Just to piss knick1248 off) Frank is going to the basketball HOF and Knicks1248 reputation will both be enshrined forever!!!
Simmons
Durant and Harden in 5 years? Its a tough call. Naturally one has to see it but injury and age take a toll.
Porzingas
M.Robinson
Knox
Hezonja
Ntilikina
Swishfm3 wrote:Porzingas
M.Robinson
Knox
Hezonja
Ntilikina
I see a lot of Towns love. His trajectory will be interesting as he’s a player already viewed as a huge liability on defense and a stat stuffer who doesn’t quite impact the game like his numbers suggest.
Barring major injury Giannis and Davis seem pretty likely after that I think there are any number of players that could be in that discussion with Tatum being the most likely to me. Simmons, Embiid, Porzingis, Jokic, Leonard, and Towns are probably the next group, though maybe Durant, Curry, and Harden are still sticking around at that level. Then you have the young guys like Doncic, Ayton, etc. whose development could put them at that level.
Swishfm3 wrote:Porzingas
M.Robinson
Knox
Hezonja
Ntilikina
I think you have a top 5 player and two top twenty players (Knox and Robinson) on your list. Any of those guys have the potential to move up.
F anyone on the Celtics.....
1. Porzingis
3. Giannis
3. Davis
4. Knox
5. D.Mitchell/Ntilikina
if KP can learn to abuse smaller defenders he will be right near the top of this list. That alone will do so much to his overall game game, including making it more difficult for teams to try an expose KP's defense against small ball
he need to develop an arsenal so that he'll punish that tactic, e.g., have like a 60+ TS% against the small guys, can't settle for games of horse
Nalod wrote:KP
Townes
Giannis
Davis
Knox....The next Durant!!!!Honorable......
Tatum
Embiid (injury will slow him)
Mitchell
Frank (Just to piss knick1248 off) Frank is going to the basketball HOF and Knicks1248 reputation will both be enshrined forever!!!
Simmons
Durant and Harden in 5 years? Its a tough call. Naturally one has to see it but injury and age take a toll.
Towns no way, in top 20 maybe.
Early days I know, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Doncic there or thereabouts in 5 years time.
Gudris wrote:Nalod wrote:KP
Townes
Giannis
Davis
Knox....The next Durant!!!!Honorable......
Tatum
Embiid (injury will slow him)
Mitchell
Frank (Just to piss knick1248 off) Frank is going to the basketball HOF and Knicks1248 reputation will both be enshrined forever!!!
Simmons
Durant and Harden in 5 years? Its a tough call. Naturally one has to see it but injury and age take a toll.
Towns no way, in top 20 maybe.
No doubt its a moving dial and under Thibs I’m not sure if his offensive numbers will be fully realized or he even stays. Thibs is. Very intense hands on kind of guy with great passion for the game. He eats, sleeps, drinks basketball 24/7 12 months a year. That might be a bit too much.
Beyond Townes health plays a huge role. Davis is super talented and only injury stops him.
Perhaps still the biggest wild card is KP. The talent/skills and instincts of a Small Forward in a 7’3 body with a big frame to fill in. We have read all the problems that come with being “too tall” and dealing with a form of Anemia. The kids instincts and talent base is fascinating. None of us know how this kids career will go but its a hell of a ride!!!
