This will be the sixth of a 10-part series ranking the Top 100 players in the NBA for the 2023-24 season.
Keep in mind, these are projections for the upcoming season. So does track record matter? Absolutely. Does last year matter? It matters the most. This list is based on what the players have shown they can do during the previous three years and how much it will carry over to this upcoming year.
Without further ado, here are the Top 50-41 players for the 2023-24 season.
Click here for a full archive of Driscoll’s Top 100.
50. Desmond Bane
Bane is another young guy who cracks the top-50 after signing a massive rookie extension. Despite not making an All-Star Game yet, I think he’ll be there quicker than people expect. Last year, he averaged 22 points per game and shot 41 percent from three. The Grizzlies will be without star player Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the season, and Bane will likely be the No. 1 scoring option in the interim. It is pretty tough to predict how he will be without Morant (side note: I think Marcus Smart will fill the role better than people expect), but either way, I’m expecting a slight step back from the Grizzlies as a whole, so Bane probably won’t be able to move up too many spots.
DESMOND BANE TONIGHT :
🎯 25 Minutes
🎯 26 Points
🎯 4 Rebounds
🎯 3 Assists
🎯 50% 3PT
🎯 1 Steal
🎯 1 Block
🎯 +11 +/-ANOTHER BANE PRESEASON MASTERCLASS 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Dses87Urfz
— Grizz Lead (@Grizz_Lead) October 16, 2023
49. Zach LaVine
Despite the Bulls being relatively disappointing the past couple of years, LaVine has still been very, very good. Not only is he one of the best guard finishers in the league, but he also shot 38 percent from three last season. Between his shooting, finishing, and playmaking, he is one of the more talented offensive players in the league. With this being said, his shot selection and perimeter defense continue to be a weakness in big games for them. The pairing of LaVine and teammate DeMar DeRozan has shown flashes of being a top-10 duo, but they have hit their ceiling of a second-round exit. Chicago should try to rebuild soon before it is too late.
48. Evan Mobley
One of the best young bigs in the game comes in at No. 48. Though Mobley is not much of a scoring threat outside of 10 feet, he is still a super impactful player overall. He is one of the better rim defenders and rebounders in the league, and although the assist numbers do not show it, he is a solid passer. Similar to Gobert, even though he is not a threat outside, he is super efficient, posting 59 percent True Shooting. He will eventually have to expand on his shot creation if he wants to be higher on this list, but if the Cavs eventually trade Jarrett Allen for better depth pieces, they will have a higher ceiling than people expect.
47. LaMelo Ball
The 2021 Rookie of the Year comes in at No. 47. Because Ball only played 36 games last year, a lot of people are forgetting how great of a player he is. This is mainly because of his versatility. He is a 6-foot-7, long point guard who is one of the best playmakers in the league, can shoot the three ball at an elite level, and is a fantastic rebounder on both ends of the floor. It is pretty tough to rank him for a couple of reasons. Even though Ball is a great three-point shooter, he is not a good from inside the arc. Last year, he shot 38 percent from three and 41 percent overall. The Hornets are an absolute mess right now, putting a big load on Ball. I can see him being either much higher or much lower at the end of the season.
LaMelo Ball is so talented — deceleration into fake spin rejection of the drag screen from Nick Richards and easily turns the corner for a layup pic.twitter.com/Twq6CIuAhc
— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) October 16, 2023
46. Khris Middleton
Speaking of players who are tough to rank, Khris Middleton comes in at No. 46. Despite making the All-Star Game in 2022, he truly hasn’t been the best version of himself since the 2021 NBA Finals. His points per game, field goal percentage, and true shooting percentage all have gone down since 2020. Even though he has been slightly on the decline for a couple of years, his sharpest descent was between 2022 and 2023 due to injury and just 33 games on the court. Even though this is a super small sample size, the fact that he averaged 24 points per game with elite efficiency in the playoffs is a sign that he can have a bounce-back year.
45. Franz Wagner
Just remember, as mentioned at the beginning of each article, this is a predictive list. There are more than 44 players better than Wagner as of now, but I’m expecting an All-Star-caliber jump from him in 2023. He is a guy who is 6-foot-9, can shoot the three, and defend the perimeter. As he gets stronger and more experienced, he will only get better, and that jump is going to happen quicker than most people think.
Franz Wagner tonight:
18 Points
4 Assists
3 Rebounds
85% FG
100% 3P
100% FT18 Minutes pic.twitter.com/8cuQVmJm2k
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 13, 2023
44. Cade Cunningham
The first overall pick from the 2021 NBA Draft comes in at No. 44. Cunningham only played 12 games last season, so we were not able to predict whether he would improve or endure a sophomore slump. He had a great rookie season and played just around the same quality at the beginning of last season before injuring his shin. The Pistons will almost definitely be a lottery team this year unless they get lucky in the play-in tournament. I would not expect a “massive” jump from Cunnigham this year, but just making the All-Star Game is not out of the question.
43. Tyrese Maxey
I don’t know if there are many more people higher on Tyrese Maxey than me. Yes, he has only been the third option on a team that can’t get past the second round, but he’s still 22 years old, and there is a lot to like about his game and his personality. He can shoot the three at an elite level, defend the other team’s best guard quite well, and is also a great finisher. Can he be the first or second-best player on a championship team? Probably not, but give it time and he’ll start making All-Star Games soon.
Hot take- Tyrese Maxey https://t.co/ahNm1d4Y9w
— All American Hooper (@AmericanHooper) July 23, 2023
42. Kristaps Porzingis
People don’t realize it, but Porzignis had debatably his best season last year. He averaged a career-high in points per game and field goal percentage. Porzingis was also eighth in the league in blocks per game. In addition to his contributions on a per-game basis, he played his most games since tearing his ACL in 2018. Porzingis will probably be the Celtics’ No. 3 scoring option but the fourth-best player on the team. This will be interesting because he has always been the first- or second-best player on some bad teams (excluding the Mavericks), so Porzingis having fewer responsibilities on a great team is going to be a lot of fun to see.
41. Mikal Bridges
The man in the center of the biggest trade of the 2023 trade deadline, Bridges’s main responsibility in Phoenix was to anchor the defense and only take open shots that Devin Booker or Chris Paul gave him. However, once he was traded to Brooklyn, he was asked to do a whole lot more. Bridges attempted five more shots per game and averaged nine more points per game. With this being said, his defense took a step back. Furthermore, while this is by no means a perfect stat, his Defensive Box Plus Minus went down 1.4 points. I’m expecting nothing from Brooklyn this year unless Ben Simmons returns even close to his All-Star form. Nevertheless, watching Bridges in this role for a full season should be fun.
Main Image Credit:
