This will be the fifth 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 60-51 players for the 2023-24 season.
60. Myles Turner
Believe it or not, Myles Turner is still on the Pacers. No, he didn’t demand a trade or show any sign of wanting to leave, but he has been at the center of seemingly every trade rumor for at least four or five years now. And it completely makes sense why. He is a big man who can defend the rim well, shoot the three ball, is a great post player, and fits well with every team. It’s unclear what his future might hold, but a contending team would be lucky to have him.
Myles Turner improvements from 21/22 season to 22/23:
PPG: From 12.9 to 18.0 (+5.1)
RPG: From 7.1 to 7.5 (+.4)
APG: From 1.0 to 1.4 (+.4
FG%: From 50 to 54.8 (+4.8%)
3PT%: From 33 to 37 (4%)
FT%: From 75 to 78 (+3%)He played exactly 29.4 minutes per game in both seasons.… pic.twitter.com/1tmq7Y6Fhq
— WOJ ARTEST🇦🇺 (@NbaWoody) October 13, 2023
59. Tobias Harris
This is probably a shock, but Harris is one of the most underrated players in the league. People talk about how great Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey are, but Tobias Harris is a fantastic No. 4. Despite his big contract, he is a great team player. He can shoot the three well, is a pretty good finisher, is a solid post player, and defends the rim above average, especially for someone his size. For a guy who is extremely versatile and keeps defenses on their toes, I think Harris landing just inside the top-60 is the right placement.
58. Andrew Wiggins
The 2022 champion comes in at No. 58. While he is not the superstar that he was expected to be coming out of the draft, Wiggins has turned into a much better player than his first couple years. He is one of the better perimeter defenders in the league and shoots and finishes at a pretty solid level, too. A lot of people are counting out the Warriors as contenders this year. While this is certainly a reasonable take, the fact that they traded Jordan Poole has removed a lot of locker-room drama, and a team of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Wiggins should never be counted out.
57. Jarrett Allen
It feels like Allen is a player who has flown under the radar the past couple of years, which is funny because he played on probably the best team he has ever played on last year. Even though he is only the fourth-best player on his team, he is still a super solid player. He defends the rim well and grabs a ton of boards on both ends of the floor. The Cavaliers’ ceiling with two traditional bigs and zero top-10 players (spoiler alert) is probably a second-round exit. However, this is still a very likable team and they will continue to be fun to watch.
56. OG Anunoby
Just like Myles Turner, Anunoby has also been in the center of trades for a while, too. And while I think some can overrate him, he could fit into any system. He’s someone who will give you 17 points a night and elite defense. Anunoby’s main issue is his ability to stay on the court. He has not played more than 70 games since his rookie season in 2018, and in the past three seasons, his games played have been 43, 48, and 67. If the Raptors are smart, they will enter rebuild mode soon, at which point Anunoby will likely be traded. However, for now, he is still a Raptor and probably won’t win a ton of games this year.
OG Anunoby was a definite standout for me today. A cool 6 of 7 from the field. Side-step jumper is deadly. Highly regarded by the front office FOR A REASON #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/l5qF3LhygM
— Maxwell Clark – West Coast Hoops (@ClarkieCaps) October 9, 2023
55. Jerami Grant
54. Dejounte Murray
Murray is in a weird position now. He had a career season in 2022, making his first All-Star Game and making the All-Defensive Second Team. However, he was then traded to the Atlanta Hawks and had to sacrifice playing the two guard because Trae Young was not going to play point guard. To put it bluntly, it was a weird fit between the two players. Building around two ball-dominant guys who are not efficient usually does not work out too well. However, the Hawks did just trade away John Collins who had been on the trade block for years. The team also started to look better once it hired Quin Snyder in the middle of the season. This is a team that does not have too high of a ceiling, but year two of Young and Murray will be interesting to see.
53. Scottie Barnes
The 2022 Rookie of the Year comes in at No. 53. It’s not that Barnes took a huge step back last year; it’s that he didn’t take any step forward. With this being said, I think this will be the year the Raptors BEGIN to transition Barnes into a first-option role. Even though Pascal Siakam will likely have a better season, I think Barnes will start taking a lot of his shots towards the end of the year. Despite some skepticism about his ability to show progress this year, Barnes just turned 22, so there is plenty of time for him to expand his game, especially since he is a great playmaker.
52. Lauri Markkanen
I know, I know. Markkanen is someone who I thought should have been an All-Star starter and All-NBA Third Team selection, so why isn’t he in the top 25? While I certainly do not want to take away from what was an awesome season, I think there is a pretty strong chance he comes back down to earth given how much last year was an outlier compared to his two or three previous seasons. Is there a chance he gets better? Sure, but the fact that the Jazz are clearly in rebuild mode makes me skeptical.
🎷 26 PTS
🎷 9-12 FG
🎷 9 REBLauri Markkanen and the @utahjazz get the W! pic.twitter.com/nqNiDrxgGN
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 15, 2023
51. Rudy Gobert
Rudy Gobert is one of the more polarizing players of our generation. On one hand, analytics love him because he defends the rim better than anyone. Plus, even though he is not a high-volume scorer or threat from outside three feet, he is super efficient inside. Gobert is also one of the best screeners in the league. While there are reasons to be skeptical over the fit of Karl-Anthony Towns and Gobert, they were a net positive together. They did not play a ton together last year, but the trio of Gobert, Towns, and Anthony Edwards playing full season together is going to be a lot of fun.
Rudy Gobert in his last season with the Jazz
15.6 PPG
14.7 RPG (1st in NBA)
2.1 BPG (3rd in NBA)
71.3 FG% (1st in NBA)All-Star Reserve
1st Team All-Defense pic.twitter.com/MDjdbfsjrM— Jazz Lead (@JazzLead) October 14, 2023
Conclusion
This was probably the most controversial part up to date. But we’re halfway there. 50-41 up next.
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