This will be Part 6 of a 10-part series ranking the top 100 players in the NBA for the 2024-25 season.
A few things to note before I start:
- This is a projective list of what I think will happen this upcoming NBA season.
- 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 two or three years and how much it will carry over to this upcoming year.
- My criteria are simple: if I am building my team to win a championship, who do I want on my team? This is factoring in talent, availability, and how much I can trust you in the playoffs. It is a projective list in a vacuum, but I also tend to give a little bit of a boost to guys who have proven they can come up big in the playoffs.
- This is a ceiling-raising, not a floor-raising list. In other words, I am prioritizing players who can make a good team great, rather than a bad team good.
Click here for the rest of Driscoll’s Top 100.
Without further ado, here are the Top 50-41 players for the 2024-25 season.
50. Desmond Bane
2023-24 Stats: 23.7 PPG, 5.5 APG, 1 SPG, 38.1 3P%, 58.9 TS%
Chill Town from TikTok always says, “We know what a player is going to be for his career by Year 5.” Well, it’s Year 5 for Bane. He has only played 58 and 42 games in the past two seasons, respectively. This is the year he will have to show he can be a cornerstone piece on a contender. I wholeheartedly believe in him.
49. Mikal Bridges
2023-24 Stats: 19.6 PPG, 1 SPG, 37.2 3P%, 56 TS%
Though he didn’t have to move that far, going from the Nets to the Knicks, everyone is excited to see Bridges in his new home. When he was in Phoenix, he was the third- or fourth-best player on a top-five team in the NBA. Then, when they traded him for Kevin Durant, he became the best player on an awful team. Now, he will once again be the third-best player on debatably a top-five team. I’m not sure how the Knicks plan on utilizing him on offense, but he will likely be the anchor on defense. It will surely be a fun situation to watch.
48. LaMelo Ball
2023-24 Stats: 22 GP, 23.9 PPG, 8 APG, 5 RPG, 1.8 SPG
2022-23 Stats: 36 GP, 23.3 PPG, 8.4 APG, 6.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG
Ball is a somewhat polarizing player. On the one hand, these numbers make it seem like he’s one of the most well-rounded players in the league. He can pass, rebound, defend, and even hit some shots if you need him. On the other hand, he is extremely injury-prone and many think his playing style does not translate to winning. I believe the addition of his new head coach, Charles Lee, and Brandon Miller’s development can help Ball to improve. I think if you mix all of these things up and Ball stays healthy, the Hornets can make the play-in tournament.
Let’s not forget when LaMelo Ball dominated the Boston Celtics, putting up 38 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds, leading the Hornets to a OT victory. It was the only time all season the defending champs lost to a team with a sub-.500 record. 👀
pic.twitter.com/RWflCLvN5Y— LaMeloMuse (@LaMelo_Muse) October 17, 2024
47. Jrue Holiday
2023-24 Stats: 12.5 PPG, 4.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 42.9 3P%, 59.7 TS%
One of the best team players in the NBA comes in at No. 47. I’m not going to lie, this does feel a little low. Holiday is debatably the best perimeter defender in the league, became a great three-point shooter last year, and is a great leader. With this being said, I feel like we are getting to the point in the list where some of the guys ahead of him could be No. 2 players on a championship team, and I’m not sure if Holiday is on that level.
46. Derrick White
2023-24 Stats: 15.2 PPG, 5.2 APG, 1 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 39.6 3P%, 61.1 TS%
The other half of the Celtics’ “stock exchange” comes in at No. 46. Remember when ESPN didn’t have him in their top 100 players last year? Yeah, that was really, really dumb. White responded to that by having a career year. Sure, he’s not an All-Star, but plug him into literally any team and he makes them better. When you have a guy who can shoot the three-ball at an elite level, play-makes extremely well, and defends the perimeter as good as anyone in the NBA, he’s going to help your team no matter what. White ranks ahead of Holiday because he was better in the regular season last year and Holiday is getting older.
45. Alperen Sengun
2023-24 Stats: 21.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG
See those numbers up there? What if I told you that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic were the only two guys in the NBA that put up those points, rebounds, and assists? I think that the only reason that Sengun was not an All-Star last year was because the West frontcourt is stacked. I, along with a lot of other people, expect the Rockets to take a big leap this year, and a big reason for that will be Sengun’s continued development.
Breaking: The Houston Rockets and center Alperen Sengun have agreed on a five-year, $185 million rookie extension, his agents told @BobbyMarks42.
The contract includes a player option in the last year. pic.twitter.com/aRFEnqmjsF
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 21, 2024
44. Cade Cunningham
2023-24 Stats: 22.7 PPG, 7.5 APG, 0.9 SPG
Here, we have another big, young name who I am expecting to leap. Cunningham has so much potential. He possesses size and length, passes great, finishes well, and can shoot the three-ball. His main weakness, however, is his defense. According to Basketball Index, Cunnigham was in the 13th percentile in terms of defensive impact. With that said, if he gets stronger and healthier, a guy with his height and length will have no problem becoming a solid defender.
43. Evan Mobley
2023-24 Stats: 15.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 62.6 TS%
Up next, we have the guy drafted two slots behind Cunnigham. I think that Mobley is going to be a star in this league one day. He is one of the best rim defenders in the NBA and is never afraid to take on any task. If there is one area I would ask him to improve upon, it would be his perimeter shooting. He is close to dead last in the pull-up shooting, and he’s also pretty bad at catch-and-shoot. I’m not asking him to turn into this elite three-point shooter, but making himself a threat from there would turn him into a scary, scary player.
42. Jaren Jackson Jr.
2023-24 Stats: 22.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.6 BPG
I’m not sure if there are many happier people in the NBA than Jaren Jackson Jr. now. Last year, he was without Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Steven Adams, and Marcus Smart for the majority of the season. Without Adams, he had to play center, which is not where he is at his best. Now that the Grizzlies have a new center in Zach Edey, and elite role players surround him, Jackson finds himself in a better spot than before. I’m expecting him to jump to an All-Defensive level again this year.
Jenkins says Jaren Jackson Jr (hamstring) will sit out season opener Wednesday and get a couple more days to focus on conditioning and 5-on-5 work to get ready.
Looks more promising to return for Saturday’s home opener than first two-game trip. pic.twitter.com/KkIUKgNmna
— Michael Wallace (@MyMikeCheck) October 21, 2024
41. Julius Randle
2023-24 Stats: 24 PGG, 9.2 RPG, 5 APG, 56.9 TS%
The brand-new Timberwolf wraps up this portion of the list. This might feel low, but remember the criteria. If I am building my team to win a championship, who do I want? Randle has been one of the worst playoff performers in the league in a couple of playoffs he has played in. He is a great scorer and is pretty versatile, which is why he has made a couple of All-NBA teams. But between his injury last year and his playoff dropping, I do not have a spot for him in my top 40 players.
Conclusion
We’re entering the part of the list that includes players who could be the No. 2 on a championship team. People might be surprised with the order of the next part of the list. Don’t miss it.
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