Last year, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was ranked as the No. 1 player heading into the 2022-23 season. The team over at Bleacher Report has now released their comprehensive player ranking for the new campaign, and Bucks fans probably won’t be too happy about the fact that Giannis has now been dethroned from the top spot.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Ranked No. 2 Overall Player for 2023-24
Giannis Anteotkounmpo is without a doubt one of, if not the most dominant two-way player in the NBA today. However, the one thing that has held him back over the past couple of seasons is injuries. Last year, he played just 63 games in the regular season while also suffering a costly back injury in their first-round series loss against the Miami Heat in the playoffs.
When he’s healthy, however, the Bucks superstar is surely going to wreak havoc on the rest of the league. Nevertheless, Giannis still dropped one spot to No. 2 from being the top player on the list this time last year. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report explains why:
“First, there’s the somewhat superficial bump that a championship gives a player, and our top-ranked player is coming off one of those. Second, shooting is basketball’s most important skill, and Giannis is perhaps the worst high-volume shooter in the league.
That he’s still a rightful No. 2 on this list is a testament to everything else he does at a superstar level,” Bailey wrote.
Reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic Reigns Supreme
At the end of the day, it would have been a travesty not to dub Nikola Jokic as the top player in the entire league heading into the new season. After all, this man just led the Denver Nuggets to its first championship in franchise history.
Bailey also points out that statistically speaking, Jokic has been the best player in the NBA over the past three seasons. It should be no different in 2023-24.
“At this point, there just aren’t any questions left. Jokić is the most efficient, dominant offensive engine in basketball. He more than held up defensively in the playoffs and is now certified by a Finals MVP. Comparisons to the all-time greats are more appropriate than comparisons to what any current player is doing right now.”
Whether or not this will be enough to lead the Nuggets to back-to-back championships, however, is an altogether different conversation.
For More Wisconsin Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @PaoloSongcoNBA, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics. Also, check out our Merchandise Here! Get 20% off with the code “WSH.” You can also reach out to Paolo Songco via email at pao.songco@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here! Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers.
