The NBA season begins in 11 days. ESPN, CBS, and Sports Illustrated recently came out with their Top 100 player rankings for 2022-23. With that, we look at which Brooklyn Nets made the cut and whether the outlets correctly ranked them among their peers this season.

Joe Harris

ESPN: N/R

CBS: 95

SI: N/R

The verdict: Too low

Harris played just 14 games last season for the Nets before an ankle injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. The 31-year-old would have likely cracked all three lists had that not been the case. Harris has shot 41.9 percent or higher from three on at least 4.6 attempts per game in each of his last five seasons. The sharpshooter led the league in three-point shooting in 2020-21, converting at a 47.5 percent clip on 6.4 attempts per game, both career highs.

The Virginia product now returns alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with one of the league’s premier playmakers in Ben Simmons entering the mix. The seventh-year Nets forward should thrive alongside Simmons, who ranks second among all NBA players in three-pointers assisted on since coming into the league in 2017. Harris should start on the wing this season as an important piece of Brooklyn’s revamped offense. A healthy season alongside the big three and an improved supporting cast could vault him up these lists come next year.

Seth Curry

ESPN: 96

CBS: 87

SI: 78

The verdict: Sounds right

Curry started all 17 of his games with the Nets last season after the James Harden-Ben Simmons blockbuster trade sent him up I-95. The sharpshooter made an immediate impact despite battling an ankle injury, averaging 14.9 points per game on an outrageous 46.8 percent shooting from three. Like Harris, Curry is among the top three-point threats in the league at 43.9 percent for his career. He also has a proven track record as a clutch performer and offers a secondary ball-handling option when needed.

The 32-year-old had surgery to repair his ankle in May and has not yet been fully cleared. Head coach Steve Nash said he hopes the guard will be ready for opening night. Curry’s limitations on the defensive end complicate his fit alongside Irving. The Nets have better defensive options in Harris and Royce O’Neale, who also offer high-level floor spacing. This could make Curry and his $8.5 million expiring salary a valuable trade chip near the deadline. Regardless of his fate later in the year, expect the eight-year veteran to make a substantial impact in Brooklyn’s rotation as long as he’s with the team.

Ben Simmons

ESPN: 76

CBS: 42

SI: 39

The verdict: Too low for ESPN

Simmons is the most difficult player in the league to project this season. The three-time All-Star continued to sit after forcing his way out of Philadelphia last season, citing back issues and remaining mental hurdles during Brooklyn's first-round series against Boston. Simmons appears to have improved in both those areas after surgery and a full summer of training.

The former number-one pick has appeared in two preseason games with the Nets following a 470-day layoff. He looks healthy, but still has a ways to go before returning to his All-Star form. Simmons' aggressiveness in finding his shot will be a major storyline this season. The image of the Aussie passing up a wide-open dunk in Philadelphia's Game 7 loss in the second round of the 2021 playoffs is still fresh in the minds of many. While regaining his assertiveness will be an important aspect of Brooklyn's success, at the bare minimum Simmons is an elite passer and one of the top perimeter defenders in the league. His size (6'11”, 240 lbs), ball-handling ability, fluidity, and athleticism present a skillset that only a handful of players in league history have possessed.

A large amount of skepticism and caution surrounding the 26-year-old this season is warranted, but suggesting there are 75 better players is selling Simmons short.

Kyrie Irving

ESPN: 33

CBS: 31

SI: 36

The verdict: Too low

Irving would rank much higher on this list if not for his availability issues in prior seasons. The veteran took a pair of extended hiatuses in 2020-21 and missed over half of last season while refusing to comply with New York's workplace vaccine mandate. Irving's lack of reliability led to Brooklyn refusing to offer him a fully-guaranteed max contract, a position the rest of the league shared on the open market.

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When on the floor, Irving is one of the top players in the league. In his last full season, the guard averaged 27.0 PPG and became the ninth player in NBA history to join the 50-40-90 club. Betting against Irving's stability over the course of a full NBA season is understandable given his recent track record. However, Brooklyn's hardline contract stance made this a contract season for the 30-year-old. Irving has more long-term financial incentive to remain available and productive this year than ever before. The guard has said all the right things in camp thus far, alluding to a team-first offense and creating a foundation within the locker room for his new teammate Simmons.

Brooklyn's contract stance and the lack of interest across the league may have been the wake-up call Irving needed. A cautious approach makes sense, but the seven-time All-Star's skillset in a prove-it year could make these rankings look silly down the line.

Kevin Durant

ESPN: 8

CBS: 3

SI: 4

The verdict: Too low for ESPN

Durant's skillset speaks for itself. At nearly seven feet tall, the 12-time All-Star is a marksman unlike any the league has ever seen. He can handle, shoot from anywhere on the floor, and create his shot in a multitude of ways. Age is beginning to creep into the conversation surrounding Durant at 34 years old. However, the veteran looked spry as ever last year, only missing games due to a freak injury where Bruce Brown fell into his leg. Durant has played in both of Brooklyn's preseason games and has shown no signs of a declining skillset, scoring 22 points on 8/12 shooting Thursday against Miami.

The chatter surrounding his trade request and ultimatum has yet to subside, and rightfully so, but Durant's effort level on the court has never been questioned throughout his career. If General Managers were picking teams for one season, it's hard to envision seven players being selected before one of the greatest scorers to ever step on a court.