The NBA continue to search for ways to spice up the regular season. And in the upcoming campaign, the league will be trialing the In-Season Tournament concept, giving players considerable financial incentive to try their hardest in a slew of more-competitive-than-usual regular season games.

The 30 teams in the league will be divided into six groups of five teams each, separated by conference. In this exercise, we will be looking at the best players in Group B of the Western Conference, a group that will house four strong playoff contenders in the reigning champion Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans, and a team that's looking to take the next step in their contending timeline, the Houston Rockets.

This is arguably the most stacked group in the upcoming NBA In-Season tournament, with plenty of stars leading the way for their respective teams. Without further ado, here are the best players among those aforementioned teams, ranked.

Honorable Mentions: Russell Westbrook, Clippers; CJ McCollum, Pelicans; Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Nuggets; Dillon Brooks, Rockets

10. Aaron Gordon

Aaron Gordon has come a long way. From a player the Orlando Magic miscast as a small forward, Gordon has become one of the best fill-in-the-gaps player in the league for the Nuggets. He almost always defends the opposing team's best wing, he's a solid threat to make some 3s, especially from the corner, and he thrives off cuts to the rim thanks in large part to Nikola Jokic's playmaking.

Gordon may not wow everyone with eye-popping statistics or overwhelming individual production. But as a role player, Gordon thrives as well as anyone, playing his role to a T for a Nuggets team that recently won a championship.

9. Fred VanVleet

Fresh off signing a three-year, $130 million deal, Fred VanVleet immediately becomes the rebuilding Rockets' best player. VanVleet is the willing playmaker the Rockets need to place alongside Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson. The 29-year old point guard is also a strong defender who's able to chase guards over screens while having quick hands to be a nuisance in the passing lanes.

Alas, what brings VanVleet down is his shooting inefficiencies. He also doesn't put too much pressure on the rim, limiting his options on offense to chucking up shots from the perimeter.

Still, Fred VanVleet's playmaking and defense should help turn the Rockets' fortunes around, even if they'll be entering the NBA In-Season Tournament as the favorite to finish fifth in their group.

8. Brandon Ingram

Brandon Ingram is quickly becoming one of the most underrated players in the league. Not too many 6'8 wings in the league are as fluid with the basketball as he is, and not too many players of his size are dangerous scoring threats from all three levels.

Last season, Ingram averaged 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on rock-solid efficiency. The problem is that Ingram missed a ton of time due to injury, which has become a recurring case for him over the past few years.

Only 25 years old, Brandon Ingram may very well have another level to reach. But until then, Ingram places eighth on this list due to the sheer number of talented players who deserve to place higher than him.

7. Zion Williamson

There's certainly a debate to be had as to whether Zion Williamson deserves to rank higher than Brandon Ingram on this list. But based on sheer talent and impact on the game alone, Williamson is definitely the much better player than Ingram.

Williamson is an all-world offensive force, an unstoppable freight train who can lead the Pelicans to great heights — for as long as he remains healthy. This fact may have been beaten to death by now, but the Pelicans were one of the best teams in the West when Williamson was able to avoid the injury bug.

For the Pelicans' sake, they better hope Zion Williamson has put his injury troubles in the past, not to mention putting all his off-court troubles this past offseason in the rearview mirror.

6. Kyrie Irving

Like Zion Williamson, Kyrie Irving deserves to place even higher on this list if it weren't for his penchant for getting into trouble. Irving spent the majority of the 2022-23 season in the middle of controversy, and then the Mavs' performance to end the 2022-23 season didn't exactly do wonders for his reputation.

The Mavs better hope that Irving gets his act together for the entirety of the 2023-24 campaign, as their hopes of mounting a deep run, both in the NBA In-Season Tournament and in the NBA playoffs, rest on Irving's return to true elite status.

5. Paul George

Yet another player who didn't have the best of campaigns last season, Paul George lands on the number five spot on this list. George was mostly healthy for the Clippers last season, but a collision with Lu Dort prematurely ended his season, and by extension, the Clippers'.

But when healthy, George is still one of the elite two-way wings in the NBA. The Clippers star still can get over screens with the best of them, he's a terrific presence on the glass, and he's an incredible second option — a high-volume floor-spacer who can create for himself with incredibly fluid dribbling.

Now 33 years old, Paul George doesn't have time on his side. But there are no indications of any decline just yet — which could lead to a big 2023-24 season from the Clippers wing. After all, he said he'd be on his “bully sh*t” next season.

4. Jamal Murray

Is number four too high of a rank for Nuggets star Jamal Murray? Basing off of his regular season reputation, perhaps. Murray has never made an All-Star team, nor has he made any All-NBA or All-Defensive teams. But his playoff performance during the Nuggets' title run certainly makes him deserving of this high of a placement.

Murray ups his game when it matters the most. He's a player who never gets fazed by the spotlight, and that uncanny ability would go a long way towards helping the Nuggets not just defend their championship, but also to win the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.

3. Kawhi Leonard

Injuries may have derailed his career over the past two seasons. But make no mistake about it, Kawhi Leonard remains a bonafide star in the NBA — a player whose health goes a long way towards dictating the winds of a season's title race.

Before Leonard went down with a torn meniscus during the 2023 NBA playoffs, he looked like a man on a mission for the Clippers. He dropped two efficient 30-point nights as they tried to advance deep into the postseason despite missing Paul George. And even though they came up against the heavily-favored Phoenix Suns, for a second it looked like an upset was possible.

In that similar vein, people can never count out the Clippers — in the title race or in the NBA In-Season Tournament — for as long as Kawhi Leonard is on the payroll.

2. Luka Doncic

It's not a good look on Luka Doncic that the Mavs ended up missing the 2023 NBA playoffs. But it's difficult to pin that shortcoming too much on Doncic's shoulders. The Slovenian superstar shouldered too heavy of a burden for the team last year, and to his credit, he was more than up to the task, averaging 32.4 points. 8.6 rebounds, and 8.0 assists in his best individual season yet as a professional.

Only 24 years old, Doncic has a lot of time left as one of the biggest stars in the league. The Mavs may not be the favorite to come out of Group B, but with Doncic leading the way, they'll remain competitive every step of the way.

1. Nikola Jokic

No one else could have reasonably landed on the number one spot on this list. Nikola Jokic is the most difficult player to guard in the entire NBA at the moment. He's too big for most defenders to handle on the post, and his buttery touch means that everything around the hoop is an easy bucket for him. When Jokic sees double teams, he always pings it to the open man. And then he's also capable of some hysterically difficult shots to confound defenders even further.

The reigning Finals MVP, Jokic is a matchup nightmare for every other team in the Nuggets' NBA In-Season Tournament group. And for that reason alone, the Nuggets will be the favorite to win the group and the entire tournament.