Who is the best player in the NBA?

The time has finally come for us to answer this question. Over the last nine weeks, we have been examining the Top 100 players in the league as the 2023-24 season draws near. MVP candidates such as Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James are obviously amongst the best of the best, but only one of them can claim the title of being the best in the NBA.

The 2023-24 season has a chance to be one of the most competitive years we have seen in quite some time. There are so many impactful and skillful basketball players across all 30 teams, which makes it difficult to narrow things down to only 100 players.

However, that is exactly what we have done here at ClutchPoints!

The NBA season will officially start on Oct. 24, per the league's official schedule release, and now it is time for the final installment of our Top 100 rankings just about a week out from opening night. These rankings take into account the season each player is coming off of, their role on their team, what we have been accustomed to seeing from them and much more, so of course, this list is simply a matter of opinion.

*NOTE: Rookies such as Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson and Chet Holmgren were not included in these rankings, as they have yet to play in a regular-season game. 

In case you missed any of the previous Top 100 player rankings, be sure to check them out with the links below:

Only 10 of the league's best remain, so let's dive into things and break down which players rank inside the Top 10 and who stands atop of them all in our 2023-24 NBA Top 100 rankings.

10. Devin Booker – SG – Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

2022-23 NBA season stats: 27.8 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 49.4 FG%, 35.1 3P%

For years, Devin Booker was the only star the Phoenix Suns had. Now, they enter the 2023-24 season as championship contenders with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal playing alongside him. While KD is still the bigger star and higher on this list (more on this later), this is Booker's team.

Anyone who says Booker is not a top-10 player in this league has obviously never watched him play, as he is arguably a top-five isolation scorer. The Suns guard just has a knack for getting to his spots and rising up over his opponents no matter where he is on the floor. While not necessarily a point guard, Booker acts as one for Phoenix given his overall playmaking abilities and is a much better passer than people give him credit for. In terms of shooting, he's a lot better than his 35.1 three-point percentage may suggest.

There's an outside chance of this happening given the starpower he's playing next to, but Booker can be a legit MVP candidate this season. The Suns may very well end up with the best record in the league and one could make an argument that the best player on the best team in the league deserves to be named the Most Valuable Player. If Booker stays healthy and is able to lead the Suns to this mark entering the postseason, he will have his team in a position to contend for their first title ever.

9. Damian Lillard – PG – Milwaukee Bucks

2022-23 NBA season stats (Blazers): 32.2 points, 7.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 46.3 FG%, 37.1 3P%

Damian Lillard will be playing for a team not named the Portland Trail Blazers for the very first time in his NBA career. It took a while, but Lillard's trade request was finally fulfilled by the Blazers near the end of September, as he was sent to the Milwaukee Bucks. Alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lillard will get the chance to play alongside a superstar for the first time ever.

Even though he continues to be amongst the league leaders in scoring every year, people still disrespect Lillard and forget about him when it comes to end-of-season honors because his teams have never really been great. Just this past season, Dame averaged 32.2 points per game, which ranked third in the league, and he made 244 threes, which ranked fifth in the league. It's worth mentioning that he missed 24 games due to injury as well, meaning he had a chance to lead the league in both categories if he was healthy.

The Bucks won a championship in 2021, but the addition of Lillard makes them an even more deadly team. There have been questions in Milwaukee about who can step up when Giannis is out of the game or on the bench. Well, the Bucks now have their answer, as it is almost Dame Time!

8. LeBron James – PG/SF/PF – Los Angeles Lakers

2022-23 NBA season stats: 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 50.0 FG%, 32.1 3P%

Why do we even list a position for LeBron James knowing that he doesn't have a set spot on the court? The Los Angeles Lakers star continues to redefine the game of basketball every single season and is now ready to embark on Year 21 in the NBA, a feat only Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Willis, and Robert Parish have achieved. At 38 years old, James has shown some signs of slowing down, yet there is still no stopping him when he's healthy and locked in.

In an injury-riddled season, King James still managed to average 28.9 points per game and he single-handedly kept the Lakers in playoff contention when Anthony Davis was sidelined with things not looking good in Los Angeles. The NBA's all-time leading scorer has nothing else to prove in his career, yet he's still hunting for another championship. Perhaps the 2023-24 season will be his best chance to win another title before retiring, especially given the depth the Lakers added during the offseason.

LeBron proved last season that he can go for 30-plus points on any given night, and the fact that he did so while shooting 50 percent from the floor is astonishing. Doubt James and the Lakers at your own risk, as they have some unfinished business to attend to after getting swept in the Western Conference Finals.

7. Jayson Tatum – SF/PF – Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

2022-23 NBA season stats: 30.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 11. steals, 46.6 FG%, 35.0 3P%

It's crazy to believe that Jayson Tatum is getting ready to begin his seventh season in the NBA, especially since he is still only 25 years old. Tatum's ascension to becoming one of the best offensive threats in the league has been amazing to watch since he has still yet to reach the prime of his career. Coming off a season in which he averaged over 30 points per game and led the league in total points scored, Tatum is a real MVP candidate for the Boston Celtics.

Tatum has made the All-Star Game for four consecutive seasons and was named to the All-NBA First Team for the second straight year. With all the talk surrounding his scoring abilities, Tatum's defensive effort oftentimes gets overlooked. The Celtics star is a great defender in his own right and has been part of the reason why they've had one of the best defenses in the league through the years.

The only questions surrounding Tatum and his game are about if he can break through and capture Boston's 18th title. They came close in 2022, but the Celtics were unable to beat the Golden State Warriors despite being up 2-1 in the series after winning Game 1 on the road. Tatum's playoff disappointments are the only reason why people do not put him in the same category as those ranked above him on this list.

6. Luka Doncic – PG/SG – Dallas Mavericks

2022-23 NBA season stats: 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 49.6 FG%, 34.2 3P%

He may not be the most athletic player in the league, but Luka Doncic may just be the smartest. Doncic's basketball IQ is off the charts, and his ability to see plays before they develop is unmatched. It just seems like every time he takes the floor, Luka makes some unreal pass that makes you shake your head in disbelief. Slow-motion is a great way to describe Doncic's game, as he plays at his own place, not letting anyone speed him up.

Despite the Dallas Mavericks' lack of overall success last season, Luka put together his best year with the organization. Doncic finished second in the league in scoring and joined Michael Jordan, Russell Westbrook, and Oscar Robertson as the only players in league history to average at least 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game in a single season. As a result, he made the All-NBA First Team for the fourth straight year.

Entering his sixth season, Doncic now faces the tall task of getting the Mavericks back to the playoffs and regaining the relevance they had in 2022. Luka took his team to the Western Conference Finals and had them on the verge of the NBA Finals that year. If he can achieve this again and possibly win the West, Doncic's status as a top-five player in this league moving forward will be cemented.

5. Joel Embiid – C – Philadelphia 76ers

2022-23 NBA season stats: 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 blocks, 54.8 FG%, 33.0 3P%

Joel Embiid finished as the runner-up for MVP in 2021 and 2022. Finally, he was able to break through and beat out Nikola Jokic for this award last season, becoming the first Philadelphia 76ers player to receive such an honor since Allen Iverson during the 2000-01 season. Embiid went from a big man who could not seem to get healthy to becoming the best scoring big man in the entire league. He has increased his scoring production year after year, and it's not hard to believe he has what it takes to once again lead the league in scoring.

With his size and strength, Embiid is impossible to stop with his back to the basket. Even when teams double him, the Sixers big man is still able to find success because he is an above-average passer from anywhere on the floor. Without him, the Sixers are nothing more than a team fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament. While not the most athletic, Embiid does everything for Philadelphia, including on the defensive end of the floor.

Regardless if James Harden stays or leave, Embiid is going to find success as the Sixers' primary option. Whether or not Embiid decides to stay past the 2023-24 season seems to be a question many are pondering around the league. At 29 years old, we are just now seeing the best of what Embiid will show us in his career.

4. Stephen Curry – PG – Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

2022-23 NBA season stats: 29.4 points, 6.3 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 49.3 FG%, 42.7 3P%

There is no better offensive weapon in the NBA than Stephen Curry. He is the face of the Golden State Warriors and is not far from etching his name in NBA lore with the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the title of greatest of all. time. Curry's resume speaks for itself, as the last thing many said he needed to accomplish was claiming a Finals MVP trophy. Well, he did so in 2022, leading the Warriors to their fourth title in an eight-year span after it seemed like this team wouldn't win another title.

Curry's defeat in the Western Conference Semifinals to LeBron and the Lakers was a disappointment, but the Warriors made it clear this offseason they are going to do what it takes to win another championship. As long as Curry is healthy, they have a good chance to achieve such a feat, especially since he has seemed to hit a second prime in his career. Although he missed time due to injury, Steph averaged 29.4 points per game and shot 42.7 percent from deep last season. For a player who took 639 total threes last season, the sixth-most in the league, shooting above 40 percent is extremely impressive.

From scoring to playmaking to having everyone shake their heads due to his insane shooting skills, Steph is what every young basketball player aspires to be nowadays. Giannis, Embiid, and Jokic get all the attention in the MVP race, but Curry may realistically have the best season of his career this upcoming year. He's healthy, he's determined, and the Warriors will have a chip on their shoulder. Doubt Steph and Golden State at your own risk.

3. Kevin Durant – SF/PF – Phoenix Suns

2022-23 NBA season stats (Nets/Suns): 29.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.4 blocks, 56.0 FG%, 40.4 3P%

Many NBA players who suffer a major Achilles injury lose movement and don't return as the same players they once were. Kevin Durant has not only returned to form following his Achilles injury in 2019, but he may actually be better than he was then. One of the deadliest mid-range shooters we have seen in league history, Durant enters his first full season with the Phoenix Suns alongside Bradley Beal and Devin Booker.

In eight games alongside Booker last season, Durant averaged 26.0 points per game while shooting 57 percent from the floor and over 53 percent from three-point range. When he wants to score, regardless of who is around him, Durant is the best player in the league. We cannot overlook KD's contributions defensively either, ashe is able to guard virtually any position given his length and ability to contest shots on the perimeter.

We all know how good of a player Durant is, but it's actually pretty shocking that he's only won a single MVP despite being a four-time NBA champion and two-time Finals MVP. In terms of having the ball in his hands late in the game, there may not be a better player in this league than KD. Should he lead the Suns to the best record in the West and remain healthy for a vast majority of the season, the 35-year-old will be able to put together a great case for MVP in 2023-24.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo – PF – Milwaukee Bucks

2022-23 NBA season stats: 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 blocks, 55.3 FG%, 27.5 3P%

Much like how Lillard is playing with a superstar for the first time in his career, Giannis Antetokounmpo will get the chance to play the 2023-24 season with a superstar. Khris Middleton is a great player and Jrue Holiday was a key reason why the Bucks won a championship in 2021, but neither Middleton nor Holiday are the player Lillard is. Dame is going to bring out the best in Giannis, which is a scary thought seeing as he was virtually impossible to stop last season.

Antetokounmpo continues to diversify his game every single season. Last season, he really focused more on becoming a creator for others. Giannis has won multiple MVPs, has averaged nearly 29 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game over the last six seasons, and the scary thing is that the Bucks superstar is only 28 years old.

Perhaps his greatest attribute is the fact that Antetokounmpo is a true leader for his team both on and off the court. The Bucks find the will to succeed through their star big man and holds everyone to a very high standard, including himself. If he can continue to make strides from the three-point line, as well as the free-throw line, Giannis will be unstoppable … that is if isn't already.

1. Nikola Jokic – C – Denver Nuggets

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

2022-23 NBA season stats: 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 63.2 FG%, 38.3 3P%

From two straight regular-season MVPs to winning 2023 Finals MVP and capturing the first championship in Denver Nuggets history, Nikola Jokic has cemented his spot at the top of these 2023-24 NBA Top 100 rankings. There are better athletes and better scorers than Jokic right now, but nobody impacts winning more than Jokic does. In fact, it is time to start having a conversation about where the Nuggets big man ranks all-time in league history.

At 28 years old, Jokic is already a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The way he approaches the game of basketball is so nonchalant. The Joker knows how good he is, yet he goes out every night and does his job. You never hear him flaunting his stats or claiming how good his team is because his game and team success speak for themselves. Jokic makes everyone around him better with his aura just bringing out the best in his teammates from a mentality standpoint.

Records and personal achievements don't matter to him, which is why Jokic is such a special player. There's nothing Jokic can't do on the floor, and he very nearly averaged a triple-double for the third consecutive year. We've truly never seen a player like this in league history.