The 2024-25 NBA regular season is set to tip off on Oct. 22, following the conclusion of the preseason on Friday. Ahead of the new season, NBA analyst Jason Timpf unveiled his ranking of the top 10 players in the league. Notably, Timpf ranked Lakers’ Anthony Davis ahead of superstars LeBron James and Steph Curry. Surprisingly, Philadelphia 76ers’ one-time MVP Joel Embiid was left out of the top 10 entirely.
Denver Nuggets’ three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic claimed the top spot on the list, followed by Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic at No. 2 and Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 3.
OKC Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards rounded out the top five. Anthony Davis was ranked sixth, with Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry completing the top 10 in that order.
.@_JasonLT reveals his top 10 players ahead of the NBA season
Do you agree with his list? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Q6C8GQC9su
— Hoops Tonight (@hoopstonite) October 18, 2024
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Timpf said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that he ranked the players using several criteria, including their availability and their ability to deliver in crucial playoff moments.
“My criteria: Who would you start your franchise with to lead you through this upcoming campaign from October to potentially June. These factors weighed heavily: 1. Availability, 2. Does your game translate to the playoffs? 3. How easy is it to build around you?” Timpf said.
Jason Timpf explains reason behind slotting Joel Embiid at No. 11
Many fans were surprised when Jason Timpf excluded Joel Embiid, one of the league’s most dominant players, from his top 10 list. After facing sharp criticism from a portion of the fanbase, the young analyst explained his reasoning for leaving the Sixers superstar out of his top 10 list.
“So, for those wondering why (Joel Embiid) slid to 11, it’s pretty simple: He’s probably the least available star in this tier, his track record is that of a player who struggles to get his success to translate to the playoffs, and he pretty much ties you to one play style on both ends, which makes him harder to build around than most stars,” he said.
“His ceiling is top 5, but in this particular criteria he slips to 11,” he added.
Joel Embiid played 39 games last season and averaged 34.7 points per game on 52.9% shooting from the field, including 38.8% from 3-point range. He also averaged 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1,2 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.