Basketball
As the 2022-23 NBA season approaches its final stage, the playoff picture is becoming clearer, with eight teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences moving ahead to the 2023 NBA Playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, and Boston Celtics are currently the top teams from each conference.
As experts and fans rank the performance of players throughout the ongoing season, the top 10 players of the 2022-23 season are as follows:
The 6'3" point guard has emerged as one of the league's elite players this season, with an improved scoring average of 27.4 points per game, up from 19.1 points per game in the previous season.
Ja Morant attempts to dunk the ball. SOURCE: Instagram@jamorant Morant has also led the league in points in the paint per game with 16.6, just ahead of Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James.
After a tough 2021-22 NBA season, Lillard has come back strong, currently averaging 31.4 points per game with a career-high 64.8 true shooting percentage.
Damian currently plays for Blazers in the NBA SOURCE: Instagram@damianlillard Lillard has also become just the fifth player in NBA history to score 60 points at least four times in the regular season.
After two decades in the league, James became the all-time leading scorer in NBA history in February 2022.
LeBron tries to score a dunk at a NBA game. SOURCE: Instagram@LeBron James James is currently averaging 30 points per game and shooting 59.6 percent on 2-pointers, a higher percentage than any of his first seven seasons in Cleveland.
Despite the disappointment of losing in the NBA Finals last season, Tatum remains a leading MVP candidate for his strong two-way play. He currently averages 30.6 points per game, a career-high and sixth in the league.
Jayson is currently signed with Celtics in the NBA SOURCE: Instagram@JaysonTatum In March 2023, Tatum became the first player of the season to reach 2,000 points.
Widely regarded as one of the purest scorers in NBA history, Durant's arrival has changed the entire outlook for the Brooklyn Nets.
Kevin plays for the Suns for 2023 Season SOURCE: Instagram@Kevindurant Durant is currently averaging close to 30 points per game while shooting a career-high 56 percent from the field.
The Philadelphia 76ers' center is in the 11th position in all-time career points per game (tied with Michael Jordan in career points per 75 possessions). After leading the league in scoring last year, Embiid is at an elite level again with 33.1 points per game, trailing only Luka Doncic's 33.3.
Joel plays for the 76ers in the NBA SOURCE: Instagram@JoelEmbiidEmbiid also became just the third player in NBA history to record at least 47 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocked shots.
The Golden State Warriors point guard is having another outstanding season, averaging 29.5 points per game on 49/43/93 shooting splits. Curry has missed out on the MVP race due to two extended injury absences, but he is still making history.
Stephen plays with the Golden Stats Warriors. SOURCE: Instagram@stephencurry Curry is the second oldest player in NBA history to record at least 30 points and 15 assists in a game and has now tied with Wilt Chamberlain for the most 50+ point games after turning 30 years old at 7 games.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP is currently scoring a career-high 31.8 points per game, and is the only player in the league averaging at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Giannis plays for the Bucks in the NBA SOURCE: Instagram@giannis antetokounmpo Giannis efforts have helped the Milwaukee Bucks to the top of the Eastern Conference with a 50-20 record. However, he recently suffered a wrist injury that caused him to miss the NBA All
Luka had struggled in his previous two seasons and has started this season with a bang by improving his performance in all areas and increasing his efficiency to a career-high 50.5% from the field.
Luka is signed with the Mavericks for the 2023 season SOURCE: Instagram@lukadoncic The 23-year-old phenom looks fitter than ever before and recently led all postseason scorers by averaging 31.7 points in 15 games, which helped him make it to the 2023 NBA All-Star Games for the fourth consecutive year.
Many believe Nikola as one of the greatest offensive players of all time, secured his second consecutive MVP in the 2021-22 season, joining a select group of only 13 players to have won this award in back-to-back seasons.
Nikola has been playing in the NBA for eight seasons SOURCE: Instagram@NikolaJovic Jokic is currently under the richest deal in NBA history with a five-year $264 million supermax contract extension with the Denver Nuggets. Furthermore, he became the first player in NBA history to have multiple games with at least 30 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds without a single turnover.
