Who's the Best Player in the NBA?

The imaginary crown for the 'Best Player in the NBA' is one that sparks a ton of debate amongst fans, the media and even the players. To start the 2022-23 season, there are 5 legitimate contenders for the "crown": Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant (although Jayson Tatum is lurking). Jokic beat out Embiid for MVP in each of the last two seasons, and Giannis has eliminated KD two straight years from the playoffs as well. So, for now I'll focus on Steph, Giannis and Jokic. Giannis had this to say about the debate:

"I think the best player in the world is the person that is the last man standing, ... It's the person that takes his team to the Finals, the finish line and helps them win the game. ... that's how I view it. I believe the best player in the world is Steph Curry."

The Argument for Steph Curry: Steph is coming off a monstrous 2021-22 season in which he surpassed Reggie Miller and Ray Allen to become the all time 3-point king, won all-star game MVP, led the Warriors to their 4th title since 2015 and of course won his first career Finals MVP. There is no player over the last 10 years who has been a better "Franchise Player". Steph has spent all 14 years of his career with the Warriors, setting a culture that was previously non-existent in the Bay. His leadership style often draws comparisons to Tim Duncan. Selfless, team-first, hard-working, and by example. On top of that, he is one of the most lethal scorers in NBA history and commands double teams the second he crosses half court. His off ball movement is second to none, and his "gravity" creates open looks in the Warriors offense that a box score can't come close to quantifying. When it comes to the "Best Player in the NBA" argument, the one category that Steph falls a bit short on is defense and in particular defensive versatility. Everyone knows that Steph has become a solid defender. But despite bulking up, his size puts a cap on how effective he can be defensively. At 6'3" Steph can't switch off of guards the way that some of the other elite players can. Giannis, Kawhi, LeBron, even Embiid can all switch effectively 1-5. So the question is: Is Steph's offense, culture and leadership enough to offset his shortcomings defensively?

The Argument for Giannis:

Giannis has probably the best statistical argument for this debate. In each of the last 4 seasons, Giannis has averaged 27+ PPG on 55% shooting or better (only Adrian Dantley and Shaq have more such seasons). Despite being roughly a 30% 3-point shooter, he is virtually unstoppable in transition and in the paint. Defensively he is a perennial DPOY candidate who can switch 1-5, protect the rim and defend on the perimeter. On top of the statistical argument, he has a Championship under his belt too, disproving any arguments that his lack of shooting makes him just a regular season player. However, his lack of shooting including his FT% (career 71%) do provide a noticeable weakness. When it comes down to it, the best way to stop Giannis is to bait him into jump shots, or foul him if he gets into the paint. Those weaknesses helped take down the Bucks last year (along with injuries to other key players), as Giannis shot 22% from 3 and 67.9% from the FT line. Not to suggest that Giannis can't overcome his shooting deficiencies with overpowering drives to the rim and game-changing defensive plays. But the question is: In the era of the 3-point shot, are Giannis' shooting deficiencies enough to take him out of the running for the best player in the league?

The Argument for Nikola Jokic:

Jokic, who has won back-to-back MVPs is easily the best passing big man of all time and one of the most unique players the league has ever seen. He led the league in just about every advanced metric last season including Win Shares (15.2) and BPM (13.7). He's a big man who commands a double team, but can perfectly dissect a defense the moment they do so. So what do you do? Foul him? He's a career 83% FT shooter. Push him out to the 3-point line, sag off and beg him to shoot? He's a career 34.5% 3-point shooter. Double-team him and pray that his supporting cast can't hit open shots? Well Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are healthy now, so that won't work. Essentially, he is unstoppable. However, what you can do is exploit him on the defensive side. Jokic is known to get in foul trouble from time to time, so perhaps the best way to stop him is by keeping him off the court. Jokic is not a rim protector, nor does he have the lateral quickness to switch on to the perimeter and keep up with wings and guards. So the question, similarly to Steph Curry: Does his offense outweigh his defensive shortcomings? If so, does it outweigh it in a more impactful way than Steph Curry's?

In conclusion, there is no CLEAR best player in the NBA. It's ever-changing. But, for me there is one player on this short list who is elite on BOTH ends of the floor. One player who can switch onto ANY position. Sure his shooting is problematic, but does it really matter if he is averaging 30 PPG on 55%? By a slight margin, I have Giannis Antetokounmpo as the best player in the NBA, Steph Curry ranked second and Jokic third. For now.