Ben Golliver's rankings see Giannis Antetokounmpo as NBA's top player

Nikola Jokic may be the two-time defending NBA MVP, but according to the Washington Post's Ben Golliver, who debuted his projected Top 100 players for the 2022-23 season today, former back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is the NBA's top player. Giannis took the top spot thanks to his "physicality, productivity, and durability," which sets him apart from No. 2 Steph Curry. Golliver sees Curry as a game-changer, but notes he's missed 34% of his games over the past five years.

Jokic comes in at No. 3, while last year's No. 1 player, Kevin Durant, is No. 4, and Luka Doncic rounds out the top five. Kawhi Leonard is No. 6 despite having missed 16 months, while LeBron James drops to No. 7 from No. 3, after a year that saw him "excel on offense, coast on defense, and miss 26 games.'" Joel Embiid was No. 2 on the MVP ballet, but he's No. 8 on this list, ahead of the Celtics' Jayson Tatum - nicked for "coming unglued" during his Finals debut, and another player returning from injury, Damian Lillard.

The list isn't based on any statistical formula, and doesn't include rookies. The basis is "last year’s performance (as judged by traditional per-game statistics and advanced metrics), current health, injury history, age, consistency, contributions to winning, ability to make teammates better, off-court concerns, postseason performance and offensive and defensive impact." It's also a one-year metric: Salaries, expected improvement, or free agent status aren't considered in the rankings.

Despite the low expectations for their season, the Los Angeles Lakers are the only team with two players in the Top 12: LeBron, and No. 12 Anthony Davis. Their only other Top 100 player, Russell Westbrook, just makes the list at No. 100, 57 spots lower than last year. The Lake Show's cross-corridor rivals the Clippers have Kawhi and No. 14 player Paul George. Other teams with Top 20 duos include the 76ers, with Embiid and James Harden coming in at No. 8 and No. 17, respectively; the Miami Heat, with No. 11 Jimmy Butler and No. 19 Bam Adebayo; and the Celtics, where Jaylen Brown checks in at No. 20.

The Bucks are the only team with three Top-25 players, barely, as Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are Nos. 24 and 25.

Most Improved Player Ja Morant was the most improved star on this list, leaping 13 spots from No. 26 to lucky No. 13. Third-year guard Anthony Edwards jumped from No. 66 to No. 30, leap-frogging LaMelo Ball (No. 39), the player picked two spots below him in the 2020 draft. Two Warriors who just got extensions also skyrocketed up this list, with Andrew Wiggins gaining 20 spots to No. 44, and Jordan Poole climbing from No. 100 to No. 61.

Westbrook took the most precipitous drop, but Utah's Mike Conley plunged 50 spots from No. 39 to No. 89. Injuries caused Denver's Michael Porter Jr. to drop from No. 36 to No. 77, new Celtic Malcom Brogdon dropped 32 spots to No. 70 (out of concern he won't like becoming a "super-sub"), Kyle Lowry dropped from No. 42 to No. 73 due to body concerns and Julius Randle's ranking plunged with his Knicks' record, going from No. 29 to 29 spaces back, at No. 58.

The top two debuts on this list are both Cleveland Cavaliers. Evan Mobley, ineligible last year, comes in at No. 33 and All-Star Darius Garland is No. 37. Along with No. 26 Donovan Mitchell and No. 52 Jarrett Allen, that's a formidable top four for Cleveland.

On the team level, the Celtics have the most top-100 players, with Tatum, Brown, and Brogdon joined by Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart (47), the resurgent Al Horford (68), and Robert Williams III (65), who would be higher if it weren't for his knee problems.

The Warriors had five top-100 players, with Draymond Green (40) and Klay Thompson (46) alongside Curry, Wiggins and Poole. The 76ers have a quintet with Tyrese Maxey (57), Tobias Harris (66) alongside Embiid, Harden, and new Sixer P.J. Tucker (97). Surprisingly, the other team with five top-100 players is the 36-win New Orleans Pelicans, who have Zion Williamson (26), Brandon Ingram (28), C.J. McCollum (54), Jonas Valanciunas (80) and Herb Jones (87). 

It might not be time to print playoff tickets in New Orleans just yet, but sportswriters should look into their travel options for May in the Big Easy. Beignets are delicious, and you can't go wrong visiting Nicolas Cage's pyramid tomb.