35. Brandon Ingram – New Orleans Pelicans
Brandon Ingram is an absolute bucket, there’s no denying that. Once he and Zion Williamson lead the Pelicans to the playoffs, he’ll skyrocket up these rankings.
34. Zach LaVine – Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls made a ton of moves to improve this summer, and Zach LaVine will still be their best player. If he can prove that he can lead a team to the playoffs, just like Ingram, he’ll soar up this list.
33. Julius Randle – New York Knicks
Recency bias is real, and just because Julius Randle struggled in the playoffs doesn’t mean he’s not a great player. He had a fantastic regular season and does a bit of everything for the Knicks.
32. Domantas Sabonis – Indiana Pacers
Domantas Sabonis and Randle are very similar players, but Sabonis has been doing it for a couple of years longer. He’s a special player, but he still has a ton of room to grow.
31. Ja Morant – Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant showed out in the playoffs and even managed to take a game off of the one seed. If he can make the playoffs again, he might be a top 20 player in the league next year.
30. Zion Williamson – New Orleans Pelicans
Zion Williamson has the talent to be a top 10 player in the NBA, but he just doesn’t have the team success yet. He needs to lead the Pelicans to the playoffs before jumping much higher on this list.
29. Ben Simmons – Philadelphia 76ers
Ben Simmons gets made fun of for his poor offense and free throw shooting, but his defense alone warrants a spot on this list. He’s arguably the best defender in the NBA and, all jokes aside is still an amazing player.
28. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown’s phenomenal season was somewhat overshadowed by Jayson Tatum and an unfortunate injury to end the year. He’ll have a chance to bounce back this year and prove he deserves a higher spot on this list.
27. Klay Thompson – Golden State Warriors
It was hard to rank Klay Thompson on this list considering he’s coming off such a rough injury. At his peak, Thompson was a top 15 player in the league, so now he has to prove that he can still play like it.
26. Karl-Anthony Towns – Minnesota Timberwolves
Despite missing the All-Star game for a couple of years now, Karl-Anthony Towns is still a top-five center in the NBA. Hopefully, he can lead the Timberwolves to the playoffs this season.