Nikola Jokic And Giannis Antetokounmpo Lead Bleacher Report's Top 15 Bigs Next Season

• Bleacher Report made headlines again for their Top 15 bigs list for the new season

• Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo were No. 1 and 2 respectively

• The major debate was having Karl-Anthony Towns over Bam Adebayo at No. 5

After garnering flak for their Top 15 wings for the NBA 2023-24 season, Bleacher Report sparked another debate on social media with their list of Top 15 bigs for the upcoming season.

NBA champion Nikola Jokic led the list at No. 1, while Giannis Antetokounmpo was placed second on the list. Rounding up the top five were Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Karl-Anthony Towns at third, fourth, and fifth respectively. On that note, here's a look at the 15-member list.

1. Nikola Jokic 

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo 

3. Joel Embiid 

4. Anthony Davis 

5. Karl-Anthony Towns 

6. Pascal Siakam 

7. Bam Adebayo 

8. Zion Williamson 

9. Jaren Jackson Jr. 

10. Domantas Sabonis 

11. Evan Mobley 

12. Kristaps Porziņģis 

13. Draymond Green 

14. Deandre Ayton 

15. Julius Randle

The process of ranking these players was the same that was employed by the outlet when they picked their wings.

B/R asked its best basketball minds to answer a series of random Player A vs. Player B debates. The question for each debate: "Which player will rank higher by the end of the 2023-24 season?"I

"In total, we compiled 8,632 votes across nearly 20 participants, narrowing our final player pool down to a top 110. From there, a panel of experts ranked every player from 1 to 110. They used their own criteria, considering everything from individual production, impact on winning (during both the regular season and the playoffs), and health/availability."

That said, fans had their two cents to share on the list:

Some disagreed that Bam Adebayo was placed lower than Towns on the list.

This was seconded by another.

One section of fans had no issues with the list but preferred to have Adebayo at 5.

Julius Randle fans weren't happy.

Some just slammed the list in its entirety.

The case for Adebayo just grew stronger.

And the trolls weren't far away.

The honorable mentions included Jakob Poeltl, Ivica Zubac, Clint Capela, Wendell Carter Jr., and Jeremy Sochan.

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Our Thoughts On Bleacher Report's Top 15 Bigs List

By and large the top four on the list are perfect, but we would agree with fans in this case and put Bam Adebayo over Karl-Anthony Towns. And we'd do that keeping the very same factors in mind that were used to create the list.

While Towns does edge Adebayo in terms of points (marginally) and assists, it also boils down to the number of games he suited up for, for the Minnesota Timberwolves. While he did sustain an injury that sidelined him for most of the season, it's important to know that Adebayo's production comes from his overall 75 games, not including the playoffs.

In their first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Nuggets, Towns averaged 18.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.2 blocks across five games. 

On the other hand, Adebayo played 23 games in the playoffs averaging 17.9 points, 9,9 rebounds, 3.76 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks — outbeating Towns in every aspect minus the points and the boards, which would have been more had he played less games.

More importantly,  Adebayo is a crucial component of the Miami Heat's defense, and his rebounding presence and acumen boast of better postseason experience compared to the Wolves forward.

None of this is to take a shot at Towns, but the numbers do lean towards Adebayo as a better bet at No. 5.

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