Nikola Jokic And Giannis Antetokounmpo Predicted To Be Top Two Best Players Next Season

• Nikola Jokic took the top spot in the player predictions for the 2023-24 season

• NBA fans criticized the list for the order

• It appears the list has preferred youth over experience

Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are predicted to be the No. 1 and No. 2 players for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Bleacher Report's latest players rankings for the next season see the two bigs take the top two slots to be the best players, while LeBron James and listed at No. 7 on the sports site's Top 20 names. 

Here's a quick look at the players touted to be the best for next season:

1. Nikola Jokic 

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo 

3. Luka Doncic 

4. Joel Embiid 

5. Jayson Tatum 

6. Stephen Curry 

7. LeBron James 

8. Kevin Durant 

9. Devin Booker 

10. Anthony Davis 

11. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 

12. Jimmy Butler 

13. Kawhi Leonard 

14. Damian Lillard 

15. Anthony Edwards 

16. Jamal Murray 

17. De’Aaron Fox 

18. Paul George 

19. Jaylen Brown 

20. Donovan Mitchell

Much like how they predicted the wings and the bigs for the next season, B/R followed the same process they did for the best players' predictions.

"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?

"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 also health/availability."

The players who missed the cut and were listed by the site as honorable mentions include: Jaden Ivey, Jakob Poeltl, Shaedon Sharpe, Ivica Zubac, Clint Capela, Mike Conley, Brandon Miller, Dillon Brooks, Wendell Carter Jr., and Jeremy Sochan.

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NBA Fans React To The Top 20 Player Predictions

The list garnered immense flak again with very very scanty few agreeing to the list. Fans of big and seasoned names thoroughly criticized the list. 

That the likes of Stephen Curry, James, and Kevin Durant weren't in the top five irked fans. We take a look at some of the reactions below:

Curry fans were unhappy.

Some believed Ja Morant to be on the list.

Shai Gilgeous Alexander over Jimmy Butler raised some questions as well.

One of the fans had his own take:

As was Jayson Tatum over Stephen Curry.

Kevin Durant fans weren't happy either.

While the fans have their say, there is no doubt that everyone is entitled to an opinion, and in this case, B/R has their out in the open.

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Our Thoughts On The Top Players' Predictions: Youth Over Experience?

It most certainly looks like the site and the panel of experts that it's reached out to have considered youth and the future of the league over the seasoned names that are placed after the top five.

It's worth noting that the first five players are all under 30, and that their recent performances are an indicator of the fact that they are in their prime. This would mean better numbers, robust health, and the rising popularity would have been accounted for. That said, it's still unfortunate that the players placed at 6, 7, and 8 — Curry, James, and Durant are placed relatively in the second half.

All three players have been having a longer prime than most in the league at the time of writing, and their experience, along with the impact make them proven matchwinners any day. In the top five, only Jokic and Antetokounmpo have a title to their name, and that shows why the veterans shouldn't be written off just yet.

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