- Nikola Jokic is an NBA Champion, a two-time MVP, and 2023 Finals MVP
- There are several players below who are in the first five seasons of their career
- Seven players below were born outside of the United States
In recent days, Austin Reaves addressed comments from teammate D'Angelo Russell on how he is discredited and underestimated on the court because he is white. Throughout NBA history, there have been plenty of players who went through the same thing and became some of the greatest players in NBA history, like Jerry West, Rick Barry, and Dirk Nowitzki, even though they were considered unathletic and inferior because of the color of their skin.
As far back as I can remember, the saying has always been “White men can’t jump”. That has been mostly true in NBA history as the number of elite white dunkers has been minimal while elite white shooters thrive. Although it may seem like this article is meant to be divisive in some way, any thoughts of racism should be pushed aside because that is not the point of this article.
The idea of this article is to honor a minority in the game of basketball simply. It would be the same if we counted down the greatest black hockey players in NHL history or the best American soccer players. They are minorities who excel at a sport they aren’t typically associated with performing well in. That isn’t racist. It is a celebration of defying the odds based on a historical trend in that specific sport.
With that out of the way, the fact that these players are white will not even be mentioned from this point forward. Again this is a celebration of talent for the 2023-24 season period.
These are the 10 best white NBA players for the 2023-24 season.
10. Alex Caruso
Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski/USA Today Sports
For years, Alex Caruso has become a folk hero of sorts within the NBA community. I do not know if it is because of his incredible athleticism, the fact he played with LeBron James, or the fact that he plays the game at one hundred percent all of the time that has turned him into that folk hero, but nevertheless, he has reached that status.
This isn’t to say Caruso hasn’t earned the right to be celebrated by pure basketball fans everywhere. In 2022-23, Caruso averaged just 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. However, his defensive contributions shined above everything else as he earned All-Defensive First Team honors with the Chicago Bulls.
Caruso heads into 2023-24 looking to continue to be the defensive edge for the Bulls that they need in order to get back into playoff contention as they were in 2022. Caruso is heading into his seventh season overall and third year with the Bulls. He will be a star for them once again off the bench and as a starter when called upon.
9. Josh Giddey
Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the teams with the brightest futures in the NBA, and the presence of Josh Giddey is one of the many reasons why. After struggling with some injuries during his rookie season, Giddey took a big leap in 2022-23. Giddey averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game in 76 games played as the Thunder shocked everyone and advanced to the play-in tournament.
Giddey’s role on the Thunder is about as important as anybody else’s in 2023-24. With the surge of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a superstar and the much-anticipated debut of Chet Holmgren after missing his entire rookie season. Giddey’s role as a playmaker will increase with the presence of another player who can score and get himself into the position to do so. Giddey will be one of the players to watch closely as Oklahoma City looks to take those gargantuan first steps toward an NBA championship.
8. Nikola Vucevic
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
A few seasons ago, Nikola Vucevic would have been much higher on this list. This isn’t to say that Vucevic has gotten worse or isn't still one of the top European players in the NBA. It’s just that the talent around him has gotten much better. In 2022-23, Vucevic averaged 17.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per game as the Bulls starting center for all 82 games.
In the 2022-23 offseason, Vucevic re-signed with the Bulls for three years and $60 million. This means that Chicago is expecting the same production and numbers from him in 2023-24. As the Bulls starting center, Vucevic will have the weight of the world on his shoulders but will have the support and help he needs to excel in that position. Vucevic will likely average near the same numbers in 2023-24, which should have the Bulls right back into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
7. Tyler Herro
Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
As his future hangs in the balance for 2023-24, Tyler Herro’s NBA career has been as solid as it gets thus far. As a rookie in 2020, he helped the Heat advance to the NBA Finals. Over the last three seasons, he has been one of Miami’s most reliable offensive weapons and a marksman from beyond the arc.
In 2022-23, Hero missed the entirety of the NBA playoffs due to a broken wrist suffered against the Milwaukee Bucks. If he had been healthy, who knows? Maybe, the Heat defeat the Nuggets in the NBA Finals. During the regular season, Herro averaged 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He shot 43.9% overall, 37.8% from three, and led the NBA with 93.4% shooting from the foul line.
Heading into 2023-24, it is unlikely that Herro will still be with the Miami Heat considering the rumors surrounding his departure in any deal for Damian Lillard. Herro will give his new team a solid offensive weapon and a player with enough swagger to fill any arena.
6. Austin Reaves
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
I don’t think there is any player whose stock has risen faster and sharper than Austin Reaves over the last year. Reaves has been an injection of life into a Lakers team that seemed dead to rights after the first half of the 2022-23 season and now heads in 2023-24 as their third-best offensive option.
In the 2022-23 regular season, Reaves averaged 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 64 games for the Lakers. Where he really shined was during their run to the Western Conference Finals in the NBA playoffs. In 16 playoff games, Reaves averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. He shot a scintillating 44.3% from three-point range on 5.5 attempts. He stepped up in clutch moments and even added a halfcourt heave to break the backs of the Golden State Warriors in the second round.
In 2023-24, the importance of Reaves’ role with the team will be immensely more important than in the previous two seasons. He will be tasked with backing up both LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the likely third-best scoring option for Los Angeles. If his cold-blooded play and ability to live up to the moment are any indication, I would say he is up for the challenge.
5. Kristaps Porzingis
Credit: Fadeaway World
The 2022-23 season was incredibly friendly to Kristaps Porzingis, who made a feverish comeback during the season. For the first time since 2017, Porzingis was on the court for his team for 65 games, and it paid off heavily for him with the Washington Wizards. In 2022-23, Porzingis averaged 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. It was a career-high in scoring and one of the highest rebounding seasons of his career.
Earlier this offseason, Porzingis would be traded to the Boston Celtics, giving him the best chance at a championship run in his career. While the Celtics have gotten tremendous defensive effort from their frontcourt in years past, Porzingis will give them an offensive weapon that can spread the floor and score at will. Porzingis doesn’t make the Celtics automatically NBA champions, but their chances certainly got a whole lot better.
4. Lauri Markkanen
Credit: Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
I wouldn’t even guarantee that Lauri Markkanen would have made this list a year ago heading into 2022-23. Markkanen’s rise to an All-Star level and being named Most Improved Player boosted him all the way into the top five for 2023-24. After mediocre seasons with the Bulls and Cavaliers, Markkanen joined the Utah Jazz in the trade that sent Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland. Of course, the deal indeed ended up working out for both parties instead of joining the list of most lopsided trades ever.
In 2022-23, Markkanen averaged a career-high 25.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while earning his first All-Star appearance. He shot a career-high 49.9% overall as well and 39.1% from three. In 2023-24, he is likely to be the number one option for the Utah Jazz as they continue to navigate their rebuild and attempt to find their way back to the NBA playoffs. Now that we know what Markkanen is capable of, the team can now shift their focus to building around him and making that goal a reality much quicker than expected.
3. Domantas Sabonis
Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Heading into his first full season as a member of the Sacramento Kings, Domantas Sabonis wasn’t expected to help completely turn the franchise around so quickly. That is exactly what he did as he and teammate De’Aaron Fox led the Kings back to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Sabonis would lead the NBA in rebounding with 12.3 rebounds per game, a first in his career. He became an All-Star for the third time and also dished out a career-high 7.3 assists.
The pick-and-roll combo of Fox and Sabonis was among the NBA’s last season as the Kings are now geared for a promising future as a franchise for the first time in nearly two decades. Sabonis will once again team up with Fox and other great supporting cast members to take the Kings to the next level and beyond the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The only question will be if the pressure of now being expected to make the playoffs will be too much for Sabonis and the Kings. I would like to think not, but crazier things have happened. If Domantas Sabonis has anything to say about it, they will be right back to where they were in 2022-23 but this time, maybe NBA championship contenders.
2. Luka Doncic
Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The next two players are far and away, the two best white players in the NBA, and it isn’t particularly close. Since arriving in 2019, Luka Doncic has done nothing but set the NBA on fire with his all-around skills as a playmaker, passer, and scorer. He has made the game look effortless and easy with his slow but smooth attack on the basket and his tendency to show up big in clutch moments.
Doncic had an up-and-down season with the Dallas Mavericks in 2022-23. The team would suffer a setback as they missed the playoffs entirely, even after acquiring Kyrie Irving in a deal with the Nets. Individually, Doncic would have been an MVP candidate if the team had lived up to expectations. Luka averaged a career-high 32.4 points per game as well as 8.6 rebounds and 8.0 assists. He also shot a career-high 49.6% from the field and 34.2% from three.
The 2023-24 season is a big one for Doncic and the Mavericks as they try to return to playoff basketball after the most disappointing season in recent memory. Doncic’s health, consistency, and growth as a team player will be pertinent to that success. If there is any player that can right the ship, it’s Luka Doncic.
1. Nikola Jokic
Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
I do not think there is any doubt in your mind as you read this, or even before you started, that Nikola Jokic would be ranked first on this list. As a reigning two-time MVP, Jokic has possibly his most impressive season yet in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets. Jokic has been a unicorn over the last four seasons with his innate ability to pick apart defenses with his scoring, shooting, passing, and playmaking. In 2022-23, it would pay off with the biggest prizes the NBA has to offer.
During the regular season, Jokic would average 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game, nearly becoming the third player to ever average a triple-double in a season. Jokic’s season may not have ended with his third straight MVP award, but it did lead the Nuggets to the best record in the Western Conference and even more in the NBA playoffs.
During the NBA playoffs, Jokic became a buzzsaw, carving his way through every single opponent that stepped in front of him on the court. In 20 playoff games, Jokic averaged 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists. The end result was the first NBA championship in Denver Nuggets history and with Jokic earning Finals MVP honors in a five-game series win over the Miami Heat. Heading into 2023-24, Jokic makes the Nuggets favored to repeat as NBA champions in my mind at least. After all, how can anyone stop what has already proven to be unstoppable?
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