In the 1970-71 season, the Milwaukee Bucks were a franchise that was only 3 seasons old but that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t compete right away. There will be arguments on if this team or the 95-96 Bulls were the best but we will give the edge to Chicago here. No surprise here, the top team in NBA history is the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls that were led by Michael Jordan. By: Jessica Gayo, Lili Zecevic - @inquirerdotnet. He’s now taken that to a new level in the nation’s capital. The team which is credited with having the best NBA regular season record ever is the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors. December 16, 2020. share. At just 21, the runaway Rookie of the Year led the Grizzlies in scoring (17.8) and assists (7.3) while sitting at third with 3.4 win shares in his debut season. That drops Morant down some in our updated rankings. Related: If you’re a fan of the Cavaliers, check out #Cavs rumors, rankings, and news here. Considering how early he is in his career, it’s not out of the question to see Jokic develop a more consistent three-point shot. After some initial struggles, he’s picked it up big time recently for the impoverished Kings. These are among the teams with the best chances of winning the title. Through 40 games this season, the Joker is averaging a near triple-double (26.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 8.6 assists). NBA 2K16 is arguably the greatest NBA 2K game of all time for good reason. Chamberlain averaged 24.1 PPG 24.2 RPG and 7.8 APG in this season with Philly and despite scoring not being as big back then as it is now, the 76ers averaged a huge 125.2 PPG. Middleton improved each of his first six seasons in the NBA before finally earning an All-Star appearance back in 2018-19. The former No. Under Paul’s tutelage, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder enjoyed career years in 2019-20. Brown has teamed up with Jayson Tatum to form an elite young wing duo in Boston. The 96-97 Chicago Bulls team looked very similar to the 95-96 squad which is probably why they were just as successful. Curry’s status as a top player in the league is no longer in doubt after returning from an injury-plagued 2019-20 to dominate for the Warriors. Hayward, 30, is averaging 20.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists on 48% shooting and is in the midst of a career season. The Bucks took a massive gamble in their blockbuster trade for Holiday. He’s still averaging nearly 26.0 points and 9.4 assists while shooting 38% from distance. Although his defense has taken a step back as he’s gotten older, James is still a formidable player in that regard when called upon. He missed all but one game of his first season with the Boston Celtics back in 2017-18 due to a horrible leg injury. Much like Towns, the 24-year-old Booker is an offensive force. The former second-round pick is averaging a resounding 23.4 points to go with 5.1 rebounds on 36% shooting from distance. Kobe was putting up 28.5 PPG and Shaq had 28.7 PPG and 12.7 RPG of his own. If he keeps playing the way that he is, he is a lock to be an All-Star every year. Alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, the Bucks have the star power and defensive prowess to make a run at the NBA Finals. Holiday, one of the NBA’s best two-way players, is a perfect fit in Milwaukee’s system. A list of all the best NBA posts from around the network. They went 67-15 in the regular season but a big part of their success was their home record. The three-time champion is also one of the favorites to win his second NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. Nearly averaging a 30-10-10 in only his second year, the sky is the limit for Doncic and the Mavericks. Although Antetokounmpo needs to improve his shooting — mainly from three-point range and the free throw line — there’s evidence to show that he’s working on that facet of his game. The team ended up going 66-16 and went 12-2 in the playoffs finishing with a 40- sweep vs the Baltimore Bullets in the finals. Not the fleetest of foot, Jokic’s game has always been predicated on his methodical movement and amazing IQ. The skinny: 53-29; lost in FinalsLeBron James' return to Cleveland was quite an up and down season for the Cavs. 1 pick, the 25-year-old Towns has lived up to his end of the bargain on the offensive end. Adebayo has continued to show off this season, averaging 18.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists on 56% shooting from the field. Because of how great of a shooter he is, Thompson can score 30-plus in a quarter or even score 60-plus on fewer than 15 dribbles in the blink-of-an-eye. They went on to beat the Utah Jazz in the NBA Finals in 6 games. In all, he could be the best regular-season player, but playoff success is a bigger goal for him. The question now becomes whether he’s headed out of town here soon. Whenever you look back on a team and they had 4 hall-of-famers, Wil Chamberlain, Larry Costello, Hal Greer, and Chet Walker, in the starting lineup you know they were a hard team to beat. Related: If you’re a fan of the Warriors, check out #DubNation rumors, rankings, and news here. Related: Winners/losers from Chris Paul trade. Considering he still has plenty of upside to explore, if he’s able to even passably shoot treys and freebies, Giannis can be the face of the league for at least the next five years. The Suns are currently off to one of their best starts since the Steve Nash era with Paul averaging 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. Beal currently leads the NBA in scoring at 32.2 points per game while adding 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists for a Wizards team that has picked it up recently. Who rose to the occasion this year? The NBA has had a number of game 7s over the years and many have delivered moments of drama, greatness, failure, redemption, and even left long-term effects on the league. Without further ado, here are the top-50 NBA players right now. If anyone can rebound from these two devastating injuries, though, it will be Klay Thompson. in … Hungry for more NBA news? However, that’s the cost of convincing your star to stay. Read More: Orlando Magic could deal Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon ahead of NBA trade deadline. After suffering a torn Achilles, just on the brink of returning from a torn ACL, there are now long-term questions about Thompson’s future. Oh, and he’s coming off his fourth career championship and NBA Finals MVP award. He’s now off to an historical start, scoring the second-most points through 60 games of a players’ career, behind Michael Jordan. Harden is averaging 25.7 points, 9.1 rebounds and 11.5 assists on a ridiculous 49% shooting in 27 games with Brooklyn. Related: If you’re a fan of the Bucks, check out #FearTheDeer rumors, rankings, and news here. Thus far in 2020-21, that has not been the case with Towns sidelined for 20 games due to injury and COVID-19. This kid is special. Unfortunately, he’s shooting a disastrous 39% from the field this season. It’s in this that we look at the 50 best NBA players of 2021. CHECK OUT: 5 Valuable Michael Jordan Basketball Cards That Prove He Is The GOAT. Even though Wilt Chamberlain was at the end of his career he was still extremely productive putting up 14.8 PPG and 19.2 RPG. Related: If you’re a fan of the Nets, check out #WeGoHard rumors, rankings, and news here. He’s averaging 27.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists on 52% shooting, including what would be a career-best 42% mark from distance. The best jerseys in NBA history (2:52) From modern innovations like the Miami Heat "Vice" design to colorful classics like the Raptors' "Dino" fit, check out our favorite NBA uniforms. Read More: 6 most realistic Bradley Beal trade packages. Maybe one of the best offensive players in NBA history, Harden has shown that he can lead a team as the No. The National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals is the championship series for the NBA … His numbers are up in 2020-21 with Lillard averaging a whopping 30.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists on 39% shooting from distance. Sexton is the clear-cut choice as the Cavaliers’ main building block. His numbers are also down clear across the board. Best NBA teams power rank of 2021. He’s also a solid defender and has found some tremendous range (38% shooting from distance this season). . Thought by some to be a one-dimensional player after the Los Angeles Lakers made him a top-10 pick back in 2014, the 26-year-old Randle has morphed into an elite-level all-around player for the improved Knicks. He has also expanded his game to three-point range, shooting an absurd 42% from distance. Kerr is the all-time NBA leader in career 3-point percentage (45.4), and holds two of the five best single-season 3-point shooting percentages in league history (52.4 in 1994-95 and 51.5 in 1995-96). This team went 69-13 in the regular season and went on to go 12-3 in the playoffs while beating a very good Knicks team in 5 games. 5. Related: If you’re a fan of the Raptors, check out #WeTheNorth rumors, rankings, and news here. His numbers are also down across the board. Coach Gregg Popovich had superstars Tim Duncan & David Robinson in the frontcourt which made it very hard for any team to stop. The forward is averaging 23.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 48% shooting from the field. As part of Boston’s three-headed monster, the 23-year-old Tatum has taken that next step of being the go-to option on offense. Related: If you’re a fan of the Blazers, check out #RipCity rumors, rankings, and news here. Green, 31, seemed to be a shell of his former select during a down 2019-20 season. The last year was rough for all sports, but that doesn’t mean the NBA power rank is no longer relevant. Quite honestly, he can still be considered to be the best player in the NBA. He’s the 76ers’ best player by a mile, but he has to stay healthy. 1 pick has turned it around. He can score 50 or any given night and drop any defender that’s in front of him. He’s also already one of the top perimeter defenders in the game. That drops AD in our latest rankings. But as long as he plays his role, he’ll be fine. From Michael Jordan to LeBron James, here are the 30 best basketball players to ever play. Murray’s ascension into the ranks of the elite is primarily due to what we saw from him during the Nuggets’ playoff run. Whenever you can have the likes of Jordan and Pippen starting night in and night out and then have Steve Kerr and Robert Parish coming off the bench you will be a tough team to beat. Speaking of max contract extensions, Adebayo re-upped with the Heat as his talents continue to flourish in South Beach. Leonard embodies the saying that “it should be the quiet guys you should fear” as he will nary say a word. If you’re a fan of the Cavaliers, check out #Cavs rumors, rankings, and news here, If you’re a fan of the Warriors, check out #DubNation rumors, rankings, and news here, If you’re a fan of the Knicks, check out #NewYorkForever rumors, rankings, and news here, If you’re a fan of the Houston Rockets, check out #Rockets rumors, rankings and news here, whether he’s headed out of town here soon, If you’re a fan of the Raptors, check out #WeTheNorth rumors, rankings, and news here, most lucrative contract ever for an undrafted player, NBA games today – TV schedule, best bets and fantasy picks, If you’re a fan of the Pistons, check out #DetroitUp rumors, rankings, and news here, Charlotte inked him to a massive contract, If you’re a fan of the Hornets, check out #AllFly rumors, rankings, and news here, Top 10 NBA Rookie of the Year candidates – LaMelo Ball injury changes dynamics in a big way, If you’re a fan of the Jazz, check out #TakeNote rumors, rankings, and news here, If you’re a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder, check out #ThunderUp rumors, rankings, and news here, If you’re a fan of the Bucks, check out #FearTheDeer rumors, rankings, and news here, If you’re a fan of the Blazers, check out #RipCity rumors, rankings, and news here, If you’re a fan of the 76ers, check out #PhilaUnite rumors, rankings, and news here, Orlando Magic could deal Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon ahead of NBA trade deadline. 1 perimeter defender, and lets his play do the talking. After signing a max contract extension ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, Ingram is now continuing to play at a high level. His career numbers (27-7-7) are unheard of in this day and age. They only allowed 84.7 PPG on the defensive end so despite being a middle-tier offensive scoring team, they were able to still be successful. He can put up points in bunches while also shutting guys down on defense. Tap here for the hottest headlines breaking right now. Talk about a stellar all-around game. Whenever you have a game-changing player like Larry Bird averaging 25.8 PPG 9.8 RPG and 6.8 APG in that era you are going to be tough to beat on a nightly basis and they proved that en-route to an NBA championship. In his first season with the Pelicans, this wing is averaging 23.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 37% from distance. Acquired from the Oklahoma City Thunder in the offseason, Grant is playing at a much higher level than anyone expected for the NBA’s worst team. Related: Winners/losers from James Harden trade. 3. The other half of the vaunted “Splash Bros.,” the 30-year-old Thompson is one of the greatest shooters the NBA has even seen. Trading three future first-round picks and giving the New Orleans Pelicans two pick swaps is an absurd price. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar If injuries had not cut short this generational talent’s rookie season, Williamson would have vied with Ja Morant for the NBA Rookie of the Year honors. Unlock NBA League Pass to watch: Best Plays of Week 15 Your ticket to the action: watch the whole league or your favorite team, choose a single game, or check out more options. Earning his first All-Star appearance this season, the forward is averaging 23.0 points, 11.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists on 48% shooting from the field. Even at 37, James is still finding ways to improve his game. Could an All-Star appearance be in the cards in the near future? NBA Regular Season: Best 50 Teams in NBA History This is the list with the top 50 NBA teams by winning percentage in the regular season. Even without a three-point shot, the 31-year-old DeRozan has found a way to stay effective. Chris Paul demonstrated that he still has gas left in the tank last season. In fact, he’s almost to those averages for a Jazz team with the best record in the NBA this season. It looks like new Bulls coach Billy Donovan has fully maximized LaVine’s potential. Although a case can be made that 27-year-old Buddy Hield is the Kings’ best player, that title still belongs to De’Aaron Fox. Even though he’ll never be a defensive force, count on DeRozan to put up 20/5/5 every night. Related: If you’re a fan of the Pistons, check out #DetroitUp rumors, rankings, and news here. During the 2019-20 season, Cleveland ranked twenty-fourth in the NBA in assists at 23.1 dimes per game. Unfortunately, injuries have limited Davis to 23 games this season. Still only 24 years old, Simmons has an opportunity to morph into an elite player. Only 26, LaVine has a lot of time to improve other facets of his game to become one of the better all-around players in the NBA. Whew. Related: If you’re a fan of the Clippers, check out #ClipperNation rumors, rankings, and news here. At 31, Harden is seemingly able to find new and creative ways to get the ball in the basket every year, no matter how ungraceful it may look. Coming off an All-Star appearance as a third-year player, that can no longer be considered the case. Fairly durable throughout his career, George’s age (30) makes it difficult to see where his ceiling is at this point. Related: If you’re a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder, check out #ThunderUp rumors, rankings, and news here. Related: If you’re a fan of the Houston Rockets, check out #Rockets rumors, rankings and news here. No other player is as young (22) or boasts the scoring prowess (23.7 points per game this season) that he does. The 1971-72 Lakers were led by 4 different hall-of-famers, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and Gail Goodrich. Leading the team in scoring (19.9), assists (6.0), steals (1.8) and free-throw attempts (9.1) per game last season, Butler has embraced the Heat’s winning culture with great success thus far. Still, the flaws are more obvious than ever with Westbrook. They were 1st in the NBA in offensive rating and a top 7 team defensively as well which is a recipe for success and a common trend that we have seen with the other teams on our list. An all-time great, Curry is not showing signs of slowing down. Shocking. Davis’ player efficiency rating is the third-best in NBA history, only behind LeBron James and Michael Jordan, making him a general manager’s dream. Jordan’s squad went 72-10 in the regular season and easily moved through the playoffs with a 15-3 record. Vintage Westbrook was arguably the best athlete in NBA history. Still only 27, the sky seems to be the limit for this all-around player. Another team that was loaded with top-end talent was the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors. 1 option in Toronto, Siakam has shown to be a capable offensive player, scoring either inside or out at will. A three-time champion, Curry is averaging 29.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.2 assists on 40% shooting from distance this season. A former No. Look no further than the fact that he averaged a career-high 10.2 assists in his 17th season. Even last season, it did not appear that the former All-Star was back to 100%. An amazing defensive player, the “Stifle Tower” has shown that he can stop almost anyone at the rim. At 6-foot-11, the 32-year-old Durant is unlike any player the NBA has ever seen. While Green is averaging a mere 6.8 points, he’s also averaging 6.3 rebounds and 8.5 assists. The 27-year-old Davis has been a two-way presence since being the first pick back in 2012. 1 option on that end of the court. A far cry from what we saw in the past but against this type of competition if was very good to see. With solid role players Derek Fisher, Horace Grant, and Rick Fox the Lakers were bound for a title and that’s where they ended up. Perhaps, Bam is the NBA’s version of Rodney Dangerfield. This Warriors team went 67-15 and ran through teams in the playoffs going 16-1 en-route to an NBA championship. Booker has seen his scoring drop a bit with Chris Paul in the mix, but the dude is still shooting a ridiculous 50% from the field. Despite said struggles, Lowry is still averaging 17.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists. When you have Kareem averaging 31.7 PPG and 16.0 RPG and Robertson putting up 19.4 PPG and 8.2 APG you will be tough to beat and they proved that. But any improvement would be for naught if the Timberwolves don’t put a competitive squad around Towns to complement his talents. A throwback to bigs of the past, Vucevic has been slowly expanding his offensive game. Like the Lakers, the Boston Celtics have had tons of good teams in the history of their franchise but this one takes the top spot. Unfortunately, Morant suffered an ankle injury early in his sophomore campaign after averaging a whopping 36 points over the course of the first two games. We will never know the record that the Spurs could have finished with if they played a full year but during the lockout 98-99 season they were still one of the best squads. Despite this, he was an All-Star snub. They ended up with a record of 65-17 and only lost 3 total games in the playoffs beating the Boston Celtics 4-2 in the finals. Related: NBA power rankings – Phoenix Suns now a championship contender. Ball, 19, is averaging 19.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists on 43% shooting since taking over starting duties back on Feb. 1. No doubt one of the best clutch shot makers in recent history, the 30-year-old Lillard definitely knows what time it is when it comes to the game clock. Note: Article originally written by Jarrod Castillo, since updated by managing editor Vincent Frank. Including an historical 50-point outing back in February, Murray is averaging 24.7 points on 51% shooting over the past five weeks. Those are some tremendous numbers. 1996-97 Chicago Bulls But with Leonard taking his talents to Southern California, the 33-year-old Lowry and Pascal Siakam comprised a de facto 1-2 punch for a struggling Raptors squad. One of the only games on this list where we actually remember the outcome. They went on to go 37-13 in the shortened regular season and 15-2 in the playoffs and defeated the New York Knicks 4-1 in the NBA Finals.