NBA: Ranking every team’s best player in 2019-20

The decision between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry for the top spot on this list was a difficult one. The unquestioned best player in the Eastern Conference, Antetokounmpo was a deserving MVP last season as he led the Milwaukee Bucks to 60 wins, the best record in the league, on the backs of elite two-way play.

On offense Antetokounmpo is hyper-efficient, scoring around the basket with a cornucopia of moves that take advantage of his prodigious length and underrated strength. In the open court he is a monster, nearly unstoppable in transition as his impossibly-long strides eat up the distance.

He is even beginning to slowly increase his range, threatening to unlock yet another level to his game and make slowing him down a fool’s errand.

What makes Antetokounmpo so valuableis that in addition to being the league’s most efficient offensive star, he is equally impactful on defense. A deserving Defensive Player of the Year candidate, his length and speed allow him to be both rim protector on the weakside and destroyed of passing lanes, eating up opposing forwards.

Add in his culture-building leadership style and he is a lock to be among the league’s elite for the next decade.

Looking ahead: The league’s youngest superstar, the 24-year-old Antetokounmpo has his prime fully ahead of him. He will not only sustain his level of play but likely improve it over the coming seasons, especially empowered in Mike Budenholzer’s system. Khris Middleton is a solid wingman and Eric Bledsoe a talented guard, but neither will be a top-10 player in the league.

The more interesting question is how long until another player in the Eastern Conference challenges Antetokounmpo for the top spot among all 15 teams.